Plans can be changed.....
Megan stopped and looked at Tibby's Restaurant. It looked decent enough. However, the inside seemed dimly lit and the restaurant was a known hang- out for lower class people. The poor worked and ate there. Megan had been raised to believe that such places were below her status.
*But he'll be there*, she thought. She knew that all the newsies ate at Tibby's. Therefore Jack would be there, too. Squaring her shoulders, she walked over to the door and walked in.
She glanced around, somewhat apprehensive. She almost sighed in relief when she saw Jack sitting by himself in a corner booth. She would not have to wait in this place by herself.
"Mr. Kelly," she called as she walked towards him, while carefully avoiding other tables and chairs that seemed to crowd the place. "I wish to speak with you."
"Miss Miss Miller, what brings ya ta a place so below yer standards?," asked Jack, slightly amused at the look on her face.
"Mr. Kelly, I came by because it seems that you have something I want."
"Now look, Miss, a lot of goils yer type want it but dat don't mean I'm gonna give it ta ya. 'Specially when ya only call me 'Mista Kelly'. Da name's Jack, sweetheart," Jack said with a wink.
"What do you believe that I am asking, Mr. Kelly?," asked Megan in obvious confusion. Suddenly, it dawned on her what he was suggesting. "Heavens no. I did not mean that, Mr. Kelly. You have my book. I would like you to return Jan Eyre."
"What makes ya think I have yer book?"
"I was informed by a mutual acquaintance."
"Dat's hard ta believe."
"How dare you question what I have just told you," she whispered softly, trying to appear calm.
"Even if I had dis book, why should I jist hand it over?," Jack asked as he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.
"The book belongs to me. You should return it to its proper owner."
"I might."
"You have no right to keep my book," she ground out between clenched teeth.
"Sure I do. Ever heard da sayin': Finders keepers, losers weepers?" Jack smirked as he saw her control begin to slip.
"Jack Kelly, you will return my book to me at this address by this afternoon," she ordered as she pulled a pencil and paper from her bag and wrote down her address.
"Can't," sighed Jack as he shook his head.
"Why ever not?"
"Ya didn't say pretty please," he said, in a serious tone. "Ya didn't even ask nicely."
"I do not have to say please OR ask nicely. Not for a streetrat. You will return my book this afternoon, Jack," she exclaimed harshly, at a very unladylike pitch.
"Shh... yer causin' a scene, Miss Miss Miller," Jack said in mock horror as he pressed a finger to his lips.
Megan looked around quickly, as if finally realizing where she was. A blush crept over her cheeks as she noticed that nobody was paying them the slightest bit of attention. She turned her attention back to Jack, as she heard him begin to chuckle.
Slamming down the piece of paper, she glared at him. *How dare he make a fool out of me!*, she thought. Turning on her heel she left the horrible place, hoping that nobody would recognize her there.
Jack picked up the paper and smirked at his good fortune. Not only had he managed to make her lose her cool and then call him Jack but he had also managed to get her to invite him to her apartment. Actually, she had demanded he go to her apartment.
Jack stood to leave, while he pocketed the paper. He began to whistle as he strolled out the door. He headed towards the lodging house so he could pick up the book and go out to sell the rest of his papers.
*Maybe I should make her wait a little*, he thought with a chuckle. *Make her think I'm not gonna show.* He hurried up the stairs to enter the lodging house and quickly walked past Kloppman to head up the next set of stairs.
Jack walked into the bunkroom, still whistling. He went straight to his bunk and lifted the pillow to reveal nothing but the bed sheet. He stopped whistling as he threw back the thin blanket on his bed. Still no book.
He dropped to the floor, looking around and under the bunk. Cursing softly, he began searching other bunks, but it was nowhere to be found.
*Now what the hell am I going to do?*, he thought as he sunk down on a bed. *She's going ta flip.*
~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~
"...then the glass of water and the piece of oatcake, prayers, and bed. Such was my first day at Lowood," Sapphire read aloud as she leaned back against Race's chest.
"So why are ya readin' dis ta me?," interrupted Race, taking the book out of her hands. "Jane Eyre. Where did ya get dis book, Sapph?"
"It was layin'on Mattie's bunk. I don't think she'd care if I borrowed it for a while," she stated calmly.
"So ya stole it," stated Race matter-of-factly.
"No, I just borrowed it. I would never steal from a girl named Tempest," she said with big, innocent eyes.
"S ya stole it."
"I'll return it," she reassured him. "When I'm finished readin' it."
Race laughed and handed her the book once more. "Den ya bettea keep readin'. Tempest is bound ta notice soon."
Sapphire opened the book to where she had left off and began to read aloud again. "The next day began as before, getting up and dressing by rushlight; but this morning........"
~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~
Hey everyone~ I was going to put up the next chappie with this too but.....I'm experiencing some writer's block. I have the chappie partially written I just need to finish it. I will try to break through this block but it might take a little while. Please be patient!!!
