David opened the front door, where we see his parents sitting on a table and, I think, is his sister sitting on a chair not far from the table, knitting.

"My God! What happened?" His mother asked, looking at Les, who was lying on Jack's shoulders.

"Nothing, mama. He's just sleeping." David said. His mother took Les from Jack and placed him on the bed. He looks adorable, like a baby angel...

"We've been waiting dinner for you. Where have you been?" David's father asked. David puts a pile of coins on the table. Their earnings from selling newspapers.

"You made all this selling newspapers?" His father asked, looking at the pile of coins on the table.

"Well, half of it's Jack's." David turns around and faces at our direction.

"This is our selling partner, and our friend. Jack Kelly, my parents." Then, he walked near us and introduced us as well.

"And these are Haylie and Hallie. They're twins. Hallie's the one I've told you about." We did our customary bow at his parents. They smiled at us, although they seemed to be a little weirded out at our bow, and maybe a little bit more because of my short skirt.

"And that's my sister, Sarah." David pointed at the girl sitting on the chair knitting. She smiled at us.

"Esther, maybe David's guests would like to join us for dinner. Why don't you add a little more water to the soup?" Mr. Jacobs said, kissing his wife on the cheek. She shoves him away playfully.

"Mayer!"

We ate dinner at the Jacobs' home. Actually, we tried to refuse but David insisted that we stay for dinner. It was a very nice one. Even though it was only soup, it was very delicious. Mrs. Jacobs knows how to cook very well...which reminds me of our own home. I'm starting to miss Father and Okaasan...

"So, from what I saw today, yer boys are a couple of born newsies." Jack says in praise of David and Les. I looked at the window. It was raining. I remembered Gail. She might be cowering under the sheets back at the Lodging House. She hates lightning. She never actually told us about it. I smiled at the mere thought about it. Sarah clears the table, but Jack turns at her.

"Can I have a little more?"

"Yes."

Hallie looked at him reprovingly. It seems that she thinks that it's a bit rude to ask for more food.

"So, from their hard work and my experience, I figure we could make a thousand papes a week."

"That many?" Mr. Jacobs asked.

"More when da headlines are good." Jack said. Sarah sits beside him. I wonder what makes a headline good. I listened to him attentively.

"So what makes the headline good?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, you know, umm...catchy woids like...a maniac, or corpse, umm...let's see, lovenest, or nude." We laughed at what Jack said. Hallie looked quite appalled at what she just heard.

"Oh excuse me. Maybe I'm talkin' too much." Jack stopped. Mrs. Jacobs turned to our direction and spoke to us.

"How about you two?"

We answered her.

"Oh, uh, well...to be honest, my sister sells better than me." I said shyly. They chuckled.

"That's nonsense. You're alright." Hallie said.

"Oh, try using 'Trolley Wheels On Strike' as a headline and say 'you're alright'." I said, thinking about my bad luck for selling. Jack, David, Sarah and their parents laughed. I went as red as a radish with a bad sunburn.

"Why is that, Haylie?" Sarah asked, still laughing.

"I...I just can't come up with headlines as good as my sister's, or Jack's." I said pathetically.

Mr. Jacobs smiled, then asked Sarah to get the cake her mother's hiding in the cabinet.

"That's for your birthday tomorrow!" Mrs. Jacobs said, pelting him softly with a table napkin.

"Well, I've had enough birthdays. This is a celebration."

David and Sarah stood up from his chair.

"I'll get the knife."

"I got the plates."

We offered to help Sarah on the plates. As we helped her carrying the plates, Sarah whispered me something.

"Hey, Haylie. Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Do you like Jack?"

I was startled at her question. She just asked me if I liked Jack. I don't know what to answer back.

"I...uh...w-why do you ask?" I stuttered.

"Nothing, really. I just think that you make a cute couple." Then, she smiled at me. I felt weird. And now, I'm asking myself. Do I like Jack?

