a change of heart | e.k

Chapter Five

Jack was nervous.

This was new for him. Jack was never nervous, not even when they'd first commenced the strike.

Yet here he was, shaking like a dried out November leaf.

He sighed deeply, looking up at his face through the grimy old mirror. She would say yes, wouldn't she? If she'd asked Jack, he would definitely say yes. He hoped she'd say yes.

But would she?

"C'mon, pal," he heard from the doorway. Turning, he saw Davey. "You don't have'ta be so nervous."

"I ain't nervous," Jack grumbled, but anyone could tell it was a lie.

Davey placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "She'll say yes."

Davey and his brother hadn't been as present as they were during the strike and the next while after, as they'd had to continue their schooling. Jack had mourned the loss of his friend, but if anyone around was able to get an education, he would be the last to disencourage them. It was a special occasion, though, and so Davey had made sure to get himself and his brother there on time. Jack was glad to see the two.

At that moment, the love of his life and the reason for all this anxiety burst through the door, holding something over her head as she walked. "Who wants turkey?"

Just like that, she was blocked from his sight. Newsie after newsie crowded her, asking her to let them hold it, claiming that her arms must've been so tired after that long walk. Yet Katherine was smarter, swatting away all their hands before they were able to grab pieces of raw meat. Yes, raw.

Jack sighed. He really had to teach those boys a bit of self control.

If you'd wanted to get technical, Thanksgiving had already passed. There was no reason they should've been celebrating it now. But now was the only time they'd been able to get their hands on a turkey, and, well, it was when he'd finally gathered the courage to pop the question.

Wasn't nervous? Oh, who was he kidding. He was a wreck.

"You can put it in tha kitchen," Dipper offered. "Me and Jojo will prepare it."

Katherine tensed. "Oh, I can-"

"No, no," she said adamantly, taking the turkey. "You go be wit Jack."

She then turned and sent him a wink. He hadn't known what to think of the girl when she'd first come over with Albert, and he certainly didn't know now.

It baffled him to think of how much life had changed since the strike. If he hadn't known better, he'd say the strike had triggered something somewhere, like a flood that couldn't be contained. Between all the new girls, the deaths, and all the information he'd learned, he'd never experienced so much at once in his life.

He missed Lane. He wasn't ashamed to admit it. She'd been so much like him, and she'd brought so much light to Finch, with her gone everything felt dull. No, that wasn't quite right. Everything felt so much more... daunting. She'd always seemed to have a solution to everything, as most of the things happening lately seemed to circle around her. The Unknowns, the Delancey brothers, Frisks, Trek, even her father. He was the reason she was currently absent, as far as he knew.

Amy had seemed so similar to Katherine, it hadn't been hard to welcome her into the lodge. She, too, had been pushed around by her father, and needed to get away. He'd noticed the two girls had begun spending more time with each other, and for that, he was glad. They could both use more friends. At least, those who were girls.

Domino had stumped him whenever he'd first met her. She'd seemed to command everyone's attention wherever she went, which took the attention off of him. It'd been like a constant game of tug-'a-war. But he believed they'd finally found a balance. This is, until she, too, took off with Lane.