Chapter 6

One of Dem'

"Wake up! Wake up!" Kandice woke up to Kloppman yelling at the boys, banging his cane all over the place waking each boy one by one. Kandice heard him make his way over to Jack, while the rest of the newsboys moaned and groaned.

"Ah you mad! Was wrong withchu?" she heard Jack groan. Kloppman went over to the other side of him and started punching him.

"Get up, get up" he said, while Jack played his daily punching game with him. Jack got up lazily, like he did every morning. Anotha day sellin papes. But Jack just remembered that he had something new to look forward too. Kandice! He looked above him and saw her with her eyes open and the blankets wrapped around her. Jack thought she looked so cute and he smiled at her.

"So you wanna come sell papes wid me?...and da uddah boys of coase." he asked.

"Me? You want me to sell papes with you?" Jack waited for the complaints to slap him in the face. "Of course I'll sell papes. Are you kidding me? That's so exciting!" She squealed leaping up from her bed and hugging Jack. "I'm going to get dressed." She jumped down from her top bunk and ran to her suitcase, grabbing some clothes and running into the washroom. Jack stood there stunned. This girl was amazing. She was up for anything and he loved that, but he just couldn't get too attached. I don't think she likes me back, so I won't do or say anything. He thought to himself, although it killed him inside.

Kandice sprinted into the bathroom to find news boys everywhere getting dressed and shaving. She stopped, turning bright red and waited for the little boy to come out of the stall. It smelled so bad in the washroom and she could catch a glimpse of Skittery and Mush looking at her a couple times. The little boy finally came out after 10 minutes of waiting and she hesitantly walked in. Getting dressed she could hear the whispers of the boys talking about her. "Jack is so lucky." they whispered, joking and laughing with each other. She came out in her nice comfortable, elegant, pants and nice white silky blouse and walked into the bed room. Jack was waiting for her and she smiled sweetly at him.

"I'm ready if you are." she said looking up at him. He rolled his eyes and grabbed his jacket from the unmade bed.

"Com on, McClane." he said smiling down at her and walking out the door. She followed him closely as they walked down the road for the first couple minutes, then drifted off to talk to Skittery, Mush, and Race for a while. They finally got to the newspaper stand and Jack was first in line to bang obnoxiously on the window. "Mr. Weasseeelll." he annoyed. Mr Weisel came to the window and opened the door. "Well Hiya Mr. Weasel" He joked, making all of the newsies laugh loudly. "100 papes please." He said with such confidence.Mr. Weisel rolled his eyes and yelled back to the boys. "100 papes foah Jack Kelly." he said sarcastically. Jack walked down the small, narrow steps and waited down there for Kandice, spit shaking David on the way down.

"Who's that?" David asked Jack as he was watching everyone get their papes.

"Kandice. She's new so, treat 'er nice ok?" He said looking him in the eye.

"Woah, ok. Calm down" David said, putting his hands in the air like he was about to get arrested.

"She's beautiful though. Where did you find her?"

"She was on da train when I was comin' back from Santa Fe. We met and stuff and now weah pretty close." he said in a sort of protective way.

"Well, your lucky. I wish I could get a girl like that. Look at Skittery, he's getting her papes for her. He never does that for anyone. What a lucky guy. Are they together?" He asked.

"NO! Why would dey be togeda?" He got defensive and almost looked like he was about to punch David. He gave a sort of panicked look and then looked back at them. "Ah Dey?"

"No, no I doubt it, I don't think so." David said easing away slowly so Jack wouldn't get mad again. Jack was thinking about what David said about Skittery and Kandice being together and became slightly jealous. He should be the one buying her papes. He should be the one in that line with her making her laugh and helping her out.

Skittery was up at the counter with Kandice laughing about something he said. "So how many papes you want Kandice?"

Kandice checked her pockets. "Oh my goodness. I don't have my money. I must have left it in the lodging house. Ugh! I'm so stupid."

"No, it's ok. I got it for ya. Lets get you 20 ta staht off wid. 20 papes Weisel!" he said giving him 25 cents.

"No, Skittery, please don't pay for me-" he stopped her and squeezed her hand. "It's ok, really."

She blushed and stared at him smiling. He was the nicest guy that she could ask for. He was such a good friend. She turned around to face Jack and saw the jealous rage on his face. She walked down and smiled at him cutely. "Jackieee. Are you jealous? That is so cute. You're jealous of me and Skittery huh?" she nudged his shoulder and giggled.

"You tink I cea? I don't. I don't cea." he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and starting walking away. Kandice smiled at his cute way of hiding his jealousy and followed him with her papes, waving to Skittery and Mush as she left. Jack led Kandice to his selling spot and told her all about selling papes. "Now watchu wanna do is stretch da truth a little. So say you got a headline like on page 2." She turned to page 2 of the newspaper and looked at it. "People are buying more and more Radios! The prices are to die for!' Jack looked at it and then looked at her. "Ready?" he asked and without any sort of direction screamed, "Radios on a killing spree! People ah dyin everywhere! Extra Extra!" Kandice was so amused by all this. As Jack started collecting money from needy people Kandice walked over in her nice clothes to a young boy about Jack's age who looked a little wealthy.

