My Poor Head Is Spinning

Chapter 17

Over the span of a couple weeks, Crutchie finally relaxed around me. Jack watched us like a hawk, Winnie trying to get him out. 

"Go away!" She grunted, attempting to push him out the door. He didn't budge.

"No!" He protested, moving out of Winnie's way. "I wanna see it."

I glanced at Crutchie. He shrugged and leaned to me. I closed the distance and landed a quick peck on his lips.

"Finally!" Jack bellowed. "Was that so hard to do?"

"Now you gotta kiss Katherine." I ordered.

"Done. Easy." Jack grinned. "Next time I see her we will be sure to find you guys."

"Great." Crutchie laughed.

"I think all of you would be please to know that I have quite a few suitors." Winnie sneered, hands on her hips.

"Oh really?" Jack turned to her. "You gonna act like you don't got a crush on Racetrack?"

"Ew, Race?" She scoffed, cheeks turning a little pink. "Never."

"You're kiddin' yourself." Jack laughed teasingly.

"I don't!" Winnie objected hotly. Her glossy brown hair was woven back into a long braid with a blue ribbon. My hair wasn't really all that shiny, but it went down my back. I had gotten a haircut a few weeks prior so it's not too long. "As a matter of fact, Darcy has taken an interest to me."

"Ain't he not interested in girls?" Jack asked absentmindedly.

"No, he quite likes girls." Winnie retorted. "And I might allow him to take me out."

"That's great!" I beamed.

"You know what, Jack?" Winnie turned to him with a smug grin. "Darcy is very well off. His father owns the Trib."

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Jack shoved her away lightly. "He helped us print the Children's Crusade."

I actually had that paper pinned to the board behind my counter. Winnie's sister starts work tomorrow, too.

~Christmas Day~

I told Crutchie not to get me anything. He very reluctantly agreed. I got all the boys and Winnie something. Each got a book. Because that was all I had. JoJo got one about animals, Race got one about horse races, Henry got a culinary book, Crutchie got the Wizard of Oz, Jack got a leadership book, Finch got one about classic weaponry, Tommy Boy got one about nature, Specs got one about business, Mush got one about art, Romeo got a book called Romeo and Juliet, Albert got a book about arson, Smalls got one of those handwriting books because he's been asking me if I can teach him how to write, Buttons got a joke book, and Winnie got a baking book. All of which were wrapped in a brown paper and labelled with their names. I also gave Winnie's sister a book. It was a fiction book that she'd been eyeing. I labeled the wrapping paper with 'Lucy'.

Winnie and I had stayed up all night working on everything. Decorating the store, wrapping books for the boys, and organizing everything so it struck the eye. There was tinsel and ribbons streaking down the shelves, fake Christmas tree leaves along the rim of the counter, and we even managed to get a small tree and decorate it. The wood floors were freshly swept and there was a  Christmas smelling candle in the corner. Winnie brought sweets and foods in a big basket and set it underneath the tree. 

"Do you want to see what Darcy gave me?" Winnie breathed. I nodded eagerly. She pulled a chain out of the pocket of her red dress. It was a small locket with a rose-gold pendant. It was heart shaped and had a rose engraved into the front.

"That's so nice!" I exclaimed quietly. 

"I didn't get him anything." She muttered.

"What kind of books does he like?" I grinned. It was about 4:00 AM.

"A book compared to a gold necklace?" Winnie gaped.

"Hey, words are powerful!" I objected. "Darcy seems to be a man of refined taste. I'm thinking poetry."

Clarise, before she and Clyde passed, taught me how to talk without slurring or ending a word badly, and grammar.

"Let's have a look." Winnie sighed, trudging behind me to the poetry section. "What sort of poetry would he like?"

"I don't think we should do romance-y things until this takes off." She informed me.

"Got it." I nodded solemnly and delicately pulled a book off the shelf. I then flipped to a random page and started reading. "'Science has not yet taught us is madness is or is not the sublimity of intelligence.'"

"Perfect." Winnie nodded, relieved. I handed her the book and she went to the counter and slid a bill next to the register without my notice. "I should be heading home now."

I nodded in agreement. "Want me to wake Jack so he can walk you?"

"No, it's just down the street." She shook her head. I knelt down by the tree and scooped up the wrapped books titled 'Winnie' and 'Lucy'. "You got Lucy a gift?"

"Yep." I nodded. "She's had her eye on a book for a bit."

"Thank you." We hugged and she left. I shuffled through the winding isles to a corner. I had a blanket and a pillow tuck under my arm, so I fell asleep there. I woke up a few hours later to whispers from the front of the store. 

"Where's Emilia?" I heard someone hiss.

"Maybe she stayed the night at Winnie's place?" Another suggested.

"JoJo, don't touch anything!" That was Racetrack. I don't think Winnie actually has a torch for him, otherwise she wouldn't have gotten Darcy a poem book. I shoved the blanket and pillow into a shelf and went out to greet them. All heads turned.

"Did you know about this?" Albert asked, motioning to the decorated bookstore. I went to blow out the candle that had been burning all night before answering.

"That was Winnie and I." I told them. "That was me," I pointed to the stack of wrapped books. "And that was Winnie." All the baked goods. "You can open it now."

Jack and Finch handed out the wrapped books to the boys. Soon, there was brown paper littering the floor. I was thanked by all of them, and a few had to go out to sell. Albert instantly began reading his arson book and Finch was flipping through his book of classic weaponry. Then Katherine showed up.

"Wow, Emilia!" She gaped, looking around. "This looks great!"

"Thanks." I grinned. Crutchie shoved Jack and nodded towards me. Jack rolled his eyes, made sure I was paying attention. After he made sure I was paying attention, Jack slammed his lips onto Katherine's. Her face went bright red.

"Jack!" She scolded.

"We told him to." Crutchie told her. 

"Oh." She smiled.