Later that night, as most of the newsies had joined in on a poker game,
Piper sat on her bunk, thinking. Thinking about this place, about this
time; about.Jack. As much as she tried not to, her mind kept slipping back
to him. Back to his face, his smile; the way he always gave her those cute
sideways smiles when he joked around with her; the way he looked at her
when he didn't think she was looking; the way his spirit shown wildly
through his eyes; just.him.
And then she remembered that her entire existence in this place was a lie. They didn't know where she was really from; when she was from. Their entire relationship was and probably always would be based on a lie. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be in 2000, touring with an orchestra in Europe. She should be in Windsor right now, not sitting on a bunk in a Lodging House-much less in the year 1900. This couldn't be where she belonged.
She didn't belong here but this was the place she felt the most at home, the only place she'd ever felt wanted. But she could never tell them; never tell Jack-where she was really from. He would despise her, if not think she was crazy. He'd hate her for lying to him.
"Pip-" Jack's voice sliced her thoughts, startling her so much she jumped at the sound. Jack laughed. "Sorry, didn't mean ta startle ya."
"It's okay." Piper answered, still a little distraught. I was just thinking."
Jack looked at her. "About what?" He sat down on the bunk next to her.
"Just about-about here. About you guys.about you." The last phrase slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it. She immediately regretted not just saying "Nothing," and leaving it at that.
"I won't ask." Jack couldn't help but smile-the words that had just come out of her mouth seemed to have such an effect on him. "But I did want you ta know dat you talk in yer sleep."
Piper's face became blank. "Oh god, what did I say?" She prayed she hadn't said anything to give away her "secret" or she'd have a lot of explaining to do.
"Well, it sounded kinda like 'bowlin' afta prom' or somethin' like dat.it was mostly jis jibberish."
Piper instantly burst out in a fit of giggles, remembering how, in fact, she and her friends had gone bowling after her senior prom, dresses and all. It had been one of the best times she'd had with her friends.
"What'a ya laughin' at?" Jack asked, looking a little hurt.
"No, not you!" Piper laughed. "I, uh.just remembered the dream that I had, that's all. It was kind of funny."
"Oh." Jack said. "Well, um, so do ya miss yer fam'ly an' friends an' stuff? I mean, since ya kinda.ended up here?"
Pip smiled. "Yeah, I miss my friends every second I'm not with them.as for my family, unfortunately I can't say the same. My mother was the only one I got along with.my father and sister are too different from me; our personalities and values clashed. But yeah, I loved my friends, I miss them terribly."
"No guy er' nothin?" He asked, hoping she wouldn't notice how red his face was turning.
"Nope, we didn't part too well. It's a long story I don't care to tell." She cringed at the thought. "He didn't get along with my friends at all, so he tried to keep me away from them.one thing led to another and I realized we just weren't meant for each other."
"Oh." Jack said, playing with his fingers. "I'm sorry."
Pip touched his hand to stop him from fidgeting and looked into his hazel eyes. "I'm not. It was time for me to move on to bigger and better things."
Her actions gave Jack a strange, intense chill of happiness. "Well I'm happy ta hear dat." He smiled widely as he couldn't keep it in anymore. He was puzzled at this sudden 'metamorphosis' he went through the second he looked at her. He felt like a new person completely; he felt like he owned the world when she looked at him that way.
"Looks like they're all getting to bed.we probably should too." Pip said, looking away from Jack.
"Yeah." Jack stood up and halfheartedly walked to his bunk. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she pulled her suitcase out and took some clothes from it and proceeded to the washroom to change. He smiled as he wondered how someone could keep track of all those clothes.
When she walked back out, he once again found himself unable to take his eyes off of her. Her 'tank top' as she had called it, lay just below her ribcage, exposing her skinny midriff and the top of her hips as the mid- calf terrycloth loungers slid low on her waist.
Pip felt someone looking at her and turned around. She saw Jack quickly close his eyes, pretending to be asleep. "What a bad faker," She thought and laughed. She climbed into her bunk and rolled over, closing her eyes.
Jack Kelly tossed and turned into the night, unable to forget; the voice haunted him; it seemed to follow him wherever he went, whatever he did. He found himself deeply embossed in a dream. He had been wandering the streets in the darkness again; over and over he heard the voice rise up over the buildings, over the moon and the sun and everything under the sky. She appeared out of thin air, her beautiful voice emitting a eerie melody with words he couldn't understand. When she approached him, her song changed. A light, emotional melody arose from her throat as she sang. He watched as she brought her hand up to touch his heart. The second he felt her fingers touch his body, he jerked awake, finding himself sitting upright in a cold sweat. It was then he heard the voice; the same voice that followed him; the same voice he couldn't forget.Pip's voice. He looked to her bunk and saw that she wasn't there.
