"Ok" said Spot, "open your eyes now and slowly walk forward but only
watch your feet, don't look in front of you!."
Willow did as he said and advanced one foot at a time.
"I can't do it!" she yelled turning around and running back. Suddenly she stopped and looked around, she was on the bridge! She looked back at Spot,
"He placed me away from the bridge because he knew I would turn around and run the opposite direction, in this case, right over the bridge! That jerk!" She jogged back to Spot where he sat on a crte with his head in his hands.
"You have to go back to Manhattan" he growled, "You can't hide from him forever."
"I can't!" wailed Willow, "I ran away from him, from all of them! I can't expect them to just accept me! They'll hate me!" Spot stood up, "I'm going to go get Brook."
"No!" yelled Willow, "I don't want anyone but you to know what a coward I've been."
"I'm the worst person to know your weakness" smirked Spot.
"I know it" sighed Willow, "You'll never let me forget this will you?"
"ummm" said Spot, looking thoughtful, a sparkle of hope lit Willow's eye.
"Maybe he won't hang this over me the rest of my life" she thought.
"no" said Spot. Willow's shoulders sagged and she turned away from him.
"I hate you" she mummbled, "go get Brook." A few minutes later Brook came walking back with Spot. Willow stared at her feet as Brook approached.
"Willow!" gasped Brook, "Spot told me what's been goin' on, are you okay?"
"Yeah" mumbled Willow, "very humiliated, but I'm okay."
"good" said Brook.
"Hey" said Willow, "You're a lot nicer than Spot, you won't torture me with this forever will you?"
"Yes" smirked Brook, "I'm not as sweet as you;se thought I was, am I?" Willow just sighed.
"So, how areyou going to get me back to Manhattan?" asked Willow.
"I'm going to have a mob of newsies chase you with clubs and sligh shots" said Brook matter-of-factly.
Willow stared at Brook, her mouth hanging open, "What?!" she gasped.
"I was jist kiddin'!" laughed Brook, "but seriously, I don't really know yet. Let's just talk for a little bit."
"okay" said Willow hesitantly.
"so" said Brook, pacing back and forth, "why don't you want to go back to Manhattan?"
"That's not it!" said Willow, falling into step with Brook, "I'm just afraid that they'll all be angry with me for running from them, I sorta just dumped them, y'know?"
"I guess" said Brook, starting to wander down the street with Willow walking next to her.
"Yeah" said Brook, "I'se understand 'dat, but what about Bumlets?" Willow groaned, "with him it's even worse! He probably hates me now! The only guy I've ever really liked-"
"the only guy you've ever really liked?" asked Brook. Willow thought about that, "yes" she said. Brook just stared at her.
"What?" asked Willow, "why are you staring at me?"
"I think you'se is wrong" she said, "you care a lot about da fact dat you might have hoit him, you care a lot about what he tinks of ya."
"so?" asked Willow.
"Well." said Brook, "I tinks he's da only guy you'se ever really loved." They walked on in silence for a few minutes, Brook took a left turn and Willow followed next to her.
"You're right" said Willow quietly.
"I know I am" said Brook.
"I have to go see him" said Willow, "but I just can't! Now it's harder than ever for me to think of going back to him! I've been such a jerk!"
"But you have to" said Brook, "don't ya realize dat he's gonna come lookin' for you'se?! Brooklyn is probably da foist place he'd look!" Brook took another left turn, Willow continued to walk next to her deeply engrossed in thought, she didn't even pay attention to where they were going she just followed Brook.
"I know" she said quietly, "the question now is, will I eventually do the brave thing or will I jist run away. but I don't know da answer to dat yet."
"Well when will you have da answer?" asked Brook. Willow remained silent.
"Maybe never" said Brook, "You won't eva' know wether you made da right choice until you make a choice."
"You're right" said Willow. The two girls elapsed into silence for a while. Meanwhile, on the Brooklyn side of the bridge Spot stood staring at the two girls backs.
"Willow is walkin' strait to Manhattan an' she don't even know it" he said in amazement, then he shook his head with a grin and said, "man, I got me quite a goil!" ***
"Well" said Brook, "It's getting dark. I should go home."
"You mean we should get back home, right?" asked Willow, "I'm coming with you, I can't just sleep on the street."
"How about ya sleep hea?" asked Brook, motioning towards a building. Willow looked up and gasped.
