I shook for a minute and relaxed, "Oh hi Jack!" Den I felt his lips on mine and began ta enjoy da kiss. I soon realized somethin was wrong. Jack was acting funny, I mean he was holding me like a guy who was desperate. Jack usually kissed me deeply and passionately but dese were jes sloppy and lustful. I wondad whad had come ova him. I lifted my hands and started runnin dem through his hair. At da moment I felt wavy locks in my fingas I knew it wasn't Jack.
I broke away and reached for a door knob but was only pulled back. Da lights were turned on and I found myself face to face wid Max.
"Hey dere, memba me?"
"Unfortunately I do, wad da ya want Max?" I icily replied.
"I want you."
"Scuse me?"
"I said," he took me in his arms again, "I want you. Don't think I let people soak me wid out payback."
"Even goils? I don't think you'se ea been beat by a goil befoa. And don't go thinkn I wes lucky cuz it was nothin but skill." I put my arms round his neck, using dem fer support and den I pulled my legs up to kick him in da chest. It didn't work however cuz his grip on me wasn't broken. I ended up fallin forward wid him and he somehow ended on top of me.
"Wad was dat you'se was saying bout skill?"
"Shuddup!" I threw him off me and ran for da door.
Dis time I was blocked by one of his many goons who was in da room. Max got up and yelled, "You ain't goin nowhea, sides dere's moa outside." As he slowly started for me i glanced back at da guy in front of da door. Well, hea goes nothin, "S," kick, "I," he let out a groan, "N," aw come on don't slump yet, "G!" Ha it woiked.
As I quickly toined da door knob I whispad thanks to Gracie Lou Freebush fer dat important lesson. I barged out da door and collided inta Jack. "Heidi, wad's da matta?"
"Run!"
"Whad why?" I took his arm and we out inta da hall. "Why are we runnin?"
"Cuz Max is right behind us!" Sua enough, Jack looked back and saw Max chasin us wid his goons.
Everyone in da hall could see him chasin us now. Blink, Spot, Race, and Mush came up to us followed by everyone else.
"Come on!" Blink said.
"Wait, we'se can take em out!" Spot said eaga ta get back at Max.
"No dea's moa outside, we need ta find out how many we'se dealin wid."
"Awright let's take da side exit!" Race saud pullin my ta lead da way.
"Uh, Boots, you need ta take da boys back to da Lodgin House." I said.
"But..."
"Do it."
"Ok, Heidi."
Da Newsies who didn't know of me problem wid Max quickly caught on. So while da rest of us escaped, dey distracted Max. We stepped outside and sua enough dere wes at least 25 guys out front. "Are dey all Queens Newsies?" I whispad ta Jack.
"Some of dem, oddas are probably friends of his lookin fer a good fight."
"Wad we gonna do?" Mush asked.
"Let me think a second." Jack said.
"Well would ya hurry it up?" Spot demanded.
"Yeah, we'se ain't got all night." Blink put in.
"Well, foist we should hide Heidi somewhea's....
Whiled dey wea tryin ta figua out whad ta do, I moved back to da door to check on things inside. Bad idea! It was cuz as soon as I peered inside, dere was Max. "Whad did ya miss me?" He quickly put his hand ova me mouth to keep me from sayin anything and he slowly pulled me back inta da hall. I didn't make things easy for him dough. As soon as I saw dat most of da Newsies who'd stayed ta fight where gettin beat up pretty badly, I got so mad. Dose boys whea gettin beat up fer me! A goil dey barely knew! I wrenched free from Max but befoa I could move ten steps, five guys came up and surrounded me. I tried ta fight em but decided ta save me strength. I put down my fists and jes stood dere.
Da coicle broke and Max came in. "Glad ya wise up," he tightly grabbed my wrists and roughly kissed me. "I had a feelin you were smart. Now let's use da back door."
I know wad yer thinkin, wouldn't da guys have noticed I wes gone? Well dey had. Right when we whea disappearin behind da stage, Jack and da oddas saw us. "Damn dey got her!" He said befoa dey all took off afta me.
Max had a firm grip on me and I wes dragged through da door and out into da alley whea all his odda creeps had gathad. "Meet me by da harbor down at da docks." He ordad befoa I wes once again dragged away. I heard footsteps behind us and turned to see Jack and sem of da guys chasin us.
"Jack!" Max saw he was followin us and quickened da pace. Da funny thin is I didn't get one rip in my dress! Good thin too cuz Max would've paid dearly.
"Why are you doin dis Max? I ain't worth it? It sua as hell would be easier if ya let me go. Sides, pant, you could probably have jes bout any goil ya wanted."