"Happy Birthday, Papa!" Sarah said and kissed her father in the cheek. Mrs. Jacobs has cut the cake and placed it on the plates.

"For our guests." She said. Sarah gave out the plates and the forks to everyone. As soon as she gave me mine, she gave me a sweet smile. I didn't know what to do, so I just smiled back.

"This is going to heal, and they'll give me back my job. I'll make them." Mr. Jacobs said, referring to his injured arm. Suddenly, we heard someone singing Ms. Medda's song. It was Les, stirring in his sleep. Me, Hallie, Jack and Davey looked at each other and laughed. David stopped right away when his mother asked about it.

"And what is this David, hmm?"

We ate the chocolate cake Mrs. Jacobs has baked for her husband. It was very delicious. After eating, we talked with Sarah for a while.

"So, where are you two from?" She asked. I looked at Hallie straight in the eyes. I think she understood.

"We're from England, actually, but we grew up here. We moved there when we were-"

"Seven." I interrupted Hallie. Seven years old was the first that came into my mind.

"Oh. Where are your parents?"

Hallie put on a sad face. I did the same.

"They...uh, died last year. From, uh, pneumonia. We're now orphaned and we have no relatives here." Hallie said sorrowfully. Sarah seems to believe the whole thing.

"Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that."

"That's okay." Hallie sniffed. (fake)

I thought about what time it is, so I asked.

"Hey, what time is it?"

"It's eight o' clock, I think."

"Oh, we better get going."

"Yeah."

Jack turned at us and asked.

"Are ya two leavin'?"

"Oh, umm, yeah we are." I said.

"I'll go wid you."

"Oh, there's no need. We know the way home."

"But, is it okay?" David asked.

"Yeah, it is."

"So, I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah, you will."

It looks like something's going on between them. I smiled at her. She caught me looking at her like that and elbowed me at the ribs.

"Hey, that hurts!"

We bid farewell to them and bowed.

"Goodbye, everyone. It was nice meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs. And you too, Sarah." We said together.

"Bye! Be careful on your way home!"

"We will!"

We made our way to the Lodging House easily. I just have to ask Hallie about it.

"What was that all about?"

"Nothing, thank you very much."

I decided to taunt Hallie and poked a little fun at her.

"You like him, you like him!" I said in a sing-song voice.

"I do not!"

"Oh, I think you do!"

"Do not!"

"Hahahaha!!!"

"Hey! I don't have...something...on him! We're just really good friends."

"Yeah, with benefits!"

I continued making fun of her until we reached the Lodging House. When we reached it, though, we saw Gail, looking angry and distraught, soaking wet.

"What happened, Gail?"

She just looked at us and didn't say anything. Then, she ran upstairs, grumbling about something.

"What was that all about?"

"Beats me."

We went upstairs and sat on the bed. Gail was muttering curses about someone. It seems that she's mad on someone, although she wouldn't tell us about it. A few moments later, Jack, with Racetrack behind him, arrived. He looked a bit depressed. He glanced at me but didn't say anything. He went up the rooftop again. I wonder what's wrong with him? I followed him up there. I found him sitting on the ledge again. He seems to be thinking to himself. I decided to cheer him up.

"Hey!"
He looked at me, still the same sad look. I tried to make him smile.
"Hey, watch!"
I showed him that I have practiced whistling. This time it's not a wet blast of air. It's a real whistle.
"Hey, you got pretty good." He said, with sadness in his voice.
"You sound sad."
"Yeah, maybe." He said. Suddenly, a weird suggestion came into my mind.

"Wanna scream?"
He looked at me, probably weirded out. "I really don't think dat's gonna help, ya know."

