Chapter 9

Jealousy and Pain

Well thank god you guys are reviewing! I was very excited when I saw that people were. YAYYY for the reviewers, pats each of you on the back and CinnamonSpice Yeah..like Mush could be anything BUT hot. Hehe. Hope you like this chapter!

The two turned toward the emergency steps to see Race laughing his butt off. They both let out a big sigh of relief to see that it was only a joke. "Race, yoah gonna get a good soakin when I get ova thea." Jack threatened making Race squirm.

"Oh please don't hoit me, pleaassee." Race mocked with his hands shaking in the air. He laughed a second time and turned around, walking down the steps. The two heard him completely disappear into the lodging house and turned back toward each other, rolling their eyes and smiling.

"What a night." Kandice said to Jack. This was a moment she would never forget, the moment where she knew she was becoming one of the family.

"So, whea ah me and my goil gonna go tamarra ta celabrate?" he asked grabbing her by her waist and pulling her toward him with his hot smirk again.

"Where ever you wanna go is fine with me, but I have a question." She said with a curious look on her face. "When exactly did you start liking me Jack?"

"To be honest" He paused. "From da foist day I saw you on da train." he smiled at her and pecked her on the lips before taking her hand and walking down the stairs to the lodging house.

That night Kandice slept like a baby. Knowing that Jack was just beneath her gave her a safe, care free sleep. Kandice felt a shake and opened her eyes to see Skittery standing near her bunk trying to wake her with his whispering voice. "Kandice" he whispered a little louder this time.

"What? What are you doing Skittery? It's..." Kandice looked at the clock on the wall. "It's 3 o' clock in the morning!"

"Shh. I know, I really jus needed ta set somethin straight." he whispered, looking down at Jack's bed to make sure he hadn't awoken him. Kandice stared at him waiting for the question that was so important he couldn't wait till morning. He could tell she was grouchy at night, but he also understood that it was 3 in the morning so, he decided to just go right ahead with his feelings. He was nervous, but he couldn't sleep all night. It was bothering him more then anything had before. "I just had ta know from you... Ah...Ah you an Jack a couple?" He asked looking into the dark at nothing in particular. He couldn't see anything never mind her face. It was just their voices that connected them to each other.

She was silent for a moment before she answered. "Yes." She answered. She wanted to sound confident and sure of herself in her answer, but it came out more like a scared, disappointing answer. She didn't want to hurt him, as much as she liked Jack. Suddenly the air went silent and Kandice couldn't hear Skittery anymore. "Skitts?" she whispered. The air went silent again. Kandice felt around trying to find his head. Her hands suddenly hit his soft, cute hair and she moved her hands down his face, almost comforting him, her hands graced over his forehead and then down to his eyes, they were closed, but right underneath were tears. Skittery was crying and she didn't know what to do, or how to help him. "I'm so sorry Skitts." She whispered and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "But you should go to bed." She could feel him waiting for her to get up and hug him, embrace him, do something, but she stayed right where she was, closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Skittery turned around with his eyes watering up again. He didn't want to be this vulnerable about someone, but he was, and he hated it. She was the only girl that made him feel this way. He plopped down in his bed, and stared up at the ceiling for a couple of minutes before taking a deep breath, wiping his eyes and falling asleep.

The next morning, everything was normal. Kloppman woke everyone up with his loud yelling and cane banging, everyone got up, got dressed and went out to sell their papes. Skittery hadn't made much contact with anyone that day and was purposefully avoiding Kandice. She felt so bad, but she knew she had done the right thing and told him to go to bed. She wanted the whole thing to blow over, but she couldn't stand Skittery being mad at her. She sold with Jack that day and was pleased with her profits. She had sold double what she normally did and sold every one of them.

Jack and Kandice were surprisingly the only one's walking to Tibby's. There were no other newsies like there usually was. "Where is everyone?" Kandice asked looking around.

"Maybe we're late" Jack considered. The two went down to Tibby's to meet everyone. When they were outside the restaurant, Jack smiled mischievously at her.

"What are you up to, Jack?" Kandice looked at him skeptically.

"Nuttin. I ain't up ta nuttin." He opened the door for her and the lights were out. She looked back at Jack with an utterly confused face and looked back. Suddenly, the lights turned on and all the newsies jumped up into the air.

"SURPPRRIISEEE!" They screamed, almost making the building shake and collapse. Kandices' mouth dropped open and she smiled.

"Oh my god!" She looked around the room and saw all of the Manhatten newsies, Spot and Sam. "I'm speachless" She went to each of her very close friends, who were in the front, and hugged them all. "I don't know what to say."

"Say we can eat!" someone yelled from behind everyone and there was a small wave of laughter.

"We can eat!" she said chuckling to herself. Everyone went to dig into the food and cake that said "Happy Birthday Kandice" and had musical notes on it. She looked back at Jack smiling and shook her head at him. "Jack, why would you do this?" She was kissing him over and over after every other word.