"Dats jes it, I don't want it ta be easy and I like stealin thins from odda people specially Spot Conlon and Kelly.
"I'm classified as a thing!?"
"Yer whadeva I call ya." Oh geez of all da...neva mind. "I get whadeva I want!" I get whadeva I want, uh ha. He sounds moa like a spoiled two year old den some guy who's supposed ta be 18.
By now we were at da harba and all of his thugs whea der waiting fer us at da end of one of da pier. We walked ova ta where dey were standin. Max crudely picked me up and threw me down on a crate. "Rest here!" Oh, whad a gentleman!
"Ya gonna duke it out from hea?" I asked.
"Yeah, maybe."
"Oh so ya ain't figgad out whad ta do! I thought leadas always had a plan."
"Look, I did and dat was to get you."
"Fine, ya got me so wad ya gonna do wid me?"
"Whadeva I want ta." He gave me dat �you know whad I mean' look which caused me to shiver. "Oh, yer cold, why didn't ya say so sweetie." He put his arms round me.
"Wad's wrong Kelly, ya know I can't keep my hands to myself." He edged his fingas all ova my back.
"STOP TOUCHIN HER!">{?
"Oh, does dat make ya mad? Well, watch dis.." Suddenly, he pulled me into a deep embrace and planted sloppy kisses all ova me. Den he backed me up against da crate and his hands roamed over my chest.
"I TOLD YA TO GET YER GOD DAMN HANDS OFF HER!" He threw down his coat and started to come forward. Max slowly drew back.
"Sorry Kelly, I like my hands where dey are." He turned back and started to kiss me again. Oh yuck, can't dis guy jes go ta Hell? Jack was closa now and Max could see him wid his fists clenched. "Oh, so ya wanna fight. I thought you Manhattan boys where all Quakers or somethin."
"We fight when we'se got a reason to and right now I've got one hell of a reason. Let her go."
"Aw damn it, Jack, do we gotta take care of dis now? I had furda plans fer da night." He started playin wid da zipper in da back of my dress.
At dis disgusting remark I threw him off me. He was knocked ova in surprise and got up tryin ta reach me but I ducked. Jack walked up, toined him round, and punched him right in da eye.
Da boys on both sides moved forward waitin fer da word of deir leaders. But it looked like dey wes gonna have a face off. Wow, Max was actually gonna fight! Anyway, he slowly recovered from Jack's throw and put up his fists. Da two of dem met and Max landed a hit in Jack's stomach. Oh my poor baby! Jack didn't flinch though and threw anodda jab at Max's eye. Despite da fact dat Max was half blind and it was a dimly lit dock, he managed to punch Jack in da nose. Oh, da doity bastard! Even in da dim light, I could see da blood tricklin down his face. I lunged forward but was pulled back by Max's goons. Jack was stunned by the blow but he retaliated with a right hook and tripped Max. He was pulled down though and dey both rolled over. Max managed to get on top and he hit Jack twice (I flinched as each blow was delivered). Jack kicked him off before a third punch could be landed and both stood up. Dey regained their fightin position and paced round in a circle, waitin ta see who would move first.
Max,who was real close to the edge of the pier, took a step forward but got no further. Out of nowhere dis extremely bright flash of light came, a body was hurled from it and collided wid Max, knockin him off da dock and down into da water. Da brute who was holdin me was so stunned dat he let go. Everyone was lookin at da guy, it was defintely a guy, who was lying on the dock. Sem of Max's goons got really freaked out, specialy cuz there had been articles in the papes bout alien sitings. Dese freaks immediately ran past us and into da streets of Manhattan. A few of Max's faithful searched for him in da water.
We hoid him shoutin, "Well, you got away dis time goil but I'll get you, damned if I don't. So you watch out!" Da Queen guys now remembered dey where outnumbered so dey quickly jumped in after deir leader. I turned to see them splash in and looked back at Jack, whose nose was all bloody cuz of me. Tears wiped my eyes as I wiped da blood away wid my own hands. I touched his cheek and he took hold of my hand leanin in to kiss me.
We pulled away when we hoid da mysterious body groan. Everyone turned ta look at him as he got up. Slowly he walked up to us and asked, "Excuse me sir," he said addressin Jack, "but could you possibly tell me where and I am and possibly what year it is." As he stepped closer the light managed to catch his face, da person I saw under da beams made me choke. I felt like I was bout ta collapse.
"Trevor?!"
"Heidi!" He shouted in disbelief. "It's you! I found you!" He ran up and kissed me. I jes stood dere radda confused, too stunned to do anything. A few months ago, all I wanted him to do was kiss me but now dat it was happenin I could care less.
