OE Chapter 8 - Weird
"Isn't it hard / Standing in the rain / Yeah, you're on the verge of goin' crazy / And your heart's in pain / No one can hear / But you're screamin' so loud / You feel like you're all alone / In a faceless crowd." - Hanson
Kiss leaned closer to Pie Eater. "Why don' you come back ta Manhattan wit' me, Pie? Dat's where ya belong, ya know."
"Kiss. I'se tol' ya a million times. Da name is BRUISE."
Kiss shook her head. "Pie Eateh, I'se used ta know you. I used ta pride me-self on bein' da on'y goil ta truly know you. An' I knows dat you'se still crazy about Ocean Eyes. You've talked about 'er pract'cally non-stop since I'se got heah. Why don' ya come back wit' me an' make up wit' 'er. Ya know ya want to." She stared at him.
He shook his head. "Kiss, I'se can't. You know dat."
Kiss sighed, then leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I'll be oveh in Manhattan fer two weeks. If you ain't dere by da end of 'em, den I'm gonna know dat you really have changed, an' I won't neveh speak to ya again."
"I ain't comin'," he said darkly.
"Fer me?" she asked lightly, blinking up at him innocently.
"Not even you," he answered, kissing her forehead.
"Den dis woild is gonna be a lot darkeh wit'out you in it," she said softly, then gave him a final hug before crossing over the bridge into Manhattan. He watched her go, her long dark braid swishing back and forth like a pendulum across her back. He said a silent goodbye to her (it was their ritual never to speak the word "goodbye", because that was so final, but he always said it silently in his head, just in case) and then turned to go find Spot to see what was going on that day.
*
"Kiss!" Twilight was just settling in Newsie Square, where everyone had gathered for a last game of marbles, when the young, pretty brunette stepped into the view. In a flash, the game was forgotten as every male newsie age ten and up raced to greet her. The girls all seemed to have identical scowls plastered on their faces. Ocean Eyes looked at this girl, and knew that Pie Eater loved her, and felt jealous pangs cut through her sides.
"Hi, Ocean Eyes," said Kiss, making a straight line for the girl. Everyone watched curiously, because they all knew the story.
"Hello, Kiss," said Ocean Eyes, not looking up. She was studying the girl's sophisticated white leather boots.
"Wha's wrong witchu?" asked Kiss, grabbing onto Ocean Eyes' chin and lifting it up so that Ocean Eyes had to look her in the face.
"Nothin'," said Ocean Eyes, glancing away to the side. Kiss let Ocean Eyes' face go.
"Is dis about Pie Eateh?" Kiss asked with a sigh. "Look, I'm on yer side. I tried ta get him ta come wit' me ta-day ta make up wit' ya, cuz I know he ain't oveh you. But 'e wouldn'—"
Ocean Eyes stood up and glared at her. "Why would you help ME out? Yer da one dat stole 'im from me! 'E don' love me no more, an' it's all because a' you!" She backed away quickly, then jogged out of the square and out of view.
Kiss looked around at all the newsies who were still silently watching. "What, none a' yous tol' her?" she asked.
"I guess it slipped me mind," Jack commented lazily. Then he grabbed Kiss around the waist. "C'mere an' give me a kiss, Kiss!"
"Aw, Cowboy, you sure have a way wit' da ladies," she giggled, but kissed him anyway. Jack had always been one of her favorites.
*
Bruise wound up and punched at a wall, letting out a loud grunt that sounded oddly like "Blink". He still was holding a major grudge against his once-friend. It was one of the first things Spot had taught him as a Brooklyn newsie—when people treat you wrong, you don't forgive them right away. That's admitting that YOU were wrong. And Bruise knew that he wasn't wrong.
"Hey, Bruise, you get your aftahnoon papes yet?" a newsie asked, walking by. Bruise didn't know him. He loved the fact that newsies that he didn't even know, knew him. It had always been the opposite in Manhattan.
"No," said Bruise. "I'se was jus' goin' ta see Spot."
"Ah, good, he tol' me ta get you," the boy answered. "An' heah. He tol' me ta give you my papes if you hadn't gotten 'em yet."
Bruise shook his head. "Keep yer papes, kid."
The child blinked up at him. "Bruise, sir, I couldn't! Spot has declared that I give you my papes, so I will! Don' be stupid! What newsie wouldn' take dese papes?" He tauntingly held the fifty papes out.
Bruise felt foolish. Of course; it was a Manhattan courtesy not to take papes. Here in Brooklyn, the tougher boys often just stole the younger kids', whether they were offered or not; this offering was a rarity, and not taking the boy's papers would be an insult. He held out his arms and silently took the fifty papers. But he still felt bad about it, which he figured came from years of Jack's mindless dribble pouring in one of his ears and out the other. He pressed a quarter into the boy's hand. The boy looked up at him in surprise, then grinned.
