OE Chapter 10 – Invisible Man

"I wish you'd look at me that way / Your beautiful eyes lookin' deep into mine / Tellin' me more than any words could say / But you don't even know I'm alive / Baby, to you, all I am, is the invisible man." – 98°

            "I'se so glad she'll be a'right," Timber said softly as she and Kid Blink exited Denton's apartment building. It was nearly dawn, and they were finally leaving so Timber could get some rest in Brooklyn before her day officially began.

            "Me too," Kid Blink said, exhaustion masking his emotion. He loosely clung to Timber's hand, and hadn't felt so drained, mentally or physically, in his near recollection.

            "So how old was you when ya left yer house?" Timber asked after a few minutes of silent walking.

            "Eight," he answered. "I woulda left befoah den, but I couldn', cuz Alex couldn'a handled herself against me fadduh. But as soon as I knew she could handle 'erself, I was gone." He grimaced to himself. "I'se shouln' a left 'er, even den. I'se shoulda loined ta live wit' it."

            "I'se glad you didn'," Timber told him, looking up at his profile, then back at the road. "Cuz if you wasn' a newsie, den I wouldn' a met yous, an' I wouldn' be filled wit' da happiness dat I'm filled wit' now."

            Kid looked down at her and smiled. "T'anks." He quickly kissed her, then they continued on their way to Brooklyn, talking lightly.

            They made it to Brooklyn, and Kid Blink was glad he'd walked Timber home, because the jeering boys who stood watch over the streets didn't look like the kind of guys a girl out walking would want to run into. He took her to the Girls' Lodging House she stayed in, kissed her goodbye, and watched her walk in. Then he turned to go back to Manhattan.

            Halfway there, he stopped. He looked around him. He'd heard of Spot's new hangout, an old, abandoned warehouse. He knew where it was, and he turned to go there. He had to talk to Pie Eater. Somehow, he had to fix things between the two of them. That way, things would be changed between himself and his little sister. He couldn't stand the idea that she was scared of him.

            He walked quickly, and felt the eyes of the large Brooklyn boys the whole way to the building. He paused outside it, and was about to go inside when he noticed a figure cast aside in the street to the left of the entrance. He ran over and rolled the great brute over. He started when he saw it was Pie Eater, and quickly bent to find a pulse. Luckily, there was one, though very weak and sporadic. He slapped at the boy until Pie Eater groaned and tried to roll away. Then Kid Blink made him get up and, letting himself be used as a crutch, escorted Pie Eater back to Manhattan.

*~*

            Mush was sitting beside the bed when Ocean Eyes finally stirred late the next morning. She opened her large eyes and groaned.

            "Moinin'," Mush said softly.

            Little beads of sweat broke out on her forehead, then she turned and vomited onto the floor beside the bed. Mush leaned over and held back her hair until she was done. Still weak and feeling defeated, she leaned back on her pillow and stared up at the ceiling. Mush just smiled, because even though she was bruised and sick, she was still the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.

            Just then, Kid Blink came in the room, calling something to Denton, who was having brunch in the kitchen. He smiled when he saw Mush and Ocean Eyes. He clapped his best friend on the back, then grinned at his little sister. "How is ya, Alex?" he asked.

            She struggled to sit up, but was too weak. She attempted a smile. "I'se hoit an' I'se jus' feel so… useless," she said. "It's like me body'll neveh woik again. It's like… how I'd feel afteh Fadduh'd beat me up right afteh you left."

            Kid Blink bit his lower lip. "Alex, I'se sorry I left ya all dose yeahs ago. Dat was wrong a me. An' I don' know how ta make it up to ya."

            "Jus' be heah for me now. You'se da on'y bruddah I'se got, Christian. An' I love ya." She made a motion for him to come closer and they hugged.

            "Know who's back in Manhattan?" he said, pulling away.

            "Who?" she asked, leaning once more against her pillow.

