OE Chapter 1 - The Middle
"It just takes some time / Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride / Everything, everything will be just fine / Everything, everything will be all right, all right." - Jimmy Eat World
"This is me sistah, Alexandra."
The words were enough to shock the crowd in the square into silence. Racetrack had just won a game of poker, but didn't collect; his jaw hung open as he stared. Jack was sitting on the base of the statue of Horace Greeley, wearing his cowboy hat, but he was so surprised, he slid off it and onto the ground, knocking Mush over as well. Both of THEM stayed where they were, mouths open like Race. In fact, every newsie present in the square had similar expressions.
Kid Blink swallowed. "Well, ain't ya gonna say nuttin'?" He gave his little sister a big smile.
"When'd you get a sistah, Blink?" asked Jack, the first person to be able to speak.
Kid Blink laughed. "You don' jus' pick 'em up at da store, Jack." His arm went around his sister protectively. "She's been me sistah since she was boin, fifteen yeahs ago."
This seemed to satisfy Jack, who got to his feet. "Hiya, Alexandra," he said, kissing her hand. "I'se Jack. Jack Kelly."
"I'se figgered out who you was," she answered with a little smile. "You'se da on'y one wit a cowboy hat on. Dis big ol' bruddah a' mine sometimes sends me lettehs an' such, ya know."
Mush scrambled to his feet next. "I'se Mush!" he nearly shouted, shoving Jack out of the way. He gave Alexandra a hug and kissed her cheek. Alexandra smiled wider at him.
Kid Blink noticed this and also noticed Mush looking his sister up and down, and liking what he saw. Therefore Kid Blink rolled his eyes and shoved Mush away. He knew Mush, though his best friend, was a flirt and, as a protective older brother, didn't want Alex getting hurt.
"Dat oveh dere is Race," he said, pointing out the gambling fiend who had finally come to his senses and was gathering up his money. "And dere's Snoddy, and Itey, and Snipeshooteh, an' dat's Boots, an' dere's Skittery, an' dat oveh dere is Davey an' his little bruddah, Les."
Alexandra nodded politely at everyone. "Oh, look!" said Kid Blink happily. "Dat's Denton! 'E must be back! 'E went away on vacation a coupla weeks ago," he explained hastily. "I'se gonna go say hello." He ran with Jack and Mush and Davey to go greet Denton.
Alexandra looked around at the newsies who were waiting politely for Denton to make it to them. "Hi, what's yer name?" she asked a nice-looking guy who she hadn't been introduced to.
He looked at her for a moment, then looked around, as if trying to figure out who she was talking to.
"Yes, you! Silly!" she chastised, smiling at the boy.
"Pie Eateh," he said quietly, looking up at her from under thick, dark eyelashes. She sat down next to him on the bench.
"I'se Alexandra, but you kin call me Alex," she said, and held out her hand. Pie Eater looked at her uncertainly for a few seconds, then shook her hand doubtfully.
"ALEX!" She looked up when Kid Blink bellowed her name. "Come meet Denton!" She smiled at Pie Eater as she stood up.
"Ya comin'?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I'se raddah stay heah, t'anks."
She shrugged at him then skipped over to her brother. Pie Eater watched as she shook Denton's hand, her light brown curls bouncing. Then he watched as Mush tried again to get Alex's attention, and Kid Blink again shoved him away. Mush glared at Kid Blink and pouted.
That night, Kid Blink took Alexandra to dinner at Tibby's. They sat at a table with Jack, Mush (who came over as soon as they entered the restaurant and, try as hard as Kid Blink did, couldn't be shaken), Race, and Spot Conlon, from Brooklyn. Alex got into the conversation and answered the questions that were asked of her.
"Why'd ya come heah?" wondered Jack, shoving a biscuit into his mouth and chewing.
"Me muddah died two months ago," she said quietly, "An' I couldn' stand livin' in dat house wit' on'y me fadduh. So I'se decided ta come find Christian."
"Christian?" Race said, looking up from the money he was counting (he was trying to figure out just how much food he could order and still get papes the next morning).
Kid Blink glowered at her. "I'se tol' ya not ta say me real name!" he mumbled.
"You'se name is Christian?!" Jack shouted merrily, sending crumbs of biscuit flying. Everyone at Tibby's looked over. Kid Blink buried his face in his hands in embarrassment.
"Sorry, Chris— Kid Blink," said Alex quietly. "I'se didn' mean ta—"
"Oh, it ain't so bad," said Jack, lowering his voice slightly. "I mean, my name is Francis!"
Alex stared at him. "I'se t'ought you'se name was Jack?"
Jack smiled at her as if he felt sorry for her for being such a poor, naïve little lamb. "None a' us keep ours real names, sweetheaht. Dat's not da way it woiks aroun' heah."
"So what's MY new name den?" Alex asked, sitting back in the chair.
