a redhead's dream | a.d

Chapter Fourteen

"Kloppman?" Jack laughed. "I'm sure he's heard enough from us. Probably even more than he lets on. Hard to keep a secret from him."

Dipper gave him a small smile as he left, turning back to the inside of the lodge. She was shocked to see that Finch was still there. Finch, who seemed to be nursing a headache. "Bad day?"

Finch glanced up. "It's been alright."

She bit her lip, glancing back at the door. It wouldn't hurt to relax a bit before Albert came back. She didn't want to be standing the whole time if he was going to be a while yet. She went over to one of the bunks, sitting down against it, facing the taller boy from a few feet away. "Lane told me Domino separated you two."

"Yeah." He let out a sigh. "In a way, Ise glad fa dis migraine. It makes me think 'a somethin' else. But it really hasn't been all bad. I've spent some more time wit tha oth-ah guys. I guess I haven't paid as much attention ta dem since I met Lane."

"Dere's also been everythin' else dat's been goin' on lately," she reminded him.

"True."

She lifted her head to see him better. "Is me talkin' jus makin' yer head worse?"

He waved her concern away. "It seems ta always be tha same amount 'a pain fa tha last bit. Seems like it's anudda thing ta be glad about me 'n Lane not seein' each oth-ah. She'd worry."

Dipper debated whether she should tell him about what was going on with the girl lately. "I think she misses you. I think dis effectin' her more den she'd like ta admit."

"Well den, I guess dis really will be good fa us both," he replied with a closed-lipped smile.

Nothing much happened after that. The longer they waited, the more anxious she got. She found that all her frustration towards the redhead was quickly turning to worry.

Finch attempted to make her talk about why she was so insistent about seeing him, but she did her best to brush off his attempts. She hoped she'd also be able to fix whatever had come between Albert and Lane. She didn't want to drive a wedge between Finch and his friend, as well.

He also tried to get her to talk about her relationship with the redhead. She also brushed off those questions.

After yet another hour, she and Finch began playing clapping games to pass the time. Although he winced every time their hands slapped against each other, and she always seemed to lose, it eased her distress somewhat. Something had to be seriously wrong. Albert wasn't back yet, and neither was Race. She'd been told that that was a very dangerous combination.

At last, most of the newsies had returned from selling. She'd sighed, crestfallen, when none of them were Albert. She'd still give him an earful, sure, but she so desperately needed to know if he was alright.

Her thoughts somehow found themselves back to the night before, when—to her utter embarrassment—she'd been told by her father that Albert had carried her back after she'd fallen asleep on him. It took an hour to walk from her house to the bridge. That was how long he'd walked with her asleep in his arms.

She supposed she should be glad he hadn't left her alone on the bridge.

Yet the events of the day had scared her. Albert had hurt Lane. Hurt her enough to send her back crying. She didn't know how that would affect them, but it certainly changed her view of him. She couldn't be naive. There was no place for naivety in a place like New York. Albert was human, and sometimes humans hurt each other.

She only then began to consider the fact that maybe Lane had said something equally as hurtful to him. Maybe that was why he'd not yet come back. She remembered her words.