Oh goodness - this has taken sooooooo long to get up here! I'm sorry *cries* don't hate meeeeeeee... love and stale candy-canes go out to all my reviewers:
Rhapsody - oh gosh I love the passion!! :) and I'm glad that you love it too. That chapter was indeed one of my favourites :) oh gosh I love your Spot! Thank you for reviewing! UPDATE DAMMIT!!!
Shorty Carter - oh no! don't be sick!! *insert chicken noodle soup here* feel better, okay? I feel so loved that you reviewed anyway! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! :)
Chelci - I'm too lazy to type out your screen name - its too complicated for my feeble typing skills lol. Aww I'm sorry I made you sad!! *insert kleenex here* thank you so much for the praise tho - it makes me feel so happy, seriously! You're awesome! And oh gosh I love your fic so so so so much - update, okay?? Thank you for reviewing! :)
Raeghann - ack - every time I get a review from you I fall over - your input means so much! YAY! Yeah you really are my favourite person right now...you made it all better! YAY TIMES TWO!!!! So I'm finally updating... here, have a cookie and calm down kiddo! :) *insert cookie here* thank you for reviewing! :)
Vioshine - wow, I love your name! Ack I'm glad that you think she goes against the usual newsgirl stereotype - she's getting a little bit too cry baby ish for my taste. I'm gonna hafta work on that... everything IS all muddled, mostly because I'm muddled! Uh-oh...yeah, I have no idea where this is going... anyway, thank you for reviewing! :)
*****
There were buildings flying past her as she ran. Faces, thousands of faces, all blurred together. There was wetness on her cheeks - those can't be tears. I don't deserve to be crying. Her ears were filled with the gasps of her breathing, the shuddering, choking sobs that she tried to suppress as she fled the scene of her crime.
I kissed him back.
I kissed him back.
The truth echoed in her head as she flew onto the Brooklyn Bridge, unheeding of the dangerous traffic. Crashing finally into a railing, she lost control and her shame took over her body. Dry, heaving sobs paralyzed her there, staring out over the water with eyes so full of heartbreak that they seemed to change colour.
Why did I just do that??
I just cheated on Lock with his best friend.
With my best friend.
As she sank slowly to the ground, she buried her face in her arms. The tears had stopped long ago. She didn't deserve to cry. Her fingers clutched at her namesake hanging around her neck and suddenly she was flooded with memories.
*******
"Surrenda!!" a small boy of about ten brandished a stick, waving it at his adversaries.
"Nevah, Spot!" countered a taller boy, and the blond child beside him backed him up; "Yeah! Nevah!"
"Well then, prepare ta - "
"DIE!" a new voice was tossed into the mix, and in a blurred flash of arms and legs, Spot was thrown to the ground.
Pushing her untidy brown locks out of her face with dirty hands, Eliza sat up proudly.
"Ha. Take that, Mr. Pirate or whatever you are! I'se a better pirate than you are!"
Shoving her off him angrily, Spot stood up, glaring.
"Awww, Liza! We toldja, goils can't be pirates! It jist don't woik like that!"
Stamping her foot, she pouted; "Well, why not? I'se just as mean as you'se are, Spot Conlon, so lemme play too!"
"Liza, we did letcha play. You're the - whaddya call 'em...the goil who I'se savin'."
"But that's stoo-pid! I don't wanna be a goil, I wanna fight too!"
Spot crossed his arms: " Liza, ya can't fight. We need ta save someone, don't we? 'Sides - you don't even got a pirate name!"
Her pout grew at his words.
"You're just mean, ya know that? Ya jist don't wanna lemme play!"
Spot stepped forwards, already intimidating at 4 foot nothing.
"An' what if I don't?"
Liza's eyes narrowed, and the other two boys could sense a fight coming on. Acting quickly, Paul jumped between his two best friends.
"Spot, quit it. Liza can play if she wants ta."
Spot's only response was an icy glare. Sticking his tongue out at him, Paul put his arm around Eliza's shoulders.
"So, Liza, if ya wanna be a pirate, ya gotta have a better name than plain ol' Liza, right?"
She smiled up at him, already hinting at feelings that wouldn't hit completely until puberty.
"Yeah."
"How 'bout Pest? Brat? Nuisance?" Spot was obviously still angry. This time, however, his words crossed the line and Eliza's chin began to quiver with childlike sobs. Seeing her tears, he was instantly sorry. Paul glared at him; even Francis had taken notice at this point and was shaking his head at Spot.
