B is for Brooklyn and broken hearts....
It was the perfect day to enact Plan B. Blink couldn't believe his luck as he walked along the crowded streets as the sun beat down on him. However, Liliana did not feel the same joy.
"It's so damn hot! Days like these I hate New York!," she growled as she tried to fan herself with one of her unsold papers. Blink rolled his good eye and began to whistle.
Liliana followed Blink willingly but stopped talking, except for occassionally hawking a headline. Before she knew what was happening, they were walking on the Brooklyn Bridge.
"Where are we going?," she asked accusingly.
"Where does it look like we'se goin'?," replied Blink as he continued across the bridge.
"Brooklyn. Dammit, it looks like you're taking me to Brooklyn of all places," she practically shouted as she stood unmoving.
"What's wrong wid Brooklyn? I t'ought ya would like ta meet Spot Conlon," he said as he turned and slowly approached her.
Her glare was focused past him. He could see the anger and pain flicker across her face. He took her hand, bringing her back from her memories. She snatched her hand away and turned to leave but he caught her.
"Whatever happened ta ya before won't happen again. I promise."
Liliana could barely hear his words over the echo of the one fatal gunshot. *Luke*, she thought.
"I'm not going to Brooklyn," she whispered. "Don't make me go."
"I just want ta introduce ya ta some friends of mine. No one's gonna hurt ya."
"No, they never hurt me. They only hurt who I'm with," she whispered so softly Blink almost couldn't hear her.
"No one's going to hurt me. I'se got friends in high places. C'mon I'll show ya."
Liliana allowed him to drag her all the way across the bridge. She looked out at Brooklyn as she stepped off the bridge. She felt Blink tug her towards the docks. She couldn't even think to protest going near that horrible place.
"Spot!," she heard Blink call out to one of the newsies hanging around the docks. The boy turned around....
"Oh my god, Luke!" Suddenly she couldn't breathe.
'Luke' gave her a questioning glance before spit-shaking with Blink. "Heya, Kid. How's it rollin'?"
The voice was different. It wasn't Luke. She closed her eyes as relief came over her. *Of course it's not Luke,* she thought. *Luke's gone.*
"Lillie, you okay?," asked Blink in concern.
"Don't call me Lillie!," she snapped. "I'm fine."
"Spot, dis is Liliana. Liliana, dis is Spot Colon, the most respected and famous newsie in all New York and probably everwhere else."
Spot smirked as he took Liliana's outstretched hand and raised it to his lips. She jerked her hand away, completely shocking Spot. He wasn't used to being turned down by any girl.
"Shake my hand, don't kiss it, you moron." She offered her hand once more and this time Spot shook it, his face once again blank. She snatched her hand away again and turned to Blink. "There I met you friend, let's go back now."
"What's wrong? Ya look as if you've seen a ghost," said Blink with concern.
"Maybe I have," she said quietly as she glared at Spot.
"Fine we'll go. Sorry about...," was all Liliana heard as she began to walk away from this Luke look-alike. Long forgotten images flowed through her mind.
*Oh god, Luke. I swore I would never come back here,* she thought.as a shiver ran through her body.
"Liliana, what's wrong?," asked Blink as he walked beside her.
"I swore I would never come back here. But here I am." She spoke without emotion, scaring Blink.
"Why would you swear something like that?," he asked softly, trying to ignore the lump forming in his throat. He couldn't help but fear he might have made everything worse.
"Because of Luke."
"Dat's what ya called Spot," he said, trying to piece it all together. Liliana nodded as she stared ahead.
"He looks so much like Luke but he doesn't sound like him. Luke had a deep, musical voice. I loved his voice."
"Luke died, didn't he? In Brooklyn. Dat's why you hate being there."
"Yes, he died." She looked over at him. Her eyes were filled with such pain that Blink had to look away.
"If you ever need to talk..."
"I don't," she snapped.
"Okay, I got it. Let's just finish selling so we can eat."
Liliana didn't reply. She just kept walking. Blink noticed her longing glances as they walked over the Brooklyn Bridge. He cursed himself for making everything worse. He had to be careful or he might lose her.
