Disclaimer: I don't own the Newsies or the song I Will Carry you sung by
Clay Aiken. I don't own Trigger, Poker, Sapphy, Zippy, Italy, Taffee or
HotShot either. I own Tag and Melody, though! *beams*
Ok sorry but no personal shout-outs today. I'm still not feeling that well...blah. But all you reviewers know who you are and I love you all! Um yeah I'll just get on with the story.
*-*-*-*-*
Jack and Specs stared wide-eyed at the piece of paper on the desk. The words written on it were perfect. Every line expressed just what Jack felt. Each word came straight from his heart. Nothing needed to be changed...nothing at all.
"Specs...you're a genius." Jack said to his friend. He patted him on the back and delicately picked up the poem, holding it like it was an object from heaven. His eyes focused on the words written, reading them over and over again. It couldn't possibly be anymore perfect. Not one bit.
Out of the corner of her eye, Italy saw Jack holding up a piece of paper, concentrating on it like nothing else mattered. She approached him from behind and started to read it. Her eyes went wide, as well.
"Jack!" Jack jumped and quickly turned around, startled from the voice that interrupted his thoughts. "Did you write this?" Italy stared at her friend, not knowing what to think.
"Um, not really. Specs did most of it, but I helped some." He scratched the back of head and motioned towards Specs, who was still sitting at the desk.
"Well, who's it for? Anyone in particular?" Italy questioned.
"Ah, I dunno. Not quite shoah, really." Jack's eyes darted around the room, not wanting to make eye contact with Italy.
"Yeah, right, Jack. Maybe you could ask Race tah help ya with your lying skills, cause you're really bad." She laughed and walked away, wondering who the poem could be for.
*-*-*-*-*
Melody quietly walked down the street alone, a single tear treading down her face. She had one hand on her stomach and the other on her cheek, that was now turning a dark shade of purple. She had screwed up again. 'Nothin' but CUBAN cigars for me. You know that, bitch! Why can't you ever get anything right, god dammit?' The scene played through her mind over and over, refusing to stop. A large hand came down and struck her cheek, then balled up into a fist and punched her stomach. She lay harmless on the ground in a small pool of her own blood. Again and again she saw that hand meeting with her cheek. No matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't go away.
"Mel? Is that you?" Taffee was leaning against the wall of a nearby alley way when she heard a faint sob. She turned her head to see Melody, her hands covered in blood and her cheek bruised. She was barely crying, but not for long. "Oh my gosh...did he do this to you?" Taffee asked.
"Yeah. He..." Melody's eyes were watery as more and more tears began to fall down her face.
"That bastard. It'll be ok, Mel." Taffee wrapped her arms around Melody and hugged her carefully, not wanting to hurt her even more. She hugged her comfortingly, though. "Shhh." She tried to calm down the now sobbing girl. "We'll just go back to the Lodging House, hmm?" Melody quickly shook her head and whispered a 'No'.
"I don't want Jack to..." She said between sobs.
"Melody, Jack's your best friend and he's going to worry no matter what. You can't stop it. All ya gotta do is take it." Melody continued shaking her head rapidly.
"No! I can't take it anymore. Jack shouldn't worry about me. He should know that I can take care of myself!" The words escaped her mouth with great force and volume. Her eyelids fluttered as she collapsed, Taffee catching her before she could hit the ground.
*-*-*-*-*
"Is she gunna be ok, doc?" Trigger asked the man in a white coat.
"I think she'll be fine after some rest. Are you sure no one knows what happened to her?" The newsies all looked around at each before shaking their heads in response. Rule one of the Newsie Code- Never reveal anything about another newsie to any form of authority. Who made that up, no one knew, but they still had to live by it. Jack felt like he needed to save Melody from that bastard of a father for good, but he couldn't. The only thing he could do was just keep Melody away from him for as long as possible. Kloppman saw the doctor out the door and the newsies bid their good-byes.
"Melody? Can you hear me? It...it's Jack."
