**Disclaimer: Same as last chapter**
**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I'm sorry about the names, I was
spelling them as I heard them on the movie. I'll change them in this
chapter. Snotty = Snoddy, Spot Collins = Spot Conlon**
Chapter 5:
Monday dawned bright and clear and the beginning of the week that would not end. At breakfast that morning, Blink walked up to me and I supposed that he was the one assigned to me that morning. He smiles at me and says, "I'm ready to win that bet, Lexus." I was shocked. I had forgotten all about that damn bet. No, scratch that, I didn't want to remember that I had made that bet. He laughed and promised that I wouldn't be getting away from him that day. Cocky kid overestimates his own abilities and underestimates mine.
I took it easy on him for the start of the morning and started to make it harder, ducking into alley ways and crowds until finally I lost him. I ducked into my pub and had a chat with Aidan and made a few extra bucks. I saw Blink walking toward my hiding spot so I hopped over the bar and hid under it. Aidan told Blink that I wasn't in there and if he wasn't going to buy a drink, then to leave. I shouted a warning for him to watch out for faery rings just before he got to the door. I heard a pause before the door opened and he left. I stood up.
"Now did you want to tell me what in hell is going on?" Aidan said in the old tongue. I nodded and told him the story. He had a right good laugh about it and told me that I could hide there as long as I needed to. I thanked him and 4 hours and 10 bucks later I walked out. I saw a mob of the boys down at the end of the street, so quiet as an elf I raced down the street the other way. I heard someone behind me shout, "Hey! There she is!" and I took off at a dead run and headed to Central Park. I slipped into a patch of thick forested area and scrambled up a tree. I saw them down below pass by. Jack had somehow joined the group and said, "It's no use, boys, she's quick as a bunny, agile as a cat and quiet as an elf. You'll never find her." I heard grumbled responses as the mob broke up. I looked down to see Jack standing there.
"You can come down now, they're gone."
"How did you know where I was?"
"I saw you from an alley way. I went around the short way to cut you off and saw you climb that tree. I've never seen anyone climb like that. I swear I thought you were part squirrel."
"Not quite, Jackie boy, but about as close as it gets," I laughed and we started the walk back to the house.
The rest of the week was pretty much the same. Aidan was running out of places to hide me. It has now resorted to me scrambling onto the top of the pot rack hanging from the kitchen ceiling. And every night Jack would find me wherever I had happened to be when I left the pub and we would walk back to the house together.
On Friday morning, Jack walked over to me and told me that we were taking the day off and going to visit Spot. I shrugged and walked down the streets with him. Spending that much time in the pub had my pockets lined with coins and it seems that Jack had been saving up too because he took me out to lunch at The King. Everyone else was there, but they didn't say anything when we walked in which I found strange, but decided to ignore. We ate lunch in one of the corner booths by ourselves and left by ourselves too.
Spot lives in Brooklyn, so we had quite the hike. We managed to make it there by three and we had taken the scenic route. Jack kept pointing out different buildings and telling me tales about them. I had never laughed so much since my brother, Michael, had stolen the priest's fishing pole and hid it on the father. At the end of the day, he put it back and we watched through the window when the father had discovered that it was where he had left it.
By the time we had found Spot it was sunset. Jack walked up to him and shook hands.
"So what brings you to this neck of the woods?" Spot asked.
"Come to tell you that me and Lexus here will be at the party tomorrow night." I turned on him.
"What?!? I told you, boyo, that there is no way in hell I'm going to that party dressed up unless- "
"Unless someone won the bet. The bet was that someone could stay with you the whole day and I have, therefore I win the bet." A grin spread slowly on his face as realization dawned on mine. I sat there fuming while Spot and Jack finished up business. He had tricked me. That article (a/n: article is an insult in Ireland) had tricked me. I started to walk away. I heard Spot say, "Wow, Jackie boy, she's going to be one hell of a looker under that grime. Are you sure you're ready for that?" Jack mumbled something along the lines of, "What are you talking about?" and that was the last I heard. Jack jogged and got up with me a minute later. I was still fuming. Where the hell am I going to get a dress? I thought. I had an idea.
I ducked into the pub on the way home and spoke with Aidan in the old tongue. I remember that he was married with a daughter my age. I had met them once or twice while I was in there and they were pleasant enough.
"Aidan, my lad, I need your daughter's help," I said and explained my situation. Aidan shook his head and told me I could go upstairs to find her. He'd watch Jack who had followed me in.
I walked up the back stairs, coming from the kitchen and found Brianne sitting on her bed. She greeted me with a smile and I explained my story. She was delighted to help. I actually saw mischief gleaming in her eyes as she started to formulate a plan. We had it all worked out before I left. I walked downstairs and kissed Aidan on the cheek before hopping over the bar.
