Sorry It's taken a while to update but this was kinda long. So I hope you guys forgive me and I hope you like the chapter. R&R plz. I need to know where to go from here and whatya'll think. Thanks! Enjoy.
Chapter 5: Hiding Out In Brooklyn
I was awakened by a gentle tug at my shoulder.
A soft voice whispered into my ear, "Liz..." "Liz, wake up."
I slowly opened my eyes to the still and quiet darkness. A figure hovered in front of me.
"What is it Jack?" I whispered.
"I have somethin' I wanta show ya." he whispered. He gently took my hand and helped me out of my bed, then held me in his arms and carried me out the window and onto the fire-escape. Once we were out on the fire-escape, he sat down with me in his lap.
I leaned my head back against his chest as he wrapped his arms around me and enveloped me into his body. "What time is it?" I asked sleepily in between a yawn.
"It's almost 6."
"Ok well...wake me up when what you want me to see shows up ok?"
I heard him laugh slightly to himself and then I drifted off into the darkness behind my eyelids. It seemed like mere seconds before I was pulled out of my slumber once more by his soft touch.
"Wake up baby." he whispered softly.
As my eyes fluttered open, they were met with one of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen. A smile came to my face as I saw what Jack had been wanting to show me.
'This is so amazing.' I thought to myself.
"So..." he whispered. "What do you think of your first Manhattan sunrise?"
"It's so...beautiful Jack." I said breathlessly.
"You're beautiful." he said.
I smiled and turned to face him. "Thank you Jack." I said before kissing his cheek. A look of trouble then suddenly came to my face. "Jack. I have to ask you something."
A serious look then came to his face. "What is it Liz? What's wrong?" he asked in a concerned voice.
'What will he say? Will he be honest? No turning back now I suppose.' I thought before asking, "Jack? Did you know the boy that attacked me?"
Jack's face soon turned to a troubled one as well. He directed his eyes to the ground, unable to look at me.
"Jack?" I said as I put my hand on his cheek in an attempt to comfort him. I gently pulled his face to make him look at me. "Did you know him?"
After a moment of hesitation, Jack answered, "Yeah Liz. I did know 'im."
"Well, who is he?" I asked anxiously.
Jack hesitated once more before answering. "He's paht'a da Harlem gang. He's a Harlem newsie and they've had beef wid us for yea'ahs."
"Oh." I said, now looking away from his worried hazel eyes in fear and comprehension.
"Liz. I'm sorry. I wanted ta tell ya who dey were. But I was afraid ta bring it up. I was sca'ad you'd get upset. I..." he said in a panicked voice.
"No Jack. You couldn't have. I know I'm impossible to deal with sometimes. It's ok." After a moment I said, "Why was he in Manhattan yesterday?" I asked concernedly.
"He was heah for.." Jack stopped and looked away once more.
"What Jack?" I asked, my anxiety showing.
"He knows who you ah Liz. He was comin' aftah ya."
"Oh...well he's gone right? So everything's ok. You're ok. I'm ok. We'll be fine." I said in an attempt to lift his spirits.
"I dunno Liz. He has connections. He's close with their leadah."
I pulled Jack close to me and he held me tight.
"I think ya should hide out fah a li'l while. I don't want ya ta get hoit if I can help it." he said.
'Yeah right. Where am I gonna go?' I thought in doubt. "Jack it'll be ok. I don't need to. If something else happens I'll go. I promise. But let's just wait it out right now ok? Please don't send me away. Not when I just found where I belong. Please Jack." I pleaded.
After a moment a look of defeat revealed itself and he said, "Alright. We'll wait it out. But if he even shows up at all...I want ya ta go ok?" he asked, his eyes pleaing for me to reply YES.
"Yes Jack. Ok." I replied, half smiling.
"Promise me." he begged, holding my face in his hands.
"I promise Jack. I do. I promise." I said reassuringly. 'What if I really have to leave? I don't think I could handle leaving the one I love again. Please don't make me leave Jack. I'll have no one to go back to but my brother.'
It seemed like an eternity before Jack finally spoke. "Hey Liz...can I ask you somethin' now?"
"Sure Jack what is it?" I replied. 'Please don't ask me about my past.'
"You nevah told me why ya came heah in'a foist place. Why'd ya leave ya home? Why'd ya come so fah away?" he asked.
'I knew it.' I thought in dread.
"Jack..I don't think I'm ready to..."
"It's ok. I didn't expect ya to tell me." he said. "You don't have ta tell me 'less ya ready."
"Thank you for understanding Jack." I said before kissing his lips sweetly as he held me close.
LATER THAT DAY AT TIBBY'S
"De'ah she is! Eya South! Ovah heah!" Race yelled as I walked into the diner. I smiled and walked back to their back booth. I saw all the usual boys: Race, Blink, Mush, Dutch, Specs and of course Jack.
But there was another sitting in my usual seat. It was a boy. But I couldn't tell who he was because he had a hat on.
'Who is that. He looks familiar.' I thought to myself.
"Eya Spot! Get outta me goils seat!" Jack said playfully as I made her way to the table with a new frown instead of a smile.
'Shit.' I thought to herself as I realized who it was sitting in my seat.
"Pahdon me miss. Is this ya seat?" he said smugly.
"Yeah. As a matter of fact it is." I said, my southern accent becoming stronger in my anger. I sat down and Spot pulled up a chair to the end of the table.
