I know better than anyone else that this update has been too long in
coming. My readers and friends are beginning to mob me. So, here goes
Chapter Twelve. Don't kill me.
***
"Angie. . . Angie. Wake up," David smiled. For once, he looked charming almost. He had a childlike quality that reminded the half-awake girl of his younger brother, Les. This lent him a cuteness unprecedented. She could not help but smile.
"Yeah?"
"You have to come an' meet Emmie."
"Oh? Da one ya been seein' behind my back fah da past two months?"
"I have not been seein' her. She's jist a friend, an' I think Cowboy likes her." Yes, you read that right. Dave had finally gotten an accent.
"Cowboy desoives a goil. He's depressin'."
"He is."
They left arm-in-arm, Angel leaning her head on David's shoulder. The young man was nearly six feet tall now, if not past that.
"David! This must be the infamous Angel," the pale, dark-haired girl giggled. She was neither short nor tall, but was quite thin and wraith- like. Age indeterminable. Shelby scrutinized the smaller female, wondering if she was good enough for the suntanned, good-natured Cowboy with so much fiery passion in his soul.
So much fiery passion that no one had seen in over a year since the strike was won.
"We going to see Jack again today? He was so sweet when you showed me to him, David. I want to see him again."
"Good. He'll be here in a few minutes. Unless he's late . . . again. . ."
There was a loud whooping and the thunder of hooves behind them, and a large brown horse galloped in the streets, nimbly dodging pedestrians at the skilled guidance of its rider. "Hiya Davey," the tall, dark, and handsome cowboy barked as he dismounted with a flourish, sweeping off the black, wide-rim hat. "Whaddaya heah, whaddaya say? Angie, howya doin'? Emily, good ta see ya 'gain," he smiled broadly, in what can only be described as grinning from ear to ear.
"Jack!" Emily cried joyously. David and Angel looked at each other in amusement. The buoyant nature of the two brought them together naturally.
Jack engulfed the smaller girl in a hug that should have shattered her spine. She returned the embrace with equal fierceness. There was a whispered exchange the less exuberant couple didn't catch.
"Think we should tell them?"
"You want to?"
"Don't like hiding."
"Me neither."
"Lissen, I gotta tell you'se two da truth. I'se been seein' Emmie fah 'bout fouah months."
"How did ya even know each othah?" Angel asked in wonder.
"Orphanage. Known Emmie a long time. When my faddah was arrested, my bruddah'n sistah'n me were shoved aside. They got adopted pretty quick; they were cute an' on'y six. I was ten. I got out a' da orphanage aftah 'bout two yeahs, had made friends wid Emmie durin' da stay. Stole food, got in da Refuge, escaped from da Refuge, joined wid da newsies, ya know da rest. About five months ago, I went back ta da orphanage. I told 'er I would, I come once a yeah every yeah, da same day I escaped. She tol' me she wanted outta deah, I got in contact with some friends who could take cahe of 'er, den we stahted datin'. Not much deah."
"So. . ." Dave began, and trailed off. "Maybe we oughta leave you two alone, eh?" He grabbed Angel's arm and they went to God-knows-where to do things that made sailors blush. Jack and Emily laughed heartily, shaking their heads in amusement.
"What say you we find ouahselves a nice, empty room?"
***
I think I'll leave it as that for a bit.
***
"Angie. . . Angie. Wake up," David smiled. For once, he looked charming almost. He had a childlike quality that reminded the half-awake girl of his younger brother, Les. This lent him a cuteness unprecedented. She could not help but smile.
"Yeah?"
"You have to come an' meet Emmie."
"Oh? Da one ya been seein' behind my back fah da past two months?"
"I have not been seein' her. She's jist a friend, an' I think Cowboy likes her." Yes, you read that right. Dave had finally gotten an accent.
"Cowboy desoives a goil. He's depressin'."
"He is."
They left arm-in-arm, Angel leaning her head on David's shoulder. The young man was nearly six feet tall now, if not past that.
"David! This must be the infamous Angel," the pale, dark-haired girl giggled. She was neither short nor tall, but was quite thin and wraith- like. Age indeterminable. Shelby scrutinized the smaller female, wondering if she was good enough for the suntanned, good-natured Cowboy with so much fiery passion in his soul.
So much fiery passion that no one had seen in over a year since the strike was won.
"We going to see Jack again today? He was so sweet when you showed me to him, David. I want to see him again."
"Good. He'll be here in a few minutes. Unless he's late . . . again. . ."
There was a loud whooping and the thunder of hooves behind them, and a large brown horse galloped in the streets, nimbly dodging pedestrians at the skilled guidance of its rider. "Hiya Davey," the tall, dark, and handsome cowboy barked as he dismounted with a flourish, sweeping off the black, wide-rim hat. "Whaddaya heah, whaddaya say? Angie, howya doin'? Emily, good ta see ya 'gain," he smiled broadly, in what can only be described as grinning from ear to ear.
"Jack!" Emily cried joyously. David and Angel looked at each other in amusement. The buoyant nature of the two brought them together naturally.
Jack engulfed the smaller girl in a hug that should have shattered her spine. She returned the embrace with equal fierceness. There was a whispered exchange the less exuberant couple didn't catch.
"Think we should tell them?"
"You want to?"
"Don't like hiding."
"Me neither."
"Lissen, I gotta tell you'se two da truth. I'se been seein' Emmie fah 'bout fouah months."
"How did ya even know each othah?" Angel asked in wonder.
"Orphanage. Known Emmie a long time. When my faddah was arrested, my bruddah'n sistah'n me were shoved aside. They got adopted pretty quick; they were cute an' on'y six. I was ten. I got out a' da orphanage aftah 'bout two yeahs, had made friends wid Emmie durin' da stay. Stole food, got in da Refuge, escaped from da Refuge, joined wid da newsies, ya know da rest. About five months ago, I went back ta da orphanage. I told 'er I would, I come once a yeah every yeah, da same day I escaped. She tol' me she wanted outta deah, I got in contact with some friends who could take cahe of 'er, den we stahted datin'. Not much deah."
"So. . ." Dave began, and trailed off. "Maybe we oughta leave you two alone, eh?" He grabbed Angel's arm and they went to God-knows-where to do things that made sailors blush. Jack and Emily laughed heartily, shaking their heads in amusement.
"What say you we find ouahselves a nice, empty room?"
***
I think I'll leave it as that for a bit.