"Yeah, but you're talking so soft. Speak up, Jack! Geez. Just because I'm lying in this bed with this bandage on doesn't mean that I'm not capable of talking to you or hearing you or anything like that! I can take care of myself and I know you know that. So, stop acting like I can't." Melody spoke to Jack in a forceful manner, but not being mean. Sapphy applauded her best friend from the doorway.
"She deserves a standing ovation!"
Jack walked out of the room and made his way outside. He opened his poem and looked at for several minutes. Was he making a mistake? He carefully put it in his vest pocket and went back inside.
*-*-*-*-*
"Three Kings and two Queens." Zippy flashed her winning cards to HotShot, Melody and Poker.
"Race MUST be around here somewhere, because there's no way I can win 5 games in a row!" Zippy said sarcastically and cackled at her friends.
"You guys, I'm getting really bored. Why do we have to stay cooped up in here all day while all the others are out selling papes!" Melody scoffed and stomped her foot. "Something's been going on with Jack lately. I know him like I know the streets of New York and he hasn't been himself lately. Why would he make me stay at the Lodging House when he knows I need to be out there! My dad's going to kill me...literally."
"Don't even talk like that!" Poker protested. "Jack just cares about you and your health."
"Yeah, and he's makin us stay in here with you. How do you think WE feel?" HotShot added.
"Better than me...you guys don't have some itchy bandage tied around your stomach!" Melody pulled at her shirt where her bandage was.
"Speaking of Jack...Italy told me that he had Specs help him write a poem. He wouldn't say who it was for of course, but I wonder..." She stared at Melody, then over at Jack's forgotten vest. There was a folded piece of paper sticking out of the inside pocket. Poker ran over and grabbed the piece of paper, quickly unfolding it. Her face turned from excited to dissappointed in a matter of seconds.
"There's no name! How are we supposed to find out now?" HotShot seized the poem from Poker's hand and started to read it.
"Hm...I think I know who this is for. Melody, dear, will you come over here please?" Melody trudged over and took the poem from HotShot's outstretched hand and began to read.
*-*-*-*-*
Muahahaha! It's another cliffhanger, right Poker? *wink* I can tell you right now that the song will come into play the next chapter! *music begins* Will Melody figure out the poem is for her? Will Jack reveal his TRUE feelings? Find out next time on I Will Carry You. *music ends*
Ok sorry but no personal shout-outs today. I'm still not feeling that well...blah. But all you reviewers know who you are and I love you all! Um yeah I'll just get on with the story.
*-*-*-*-*
Jack and Specs stared wide-eyed at the piece of paper on the desk. The words written on it were perfect. Every line expressed just what Jack felt. Each word came straight from his heart. Nothing needed to be changed...nothing at all.
"Specs...you're a genius." Jack said to his friend. He patted him on the back and delicately picked up the poem, holding it like it was an object from heaven. His eyes focused on the words written, reading them over and over again. It couldn't possibly be anymore perfect. Not one bit.
Out of the corner of her eye, Italy saw Jack holding up a piece of paper, concentrating on it like nothing else mattered. She approached him from behind and started to read it. Her eyes went wide, as well.
"Jack!" Jack jumped and quickly turned around, startled from the voice that interrupted his thoughts. "Did you write this?" Italy stared at her friend, not knowing what to think.
"Um, not really. Specs did most of it, but I helped some." He scratched the back of head and motioned towards Specs, who was still sitting at the desk.
"Well, who's it for? Anyone in particular?" Italy questioned.
"Ah, I dunno. Not quite shoah, really." Jack's eyes darted around the room, not wanting to make eye contact with Italy.
"Yeah, right, Jack. Maybe you could ask Race tah help ya with your lying skills, cause you're really bad." She laughed and walked away, wondering who the poem could be for.
*-*-*-*-*
Melody quietly walked down the street alone, a single tear treading down her face. She had one hand on her stomach and the other on her cheek, that was now turning a dark shade of purple. She had screwed up again. 'Nothin' but CUBAN cigars for me. You know that, bitch! Why can't you ever get anything right, god dammit?' The scene played through her mind over and over, refusing to stop. A large hand came down and struck her cheek, then balled up into a fist and punched her stomach. She lay harmless on the ground in a small pool of her own blood. Again and again she saw that hand meeting with her cheek. No matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't go away.