"Trevor?" Jack was confused too. Luckily, he didn't punch him or anything. "So dis is da guy you'se been talkin bout?"
"Yeah dis is him." I said slowly gettin out of his arms.>{?
"I just can't believe I found you."
"How in da woild did ya get hea and where da hell did you know whea to look?"
"Heidi, when your parents called telling everyone that you were gone, we all thought you had been abducted or something. I looked everywhere for you. After two weeks my faith was about to break and I asked God to help me find you. That same night, I had the weirdest dream. In it I saw your image and in the background was the Brooklyn Bridge. Then this old calender flipped back to September 30, 1899. This deep voice boomed, �This is where you will find her.'
I woke up and as stranged as it sounds there was an article in the paper about a scientist who had been thrown off the UWF board after claiming to have successfully built a time machine. I found him and related your disappearance and my strange dream, begging him to let me use the time machine. He warned me the only thing he'd transported through time were two rats, but I didn't care. Finally, he gave in and here I am. So my dream was true, I am in New York City, September 30, 1899, and here you are! I found you and I'm going to bring you home to your family and friends. We all missed you so much, especially me."
"Yer gonna take her home?" Spot asked.
"Yes sir that's the whole reason why I'm here." By now I'd lost it. I wes jest beginnin to get used ta da idea of living hea forever. Now, Trevor falls out of da sky and says he's takin me back?!
"Scuse me," I pushed through da boys and ran back towards da city. He said he was takin me "home", but dis is my home now. I can't leave. Once again, I found myself in front of St. Patrick's. "Why not?" I said out loud befoa reachin for da dorr. Serprisingly enough it hadn't been locked. I walked in and fell on my knees.
"Lord, why? I don't want to leave but obviously you think I should otherwise Trevor wouldn't be here, right? But I can't go! I love it hea, I'se got jes as good friends hea as I did at home and I ain't neva been happier!" I leaned on the pew in front of me and buried my head in my hands.
"Hey you'se sleepin?" I felt Race tap my shoulder. Raisin my head I looked at him wid a tear stained face. "I knew I'd find ya hea."
"Oh, Race!" I leaned into his arms and started cryin all ova again.
"Hey it's gonna be awright."
"Awright?" I looked at him. "How? I don't want ta leave but.."
"But you'se got family and friends waiting fer you at home."
"Yeah, but I'se neva felt so loved befoa by so many people. At home, it was like I wes jes dere, livin wid no purpose. Hea, I actually feel like I belong."
"Maybe dats why dis all happened. So you could realized dat you'se special."
"I guess so Race, but I'll neva see Jack or you'se or any of da odda guys!"
"We'se all godda make sacrifices."
"I know but dis, dis jes seems to hard." I fell back into his arms.
After a few minutes Race finally said, "Come on da guys are lookin fer ya."
We quietly walked out of da church and headed ta Central Park. "Blink, Spot, Jack, and Trevor went ta look fer ya hea." Soon enough we found da four of dem.
"Heidi, don't do that again!" Trevor begged.
"Sorry, you'se jes shook me up real bad. I wes jes startin ta get used ta da idea of stayin hea and now you'se showed up."
"Heidi, I can't understand a word you just said."
"Oh, I said I was getting used to the idea of staying here forever until you showe up."
"Well, then it's a good thing I'm here. All I could do was think of you while you were gone. � Don't tell me you actually like it here?">{?
"Yes, coise I do. For one of the first real times I feel loved by people odda den me family, I belong. I'se neva felt dat way at home."
"But..."
"Please guys can we talk alone?"
"Sua," Jack said and dey all walked away. I sat on a nearby bench and Trev took da seat next ta me.
"You are coming back with me aren't you?" I sat in silence for a few minutes befoa answering.
"Yeah, I'm goin back, God wants me to I guess. So how we gonna get back?"
"The professor said he'd give me until 4 p.m. tomorrow and he'd open the time portal back up. We'll have to go to the same place I came in tonight."
"Da habor." Damn it all, less than 24 hours! Dis wes really stressful.
"Oh, that's what it was."
"Yeah," I let out a deep sigh and put my head in my hands.
"You act like the world's ending." He put his arm round me.
"Well, it is." I said shruggin him off.
"You won't miss it that bad."
"Oh, really? Ok tell me I won't miss all me best friends, tell me I won't miss my boyfriend, tell me..."
"Boyfriend?!"
"Yeah, Jack."
"Jack, ain't dat the guy you know who lives in New York?"
"We're in New York aren't we?"
"Wait, you mean the guy in your wallet is the same Jack that's here with us tonight?"