            "Pie Eateh. When I was walkin' Timbeh home, I'se found 'im. 'E'd been soaked. 'E's back in da Lodgin' House. Kloppman's lookin' afteh 'im."

            A big smile lit Ocean Eyes' face. "An' is 'e Pie Eateh again? Or still Bruise?"

            Kid Blink smiled back. "He told me hisself dat he wants ta be Pie Eateh again."

            Tears of joy sprang to her eyes. Mush noticed, but didn't say anything.

            "Aw, I'd betteh tell Denton you t'rew up all oveh da place," Kid Blink said, looking with disgust at the floor.

            Ocean Eyes giggled. "Pie Eateh's really back?" she said, as Kid Blink walked back across the room to the door.

            He nodded. "'E really is." With a large grin, he stepped out of the room and went yelling for Denton, who apparently had left for a walk or something.

            Ocean Eyes looked over at Mush, who was looking down at his hands. "I'se sorry, Mush," she said, and was acting a lot more lively; apparently the news of Pie Eater had brought up her spirits. "You'se always treated me good. You was always dere. I jus'… I jus' get a diff'rent feelin' when I'se wit' Pie Eateh den when I'se wit' you. Ya know?"

            Mush looked up at her. He nodded. "You can't help da way yer heaht feels, Ocean. But I'll always be heah fer you. If I can't be da one you love, den I jus' want ta be a friend to ya. Da bes' friend I can be. I'll always be heah ta listen to ya."

            Ocean Eyes couldn't fight the smile, nor did she want to. "Thanks, Mush." She leaned forward and embraced him. He hugged her back, squeezing his eyes tight so that the tears that had gathered didn't leak out. Her happiness was more important than his.

*~*

            Another day passed before Ocean Eyes was strong enough to leave Denton's apartment. Pie Eater was still recovering in the Lodging House, and that was the first place Ocean Eyes wanted to go. She was still a little feeble, so she was leaning on Mush and Kid Blink as she exited, and Melody and Chance, chattering happily, followed them to make it a parade. Newsies smiled hellos to her, and she obliged them back, but her heart wasn't in it; she just wanted to go see Pie Eater as quickly as she could.

            Kloppman led them up the stairs to the bunk room, and Ocean Eyes' heart hammered in her chest. She didn't know what to expect. Would Pie Eater have changed back from his Brooklyn ways? Could he change back? Would being back in Manhattan be enough to make him sweet again? Or was his heart hardened by now? Kloppman had cleaning to do, so he left them when they reached the top of the stairs.

            When she saw his stiff, sleeping body, her heart nearly broke. He was even more bruised, more cut, more hurt than when he'd left Manhattan for Brooklyn. She rushed over to his bedside, while the other four teenagers hung back and watched. Tears ran down her cheeks as she looked at him, then she leaned over him and began hungrily kissing his lips.

            His eyes opened in surprise, then a shy smile curved his lips. "Ocean Eyes," he breathed. He gingerly reached out a hand and ran it through her light brown curls. "Gawd, I'se missed ya."

            She held his hand in both of hers, pressing it to her cheek, still crying. "I love you," she sobbed.

            He smiled again. "I love you, too." He struggled to raise his battered body so that he could kiss her. She met him halfway, and their kiss was sweet and fulfilling.

            Kid Blink tried to be tolerant, but felt his older-brother-protectiveness come down hard. He cleared his throat several times to make them stop, but this didn't work. Chance giggled at him (Melody would have giggled too, but she was working hard to ignore him because she'd seen him walking with Timber the other day and was feeling jealous and hurt). Finally, he heaved a sigh and marched over and pulled Ocean Eyes to her feet. "Dat's enough," he said firmly. "Dat's one a dose t'ings you should NEVEH do if you'se bruddah is right heah in da room."

