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.
. August 5th 1899 .
Walking to the Jacobs's Apartment
After buying his papers Jack headed off to see Sarah. He had harbored a small hope that, after what had happened between them the night before, Stress might ditch David to sell with him. He wasn't surprised, only disappointed, when everyone split up to sell exactly like they had the day before. The only difference was, after seeing David and Stress walk off again, hand in hand, Jack had taken off by himself so that he wouldn't have to deal with either Blink and Spot or Mush and Race all telling him conflicting stories about Stress and David's relationship. He didn't want to know anything else anymore. He had learned everything he had wanted to know in the back alley last night.
He sighed. The kiss that he and Stress had shared still lingered within him. He still couldn't believe that he had let his jealousy get in the way and had asked her about David. "Of course I had to go and mention her boyfriend when she was kissing me. Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he exclaimed as he berated himself. It was such a beautiful moment and he had ruined it.
The only good thing that had came out of what had happened was that Jack finally realized and was ready to admit that he was in love with Stress. Unfortunately there was three obstacles for him to overcome before he would actually be able to confess his love for his best friend: Sarah, David and Stress herself. All he had to do was get Stress to admit to herself how she felt. "The feelings are there. I know dey are!" he cried as he banged his fists on the brick wall of the Jacobs's apartment building. Once Stress stopped denying how she felt then she could end things with David and date Jack instead. "Makes sense to me," he thought.
That left Sarah as the only obstacle, an obstacle that, as much as it pained him to do it, he was going to clear that morning.
Jack took a deep breath before entering the tenement and climbing the three flights of stairs to the Jacobs's apartment. When he reached the door he placed his new imitation cowboy hat on top of his head before knocking. Whenever Jack was nervous he used his cowboy hat as a shield, protecting him; at that moment he was more nervous than when he had to ask Spot for Brooklyn's help in the strike! He gulped when he heard someone in the apartment walking to answer the door.
"Maybe she'll be out shopping with Satine again or-- Hiya Sarah." he said quite loudly when he saw her open the door.
"Jack!" she squealed as she threw her arms around his neck. "What are you doing here? Did you finish selling your papes already?"
As he followed Sarah into the kitchen, he indicated to the large stack of papers in his hands. "Naw, actually, I didn't even start yet. I came here first because I needed to talk to you - alone," he added upon coming face to face with Satine at the kitchen table.
"Well, I guess I'll leave you two alone then," Satine said with an over exaggerated wink. "I'll see ya later Sarah. Good luck!"
Sarah giggled nervously as she waved good-bye to Satine while Jack stood there with no expression on his face. When he saw that Satine had shut the door behind her, he turned to face Sarah. "Sarah, we need to talk."
"Jack, before you say anything, there's something I wanna tell you. These last two weeks have been great."
"Yeah, well that's kinda what I wanna talk to ya about," Jack said, interrupting Sarah.
"Jack, just wait a second. Let me finish first. Like I was saying, these last two weeks have been great, but..." she couldn't find the words to say what she wanted to tell him. "Good luck, Satine tells me. Ha!"
"But..." Jack prompted her, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Maybe he won't have to be the one to do the dirty work after all.
"But... but I really think that we'd be better off as friends, instead of a couple," Sarah blurted out.
He couldn't control himself. "Woo hoo!"
Sarah pouted as she looked at him. She was obviously hurt. "That ain't the reaction I was expecting from ya, Jack."
He blushed guiltily. "It's not that Sarah, it's just that I feel the same way, but I didn't wanna be mean about it."
"O.K. then, I guess," Sarah shrugged.
They stood there in an awkward silence, neither one knowing what to say now that they had broken up. The silence lasted for a few minutes until it was interrupted by a knock at the door.
It was now Sarah's turn to blush guiltily as she opened the door. On the opposite side stood Snoddy, one of the quieter newsies in the Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House.
Jack could hardly believe it when Snoddy crossed the threshold into the Jacobs's apartment, wrapped Sarah up in a big bear hug and kissed her. "Good morning, me love."
"Me love? My, ya work fast, Sarah," Jack commented as he raised his eyebrows.
"Jack, I'm sure that you know Snoddy. I just started seeing him the other day," Sarah replied, not quite meeting Jack's questioning eyes.
"Well, I guess that I'll go and leave you two alone now," shaking his head in disbelief, Jack picked up his papers and made to leave.
"Oh, and Jack," Sarah called out just as Jack was walking out the door, "David mentioned that he was taking Stress out to have a picnic lunch in Central Park so if I was you I would avoid that area today."
Jack peeked his head back into the apartment and smiled at Sarah. "How did you know?"
Sarah chuckled. "You give me no credit. I saw the way that you was looking at her the other day and the look on your face when her name is mentioned is hysterical. Don't worry, Jack. She'll wise up and dump David soon enough. Who'd want him when they could have a cowboy like you?"
Jack tipped his cowboy hat in a mock gesture of gratitude. "Thanks Sarah. You're a doll." He laughed as he saw Snoddy's arm reach out and pull Sarah back into the apartment, shutting the door in Jack's face in the process.
Jack knocked the cowboy hat off his head as he let out a sigh of relief. "One down, two to go."