A/N: Y'all, I am so sorry this chapter took so long. Part of the reason was that I only got 2 reviews for the last part, so I didn't feel very motivated to write. I went to a club Friday night, and then with the whole Columbia explosion…everything is just completely off kilter. To make up for it taking me so long to post, this chapter is 5 pages long Times New Roman 12. This is my longest chapter to date. Most likely, I won't be able to do more until Friday at the earliest. I have tests on Thursday and Friday. Also I have a test next Monday and Wednesday. If the parts are shorter, then that's why. Enjoy!!!
Denton looks out the corner of his eye and sees Jack ready to pounce on JJ, so he places a hand on Jack's shoulder to keep him in place. JJ notices Jack's reaction and smirks in arrogance. Amanda, meanwhile, has carefully and forcefully disengaged herself from JJ. She goes to stand in between Jack and Denton, and then they all turn and make their way back to the carriage.
"She's perfect, JJ," Joe says, looking as the carriage drives away, "my only worry is that Jack character."
"No worries, father. He's nothing more than a street rat with attitude. Amanda will get tired of 'slumming' it with him, sooner or later," JJ says.
"If not, all you need to do is talk to Jack. If you tell him that he isn't worthy of her or that she can do better, then he'll drop her quickly. He has no self confidence, and it will be his downfall," Pulitzer says.
"Amanda will be mine in time to announce it at the Baxter-Calvert wedding, and I want Jack to be there so I can rub it in his face," JJ says, turning around and walking inside. Joe and Pulitzer follow him in.
Meanwhile, in the carriage, Amanda is definitely not too happy.
"I need to wash my mouth and lips out with a bar of soap," Amanda says, the second the carriage door is closed. "Where did he discern the right to kiss me? Not to mention the fact he was no good at it, anyway. He is such a barbarian."
"Are you better now?" Denton asks, a small smile playing on his face.
"Yes, actually. I am so sorry you all had to go through with that," Amanda says to both Jack and Denton. "Especially you, Jack. I didn't realize how big of…God, they are so infuriating. Acting all superior and better. I hate them!"
"I've dealt with worse, Amanda. It really was okay. I'd go through it again, just to see you looking this beautiful," Jack says, immediately calming her down. "Now what happened when he pulled you away earlier? Did he hurt you?"
"He was telling me who you are and what you had done. He got angry with me for doing something without his permission," she says, changing her voice tone with the word permission. "He only squeezed my arm. It just shocked me; that's all."
Jack and Denton don't look convinced as Jack says "Let me see your arm."
Amanda looks at both men and realizes she has no choice. She removes her shawl, and Jack bends over to examine her arm. He sees a bruise starting to form on her upper arm. Jack's eyes betray the anger he's trying to hold in, but Amanda sees it when his eyes meet hers.
"Hey," she says, "Look at me." He reluctantly turns his face towards hers, and she takes his hand. "I'm fine, Jack. Yes, he did hurt me a little bit. No, it's not your fault because I invited you. I knew the possibility of this happening, but I did not and do not care. You will not blame yourself, and you will not do something stupid to that rich, spoiled brat. He is not worth your time or energy. Promise me that, okay?" When he says nothing, she prompts him again. "Promise me."
"I promise, Amanda," Jack says, looking her in the eye.
"Jack, how about you and Amanda go see Medda. It's still early, and I know she'd love to see you in a tux," Jack says, reminding the two that he is still in the carriage. "We're only a few minutes from Irving Hall."
"Medda?" Amanda asks her tone somewhere between questioning and jealously.
"Medda Larkson, the Swedish Meadowlark. She's the brightest star of the vaudeville stage today; she was a friend of my father's," Jack says
"Vaudeville? I've heard of it, but my father never allowed me to go to that. Said it wasn't proper for a lady of my status," Amanda says, rolling her eyes.
"Well, then, do you wants to go?" Jack asks.
"Sure, I'd love to," she says, as the carriage comes to a stop.
"Sir," the driver says, opening to door, "We're here."
"Thank you," Amanda says, taking the hand and climbing down. "Uncle, are you coming?" she continues after Jack gets out.
"You kids go ahead. I'm getting tired," Denton says with a wave, "But have a good time. Jack, will you walk her back?"
"Absolutely, it's only about 3 blocks anyway," Jack says.
"Well, rest up, uncle. I'm going to church in the morning; do you plan on coming?" Amanda says before the door is shut
"I'll think about it," Denton says, as he pulls away.
Amanda sighs and shakes her head. "So, shall we go in?" Jack asks, offering his arm and a cute grin.
"Of course," she says, accepting his arm. He leads her around to the back entrance, and he enters first. She follows close behind him. Medda is sitting backstage for a 30-minute break.
"Hey Medda," he says when he sees her.
"Kelly, is that you?" she says, enveloping in a hug, "I never imagined I would see you in a tuxedo. You look absolutely amazing, kid."
