This songfic was written for Blinks-Tiger. Hope you like it goilie!
Everyone, please read and review… it's my first songfic. :)
.:Song lyrics are from the song "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne from her album Let Go:.
.:I'm standing on the bridge
I'm waiting in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now:.
Tiger stood in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge. She shivered as she looked around. She'd hardly ever been out in the night before, and never alone. She stood on the sturdy structure, the only thing stable she knew at the moment. She jammed the heels of her chapped hands into her eyes to stop the tears that were forming. At that moment, she never wanted to leave her current spot. She balanced between Brooklyn and Manhattan, as if they were two options she could consider. But she couldn't consider Brooklyn, could she? Spot's refusal to come get her from this very halted place was evidence enough of that. If Spot was coming, he would have been here by now.
So that was it, then.
It was over.
.:There's nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but there's no sound:.
She knew she had to go to Manhattan. Where else was there for her to go? Still, she remained rooted in her stance on the bridge, unable to move. She silently cursed Spot for having this hold on her. Her feet seemed locked.
The sky had threatened rain all day, but to the newsies' exuberance (for no one enjoyed getting wet, except Drip), nothing had come of it yet. As Tiger stared straight ahead at the murky, midnight-black water, not looking to the paths that led to her future and from her past, she suddenly felt the earth tremble as a mighty rumble of thunder whipped the air currents. She shivered involuntarily. A plump raindrop fell straight onto the top of her head, and she whimpered slightly, upset that when she'd stormed out, she'd forgotten to grab her cap.
.:Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?:.
Where the hell was he? Was Spot really going to let her stand out in the rain, let her freeze to death? Spot was surely rude, mean, feared, and eccentric, but he had always had a soft place in his heart for Tiger. Why else had he let her, the one person in all of Brooklyn who refused to fight, stay in his Lodging House for so long? Why else had he never been able to yell at her without laughing?
And why else had his kisses tasted so sweet and lasted so long?
Tiger shoved her hands in the pockets of her long, thin trousers. The rain was falling incessantly now. It was as if all the angels in heaven had overturned a giant washtub filled to the brim with water.
Sighing resolutely, she turned on her heel and started walking. She knew what she had to do. It wasn't a question of ifs.
Go ta hell, Spot Conlon. Her thoughts made her smile a little smirk to herself. She walked clear to the edge of the bridge, drawing a deep breath as she did so. It was the first time since she'd been seven that she'd be leaving Brooklyn, which had been her home since she'd wandered away from her mother and into Spot's arms.
After a slight pause at the edge, she finally stepped onto the turf of Manhattan. She instantly felt liberated and free. Now if only the rain weren't quite so cold…
.:It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are, but I
I'm with you
I'm with you:.
Almost instantly, a boy ran straight into her, knocking both of them to the ground. "'Ey, sorry!" he said hastily, jumping back on his feet and helping her up as well. She looked at him in the faint glow of a gas light street lamp, and was astounded by the handsome, rugged features of his face. She wondered momentarily why he wore an eye patch.
"Whadd're ya runnin' from?" she asked quietly, twisting a strand of her curly red hair around a finger, hoping that it wasn't obvious that she was nervous.
"I'se late fer curfew," he answered with a smile. "But ah well, I'se do it all da time." He suddenly frowned as he took her in. "Why's you out in da rain, doll?"
She smiled and bit her lower lip. Usually the Brooklyn boys had teased her or called her unflattering names. She'd never been referred to as a "doll" in all her life. "'Cause I'se jus' lef' Brooklyn," she found herself telling him, then instantly cursed herself inwardly for revealing that. She didn't want to get close to him… because he, too, would reject her.
"D'ya have a place?" the blond boy asked, peering closer with his one visible eye.
She shook her head, and so felt the weight of her drenched hair. She knew she must look a mess, and was angry at the world for the odd chance meeting of this god seeing her looking like a drowning cat.
The boy seemed to be weighing options somehow. "Well then, c'mon back wit' me to da Lodgin' House," he said lightly. "We'se don' usually allow goils in dere, but I'se t'ink we's can make an e'sseption fer one a' Spot Conlon's crew."
She was too grateful to correct him on her current Brooklyn status. She just nodded wearily.
"C'mon," said the boy, and he grabbed her hand as he led her through the streets with ease. "By da way, I'se Kid Blink, but mos' peoples call me Blink." He flashed her a grin that warmed her from her head to her toes.
"I'se Tigeh," she answered. "An' t'anks fer ev'ryt'ing, Blink."
