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.
Wandering by Newsies Square
Grace was confused. In fact, she was so befuddled, she was surprised she was able to walk in a straight line. It had been over an hour since she had left Stress and David alone. "David...", she thought, smiling to herself, "…he was just perfect." She began to sigh but caught herself immediately. She shook her head gently as if to clear it of any distracting thoughts. She had to be realistic. She had known David for only two hours now and yet she felt that she was head over heels in love with the guy. It would've been perfect if it wasn't for one minor detail: In the two hours since they had met, David had seemed to completely and totally fallen in love with Stress, one of Grace's closest friends.
"Stress is so pretty. Stress is everyone's best friend. Stress is so likable and all the guys fall in love with her. Except she's such a bozo she only got eyes for the one guy she can't have," Grace thought bitterly. She then chided herself for thinking so negatively about her friend. Stress couldn't control the way she looked and she was everybody's friend because she always went out of her way to help them all, as long as they didn't mess with her trust. "Look what she did for me," she told herself. And it wasn't Stress' fault that David preferred her over Grace. "It's only her fault for acting on David's emotions." Grace was not blind-she knew that, no matter what Stress would say when anyone asked her about David, she would never be able to love David the way that Grace knew she loved Jack.
As Grace began to walk by the giant Horace Greeley statue in the middle of Newsies Square all of her thoughts stopped as she saw two girls that she recognized sitting around the pedestal of the statue talking to two boys she didn't know. Grace racked her memory until she came up with the names of the two girls-Martini and Stripes. Grace laughed to herself. She was surprised she remembered any names at all. The introductions made in the Bottle Alley Lodging House this morning seemed like years ago. "But it's only been a few hours," she reminded herself with a sad smile as she remembered what had happened since they had left the Lodging House.
Upon hearing someone laugh, Martini looked up. "Oh, hiya Grace. What's wrong?" she added, noting the expression on Grace's face.
Grace felt uncomfortable telling the girls about what had happened in front of the two boys. Stripes, noticing Grace's hesitation and the way her eyes looked up at the boys and then back at the ground, quickly introduced them. "Grace, this one right here is me guy, mister Spot Conlon", Stripes said pointing to the shorter boy with dark hair and gorgeous eyes who's right hand was clutching a cane, "and that one over there is Kid Blink, ya know, he goes with Martini," she added, now pointing to a blonde haired boy wearing a brown patch over one of his blue eyes. "Fellas, this is Stress' friend from Queens, Grace. She's gonna be living with us girls over at the Bottle Alley Lodging House."
The boys nodded their salutations as Grace squeaked "Hello".
"Now that we're made the introductions, ya wanna tell us what happened? You can trust us. We don't bite, promise," added Martini with a laugh.
Grace managed to chuckle weakly. "Ya know, I really do trust you guys. I just can't believe you guys can tell that something is wrong. Well, here goes. After me and Stress left the lodging house she took me to have some lunch at this restaurant -- Tibby's. Well there we were, eating our lunch, when all of a sudden Jack and ... umm... Dave came strolling in," she said, not being able to control her blush, "and sat down at our table. We'se were all sitting there for about ten minutes or so when this girl comes strutting in. She walked right up to the table we were sitting at."
All four of them drew in a collective breath. "Sarah," Blink said, the only one able to get it out.
"What did Stress do? Did she soak Sarah? Did she soak Jacky-Boy? Tell me that she soaked someone, anyone!" Spot said, looking hungrily at Grace, while he rubbed his hands together. He stopped once Stripes whacked him in the stomach again.
"Go on Grace, what happened?" said Stripes, prompting Grace to continue the story.
"Ya see, like Spot was saying, I was all expecting Stress to get up and slug someone. It was really weird though. Instead of taking out her hurt, cause I know she was hurt, she got up and shook Sarah's hand and said something like 'I'm glad to meet the girl that captured Cowboy's heart.' It was so unlike her."
"Wow. She called him Cowboy. She must be real mad," Martini said in awe.
"Is that a bad thing?" asked Grace.
"Oh yeah! She don't like the nickname Cowboy cause it reminds her that Jack's ultimate goal is to get enough money to go to Santa Fe, New Mexico and buy a ranch to live on there instead of here in New York . She only uses that nickname when's she's extremely upset at him. I've only heard her call him that about two or three times and I've known them for four years."
"Well, let me tell ya, that ain't the worst of it all. After she said hello to Sarah, she left and she took a love-struck David with her. They've spent the entire day together. I bet they are a happy little couple now," Grace finished, not bothering to hide the hurt in her voice. Unlike Stress, she didn't care if her new friends knew that she liked someone.
As he listened to Grace, Blink rolled his good eye. "Well, that sure puts a kink in the operation."
Grace overheard his comment and asked, "What operation?"
Martini shot Blink a "good going hun" look as she sighed. "Let me ask ya a question first. Who would you rather see Stress with -- Jack or David?'.
"Oh, Jack, definitely. I think that they are made for each other," Grace said rapidly, "...and then that'll leave Dave all for me," she added to herself.
"Right answer. Ya see, we're got a plan going that we call Operation 'Happily-Ever-After'. We're gonna get Stress and Jack together, no matter what. That sound good to you?" Stripes asked her question, and then leaned against the base of the Horace Greeley, with her arms crossed over her chest, awaiting her response.
"That sounds good to me. Just tell me what to want me to do. I'm all ears."
"Right now, we're gonna have to rework out the plan. We never figured that Stress would go for Dave. First step, though, is to get those two apart. Stress can't get with Jack if she got a guy. I don't know how we're gonna break those two up yet, but I'll work on that tonight. Then we continue with breaking up Sarah and Jack," Martini said adamantly. Nothing and No one was going to screw with their plan, not even Stress and Jack, David and Sarah.
Grace smiled as everything that Stripes and Martini were saying began to sink in. "I might just get a chance to get Dave for meself after all."