Chesapeake sat on the fire escape, exuding confidence. Everything was fine. She sketched a picture of the landscape before she began to write a letter to Richard. She was unaware of a silent observer, and thus wrote speaking aloud to herself. "Dear Richard, Please inform my family that I am well and everything here is looking up. I've been dating around, and I think it's doing me good. I am glad that there are no hard feelings between us. Give my family and friends- my brother especially my love. Thank you for being a messenger and confidante. Thank you for everything. Happily your friend, Lynn."
The observer sighed leaning back up to the roof of the lodging house, his heart filling with infatuation. Indeed, Chesa had been dating around, and it was beginning to upset him. Rational thought had practically left him at that point, but came smashing back through his skull that very moment. He reasoned that he had no right to feel possessive about a girl he wasn't dating exclusively. He had never felt the jealous type before, but now he was doing a lot of things that were out of character, like eavesdropping on girls writing letters to their ex-fiancés. Perhaps he was changing.
Mush joined him on the roof. "Heya Jack," he greeted, "Whatcha doin' up heah?" Mush leaned on the wall of the roof, dangerously close to discovering the cowboy's unhealthy obsession with one of his coquettish boarders.
Jack leaned too, watching from the corner of his eye as Chesapeake licked her envelope and closed it. For a moment he lost himself to her lips and her tongue, but quickly regained composure. "Jack, you okay?" Mush's brow furrowed with concern, "Maybe ya had too much ta drink tanight..." Chesa climbed into the bunkroom through the window.
"Dat ain't it, Mush," Jack said, turning and leaning against his back, "I don' really wanna tawk about it, ya know?"
Mush raised his eyebrows, "Shoah, whateva ya want, Jack. Nice night ain't it?" He looked at the sky.
Jack gave him a sidelong glance, "Ya know, Mush... I ain't inta guys." They laughed.
**
Chesapeake blinked, "Sure
Skittery! I'd love to!" She embraced him, quickly.
Smalls and Firecracker came into the bunkroom, giggling at some
joke that Chesa and Skittery had missed. "What's up you two?"
Firecracker asked, noticing that Skitts was holding Chesa's hand.
"Skitts just asked me to be his girl.... so.... now we're exclusive!" Chesa giggled.
"Dat's great you guys!" Smalls exclaimed, "Hope yer happy tageddah!"
Skittery grinned, "Well it ain't like we'se gettin' hitched anytime soon. Slow down dere Smalls!" They, too, had a good laugh.
**
Chesapeake was not ugly, you must understand. Her fair, smooth skin and harsh grey eyes gave her a look of distant winter. She was curvy and tall, and attempted to hide neither of these characteristics. A girl with Chesa's skin needn't buy rouge for her cheeks, nor fancy clothing. Most everything suited her. Many of the boys made advances at her, but she did not accept and often she would be defended very vehemently by certain members of the opposite sex.
It was often that Jack would be caught, staring at her pale face, or her hands, or her hair by his close friends. Her hair. Jack sighed and breathed deeply. Her hair smelled of honey and cookies and her own freshly baked bread... it smelled like home. His mother must have smelled like Chesa's hair, because it filled him with such a warmth and sense of security that he could crawl into her arms (if she would allow it) and pour every drop of his soul.
Evenings Jack would stay up and read the paper, drinking coffee or tea, waiting for her to return to the lodging house safely. The way she giggled made his neck hot. He seethed at the way Skittery's hands wandered from around her waist. One such evening, on the third day of July, Jack mentioned to the two that an early retire would be wise, because of tomorrow's great festivities.
Chesapeake agreed immediately, much to the dismay of Skittery and the smug grin of Jack, who then, as he watched them ascend the staircase, sat on the lobby windowsill to gaze at the stars- at a star which his mother told him was his when he was very very young. Mush startled him.
"Shoah dat star ken twinkle," Mush said, "An', boy, you're watchin' it do so hard. But I knows a gal twice as hard and I'm shoah she's watchin' it too. No mattah what tie she's got in her right dressah, tied. I know she's watchin' dat star. Gonna twinkle."