Jack climbed off of his bunk and started towards the open door that led downstairs and outside. He silently walked out and stood just inside the door, listening carefully to every word that came from her mouth:
"When I'm lost in the rain/ In your eyes I know / I'll find the light to light my way / When I'm scared, losing ground / When my world is going crazy / You can turn it all around / And when I'm down you're there / Pushing me to the top / You're always there giving me all you got /
For a shield from the storm / For a friend / For a love to keep me safe and warm / I turn to you / For the strength to be strong / For the will to carry on / For everything you do / For everything that's true / I turn to you / I turn to you /
When I lose the will to win / I just reach for you / And I can reach the sky again / I can do anything / 'Cuz your love is so amazing / Cuz your love inspires me/ And when I need a friend you're always on my side / Giving me faith, taking me through the night /
For a shield from the storm / For a friend/ For a love to keep me safe and warm / I turn to you / For the strength to be strong / For the will to carry on / For everything you do / For everything that's true / I turn to you / I turn to you /
For the arms to be my shelter / Through all the rain / For truth that will never change / For someone to lean on / For a heart I can rely on through anything / For that one who I can run to /
For a shield from the storm / For a friend / For a love to keep me safe and warm / I turn to you / For the strength to be strong / For the will to carry on / For everything you do / For everything that's true / I turn to you / I turn to you / I turn.to you /
Jack held his breath as she began to quietly speak, her voice wavering with every word.
"God, you have to be up there.I mean, don't get me wrong-I love it here.but.I just, I have my friends to take care of back home-maybe you could help me out a little? Let them know how much I love them.give Jen a hug for me, she's gotta need it right about now; at least let them know where I am.and when I am.let them know I'm safe and being taken care of, even if it's not in the year 2000." She looked up as she heard voices to the right of her. She snapped her head in the direction of the voices, when she felt an all too familiar person embracing her in a bear hug.
Jack watched as the girl ran up to Pip and grabbed her, hugging her tightly. He listened carefully to their conversation, all the while being careful not to give his presence away.
"James!" The girl squealed. "God, where have you been?"
"Here?" Pip said excitedly. "How the hell did you get here?"
"Don't ask me, ask Jeanne.she's the one who convinced us all to see that psycho woman." The girl replied.
Pip embraced the girl again. "Oh, James, I miss you!"
Jack noticed another figure walking out of the shadows.
"Piper Jamison!" The red-head yelled, "It's about damn time we found you! Where the fuck are we?"
"Jeanne!" Pip squealed, hugging her red-headed friend. "As far as I know, we're in New York City, 1900. It'll change a bit over the next 100 years, huh?"
"Hell yeah."
"Piper!"
Another figure. A male this time. Jack watched as more friends emerged from the shadows of the streets. He stared in awe at Piper as she interacted with them, laughing, running, and talking with her friends. He smiled a bit as he noticed they were all dressed in a similar fashion: the pants, shoes, just the way they carried themselves. He felt that familiar chill running up and down his spine again as he watched her. Suddenly his mind slipped back to something she had said earlier: ".even if it's not in the year 2000.New York City 1900. It'll change a bit over the next 100 years."
He wanted to pound his head against the wall. Why had it taken him so long to see it? He didn't actually want to believe something like this, but she was standing right there, wasn't she? He had all the evidence right in front of him. He finally saw what he had been striving to see since that first night he met her. "It's better left unsaid." She had told him. God, it all made sense now. Everything.
An hour had passed and Jack found himself trying hard not to collapse from exhaust in the doorway. He looked up and saw Pip in the middle of a tearful good-bye with all of her friends, then standing alone as they walked back into the shadows. Jack silently tiptoed back up to his bunk, making sure to look dead asleep when Pip came back in. He didn't have to wait that long, however. He was out the second his head hit the pillow.
Two hours later, Jack awoke from what had turned out to be a very restless sleep. He looked to his left and saw that Pip hadn't come back yet. He slipped out of his bunk again, walking down the stairs and out the door to search for her.