"'Ey, when it's fer a gohgeous creatcha like yerself, what else could I do?" He laughed, again showing his fabulous smile.
Tiger would've followed him off the end of the world at that instant.
.:I'm looking for a place
I'm searching for a face
Is anybody here I know?:.
On the way to the Lodging House, though, Tiger's heart began to pound. She missed Spot. She knew it was stupid of her, but she didn't know what else to think. He'd been there for her for nine years, over half of her lifetime of sixteen. He'd been her world. And the loss of him was like the loss of an arm, or a leg to her. She honestly didn't know how to understand it.
When they reached the Lodging House, Kid Blink helped her sneak up the fire escape with him. Luckily, because of the rain, all the newsies boys were still awake. They all laughed at Kid Blink for his escapade sneaking in, but fell silent when Tiger crawled in after him. She swallowed as she felt dozens of pairs of eyes on her. She ran her eyes over all the faces, looking for anyone familiar. The only one who was so was Jack Kelly, a frequent visitor to Brooklyn. But she'd never been introduced to him, even when she'd become the girl behind the leader. She could tell by his blank stare that he didn't remember her, anyhow.
"Dis is Tigeh," Kid Blink said, smiling. "She's from Brooklyn."
The tension in the air seemed to intensify, as boys now stood on beds to get a good look at her. She suddenly wondered if she should have never left that bridge.
.:Cuz nothing's going right
And everything's a mess
And no one likes to be alone:.
After a little while, Kid Blink showed her to a bunk. The air had loosened some, and Tiger relaxed on the bed happily. Soon, Kloppman yelled up the stairs for them to all go to bed. The older newsies blew out the candles while the younger ones scrambled into their beds.
For a long time after darkness consumed the room, Tiger lay awake. She felt like she was going to pieces. Of course, she was grateful for Kid Blink, and she had to admit that he was not bad on the eyes at all. But he wasn't Spot. No one could ever be Spot to her…
Feeling lonely and sorry for herself, Tiger curled up into a ball and finally let her tears fall.
.:Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?:.
Why? It was the only thing she wanted to scream. She just wanted to let it all out and scream at Spot Conlon. Why had he abandoned her? Why had he pushed her away?
…Why had he let her leave?
She let go with a loud sniffle, then froze. It had been much louder than she'd anticipated. She hoped fervently that none of the other newsies had awoken. How embarrassing…
But of course, there was no such luck. A moment later, there was a shuffling from the bunk next to hers, and then the silhouette of a face emerged next to hers. The boy was crouching beside her bunk. "Wha's wrong, Tigeh?"
She nearly sighed in relief as she recognized Kid Blink's voice.
.:It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are, but I
I'm with you
I'm with you:.
"Nothin'," she answered. But the damage had been done. He had heard her, and he could hear the tremor in her voice now as well.
"Oh, doll," he said quietly, and felt for her hands. He found them and grasped them, then tugged so that she was sitting up. He sat next to her on her bunk and let go of her hands, but put his arms around her. "I don' know why you's hoitin', but I's sorry. Did I do something wrong?"
The anxious sound of his voice made her smile. "No, Blink," she answered truthfully. "You'se did ev'ryt'ing right."
She leaned over and kissed him. He was surprised at first, but after a moment kissed her back. He's a good kisser, she thought idly, playing with the string of his eye patch with one of her hands. Better even than Spot…
.:Why is everything so confusing?
Maybe I'm just out of my mind
Yeah yeah…:.
With a soft cry, she pushed Kid Blink away and fell back to her bed, pulling the sheet over her head and crying bitterly again.
Don't get Blink involved in your silly problems! she chided herself, hating what she was doing. He's too good for you. She thought desperately of Spot, trying to get the sweet, undeserved taste of Blink off her lips. But thoughts of Spot were getting pushed further and further away. The only thing she could think of him was how he'd let her stand, all alone, on the middle of the bridge for so many hours, solitary and ignored. Then she thought of Kid Blink, and how he'd become her savior by just inviting her to a lodging house. Something which, before tonight, she'd taken for granted.
How easily one's view can shift…
.:It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are, but I
I'm with you
I'm with you:.
Kid Blink wouldn't give up on her that easily. He drew in breath, then summoned the courage and pulled the sheet off of Tiger's head. She blinked up at him, wet tears coursing down her cheeks.
He kissed each one softly away, then smiled, because he knew somehow, unexplainably, that this was the girl he'd be with forever.
Tiger, staring up at the darkened face of the newsie looming above her, closed the chapter of her life entitled "Brooklyn," and opened the one called "Manhattan." The she kissed Kid Blink again.