Author's Note: Thanks to Angel Face, Iris, Dice and Rae for reviewing!
Iris ~ Don't worry, I replaced the prior chapter and made corrections! Thanks for telling me!
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Stress' Point of View
Stress here. How are ya? I guess you want to hear a little bit about me, huh? Well, I'm sure you're able to tell from my *lovely* New York accent that I'm not from around here. Me, I'm a Queens girl; I mean, I did live there for almost seven years. But then again, I'd rather be considered a Manhattanite; I was there for four years before me and Jack came up here.
Not like it was our idea to come to Canada. After the boys' lodging house burned down, almost all of our friends decided to head up North where Iris and Dice used to live. I didn't want to go at first, but Jack finally convinced that it would be for the best.
And it wasn't bad at all, I must say. The only negative thing there is up here is Riley. I get all hot and bothered when I think of how hard he tried to break me and Jack up. The nerve of him! If it were up to me, I'd punch him dead in the face for all the underhanded tricks he tried to pull. And it will be a long time before I forget how he tried to tell Jack that I slept with him.
But Jack told me to forgive and forget. "As long as he leaves ya be," he says, "den we won't do nuttin' ta him." Fine thing for him to say. Jack already got his hit in! I swear, it's times like these that I think Dave rubbed off on him a little too much.
So I've been nice, talking to Riley like he never tried anything at all. I still treat him just the way I did when I didn't know that he was going to try to split Jack and me up. Though I must admit, that gets me a wee bit worried. I hope that he doesn't think that I like him that way cause I don't. And, as long as Jack is by my side, I won't.
But if something ever happens to Jack... What? It's nice to know that someone else likes me too, even if it is someone who is willing to disgrace my name to get my attention. A little odd, I must say, but he does like me.
Or maybe I'll just get some nice revenge for what he put me and Jack
through. Either way, I could have quite
some fun with Mr. Hanson.
Jack's Point of View
Francis Sulliv-- No, no, that's not my name anymore. My name is Jack, Jack Kelly. Howdy. I'm the resident Cowboy in these parts. And no, I ain't from the West. I got my nickname because I'm going to move out to Santa Fe one of these days. Until then, I have to settle with being a City Cowboy. Or in this case, a Canadian Cowboy.
That's right. I, Jack Kelly -- never Francis Sullivan, am no longer living in the city where I was born and bred. When one of Race's unsupervised lit cigars started a fire in the lodging house I had been living in for the past six years, I was forced to leave good old New York. I, along with my girl, Stress, hitched a ride on a train and made my way up to Niagara Falls. I live here, in the Rainbow Bridge Lodging House, with a whole mess of my Manhattan pals. It was very convenient that two girls who lived in the girls' lodging house in Manhattan - the Bottle Alley Lodging House - knew of a great Canadian Lodging House. Because of Iris and Dice's connection to Rainbow Bridge, me, Skitts, Mush, Blink, Dutchy, Jake and, of course, the great king of Brooklyn himself - Spot Conlon- made our way up North, bringing our girls along for the ride.
Great people up here in Canada. There ain't no Delancey's up here and especially no Snyder waiting for me. Yup, life here is pretty perfect.
Well, as good as it can get. Nothing is perfect, I know that. In this case, my imperfection lies in the handsome, yet incredibly devious face of one Riley Hanson.
I hate Riley. Simple as that. If it wasn't for my pride, I would soak him. But I was afraid that Stress might have had feelings for him so I didn't, instead telling her to leave him be. Stupid really. I know now that Stress wanted to hit him as much as I did for the lies he told about her. And now I can't change my mind and look like an idiot.
But, I swear, one of these days I'm going to let Riley have it.