"Yes."
"So there is no Jack in 2001."
"Yes, there is no Jack in 2001."
"Oh, then since there's no Jack back home, will you go out with me?" No, he was not asking me this! He was not asking me this!
"Whad?! Look Trev, I'm sorry but I can't."
"You can't still be with Jack when you leave, you realize that don't you?"
"Yes� I know dat but dat don't mean I wanna go and be yer goil."
"I thought you liked me?"
"Coise you'se a great friend."
"No, you know what I mean."
"Right, no I'm sorry but I don't like you like dat, not anymore."
"Why not?"
"I found we had too many differences."
"But I'm willing to make it work."
"I'm sorry Trev but I can't. Try to undastand, now if ya don't mind I need ta talk ta Jack."
"Heidi If dat pic in yer wallet is of a guy from 1899, how'd ya get it?" Trev asked tryin to sound like he wasn't hurt.
"Rememba me talkin bout my fav movie, Newsies?"
"Yeah."
"Well, he's in it. Stay hea I'll send da guys ta get ya."
"Hey fellas, I need to talk wid Jack now. Can ya take Trev to da Lodgin House?"
"Ok, Heidi," Blink said gettin up foist.
"We'll take care of him."
"Yeah, we can let him sleep in yer bunk cuz I don't think you two will make it back." Race put in.
"Thanks guys. I'll see ya in da morning." I sat down next to Jack. How was I gonna break dis to him? I loved him and now I wes gonna leave him? Wad would he think a me?
"Jack..."
"I sure as hell am gonna miss ya."
"You know? Please undastand. I don't wanna leave but I...well I'se got me family. Not dat you and da guys aren't me family."
"Hey I undastand and you'se right. I don't know wad it's like to have one but ya should go back. If you'se weren't supposed ta den Trevor wouldn't of gotten hea. He looks like a decent guy that'll take good care of ya."
"I don't want him to take care of me. I awready told ya I don't like him nomoa. Sides I want you to take care of me!" I leaned my head on his shoulder. He comfortingly put his arms round me, da tears were fallin once moa. "I hate dis and I don't wanna go." I sobbed helplessly as he held me tighter.
"Ya know we were lucky to have dis time togedda. I woulda given anythin jes ta spend one minute wid you." I looked inta his eyes and saw nothin but complete honesty. He kissed my tear stained face. I stroked my hands through his soft hair and caused our lips to join.
~
Awhile lata we walked along da park; his arm round my waist and my head on his shoulda. We strolled past da pond, I helped clean his wounds. Then we headed to da castle and where we pretended a battle was takin place. I was guardin da fort and he was da attackee. He stormed in, searchin every room fer da lord of da palace. When he found me, instead of pretendin to kill me, he tickled me.
Once da battle was ova, we left and headed fer da Lodgin House. We arrived at two- twoity and used da fire escape. Jack entad through an unlocked window while I waited on da roof. He managed ta get sem blankets and two pillows. He threw them up ova da ledge which scared me ta death but den I saw whad dey were. I made a bed fer us beside da railin.
"I got dese jes in case but I don't know if we'll actually sleep." Jack said.
"Well, we'll have somethin a little softer to lie on if we do." Afta layin down da blankets and savin one fer a cover Jack sat down on my left. I took off my shoes but kept my nylons on. Simultaneously, we lay back on da "bed" and looked at all da stars. Surprisingly it was a pretty clear night in da city, so we could see several stars.
"When I'm gone we can always look at da stars and rememba each odda." I said breakin da silence.
"I don't need da stars to rememba ya. I'll think of ya every minute of every day of my life. I will neva forget ya, Heidi." I looked ova ta him. Oh, I can't believe I wes gonna leave him! Specially afta whad he jes said. I reached for his hand and laced my fingas through his.
Dat night, we talked bout everythin from all da thins we'd done togedda ta odda stories dat we hadn't yet ta share wid each odda. We revealed our dreams and beliefs. I felt myself being drawn much closa ta him. Why did dis have ta happen? I wes feelin si wondaful yet at da same time distraught. We talked fer a long time but round four we were so tired we couldn't get our words to make any sense which got us laughin hysterically.
"I think we could use a little sleep now." I said.
"I agree, I'se beat." Jack said takin off his shirt. I decided ta sleep in my dress, too lazy to take it off. We had been sittin up and as I began ta lie down Jack put his arm round me and we both laid down. "Night Heidi." He whispad in my ear befoa gently kissin my neck. I rubbed his bare arm and brought it to my face kissin da inside of his palm like he had done to me befoa. I lay his arm back round me waist. "Night Jack."