"Cause it's yoah birthday. Why wouldn't I? Miss 17. Yoah my age now huh?" He said winking at her and smiling.

"Yeah, I am." She kissed him on the cheek. "Now, you don't have to use the phony excuse that you let me win fights cause I'm younger." She laughed at him and grabbed his hand, pulling him over to go sit with the group.

Skittery watched Kandice kiss Jack and felt himself fill with jealousy. It should be him kissing her and him throwing her a big surprise party. He should have told her sooner how he felt.

"Skitts!" Race yelled, slapping him playfully across the face. "Come on buddy, dig in." Skittery turned back around and grabbed some cake and started talking to the boys again.

"So when youse came ovah, I was actually kissin her, not attackin er'."Everyone burst out laughing, including Kandice. She was having the time of her life with the people she loved. What a night. After everyone sang happy birthday and gave her their small gifts Kandice stood up on her chair.

"I just want everyone to know that this has been the best birthday yet and thank you so much for coming. I couldn't have asked for better friends, so thank you all." Everyone "awed" and clapped for her. Kandice got back down off the chair and sat down again.

"The night's not ovah yet." Jack whispered in her ear. They waved goodbye to everyone and went out the door.

"Where are we going, Jack?" she asked him over and over, but he never answered her.

"If yoah gonna keep askin, I'm jus gonna keep ignorin you so.." he laughed. Kandice suddenly saw them coming up to a lake. Not the same lake she had seen the first time, but a different one. There was a bench and a dock going out towards the water. They sat down on the bench and looked out towards the water.

"This is beautiful Jack." She said shivering from the cold. Jack noticed she was shivering and took off his coat and comfortably put it on her, rubbing his hands up and down her arms to keep her warm. She looked up at him and smiled. She was so happy. He bent down, while his arm was still around her, and started to kiss her again. They got even deeper into the kiss and Jack ran his fingers through her hair again, sliding his other hand on her cheek. This time, Kandice started using her tongue, but with more confidence and urgency. There was so much passion in the kiss, they couldn't help but fall more and more in for each other. Jack pulled away from the kiss and looked straight into her eyes. They were both panting and smiling slightly.

"Why'd you stop?" She asked, with much concern.

"Well, one, I hadta catch my breath." she giggled and turned pink. "And two, I hadta tell you about yoah gift."

"Gift?"

"Yes, gift" he smirked. Kissing her all over her face playfully.

She laughed loudly. "Jack, stop! Hahaha!" he stopped and looked into her eyes one last time, then jumped up quickly off the bench.

"Come on, lets go getcha gift!" he pulled her up by her hand and started running back to the lodging house.

Once they got there all of the newsies were playing a poker game and laughing like the loud selves they were. Jack took her to go talk to Kloppman. "Distract her foah like 2 minutes while I run and check everythin out." he whispered to the old man. Kloppman winked at him and nodded. He left the two to talk and he ran up the stairs.

He called Race, Blink, Mush, Boots, and Skittery to help him with the gift and they quickly got up and ran with him down the hall.

"So I was talkin to the boy and he seemed to be hurtin real bad, and I didn't know what to do so I..." Kloppman's voice got softer and softer until it was completely blocked out. She started to think about what Jack had in store for her. She was anxious to find out what kind of crazy escapade he was up to now. He was so sweet and she couldn't have asked for anyone better. She was still pretty confused about Skittery though. She wanted him to stop being mad, but she knew that was out of the question until he finally accepted that they couldn't be together. "...And so dhat's how I got into dis business. It was pure kindness and nurtur-"

"Tanks Kloppman" Jack raced down the stairs and grabbed Kandice's hand. Once they were at the top of the stairs he smiled at her and took a deep breath. "Ok, Im gonna blindfold you again." He took off his bandana and put it around her eyes. She suddenly couldn't hear anything and started to feel around for Jack.

"Jack?" She said trying to look around, but having no luck. She felt someone grab her hand and lead her down the hall. He brought her into a room, which she assumed was the bunk room and then let her go.

"Okay." He said. "Walk straight." She did as she was told and walked straight ahead with her arms out in front of her. She soon hit her knee on something soft and put her hands down feeling a blanket beneath her fingers.

"Can I take this off now?" She asked, turning around to where she thought Jack was, but was actually very far from him.

He laughed. "Yeah, you kin take it off" Kandice lifted her blindfold and let out a large gasp.

"Oh my goodness, Jack!" She screamed.

So I hope you liked that chapter..very suspenseful huh? Yes siree. So Skittery didn't take the news too well. Poor Lad. What a great B day. I wish I could have all the newsies surprise me like that. Well I also wish Jack Kelley was my boyfriend, but thats another story. R&R pleaseee!

Hint for Chapter 10: Whats the Surprise gift that Jack is showing Kandice? What will happen between Skitts and Kandice? Some mind blowing news comes to not only the newsies, but all of new york!