Chapter 2
"Are ya crazy Jake?" Jack asked as if Jake was the stupidest person he had ever met. "She can't stay 'ere!" Jack motioned towards the bathroom where Cherish, unknown to Jack, was sitting in a tub, rocking mindlessly back and forth hugging herself as Goosey watched her worriedly.
The girl had scrubbed herself clean in minutes. She'd washed the red from her silver hair, and then she had sat, before washing herself all over again, then she sat. She continued this process 4 times, before she came to were she was now.
Goosey sighed and walked towards the girl and held out a big towel. "I t'ink ya should git out now. Ya should be gitting cold." Cherish nodded vacantly not looking at the other girl as she stood and wrapped the towel around her. Goosey nodded, feeling sorry for the shell shocked girl as she said, "I'll go get ya clothes." Goosey said as she walked out of the bathroom quietly and closed the door.
"But Jack..." Jake protested for the fourth time in their conversation. Jack shook his head and put his hand up in finality, "No! She ain't staying 'ere. I ain't gonna be known fer housen' scabs!" Goosey stopped in her journey into the girl bunk room, and her eyes darkened slightly as she stalked over to Jack.
"Ya insensitive jerk!" She hissed thumping him hard in the shoulder and turning to Jake, "Of course she can stay 'ere. As head a' d'a Manhattan giols, I 'ave d'a right ta say 'hoo stay's and 'hoo goes. She stays!" Goosey added for Jacks benefit.
"Goosey..." Jack started in a whining disbelieving voice. Goosey stalked away without another word and picked up the small suitcase that Jake had brought in with Cherish. Opening it she sighed, another poor ragamuffin, One dress lay in the suitcase and two pairs of undergarments.
"Goosey I..." Jack started again as she walked past him and into the bathroom. Cherish jumped up in fright, as she clutched the towel to her desperately. Gooseys heart went out to her. The poor cherub, must be one big mess inside.
When Jake had brought her in he had told her the whole story. The death, the police questions, and more police questions, and the blood. He couldn't stop talking about the amount of blood. It seemed to be a mantra for him.
The girl, he called her Cherish, hadn't said a word since she had arrived and it didn't look like she planned to say anything for quiet some time, that's why Goosey was surprised when, after having dressed, the girl clung to her arm and asked, looking positively beaten down, "You won't tell anyone will ya? I don't wants no one to know."
Goosey frowned and then sighed patting her on the arm in comfort, watching surprised as she flinched, "I won't tell no one, unless ya want me ta." Cherish gulped in relief and allowed herself to be lead from the bathroom into the now vacant lobby and into the bunk room where Goosey helped her into a spare bottom bunk and covered her curled up little body and left the room.
---
"Look at her hair... its white."
"Stop that twit! Leave her be!"
"I wonder who she is?"
"Maybe she's a Swedish Princess, hiding out from the Swedish mafia?"
"Ramble!" Cherish's eyes fluttered open at the group declaration, or was it a demand.
"Well she could be... I was just saying that... hey look she's awake." Cherish tried to focus on the curious, freckled, crinkled little nose of a light brown haired girl, as her brown eyes seemed to brim over with curiosity.
"She has such pretty eyes!" A little girl about 8, giggled and she was slapped lightly on the shoulder by a dark brown haired girl. Cherish blinked, taking aback by the girls crowded around her. "You're the Ice princess." A brunette with a loud yellow headkerchief said her brown eyes were slightly surprised.
Without realizing it Cherish's eyes glazed over and her gaze became a glare, at the mention of the name that brought her so much pain. The little blonde curly haired girl reached out a gentle hand to stroke over her hair again. "I think you have purdy hair." She stated.
Cherish swung her eyes towards the girl the cold glare still there, but surprise also registered. The girl smiled brightly and Cherish bit her lip and directed her head to look back down on the bed, as she pulled the thin blanket around her tightly, and closed her eyes against the flood of memories.
"Hey goils back up! Back up! Let the poor gal breathe!" Goosey grinned as she pushed the curious crowd away from the Ice princess, and looked down at her with sympathy as she watched the girl draw blood from her pale lips as she bit down on it with force.
"I t'ink Cherish is still purdy tired, let's clear out, an give 'er some time ta rest. Ya can all meet 'er later." Goosey decided trying to usher all the girls out of the room. "D'is is me room jest as much as 'er's I'se gonna stay 'ere. T'ank ya!" A dark haired girl called Relic challenged Goosey.
Goosey looked between the tense curled form of Cherish and the relaxed, indifferent loll, of the other girl as she lay on her top bunk across the room from Cherish. With a shrug Goosey decided that she couldn't do much harm and headed out of the door with the rest of the girls, as Ramble started to do what she had been named for.
---
"Cherish... wake up! Wake up!" A voice was breaking through her race from the black figure. She stopped in search of the voice and the knife went through her chest sharply. She swung her flaxen head in the murderer's direction and she was suddenly brought to life with a sharp shake.
"No!" She only mouthed the words. Jake pulled her too him again holding her quivering body tightly, whispering, "It was just a dream Cherish. It was just a dream. You're safe." Jake soothed her again his hands in her soft hair.
Cherish quivered, the tears pricking in her eyes as she clutched at him, and buried her head in his neck. Wanting to feel safe. Wanting to feel better. Wanting to be free of the memories. But mostly wanting her sister back.
Jake moved onto the bunk, ducking his tall head, Cherish swivelling so that she could stay held tightly against his reassuring strength. Jake asked quietly, "Do ya want ta tell me 'bout it?" Cherish whimpered at the memories, and slowly, shook her head trying to banish her dream from her scarred mind.
"What aren't ya telling me? Do ya know 'hoo killed Marea?" Jake whispered Cherish turned her head into his neck even more and shook her head, "No! I don't know who it was." Cherish whispered, regretting the lie, especially since Jake had been so nice to her.
In shame Cherish turned her head outwards and saw the hovering figure of a raven haired girl, as she twisted her hands worriedly. Cherish pulled back from Jake, keeping her eyes pierced on to girl. Jake looked up as well and started to smile.
Cherish saw Jake extend his hands, as he stood and the girl took one and came close. "Raven, d'is is Cherish. Cherish d'is is me giol Raven." Raven smiled tentatively holding out a hand which Cherish ignored, "Hi." She smiled.
Cherish looked at the hand then at Jake in confusion before swinging her feet back into the bed and pulling the covers over her again, her eyes glazing over as she refused to look at either of them. "I'm tired," she whispered closing her eyes again.
"Oh.. a'right... wese leave ya be d'en. Ise gonna come back up an check on ya ag'in." Jake's voice said as she listened to his and his girlfriends footsteps heading away from her. Cherish stayed still until she couldn't hear them any more.
When they had left Cherish sighed heartily. She didn't want Jake to have a girlfriend. She wanted him to herself. If he had a girlfriend he would probably tell her about what had happened and she would be in receipt of her pity. She didn't want to be pitied.
If he had a girlfriend, he probably wouldn't want to spend any time with her, Cherish panicked suddenly. She couldn't do this alone. She needed Jakes support. He was the only one who understood what she was going through. She needed his help. She couldn't lose him!
Cherish's stomach churned in fear and panic. The other girl had spoiled everything. She had taken Jake from her. She would go crazy without Jake. Tears of fear started to trickle down her cheeks. She needed him! That thought kept playing itself over and over in her brain. She needed Jake.