"Mel? Is that you?" Taffee was leaning against the wall of a nearby alley way when she heard a faint sob. She turned her head to see Melody, her hands covered in blood and her cheek bruised. She was barely crying, but not for long. "Oh my gosh...did he do this to you?" Taffee asked.
"Yeah. He..." Melody's eyes were watery as more and more tears began to fall down her face.
"That bastard. It'll be ok, Mel." Taffee wrapped her arms around Melody and hugged her carefully, not wanting to hurt her even more. She hugged her comfortingly, though. "Shhh." She tried to calm down the now sobbing girl. "We'll just go back to the Lodging House, hmm?" Melody quickly shook her head and whispered a 'No'.
"I don't want Jack to..." She said between sobs.
"Melody, Jack's your best friend and he's going to worry no matter what. You can't stop it. All ya gotta do is take it." Melody continued shaking her head rapidly.
"No! I can't take it anymore. Jack shouldn't worry about me. He should know that I can take care of myself!" The words escaped her mouth with great force and volume. Her eyelids fluttered as she collapsed, Taffee catching her before she could hit the ground.
*-*-*-*-*
"Is she gunna be ok, doc?" Trigger asked the man in a white coat.
"I think she'll be fine after some rest. Are you sure no one knows what happened to her?" The newsies all looked around at each before shaking their heads in response. Rule one of the Newsie Code- Never reveal anything about another newsie to any form of authority. Who made that up, no one knew, but they still had to live by it. Jack felt like he needed to save Melody from that bastard of a father for good, but he couldn't. The only thing he could do was just keep Melody away from him for as long as possible. Kloppman saw the doctor out the door and the newsies bid their good-byes.
"Melody? Can you hear me? It...it's Jack."
"Yeah, but you're talking so soft. Speak up, Jack! Geez. Just because I'm lying in this bed with this bandage on doesn't mean that I'm not capable of talking to you or hearing you or anything like that! I can take care of myself and I know you know that. So, stop acting like I can't." Melody spoke to Jack in a forceful manner, but not being mean. Sapphy applauded her best friend from the doorway.
"She deserves a standing ovation!"
Jack walked out of the room and made his way outside. He opened his poem and looked at for several minutes. Was he making a mistake? He carefully put it in his vest pocket and went back inside.
*-*-*-*-*
"Three Kings and two Queens." Zippy flashed her winning cards to HotShot, Melody and Poker.
"Race MUST be around here somewhere, because there's no way I can win 5 games in a row!" Zippy said sarcastically and cackled at her friends.
"You guys, I'm getting really bored. Why do we have to stay cooped up in here all day while all the others are out selling papes!" Melody scoffed and stomped her foot. "Something's been going on with Jack lately. I know him like I know the streets of New York and he hasn't been himself lately. Why would he make me stay at the Lodging House when he knows I need to be out there! My dad's going to kill me...literally."
"Don't even talk like that!" Poker protested. "Jack just cares about you and your health."
"Yeah, and he's makin us stay in here with you. How do you think WE feel?" HotShot added.
"Better than me...you guys don't have some itchy bandage tied around your stomach!" Melody pulled at her shirt where her bandage was.
"Speaking of Jack...Italy told me that he had Specs help him write a poem. He wouldn't say who it was for of course, but I wonder..." She stared at Melody, then over at Jack's forgotten vest. There was a folded piece of paper sticking out of the inside pocket. Poker ran over and grabbed the piece of paper, quickly unfolding it. Her face turned from excited to dissappointed in a matter of seconds.
"There's no name! How are we supposed to find out now?" HotShot seized the poem from Poker's hand and started to read it.
"Hm...I think I know who this is for. Melody, dear, will you come over here please?" Melody trudged over and took the poem from HotShot's outstretched hand and began to read.
*-*-*-*-*
Muahahaha! It's another cliffhanger, right Poker? *wink* I can tell you right now that the song will come into play the next chapter! *music begins* Will Melody figure out the poem is for her? Will Jack reveal his TRUE feelings? Find out next time on I Will Carry You. *music ends*