Eve's Story
The summer days are gone too soon
You shoot the moon
And miss completely
She was the one he could never have. He thought she must have kept within the maze of her curls the secrets of what a man had to do to win her over; he had never been able to find a way to work himself inside her heart. He needed to be a part of her, and so every day he would wake with some new idea in his brain that this time, this day, just might prove fitting. But when he carried out his brilliant plan, he always found, his effort was no more worthy of her than it had been the day before, or the day before that, or the day before that....
And now you're left to face the gloom
The empty room that once smelled sweetly
So he was in fact left to see the gloom; the room for her in his heart that was left vacant, because she never wanted to be there. But then, it wasn't really only one room; his whole heart, his whole being was nothing more than a house, fully furnished with everything that she ever wanted and needed, if only she would enter it.
"What should I do?" he would ask his friends. "How should I....what does she want, y'know? Or does she just hate me?" After this minor outburst, he would slam his forehead into his palms and then rub his eyes violently as if to wake himself from the restless sleep in which he was ensnared. Moments later, she would walk in the door and brighten everyone's day.
"Hi, boys." She would smile her starry smile and innocently move to someone's side.
She flirted with Blink. What was the danger in that? When he smiled he made her feel light-hearted and fun....she needed to feel that way sometimes. Nobody really saw how much. They didn't know. They never witnessed "breakdown" Eve, "highly emotional" Eve; the Eve who wouldn't ever let the boys see her cry. In fact, she had held her tears for so long that they were all convinced she was the strongest among them. The respect she received was not given to any other girl of their acquaintance; she was their pedestal.
Not that they all wanted to be with her romantically - oh, no, it was not like that. Some did, certainly, but she was on such a different level than all the others....not a chance did they have, even if they wanted desperately to act on their feelings. So what was the use? The ones who would enjoy her romantically had given up long ago.
So flirting with Blink, and occasionally Jack or Bumlets, could do no harm.
She was not "everyone's best friend" per se; she was rather close with Race and Itey and Jack, yes, but in fact there were some newsboys she didn't know at all.
She would sit on a stool in front of the bar and let her eyes roam. Some days it seemed as if everyone was having fun....and she would watch them, wishing she could feel like they did all the time. It seemed that the entire world was having fun without her; it was as if there was a big joke going around and she was the only one left outside of it. She would shrug it off, though. At least, for now, for that moment. Chances are that the second she walked in the door of the next empty room she found, the tears would come. She couldn't understand it - she felt bad almost all of the time....except when she was with the boys, of course. They were the water sent to cool the burns in her overactive mind. Or whatever it was....was it her heart that was hurting? No, it couldn't be. She was Eve. "You're such a strong person," Race had once told her, although she couldn't ever believe it to be true. 'They don't know who I am,' she had thought that night, after weeping. And then, 'Who AM I?'
But today was especially awful...she felt the pressure so much more when he was around. She turned away from society, clutching her glass. Race was there with her, drinking his usual. 'Uh oh,' he thought, smirking internally, 'she's moody.'
He knew what was wrong, of course. Must be a boy, and he must be present. He took a swig and asked, "So what'sa mattah, Eve?"
"Nothin, why?" she shot back. Race decided to leave this one be.
"Arright, arright...ya can't hide forevah, ya know." He slunk down from the barstool, heading towards the door. Before leaving he turned back to say, "You can't hide it from him, I mean," and she was left alone again.
"How the hell does he know that," she grumbled, and swallowed her last ice cube.
'Look, he's right over there. C'mon, Eve, just do somethin.'
'She's right over there...she's so close! Go, go now!'
She frowned. "That's the last thing I need right now; something else to worry about, 'specially a boy."
'You know you want it, now take it. You have a chance.'
"She hates me. She must hate me." He did not want to let despair envelope him. But the future was bleak.
Now the fall is here again
You can't begin to give in
It's all over
'She's Eve...there's no chance. No chance.'
'You haven't given him a chance. Not any chance at all.'
When the snows come rolling through
You're rolling too with some new lover
Letting her inner voice take over, Eve swung her legs to the opposite side of the stool and opened herself up to the room. There he was, just as she had anticipated, and before she knew it they were locking gazes, the first gaze they had ever shared, and it took her a few seconds to break.
Eve left the bar.
