She heard it again. This time she stopped walking. Zoe realized she was in
a dark alleyway. She shivered slightly, realizing she was still in her
sleeveless dress.
"Heya sweetface!" someone called. Distinctly, Zoe whipped her ahead around and backed up against the wall. Now she was shaking uncontrollably. Where was she? Zoe had lost her bearings. What was going on? Then two men stepped out of the shadows. Oscar and Morris Delancey. She tried to scream, but instead let out a soft whimper. Tears formed in her big blue eyes, but she quickly swallowed hard. She wasn't going to give these men the satisfaction they wanted. No. Not just yet.
"Wanna play wit me?" Morris asked. He moved over to her and pinned her arms above her head. She couldn't stop shaking. Now that he was so close, she could smell the whiskey on his breath. Zoe closed her eyes and prayed. She didn't want to get hurt, but she knew how this night was going to end.
Oscar came forward and began to kiss her neck as Morris kept a tight grip on her arms. Now she was crying, and she couldn't stop.
"Please!" she shrieked. "Stop! Help! Somebody!" She couldn't make eye contact with either of the Delancey brothers. The tears kept on flowing and she couldn't do anything about them. Just when she'd given up hope, and Oscar ripped the front of her dress, Zoe heard someone call out.
"Leave her alone, Oscar!" the voice came from Spot Conlon. He came out of the shadows fingering his cane. Beside him was Jack Kelly, Race, Blink and- was it? Could it be? Mush! But Zoe didn't have time to celebrate. Blink and Spot came forward and punched Oscar hard in his mouth. He staggered backwards and fell. Spot punched him and kicked him until he wasn't moving any longer. Mush now advanced on Morris and punched him five times until he dropped Zoe. She fell to the ground, trying to cover herself with her tattered dress. She stopped crying- she didn't want them to see her like this. Not just now.
After a few more blows from Mush, Blink and Race, and Morris was laying beside his brother unconcious. Race and Blink ran over to Zoe and knelt beside her. Mush, Jack and Spot followed them over, though, remained standing.
"Zoe! You'se okay?" Race asked, his face full of concern. She nodded, unable to trust her own voice. She didn't want to break down in front of her saviors. After quickly re-buttoning her dress, Zoe stood up to face everyone. She wiped her tear stained face and smiled at them all.
"Thanks," she whispered. She couldn't make eye contact with anyone, except Race and Blink. They stood on either side of her.
"Well, this ain't how I'se usually introduce meself to such a fine lady like you'se self," the one called Spot said. "I'se Spot Conlon. Pleasure ta meetcha." He kissed her hand softly. She noticed his eyes were a piercing blue and she couldn't tear away from them. She grinned at him. Then Jack came forward.
"I'se Jack Kelly," he said as he too, like Spot, kissed her hand. "You'se okay?" he asked. This time, Zoe found her voice.
"Yeah," she barely whispered. "Just a little shaken up. You'se mind walkin me back ta Medda's? I don't think I wanna walk back by myself." She glanced over at Race, who nodded.
"Do ya really t'ink we'd leave ya?" he asked grinning. "C'mon." They began to walk out of the alley way. Zoe was slightly hurt that Mush hadn't said anything to her. Maybe he figured she already knew him? Still, she would have died just to have him kiss her hand.
"Heya, fella's," Jack said. "Der's pokah tanight!" All of the boys nodded. Then Mush spoke up.
"I'll walk her da rest o' da way. Ain't too far. You'se go, I suck at it anyways." They all nodded and soon Mush and Zoe were all alone, walking down the street. Zoe's heart skipped a beat every time he looked at her. Finally he got enough courage to talk to her.
"Zoe," he said. She wanted more than anything to fling her arms around his neck and kiss him, but thought better of it. "Ya play the piano beautifully. Almost as beautiful as ya." Was he blushing? Zoe sure was! Her face was very red, and she looked away from him.
"Thanks," she said. "I've been playing it for over six years now. Ever since I was ten." Before she knew it, they had reached Medda's.
"Well here ya are," Mush said looking at her for a moment. God, she was so beautiful. He had always seen her before ever since he was little, but he never got the courage to talk to her. But why? He was a ladies man, he was. Maybe it was because she was different. She had a glow about her he had never seen around anyone else before.
Before she opened the door to the theater, Mush grabbed it. He brought it slowly to his lips and kissed it softly. She blushed furiously.
"Ya know, ya cute when ya blush like dat," he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers. He leaned in. What was he doing? He didn't even know her. It was like gravity was pulling him towards her and he couldn't stop it. His lips gently brushed hers, but before he could deepen it she pulled away.
"Goodnight Mush," she whispered, and kissed his cheek. She grinned at him and walked into the theater. He smiled to himself. She was different than anyone. A gentle breeze blew, and he walked home.
