OE Chapter 3 - The Hardest Thing
"I can't let you see what you mean to me / When my hands are tied and my heart's not free / We're not meant to be / It's the hardest thing I'll ever have to do / To turn around and walk away / Pretending I don't love you." - 98°
Pie Eater groaned as he woke up in his normal bed. His bed, in fact, was the only thing that felt normal – his face felt like it was on fire, his legs seared with pain, he couldn't open one of his eyes…
"Is you okay?" He forced his one eye open and looked up into the concerned face of Ocean Eyes. He let a smile flicker on his lips before realizing it hurt too much. He groaned again. "Shh," she told him softly, wetting a rag with cool water and laying it across his seemingly raw forehead. "Jus' rest. I'll still be heah when ya wake up latah." He obeyed her words and happily slipped back into sleep.
When he next woke, he felt immensely better. He rose to a half-sitting position and looked around the empty bunk room. Well, not completely empty…. He smiled, looking at Ocean Eyes, who was sitting by the open window. The sunlight was streaming in, and shimmered off her light brown hair. She was wearing a white blouse and a dark blue skirt, and looked exactly like an angel that Pie Eater had once seen in a children's book when he was younger. She turned and saw that he was awake and her face broke into a large grin. "You'se betteh," she said, bounding across the room.
"Wha'… wha' happened ta me?" he asked her. "Me face hoits like da devil hisself…"
She lowered her eyes, and her expression became clouded. "Me bruddah soaked ya. Don' ya remembeh?"
"Naw," he answered. "Was it really bad?"
At first she wouldn't meet his eyes; when she did, it was only to nod once, quickly, sharply. He could see that this event was causing her great personal stress and didn't press it further.
"Well, den," he said as cheerfully as he could. "How da I look?"
"Like da devil hisself," she said, re-using his words. He laughed. She was much more somber as she lovingly touched his sore face. "I can' believe me own bruddah… Gawd, Christian," she murmured, as if Kid Blink was in the room. "How could ya? How?"
"Aw, 'e was jus' bein' ovah-protective," Pie Eater told her. "I'd be da same way, if you was MY lil sistah. I'd wan' ya fallin' for da bes' boy in town— not anudda newsie."
"Oh, but 'e can't change da way me heart is feelin'," Ocean Eyes murmured, bending over his bedside and tenderly tucking back a lock of his dark hair.
"Wha's goin' on?" an angry voice said, and the two of them looked over guiltily. Kid Blink stood in the doorway of the Lodging House bunk room, and his eye was filled with flame, which was usual nowadays. "Alex, I'se tol' ya not ta come heah no mores!"
"Shut yer mouth, Christian!" she retorted, standing and putting her hands on her hips. "I'se… I'se love him!"
Kid Blink's frown seemed to settle even further. Pie Eater shrunk back in his sheets. Kid Blink marched over and grabbed his sister's arm. "Neveh!" he told her forcefully. "Neveh, eveh!"
"Neveh what?" she asked tauntingly, snatching her arm back.
"Neveh fall fer a newsie!" he said desperately, and she could see how hurt he was in his expression. "Ya need ta get married ta some rich fella who can provoide for ya. No newsie is good enough fer me sistah!"
"How can you say dat?" she asked, and a tear danced down her cheek. "You're a newsie, an' you know damn well as good as anibody dat wheneveh I'se in trouble, you'se always dere ta help me. Pie Eateh wouldn' hoit me, Christian!" It was her turn to plead. She said pointedly, "Jus' like you wouldn'."
Kid Blink stared at her, and shook his head. "No newsie fer you. Now come on." He grabbed her arm again and tried to force her out of the room; again, she pulled her arm loose and stood defiantly next to Pie Eater's side.
"Blink, you'se know me," Pie Eater hesitantly spoke up. "We'se friends. I'd neveh hoit 'er, you know dat! Don' you?"
Kid Blink just stared at him, then glared at his sister, whose turquoise eyes begged with his heart. "Well, don' come beggin' ta me when you'se all hoit an' cryin' an' such. Cuz you an' me, we ain't related no mores. We ain' brudda an' sistah no mores. I ain't gonna put me life on da line tryin' ta save an ungrateful WENCH like you." He turned on his heel and left the room.
This time Ocean Eyes really did break down, and sobbed for a good half an hour on the side of Pie Eater's bed. He held her hand and noticed all the bruises up and down his arms as he did so. One thing he had to grant Kid Blink— the guy didn't leave a job undone.
The next day, Ocean Eyes and Pie Eater ventured from the Lodging House. They made their way (slowly, because of Pie Eater's injuries) to Tibby's.
Before they got there, Tibby's was already hopping. All the guys had noticed Kid Blink's cool attitude towards Pie Eater the night before, and now in the diner, all the girls were hearing about it too.
Chance sat snuggled in Racetrack's arms, breathing in his cigar-y scent, as she listened to the thrilling story again. "What'd she do when ya punched 'im?" she asked Kid Blink.
Kid Blink glared at her. "I'se ain' talkin' about dat lazy bum an' his goil!" he said, for about the hundredth time. So Mush continued the story as best he could.
"An' DEN, his sistah came an' found—" Mush said, as the door to Tibby's burst open and a very bruised and painful Pie Eater and a very beautiful Ocean Eyes tumbled in, laughing about something.
Kid Blink stood up on his chair. "Stop da story, Mush." Looking up at his friend, who was now towering over everyone at the restaurant, Mush obeyed. Everyone quieted as they looked up at Kid Blink. His face was set in a frown. "I'se jus' wanted ta let you all know," he started calmly, looking around at all his friends, "Dat I'se don' got no sistah."
