February 1900
Manhattan, New York City
Jacks P.O.V.
"Hey, Mags, wanna sell wit' me today?", I ask, as we get our papes.
"Don't ya sell wit Davey an' Les?", she questions back, turnin' half ways ta me, raisin' her eyebrows.
"Can't I sell wit whoever I want?"
"Um... sure ya can..."
"So, wanna sell wit' me or not?"
"Jack? Ya O-"
"Yes or no?"
She sighs. "Yes."
I smile, but then she turns ta me completely.
"Ya look... tired.", I determine.
"Wow, thanks Jack.", she sarcastically answers an' rolls her eyes.
"Sorry."
She walks past me, then turnin' back. "Wanna sell now, or not?"
I smirk at her. "Commin'."
"So.", Mags says after half an hour of sellin'. "What's da real reason, ya wanted ta sell wit' me. Is somethin' wrong? Fight wit' Davey?"
"There's no reason."
She raises her eyebrows again. She doesn't believe me.
"Do I really need a reason ta sell wit' my little sista?", I snap. I don't know, why I's so angry now.
Mags raises her arms in defence. "No, of course not. I jus'... Never mind."
"Ya jus' what?"
"Oh nothin'. I jus' thought maybe somethin' happened."
"No.", I answer. "Nothin' happened. I jus' wanted to sell wit' ya."
"Wanna tell me 'bout it?"
"There is nothin'.", I say again wit' determination. I turn away, shout another headline, an' sell some papes, ta avoid her. Unfortunately, foa me, ya can't jus' ignore Magpie. She'll jus' be quiet foa two seconds an' ask ya again. I hand da man in front of me a pape.
"So?", she asks.
"Can we please talk another time?", I question hopefully.
She hesitates before she answers. "Fine.", she eventually says.
"Really?" I's seriously surprised. She never gave up dis easily before.
"Yes. It's ya life, ya know?"
"Ya sure? Ya ok?"
"Yes, Jack." She sounds annoyed. Maybe she's on her period.
Magpie turns around to sell one of her papes ta a lady, when she suddenly sways an' then falls. Scared I run over ta her an' catch her before she hits da ground.
Her eyes is open, but it seems like she can't see.
"Jack?" Her voice sounds terrified. "I... I can't see."
"Sh.", I try ta calm her down. "I's here. I won't leave ya." I hold her.
Her legs seem too weak ta carry her. As we stand there, we get questionin' glares from passers-by.
After a while she pulls away.
"Better?", I ask carefully.
She nods. "Sorry.", she whispers.
"What foa?"
"Don't know."
"Did dat happen before?"
"I... I don't think so... At least I can't remember somethin' like dat. Don't worry. I's sure it's jus' da lack of sleep."
"Lack of sleep?"
She blushes like she didn't want me ta know.
"Magpie?"
"Headache.", she answers quietly.
"What?"
"I's got a headache tonight. I barely slept."
"Ya still have it?"
"No, I's fine."
"Ya not."
"Yes, I is."
"No, ya not."
"Shut up."
"Nope."
"Francis Sullivan! Shut ya damn mouth right now! I don't wanna talk about it!" She turns away an' walk over ta da other side of da street, yellin' headlines, sellin' papes.
I follow her. "Ok, ok.", I say. "What 'bout a deal?"
She raises her eyebrows. "A deal? 'Bout what?"
I smile. I knew I'll get her dat way.
"I'll tell ya 'bout what's botherin' me... an' ya will tell me 'bout ya headache... Deal?"
She looks at me, scannin' my face like she expects me ta lie.
"Deal.", she says eventually.
I smirk an' spit in my hand, holdin' it up foa her. She rolls her eyes but copies me an' we shake. We continue sellin' in silence.
Around five o'clock we'se done sellin'.
"Wanna go ta Tibby's?", I ask.
She shakes her head. "Can we please go home? I's tired."
"Sure. Let's go." I offer her my arm. She laughs an' takes it. We slowly walk back.
She leans against me. "Jack?"
"Hm?"
"What is it like?"
"What is what like?"
"Ta be in love."
I stop short. "Um...", is my answer.
"Ya don't have ta answer.", she says quickly.
"No, no. it's ok... ya jus' caught my off guard. Well... ta be in love is somethin' wonderful. It's... it's like a dream, I think... an' very difficult da describe."
"But it also hurts."
"Sometimes."
"Then why do it?"
"What?"
"Why do we do it, when we know, it'll hurt us."
"Ya never know dat before."
"Yes, ya do."
"So?"
"Yes. Even if ya happy together. Ya die in da end. An' most likely not together."
"..." I have no idea what ta say ta dat. "... Love's jus' complicated?"
"I don't think I understand."
"Me neither, sweetheart. Me neither."
"Love's strange."
"Yeah."
Da rest of da way we walk in silence.
Da Lodge House is abandoned. Da others ain't done sellin' yet or at Tibby's.
"Da Penthouse?", I ask an' Mags nods. Together we climb da ladder an' sit down on da ledge. "I have ta start, haven't I?"
Mags nods an' smiles.
"Ok. So..." I sigh an' take a deep breath. "Listen, da fellas is worried foa ya. Not only them. Sarah keeps askin' 'bout ya an' Denton too. We'se all worried. Those headaches can't be normal. Maybe we should see a doctor."