"Thanks, Medda," Jack says, breaking the embrace.
"Who is this lovely lady?" Medda says, looking behind Jack to see Amanda.
"Amanda Sawyer. I'm Brian Denton's niece," Amanda says, smiling and shaking Medda's hand, "I'm visiting him for the summer."
"Your dress is beautiful; I'm guessing you're the one who got Jack into the tux," Medda says, accepting the handshake.
"Thank you. I like yours, too. We went to dinner with the Pulitzer's tonight, and my uncle said that we should come see you to blow off some steam," Amanda continues.
"Dinner didn't go so well?" Medda infers.
"Just stressful; so can we hang out back here and watch the rest of the show?" Jack says.
"Of course, you can have anything you like," Medda says, "I need to be going back out. Enjoy the show."
She heads back to the front, and Jack leads Amanda to a good place to see the show. She stands in front, and he stands behind her. He's close enough for her to feel his presences but far enough away to not be invading her personal spaces.
"Having fun?" he asks, about halfway through.
"This is so amazing. Thanks for bringing me," she says, turning her head to face his.
"My pleasure," Jack whispers in her ear. She smiles as a blush creeps on to her cheek, and they both turn back to Medda on stage. Right before the end of the show, Amanda gets up the nerve to step backwards to the point where she is right against Jack's chest. Jack smiles at her actions and lets one hand rest on her hip. The show ends and the lights come up. Unfortunately the lights break the magic of the situation, and Amanda and Jack pull apart quickly. They tell Medda goodbye and begin the walk back to Denton's apartment.
"So…" Amanda starts.
"So what?" Jack says.
"Aside from the dinner company, didja have fun?" Amanda says, swinging her arms as they walk down a nearly abandoned New York street.
"Yeah, I did," Jack grins, "You?"
"Well, I enjoyed some of my dinner company. I also had fun at the vaudeville show; Medda is really sweet," Amanda says, "So, tell me something about you."
"What do yous wanna know? And what brought these questions?" Jack asks, a little confused.
"I'm bored, and I want to know more about you," Amanda says, simply. Jack and her walk in silence for a minute or so, and she shivers as the wind picks up a bit.
"Cold?" he asks.
"It's a little chilly when the wind blows," Amanda says.
"Here," Jack says, shrugging off his coat and putting it around her shoulder.
"Thanks," she says, offering him a shy grin.
"I'm an only child. Never been outside New York. The newsies are really the only family I have. I miss my mom and dad, but I've gotten used to life without them," Jack says after another moment of silence, "I used to have a pet…a dog named River."
"You named your dog River?" Amanda asks, offering Jack a large smile and a giggle.
"I did," he says, laughing with her, "He was the best pet. I loved him. He died about a week after my dad was arrested." He sobers up at the end, and Amanda takes his hand and intertwines her fingers with his. He smiles, gratefully, as they keep walking. Neither makes a move to remove their hand. "Well, your turn," Jack continues.
"My turn?" Amanda starts, "I have an older brother named Michael; he's about 10 years older than me and more of a father to me than my own. My father and I don't get along, but my mother and I do get along pretty well. As unhappy as my mother is with my father, I think she does love him. And he loves her; he would do almost anything for her."
"Pets?" Jack asks.
"I had a pet cat named Celia, after my nanny when I was little," Amanda finishes. They are about a block from Denton's place when they pass a Catholic church. "Wait here," she says when she sees it.
"What are you doing, Amanda?" Jack asks, following her into the church. She quickly ties her shawl around her head and slips Jack's jacket on to cover her arms.
"You know what? Call me Mandy, please. And I am finding out mass times tomorrow," Amanda says looking for the Sacristy. She finds it and knocks on the door.
"Come in," the priest says.
"Hello Father," Amanda says, walking into the room.
"Hello my child. How may I help you?" he asks, standing up.
"I was just wondering the mass times tomorrow. I just came to town, and this church is close to my uncle's apartment," Amanda says.
"Well, we have mass at 8 and 10. Confession anytime you'd like it," the priest says.
"Thank you so much; I will see you tomorrow," she says, turning around to see Jack standing in the doorway.
"What is your name, my child?" the priest asks before she and Jack can leave.
"Amanda Sawyer."
"And you?" he asks, referring to Jack.
"Jack Kelly."
"I'm Father O'Reilly; will I be seeing you tomorrow, Jack?"
"I don't know," Jack says, "I haven't been to church since I was 8 years old."
"Our doors are always open, and you are always welcome, son," Father O'Reilly says, offering Jack a handshake, "I hope to see you both tomorrow."
"Goodbye Father," Amanda says as she and Jack leave the Sacristy.
"You ready?" Jack asks.
"Almost," she says, going into one of the pews. She kneels on the kneeler and looks at Jack who looks uncomfortable. "You uncomfortable? If you want, you can wait outside."