"I wish you'd use the opening like everyone else," he said in Gaelic and I laughed and shrugged as I walked out. Jack asked me what that was about and I said nothing, just planning to escape. He didn't seem to notice the small smile on my face.
Monday dawned bright and clear and the beginning of the week that would not end. At breakfast that morning, Blink walked up to me and I supposed that he was the one assigned to me that morning. He smiles at me and says, "I'm ready to win that bet, Lexus." I was shocked. I had forgotten all about that damn bet. No, scratch that, I didn't want to remember that I had made that bet. He laughed and promised that I wouldn't be getting away from him that day. Cocky kid overestimates his own abilities and underestimates mine.
I took it easy on him for the start of the morning and started to make it harder, ducking into alley ways and crowds until finally I lost him. I ducked into my pub and had a chat with Aidan and made a few extra bucks. I saw Blink walking toward my hiding spot so I hopped over the bar and hid under it. Aidan told Blink that I wasn't in there and if he wasn't going to buy a drink, then to leave. I shouted a warning for him to watch out for faery rings just before he got to the door. I heard a pause before the door opened and he left. I stood up.
"Now did you want to tell me what in hell is going on?" Aidan said in the old tongue. I nodded and told him the story. He had a right good laugh about it and told me that I could hide there as long as I needed to. I thanked him and 4 hours and 10 bucks later I walked out. I saw a mob of the boys down at the end of the street, so quiet as an elf I raced down the street the other way. I heard someone behind me shout, "Hey! There she is!" and I took off at a dead run and headed to Central Park. I slipped into a patch of thick forested area and scrambled up a tree. I saw them down below pass by. Jack had somehow joined the group and said, "It's no use, boys, she's quick as a bunny, agile as a cat and quiet as an elf. You'll never find her." I heard grumbled responses as the mob broke up. I looked down to see Jack standing there.
"You can come down now, they're gone."
"How did you know where I was?"
"I saw you from an alley way. I went around the short way to cut you off and saw you climb that tree. I've never seen anyone climb like that. I swear I thought you were part squirrel."
"Not quite, Jackie boy, but about as close as it gets," I laughed and we started the walk back to the house.
The rest of the week was pretty much the same. Aidan was running out of places to hide me. It has now resorted to me scrambling onto the top of the pot rack hanging from the kitchen ceiling. And every night Jack would find me wherever I had happened to be when I left the pub and we would walk back to the house together.
On Friday morning, Jack walked over to me and told me that we were taking the day off and going to visit Spot. I shrugged and walked down the streets with him. Spending that much time in the pub had my pockets lined with coins and it seems that Jack had been saving up too because he took me out to lunch at The King. Everyone else was there, but they didn't say anything when we walked in which I found strange, but decided to ignore. We ate lunch in one of the corner booths by ourselves and left by ourselves too.
Spot lives in Brooklyn, so we had quite the hike. We managed to make it there by three and we had taken the scenic route. Jack kept pointing out different buildings and telling me tales about them. I had never laughed so much since my brother, Michael, had stolen the priest's fishing pole and hid it on the father. At the end of the day, he put it back and we watched through the window when the father had discovered that it was where he had left it.
By the time we had found Spot it was sunset. Jack walked up to him and shook hands.
"So what brings you to this neck of the woods?" Spot asked.
"Come to tell you that me and Lexus here will be at the party tomorrow night." I turned on him.
"What?!? I told you, boyo, that there is no way in hell I'm going to that party dressed up unless- "
"Unless someone won the bet. The bet was that someone could stay with you the whole day and I have, therefore I win the bet." A grin spread slowly on his face as realization dawned on mine. I sat there fuming while Spot and Jack finished up business. He had tricked me. That article (a/n: article is an insult in Ireland) had tricked me. I started to walk away. I heard Spot say, "Wow, Jackie boy, she's going to be one hell of a looker under that grime. Are you sure you're ready for that?" Jack mumbled something along the lines of, "What are you talking about?" and that was the last I heard. Jack jogged and got up with me a minute later. I was still fuming. Where the hell am I going to get a dress? I thought. I had an idea.
I ducked into the pub on the way home and spoke with Aidan in the old tongue. I remember that he was married with a daughter my age. I had met them once or twice while I was in there and they were pleasant enough.
"Aidan, my lad, I need your daughter's help," I said and explained my situation. Aidan shook his head and told me I could go upstairs to find her. He'd watch Jack who had followed me in.
I walked up the back stairs, coming from the kitchen and found Brianne sitting on her bed. She greeted me with a smile and I explained my story. She was delighted to help. I actually saw mischief gleaming in her eyes as she started to formulate a plan. We had it all worked out before I left. I walked downstairs and kissed Aidan on the cheek before hopping over the bar.
"I wish you'd use the opening like everyone else," he said in Gaelic and I laughed and shrugged as I walked out. Jack asked me what that was about and I said nothing, just planning to escape. He didn't seem to notice the small smile on my face.