OE Chapter 9 – Tears Of Pearls
**A/N: This chapter's dedicated to Kimi, who literally forced me to write it when I didn't want to. Thanks, goilie. Your feedback and suggestions mean so much to me. I guess they don't call 'em best friends for nothing, huh?**
**Timber is based on the super reviewer Timber, better known on here as Maniac Conlon... also a super-sweet goilie.**
"And we stare each other down / like victims in the grind / Probing all the weakness / and hurt still left behind and we cry / The tears of pearls … Is love really the tragedy the way you might describe? / Or would a thousand lovers / still leave you cold inside? / Make you cry… / These tears of pearls." – Savage Garden
Because of the rain, all the boys had run into the Lodging House, but Kiss hadn't come with them, and none of them could figure out where she'd gone. Most had stayed up late, waiting and hoping that she'd come in soon; finally, Kloppman ordered them all to bed. Everyone obeyed, groaning, but Mush stayed in his seat, hidden by shadows, unbeknownst to Kloppman, who was busy filing things away. He wondered desperately if jealousy would work on Ocean Eyes—if he could convince Kiss to pretend to be his girl, at least around Ocean Eyes… and if Kiss agreed, would Ocean Eyes even become jealous? Or would she just stare blankly at him and pine away for Pie Eater?
A half hour passed, and he was getting fed up. Snores and such had started long ago above him, and he pushed himself out of the old armchair with a sigh. Even Kloppman had gone to bed by now. He shuffled towards the stairs in the dark, hearing a loud clap of thunder outside, and then there was a knock on the door of the Lodging House.
Mush wondered for a moment if he should open the door. On one hand, it could be Kiss. But more likely, she had gone to the Girls' Lodging House for the night with Chance and Melody and Ocean Eyes. And there was the possibility that it could be someone looking for a bed, even though the House was filled to the capacity. Mush turned to go upstairs and ignore the knock, when whoever it was knocked—no, pounded—again.
Sighing heavily, he turned around and went to the door. He unbolted it and peeked through the crack. A whip of lightning illuminated the building and everything around, and he could see the person's face clearly. He gave a little gasp of surprise.
*~*
Ocean Eyes licked her lips nervously. It was still raining steadily and she was completely, utterly lost in Brooklyn. It was dark, and she was terrified. The lightning didn't help much; even though it lit up the buildings and such, it created phantom shadows and made the entire place look frightening. She shivered and pulled her wrap tighter around her body, though it did nothing to warm her: it was also soaked, and freezing. She wiped furiously at her face, ridding her skin of the tears which mixed with the rain.
"Well, well. Whadda we got heah?" someone asked in a low voice. She whirled around and involuntarily let out a little sound of protest. She couldn't see his face, only that he was large, menacing, and carrying a club.
"Don' hoit me, please," she begged, sobbing. "I'se lost, an' I don' know how ta get home…"
"Goils shouldn't be out in da rain," the voice said casually, and the figure swung his club as if bored. "Maybe I'se should teach ya a lesson about it."
"Please, mister. Jus' tell me how ta get back ta Manhattan, an' I'll leave ya alone foreveh."
"That don't seem like as much fun for me, goilie." The boy let out a laugh, and at that moment a clap of thunder sounded, accenting his laugh and making it seem even more maniacal. It was followed directly by a flash of lightning. Ocean Eyes gasped as she got a good look at the boy.
When he saw her face, he hesitated a moment too, then dropped the club to his side and just stared at her, as if uncertain about what to do.
*~*
Mush hesitated only a second. "Kiss!" he said happily, throwing open the door and embracing the girl.
"Mush, dere's no time," she said, seeming panicked. "C'mon. We's gotsta go ta Brooklyn. Dat crazy goil, Ocean Eyes, ran oveh dere in da rain, an' I'se can't find 'er on me own."
Mush licked his lips then smiled. "Well, what is we waitin' fer?" he asked. "Ocean needs us. Dat goil can't last a minute in Brooklyn." He gave a laugh, but it sounded hoarse even to him, as his throat closed up. The thought of Ocean Eyes wandering by herself through Brooklyn in this storm scared him beyond what he thought was possible.
Kiss sighed in relief, and grabbed Mush's hand. She pulled him out into the rain, and the two ran for Brooklyn. Mush didn't feel the cool wind or the harsh drops of water, and was only aware of his beating heart. He knew the kind of people who roamed around Brooklyn after dark. Ocean Eyes wouldn't even be able to look at those people without them taking it wrong. He only hoped that himself and Kiss got to Ocean before they did.
*~*
"So we meets again, goil," the boy said uneasily. He tilted his head to the side and peered at Ocean Eyes.
"Hi, Mountain," she said quietly. She sighed in relief.
Mountain stiffened up at the sound. "Why is you relaxin'?" he asked, raising his eyebrows, though she of course couldn't see him in the dark. "Jus' cuz you know me name doesn' mean nuttin'. I'se BROOKLYN. You'se… Manhattan." He wrinkled his nose at her small, frail figure.