"No, that's okay," he says, still standing there.
"You can sit on the pew. It's okay," she says, with a smile. He matches the smile as he sits down next to her. She makes the sign of the cross and starts the 'Our Father' and 'Hail Mary.'
A/N: I know this is Pre-Vatican II, so I'm not sure whether it'd be in Latin or English. For the sake of my story, it's English cause that's how this good little Muslim girl who went to a Catholic middle and high school knows it. LoL!
Jack sits there, watching her. When she finishes, she gets off the kneeler and stands. "Come with me," she says, taking his hand. She leads him to the candles.
"I remember doing this a month after my mother died. My father brought me to the church and told me to light a candle to remember her," Jack says, falling back into a memory. Amanda says nothing but hands him a match with which to light a candle. She takes one for herself and lights two candles. He lights two also. They leave the church without a word.
"Two?" he asks when they're outside.
"My grandmother on my mother's side and my nephew. I was close to both of them. I stayed with my brother and sister-in-law while she was pregnant. He died when he was four years old, which was about a year ago. They live a five minute walk away," Amanda says, her eyes starting to tear up, "My grandmother died almost a year before him. It was a really hard time for my mom and family."
"Sounds like it was hard on you," Jack observes.
"I lost one of the few people who understood me in my family," Amanda says, a tear escaping from the corner of her eye. "Anyway," she says, wiping it away just to have another take its place, "You lit two also."
"Me mudder and what would have been me sista. She's the one me mudder miscarried," Jack says, tears starting to fall from his eyes.
"You're crying," Amanda says, her voice breaking. She smiles and wipes the tears off his cheek.
"You, too," he says, wiping tears from her cheek. His hand stays on her cheek. They stand there for a few minutes just staring at the other.
"We're a pair. Standing outside a church at eleven o'clock at night, crying," Amanda says, laughing slightly and breaking the trance, "My God. I'm a mess." She unties the shawl from around her chin and just holds it in her hand. She looks anywhere but Jack.
"Yous ain't a mess. You still looks beautiful," Jack says, raising her chin so that her eyes meet his again.
"Yeah, right. You're just being nice, too nice," Amanda says, rolling her eyes.
"Naw, I'm being truthful," he says, smiling. Amanda looks deep into his eyes and sees the truth. She smiles back at him. Amanda leans in to kiss him on the lips and Jack is about to do the same but stops himself. "Let's go ahead and get back. Denton'll be worrying his self," Jack says instead.
"Jack…" Amanda starts.
"Shh…I knows," he says, placing a finger in front of her lips. He moves his arm and wraps it around her shoulder, and she lays her head on his shoulder. They continue their walk back to Denton's apartment in silence.
"Good night, Jack. I really did have an amazing time, even during the bad parts. You had a lot do with making it all good. Thank you," Amanda says when they reach Denton's apartment.
"Thank yous for inviting me, Mandy," he says, grinning as he says her says her name. "I hads a pretty good time. What time are you going to mass tomorrow morning?"
"I was thinking of the 8 AM services, why?" Amanda asks.
"I'd like to joins ya, if ya don't mind," Jack says, almost shyly.
"Jack, of course I'd love you to come. Meet me here at 7:30?" she asks.
"Okay," he says, smiling, "Well, I better bes heading back. The guys are going to wander where I am."
"You need to get your clothes first," Amanda says, opening to door. There's a note on the end table next to Jack's clothes. Amanda grabs it, and Jack reads it over her shoulder.
Mandy & Jack,
I went ahead to bed, and as you can see I left Jack's clothes out here for him. I'll join you for church in the morning. Just wake me up when you get up. Jack, our dinner is tomorrow about 5. Mandy, I called Mayer and Esther when I found out you were coming to town, and they said to bring you too. Don't be too loud. See you tomorrow.
Denton
"So, I guess I'll be leavin' now," Jack says, taking his clothes and walking to the door.
"See you tomorrow morning?" Amanda says, following him.
"Yeah. Good night," he says. There's an awkward silence because neither knows where to go. Amanda decides to just hug him and he hugs her back. He lightly kisses her on the cheek before leaving the doorway.
"Jack, wait," she says coming out of her trance. She runs down the hallway to catch up with him.
"Yeah?" he asks turning around.
"Good night…again," she says, kissing him on the corner of his mouth. It's not quite a kiss on the lips, but it's more romantic than a kiss on the cheek.
He smiles widely at her before turning back around and heading down the stairs. Amanda smiles equally wide, and she heads back in the apartment and shuts the door. "I cannot wait to see what the rest of this trip is going to be like. This is only the first day – the beginning of some wild ride," she mutters to herself as she shuts the door to her bedroom.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this part. Puh-leeze review!!!!!!!! I live for reviews. I'm a poor college student, or I'd send you money for the review. Bye y'all!