Hey guys! I'm back! This should've been up last night but I was a little busy watching a ton of bootlegged Broadway shows on Youtube. Oh don't judge me. It's the only way I'll ever see Broadway. I even have Bonnie & Clyde starring Jeremy freaking Jordan! And BTW, all three Jack Kelly's know I exist! AHH! Forgot to mention this but on Christmas Eve I tweeted, "Not that I expect the cast of Newsies under my tree tomorrow… but I want it. And not just the tour cast." Then tagged Jeremy Jordan, Corey Cott and Dan DeLuca. Then that day they all favorited the tweet and Corey even retweeted it! AH! I mean, I've gotten favorited or retweeted by Dan tons of times and a couple times from Corey but never from Jeremy! AH! Best. Day. Ever. (Okay. That is a really sad perspective on my life)
Anyways, hope you all enjoy this and I would like to thank the amazing KnightNight7203 for giving me permission to use her stories! Definitely check her out!
The boys were getting anxious waiting for Crutchie to find another author. Spot even started a food fight between pretzels, Chex mix, and chips with Romeo and Racer. After Katherine threatened to throw them out of the window, only being held back by Jack, Crutchie finally announced he found an author. Jack calmed Katherine and they resumed their position of his arm around her shoulders, their legs tangled on the floor in front of them. She barely let anyone into her room, so all the boys being in here was an honor. They were really wrecking it. The boys plopped back into their respective seats as Jack asked, "So who's the author, Crutch?"
"Well, I was looking through MusicAngel98's favorite stories list and found one that is almost as hardcore a fansie as she is." Crutchie explained, "Her username is KnightNight7203 and she's got a ton of stories."
"Oooh. Interesting name." Katherine noted, "I like it. What's the first story that pops up?"
"It's called Aftermath… it has twenty-two chapters!" They all looked at him in shock.
"You serious?" Racer asked. Crutchie nodded, "Who can write that much?"
"You'd be surprised." Katherine interjected, "I've read some fanfictions for my fandoms that have as many as forty-four chapters."
"Woah." Jack whistled, "Them fangirls are serious about their fandoms."
Katherine looked up at him, "You have no idea." She winked at him, making him chuckle a little. "How about we save that for later and we go to a story that has fewer chapters?" There was unanimous agreement so Crutchie scrolled through the author's page. "What else has she got?"
"Well…" Crutchie eyed the screen, "Oh here's one that's only got six chapters. It's called Chilling."
"I don't know." Specs said unsurely, "After that last chapter we read…" The group shrugged in agreement. "What's the summary?"
"'She thought by now she'd be used to the screaming, but each fresh shriek still sets her teeth on edge and sends goosebumps tingling down the length of her spine.' In which Katherine walks into a sort of Refuge of her own — and realizes that walking out won't be anywhere near as easy." Crutchie read. He looked at the group. They were all looking at each other for assessment. "Come on, this might not be as bad as we think it's gonna be." They each gave their consent.
"How bad could it possibly be?" Romeo
"Can't be any weirder than that last chapter." Spot
"Ah. What the hell?" Racer
"It might be interesting" Specs
"What have we got to lose?" Jack
"I'll try anything once" Katherine
"Just go for it!" Davey
With one click, they story opened.
Chapter 1
"The folded scrap of paper tucked in her painfully-tight braid must be damaged beyond repair now. She's certain her lungs are as she gasps for a breath." Crutchie read.
"Man, these fangirls get really into describing the pain." Jack commented, "First we get my nightmares and all that heartbreak from MusicAngel98 and now we get this from KnightNight?"
"Again I ask, what goes on in those fangirls heads of theirs?" Davey asked.
"A lot of crazy shit." Katherine answered. "Take it from me."
"That's my girl." Jack said as he kissed her temple. Katherine just smirked at him.
"That's probably in her head, though – she's starting to doubt her own sanity, wonder if this place is actually driving her mad too. She's certain it's done so for some of the other girls. Many of the people she's met don't deserve to be here, and none of them deserve to be treated like this." Crutchie read.
"Okay." Racer interrupted, "I'm getting that Kath here is doing an assignment or something but can I just ask, where the hell is she?"
"Maybe if you wouldn't interrupt and let Crutchie read, we would find out." Spot said, leaning over and smacking him in the back of the head.
"…trying to remember why exactly she doesn't want Jack to come and save her right now. But she's made it this far. She can last. She has to." Crutchie read. "And that's where it ends."
"Seriously?" Spot asked shocked, "What is up with fangirls and their creepy endings?" All heads turned directly toward Katherine.
She immediately raised her hands in surrender. "Don't look at me." She defended, "I don't write fanfiction, I just fangirl about the fandoms."
Chapter 2
"Okay. The author's note said that she actually got the inspiration for this from a reporter during the time," Crutchie explained, "A woman named… Nellie Bly."
"Oh my God!" Katherine squealed.
Jack blinked in surprise. Even after almost a year of dating, she still managed to shock him. "Yeah. Thanks for the hearing damage, Ace." He noted.
"Sorry." She apologized quickly. "I just love Nellie Bly! She is one of my biggest inspirations! And now I know what's happening in there!" The boys turned to her for explanation, "Fanfiction me is doing the same thing that basically brought Nellie Bly to fame! She's spending ten days in an insane asylum!"
"Insane asylum?" The boys asked in unison.
"Yeah!" Katherine said excitedly, "Nellie Bly did an expose on Blackwell's treatment of the patients there and it's so amazing and I love it and… AH! Crutchie read it so the boy's understand!"
