I slid into the booth, late as always. I had run here, and my lungs burned as I took deep breaths, trying not to show how together I was not. I didn't need to run, really; it wasn't like this was some sort of organized, rare event. I just hated to miss a minute of it. I hated to miss a minute of them.
Listen to me. A few words in and I've already lost you, jumping ahead like that.
My name is Lillian Rembrandt. I work as a newsgirl, and I live in a girl's boarding house in midtown, Manhattan. I don't know where my parents are, much like most of the other kids I know. There's nothing special or remarkable about me, nothing that would cause me to stand out from any other fifteen year old girl in this city. But I don't mind. In fact, as hard as life is, I think I've got it pretty good. I've got a roof over my head, the sun pops out every morning, and most importantly, I'm the luckiest girl in the city.
Because they befriended me.
Before I came to the boarding house, they were six. I think everyone expected it to just stay that way, which was why it was so surprising when they asked me to join them for dinner, one day. The boarding house provided dinner nightly; I think the first night I sat with them was the quietest dinner the house had ever seen. Nobody understood why I was allowed to be near them, why they chose me; some even asked me about it, later. I wished I could give them a better answer, but I was as amazed as everyone else.
I've come to the conclusion that it's got to be my attitude. It's the one thing that makes me different. I love life, and I won't let this city change that, no matter how cruel it is. I love to talk, I love to laugh, and I love to be around people. I feel good when I'm with people, and most of the time, as far as I know, people feel good when they're with me. I care about people; the longer I spend in this city, the more I see that that's a rare quality. So maybe that's why they chose me.
I don't mean to be cryptic about them. I'm just not sure how to explain them. They're… beautiful. Exceptional, really. Each one is so painstakingly pretty, so poised and so confident. They don't belong here, and everyone knows it. It's probably why they banded together; out of the sixty or so girls that called our boarding house home, they were the ones that were going to get out. They were the ones that wouldn't end up as whores or factory workers or worse. They were special.
It was rare to be able to freely date boys, for girls in our position. The kind of boys who courted didn't go for girls in positions like ours, and mostly the kind that did go for us were boys who weren't interested in traditional courting. To have a steady boyfriend was nearly unheard of. But of course, they all had one.
The first was Hayley 'Cheetah' O'Connor. She was trouble – which was really sort of funny, given that she looked it the least. With fiery red hair, emerald green eyes and a body that reminded me of a porcelain doll, she looked less like danger and more like an Irish princess from a fairy tale. I don't think she ever meant to cause harm, but boy, when she got bored… well, I just tried to hold on to something and scout the nearest exit. If they weren't all so pretty, I think half the establishments in the city wouldn't let them back in because of her antics. She went with Mush Meyers, and I gotta tell you, if there was ever a couple more in love with being in love, I hadn't seen them. The minute those two got near each other, it was like the whole rest of the world was just an audience, circling around them.
Ellie Summers, or 'Pegasus', was next. She was the most cheerful of the group, which offset her dark looks and made her probably the most approachable of the six of them. She had beautiful black hair that settled into waves in a way that I could only wish mine would, and dark brown eyes hidden behind long black lashes. She always stood next to Cheetah, making the two even more striking than they were apart. Except for maybe me, she was the most optimistic, so it was kind of funny that she chose to date Skittery Richards, a self-declared realist. Then again, I only ever saw them laugh and smile when they were together, so who knows.
Levina Carter, otherwise known as 'Pyro', was sort of the temper of the group. She was the girlfriend of the infamous Spot Conlon of Brooklyn, and I never had any difficulty understanding that coupling at all. They had everything in common – even down to their lack of desire for a commitment. No one knew whether they were official on any given week, but everyone knew that no matter how much they flirted, it was best to steer clear, because as good looking as they were, it wasn't worth it to make an enemy out of the other. He was a handsome guy, but they were evenly matched – with her long dark hair and bright blue eyes, she turned as many heads as he did. Maybe more; the girls were all so beautiful that comparing them was really almost an issue of individual preference, but if I could point out one as the most widely known strictly for her beauty, it would be Pyro. Her and Spot's fights got a little intense, sometimes, and she was the one in the group I was always most careful not to anger, but most of the time she was a lot of fun.
There was rarely fighting within the group, but if there was, it was usually between Pyro and Lockie, or Anna Rodgers. Lockie was… well, she was Lockie, and she never apologized for it. Which I always admired, even though I was often the one left standing at whatever scene she'd caused, doing the apologizing for her. She was painfully smart, not always honest, and had a real lack of tolerance for other people's nonsense – her sarcastic comebacks were what usually set off the sparks between her and Pyro. It fit perfectly with her boyfriend, Racetrack Higgins, who was a bit more relaxed but every bit as sarcastic. Besides, with her brown eyes that almost passed for hazel, light brown hair and heart-shaped face, she could pretty much get away with saying whatever she wanted.
Aurora 'Shooter' O'Brien was the fifth, and about as far a cry from Lockie and Pyro as could be imagined. Quiet and reserved, I could count the number of times Shooter would insert into the conversation at a given meal on one hand, usually. With wide, hazel eyes and straight light brown hair, she certainly was the most mysterious of the group. I always felt that she knew, more than any of them, that she didn't belong here; she seemed to be just tolerating everything until she was able to move on. Boys couldn't quite seem to get enough of it, strangely enough; I think it must have been the challenge in it. Whatever it was, there were a lot of disappointed men when she settled down with Kid Blink. I didn't know anything about their relationship; he always just seemed happy that she was giving him the time of day, and I couldn't blame him. I always felt like I'd won an award when I would say something that would invoke a kind response from Shooter.
Sarah, or 'Echo', rounded out the group. I had a particularly soft spot for Echo – she was the one who first invited me to sit with them, and I always felt indebted to her for that. Plus, I guess I looked up to her especially, as she sort of led the group, or at least kept them bound together. She was the loudest, friendly and fun to be around. She could be pretty critical, and was probably the only one who could beat out Lockie in that respect, but just like Lockie, it was worth the occasional sting of a biting comment to get to be around her. Echo even looked a little like me, or at least what I wished I looked like; she had brown curly hair, like mine, though hers never seemed to frizz or have completely wild days, like mine did. Her hazel eyes were shaped like almonds, like mine, but hers made my brown ones seem so dull when the sun hit them and they turned gold, or green. She had just started dating Snoddy and, though I'd never admit it out loud, I was relieved. With all six of them taken, the rest of us might just have a shot.
And so, there you have it. The six princesses of Manhattan. They were all seventeen, and looked it, while I was only barely fifteen and felt like a total child standing next to them. They never said anything about it, about how ridiculous it was that someone as plain and unimpressive as myself got to hang around and ride the coattails of such stunning, talented people, and so neither did I. They were my best friends, don't get me wrong; we were as close as sisters. I spent hours on end with them, talking about life and dreams and boys and everything else that came to mind. I just always felt a bit… disconnected, from the group, I guess. I mean, they were so perfect. No insecurities, no fears, just talents and beautiful reflections and handsome boyfriends… nothing like me. Most of the time I was content to just be around them. But some days, like today, as I looked around the table at their perfect hair and faces and laughter and smiles…
Sometimes I just wondered what it would be like, to be them for a day.