OE Chapter 6 - I Say A Little Prayer

"I'm combing my hair now / And wondering what dress to wear, now / I say a little prayer for you / Forever, forever you'll stay in my heart / And I will love you / Forever and ever / We never will part / Oh how I love you / Together, together, that's how we must be / To live without you would only be heartbreak for me…" - Aretha Franklin

            "Okay." Ocean Eyes smiled at Snoddy. "Now, how d'we get ta Brooklyn?"

            "Um… this way, I think," Snoddy answered, leading her off through the streets.

            "You THINK?" she repeated. "Don't you know?"

            "No. I've never actually been there. Pie Eater and I was always content to stay in Manhattan." Snoddy shrugged. "But I've seen guys head off fer dere, an' dey always go dis way."

            "All right," she said reluctantly. "But I wish we had a sure knowledge."

            "Too bad Mush left," Snoddy agreed. "He's been to Brooklyn lots of times."

            The two set out, and asked directions a few times, and finally found themselves smack dab in the middle of Brooklyn. They were both hungry and tired by this point, but couldn't do anything about it. They just trudged on. Presently they came across a lone newsboy selling his papers.

            "Heya," he said eagerly. "Wanna buy a pape?"

            "No, thanks," Snoddy said. Ocean Eyes hung back behind him. Snoddy continued, "Why're you out so late in da moinin'?"

            The boy dropped his eyes. "I'se was sick las' night, an' I slept in dis moining, so I got a late start. Is you sure you don't want no pape?"

            "I'se sure. But listen, can you tell us where Spot Conlon is?" Snoddy tried to look inconspicuous as he said this, as if he asked where Spot Conlon was every day, but in all honesty his heart was hammering in his chest. He didn't want to be in Brooklyn, he didn't want to be traipsing around with Ocean Eyes, he didn't even want to be looking for Pie Eater. The boy had betrayed him. Why should he stick up for him now? He sighed to himself.

            The boy had been looking them over up until this point, as if not certain he should tell the leader's whereabouts. Finally he shrugged. "Go oveh neah da docks. Dere's a wooden shack next to it. Dat's Spot Conlon's newest hangout."

            "T'anks. Good luck sellin' you'se papes," Snoddy said, and did a spit-shake with the boy to show he could be trusted. Then he and Ocean Eyes wandered off in the direction the boy pointed.

            "Okay, now tell me dis: don' we hate Spot?" Ocean Eyes said quietly (she didn't want any Brooklyn newsie hearing that statement).

            "Yeah," agreed Snoddy.

            "Den why da hell is we lookin' for 'im?!" she shouted, raising her eyebrows. "Shouldn' we 'uv asked fer 'Bruise'?"

            "Spot knows dat Manhattan is mad at Pie Eateh fer leavin' us, right?" Snoddy said. Ocean Eyes nodded. "So 'e's not gonna let 'im jus' go runnin' t'rough da street alone. No, I bets dat where we find Spot, we find Pie Eateh."

            Ocean Eyes shook her head. "Maybe I was wrong, Snoddy. Maybe we can't help Pie Eateh. Maybe I'm jus' a stupid goil who should go back to 'er dad an' let 'im beat 'er til she's dead like 'er muddah." And she began to cry.

            Snoddy opened his arms and hugged her. "Don' cry, Ocean. Pie Eateh beatin' up Blink was a cry fer help. 'E wants to loin dat we still like 'im. 'E wants ta know dat we's still dere for 'im. An' 'e wants ta know dat you still love 'im. So we've traveled all dis way ta Brooklyn, and damn it, we's gonna find him an' convince 'im ta come back."

            Ocean Eyes blinked up at him, and believed him. "A'right," she said, and dried her eyes. "Den le's go find 'im."

            They only got lost one more time before finding the shack. Two big thugs outside holding clubs looked at Snoddy and Ocean Eyes threateningly, then seemed to realize that neither of them were much of a risk for Spot Conlon's safety, and let them in.

            It took a moment for their eyes to get used to the dim light, for there was only one window in the shack, and it was covered with a yellow piece of fabric to keep out the heat of late summer. "Who's dere?" Spot's voice yelled in annoyance. "I'se didn' have no appoin'ments ta-day."

            "Jus' a couple of Manhattan newsies, Spot," said Snoddy, in what he hoped was a careless, casual tone. "We came ta talk ta Pie Eateh. Oh, I mean, Bruise." He swallowed nervously, wondering where these guts had come from, because he certainly hadn't had them the day before.

            "Well, I'se don' want none a yous talkin' to 'im. What, did Jackie Boy send ya to beat 'im up?" Spot scowled to himself. "I can't believe I'se used ta be friends wit dat joik…"

            "No, Jack didn't send us," Ocean Eyes broke in, and Spot nearly fell off his throne in surprise. "We'se came ourselves, Spot. All we wanna do is talk to 'im."

            "Jackie Boy sent a GOIL ta beat up Bruise?" Spot mused aloud to himself. He hadn't been paying attention to Ocean Eyes' plea at all. "Dat's jus' insane! Didn' he see how Bruise screwed up all dem newsies?"

            "Wheah is 'e, Spot?" Snoddy asked sternly.

            Spot rolled his eyes. "Now why would I tell ya dat? Maybe dis goil heah is some secret weapon Jackie Boy t'ought up ta screw me oveh wit'. No, you can't see 'im."

            "But Spot!" shouted Ocean Eyes, rushing forward. She stood before his throne, which was just a chair on a table so that it was high up. "I'se… I'se gotta see 'im."

            "Don't you know yer place?" asked a Brooklyn newsie who was standing stiffly beside the table. "Bow befoah da king a Brooklyn, miss!"

