Chapter Eight
Solo ran through the alleys and past the buildings, racing madly to get to Chapter's lodging house. He had to find her. He had to try to explain. Turning a corner, he saw it, the Bronx Newsies Lodging House. He knew better than to enter from the front door, where he would be mauled until death by the group of mourning newsies in the lobby. Instead, he looked up.
At the very top of the building stood a small window. Solo could make out the faint flickering of a candle. He knew Chapter had to be up there. Quickly and silently, he climbed the fire escape that led to her window. When he reached the top, he peered into the room behind the window.
It was cracked, with pieces of the glass missing, and he could hear movements inside. He looked harder and tried to see past the thick dust. The outline of a girl was stretched out on a battered cot. She was sobbing, crying so hard that it hurt Solo's heart. Yes, this was Chapter. He didn't disturb her for a while as he just stood there on the fire escape, gazing in on her. He was so scared. This was the first time since he was little that he ever remembered being scared. He didn't want to hurt her and he didn't want to be hurt by her. What if she wouldn't talk to him? What if she wouldn't look at him? He didn't dare take the chance.
***
Chapter stirred, wiping her tears away. The tears seemed to come and go. She tried to be strong, to lift her head high and take it all in her stride. She about killed herself every time she recalled all the times she had said she wanted to be free from her brother. Now, all she wanted in the entire world was to have him back, standing in front of her and yelling at her for this or that. But he wouldn't ever do that again. He was dead.
With that blunt thought, she broke down again and the tears ran anew. How could he do that to her? How could he die and leave her? She needed him, damnit. She needed him…
***
The old iron of the fire escape lurched and squeaked as Solo shifted his weight to the other foot. He stopped mid-motion and gulped. Chapter had heard, he was sure of it. And he was right.
Chapter came to the window and saw him. She exploded with emotions. Words wouldn't come to her lips. The two just stood where they were for a few moments, Solo with eyes wider than dinner plates, Chapter with so many emotions coursing through her, she appeared emotionless, and the cracked window between them.
"Solo," she finally uttered.
"Chapter, please…you have to understand…" Solo pleaded. He put his hand on the glass, desperate. Chapter turned her back to him, her body shaking. He couldn't see her cry. She had to be stronger than him. "Chapter! Listen to me! Please? You have to listen to me…" She slowly turned back around. The fresh tearstains that ran down her cheeks shone in the pale moonlight. She moved to the window again and put her hands on the base of the window pane. Giving it a push, it moved upwards an inch or two. She fought with the stubborn window for a few more minutes, still shaking from her tears until she finally gave up and turned and walked away, frustrated. She gave into her sobs and they racked through her body mercilessly.
Solo wasn't about to give in that easily. He himself grabbed onto the window, half opened. He heaved against it several times until it permitted enough space for him to crawl through. Solo approached her slowly. She was facing the wall, resting her forehead against it, still sobbing. He put a tentative hand against her quivering shoulder. She shrugged it off as soon as it touched her and whipped around. She punched him in the gut hard, her face twisted in terrible agony.
"How could you kill him?!" She howled, "How could you, Solo? HOW?!" He recoiled from her blow, it being harder than he had known she could hit. She promptly collapsed onto her cot, a few feet away. Her sobs grew harder by the moment.
Solo regained his composure and came to the cot. He picked her light body up in his arms, sat down on the cot, and held onto her. She protested and tried to hit him, succeeding plenty of times. Solo took every blow and didn't shy from anything, word or fist. She could never hurt him as bad as he had hurt her, but he was willing to take everything she had for him.
He whispered words to her, the same comforting words he had whispered to her earlier that night. She continued to cry and flail her fists at him and yell horrible words at him. He knew that those weren't true words. But he didn't say anything to her besides his comforting, sweet, quiet words.
When at last Chapter gave into his kind words, she dropped her fists and fell against him, exhausted. She cried still, but with less vigor. Solo put his arms around her, whispering to her, letting her cry as long as she needed to. He kissed her cheek softly and wiped away the tearstains littering her freckly cheeks. He pulled a few strands of her reddish brown hair away from her face and kissed her forehead.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Chapter. I'll understand if you never speak to me again. But if this is the last time that I'll hold you in my arms, know that I love you. I love you, Chapter." Chapter only cried and nuzzled closer to him. She couldn't respond to that. What was she supposed to say? She couldn't forgive him. Not yet.
"I love you." she whispered so quietly. Her voice was so meek. They both fell silent with only the sound of Chapter's soft sobs filling the room.
Chapter heard a stair creak. It was from the staircase outside her door, the 4th stair from the bottom to be exact. That stair always creaked.
Chapter jumped up, "You have to get out of here!" she whispered urgently, "They'll kill you," Solo hurried to the window, looked back at Chapter, who had followed him, and kissed her cheek quickly. Someone pounded at the door.