"Mountain, you wouldn' hoit me," Ocean Eyes said, smiling a little. "You'se all talk."
"What did you say?" he asked, stepping until his body pressed against hers. His large, flat face suddenly loomed in front of hers, and his eyes bore straight into her. "Did you jus' say dat I couldn' beat ya up?"
Ocean Eyes gulped and stepped back from him. "No, Mountain, you'se not like dem. You'se diff'rent. I'se saw it in yer eyes back dere—"
Mountain let out a guffaw. "Diff'rent? Goilie, wake up. Brooklyn is uniformity, darlin'. Dat's where ours strength is. An' I don' t'ink dat Spot Conlon would like it very much if I'se lets a GOIL from MANHATTAN talk ta me dis way. Spot's not too happy wit' Manhattan, doll. An' ta tell ya da truth, neither am I." He began to swing his club again, pretending to admire the fine craftsmanship which had gone into its production. "Dis club's name is Maria. An' she's neveh let me down befoah." He stepped closer to Ocean Eyes again. "How's about you get ta know Maria on an … intimate level?"
*~*
"Spot! Dis is a mistake!" Bruise said desperately. "I'se neveh said anythin' against ya! I sweah!"
Spot just glared at him, disbelieving. "Shut up, Bruise. If you ain't guilty, den take dis as a man, an' I'll be da one ta rot in hell fer it, okay?" He rolled his eyes. "Now, dis trial is oveh. You lose."
Travel let out a laugh, staring at Bruise. He was holding the broken-off leg of a table. With a manic glint to his eye, he held back Fever and advanced on Bruise alone. For almost a minute, Bruise succeeded in ducking the swings and kicks and everything else Travel tried to pull on him.
In one second, there came a sickening thud that echoed through Bruise's brain as he felt sticky, thick liquid creeping from the back of his skull down his neck. He put his hand back on the wound in confusion, then looked over his shoulder to see Fever grinning. He'd forgotten the biggest rule: don't trust Brooklyn. And never turn your back on them.
Fever and Travel began to beat him with their wooden weapons, and Bruise felt himself slipping from consciousness. He struggled to stay awakened, because he knew if he didn't, there was a good chance he wouldn't live. He concentrated on one thing and one thing only: Ocean Eyes' beautiful face.
*~*
"I'se screwed up." Kid Blink turned to the person sitting next to him in the park. He hadn't gone in to the Lodging House that night, couldn't. It just felt like he needed to be out in the world. "How could I cause so many problems? Little me?"
Timber raised her eyes to his face. "It's not all yer fault, Blink."
Kid Blink leaned back, and opened his mouth to the falling rain. After letting a few drops fall onto his tongue, he sat up again and looked over at her. This girl, who he'd only met a week before, but had made such an impact on him that he'd broken up with Melody for her. "I ruined Pie Eateh. I ruined me one liddle sistah, Alexandra! I ruined me own best friend! I ruined da bond of Brooklyn and Manhattan. How is dat not all my fault?"
Timber leaned over and hugged him. She kissed his forehead, and looked in his eye seriously. "It's jus' not. Believe me."
Kid Blink stood up. "C'mon, I'm gonna walk ya back ta Brooklyn."
Timber nodded, standing up as well. She shivered. Kid Blink picked her up in his arms and hugged her close to him, trying to keep her as warm as possible. She smiled to herself, snuggled to his chest.
*~*
Ocean Eyes squeezed her eyes shut, and a second later her face was jerked backwards suddenly as the club smashed into her forehead. She reached up dazedly as blood mixed with rain and ran down her face. She braced herself for the next hit by Mountain. It never came.
She opened her eyes when the anticipated blow didn't happen, and saw Mountain down on his knees, bleeding from his nose and lip. He was one of the biggest newsies in Brooklyn, but was completely at the mercy of his attacker. Her defender. She watched, bewildered, as the slimmer boy punched and punched at Mountain. Finally, the big thug slipped into unconsciousness, and the boy who'd saved her turned towards her.
She smiled at him. "I knew you'd come fer me, Mush." Then she fainted.
*~*
Mush carried Ocean Eyes back to Manhattan in his arms, while Kiss anxiously walked beside them. Timber and Kid Blink, on their way across the bridge in the opposite direction when they ran into the small party, turned around and came back with them. They walked to Denton's apartment and Denton graciously let them in. Mush laid Ocean Eyes down in Denton's bed and the four teenagers looked down at her in concern and love while Denton attended to her injury.
Travel and Fever chuckled to themselves as they picked up Bruise's limp body. Spot opened the door for them and looked with disdain at his once-prize fighter. The two huge guys threw Bruise out in the raining, deserted street, where he lay, cold and alone and unconscious, for the rest of the night.
**Copyright © Mondie 2002**