Kid Blink raised his head and shook it at her. "You'se goin' back ta da house. Dese streets ain't any place fer a goil like yerself, Alex. I don' wan' you'se gettin' a newsie name an' den gettin' attached an' den tellin' me you ain't leavin'. Foist train dis weekend, you'se back home. Where you'se belong." He crossed his arms over his chest in a very final way.
Alex glared at him, then turned back to Jack. "What's me new name?" she repeated, tossing her hair.
Jack loved getting a rise out of Kid Blink almost as much as he loved biscuits, so as he shoved another biscuit in his mouth, he contemplated just what to rename Alex as. "How abou'…" He trailed off, uncertain.
Mush chimed right in. "Ocean Eyes," he said, looking deep into Alex's crystal turqoise eyes. She blushed and looked away.
"Dat's good, Mushy Boy!" Jack said, smiling approvingly. "Ocean Eyes she is."
"No!" said Kid Blink, staring at his friends in disbelief. "Did ya not jus' heah wha' I tol' 'er? Now she won't neveh wanna leave."
"I neveh wan'ed to leave befoah, bruddah deares'," she said sweetly, rising out of her chair. She kissed his cheek and wandered from the table.
"I sweah, I could jus' KEEL you fellas…" Kid Blink mumbled, staring down at his plate.
"Wheah's she goin'?" Mush wondered, watching as she wandered through the room.
Pie Eater, sitting quietly at the table behind them, wondered the same thing.
That night, Kid Blink didn't know what to do with his little sister. He didn't think Mr. Kloppman would let her board with all the boys, and he was pretty sure that he himself didn't want her to, either. He didn't want to see what excitement that would cause Mush.
He ended up taking her to the girls' lodging house next door, where he gave his two best female friends, Chance (who had bright red hair, big green eyes, and was the love interest of Race) and Melody (black hair, pale skin, wasn't going out with anyone, but sure had a way of over-dramatizing everything) a stern talking-to about taking care of Alex. As soon as he was gone, Alex collapsed onto a bunk that Chance told her was unoccupied.
"Gawd, I'se neveh seen Blink so woiked up befoah!" Melody exclaimed, climbing up to the bunk above Alex. "'E shoah gets uptight when you'se aroun', Alex!"
"Ah, da name's Ocean Eyes," came the response. "Mush named me dis aftahnoon, but Chris— Kid Blink still insists on callin' me Alex. He seems to t'ink dat if I'se don' get a name, I'll hate it heah and agree to go back home like a good little goil."
"Mush…" said Melody dreamily, peeking down from her bunk. "Isn't 'e dreamy?"
"I s'pose," said Ocean Eyes slowly. "But dere's someone I t'ink I'se like bettah."
"Bettah dan Mush?" Chance repeated. "Why, every goil aroun' heah loves Mush!" She narrowed her eyes a little suspiciously. She was sitting on the bunk next to Ocean Eyes. "It ain't Racetrack, is it? Dat boy is one hun'erd pacent MINE."
Ocean Eyes laughed. "No, not Race. 'E's nice an' all, but…" She leaned forward so the other six girls in the room wouldn't hear her. "I'se like Pie Eateh betteh."
"Pie Eateh?" the girls chorused, looking at each other.
"Shh!" said Ocean Eyes quickly. "Yes, Pie Eateh." She smiled to herself as she thought of the quiet, dark-haired boy.
"But… 'e's so quiet! How'd ya even notice 'im?" Melody asked. Chance had a very confused look on her face.
"Which one's Pie Eateh, again?" she asked. Melody described him to her. Chance shook her head. "I'se don' know 'im! I didn' even know dere WAS someone named Pie Eateh in Manhattan… is 'e from Brooklyn? One a' Spot Conlon's gang?"
"No," said Ocean Eyes. "'E's from Manhattan."
"Well, damn!" said Chance in surprise. "Mel, ya gotta introduce me to 'im tomorra. I'se can' believe I never even hoid a him!"
"Well, e's purty quiet, an' shy-like. I'se surprised he said anything at all to ya, Ocean Eyes," Melody said.
At that moment, the lady in charge, Miss Constantine (who was in her twenties and, according to Melody, courting with twelve different men), walked in and insisted they all go to bed.
"Don' worry, Ocean Eyes," said Chance sleepily as the light was turned off. "I don' know who dis Pie Eateh is, but I'se shoah we's can get 'im ta be yer beau."
"Ya better hurry," answered Ocean Eyes, just as exhausted. "Christian—I mean, Blink—is sendin' me back home at da end a' da week."
"Well, damn dat bruddah a' yers. If he ain't da stubbornest t'ing eveh…" Melody began. In the middle of her rant, she realized that everyone—Ocean Eyes and Chance included—had fallen asleep. She laughed a little to herself before going to sleep, too.
**Copyright © 2002 Mondie**
