| The Rooftop, part two |
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| Later, at Tibby's, Jack, Goose, Race, Mush, and Sock were sitting around rejoicing over the headline. Mush hooted and elbowed Race in the side. "Hey, did you guys notice how chummy Skittery and Hart was gettin'? "Yeah, kinda like Sock and Goose." Race laughed. "Hey," piped the 9-year-old,"I don't like girls. They's gross!" He was rewarded with a punch from Sock. "Thanks a lot, you fowlstock. 'Sides, I think they looks cute together." Goose rubbed his shoulder and muttered, "I didn't mean you." "Hey, shut it, Skit an' Hart just walked in. Hey, look who the cat dragged in!" Jack smiled at the two and pulled up a couple of chairs. "Hey guys." Hart grinned. "That headline sure was somethin'. I sold out in an hour." "You guys gettin' anythin' to eat?" Skittery shook his head. "We'se just lookin' for Anita. You seen her?" All around the table were shaking heads and blank stares. Sock took off her hat and rubbed her forehead. "I ain't seen her since this mornin'. Oh. No -- wait. I didn't see her this mornin'. The last time I saw her was yesterday, near 3 o'clock." "You think she's OK?" Race asked. "Sure. Sure, I mean, remember that one time she was missing for 4 days, then all a sudden she comes into the bunkroom, all like nothin' ever happened? This is prally the same thing. Anyway," Hart stood up to leave. "I gotta run. See youse guys later." The other 6 said goodbye, and started talking again. "Hey, is that it?" "Where?" "Over... No, never mind. False alarm." Hart giggled. She didn't normally do that, but it was late. Skittery shook his head. "Wouldja quit doin' that? I've never seen a shooting star." "I've only ever seen one. Was 2 days before my parents died." "Um, how'd, well, y'know..." "They was beat to death on the picket line..." Hart looked down at her hands. "That's why I was so scared about the strike." "I'm real sorr-- hey! Is that it, over there?" "Oh, yeah! Wow, hey, make a wish! Did you?" "Yeah, I wished--" "No!" Hart grabbed his hand. "You can't tell me, or--" Skittery jerked his had back like she bit him, and on his face was fear. "S'matta? No, Skitt,really, what's wrong?" Skittery rubbed his jaw and said, "I just... I don' really like bein' touched. I --- when I was a kid, my mother beat on me real bad, so now, whenever someone goes to touch me, I get real nervous. Not guys too much, mostly just girls. I get... scared, kinda..." He looked away. Hart said, "Think I could help?" "How? You got some kind of miracle medicine?" "No... look, put out your hand. Just, c'mon, Skit, just do it." Hart started to move her fingers toward his hand, but Skittery jerked it back. "Well, now I know why they call you Skittery. Listen, I ain't gonna hurt you. You know I wouldn't never hurt you, now c'mon. Calm down." Hart lightly touched his hand, then his wrist. After a couple of seconds, she touched his lower arm and felt his muscles tense up. "Sorry. It's a reflex." He relaxed and Hart touched the back of his elbow, then his upper arm. Then she let her hand drop to her side. "You OK? I thought that was enough for a second." "Yeah, I just... You think this is stupid. I knew if I told anybody." "Hey." Hart's voice suggested something more than just what that one word said. "We all got things that we don' never really forget. 'S just that some things affect us deeper, y'know?" "Yeah." Skittery looked down off of the roof. The streetlights burned and flickered as people straggled by, on their way to whatever place they called home. "OK, I'm ready now. I gots to get over this." "Well, you think you're ready for me to touch your face?" "We'll find out, won' we?" Hart hesitantly put her fingers on his forehead. Skittery winced, but immediately relaxed. "OK, this here's your forehead. And this's your eyebrow. Cheekbone. That hurts when it's bruised. Here's your nose, "Hart tapped it lightly. "And your, uh, your lips, and chin, and your jaw, and..." What happens when two people are so drawn together isn't real clear, but it happened whether or not they understood it, and suddenly Skittery's hands were on her waist. "See? You're getting used to... this whole touch... thing..." Then they kissed, a soft, sweet kiss that would've made lions cry. "That didn't hurt, did it?" Hart whispered. Skittery pulled her head to his shoulder and whispered into her hair, "Only that it had to end." It started to rain, and they ran to the shelter of the lean-to Hart made. "Um, you could sleep up here. If you want. I mean, if you got all wet, that'd be no good..." Skittery nodded. "Sounds good to me. But, no um... well, you know." "Yeah. We'll leave that to the ones who want to spend the night in the Red Light District." Then they were asleep, two young hearts under a rainy sky. |