When he found her, she was sitting on the bottom step outside, fast asleep. Jack quickly scooped her up into his arms and carried her upstairs, placing her in her bunk and tucking her in. Before he left her to sleep, he kissed her forehead and whispered quietly, "I won't tell, I promise."
And then she remembered that her entire existence in this place was a lie. They didn't know where she was really from; when she was from. Their entire relationship was and probably always would be based on a lie. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be in 2000, touring with an orchestra in Europe. She should be in Windsor right now, not sitting on a bunk in a Lodging House-much less in the year 1900. This couldn't be where she belonged.
She didn't belong here but this was the place she felt the most at home, the only place she'd ever felt wanted. But she could never tell them; never tell Jack-where she was really from. He would despise her, if not think she was crazy. He'd hate her for lying to him.
"Pip-" Jack's voice sliced her thoughts, startling her so much she jumped at the sound. Jack laughed. "Sorry, didn't mean ta startle ya."
"It's okay." Piper answered, still a little distraught. I was just thinking."
Jack looked at her. "About what?" He sat down on the bunk next to her.
"Just about-about here. About you guys.about you." The last phrase slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it. She immediately regretted not just saying "Nothing," and leaving it at that.
"I won't ask." Jack couldn't help but smile-the words that had just come out of her mouth seemed to have such an effect on him. "But I did want you ta know dat you talk in yer sleep."
Piper's face became blank. "Oh god, what did I say?" She prayed she hadn't said anything to give away her "secret" or she'd have a lot of explaining to do.
"Well, it sounded kinda like 'bowlin' afta prom' or somethin' like dat.it was mostly jis jibberish."
Piper instantly burst out in a fit of giggles, remembering how, in fact, she and her friends had gone bowling after her senior prom, dresses and all. It had been one of the best times she'd had with her friends.
"What'a ya laughin' at?" Jack asked, looking a little hurt.
"No, not you!" Piper laughed. "I, uh.just remembered the dream that I had, that's all. It was kind of funny."
"Oh." Jack said. "Well, um, so do ya miss yer fam'ly an' friends an' stuff? I mean, since ya kinda.ended up here?"
Pip smiled. "Yeah, I miss my friends every second I'm not with them.as for my family, unfortunately I can't say the same. My mother was the only one I got along with.my father and sister are too different from me; our personalities and values clashed. But yeah, I loved my friends, I miss them terribly."
"No guy er' nothin?" He asked, hoping she wouldn't notice how red his face was turning.
"Nope, we didn't part too well. It's a long story I don't care to tell." She cringed at the thought. "He didn't get along with my friends at all, so he tried to keep me away from them.one thing led to another and I realized we just weren't meant for each other."
"Oh." Jack said, playing with his fingers. "I'm sorry."
Pip touched his hand to stop him from fidgeting and looked into his hazel eyes. "I'm not. It was time for me to move on to bigger and better things."
Her actions gave Jack a strange, intense chill of happiness. "Well I'm happy ta hear dat." He smiled widely as he couldn't keep it in anymore. He was puzzled at this sudden 'metamorphosis' he went through the second he looked at her. He felt like a new person completely; he felt like he owned the world when she looked at him that way.
"Looks like they're all getting to bed.we probably should too." Pip said, looking away from Jack.
"Yeah." Jack stood up and halfheartedly walked to his bunk. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she pulled her suitcase out and took some clothes from it and proceeded to the washroom to change. He smiled as he wondered how someone could keep track of all those clothes.
When she walked back out, he once again found himself unable to take his eyes off of her. Her 'tank top' as she had called it, lay just below her ribcage, exposing her skinny midriff and the top of her hips as the mid- calf terrycloth loungers slid low on her waist.
Pip felt someone looking at her and turned around. She saw Jack quickly close his eyes, pretending to be asleep. "What a bad faker," She thought and laughed. She climbed into her bunk and rolled over, closing her eyes.
Jack Kelly tossed and turned into the night, unable to forget; the voice haunted him; it seemed to follow him wherever he went, whatever he did. He found himself deeply embossed in a dream. He had been wandering the streets in the darkness again; over and over he heard the voice rise up over the buildings, over the moon and the sun and everything under the sky. She appeared out of thin air, her beautiful voice emitting a eerie melody with words he couldn't understand. When she approached him, her song changed. A light, emotional melody arose from her throat as she sang. He watched as she brought her hand up to touch his heart. The second he felt her fingers touch his body, he jerked awake, finding himself sitting upright in a cold sweat. It was then he heard the voice; the same voice that followed him; the same voice he couldn't forget.Pip's voice. He looked to her bunk and saw that she wasn't there.
