Author's Note: Here's chapter 2, thanks for the reviews…..
Work sucked as always, the cold always found a way through, no matter how many layers you had on. Not to mention all the heavy lifting and the back breaking work that came along with it. And then of course came the dickheads. I was only one of two women who worked there and course the guys just loved that. I was picked on daily but then again what goes around comes around and damn were they on my shit list. Then again few people weren't.
But at the end of the day I trudged through the snow and tried to keep the wind from biting my nose. Not an easy task I might add. People were everywhere, it was a Friday night, pay day. So everyone would cash their checks and live it up for two days until they had to report to the grind early Monday morning. You didn't have to be a genius to figure out where most if not all the men were going. Poor girls, there were only two brothels around here and to many overworked assholes.
As my mind wandered about what everyone else was probably doing with their checks I looked up to see the street sign, Nautal. 't of done that if I tried. I couldn't tell you why this young boy intrigued me so much but he did and I wanted to find out why. Guess curiosity got the best of me, cause before I knew it I was halfway down the street, searching.
It was quiet, a little to quiet. Course my first reaction was my hands trying to find my guns, but then I remembered that was in the past, they weren't apart of me anymore. Watching were I stepped, I held my jacket tighter against me as my eyes darting around. Where the hell is he? I heard rattling up ahead and before I could blink the little spit fire stood in front of me.
"What do ya want?!" He shouted holding a hand carved knife out in front of him trying not to shake.
"Easy boy I just wanna talk." I threw my hands up backing up a little to show I meant him no harm. The knife lower and I took that as a sign to begin my questioning.
"What's your name?" His eyes never left mine as he put the knife away backing up slightly.
"Jack, my name's Jack." He repeated now shivering as the wind blew the snow around like a tornado.
"I'm Marie, nice to meet you Jack. How old are you?" I couldn't really tell with the baggy clothes, goggles and beanie looking hat.
"Fourteen." Poor thing out here all alone I couldn't leave him out in the cold. Reminded me of a kitten someone would leave on your door step, you know you just had to take him in.
"Here take my coat, getting chilly round here." My smile was warm when I approached holding it out.
"Thanks." He said slipping it on in a hurry. Then I noticed something, his voice was awfully high pitched for a boy's but when he slipped off his goggles I knew. Jack wasn't a he.
"Come on Jack you can stay at my place. It's to cold out here, besides looks like you haven't eaten in days." I decided to keep my new discovery to myself until we got home. I didn't wasn't hi- her running off.
"You for real?" Jack's face lit up and I laughed at her excitement.
"I'm as real as it gets, you coming or what?" I turned heading home but didn't miss the footfalls that followed.
We were home in minutes already feeling like we've been lost on the tundra for days. I flicked the lights on going for the thermostat and turning it up as high as it could go. The heat was felt seconds later, least that worked. Jack practically stayed glued to the door unsure of what to do next.
"Make yourself at home, its not much but it works for now." I turned the vid on putting the volume on low before going over to the food prep machine.
"I know you're hungry. What do you want?" Reading through the menu I selected soup and a sandwich and waited for Jacks answer. When I didn't hear one I turned to find her flopped on the couch flipping through the channels on the vid, oddly enough stopping on the news.
"Jack?" I tired again.
"What? Huh? Oh yea what do I want? How about a cheeseburger and fries oh and extra ketchup!" She licked her lips watching me punch it in. It slid out and I took it over to a food deprived Jack. It wasn't long before she bit into it and I returned to mine at the little table setup in the corner.
"Good?" I laughed at her mouth full of food.
"Mmmm very…" She swallowed, "Thanks Marie, thanks a lot."
"Your welcome." I winked watching her munch on a fry.
After we finished eating and Jack had dessert I flopped on the couch totally exhausted from work and the detour home. Stretching I heard the shower running and a shriek come from Jack's mouth. Yep, guess she learned there was no hot water. I smirked at that, she'll learn. My legs propelled me up as I pulled out the roll out bed from the couch. Sheets and many blankets followed along with some pillows. The shower shut off soon after and Jack came walking in with one of my fuzzy sweaters on and a pair of warm pajama pants. They hung off her and she could of probably fit another person in their with her.
"You know Jack, if you're pretending to be a boy don't forget to get the pink polish off your toe nails." I smiled as she looked down and blushed.
"Damn! I can't bel…."
"Chill I knew since I first saw you. You're eyes give you away." I explained but she still didn't move. I patted the space next to me and she finally walked over laying down on the lumpy mattress.
" It was easier passing my self off as a guy especially since I was traveling along they don't mess with them as much. I was afraid to be a girl, afraid I would get eaten alive."
"Well you don't have to anymore, time to be a young woman now." She rolled over, a slight smile on her face.
"Am I dreaming or something?" She joked before a yawn over took her.
"Get to sleep, we have a lot to do tomorrow." I covered her up shutting off the vid.
"Like what?" Her eyes closed.
"You'll see." But my words fell on deaf ears, Jack was snoring.