"Well, sometimes that seemed to work, you know." I said, but he just ignored me. I started pacing around, trying to think of better things to say.
"You know what? It's embarrassing to say this myself...but I try to let go of the past and focus on what's more to come. But sadly, I still haven't let go of the past. My friends and my sister are kind of...like...my ray of light. A lot of people depend on their friends when they're troubled." I paused for a moment to think. Then I continued.
"I learned to practice smiling when I'm feeling sad, you know? I know it's hard."
"Yeah... I understand. I t'ink." Jack said. It seems that he feels the same way. Still, I have to make him smile, even if it's just a little.
"Right, now let's see what you can do."
"Huh?" Jack looked puzzled. I was urging him to try and smile. Maybe it'll make him feel better. I didn't bother asking why he was. It's probably personal anyway.

"Come on!" I said. Jack did what I said and he started trying to smile, even though it came out as a bunch of weird facial expressions. He looks so funny!
"Dis is weird!" He said, stopping making silly faces that were supposed to be smiles.
"Next, try laughing out loud!" I said. I tried to do that once. It made me feel better, but I felt very weird after that.

"What?" Jack said, looking perplexed.
"Come on, show me!"
Jack stretches, and forces a loud, obnoxious, and kind of strange laugh.

"AH HA HA HA HA HA!!!"

"AH HA HA HA HA HA!!!"

Jack kept on doing it. He seems to be enjoying it. The, suddenly we heard a man shout at us from afar.

"Hey, shut up, ya loony!!! We're tryin' ta sleep heah!"
"You probably shouldn't laugh any more." I said, after that man shouted. Jack stopped for a moment. Then, he looked mischievously at me. I think I get it.

"AH HA HA HA HA HA!!!"

"AH HA HA HA HA HA!!!"
"AH HA HA HA HA HA!!!"

He kept on laughing and I joined in. We can hear dogs barking and cats wailing. We stopped and started laughing normally. It felt quite good!
"Too funny!"
"It was yer idea!" Jack said, clutching his stomach from laughing. Finally, he laughed. I haven't really seen him laugh before, and if he did, he might just be pretending to be happy, when deep inside, you're not happy. Like what I do...smile in front of people, cry to sleep at night.
"Um...thank you." I said. It should have been him who would say thanks. But it turns out that I was the one who needed the laughter, so I thanked him instead.
"You know, I want my stay here to be full of laughter, before we could find a way to go back."

"Okay." He said, "I'll give ya dat laughter." I smiled at him. Then, I thought about the words he said to me the other day.
"If we should get separated, just whistle. I'll come running, I promise."
Jack nodded.
"Well, let's go inside."
We turned around and saw everyone's staring at us. They must have heard us laughing up here like weirdoes and came up here to see why.
"What'cha all lookin' at?" Jack said. All of them seemed to be muffling their laughters.
"...pppfffttt...We was just worried ya guys might've gone crazy!" Mush said, trying not to laugh.
"Sorry!" We said. We went inside, looking at each other. But, you know? In that moment, I thought I just felt Frank's presence there...somewhere, but...I don't know. It's not because I think that Jack is Frank, but...I don't know. It's complicated. I won't be able to explain it. And no matter how much I want to be with him, Jack isn't Frank. It's impossible. No matter how much I would want to turn back the time, he wouldn't be able to know what I really feel for him. And that's my biggest mistake. Suddenly, I remembered what Sarah asked me earlier.

"Do you like Jack?"

I don't know. I don't know what to think about it. I don't know what to feel about it. It's strange, really. When I think about what she just asked me, I start asking myself. Do I like Jack? And if I do, is it because he just looks like Frank? No, that's not a good reason. You like someone because of the way he treats you, like the way I felt for Frank because he cares for me so much. But, do I really like Jack? He has such a big difference from Frank, despite the physical appearance, but there are certain times that when I'm with him, I feel like I'm with Frank. I kept on thinking about it and analyzing my feelings. And now, I come to a conclusion. I should stop thinking about the past and just let it go. I shouldn't fall in love with someone just because they resemble someone you've loved before. And I should be honest and true to my own feelings and stop lying to myself. Because...I think...I feel...that...I really do like Jack.