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.
At the DistributionCenter
After buying only twenty papes apiece, Jack took Stress off to the side to explain to her their plans for the day. "OK, I only wanted to sell a couple of papes today to see how good you are at selling. After we're done, I'm gonna bring you over to the Bottle Alley Lodging House. They just opened up and there is only like three or four other girls that live there. They're all newsies too, so even though you'll live there, you'll still have the chance to see me at work," he said smugly as he brushed a lock of light brown hair out of his eyes.
Stress had stopped listening after he had made the comment about seeing if she sold well or not. "I'll have you know Mister Cowboy, that I was a pretty good newsie back in Queens," she seethed, her pride more wounded than her shoulder was. She huffed as she stalked over to the first well-dressed man she saw. She curtsied as she approached him. "Morning, sir. Would you care to buy a newspaper this lovely morning?" she asked politely.
The man smiled in response, surprised that a common street rat could be so polite. "Sure, sweetie. I'll buy the lot. How many do you have?"
Stress continued to smile and bat her eyelashes. "I have twenty newspapers, sir."
"Well, then here is two dollars for you. I'll give these to my colleagues down at the office. Have a nice day dear." He said as he handed her two crisp dollar bills.
"The same to you, sir." Stress curtsied once more, before turning to face her partner, triumphantly. "Do you' think I'll be able to sell twenty papes all by myself, Jacky?"
Jack just stood there, mouth wide open, not responding. Stress laughed out loud before grabbing onto the sleeve of Jack's shirt and dragging him off to sell his stack of papers.
Considering that Stress sold all of her papers in one shot, the two of them finished selling early and headed off towards the Bottle Alley Lodging House.
"You see, Stressie, there is two lodging houses for the newsgirls in Manhattan. There is the Harbor lodging house and the Bottle Alley lodging house. The one near Bottle Alley just opened up and a couple of my pals already live there," Jack explained as he showed her the way. "It ain't too far from my lodging house and it's run by a real nice lady, Mrs. Cook."
Stress nodded as she hoped that the butterflies in her stomach settled. She had never been good at making friends with other girls. She preferred to be part of a tight-knit group of people that she could trust, like Grace. "Be brave." she told herself as she set her eyes upon the Bottle Alley Lodging House entrance sign for the first time. She took a deep breath and followed Jack inside.