            She stared at him. "Bow?" she repeated blankly.

            "Yes, BOW," the boy said.

            She raised her head defiantly. "Da on'y one I bow to is God hisself, an' even dat don' happen too often. I'se ain' about ta start bowin' ta no NEWSIE, not even 'da great Spot Conlon'." She said the last four words as if they were dripping with ice.

            Spot let out a loud guffaw. "Da goil's got spunk!" he cried joyfully. Snoddy breathed a sigh of relief. "Let 'er see Bruise. Da boy stays out heah. I don' trust 'im."

            "But—" Ocean Eyes began.

            Snoddy interrupted, "Don' worry abou' it, Ocean! Jus' go! Talk to 'im. Make 'im listen."

            "I don' like you," Spot told Snoddy.

            Snoddy nodded grimly. "Da feelin's mutual, Conlon."

            Spot grimaced in the dark. "Get oudda heah. Stand outside. I'se don' wanna have ta put up wit' you no mores." So Snoddy left the shack, into the hot bright sunshine outside, to wait for Ocean Eyes.

            Meanwhile, the sidekick newsie from beside Spot's throne (Mountain was his name, he told her) was leading Ocean Eyes through a door in the back, through a little alley, and into a hidden courtyard. Ocean Eyes was shocked. Newsies were gathered, playing cards and gambling. Mountain left to go back to guard Spot's side. He gave Ocean Eyes a friendly smile before departing, though, which seemed to make her stronger in her mind.

            She couldn't find Pie Eater at first, though she searched the faces of everyone. Finally she looked over near the bushes which enclosed the courtyard and finally caught sight of Pie Eater, sitting on the ground with a girl. Ocean Eyes' temper flared as she stared at the two of them, laughing about something. She marched over, amid catcalls from the Brooklyn newsies she passed on the way.

            When she reached Pie Eater, she stood behind him until he noticed her shadow falling over him, and he looked up. She reached out and slapped his face. The girl he was with gasped.

            "What da hell didja do dat  for?" he asked, staring at her in repulsion. Then he realized who it was. "…Ocean Eyes? How didja get past Spot? Did Jack send ya? Did you come heah all by yerself? Why is you heah?"

            She stared at him in hatred, feeling the hot tears rising and willing them to leave her alone. "Spot let me t'rough, no, Jack didn' send me, I came wit' Snoddy but Spot wouldn' let 'im come, an' I'se heah to convince you ta come back ta Manhattan."

            Pie Eater turned from her and back to the new girl. "But I'se happy heah in Brooklyn," he told her. "Dis is Kiss. She's me goil."

            Ocean Eyes' eyes widened incredibly, and then she threw back her head and let out with a shriek so loud that the newsies in the courtyard fell silent, birds scattered from their perches, and even Snoddy on the other side of Spot Conlon's shack heard it. Spot turned in his chair to look at Mountain. "See what dat racket is!" he commanded. Mountain obeyed.

            "NO! No, no, no, no, NO!" she screamed, hurling herself at Pie Eater. "You will NOT do this ta me! Neveh, neveh, neveh!" She began to cry. "Snoddy an' I came ta tell you dat we miss you, dat our lives ain't da same. I'se broke up wit' Mush dis moinin'. If you'se don' come back an' convince Blink dat I should stay, den 'e's gonna send me back home! An'… an'… an' I love ya, Pie Eateh! I do! I DO!"

            At that moment, Mountain appeared at her side. "Wha's da mattah witchu?" he asked, grabbing her arm roughly. "Why is you screamin'?"

            She fought to rid herself of his grip, but this only made him clasp tighter. "I'll keel myself, Pie Eateh! An' it'll be all… yer… fault!" she screamed, as Mountain dragged her away from Pie Eater.

            Pie Eater stared after her, feeling his heart becoming troubled. He didn't know what to do.

            "What was da mattah wit' her?" asked Kiss, snuggling against him with a pretty smile.

            Pie Eater found he couldn't answer.

            Snoddy tried desperately to keep up with Ocean Eyes' fast pace the rest of the walk home to Manhattan, but found it hard. "So what exactly happened?" he tried again.

            "I'se hate 'im, dat's what happened," Ocean Eyes answered. "Foist train tamorrow, I'se gone. I'se outta heah. No moah newspapehs, no moah boys, no moah angry bruddahs, no moah games. I'se sick a dis! What did I eveh do ta him, huh?"

            Snoddy gave her a look of disbelief. "Uh… you broke up with him for Mush, when you still loved 'im? Sound familiar?"

            She cried some more. "Shuddup," she shouted. "I hates you, too. You'se made me believe dat Pie Eateh would still care fer me, an' not be in love wit' some—some—goil named Kiss!"

            "Kiss?" Snoddy questioned, because Ocean Eyes hadn't mentioned anyone named Kiss before that moment.

            Ocean Eyes stopped and wiped ferociously at her eyes. She'd been trying to keep the thought of the pretty dark-haired beauty cuddling with Pie Eater out of her mind, but now she'd mentioned her and had to explain. She sighed. "He intraduced me ta Kiss, his new goil."

            But Snoddy now had a sort of weird smile. "Kiss's in Brooklyn? Den we got nuttin ta worry abou', Ocean!"

            Ocean Eyes glared at him. "She's 'is GOIL. A course we got stuff ta worry about!"

            Snoddy laughed. "She ain't his goil in da sense you'se t'inkin'. An' believe me, we'se now got one foot in Brooklyn." He grinned, while Ocean Eyes just blinked at him in confusion.

**Copyright © Mondie 2002**