~Molly
Megan stopped and looked at Tibby's Restaurant. It looked decent enough. However, the inside seemed dimly lit and the restaurant was a known hang- out for lower class people. The poor worked and ate there. Megan had been raised to believe that such places were below her status.
*But he'll be there*, she thought. She knew that all the newsies ate at Tibby's. Therefore Jack would be there, too. Squaring her shoulders, she walked over to the door and walked in.
She glanced around, somewhat apprehensive. She almost sighed in relief when she saw Jack sitting by himself in a corner booth. She would not have to wait in this place by herself.
"Mr. Kelly," she called as she walked towards him, while carefully avoiding other tables and chairs that seemed to crowd the place. "I wish to speak with you."
"Miss Miss Miller, what brings ya ta a place so below yer standards?," asked Jack, slightly amused at the look on her face.
"Mr. Kelly, I came by because it seems that you have something I want."
"Now look, Miss, a lot of goils yer type want it but dat don't mean I'm gonna give it ta ya. 'Specially when ya only call me 'Mista Kelly'. Da name's Jack, sweetheart," Jack said with a wink.
"What do you believe that I am asking, Mr. Kelly?," asked Megan in obvious confusion. Suddenly, it dawned on her what he was suggesting. "Heavens no. I did not mean that, Mr. Kelly. You have my book. I would like you to return Jan Eyre."
"What makes ya think I have yer book?"
"I was informed by a mutual acquaintance."
"Dat's hard ta believe."
"How dare you question what I have just told you," she whispered softly, trying to appear calm.
"Even if I had dis book, why should I jist hand it over?," Jack asked as he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.
"The book belongs to me. You should return it to its proper owner."
"I might."
"You have no right to keep my book," she ground out between clenched teeth.
"Sure I do. Ever heard da sayin': Finders keepers, losers weepers?" Jack smirked as he saw her control begin to slip.
"Jack Kelly, you will return my book to me at this address by this afternoon," she ordered as she pulled a pencil and paper from her bag and wrote down her address.
"Can't," sighed Jack as he shook his head.
"Why ever not?"
"Ya didn't say pretty please," he said, in a serious tone. "Ya didn't even ask nicely."
"I do not have to say please OR ask nicely. Not for a streetrat. You will return my book this afternoon, Jack," she exclaimed harshly, at a very unladylike pitch.
"Shh... yer causin' a scene, Miss Miss Miller," Jack said in mock horror as he pressed a finger to his lips.
Megan looked around quickly, as if finally realizing where she was. A blush crept over her cheeks as she noticed that nobody was paying them the slightest bit of attention. She turned her attention back to Jack, as she heard him begin to chuckle.
Slamming down the piece of paper, she glared at him. *How dare he make a fool out of me!*, she thought. Turning on her heel she left the horrible place, hoping that nobody would recognize her there.
Jack picked up the paper and smirked at his good fortune. Not only had he managed to make her lose her cool and then call him Jack but he had also managed to get her to invite him to her apartment. Actually, she had demanded he go to her apartment.
Jack stood to leave, while he pocketed the paper. He began to whistle as he strolled out the door. He headed towards the lodging house so he could pick up the book and go out to sell the rest of his papers.
*Maybe I should make her wait a little*, he thought with a chuckle. *Make her think I'm not gonna show.* He hurried up the stairs to enter the lodging house and quickly walked past Kloppman to head up the next set of stairs.
Jack walked into the bunkroom, still whistling. He went straight to his bunk and lifted the pillow to reveal nothing but the bed sheet. He stopped whistling as he threw back the thin blanket on his bed. Still no book.
He dropped to the floor, looking around and under the bunk. Cursing softly, he began searching other bunks, but it was nowhere to be found.
*Now what the hell am I going to do?*, he thought as he sunk down on a bed. *She's going ta flip.*
~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~
"...then the glass of water and the piece of oatcake, prayers, and bed. Such was my first day at Lowood," Sapphire read aloud as she leaned back against Race's chest.
"So why are ya readin' dis ta me?," interrupted Race, taking the book out of her hands. "Jane Eyre. Where did ya get dis book, Sapph?"
"It was layin'on Mattie's bunk. I don't think she'd care if I borrowed it for a while," she stated calmly.
"So ya stole it," stated Race matter-of-factly.
"No, I just borrowed it. I would never steal from a girl named Tempest," she said with big, innocent eyes.
"S ya stole it."
"I'll return it," she reassured him. "When I'm finished readin' it."
Race laughed and handed her the book once more. "Den ya bettea keep readin'. Tempest is bound ta notice soon."
Sapphire opened the book to where she had left off and began to read aloud again. "The next day began as before, getting up and dressing by rushlight; but this morning........"
~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~
Hey everyone~ I was going to put up the next chappie with this too but.....I'm experiencing some writer's block. I have the chappie partially written I just need to finish it. I will try to break through this block but it might take a little while. Please be patient!!!
~Molly