Underneath his man-like fa
Rhapsody - oh gosh I love the passion!! :) and I'm glad that you love it too. That chapter was indeed one of my favourites :) oh gosh I love your Spot! Thank you for reviewing! UPDATE DAMMIT!!!
Shorty Carter - oh no! don't be sick!! *insert chicken noodle soup here* feel better, okay? I feel so loved that you reviewed anyway! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! :)
Chelci - I'm too lazy to type out your screen name - its too complicated for my feeble typing skills lol. Aww I'm sorry I made you sad!! *insert kleenex here* thank you so much for the praise tho - it makes me feel so happy, seriously! You're awesome! And oh gosh I love your fic so so so so much - update, okay?? Thank you for reviewing! :)
Raeghann - ack - every time I get a review from you I fall over - your input means so much! YAY! Yeah you really are my favourite person right now...you made it all better! YAY TIMES TWO!!!! So I'm finally updating... here, have a cookie and calm down kiddo! :) *insert cookie here* thank you for reviewing! :)
Vioshine - wow, I love your name! Ack I'm glad that you think she goes against the usual newsgirl stereotype - she's getting a little bit too cry baby ish for my taste. I'm gonna hafta work on that... everything IS all muddled, mostly because I'm muddled! Uh-oh...yeah, I have no idea where this is going... anyway, thank you for reviewing! :)
*****
There were buildings flying past her as she ran. Faces, thousands of faces, all blurred together. There was wetness on her cheeks - those can't be tears. I don't deserve to be crying. Her ears were filled with the gasps of her breathing, the shuddering, choking sobs that she tried to suppress as she fled the scene of her crime.
I kissed him back.
I kissed him back.
The truth echoed in her head as she flew onto the Brooklyn Bridge, unheeding of the dangerous traffic. Crashing finally into a railing, she lost control and her shame took over her body. Dry, heaving sobs paralyzed her there, staring out over the water with eyes so full of heartbreak that they seemed to change colour.
Why did I just do that??
I just cheated on Lock with his best friend.
With my best friend.
As she sank slowly to the ground, she buried her face in her arms. The tears had stopped long ago. She didn't deserve to cry. Her fingers clutched at her namesake hanging around her neck and suddenly she was flooded with memories.
*******
"Surrenda!!" a small boy of about ten brandished a stick, waving it at his adversaries.
"Nevah, Spot!" countered a taller boy, and the blond child beside him backed him up; "Yeah! Nevah!"
"Well then, prepare ta - "
"DIE!" a new voice was tossed into the mix, and in a blurred flash of arms and legs, Spot was thrown to the ground.
Pushing her untidy brown locks out of her face with dirty hands, Eliza sat up proudly.
"Ha. Take that, Mr. Pirate or whatever you are! I'se a better pirate than you are!"
Shoving her off him angrily, Spot stood up, glaring.
"Awww, Liza! We toldja, goils can't be pirates! It jist don't woik like that!"
Stamping her foot, she pouted; "Well, why not? I'se just as mean as you'se are, Spot Conlon, so lemme play too!"
"Liza, we did letcha play. You're the - whaddya call 'em...the goil who I'se savin'."
"But that's stoo-pid! I don't wanna be a goil, I wanna fight too!"
Spot crossed his arms: " Liza, ya can't fight. We need ta save someone, don't we? 'Sides - you don't even got a pirate name!"
Her pout grew at his words.
"You're just mean, ya know that? Ya jist don't wanna lemme play!"
Spot stepped forwards, already intimidating at 4 foot nothing.
"An' what if I don't?"
Liza's eyes narrowed, and the other two boys could sense a fight coming on. Acting quickly, Paul jumped between his two best friends.
"Spot, quit it. Liza can play if she wants ta."
Spot's only response was an icy glare. Sticking his tongue out at him, Paul put his arm around Eliza's shoulders.
"So, Liza, if ya wanna be a pirate, ya gotta have a better name than plain ol' Liza, right?"
She smiled up at him, already hinting at feelings that wouldn't hit completely until puberty.
"Yeah."
"How 'bout Pest? Brat? Nuisance?" Spot was obviously still angry. This time, however, his words crossed the line and Eliza's chin began to quiver with childlike sobs. Seeing her tears, he was instantly sorry. Paul glared at him; even Francis had taken notice at this point and was shaking his head at Spot.
Underneath his man-like fa