            Ocean Eyes laughed, and when she looked up at her brother and hugged him, her eyes danced in a way he hadn't seen in a very long time. Mush noticed the look of elation on her face and noted to himself she'd never looked that happy with him. He struggled to smile, for her benefit, but couldn't pull it off. He wondered silently what he could've done differently to make her happier with him. What he could've said, what he could've given her… He focused on the curtains in the room, because his thoughts were making him go crazy.

*~*

            A week later, Pie Eater and Ocean Eyes were both back to selling their newspapers. They sold together, and nobody could help but smile when they saw the couple, because they were so cute together. Nobody, save Mush.

            True to his word, he'd become Ocean Eyes' best friend, even though it nearly killed him every time she told him how spectacular Pie Eater was. Every time she'd talk about his gorgeous dark eyes, his satin hair, his sweet temper, it would make Mush flare inwardly with jealousy, but it was the only way he could ever be near Ocean Eyes. He knew that as much as it hurt him to hear her going on about Pie Eater, it would hurt more to be cast entirely from her life. So he stayed with it, making himself smile, forcing himself to be happy. For her. Only for her.

            They began to have talks every night near the Horace Greeley statue, just the two of them. It was Pie Eater's time to unwind and talk with his friends, such as Snoddy (who had been so happy that his friend was back, he'd forgiven him everything), so Mush was happy, because he got guaranteed alone time with Ocean Eyes.

            The two of them talked about a lot of things, from what their home life had been like, to what their dreams were. Ocean Eyes was surprised at how easy it was to talk to Mush. The entire time they'd been courting, she had been too caught up with missing Pie Eater and continually comparing Mush to the ideal Pie Eater in her brain (who wasn't actually anything like Pie Eater, but she convinced herself that he was) that she'd entirely missed this serious, beautiful part of him.

            The stars were beginning to show, which was generally the time when the two would head back to their respective Lodging Houses. Mush tensed himself to jump off the statue's base.

            "Mush?" Ocean Eyes asked quietly. "…Can I show you something?"

            "What?" Mush asked, leaning back on his arms.

            She reached for her sleeve, and unbuttoned the cuff. She rolled it up a little, and Mush stared with repulsion at the dark brown bruise.

            "Wha' happened to ya? Didja fall down da stairs or sumpin?" he asked, gingerly taking her arm in his hands and tracing around the colored area with his thumb.

            She looked at him and bit her lip. "Pie Eateh got mad at me oiliah ta-day," she said softly.

            Mush's temper flared. "WHAT?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. A pigeon squawked at the sudden outburst and flew from the statue.

            She offered a small smile. "'E didn' mean it, Mush. It jus' happened, I guess." She looked down at her boots. "Sometimes da t'ings I do make 'im mad."

            "Has he done it befoah?" Mush asked, not able to comprehend what he was hearing.

            She stared ahead for a little while before answering. "On'y a few times," she answered. "Dere's a bruise farther up on my arm, up heah," she said, pointing at the opposite arm's bicep. "An'…" She sighed a little, then tugged at the neckline of her dress, pulling it over so that it exposed her shoulder blade. There was another large bruise. "Dere's a matchin' one on da uddah side," she said, laughing a little. Her laughter cut short when Mush didn't join in.

            Mush just stared at her a little longer, not believing. Finally he spoke one question which had popped eagerly into his mind. "Why did ya show me?"

            She shrugged. "Because I can trust ya, Mush. If I tol' Christian, 'e'd have Pie Eateh's head befoah da moon rises tonight. Da goils wouldn' un'erstand. But you… I know you won' go an' do somethin' stupid, like soak Pie Eateh. …He needs me, Mush. An' I'se love 'im. But sometimes…" Her voice broke and she couldn't finish the thought. Tears collected on her lashes. "I'se betteh go in ta bed." She jumped off the statue and tugged at her clothes until they lay just right again.

            Mush smiled a goodnight to her, but his brain couldn't process the thought that Pie Eater was hurting the girl he loved. And he couldn't even do anything about it.

**Copyright © Mondie 2002**