"You'se da greates', not ta mention da toughes', newsie I'se eveh met," he declared. "Now follow me ta Spot."
Bruise silently obeyed, wondering why Spot had summoned him. It was usual of Bruise to go to his leader for orders, but Spot hadn't called for him since he'd been a new Brooklyn newsie, just learning the ropes of fighting.
*
Ocean Eyes ran to Sheep Meadow, and half expected to see Pie Eater there; of course, he wasn't. She fell to the ground and sighed heavily, remembering the day he'd gotten beat up for her there. Just days later, she'd betrayed him. Hot tears sprang to her eyes and raced down her cheeks, as she stared up at the cloud-filled sky. She noticed it looking grayer than usual and hoped it would rain. She needed a good rainfall to match her mood.
She felt vulnerable lying there in Sheep Meadow, mostly because everyone knew that was where Pie Eater had always gone. She didn't want Mush to come up and declare his undying love for her again. She decided to leave Central Park. She wandered for a while, avoiding Newsie Square at all costs, even when it meant walking nearly a mile out of her way. She took streets she'd never heard of before, looked in shop windows, sniffed flowers, even climbed a tree because she'd thought she'd seen Snoddy coming (It turned out to be a chimney sweep and she felt ridiculous for the mistake). She walked and walked, aimlessly meandering, feeling cheerful because of the freedom, even though the clouds were getting darker with every step she took and it was, in all honesty, getting later and later in the day anyhow. Thunder rumbled in the distance. She looked up just as a large raindrop splashed onto her face. It brought a true smile to her face.
*
"Spot?" Bruise called, ducking into an abandoned warehouse Spot had claimed a few days before.
"Dat you, Bruise?" called Spot. "Come in heah." Bruise followed his voice through a doorway and into a large, empty room. The only thing the room wasn't devoid of was empty wooden crates. Spot himself was sitting on a pile of them, four high, so that he looked down on everyone else. Travel and Fever were standing guard on either side of his crate pile.
"Heya, Spot," said Bruise, smiling. He strode towards the chair. "I'se was jus' comin' ta see ya anywa—"
"I'se been hearin' t'ings about yous, Bruise," Spot interrupted. "An' dey ain't good t'ings, eiddah."
Bruise gulped. "Whaddya mean, Spot?"
"Dey's sayin' dat you t'ink you'se strongeh dan me. Strongeh den ME!" Spot chuckled, then stopped abruptly. "Dat ain't smart, Bruise."
Bruise licked his lips. "I neveh said dat!" he insisted.
"Feveh? Travel? Finish 'im off," said Spot. He looked down in Pie Eater's eyes, his own lusting with hate. "I'se took ya in, Bruise. I'se gave ya a name, I taught ya ta fight, I'se protected ya! An' now ya toin on me. Well, Bruisey, NOBODY toins on Spot Conlon widdout loinin' a lesson about it."
Bruise swallowed as Travel and Fever, who had always been friends of his, now came towards him, swinging large pieces of wood. They were two of the only boys in Brooklyn bigger than he was. He knew he didn't stand a chance. He looked down at his own only weapon: the fifty papers, which were tucked neatly under his arm, and nearly laughed at the irony of it. But he had to try. For himself. And, he realized, for Ocean Eyes. He swore to himself that if he got out, he'd go back to her and apologize. Kiss had been right. He really was still in love with her. And she had broken up with Mush…
"Let da games begin!" Spot cried, as if watching a marbles game. Bruise groaned to himself. Here goes nothing…
*
Ocean Eyes stepped lightly onto Brooklyn Bridge, her head tilted up, her mouth open, as she caught raindrops on her tongue.
"OCEAN EYES!" She turned and saw Kiss flying towards her. The young girl panted, as if she'd run for miles. "I'se been tryin' ta catch you! Where have you been?"
Ocean Eyes tried to think of an answer other than "hiding from you," but Kiss just barreled on.
"I'se jus' wan'ed ta tell you dat Pie Eateh really does love you. It ain't want you think at all."
"Yeah, right. Get away from me, Kiss. Ya shouldn' steal uddah people's loves, ya know dat?" shrieked Ocean Eyes, and she ran across the Brooklyn Bridge.
Kiss watched her go, then shook her head. "Stubborn," she muttered. Then she raised her voice and shouted, "I AIN'T HIS LOVE! I'SE HIS SISTAH! HIS SISTAH!"
Her shout was lost in the howling wind and the rain, and Ocean Eyes didn't hear it as she ran straight into the heart—and the most dangerous part—of Brooklyn.
**Copyright © Mondie 2002**