Title: Cuts Like A Knife
Author: Stress
First written: May 12, 2002
Edited and replaced: January 21, 2005
Summary: Part I of the Soul Mates Series; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.
Queens
Once Grace was sure that Spindle and Rip were out of ear-shot and the crowd that had surrounded them dispersed, she turned to face the remaining girls at the distribution center. Still shocked at the news of Jess's untimely death, Quipster, Iris, Dice, Moneybags and Tunes stood there, mouths open in surprise. Before any of them could say anything, though, Grace began to giggle. "Girls, if you could only see the looks on you're faces."
Tunes recovered first. "What do you mean, Grace?"
"Yeah, how can you laugh at a time like this?" Dice questioned.
As Grace continued to laugh harder, enjoying the other girls' confusion, Iris looked hurt. "I thought that you and Jess were friends. How can you be so happy when she's dead?"
Grace stopped laughing long enough to address Iris. "She ain't dead."
"What do ya mean she ain't dead? I read that article in the pape. A girl was killed last night when that carriage overturned," Quipster said indignantly.
"Yeah, I know. Some girl did die last night, but it wasn't Jess," she chortled as she clapped Moneybags on the shoulder in an attempt to stay upright.
Moneybags shrugged out from under Grace's arm, trying to understand what Grace was saying. "I just don't get it, Grace. You told Spindle that Jess died last night but now you're telling us that she didn't die. If she didn't die, then what happened to her?"
Grace stopped laughing as she looked around her, her eyes taking in everything, making sure that no one would hear what she was going to say, if she chose to say it. "Should I tell these girls?" she questioned herself, "What if one of them tells Spindle?" Her eyes paused, lingering on the upset and confused yet eager expressions of her friends. "I don't think Jess would mind if they knew. After all, she may be in Manhattan for now, but when she comes back home, she's gonna want some of her friends to be there."
Double-checking once more that no one would overhear her confession, Grace motioned for the other girls to come closer. "I take it that you all know what happened yesterday between Jess, Spindle and Rip?"
Corner looked at Grace and gasped. "It's true then? Our Jess went after Spindle's guy? I don't believe it."
Grace hushed her as she began to whisper again. "Shh, Corner. What I'm telling you all now is that you shouldn't believe it. Something bad happened and I myself don't understand it all. All I know is that it wasn't safe for Jess to be here in Queens no more."
"Well, if she ain't dead, then where is she?" Iris whispered back, thankful to know that her friend hadn't been killed in a freak accident.
"Now, if I tell you girls this, you gotta swear that you won't tell Spindle or Rip or any one else, alright?" Grace said seriously. When all the other girls nodded enthusiastically, with Tunes crossing her fingers over her heart, Grace continued. "Jess went to Manhattan for a bit. She's gonna write to the O'Connor's when she settles in and tell them about what's going on over there. Then we're gonna send letters to her. When everything dies down over here, she's gonna come back. Now, she probably ain't gonna come back until Spindle's gone, otherwise Spindle will try to kill her again. That's why it's so important that Spindle don't know what happened to Jess, alright?"
"Sure, Grace, you're secret is safe with us," Moneybags promised solemnly as the other girls nodded in acceptance to Grace's request.
But there was one person who had stood outside their conversation, hearing every whispered word. This one person had not promised to keep this information from Spindle. Yet, this person was not intending to tell Spindle.
Instead, Danger backed away from the girls and began to walk towards the Newsboys' Lodging House with the intent to wait for Rip to return from his romp with Spindle, "I'd better tell Rip that his "li'l Miss" is just fine and dandy. He'll be so happy and a happy Rip is a Rip that I can live with."