"Manhattan Newsie Lodging!" she turned to Brook, "You distracted me by talking and led strait here and I never knew it!"
"I didn't want you to make the wrong choice" said Brook.
"But shouldn't I have made my own choice?!" asked Willow.
"You can still leave or run away, I just pushed you towards the fork in the road, all you have to do is choose a certain road" replied Brook. Willow looked up at the window, she could see jack staring at something, probably a poker game. She saw Jewels stand up and walk towards the girls room, her room.
"Well" said Brook, "Where are you going to go?"
"Home" whispered Willow, "I'm staying here, this is my home."
Brook smiled, "I'se tink dat I'll stay hea' for da night, it's a little late ta go all da way back ta Brooklyn." Willow slowly climbed the steps up to the lodging house entrance. Her heart beat as she opened the doors.
Kloppman looked up at her from his desk and smiled, "It's good to see you back" he said.
Willow smiled, "I just hope everyone lese feels that way!" she muttered. Her whole body shook with nervousness and her stomach felt like butterflies were tickling her insides with their dainty wings. She slowly opened the door and peeked in. Race had just won a poker game and had his arms up in victory, Ivy and some other guys were clapping and. Bumlets was nowhere to be seen. Willow forgot her nervousness, where was Bumlets? She opened the door and raced to his bunk, throwing aside the blankets. She stared around the room. Everyone was staring at her with a quizzical look on their faces.
"Wh-wh- where."
"Willow!" gasped Jewels, "You'se is back!"
"Where's Bumlets?!" asked Willow in panic, "I have to talk to him right now!"
Suddenly Mickey stepped out of the crowd, her arms were crossed across her chest and she was glaring at Willow.
"He's in da refuge!" she shouted at Willow, "My Bumlets is in da refuge!"
Willow was confused now, "Your Bumlets? I thought I was his girl."
"NO!" shouted Mickey, "I loved him before you! I never ran from him! I always stayed here, for him! He's mine!"
"no" said Willow quietly, "You can't own Bumlets. He's not a piece of clothing, he's free and spirited, he can love who he wants." Willow turned and looked around the room.
"I'm going to go get Bumlets out now" she said, "and I will return this time, I won't run away. never again." She turned and quietly left the room. Mickey stared fter Willow, silently plotting her revenge.
"I can't do it!" she yelled turning around and running back. Suddenly she stopped and looked around, she was on the bridge! She looked back at Spot,
"He placed me away from the bridge because he knew I would turn around and run the opposite direction, in this case, right over the bridge! That jerk!" She jogged back to Spot where he sat on a crte with his head in his hands.
"You have to go back to Manhattan" he growled, "You can't hide from him forever."
"I can't!" wailed Willow, "I ran away from him, from all of them! I can't expect them to just accept me! They'll hate me!" Spot stood up, "I'm going to go get Brook."
"No!" yelled Willow, "I don't want anyone but you to know what a coward I've been."
"I'm the worst person to know your weakness" smirked Spot.
"I know it" sighed Willow, "You'll never let me forget this will you?"
"ummm" said Spot, looking thoughtful, a sparkle of hope lit Willow's eye.
"Maybe he won't hang this over me the rest of my life" she thought.
"no" said Spot. Willow's shoulders sagged and she turned away from him.
"I hate you" she mummbled, "go get Brook." A few minutes later Brook came walking back with Spot. Willow stared at her feet as Brook approached.
"Willow!" gasped Brook, "Spot told me what's been goin' on, are you okay?"
"Yeah" mumbled Willow, "very humiliated, but I'm okay."
"good" said Brook.
"Hey" said Willow, "You're a lot nicer than Spot, you won't torture me with this forever will you?"
"Yes" smirked Brook, "I'm not as sweet as you;se thought I was, am I?" Willow just sighed.
"So, how areyou going to get me back to Manhattan?" asked Willow.
"I'm going to have a mob of newsies chase you with clubs and sligh shots" said Brook matter-of-factly.
Willow stared at Brook, her mouth hanging open, "What?!" she gasped.
"I was jist kiddin'!" laughed Brook, "but seriously, I don't really know yet. Let's just talk for a little bit."
"okay" said Willow hesitantly.
"so" said Brook, pacing back and forth, "why don't you want to go back to Manhattan?"
"That's not it!" said Willow, falling into step with Brook, "I'm just afraid that they'll all be angry with me for running from them, I sorta just dumped them, y'know?"
