Title: One Year Anniversary

Author: Stress

First written: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

Edited and replaced: August 9, 2005

Summary: Part III of the Soul Mates Series; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

At the Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House

Back at the boys' lodging house, all the girls and guys who weren't involved in any conspiracies, plots or operations, were enjoying a quick poker game, which was much more fun without their resident gambler around.

Sitting around the table playing cards were: Reeny, holding a pair of jacks; Midnight, with a pair of threes; Boots, with a full house; Gip, king high card; Holiday, holding three queens; Crutchy, three high card; and Bittah, with an astonishing hand of five aces.

Wish and Skittery were there in the lodging house but they were ... um... indisposed at the moment. Slash was out with Dutchy trying to find guys to call queer without getting soaked, while Blaze was out with Bumlets. He was teaching her how to run faster after stealing a hat by chasing after her and poking her gently in the side as she giggled playfully.

Nobody had noticed yet that it had been an awful long time since any of them had seen or heard from Stress, Jack, David, Grace, Race, Bookie, Mush, Mushie, Martini, Blink and Stripes. They were all wrapped up in their own doings to pay attention to anything else.

"O.K., what do you guys got?" asked Boots, confident that his full house would win the fourteen cents in the pot.

"Bittah! You're cheating again!" they all cried when they saw her hand.

In order to cover her tracks, Bittah quickly changed the subject. "Say guys, have any of you seen Stress or Jack or any one else since this morning?"

"Ya know, now that ya mention it, naw, not at all," answered Midnight, throwing down her hand of cards.

"Well, if Jack's told Stress about Sarah then I wouldn't doubt it if she threw him over the Brooklyn Bridge or jumped over herself," commented Holiday.

"Did I here someone mention Brooklyn? You better be saying nice things about me territory," drawled Spot as he sauntered into the bunkroom.

"Of course, Irish. Who'd be dumb enough to say something bad about Brooklyn to your face?" asked Gip, trying to sound innocent.

"Hiya Gypsy, girls, fellas. Has any of you seen Stripes? I was supposed to meet her here so we could spend the weekend together," asked Spot.

"Yeah. Stripes said this morning that if we're see you, we were to tell you to meet her in Newsies Square, by the Horace Greeley statue. She said it was important for you to get there as quickly as ya can," answered Reeny as she dealt out a new hand of cards.

"O.K., then I guess I'll be seeing you guys later."

"Bye Spot," they all said (except Wish and Skittery because they were still ... umm... busy.) And with that they returned to their poker game, forgetting everything they were talking about before Spot came in (to the immense relief of Bittah).

At Tibby's

Stress quickly stifled a gasp of shock when she saw a medium sized girl, with long dark hair, wearing a lacey dress, approach their booth and kiss Jack. She knew that at that moment her emotions were out there for everyone to see so she quickly changed her hurt expression to one of polite puzzlement. "So, Cowboy, ya wanna introduce me to your friend here?"

Jack gulped; he knew he was in trouble. Stress only called him Cowboy when she wanted to ignore the close friendship between them. She had only called him Cowboy about three or four times in the four years he had known her and each time it had been because they were in a fight over some petty little argument. This time it pained his heart because he knew this wasn't some petty little detail that was upsetting Stress. "Sure. Stress, this is me girlfriend, Sarah and her friend, Satine. Girls, this is me best friend, Stress. I've known her for about four years now."

"That's funny, Jack. You say you've known her for four years and yet this is the first time you mentioned her at all," purred Sarah.

Jack quickly glanced over at Stress. He knew her so well. He was prepared for her to jump out of her seat and slug him right in his face. Probably Sarah too, just for the snotty attitude she had. But what Stress did instead showed him only how wrong he was.

Stress quickly slid under the table, off the seat she was sharing with Jack. When she got up, she shook Sarah's hand (sans spit) and said, "Well, it's nice to meet the girl that finally captured old Cowboy's heart. Now, if you excuse me, I've gotta be going. Grace, are ya ready?"

Grace quickly nodded. Stress then turned to face David, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "Hey mister 'Walking Mouth'. Ya wanna come with me? I'd liked to get to know ya better. After all, you're one of Cowboy's friends so ya can't be all that bad," she added, not bothering to hide the flirtatiousness in her voice.

David jumped to his feet, surprised to be invited to go with her. "Sure, I love ya -- I mean, I'd love to," he said, stumbling all over himself, turning beet red with embarrassment.

Stress giggled coyly and reached out to touch a lock of his hair. "I just love curly hair. People with straight hair are just so boring." With a quick flicker of her eyes she let every one know that she was addressing Jack with that last comment. She waited a moment to see if Jack would make any response to her statement. When he said nothing Stress, after grabbing David's hand, marched out of Tibby's, with Grace following the two like a little lost puppy dog. They continued to march right past Race and Mush who had just arrived in time to see the exchange between Stress and Jack when he introduced Sarah.

Jack remained at the booth, paralyzed, with his mouth wide open, oblivious to Sarah's attempts to cuddle up next to him. His best friend had just ditched him for his other best friend. "I thought she liked me-- I mean that is what they all keep telling me," he thought, beginning to feel sorry for himself.

Just then a little voice in the back of his head spoke up. "What do ya expect? You know how much you like the girl. Imagine if you returned from a trip where the people ya grew up with just died and when ya got back here, ya found out that she went out and got herself a boyfriend. How would ya feel then?".

Jack answered the little voice out loud. "Exactly like I feel right now."

Sarah stopped fawning all over Jack for a second as she asked, "What did you say Jack?".

"Nothing," he said as he watched the backs of his two best friends as they walked down the street.

Satine just rolled her eyes as she sat down opposite the couple. "I thought I said no goo-goo eyes," she muttered.