As he sat there, he stared intently at me as I ignored him, paying extra attention to Jack as I did so.
After a couple of hours, as I sat there, still ignoring Spot's stares and challenges, a ding came from the front of the diner, indicating that someone had walked in. As I sat in a daze I saw the happy, joyful expressions on my friend's faces turn to faces of anger and hatred.
Jack leaned over and calmly whispered into my ear, "Baby, get up fo'ah me ok? I want ya ta get up and walk in between all'a us and don't look at da guy who jist walked through da doo'ah. Can ya do dat fa me?" he asked, gently taking my hand in his.
I just nodded my head and stood, doing as he said as a confused Spot followed.
"Jack what's goin' on?" Spot said walking on Jack's other side in a desparate attempt to find out what was going on.
"Nothin' Spot. If I tell ya...I'm not gonna tell ya right now ok?" Jack said with a cold stare on his face as he walked quickly with me at his side.
As we made our way down the street, I heard footsteps following us. 'Oh shit. Please don't be him. Please. Not again.' I thought as I heard other footsteps now accompanying the first footsteps. "Jack..." I whispered.
"I hea'ah 'em." he whispered back, his other fist clenched so hard that his knuckles were beginning to turn white. Suddenly, he pushed me and turned quick to face the guys behind him, punching the first one hard in the jaw.
I gasped as I heard a loud crack, hoping that it wasn't Jack's knuckles. I saw a face of pain and knew it had been. The boy Jack had hit was tall and thick with muscles. He looked scruffy and had chains hanging from his back left pocket. He had a tattoo on his right arm that said Harlem with blood droplets drawn down from the letters. Fear struck me at the sight of him.
Spot made his way to me with a torn look on his face. "What's goin' on? Who ah dese guys?" he asked as he saw the tears rolling down my face.
By now all of the boys were fighting. It was a full-out brawl. "I thought I told ya to stay away from 'er! Why do you keep comin' back?" Jack screamed at the boy that'd attacked me earlier.
The boy pushed Jack back and they looked at each other. The boys then stopped as well, feeling the tension between the two leaders. The boy then looked at me. "She looks so much like 'er bruddah. Don't you think?" he siad viciously, smirking at me as he said so.
A look of shock and fright came across my face. 'Is he...?' I thought as I began to put two and two together.
"Ya know I hardly remembah heahin' bout his youngah sista but...he did say dat you was goahgeous. Now dat I seen ya...I'd say he underexaggerated ya. Now I know why my guy ovah heah tried to get some." He walked closer to me. As he did so, the boys tried to protect me from him but his gang held them back. even Jack was held back. Another guy stepped over to hold Spot. He came very close to me so close that as his hot breath reached my skin I could smell the strong, lingering scent of alcohol.
I sucked up my tears and stood tall as he came close, refusing to show my fear of him.
He said, "Ya know I knew ya brodda. He told me about ya. Den he walked out on me to go back to YOU! you selfish bitch!" he screamed before yelling and hitting me hard across my cheek.
My head felt as if it'd spun a total 360 degrees. I turned back to face his wicked grin only to be hit once more on the other side. This time, he hit me so hard that I fell to me knees.
'It's him.' I thought. 'He's the one Michael told me to watch out for.'
"Yea. Ya know who I am don't ya. Ya know about ya brodda. Well...it's time fa him ta pay for his mistakes." he said before grabbing my hair and beginning to drag me into the group of boys.
'It's Bloods.' I thought. I screamed as loud as I could and flailed my arms. I could see all the boy struggling to get free and screaming, but they couldn't get to me. Finally one of my hands made it to his face, hitting him hard in the eye.
He screamed loud in pain, releasing me to put his hand to his eye.
As soon as I could, I stood and ran I could hear all the guys screaming to run fast. I heard Jack say to go through with the plan. I understood and ran to a dark place to hide until Spot found me.I saw the guys from Bloods Gang runpast my ally. I sighed a sigh of relief before hearing, soon after, other footsteps.
They were heavy and seemed to be stumbling. A figure walked into the ally. "Liz?" it whispered before collapsing on the ground.
I made my way to the figure, having the feeling he was a friend. The voice sounded like... As I came closer I saw the face of the figure...Spot. "Spot! Oh my God! What happened? Come on we gotta get back to Brooklyn now. They'll find me in Manhattan." I whispered. I took his arm and put it around my shoulders, helping him to his feet.
He was holding his stomach and breathing hard. "Liz. Jack's hoit." he whispererd.
A gasp let my lungs as the words sunk into my brain and heart. 'Oh my God.' I thought. "Come on Spot. We gotta get back to Brooklyn. The boys'll take care of Jack. He'll be ok." I said, hoping my words would be right.
"Ok. Let's go den." he siad before we began to walk out onto the street. "Hey Liz?" he muttered, seeming to be in strain.
"Yea Spot?" I sreplied.
"Thanks. I know ya hate me. This is really great of ya ta help me like dis." he muttered once more.
"It's ok Spot. I never hated you. I just disliked you." I siad laughing slightly, as he did as well before coughing harshly. "Come on. Let's get you home." I said.
"Thanks Liz."
I hope you guys liked this chapter. I tried to make it good to make up for the lack of length in the last chapter. lol so I hope you guys enjoyed and please R&R so I will know what you thought of the story. I need to know whereya'll want me to go so please let me know! I'll try to update soon as possible. Thanks!