I did my best to do this within 48 hours and still make it good. I hope you all like it. Please read and review.
5. Help Wanted if Needed part 2
Somewhere where down a darkening alley way was an upset teen. He didn't care about the current chill of the air or the fact that the sun was starting to go down. He was too upset to even care about his stomach growling at him for not accepting any cookies when they were offered to him. He was upset at why everything was starting to happen to him. Why, after living on the streets for four years, being ignored and shown disgust at, was someone just now showing him any kindness? To him, it didn't make any sense. Even if a small part of him deep inside wanted to trust him and be grateful for the kindness, he had built up too many thick walls to allow that.
Jack wandered around the city, not sure what to do. He eventually found himself at one of the city's plaza. The one with the statue of four people; a family he assumed. Sitting under this statue was, in a way, therapeutic for him. He only came here when he had to do some thinking. Jack took his usual spot by it. The sky was turning a yellowish orange color and the air becoming more chilled by the hour.
People passed him by, wanting to get home or to somewhere warm before nightfall. None of them payed him any mind to him. It was like they didn't see him. This was what Jack was use to. This was what he had gotten accustom to; being ignored, unwanted, and lonely. It was hard the first year on his own. Wasn't so bad come the second year. Half way through his third year, he was use to it.
If someone came up to him back then and said they wanted to help him, he probably would have let them. Now, in his mind, he was too broken into this way of life. He didn't think that he could have a life where he would have free food or a bed every night. As much as he would want that, he didn't think he could have or even deserved it. Not after all the stealing and pickpocketing he's done.
Jack's stomach gave another growl, this one a bit louder. He cursed himself now for not taking any cookies when they were offered to him. Oh well. Probably didn't deserve them anyways.
Even though it was getting dark, that still didn't stop Nicholas St. North from searching. He wasn't exactly sure what he had said to upset Jack, but he wanted to find him to set things right. He just wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing that there was something he could have done to save the life of a child. Even if that child was technically around the age of fifteen or sixteen. He looked everywhere for Jack. It shouldn't be that hard to spot him after all, what with that shocking white hair of his.
The sun was nearly gone now. Street lights and light up signs turned on and took over the job of illumination. The cold, just barely bearable now, created off and on shivers with Jack's body. He still hadn't moved from his spot and wouldn't be surprised if his butt was now frozen to the concrete. It wasn't like he had anywhere to go anyways.
Thinking back to earlier, was Mr. North going to offer him another chance to stay the night? After what was said to him, he let himself get angry and upset. It got the best of him and he stormed out. Maybe he should have tried to stay calm. Great. Now he was beating himself up. Well he should. It was too late to change what had happened. He might as well spend another night-another wintery season night- sleeping out in the cold. He was use to it anyways; as bad as that sounds.
The sun was nearly gone now. What more, light flakes of snow were coming down. North adjusted his coat to counter act the cold. He still haven't found Jack. He had even asked a few people if they have. None of them did.
He soon found himself at one of the city plazas. He was about to give up for the day, maybe search for him tomorrow or ask for the help of one of his long time friends. He pushed up his coat sleeve to look at his watch. Six forty-five. He couldn't keep searching all night. North was about to head back to his shop, when he spotted that white hair. Just on the other side of the plaza statue, was Jack. He was huddled under the statue, sitting on the bass of it. It was a sad sight to look at. North approached him quietly, not wanting to spook the boy.
"Jack?"
Jack jumped when he heard his name behind him. He turned around, not expecting to see the toymaker himself. Had he been looking for him since he ran out?
"Mind if I join you?" he asked, motioning to a spot next to Jack.
"Umm… sure."
North sat next to him on the cold concrete.
"Look, I'm sorry I got upset and ran off like that. I'm just not use to people wanting to help me."
"Are you scared?"
"Of what?"
"You tell me!"
Okay, Jack was confused. He asks if he was scared and expects him to answer? What was it that he was scared of when it came to people helping him? What?
Then it he realized it. "I think it's that I want to believe them, but if I do… then they'd turn around and leave me."
Now North understood a bit more. It was all the more reason to reach out and help the boy. "I see."
"I think it was something that I knew I was scared of, but didn't want to admit it. I wanted to… trust someone… hopefully."
This was, as far as North saw it, was the perfect time to give his offer. He wouldn't expect much trust from the boy. He wasn't expecting miracles or anything, but this was a first step in helping him get a better life.
"Well, I want you to know that I want to help you and for that, I need you to trust me. That's why I have another offer." Jack really did want to trust him and it seemed to him that he wanted to help him. He had already. Though, the two of them were still somewhat strangers to each other. Jack took a deep breath and gave his full attention to hear what North had to say. "I want to give you a job." What?
"At the workshop. Think of it like this, you work at my store and I'll give you a room and meals. It seems as a fair offer." Jack was dumbfounded. Defiantly something he wasn't expecting. Though he couldn't argue at how fair the offer was. Work for room and food. That almost sounds like how normal people do thinks for a living, right? There was just one problem. "But I've never done anything like what I'm guessing is required there. I've never worked a day in my life."
North stood up. "I can train you then." He offered a hand to him. "Of course, after you have healed a bit more." Jack hesitated a bit in taking it. His stomach kept telling him to take it. They both heard another audible growl from his thin frame. It was, in a way, amusing. While Jack didn't take the offered hand, he did take the offer. Using his staff as a boost, Jack got his frozen butt off the concrete and let the old man lead him back to his shop.
"Mr. North?"
"Hm?"
"Thank you."
"You can just call me North, remember? And your welcome."
I may do a part three for this before moving to the next theme. Just to give some more fill and so I don't have to make the next chapter so long like previous ones. The next theme will be a a combo theme, so look forward for that.