Before he could contemplate his move she was out the door. In a mad dash she had flown, without looking at anything, from the room, and with the jingling door to bid her farewell she was running down the street, hair loose and whipping behind her, skirt clinging to her legs, shirt thin against her torso.
Knowing what he had to do, Mush grabbed the forgotten cloak and followed her out into the snow. "Eve!" He ran as fast as he could to catch up with the frenzied girl. "...Eve."
She stopped, midstride. She turned to face him, and realized she was panting. "W-w..." Her mouth wouldn't form the words she wanted to say...
"You forgot your sweater." His hands cradled the fabric gently. Slowly reaching out to hand her the garment, he took one step towards her. She reached for it and her finger accidentally grazed his thumb.
It was the first time she had ever touched him.
"Thanks." Her hazel brown eyes remained on the shawl as she started to turn and walk home...but not before being grabbed by the forearm by the tall boy who was staring at her.
"Eve - wait...wait," was his plea.
'Now's the time.'
He did not know if he had the courage to say what he needed to - what had been bottled up inside him for months now. While their heartbeats quickened, their palms became moist and their cheeks flushed. The expressions on their faces were arguably identical; it was a mixture of hopefullness, faith, apprehension, and extreme nervousness.
If he wasn't so caught up in uncertainty about how she would react to what he was about to tell her, those big hazel eyes would have given him some indication. She was staring up at him adoringly; and she couldn't help it - how else would she look at him?
Will you think of times you've told me
That you knew the reason
Why we had to each be lonely
It was just the season
Mush Meyers gulped noiselessly. Now was the time. "Eve, I hafta tell you somethin." His eyes began to fill. "I've been meanin to tell you fa the longest time."
Eve kept her glistening gaze upon him, not blinking once.
"Yaw gorgeous." He blinked. Why had he said that? That wasn't what he had meant to say at all. 'Tell her how you feel, Mush, tell her how you FEEL...'
"...Thank you." She couldn't move her head. Her neck was stiff and the muscles did not respond to her commands. 'He isn't sayin this.' She marveled at the thought of what would be if the scene really were playing out in front of her. 'It isn't happenin.'
"Uh - I mean....not that, it's - " His clenched fists would have killed a small animal. "I mean, that's true, o' course..." 'Ah, hell, ya dolt - ya screwed up, now get it over with.'
"I think I'm in love with you."
Silence.
"You do?" Eve found her voice...her real voice. She was shocked at how quickly she answered. "Mush...what? Are you sure?" 'What kind of an answer is that? 'Are you sure'! Dumb, Eve, dumb...'
She was almost able to smile. Her eyes filled with tears and the power of the moment overtook her in one huge sweep. She did not take her eyes away from that wonderful human being in front of her...why would she ever want to do that?
"O' course I'm sure!" was that wonderful human being's answer. He allowed himself to grin; positively ear to ear; that grin was what allowed Eve to free herself and find her comfort in his arms. Sweet release.
'She's huggin me...she's huggin me...she's...HUGGIN ME!' All the feelings and emotions and waves of triumph that he had ever experienced combined and melted together could not have matched the joy that came to him when Eve was hugging him. He had not anticipated this...her warmth was something that could not be equaled - not in any other girl, not in any other form, not in any other way, ever.
They were each of them beside themselves with happiness.
"Are you really, really serious?" She whispered against his thin shirt. Her lips found their way to his shoulder, covered only by the one layer. It was much too cold for him to be wearing nothing but that, but somehow when she pressed her lips against him it warmed him to the core.
He gently held her head in his hands and lifted it off him so that he could have the pleasure of gazing upon her once again. "I mean it...dear." He revelled at her delight when he said it. A stray dark blonde curl couldn't escape his purposeful fingers as he tucked it safely into that pocket behind her ear. The finger travelled the length of Eve's face, delicately brushing its surface until it found its home under her chin. Guiding it to the side, the boy mustered enough courage to move into his first kiss, and with that he was lightly pressing his lips against hers, lingering for as long as the girl wanted. Eve pulled away, breathless and in paralyzing shock.
How many times had she heard the saying "It's too good to be true"?
But what did it matter? The meaning would never be a mystery to her again. She was nestled in the all-enveloping embrace. Eve was safe, and all was right with the world.