"Okay. Okay." Crutchie surrendered. As Crutchie read on, Jack tightened his grip on Katherine's shoulders slightly. All it got him was Katherine cuddling deeper into his side at the touch. "Maybe it's the panic in his voice, or the angry glow of his eyes, but the coachman does as he is told without another word. And this time, Pulitzer doesn't try to stop him."
"Aw." Katherine cooed, "You're really worried about me."
"Well duh!" Jack joked, "You're on an island with the crazy people."
"The fact that you would quote fanfiction is why I'm starting to lose respect for you." Spot interrupted.
Jack reached up and chucked one of Katherine's pillows straight at Spot. Though it was perfectly aimed, Spot ducked at the last moment and the room erupted into laughter. Katherine smacked him in the chest for more 'violence' as she called it.
"Kitty Parker?" Specs repeated, "Really? That's the name you picked?"
"Hey it's KnightNight's story!" Katherine shot back at him.
Chapter 3
"Aw, Ace." Jack smirked, "That's sweet of you to help that poor mute girl." Racer, Spot and Crutchie all stifled laughs.
"Well, it's just what I would do." Katherine laughed. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, effectively whipping Jack in the face. Jack faked a gasp but started laughing along with her. He dipped his head down and nuzzled his nose into her neck making her giggle.
"Hey!" Racer chided the couple, "That is an activity for another room." The boys burst out laughing. Katherine blushed and tried to stifle her giggles as Jack continued his heavenly assault on her neck.
"The blackness drizzles in, and she lets it. She tries to categorize the feeling for later, but it slips away with what's left of her awareness. If only she had a pencil." Crutchie read. As soon as the sentence left his mouth, Jack reached for Katherine's hand and squeezed it tight. Just to remind himself she was here and not in an insane asylum.
Crutchie finished the last sentence and the room was filled with a collective "Aw!"
Katherine leaned up and quickly kissed Jack. "My hero." She whispered.
Chapter 4
"Yep. That's pretty much my father in and of himself." Katherine sighed, pushing a stray curl out of her face. Jack gently squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek. She smiled her thanks.
"That's you." Jack commented, "All work, no fun."
"Um, I believe we were having fun before Race there," She jerked her thumb in his direction, "so rudely interrupted us." The boys laughed at the pink forming on both Jack and Racer's cheeks. Katherine merely stuck her tongue out at Racer.
"Just a question based on what this girl is writing," Davey piped up, "How many times have you actually fallen asleep in Jack's arms?"
"Oh many times." Katherine answered, leaning her head on Jack's shoulder, "He is very comfortable." He kissed the crown of her head. "It's really easy for me to fall asleep with him as my pillow and/or blanket."
"Well wasn't that sweet?" Romeo asked at the end of the chapter, "Look at our little Jackie comforting and spending the night with the ever so virtuous Katherine."
"Ace, I can't reach him," Jack told her, "Can you please smack him on the back of the head for me?"
"Mhmm." Katherine answered, burrowing her head in the crook of his neck, "I'm too comfortable."
Chapter 5
"Oooh!" Crutchie called, "This'll get interesting! First line of the author's note is 'lots of cuddling ahead'" The boys started cat calling and Katherine had to threaten to throw them out the window if they didn't shut up so Crutchie could read. "'Calm down, Ace. It's me. It's just me. I ain't gonna let anyone hurt ya.' Of course – none of it was real. His voice is soft, and his hands are gentle as they keep her from falling off the bed. His face is close to hers; she can feel his breath against her cheek, takes comfort in the smell of ink and paint that she's come to associate with him now."
"Aw, Jackie!" Davey interjected. "Look at you, getting her out of her nightmare!"
Katherine took a sniff of his neck. "You do smell like ink and paint." She commented. "I like it."
"God, these fangirls get creepy!" Romeo noted, "How do they come up with this stuff? It's giving me chills."
"They have more talent than people give them credit for." Katherine smirked.
"After all, it's easier to face than the darkness of her room." Crutchie finished. "Woah. Intense."
"But can we just talk about me and Jack in that little part right there?" Katherine asked, "That was insanely adorable!"
"You wanna try it out?" Jack said, wiggling his eyebrows at his girlfriend.
She simply pecked him on the lips and said, "Nice try, Kelly."
Chapter 6
"Look at you, thinking ahead." Katherine praised.
"Anything for you, Ace." Jack smirked, kissing her knuckles. "Okay. Those are some more fictional characters I wanna kill… or at least beat to a bloody pulp."
"Aw, my little fanboy." Katherine cooed as the boys' laughed at their supposed leader.
"Of course Ol' Joe shows up to ruin it!" Racer shouted. "How did we not see that coming?"
"Really, Jack?" Specs looked at him, "That's the best you got?"
"Hey that's fanfiction me." Jack defended, "Not real me."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Katherine joked, patting him on the chest.
At the end of the chapter, Jack leaned down and whispered in Katherine's ear, "Your father and I are going to have that conversation someday." His voice and the words themselves sent chills down Katherine's spine.
She leaned up and kissed him lovingly. "I'm glad," She murmured against his lips.
Okay. KnightNight7203 I seriously hope I did your story justice! This is one of my favorite stories on this site and I seriously recommend you guys read it! It's super adorable! So I hope I did your story justice and thanks so much for letting me use it! I honestly don't know what author I'm gonna do next, so… we'll see what happens.
R&R please!
Quote of the Day: I always feel happy. You know why? Because I don't expect anything from anyone! Expectations always hurt… -William Shakespeare
Song Suggestion: Play It Again –Luke Bryan