Chapter Four
Blade stared at Solo, who only stared right back. Free, with her best interests in Chapter's thoughts, saw the boy through her light. Though she did not love him like she, nor did she even like him, she did not hate him, or dislike him.
"Blade." She called softly, He broke his gaze to look at her questioningly. "I believe it is our time to go." He huffed, giving Solo one last glance before turning, taking Free's hand, and leading her away.
Solo sighed, his heart heavier than the night before. He had not meant to attack him. It was only self-defense. He had wanted to murder him the moment his fist had touched Chapter's cheek. He stood at the docks, staring after Blade and Free. In his arms was the sense memory of Chapter. On his lips, the taste of her kisses still lingered. How dare Blade steal her away from him? He needed to find her again. He needed to hold her.
He ran off towards home and threw himself on his bunk, feeling more despair than he had felt the night before. He couldn't die. Not anymore. For the first time in his life, Solo had felt love at first sight. Real, true love. He could never die and leave her. He sighed, closed his eyes, and tried to evaporate.
***
Chapter ran and ran, out of Jersey and back into the Bronx, where she didn't stop. Her eyes burned with fury and tears stung her cheeks. So she had finally found the love her heart had forever been yearning for. Just figures, don't it?
She kept on running, never tiring or running short of breath. She dodged the people who got in her way with ease until one threw his arms around her.
"Chapter!" She looked up into Big Shot's face, resisting the urge to cuss explicitly. "Baby! Oh, baby, where were you?" He wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, kissing her over and over. Her cheeks still burned with tears and she couldn't bring herself to kiss him back. He eventually stopped and stepped back, looking her over. "What's wrong, baby?" he asked worriedly. You couldn't blame the guy for not loving her. She couldn't look into his eyes.
"I have to go, Big Shot. I'll…see you later." And with that, Chapter took off, not quite running, but she walked away quickly, praying that Big Shot wouldn't follow. She went straight home, collapsing on her bunk in the attic and staring out the dusty, cracked window next to her bed. Sighing heavily, she fell into a sound sleep, dreaming of that love she had found only a few hours before.
***
"Chapter…" Free whispered, shaking her shoulder softly. "Come on hunny, you have to get up." Chapter groaned loudly and flopped over to glare at her. She had been awake when Free had entered. She had lain perfectly still and had tried to breathe like those asleep. She didn't want to get up. Actually, she wanted to dissolve into the folds of her warm blankets.
"Why…" she whined.
"Sweetie, we have to go to the rally." Free said softly.
"What rally?" she asked drowsily.
"You know…the Bronxes rally? Everybody's gonna be there. We have obligation." And to this Chapter groaned. "Oh come on, Chapter. Sit UP." Grumbling, Chapter sat, blinking the sleepiness from her eyes.
"Why do I gotta go? Nobody's gonna notice if I go anyway…"
"Because Big Shot's worried sick about you. He's downstairs pacing, waiting for you to come back down so he can hold you. That's what he told me, Chapter. Go and talk to him.
"And get this Jersey guy outta your head. It isn't safe for either of you to be sneaking around like that. Look, I gotta go. Blade's waiting. But get down there to Big Shot and he'll make you feel better. I'll see you at the rally." And with that, Free left, out the door and down the stairs. After a few minutes of procrastination, Chapter followed her path, grumbling all the way down the three flights of stairs.
When she reached the lobby, she saw Big Shot, pacing across the floor as Free had described. She reached the bottom of the stairs and he looked up at her, his face immediately filling with relief and happiness.
"Baby!" he exclaimed, rushing over. "Are you okay? I'm so happy you're here." He whispered into her ear, kissing her earlobe softly. Chapter showed no emotion, but moved a step away from him.
"Let's just get this over with." She mumbled. She hadn't looked him in the eye. Big Shot looked at her, hurt by her rejection. But he wouldn't let her know that. Instead, he decided he would just have to be more rough with her. He had been nice that day because of the way he had been rejected the day before. But even THAT didn't work on her, so he'd just have it his way.
The two left the lodging house and started down the street in dead silence. A soft wind blew through the alleys they walked towards Ivory Hall. Big Shot continually stole glances at her, though she looked nowhere but forward. Neither made any attempts at conversation, Chapter plotting her escape plan and Big Shot plotting how he could get her to kiss him again. Soon they approached the hall, its tall, peaked roof reaching up into the early spring twilight. He held the door for her as she entered. As she had expected, it was a packed house. Without so much as a glance backwards, Chapter scooted away from Big Shot and found a few empty chairs in the far corner of the room. A chilled breeze breathed through the open window she sat next to. She sat, resting her arms on the sill, her chin on her arms, staring blankly out the window.
Thinking of Solo, she started to let herself drift off into her own little world. That is how she wished she could live, always in her own little world. Nothing could hurt her there. She watched the stars shine, a piece of the moon glowing, the rest hidden behind a tall tenement building. She heard voices on the street, but paid no attention to them. Until there was someone standing in front of her.
"Chapter?!" the boy whispered excitedly. Chapter looked at him, squinting into the darkness.
"…Solo?" she asked slowly, afraid to get her hopes up.
"Yeah! Oh God, I never thought I'd see you again! Look…Chapter, you have to get out of there. Come with me. Trust me." Chapter leaned closer out the window.
"Why?" She threw a glance over her shoulder.
"Well ya see...my boys... They're out on the streets tonight. They...they might hurt somebody..."