"I guess" said Brook, starting to wander down the street with Willow walking next to her.
"Yeah" said Brook, "I'se understand 'dat, but what about Bumlets?" Willow groaned, "with him it's even worse! He probably hates me now! The only guy I've ever really liked-"
"the only guy you've ever really liked?" asked Brook. Willow thought about that, "yes" she said. Brook just stared at her.
"What?" asked Willow, "why are you staring at me?"
"I think you'se is wrong" she said, "you care a lot about da fact dat you might have hoit him, you care a lot about what he tinks of ya."
"so?" asked Willow.
"Well." said Brook, "I tinks he's da only guy you'se ever really loved." They walked on in silence for a few minutes, Brook took a left turn and Willow followed next to her.
"You're right" said Willow quietly.
"I know I am" said Brook.
"I have to go see him" said Willow, "but I just can't! Now it's harder than ever for me to think of going back to him! I've been such a jerk!"
"But you have to" said Brook, "don't ya realize dat he's gonna come lookin' for you'se?! Brooklyn is probably da foist place he'd look!" Brook took another left turn, Willow continued to walk next to her deeply engrossed in thought, she didn't even pay attention to where they were going she just followed Brook.
"I know" she said quietly, "the question now is, will I eventually do the brave thing or will I jist run away. but I don't know da answer to dat yet."
"Well when will you have da answer?" asked Brook. Willow remained silent.
"Maybe never" said Brook, "You won't eva' know wether you made da right choice until you make a choice."
"You're right" said Willow. The two girls elapsed into silence for a while. Meanwhile, on the Brooklyn side of the bridge Spot stood staring at the two girls backs.
"Willow is walkin' strait to Manhattan an' she don't even know it" he said in amazement, then he shook his head with a grin and said, "man, I got me quite a goil!" ***
"Well" said Brook, "It's getting dark. I should go home."
"You mean we should get back home, right?" asked Willow, "I'm coming with you, I can't just sleep on the street."
"How about ya sleep hea?" asked Brook, motioning towards a building. Willow looked up and gasped.
"Manhattan Newsie Lodging!" she turned to Brook, "You distracted me by talking and led strait here and I never knew it!"
"I didn't want you to make the wrong choice" said Brook.
"But shouldn't I have made my own choice?!" asked Willow.
"You can still leave or run away, I just pushed you towards the fork in the road, all you have to do is choose a certain road" replied Brook. Willow looked up at the window, she could see jack staring at something, probably a poker game. She saw Jewels stand up and walk towards the girls room, her room.
"Well" said Brook, "Where are you going to go?"
"Home" whispered Willow, "I'm staying here, this is my home."
Brook smiled, "I'se tink dat I'll stay hea' for da night, it's a little late ta go all da way back ta Brooklyn." Willow slowly climbed the steps up to the lodging house entrance. Her heart beat as she opened the doors.
Kloppman looked up at her from his desk and smiled, "It's good to see you back" he said.
Willow smiled, "I just hope everyone lese feels that way!" she muttered. Her whole body shook with nervousness and her stomach felt like butterflies were tickling her insides with their dainty wings. She slowly opened the door and peeked in. Race had just won a poker game and had his arms up in victory, Ivy and some other guys were clapping and. Bumlets was nowhere to be seen. Willow forgot her nervousness, where was Bumlets? She opened the door and raced to his bunk, throwing aside the blankets. She stared around the room. Everyone was staring at her with a quizzical look on their faces.
"Wh-wh- where."
"Willow!" gasped Jewels, "You'se is back!"
"Where's Bumlets?!" asked Willow in panic, "I have to talk to him right now!"
Suddenly Mickey stepped out of the crowd, her arms were crossed across her chest and she was glaring at Willow.
"He's in da refuge!" she shouted at Willow, "My Bumlets is in da refuge!"
Willow was confused now, "Your Bumlets? I thought I was his girl."
"NO!" shouted Mickey, "I loved him before you! I never ran from him! I always stayed here, for him! He's mine!"
"no" said Willow quietly, "You can't own Bumlets. He's not a piece of clothing, he's free and spirited, he can love who he wants." Willow turned and looked around the room.
"I'm going to go get Bumlets out now" she said, "and I will return this time, I won't run away. never again." She turned and quietly left the room. Mickey stared fter Willow, silently plotting her revenge.