"You know we can't pay one."
"Denton offered ta-"
"No!", Mags cuts me off.
"What?"
"I's ok. There's no need ta throw away Dentons money foa me."
"Mags, he's jus' tryin' ta help."
"I's ok, really."
"Mags, you'se not ok. We all can see that. I saw it today, ya eyes stopped workin'!"
"That was one time. It never happened before."
"But what tells ya, it won't happen again?"
She doesn't answer.
"So...", I say calmy, wantin' ta start da conversation again. "Then tell me 'bout da headache."
"There's not much ta tell.", she answers stubborn. "They come an' go again. Mostly in da night an' da mornin'." She shrugs.
"Then why won't ya talk about it?"
"Because I's not a complainin' person?" her voice sounds questionin', her eyes darted at the ground.
"Was dat a question?"
"Yes." She looks at her hands. "Is I a complainin' person?"
"No. Why do ya think dat?"
"Don't know..."
"Ok, who said dat ta ya?"
Silence.
I don't know why, but I suddenly feel like cryin'. Sure, I's a seventeen-year-old man (A/N: Sure, Jacky boy. A man), but I simply can't believe how she can be so calm and so hurt and so go damn stubborn. Aggressively I try ta blink away the tears.
"...Jack?", Mags suddenly asks, makin' me jump.
"What?!", I ask, more aggressive than I meant.
"Is ya... cryin'?" I can hear a chuckle in her voice.
"No!", I snap.
She again chuckles an' pulls me inta a hug. So, I sit there, my head buried in her chest, sobbin', while she's rubbin' my back.
"Hey.", she says, softly stroking my hair. "It's ok. I's ok. Don't worry."
We just sit there. She continues to comfort me, while I can't stop da tears. I always feel foolish ta cry in front of people, but wit' her it's different. I never feel judged wit' her around.
Eventually there ain't any more tears left. I sit up again an' dry my eyes. "Thank ya... really.", I suspire.
"Anytime Cowboy."
Silence.
Mags looks up.
"Look.", she says pointin' at the sky. "The stars is comin' out."
I follow her finger. She is right. The dark night sky is covered in stars like a face with freckles.
She leans against me an' we jus' enjoy da view.
After a while it gets very cold, so we climb down again. Mags yawns.
"Ya should sleep a little.", I say smilin' an' pick her up bridal style, causin' her ta laugh.
As I let her down on her bed, she keeps holdin' me, causin' me ta fall.
She smirks at me. I sigh but eventually lay my arm 'round her.
She lays her head on my chest an' shortly after I hear her regularly breathin'.
She's sleepin'.
Now I lay there, not darin' ta move, knowin' she ain't a heavy sleeper. So, I look at da ceilin', listenin' ta her breathin' an' da noises around me.
Suddenly my shirt feels wet.
Confused I look down at Mags. She's cryin'.
I hug her, softly rockin' her.
"Sh.", I whisper, not really knowin' what ta do. "Sh."
Then I hear steps an' voices on da stairs an' shortly after Blink an' Mush enter.
Dey spot me, wit' Mags' head layin' on my chest.
They'se eyes grow big an' dey leave da room backwards. I sigh, roll my eyes an' yawn.
I haven't notice, I's dat tired. I close my eyes.
Da cryin' stops an' I feel how I slowly fall asleep.
Davey's P.O.V.
"Davey! Davey. Dave. Dave. Dave. David. David. Mr. Jacobs!"
I sigh and open my eyes. "What?!"
"Finally.", the person, that woke me up says. It's Magpie. "Ya awake."
"Yes. Thanks to you. So, what do you want?"
"Can I ask ya somethin'?"
"When you let me sleep afterwards."
"Ok..."
"I don't like your tone."
"Ok, I'll let ya sleep afterwards. Happy?"
"Yeah.", I answer slightly smiling. "So, what do you wanna know?"
"Can ya die of a broken heart?"
"Um... I don't know. I... don't think so."
"I have ta know it. Please Davey. It's urgent."
"Why? Are you heartbroken?"
"Not me. But a... a friend..." and then she mumbles something I can't quiet catch.
"Who?"
"I's not sure if I should tell ya."
"Oh come on."
"No. Dat's confidential information.", she smiles as she pronounced the word right on first try. Sometimes she's like a little girl.
"Ok, ok.", I surrender eventually. "You seem to really like this... friend of you."
"Of course. It's my friend. I care 'bout me friends."
"So this friend's heartbroken?"
The dark-haired girl nods.
"Oh. Ok... so... this friend of yours had a breakup?"
"Not yet... and not really."
"Not really?"
"I... yes."
"What?"
"I... don't know. Kind of..."
"Kind of? Did he have a breakup or not?"
"They won't be together afterwards."
"Ok..."
"He'll be alone afterwards."
"Oh. That's... hard?"
"Hard?"
"That's bad?"
"Bad?"
"That's rough?"
(*KiNkY* ..... I'm so sorry! What have I done?!)
She smiles and shakes her head.
"Ready to tell me his name now?"
"No. Ya'll know when it happens."
"Ok. If you say so."
"Well... then I'll... let ya sleep now... I guess."
"Ok."
"'Night."
"'Night."