The summer days are gone too soon
You shoot the moon
And miss completely
She was the one he could never have. He thought she must have kept within the maze of her curls the secrets of what a man had to do to win her over; he had never been able to find a way to work himself inside her heart. He needed to be a part of her, and so every day he would wake with some new idea in his brain that this time, this day, just might prove fitting. But when he carried out his brilliant plan, he always found, his effort was no more worthy of her than it had been the day before, or the day before that, or the day before that....
And now you're left to face the gloom
The empty room that once smelled sweetly
So he was in fact left to see the gloom; the room for her in his heart that was left vacant, because she never wanted to be there. But then, it wasn't really only one room; his whole heart, his whole being was nothing more than a house, fully furnished with everything that she ever wanted and needed, if only she would enter it.
"What should I do?" he would ask his friends. "How should I....what does she want, y'know? Or does she just hate me?" After this minor outburst, he would slam his forehead into his palms and then rub his eyes violently as if to wake himself from the restless sleep in which he was ensnared. Moments later, she would walk in the door and brighten everyone's day.
"Hi, boys." She would smile her starry smile and innocently move to someone's side.
She flirted with Blink. What was the danger in that? When he smiled he made her feel light-hearted and fun....she needed to feel that way sometimes. Nobody really saw how much. They didn't know. They never witnessed "breakdown" Eve, "highly emotional" Eve; the Eve who wouldn't ever let the boys see her cry. In fact, she had held her tears for so long that they were all convinced she was the strongest among them. The respect she received was not given to any other girl of their acquaintance; she was their pedestal.
Not that they all wanted to be with her romantically - oh, no, it was not like that. Some did, certainly, but she was on such a different level than all the others....not a chance did they have, even if they wanted desperately to act on their feelings. So what was the use? The ones who would enjoy her romantically had given up long ago.
So flirting with Blink, and occasionally Jack or Bumlets, could do no harm.
She was not "everyone's best friend" per se; she was rather close with Race and Itey and Jack, yes, but in fact there were some newsboys she didn't know at all.
She would sit on a stool in front of the bar and let her eyes roam. Some days it seemed as if everyone was having fun....and she would watch them, wishing she could feel like they did all the time. It seemed that the entire world was having fun without her; it was as if there was a big joke going around and she was the only one left outside of it. She would shrug it off, though. At least, for now, for that moment. Chances are that the second she walked in the door of the next empty room she found, the tears would come. She couldn't understand it - she felt bad almost all of the time....except when she was with the boys, of course. They were the water sent to cool the burns in her overactive mind. Or whatever it was....was it her heart that was hurting? No, it couldn't be. She was Eve. "You're such a strong person," Race had once told her, although she couldn't ever believe it to be true. 'They don't know who I am,' she had thought that night, after weeping. And then, 'Who AM I?'
But today was especially awful...she felt the pressure so much more when he was around. She turned away from society, clutching her glass. Race was there with her, drinking his usual. 'Uh oh,' he thought, smirking internally, 'she's moody.'
He knew what was wrong, of course. Must be a boy, and he must be present. He took a swig and asked, "So what'sa mattah, Eve?"
"Nothin, why?" she shot back. Race decided to leave this one be.
"Arright, arright...ya can't hide forevah, ya know." He slunk down from the barstool, heading towards the door. Before leaving he turned back to say, "You can't hide it from him, I mean," and she was left alone again.
"How the hell does he know that," she grumbled, and swallowed her last ice cube.
'Look, he's right over there. C'mon, Eve, just do somethin.'
'She's right over there...she's so close! Go, go now!'
She frowned. "That's the last thing I need right now; something else to worry about, 'specially a boy."
'You know you want it, now take it. You have a chance.'
"She hates me. She must hate me." He did not want to let despair envelope him. But the future was bleak.
Now the fall is here again
You can't begin to give in
It's all over
'She's Eve...there's no chance. No chance.'
'You haven't given him a chance. Not any chance at all.'
When the snows come rolling through
You're rolling too with some new lover
Letting her inner voice take over, Eve swung her legs to the opposite side of the stool and opened herself up to the room. There he was, just as she had anticipated, and before she knew it they were locking gazes, the first gaze they had ever shared, and it took her a few seconds to break.
Eve left the bar.