"Heya sweetface!" someone called. Distinctly, Zoe whipped her ahead around and backed up against the wall. Now she was shaking uncontrollably. Where was she? Zoe had lost her bearings. What was going on? Then two men stepped out of the shadows. Oscar and Morris Delancey. She tried to scream, but instead let out a soft whimper. Tears formed in her big blue eyes, but she quickly swallowed hard. She wasn't going to give these men the satisfaction they wanted. No. Not just yet.
"Wanna play wit me?" Morris asked. He moved over to her and pinned her arms above her head. She couldn't stop shaking. Now that he was so close, she could smell the whiskey on his breath. Zoe closed her eyes and prayed. She didn't want to get hurt, but she knew how this night was going to end.
Oscar came forward and began to kiss her neck as Morris kept a tight grip on her arms. Now she was crying, and she couldn't stop.
"Please!" she shrieked. "Stop! Help! Somebody!" She couldn't make eye contact with either of the Delancey brothers. The tears kept on flowing and she couldn't do anything about them. Just when she'd given up hope, and Oscar ripped the front of her dress, Zoe heard someone call out.
"Leave her alone, Oscar!" the voice came from Spot Conlon. He came out of the shadows fingering his cane. Beside him was Jack Kelly, Race, Blink and- was it? Could it be? Mush! But Zoe didn't have time to celebrate. Blink and Spot came forward and punched Oscar hard in his mouth. He staggered backwards and fell. Spot punched him and kicked him until he wasn't moving any longer. Mush now advanced on Morris and punched him five times until he dropped Zoe. She fell to the ground, trying to cover herself with her tattered dress. She stopped crying- she didn't want them to see her like this. Not just now.
After a few more blows from Mush, Blink and Race, and Morris was laying beside his brother unconcious. Race and Blink ran over to Zoe and knelt beside her. Mush, Jack and Spot followed them over, though, remained standing.
"Zoe! You'se okay?" Race asked, his face full of concern. She nodded, unable to trust her own voice. She didn't want to break down in front of her saviors. After quickly re-buttoning her dress, Zoe stood up to face everyone. She wiped her tear stained face and smiled at them all.
"Thanks," she whispered. She couldn't make eye contact with anyone, except Race and Blink. They stood on either side of her.
"Well, this ain't how I'se usually introduce meself to such a fine lady like you'se self," the one called Spot said. "I'se Spot Conlon. Pleasure ta meetcha." He kissed her hand softly. She noticed his eyes were a piercing blue and she couldn't tear away from them. She grinned at him. Then Jack came forward.
"I'se Jack Kelly," he said as he too, like Spot, kissed her hand. "You'se okay?" he asked. This time, Zoe found her voice.
"Yeah," she barely whispered. "Just a little shaken up. You'se mind walkin me back ta Medda's? I don't think I wanna walk back by myself." She glanced over at Race, who nodded.
"Do ya really t'ink we'd leave ya?" he asked grinning. "C'mon." They began to walk out of the alley way. Zoe was slightly hurt that Mush hadn't said anything to her. Maybe he figured she already knew him? Still, she would have died just to have him kiss her hand.
"Heya, fella's," Jack said. "Der's pokah tanight!" All of the boys nodded. Then Mush spoke up.
"I'll walk her da rest o' da way. Ain't too far. You'se go, I suck at it anyways." They all nodded and soon Mush and Zoe were all alone, walking down the street. Zoe's heart skipped a beat every time he looked at her. Finally he got enough courage to talk to her.
"Zoe," he said. She wanted more than anything to fling her arms around his neck and kiss him, but thought better of it. "Ya play the piano beautifully. Almost as beautiful as ya." Was he blushing? Zoe sure was! Her face was very red, and she looked away from him.
"Thanks," she said. "I've been playing it for over six years now. Ever since I was ten." Before she knew it, they had reached Medda's.
"Well here ya are," Mush said looking at her for a moment. God, she was so beautiful. He had always seen her before ever since he was little, but he never got the courage to talk to her. But why? He was a ladies man, he was. Maybe it was because she was different. She had a glow about her he had never seen around anyone else before.
Before she opened the door to the theater, Mush grabbed it. He brought it slowly to his lips and kissed it softly. She blushed furiously.
"Ya know, ya cute when ya blush like dat," he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers. He leaned in. What was he doing? He didn't even know her. It was like gravity was pulling him towards her and he couldn't stop it. His lips gently brushed hers, but before he could deepen it she pulled away.
"Goodnight Mush," she whispered, and kissed his cheek. She grinned at him and walked into the theater. He smiled to himself. She was different than anyone. A gentle breeze blew, and he walked home.