Blade stared at Solo, who only stared right back. Free, with her best interests in Chapter's thoughts, saw the boy through her light. Though she did not love him like she, nor did she even like him, she did not hate him, or dislike him.
"Blade." She called softly, He broke his gaze to look at her questioningly. "I believe it is our time to go." He huffed, giving Solo one last glance before turning, taking Free's hand, and leading her away.
Solo sighed, his heart heavier than the night before. He had not meant to attack him. It was only self-defense. He had wanted to murder him the moment his fist had touched Chapter's cheek. He stood at the docks, staring after Blade and Free. In his arms was the sense memory of Chapter. On his lips, the taste of her kisses still lingered. How dare Blade steal her away from him? He needed to find her again. He needed to hold her.
He ran off towards home and threw himself on his bunk, feeling more despair than he had felt the night before. He couldn't die. Not anymore. For the first time in his life, Solo had felt love at first sight. Real, true love. He could never die and leave her. He sighed, closed his eyes, and tried to evaporate.
***
Chapter ran and ran, out of Jersey and back into the Bronx, where she didn't stop. Her eyes burned with fury and tears stung her cheeks. So she had finally found the love her heart had forever been yearning for. Just figures, don't it?
She kept on running, never tiring or running short of breath. She dodged the people who got in her way with ease until one threw his arms around her.
"Chapter!" She looked up into Big Shot's face, resisting the urge to cuss explicitly. "Baby! Oh, baby, where were you?" He wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, kissing her over and over. Her cheeks still burned with tears and she couldn't bring herself to kiss him back. He eventually stopped and stepped back, looking her over. "What's wrong, baby?" he asked worriedly. You couldn't blame the guy for not loving her. She couldn't look into his eyes.
"I have to go, Big Shot. I'll…see you later." And with that, Chapter took off, not quite running, but she walked away quickly, praying that Big Shot wouldn't follow. She went straight home, collapsing on her bunk in the attic and staring out the dusty, cracked window next to her bed. Sighing heavily, she fell into a sound sleep, dreaming of that love she had found only a few hours before.
***
"Chapter…" Free whispered, shaking her shoulder softly. "Come on hunny, you have to get up." Chapter groaned loudly and flopped over to glare at her. She had been awake when Free had entered. She had lain perfectly still and had tried to breathe like those asleep. She didn't want to get up. Actually, she wanted to dissolve into the folds of her warm blankets.
"Why…" she whined.
"Sweetie, we have to go to the rally." Free said softly.
"What rally?" she asked drowsily.
"You know…the Bronxes rally? Everybody's gonna be there. We have obligation." And to this Chapter groaned. "Oh come on, Chapter. Sit UP." Grumbling, Chapter sat, blinking the sleepiness from her eyes.
"Why do I gotta go? Nobody's gonna notice if I go anyway…"
"Because Big Shot's worried sick about you. He's downstairs pacing, waiting for you to come back down so he can hold you. That's what he told me, Chapter. Go and talk to him.
"And get this Jersey guy outta your head. It isn't safe for either of you to be sneaking around like that. Look, I gotta go. Blade's waiting. But get down there to Big Shot and he'll make you feel better. I'll see you at the rally." And with that, Free left, out the door and down the stairs. After a few minutes of procrastination, Chapter followed her path, grumbling all the way down the three flights of stairs.
When she reached the lobby, she saw Big Shot, pacing across the floor as Free had described. She reached the bottom of the stairs and he looked up at her, his face immediately filling with relief and happiness.
"Baby!" he exclaimed, rushing over. "Are you okay? I'm so happy you're here." He whispered into her ear, kissing her earlobe softly. Chapter showed no emotion, but moved a step away from him.
"Let's just get this over with." She mumbled. She hadn't looked him in the eye. Big Shot looked at her, hurt by her rejection. But he wouldn't let her know that. Instead, he decided he would just have to be more rough with her. He had been nice that day because of the way he had been rejected the day before. But even THAT didn't work on her, so he'd just have it his way.
The two left the lodging house and started down the street in dead silence. A soft wind blew through the alleys they walked towards Ivory Hall. Big Shot continually stole glances at her, though she looked nowhere but forward. Neither made any attempts at conversation, Chapter plotting her escape plan and Big Shot plotting how he could get her to kiss him again. Soon they approached the hall, its tall, peaked roof reaching up into the early spring twilight. He held the door for her as she entered. As she had expected, it was a packed house. Without so much as a glance backwards, Chapter scooted away from Big Shot and found a few empty chairs in the far corner of the room. A chilled breeze breathed through the open window she sat next to. She sat, resting her arms on the sill, her chin on her arms, staring blankly out the window.
Thinking of Solo, she started to let herself drift off into her own little world. That is how she wished she could live, always in her own little world. Nothing could hurt her there. She watched the stars shine, a piece of the moon glowing, the rest hidden behind a tall tenement building. She heard voices on the street, but paid no attention to them. Until there was someone standing in front of her.
"Chapter?!" the boy whispered excitedly. Chapter looked at him, squinting into the darkness.
"…Solo?" she asked slowly, afraid to get her hopes up.
"Yeah! Oh God, I never thought I'd see you again! Look…Chapter, you have to get out of there. Come with me. Trust me." Chapter leaned closer out the window.
"Why?" She threw a glance over her shoulder.
"Well ya see...my boys... They're out on the streets tonight. They...they might hurt somebody..."