CHAPTER 14: JESSE'S BARGAIN
Jesse looked around his room. He had everything he ever asked for from his parents, which wasn't much. Equipment for stick ball, some books on other countries, and a picture of the Ifle tower. He had a dresser full of nice clothes he never wore except the night of the opera.
He thought of Winnie. He couldn't stop thinking about her since the night before when she told him that she couldn't be with him. His heart broke at that moment. He didn't want to believe that she didn't love him, but what other explanation was there?
He tried to dismiss her out of his mind, but when he did that, he thought of his brother, and how much he hated him. Winnie would, or already had given her love to him, which meant there was nothing left for Jesse but Paris.
He closed his case. Everything he needed was packed there. Well, almost everything.
"Jesse," his mother called. "A friend of yours is here."
Jesse stood straight up. Hope filled his heart. "Winnie." He whispered, and ran down the stairs, but at the bottom stood a girl he didn't recognize. He'd never seen anyone like her before. She was as tall he was, and her body was slim. Her eyes were a dark piercing brown that made his stomach turn into knots, and his head sweat, scared that she new all of his deepest secrets. And her hair burned a fire red as he'd never seen before. She was beautiful, but intimidatingly powerful.
"You must be Jesse." She claimed with confidence, and knowledge. He just nodded and continued to stare in complete awe. "It's you, isn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"It took me a while, but I remembered the way she acted when I first brought you up on the croquet field. I should have known it then. I was just trying to scare her away from your family, but there was a whole other story, wasn't there?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You're the one Winnie loves aren't you?"
"What?"
"Don't insult me Jesse Tuck. I'm the one that plays the games, but no one plays games with me."
"Is this a game you're playing now." He was angered, and his confidence in her presence rose. Perhaps he was feeding off her own. He wasn't sure.
"No, this isn't a game. This is me, trying to get on top of the world."
"I don't understand?"
"I've wanted to marry into this family since you moved here. I want Miles Tuck."
"Why Miles?"
"Because he's tough. A strong match for me. And if you help me, I'll help you get Winnie back."
"Look, as wonderful as this sounds, she won't come back to me. She's made up her mind about Miles and me, and I have a train to be on in 3 hours. There's not enough time."
"Don't lose faith. Help me, and I promise Winnie will be on that train at noon."
Jesse looked around his room. He had everything he ever asked for from his parents, which wasn't much. Equipment for stick ball, some books on other countries, and a picture of the Ifle tower. He had a dresser full of nice clothes he never wore except the night of the opera.
He thought of Winnie. He couldn't stop thinking about her since the night before when she told him that she couldn't be with him. His heart broke at that moment. He didn't want to believe that she didn't love him, but what other explanation was there?
He tried to dismiss her out of his mind, but when he did that, he thought of his brother, and how much he hated him. Winnie would, or already had given her love to him, which meant there was nothing left for Jesse but Paris.
He closed his case. Everything he needed was packed there. Well, almost everything.
"Jesse," his mother called. "A friend of yours is here."
Jesse stood straight up. Hope filled his heart. "Winnie." He whispered, and ran down the stairs, but at the bottom stood a girl he didn't recognize. He'd never seen anyone like her before. She was as tall he was, and her body was slim. Her eyes were a dark piercing brown that made his stomach turn into knots, and his head sweat, scared that she new all of his deepest secrets. And her hair burned a fire red as he'd never seen before. She was beautiful, but intimidatingly powerful.
"You must be Jesse." She claimed with confidence, and knowledge. He just nodded and continued to stare in complete awe. "It's you, isn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"It took me a while, but I remembered the way she acted when I first brought you up on the croquet field. I should have known it then. I was just trying to scare her away from your family, but there was a whole other story, wasn't there?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You're the one Winnie loves aren't you?"
"What?"
"Don't insult me Jesse Tuck. I'm the one that plays the games, but no one plays games with me."
"Is this a game you're playing now." He was angered, and his confidence in her presence rose. Perhaps he was feeding off her own. He wasn't sure.
"No, this isn't a game. This is me, trying to get on top of the world."
"I don't understand?"
"I've wanted to marry into this family since you moved here. I want Miles Tuck."
"Why Miles?"
"Because he's tough. A strong match for me. And if you help me, I'll help you get Winnie back."
"Look, as wonderful as this sounds, she won't come back to me. She's made up her mind about Miles and me, and I have a train to be on in 3 hours. There's not enough time."
"Don't lose faith. Help me, and I promise Winnie will be on that train at noon."