Jack furrowed his brow. "What's dat, Mush? Some kinda poem?"
"Yeah, Fiahcrackah wrote it fer ya." Mush handed Jack the thin piece of paper, "She said you'd know who it's about." He shrugged. "Yeah, some a' da boys... Jack, we'se noticed ya lookin' at Chesa... an'... well, we dunno."
"I don' wanna hear it, Mush. It don' mattah how I look at any goil but dat one, does it?" Jack sulked, and stared at the stars, thinking... wondering... what if she was watching that star? "If Skittery wants a fight, den he knows wheah he ken find one."
Mush sighed, "Jack, it ain't dat. I mean... well, I guess it is, but we just ain't shoah. Maybe somebody should tawk ta da goil about it befoah ya go cuttin' Skitts off from everyt'in' he's evah known. I dunno if he loves her! You dunno if he loves her! You dunno if she loves him! Don'cha want her ta be happy?"
Jack nodded silently, but was completely unable to get his mind off that star. Gonna twinkle.
**
The next morning, Independence Day, everyone was out early. The streets of New York were decorated in red, white and blue streamers. Patriotic headlines replaced the ones about nude corpses. The day passed quickly and eventlessly. Spot had planned a large gathering at the docks to watch displays, play cards, set off firecrackers and genereally celebrate. That evening everything was going well. Luna greeted Chesa and Skittery, and they joined a card game. Chesa was finished with cards before Skittery, as always. To pass the time she thought she would get a drink.
Jack and Chesapeake met looking over the various drinks. Killian's Red, she finally decided on an Irish variety of beer and leaned against a dock post, waiting for Jack to speak to her. All his attention was focused her direction, even though he wasn't looking at her. She could hear her name in his thoughts. The hairs on her arms stood up. "Cold?" he asked.
"No," she said, giggling, as always, "Just bored."
He thought for a moment and hesitated, but eventually just blurted, "Hey, ken I ast you a question?"
"Shoot."
"Last night, when ya jest got home from da date wid Skittery, what didja do?" He asked.
She blinked, "I wrote in my diary for a moment, then I looked at the stars..." She grew wistful, as though she had forgotten who exactly she was speaking with, "My older brother, Peter, died when I was seven, of a terrible disease. It was slow and each day we waited for him to pass on into eternal peace, so his suffering would end. He was so joyful... even in those days. He said that if I ever missed him or needed help, that I could look at the night sky and he would get God to help me."
"Must be nice havin' a relative in heaven."
"What about your mother?" She asked.
"Jus' coz she's dead don' mean she's in heaven."
She giggled again, "Heaven's a peculiar thing, Jack. I'm sure you've somebody looking out for you. Otherwise you couldn't have made it this far."
Jack furrowed his brow and failed at hiding the pleased smile that spread across his face. It occurred to him how whipped he was, but he was unable to avoid the feeling inside him He felt helpless and pathetic, but happy in spite of himself. "Yeah, well... Dere's a few angels in my life." He struggled to think of a topic with which to change the subject, "How's t'ings wid you an' me pal Skittery?"
"Last night we broke it off," Chesa sipped her beer. Jack's heart leapt as she continued, "I figure there's just too many guys here I'm just in love with. Skittery doesn't have a problem with me seeing other people... So..." She trailed off, looking at the floor, venturing to briefly glance up at Jack.
He smiled, "Great! So, are ya busy dis week? I was t'inkin' we could go for a walk, say Friday?" He'd had experience with lots of girls and knew the moves well, but his hand felt clumsy as it brushed her cheek.
"Sure thing!" Chesa giggled, batting her eyelashes again and nervously pecking Jack on the cheek before walking away with the shy swaying step of a girl with attitude to match her hips and calling out to Firecracker, who seemed to be an explosive guest of honor tonight, it being the Fourth of July.
Just then, Jack looked at the sky, and his star came into view as the first firework of the evening exploded against the New York sunset skyline.
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