Before he could contemplate his move she was out the door. In a mad dash she had flown, without looking at anything, from the room, and with the jingling door to bid her farewell she was running down the street, hair loose and whipping behind her, skirt clinging to her legs, shirt thin against her torso.
Knowing what he had to do, Mush grabbed the forgotten cloak and followed her out into the snow. "Eve!" He ran as fast as he could to catch up with the frenzied girl. "...Eve."
She stopped, midstride. She turned to face him, and realized she was panting. "W-w..." Her mouth wouldn't form the words she wanted to say...
"You forgot your sweater." His hands cradled the fabric gently. Slowly reaching out to hand her the garment, he took one step towards her. She reached for it and her finger accidentally grazed his thumb.
It was the first time she had ever touched him.
"Thanks." Her hazel brown eyes remained on the shawl as she started to turn and walk home...but not before being grabbed by the forearm by the tall boy who was staring at her.
"Eve - wait...wait," was his plea.
'Now's the time.'
He did not know if he had the courage to say what he needed to - what had been bottled up inside him for months now. While their heartbeats quickened, their palms became moist and their cheeks flushed. The expressions on their faces were arguably identical; it was a mixture of hopefullness, faith, apprehension, and extreme nervousness.
If he wasn't so caught up in uncertainty about how she would react to what he was about to tell her, those big hazel eyes would have given him some indication. She was staring up at him adoringly; and she couldn't help it - how else would she look at him?
Will you think of times you've told me
That you knew the reason
Why we had to each be lonely
It was just the season
Mush Meyers gulped noiselessly. Now was the time. "Eve, I hafta tell you somethin." His eyes began to fill. "I've been meanin to tell you fa the longest time."
Eve kept her glistening gaze upon him, not blinking once.
"Yaw gorgeous." He blinked. Why had he said that? That wasn't what he had meant to say at all. 'Tell her how you feel, Mush, tell her how you FEEL...'
"...Thank you." She couldn't move her head. Her neck was stiff and the muscles did not respond to her commands. 'He isn't sayin this.' She marveled at the thought of what would be if the scene really were playing out in front of her. 'It isn't happenin.'
"Uh - I mean....not that, it's - " His clenched fists would have killed a small animal. "I mean, that's true, o' course..." 'Ah, hell, ya dolt - ya screwed up, now get it over with.'
"I think I'm in love with you."
Silence.
"You do?" Eve found her voice...her real voice. She was shocked at how quickly she answered. "Mush...what? Are you sure?" 'What kind of an answer is that? 'Are you sure'! Dumb, Eve, dumb...'
She was almost able to smile. Her eyes filled with tears and the power of the moment overtook her in one huge sweep. She did not take her eyes away from that wonderful human being in front of her...why would she ever want to do that?
"O' course I'm sure!" was that wonderful human being's answer. He allowed himself to grin; positively ear to ear; that grin was what allowed Eve to free herself and find her comfort in his arms. Sweet release.
'She's huggin me...she's huggin me...she's...HUGGIN ME!' All the feelings and emotions and waves of triumph that he had ever experienced combined and melted together could not have matched the joy that came to him when Eve was hugging him. He had not anticipated this...her warmth was something that could not be equaled - not in any other girl, not in any other form, not in any other way, ever.
They were each of them beside themselves with happiness.
"Are you really, really serious?" She whispered against his thin shirt. Her lips found their way to his shoulder, covered only by the one layer. It was much too cold for him to be wearing nothing but that, but somehow when she pressed her lips against him it warmed him to the core.
He gently held her head in his hands and lifted it off him so that he could have the pleasure of gazing upon her once again. "I mean it...dear." He revelled at her delight when he said it. A stray dark blonde curl couldn't escape his purposeful fingers as he tucked it safely into that pocket behind her ear. The finger travelled the length of Eve's face, delicately brushing its surface until it found its home under her chin. Guiding it to the side, the boy mustered enough courage to move into his first kiss, and with that he was lightly pressing his lips against hers, lingering for as long as the girl wanted. Eve pulled away, breathless and in paralyzing shock.
How many times had she heard the saying "It's too good to be true"?
But what did it matter? The meaning would never be a mystery to her again. She was nestled in the all-enveloping embrace. Eve was safe, and all was right with the world.