Reading.....
"Pre-sen-ti-ments are strange things! and so are sympathies; and so are signs; and da three combined make one mystery ta which humanity had not yet found da key," Jack read aloud as he skimmed through the book. "I have no clue what da hell I jist read."
"What are you reading, Cowboy?," asked a feminine voice, causing Jack to jump. He turned to find Tempest standing in the doorway of the bunkroom. "It sure ain't da pape, Kelly."
He smiled at her change in accent. "No it ain't, Tempest." He sighed as he closed the book and read the title again. "It's Jane Eyre. Some hoity-toity dropped it when I ran inta her. She ran off before I could give it back ta her." It wasn't a lie. At least not completely.
"I never did get a chance to read that. Megan always said it wasn't worth the money to buy and read a book that would only encourage my inability to keep my head out of the clouds." She sank down on the bunk next to Jack with a sigh.
"Megan?"
Tempest laughed softly. "I almost forgot you didn't get to meet my sister that day she showed up here."
"Where was I?"
"Here in the bunkroom. It was after I told you I didn't love you but that I loved Oscar, your enemy."
"Oh." He paused, remembering that day clearly but the old hurt and anger wasn't there any longer. "After ya left, I didn't stay very long. I wanted ta be alone so I went ta Central Park."
"It was the perfect end to the perfect day," she said sarcastically.
"I'm sorry I was so mean ta ya afterwards. If it hadn't been fer me, ya wouldn't have been hurt."
"Jack, it's over now. Besides, you were hurt and angry. I never blamed you for any of that."
"Maybe ya should have."
"No, if I remember correctly Oscar did enough blaming for both of us."
Jack laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess he did."
"Should I be worried here?," asked Oscar as he walked over to them. "My goil in da bunkroom, alone wid da 'oddea guy'."
Tempest rolled her eyes as she stood up and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Jack and I were just discussing the good old days."
Oscar wrapped an arm around Tempest. "Why waste da present by thinkin' of da past?"
"Says the guy who spends quite a bit of time telling and retelling his endless supply of Delancey brother stories." Tempest giggled as Oscar began to grumble his own response. "Let's go. Jack's trying to read and we're distracting him. Let me read that when you're done Jack."
Tempest swept Oscar out of the room quickly. Jack smiled as he watched them leave. He flipped to the beginning of the book. "Dere was no possibility of takin' a walk dat day..."
~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~
Megan Miller placed the pile of books down gently on the coffee table. She stared at them for a moment, recalling all the things she had said about buying such nonsense. Picking up Pride and Prejudice, she smiled slightly as she remembered how excited Matilda had been after finishing the book.
*Mattie....,* she thought sadly. *Why do you not just come home? This apartment is where you belong.*
Looking through the books, she noticed something was wrong. *One.... two... three.... four.... five... six... oh dear,* she thought. Looking briefly over the titles confirmed what she feared. Jane Eyre was no longer in the small pile.
She sank down on the couch in an unladylike fashion. Matilda would have been shocked at such an action. Megan knew exactly how she must have lost the book. *Insolent streetrat!*
He probably stole it for his girlfriend. Obviously he had a girlfriend with looks like his. Light brown hair that was a bit too long according to society but it seemed to fit perfectly. His brown eyes gleamed with mischief this time. Last time they had been so dark and intense.
Realizing what she was thinking Megan quickly sat up straight and crossed her legs in a proper fashion as she reached for the first book at hand. Opening Pride and Prejudice, she began to read. Leaving all thoughts of the handsome Jack Kelly behind, she tried to lose herself in the story. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man...."
"Pre-sen-ti-ments are strange things! and so are sympathies; and so are signs; and da three combined make one mystery ta which humanity had not yet found da key," Jack read aloud as he skimmed through the book. "I have no clue what da hell I jist read."
"What are you reading, Cowboy?," asked a feminine voice, causing Jack to jump. He turned to find Tempest standing in the doorway of the bunkroom. "It sure ain't da pape, Kelly."
He smiled at her change in accent. "No it ain't, Tempest." He sighed as he closed the book and read the title again. "It's Jane Eyre. Some hoity-toity dropped it when I ran inta her. She ran off before I could give it back ta her." It wasn't a lie. At least not completely.
"I never did get a chance to read that. Megan always said it wasn't worth the money to buy and read a book that would only encourage my inability to keep my head out of the clouds." She sank down on the bunk next to Jack with a sigh.
"Megan?"
Tempest laughed softly. "I almost forgot you didn't get to meet my sister that day she showed up here."
"Where was I?"
"Here in the bunkroom. It was after I told you I didn't love you but that I loved Oscar, your enemy."
"Oh." He paused, remembering that day clearly but the old hurt and anger wasn't there any longer. "After ya left, I didn't stay very long. I wanted ta be alone so I went ta Central Park."
"It was the perfect end to the perfect day," she said sarcastically.
"I'm sorry I was so mean ta ya afterwards. If it hadn't been fer me, ya wouldn't have been hurt."
"Jack, it's over now. Besides, you were hurt and angry. I never blamed you for any of that."
"Maybe ya should have."
"No, if I remember correctly Oscar did enough blaming for both of us."
Jack laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess he did."
"Should I be worried here?," asked Oscar as he walked over to them. "My goil in da bunkroom, alone wid da 'oddea guy'."
Tempest rolled her eyes as she stood up and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Jack and I were just discussing the good old days."
Oscar wrapped an arm around Tempest. "Why waste da present by thinkin' of da past?"
"Says the guy who spends quite a bit of time telling and retelling his endless supply of Delancey brother stories." Tempest giggled as Oscar began to grumble his own response. "Let's go. Jack's trying to read and we're distracting him. Let me read that when you're done Jack."
Tempest swept Oscar out of the room quickly. Jack smiled as he watched them leave. He flipped to the beginning of the book. "Dere was no possibility of takin' a walk dat day..."
~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~
Megan Miller placed the pile of books down gently on the coffee table. She stared at them for a moment, recalling all the things she had said about buying such nonsense. Picking up Pride and Prejudice, she smiled slightly as she remembered how excited Matilda had been after finishing the book.
*Mattie....,* she thought sadly. *Why do you not just come home? This apartment is where you belong.*
Looking through the books, she noticed something was wrong. *One.... two... three.... four.... five... six... oh dear,* she thought. Looking briefly over the titles confirmed what she feared. Jane Eyre was no longer in the small pile.
She sank down on the couch in an unladylike fashion. Matilda would have been shocked at such an action. Megan knew exactly how she must have lost the book. *Insolent streetrat!*
He probably stole it for his girlfriend. Obviously he had a girlfriend with looks like his. Light brown hair that was a bit too long according to society but it seemed to fit perfectly. His brown eyes gleamed with mischief this time. Last time they had been so dark and intense.
Realizing what she was thinking Megan quickly sat up straight and crossed her legs in a proper fashion as she reached for the first book at hand. Opening Pride and Prejudice, she began to read. Leaving all thoughts of the handsome Jack Kelly behind, she tried to lose herself in the story. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man...."