"Excuse me, sir." She flashed him a glistening smile and made her eyes extra noticeable. "I was just noticing how handsome you are and I was wondering is maybe you would wanna buy a paper from me?" She tried her hardest to flirt with someone else. She saw Jack looking from the corner of her eye. The boy smiled back at her and then went into his pocket, giving Kandice 10 cents and took one paper.

"Keep the rest" he said very sweetly. They boy watched her as he walked away slowly while Kandice gave him one last cute wave. Jack, then, came over to Kandice who was smiling and had his eyebrows raised.

"Well, well, well." he said. Jack looked at her for a mere moment and then started yelling out newspaper "bluffs" and getting money. Kandice did the same and by the end of the day, Kandice had started selling some of Jacks. "Well you caught on fast." he said. She could tell he was blown away by how good she was on her first day.

"I'm a natural." She said and walked past him, pushing his shoulder on her way. They were on their way to Tibby's, the restaurant where all the newsies met for lunch and dinner. It was getting dark out and Kandice started to get cold. She was rubbing her arms up and down, trying to make the goose bumps go away when suddenly she felt Jack put his jacket on her. "Oh, Jack it's ok, I'm fine." She said.

He shook his head. "McClane, do you evah just accept anytin da way it is?" he asked her.

"Yes, of course I can. Just not from you." she gave him a big smile and pushed him lightly. She loved flirting with Jack, he was so cute when he flirted. He shook his head and smiled. They walked to the restaurant and headed inside to the sound of hundreds of newsies talking and laughing while they ate. Mush and Skittery were sitting with racetrack and Bumlets and waved to Jack and Kandice to sit with them.

"So Jacky-boy how long befoah da wedding?" He chuckled with the boys. Kandice and Jack both turned bright red and Jack put up his fist.

"You wanna good soakin thea Race. Huh?" He joked. He loved being with the boys. Kandice sat there laughing at everything. She thought they were all hilarious and she could tell she would learn to become very close to each and every one of them. They ate a nice filling dinner and Jack payed for both him and Kandice. Kandice could tell that Jack was interested in her, but she didn't want anything to go wrong. She was so afraid of getting hurt, that she never thought of starting with anyone else after Mark. Slowly in groups the newsies started leaving and heading over to the Manhattan lodging house for a poker game.

"Hey Jack, you in?" Race yelled back to Jack as he was like leaving with Blink.

"Nah, im gonna just walk around wit Kandice foah a little." He said. He saw racetrack give him a wink and an air nudge as he left laughing with the boys. Jack rolled his eyes and turned to Kandice. "Ready?" he said grabbing his jacket off the table and waving to the cook as he left.

They stepped outside the door to a cold gust of air. It was raining now and Kandice squealed and ran out into the rain putting her arms towards the sky and spinning around, getting soaking wet underneath the street light. "Oh my goodness! Come out here Jack! I love the rain so much! Come out here with me!" she yelled at Jack, but he just stood there with his arms crossed, not budging. He had never gone out in the rain and ran around like that. Kandice ran over to him and grabbed his hand pulling him into the pouring rain. He stood there for a little and then started to smile at her as she ran around, sticking out her tongue to the rain. He ran over to her and lifted her up, carrying her over to the park across the street. Kandice was screaming for dear life and laughing at the same time.

Jack was running so fast he fell onto the ground on top of Kandice, with both of them cracking up. They were smiling and looking into each others eyes and suddenly Jack's smile went away. They noticed that they were near a beautiful lake and they looked out at it. It looked misty and very romantic as the water was dripping on their heads. Jack looked back down at Kandice and slightly laughed. Both of their faces were dripping wet and her hair looked beautiful and wavy. She looked up at him as they breathed heavy trying to catch their breath with the rain falling on their faces. Jack looked into her eyes until suddenly Kandice grabbed his neck and pulled him in quickly for the most passionate kiss. It was the happiest feeling they both had had in a while, as their lips suddenly touched, sending a lightning bolt through them. It was amazing. The rain started falling a little softer on them and her fingers caressing the back of his neck as they went further into the kiss. Jack's hands moved onto the back of her head, holding her up and at that moment, she felt safe with him. Jack started getting softer with the kiss and more gentle, just how Kandice liked it. Suddenly she felt his tongue slide into her mouth and she followed through with it, following him. He seemed very experienced and she liked it. He was a very good kisser. She was starting to get in sync with his kiss, their mouths molding and forming to each other comfortably. Jacks hand started wandering up the side of her shirt and suddenly they heard hoots and hollers. They turned to find Race, Blink, and Mush looking at them. They got up slowly, their faces turning bright red. Kandice fixed Jack's jacket that was on her and wiping off the dirt on her. Jack looked at Kandice and moved a piece of straggling hair out of her face and put it softly behind her ear. "Wow." he chuckled a little, lightening the mood. "So...yoah not wit Skittery?" he said hoping.

"Of course not. Why would you think that? We're just good friends." They smiled at each other once more before they started walking back. Jack laced Kandice's hand in his and they started walking to go catch up with Mush, and the boys.

Aww so romantical. So review and ill write some more. Give me some ideas of what should happen. I wont garauntee that they'll be totally used, but I might use some material from it. And ill make sure I write the props to you at the bottom or top..hah. Hope you like it! There will be some more romantical stuff later so keep checking back.

-Nini (my nickname if you didnt know)