It was the perfect day to enact Plan B. Blink couldn't believe his luck as he walked along the crowded streets as the sun beat down on him. However, Liliana did not feel the same joy.
"It's so damn hot! Days like these I hate New York!," she growled as she tried to fan herself with one of her unsold papers. Blink rolled his good eye and began to whistle.
Liliana followed Blink willingly but stopped talking, except for occassionally hawking a headline. Before she knew what was happening, they were walking on the Brooklyn Bridge.
"Where are we going?," she asked accusingly.
"Where does it look like we'se goin'?," replied Blink as he continued across the bridge.
"Brooklyn. Dammit, it looks like you're taking me to Brooklyn of all places," she practically shouted as she stood unmoving.
"What's wrong wid Brooklyn? I t'ought ya would like ta meet Spot Conlon," he said as he turned and slowly approached her.
Her glare was focused past him. He could see the anger and pain flicker across her face. He took her hand, bringing her back from her memories. She snatched her hand away and turned to leave but he caught her.
"Whatever happened ta ya before won't happen again. I promise."
Liliana could barely hear his words over the echo of the one fatal gunshot. *Luke*, she thought.
"I'm not going to Brooklyn," she whispered. "Don't make me go."
"I just want ta introduce ya ta some friends of mine. No one's gonna hurt ya."
"No, they never hurt me. They only hurt who I'm with," she whispered so softly Blink almost couldn't hear her.
"No one's going to hurt me. I'se got friends in high places. C'mon I'll show ya."
Liliana allowed him to drag her all the way across the bridge. She looked out at Brooklyn as she stepped off the bridge. She felt Blink tug her towards the docks. She couldn't even think to protest going near that horrible place.
"Spot!," she heard Blink call out to one of the newsies hanging around the docks. The boy turned around....
"Oh my god, Luke!" Suddenly she couldn't breathe.
'Luke' gave her a questioning glance before spit-shaking with Blink. "Heya, Kid. How's it rollin'?"
The voice was different. It wasn't Luke. She closed her eyes as relief came over her. *Of course it's not Luke,* she thought. *Luke's gone.*
"Lillie, you okay?," asked Blink in concern.
"Don't call me Lillie!," she snapped. "I'm fine."
"Spot, dis is Liliana. Liliana, dis is Spot Colon, the most respected and famous newsie in all New York and probably everwhere else."
Spot smirked as he took Liliana's outstretched hand and raised it to his lips. She jerked her hand away, completely shocking Spot. He wasn't used to being turned down by any girl.
"Shake my hand, don't kiss it, you moron." She offered her hand once more and this time Spot shook it, his face once again blank. She snatched her hand away again and turned to Blink. "There I met you friend, let's go back now."
"What's wrong? Ya look as if you've seen a ghost," said Blink with concern.
"Maybe I have," she said quietly as she glared at Spot.
"Fine we'll go. Sorry about...," was all Liliana heard as she began to walk away from this Luke look-alike. Long forgotten images flowed through her mind.
*Oh god, Luke. I swore I would never come back here,* she thought.as a shiver ran through her body.
"Liliana, what's wrong?," asked Blink as he walked beside her.
"I swore I would never come back here. But here I am." She spoke without emotion, scaring Blink.
"Why would you swear something like that?," he asked softly, trying to ignore the lump forming in his throat. He couldn't help but fear he might have made everything worse.
"Because of Luke."
"Dat's what ya called Spot," he said, trying to piece it all together. Liliana nodded as she stared ahead.
"He looks so much like Luke but he doesn't sound like him. Luke had a deep, musical voice. I loved his voice."
"Luke died, didn't he? In Brooklyn. Dat's why you hate being there."
"Yes, he died." She looked over at him. Her eyes were filled with such pain that Blink had to look away.
"If you ever need to talk..."
"I don't," she snapped.
"Okay, I got it. Let's just finish selling so we can eat."
Liliana didn't reply. She just kept walking. Blink noticed her longing glances as they walked over the Brooklyn Bridge. He cursed himself for making everything worse. He had to be careful or he might lose her.