Ocean Eyes gasped a little and stared at Kid Blink. Pie Eater's grip around her shoulders intensified.
"She's been killed," Kid Blink continued, "An' I'se don' wanna heah no more talk about 'er. Ya heah?" His eye skipped around the restaurant, finally landing straight on his little sister's big turquoise two. "I'se used ta love 'er very much," he said, still staring hatefully at her. "Den she killed 'erself."
"Stop dis! Stop it, Christian! STOP!" Ocean Eyes shouted, wrenching free of Pie Eater's grip and running to her brother's chair. Her face was shiny with tears. "I'se do whateveh ya wan'," she said solemnly, hanging her head. "Don' be upset wit' me, please. I can' take it." She threw her arms around his legs and hugged them, wetting his leg with her tears.
"What if I'se tell ya ta date Mush?" Kid Blink asked haltingly. Mush brightened at the statement.
Ocean Eyes peered up at him. "Den Mush is me beau," she said, closing her eyes in pain. She couldn't bear to look at Pie Eater.
"Fine, den. If you'se court wit' Mush an' neveh speak ta Pie Eateh again, den I'se be you's bruddah again, an' I'se won' send ya home."
Ocean Eyes bit her lower lip hard enough to taste her metallic blood. She snuck a look over her shoulder at Pie Eater, who was still in the doorway, waiting for her decision along with the rest of the diner. She looked over at Mush, who had a hopeful smile on his face. She looked at Chance and Melody, whose mouths were open with the hugeness of this decision. Last, she looked up at Kid Blink, and said quietly, "I'll do it."
Kid Blink jumped from his chair and hugged his little sister, happy to have won his battle. Ocean Eyes tried to smile as she dried her tears, but her heart broke when she heard the light ringing of the bell in the restaurant's door, and turned to see that Pie Eater had left and that Snoddy was making a fast exit after him. Snoddy's expression was one of disappointment. Ocean Eyes pushed the thought of Pie Eater's hurt away and hugged Kid Blink back. He was, after all, her big brother. And it wouldn't do to disobey him.
Pie Eater walked quickly out of the restaurant. He thought about going to Sheep Meadow but decided instead to head over to Spot Conlon's bridge. He sat on the pier, which was devoid of newsies at this, dinner-hour, and stared down at the gloomy water.
"Jesus, kid, what happened to ya face?" came a familiar voice with a harsh Brooklyn accent. Pie Eater looked over at Spot Conlon. Even though he was two years older and a head taller than Spot, it was understandable that he should know Spot's name while Spot had no clue of himself. And the sight of Spot was enough to make any shy newsie tremble with fear.
"Blink soaked me," he said quietly, staring back out at the water.
"Why?" Spot asked, standing next to him but not lowering himself to Pie Eater's level by sitting down. He leaned on his cane, interested. He'd never heard of Kid Blink beating up a fellow newsie before.
"It's a big mess," Pie Eater answered, not wanting to go into details. "Jus' toins out dat Blink don' trus' nobody but he's bes' friend wit' his sistah."
"Ah, yeah, Jack an' Mush was tellin' me about dat goil," Spot said knowingly, looking out at the water, too. "So Mush got her, den?"
Pie Eater could only nod.
"Say, what's yer name, kid?" Spot asked.
"Pie Eateh," Pie Eater answered.
"An' you'se from Manhattan?"
"Well, currently," Pie Eater answered. "I'se don' know how much longah I can stay dere. I won' be able ta handle havin' ta see Mush an' Ocean Eyes tagedda. An' who knows when Blink'll eveh foigive me."
"Stan' up an' give me a spit-shake like a noimal poison," Spot commanded. Pie Eater did as he was told, standing and spitting on his hand.
Spot looked up at him and nodded. "I'se t'ink dat, if you'se need a place, Brooklyn would be da poifect place fer a strong fella like youself. You'se welcome heah if you don' like Manhattan no moah. An' ya should be grateful, too—Spot Conlon don' jus' invite nobody ta join his Brooklyn newsies."
"T'ank ya, Spot," Pie Eater said softly. He loved Manhattan, but knew that this is where he'd end up.
"Speak up, boy!" Spot commanded. "If you'se gonna be a Brooklyn newsie, you'se gotta be da toughes', an' da stronges', an' you'se gotta keep yer head up. So Blink hates ya, so you'se goil toined on ya. NONE A DAT MATTAHS NO MOAH!"
"T'ANK YA, SPOT!" Pie Eater shouted, and his voice echoed back. He laughed a little. Spot found himself smiling, too.
"I'se betteh be gettin' back," Pie Eater said a moment later. "Dat is, I'se gotsta pack all me items if I'se gonna move in heah in Brooklyn."
Spot's face broke out into a grin. "Dat's da spirit! I'll wait heah for ya. Dat way I kin show you wheah da Lodgin' House is. You do gots money, right?"
"What Manhattan newsie wouldn'?" Pie Eater shot back, a twinkle in his eye.
Spot looked taken aback. "Jesus! If I'da known you was gonna toin nasty…" He laughed. "Go on! Get you'se stuff!"
Pie Eater jogged back to Manhattan. He saw Mush, Kid Blink, and Ocean Eyes standing on a corner. None of them noticed him. He lifted his chin defiantly as Mush kissed Ocean Eyes' cheek. His heart was heavy as he grabbed all of his stuff, but as soon as he walked back over to where Spot stood expectantly, it felt lighter than he could ever remember. 'So long, Manhattan…'
**Copyright © 2002 Mondie**