"Go!" she hissed. He was out the window. He hurried down the fire escape. The door opened.
Free stepped into the room. Chapter still stood at the window, looking terrified.
"Are you alright, Chapter?" Free asked softly. "You haven't come down in hours." Chapter didn't budge from the window, trying to conceal the outside view. Solo was racing down the street, away from her. Free eyed her suspiciously, "What are you doing?" She moved over to where Chapter was standing and pushed her gently out of the way. Chapter gulped and shut her eyes tight.
Free saw. She saw the boy running down the street. And then she turned back to Chapter, infuriated. Free slapped Chapter hard.
"He killed your brother!" she screamed. Chapter fell back, against the wall. Her hand was against her red, stinging cheek and she was sobbing in pain, anger and humiliation.
"I love him, Free! I LOVE him!" Chapter glared at her, shaking in fury.
"But you loved your brother more! Have you thought of that? I loved Blade, Chapter. I LOVED him. But now he's DEAD!" Free was crying again, for the hundredth time that night. "He's dead. And that boy…that…boy killed him. The one you love killed your family!"
"I don't care." She said softly. So softly, Free almost missed it. She stopped her droning and turned to her, her eyes livid with inexpressible anger.
"Don't you DARE say that, you stupid, foolish girl! Don't SAY that! HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT?! You care, Chapter. Oh, God you care. You just don't know how much you care." Free turned from her and cried so hard she couldn't speak. She tried to stop her tears, to get more of the words she had to say out, but it was impossible. Now Chapter could speak.
"I love him, Free. I will love him for a long, long time. I can't change what he's done. I can't…bring Blade back. I loved him, too, Free. He was my brother, I loved him more than any of us. And he's gone."
"Big Shot. He's gonna kill Solo if he finds him. You know that, don't you? He's out on the streets, looking for him now."
Chapter bolted from the room, down the stairs and out the main doors onto the streets. She had to find Big Shot. Or she had to find Solo. Either way, she had to find someone, to make them stop their pointless game. Nothing good could come of it.
***
The crescent moon shone over the New York streets. Loner of the Jerseys stood at his window, gazing up at it. Free, still in Chapter's room, stared out the window, up into the face of the beaming moon. Solo, from in the streets, saw the moon as it lit his path. Big Shot let the moonlight guide him through his lethal course. And the moonlight, from the same moon, reflected off the water of the river, shone in the drying pools of blood staining the docks, and echoed over two dead bodies.
The deep blue sky was still.
Solo ran through the alleys and past the buildings, racing madly to get to Chapter's lodging house. He had to find her. He had to try to explain. Turning a corner, he saw it, the Bronx Newsies Lodging House. He knew better than to enter from the front door, where he would be mauled until death by the group of mourning newsies in the lobby. Instead, he looked up.
At the very top of the building stood a small window. Solo could make out the faint flickering of a candle. He knew Chapter had to be up there. Quickly and silently, he climbed the fire escape that led to her window. When he reached the top, he peered into the room behind the window.
It was cracked, with pieces of the glass missing, and he could hear movements inside. He looked harder and tried to see past the thick dust. The outline of a girl was stretched out on a battered cot. She was sobbing, crying so hard that it hurt Solo's heart. Yes, this was Chapter. He didn't disturb her for a while as he just stood there on the fire escape, gazing in on her. He was so scared. This was the first time since he was little that he ever remembered being scared. He didn't want to hurt her and he didn't want to be hurt by her. What if she wouldn't talk to him? What if she wouldn't look at him? He didn't dare take the chance.
***
Chapter stirred, wiping her tears away. The tears seemed to come and go. She tried to be strong, to lift her head high and take it all in her stride. She about killed herself every time she recalled all the times she had said she wanted to be free from her brother. Now, all she wanted in the entire world was to have him back, standing in front of her and yelling at her for this or that. But he wouldn't ever do that again. He was dead.
With that blunt thought, she broke down again and the tears ran anew. How could he do that to her? How could he die and leave her? She needed him, damnit. She needed him…
***
The old iron of the fire escape lurched and squeaked as Solo shifted his weight to the other foot. He stopped mid-motion and gulped. Chapter had heard, he was sure of it. And he was right.
Chapter came to the window and saw him. She exploded with emotions. Words wouldn't come to her lips. The two just stood where they were for a few moments, Solo with eyes wider than dinner plates, Chapter with so many emotions coursing through her, she appeared emotionless, and the cracked window between them.
"Solo," she finally uttered.
"Chapter, please…you have to understand…" Solo pleaded. He put his hand on the glass, desperate. Chapter turned her back to him, her body shaking. He couldn't see her cry. She had to be stronger than him. "Chapter! Listen to me! Please? You have to listen to me…" She slowly turned back around. The fresh tearstains that ran down her cheeks shone in the pale moonlight. She moved to the window again and put her hands on the base of the window pane. Giving it a push, it moved upwards an inch or two. She fought with the stubborn window for a few more minutes, still shaking from her tears until she finally gave up and turned and walked away, frustrated. She gave into her sobs and they racked through her body mercilessly.