Jack climbed off of his bunk and started towards the open door that led downstairs and outside. He silently walked out and stood just inside the door, listening carefully to every word that came from her mouth:
"When I'm lost in the rain/ In your eyes I know / I'll find the light to light my way / When I'm scared, losing ground / When my world is going crazy / You can turn it all around / And when I'm down you're there / Pushing me to the top / You're always there giving me all you got /
For a shield from the storm / For a friend / For a love to keep me safe and warm / I turn to you / For the strength to be strong / For the will to carry on / For everything you do / For everything that's true / I turn to you / I turn to you /
When I lose the will to win / I just reach for you / And I can reach the sky again / I can do anything / 'Cuz your love is so amazing / Cuz your love inspires me/ And when I need a friend you're always on my side / Giving me faith, taking me through the night /
For a shield from the storm / For a friend/ For a love to keep me safe and warm / I turn to you / For the strength to be strong / For the will to carry on / For everything you do / For everything that's true / I turn to you / I turn to you /
For the arms to be my shelter / Through all the rain / For truth that will never change / For someone to lean on / For a heart I can rely on through anything / For that one who I can run to /
For a shield from the storm / For a friend / For a love to keep me safe and warm / I turn to you / For the strength to be strong / For the will to carry on / For everything you do / For everything that's true / I turn to you / I turn to you / I turn.to you /
Jack held his breath as she began to quietly speak, her voice wavering with every word.
"God, you have to be up there.I mean, don't get me wrong-I love it here.but.I just, I have my friends to take care of back home-maybe you could help me out a little? Let them know how much I love them.give Jen a hug for me, she's gotta need it right about now; at least let them know where I am.and when I am.let them know I'm safe and being taken care of, even if it's not in the year 2000." She looked up as she heard voices to the right of her. She snapped her head in the direction of the voices, when she felt an all too familiar person embracing her in a bear hug.
Jack watched as the girl ran up to Pip and grabbed her, hugging her tightly. He listened carefully to their conversation, all the while being careful not to give his presence away.
"James!" The girl squealed. "God, where have you been?"
"Here?" Pip said excitedly. "How the hell did you get here?"
"Don't ask me, ask Jeanne.she's the one who convinced us all to see that psycho woman." The girl replied.
Pip embraced the girl again. "Oh, James, I miss you!"
Jack noticed another figure walking out of the shadows.
"Piper Jamison!" The red-head yelled, "It's about damn time we found you! Where the fuck are we?"
"Jeanne!" Pip squealed, hugging her red-headed friend. "As far as I know, we're in New York City, 1900. It'll change a bit over the next 100 years, huh?"
"Hell yeah."
"Piper!"
Another figure. A male this time. Jack watched as more friends emerged from the shadows of the streets. He stared in awe at Piper as she interacted with them, laughing, running, and talking with her friends. He smiled a bit as he noticed they were all dressed in a similar fashion: the pants, shoes, just the way they carried themselves. He felt that familiar chill running up and down his spine again as he watched her. Suddenly his mind slipped back to something she had said earlier: ".even if it's not in the year 2000.New York City 1900. It'll change a bit over the next 100 years."
He wanted to pound his head against the wall. Why had it taken him so long to see it? He didn't actually want to believe something like this, but she was standing right there, wasn't she? He had all the evidence right in front of him. He finally saw what he had been striving to see since that first night he met her. "It's better left unsaid." She had told him. God, it all made sense now. Everything.
An hour had passed and Jack found himself trying hard not to collapse from exhaust in the doorway. He looked up and saw Pip in the middle of a tearful good-bye with all of her friends, then standing alone as they walked back into the shadows. Jack silently tiptoed back up to his bunk, making sure to look dead asleep when Pip came back in. He didn't have to wait that long, however. He was out the second his head hit the pillow.
Two hours later, Jack awoke from what had turned out to be a very restless sleep. He looked to his left and saw that Pip hadn't come back yet. He slipped out of his bunk again, walking down the stairs and out the door to search for her.
When he found her, she was sitting on the bottom step outside, fast asleep. Jack quickly scooped her up into his arms and carried her upstairs, placing her in her bunk and tucking her in. Before he left her to sleep, he kissed her forehead and whispered quietly, "I won't tell, I promise."