Solo wasn't about to give in that easily. He himself grabbed onto the window, half opened. He heaved against it several times until it permitted enough space for him to crawl through. Solo approached her slowly. She was facing the wall, resting her forehead against it, still sobbing. He put a tentative hand against her quivering shoulder. She shrugged it off as soon as it touched her and whipped around. She punched him in the gut hard, her face twisted in terrible agony.
"How could you kill him?!" She howled, "How could you, Solo? HOW?!" He recoiled from her blow, it being harder than he had known she could hit. She promptly collapsed onto her cot, a few feet away. Her sobs grew harder by the moment.
Solo regained his composure and came to the cot. He picked her light body up in his arms, sat down on the cot, and held onto her. She protested and tried to hit him, succeeding plenty of times. Solo took every blow and didn't shy from anything, word or fist. She could never hurt him as bad as he had hurt her, but he was willing to take everything she had for him.
He whispered words to her, the same comforting words he had whispered to her earlier that night. She continued to cry and flail her fists at him and yell horrible words at him. He knew that those weren't true words. But he didn't say anything to her besides his comforting, sweet, quiet words.
When at last Chapter gave into his kind words, she dropped her fists and fell against him, exhausted. She cried still, but with less vigor. Solo put his arms around her, whispering to her, letting her cry as long as she needed to. He kissed her cheek softly and wiped away the tearstains littering her freckly cheeks. He pulled a few strands of her reddish brown hair away from her face and kissed her forehead.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Chapter. I'll understand if you never speak to me again. But if this is the last time that I'll hold you in my arms, know that I love you. I love you, Chapter." Chapter only cried and nuzzled closer to him. She couldn't respond to that. What was she supposed to say? She couldn't forgive him. Not yet.
"I love you." she whispered so quietly. Her voice was so meek. They both fell silent with only the sound of Chapter's soft sobs filling the room.
Chapter heard a stair creak. It was from the staircase outside her door, the 4th stair from the bottom to be exact. That stair always creaked.
Chapter jumped up, "You have to get out of here!" she whispered urgently, "They'll kill you," Solo hurried to the window, looked back at Chapter, who had followed him, and kissed her cheek quickly. Someone pounded at the door.
"Go!" she hissed. He was out the window. He hurried down the fire escape. The door opened.
Free stepped into the room. Chapter still stood at the window, looking terrified.
"Are you alright, Chapter?" Free asked softly. "You haven't come down in hours." Chapter didn't budge from the window, trying to conceal the outside view. Solo was racing down the street, away from her. Free eyed her suspiciously, "What are you doing?" She moved over to where Chapter was standing and pushed her gently out of the way. Chapter gulped and shut her eyes tight.
Free saw. She saw the boy running down the street. And then she turned back to Chapter, infuriated. Free slapped Chapter hard.
"He killed your brother!" she screamed. Chapter fell back, against the wall. Her hand was against her red, stinging cheek and she was sobbing in pain, anger and humiliation.
"I love him, Free! I LOVE him!" Chapter glared at her, shaking in fury.
"But you loved your brother more! Have you thought of that? I loved Blade, Chapter. I LOVED him. But now he's DEAD!" Free was crying again, for the hundredth time that night. "He's dead. And that boy…that…boy killed him. The one you love killed your family!"
"I don't care." She said softly. So softly, Free almost missed it. She stopped her droning and turned to her, her eyes livid with inexpressible anger.
"Don't you DARE say that, you stupid, foolish girl! Don't SAY that! HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT?! You care, Chapter. Oh, God you care. You just don't know how much you care." Free turned from her and cried so hard she couldn't speak. She tried to stop her tears, to get more of the words she had to say out, but it was impossible. Now Chapter could speak.
"I love him, Free. I will love him for a long, long time. I can't change what he's done. I can't…bring Blade back. I loved him, too, Free. He was my brother, I loved him more than any of us. And he's gone."
"Big Shot. He's gonna kill Solo if he finds him. You know that, don't you? He's out on the streets, looking for him now."
Chapter bolted from the room, down the stairs and out the main doors onto the streets. She had to find Big Shot. Or she had to find Solo. Either way, she had to find someone, to make them stop their pointless game. Nothing good could come of it.
***
The crescent moon shone over the New York streets. Loner of the Jerseys stood at his window, gazing up at it. Free, still in Chapter's room, stared out the window, up into the face of the beaming moon. Solo, from in the streets, saw the moon as it lit his path. Big Shot let the moonlight guide him through his lethal course. And the moonlight, from the same moon, reflected off the water of the river, shone in the drying pools of blood staining the docks, and echoed over two dead bodies.
The deep blue sky was still.