Without you
The tides change
The boys run
The oceans crash
"Blaze! Ya haven't been out of da lodgin' house for a good outin' in forever! You'se goin' wid us whether ya like it or not!"
"But." Blaze protested. "I don't wanna go to Coney Island." Stubbornly, Blaze crossed her arms and sat on her bunk.
Rolling her eyes, Luna took hold of Blaze's arms and gently pulled her off the bunk. "You are goin' wid us, and dat's final," she asserted.
"I'd just be a pain! I'd whine and complain about sand in me toes. Just let me stay here, huh?" Blaze asked.
Luna shook her head. "Nice try, but it ain't workin'. I don't care how much of a pain ya are, yer comin' wid us."
Reluctantly, Blaze was led out of the bunkroom, down the stairs, and towards the awaiting wagon which would take the group to Coney Island.
"Hey, Spot! Be of some use and help us up!" Luna bellowed.
"Yes my love," Spot answered in a mocking tone before hoisting the girls up into the cart.
Blaze situated herself in the corner and looked towards the ground. She didn't want to go to the beach for she knew it would remind her of an outing with Bumlets, but she also knew Luna would drag her kicking and screaming if she had to.
"Blaze, it's gonna be fun. Ya remember fun, right?" Luna asked as she slid an arm around Blaze's shoulder. "We won't stay too long, but ya gotta get out more. Ya need some color in yer cheeks!"
Shrugging, Blaze didn't really care about what her cheeks looked like, or having fun. She rested her head against Luna's shoulder for the remainder of the ride, unable to think about anything besides the memories that would surface for the rest of the day.
~~~~
"I can't believe ya actually arranged dis," Bumlets smiled.
"Didn't think I could figure a way, huh?" Blaze grinned.
"I just, didn't think I'd see Coney Island again," he explained, his eyes fixated on the crowds of people and the waves crashing in front of him.
Blaze bent down and kissed his cheek. At the end of the summer, with the help of Jack, they'd secured a wagon to take them to Coney Island, and borrowed a wheelchair for the day so Bumlets wouldn't overexert himself.
"So what do ya wanna do foist?" Jack asked.
"Da beach a coise." Bumlets smiled in anticipation. "Good luck wheelin' dis thing through da sand though," he pointed out. "I could walk."
"Oh no ya don't," Blaze interrupted. "Jack can wheel ya down, it'll work."
"Or I can wheel ya," Spot added.
"Yer too scrawny," Luna smirked.
"Now listen here." Spot frowned, but as he saw Luna take off towards the ocean, he stopped mid-sentence and ran after her. "Come back!"
Chuckling, Jack grasped the handles of the wheelchair and with Autumn at his side, and Blaze holding Bumlets' hand, he started pushing the chair through the sand. Though the process took them awhile, they finally caught up to Spot and Luna near the water and watched as Spot threw her into the ocean.
"She's gonna dunk him for dat," Autumn laughed and sure enough, they saw the Brooklyn leader fall victim to a dunk by his girlfriend.
They watched in silence as the couple in the water playfully fought, and finally Bumlets spoke up.
"At least lemme sit down in da sand," Bumlets voiced, hoping his friends would oblige.
Blaze looked towards Jack, who helped Bumlets out of the chair and onto the sand. "Well, while you and Blaze enjoy da view, me and Autumn are gonna take a short walk. Be back in a bit." He locked arms with Autumn and grinned down at the couple. "Be good, no sand fights."
Rolling his eyes, Bumlets smiled back. "We'll try ta be good. for a little while." He turned back to Blaze and opened his arms.
Fearing his back might hurt if they sat for too long, Blaze turned the wheelchair so he could rest against it without it moving, then sat between his legs, her back against his chest. She lifted her head up to look into his eyes and smiled as she felt his arms slide around her.
"Yer too much," he whispered. "Thanks for bringin' me."
Blaze kissed his chin and shrugged lightly. "I try, and yer welcome." She turned back to look at the waves crashing in front of them and sighed. Though she didn't want to think about it, Blaze could see some of the color leaving his cheeks, and his body slowly becoming thinner. She didn't know how much time he had left, and only wished to savor every waking minute she had with him.
~~~~
The scent of the ocean penetrating her senses, Blaze opened her eyes to see the wagon close to Coney Island. She looked around, watching the excited faces of the other Newsies, yet she didn't see a reason to smile.
Taking her arm, Luna carefully helped Blaze to her feet and smiled. "Come on, it's about time Spot had another dunkin', even if da water is still a little cold."
Nodding, Blaze followed behind the group as they walked down to the beach and sat alone in the sand. She watched them run around and push a few of the boys in the cold water, but she couldn't participate - it didn't feel right. She was supposed to be here with Bumlets, sitting in his arms, instead of alone in the sand.
While they continued to horse around, Autumn plopped down besides Blaze and offered her shoulder to cry on, which Blaze accepted readily. At times the antics of the others caused a small smile to appear on Blaze's face, but tears remained in her eyes.
"I'm glad ya came wid us," Autumn spoke up.
Shrugging, Blaze wasn't so sure she was glad to be there, but Luna was right, it was nice to get out of the lodging house for a bit. "Thanks, Autumn," she mumbled.
Smiling, Autumn leaned her head atop Blaze's, and the two watched as Luna went after Spot again.
The tides change
The boys run
The oceans crash
"Blaze! Ya haven't been out of da lodgin' house for a good outin' in forever! You'se goin' wid us whether ya like it or not!"
"But." Blaze protested. "I don't wanna go to Coney Island." Stubbornly, Blaze crossed her arms and sat on her bunk.
Rolling her eyes, Luna took hold of Blaze's arms and gently pulled her off the bunk. "You are goin' wid us, and dat's final," she asserted.
"I'd just be a pain! I'd whine and complain about sand in me toes. Just let me stay here, huh?" Blaze asked.
Luna shook her head. "Nice try, but it ain't workin'. I don't care how much of a pain ya are, yer comin' wid us."
Reluctantly, Blaze was led out of the bunkroom, down the stairs, and towards the awaiting wagon which would take the group to Coney Island.
"Hey, Spot! Be of some use and help us up!" Luna bellowed.
"Yes my love," Spot answered in a mocking tone before hoisting the girls up into the cart.
Blaze situated herself in the corner and looked towards the ground. She didn't want to go to the beach for she knew it would remind her of an outing with Bumlets, but she also knew Luna would drag her kicking and screaming if she had to.
"Blaze, it's gonna be fun. Ya remember fun, right?" Luna asked as she slid an arm around Blaze's shoulder. "We won't stay too long, but ya gotta get out more. Ya need some color in yer cheeks!"
Shrugging, Blaze didn't really care about what her cheeks looked like, or having fun. She rested her head against Luna's shoulder for the remainder of the ride, unable to think about anything besides the memories that would surface for the rest of the day.
~~~~
"I can't believe ya actually arranged dis," Bumlets smiled.
"Didn't think I could figure a way, huh?" Blaze grinned.
"I just, didn't think I'd see Coney Island again," he explained, his eyes fixated on the crowds of people and the waves crashing in front of him.
Blaze bent down and kissed his cheek. At the end of the summer, with the help of Jack, they'd secured a wagon to take them to Coney Island, and borrowed a wheelchair for the day so Bumlets wouldn't overexert himself.
"So what do ya wanna do foist?" Jack asked.
"Da beach a coise." Bumlets smiled in anticipation. "Good luck wheelin' dis thing through da sand though," he pointed out. "I could walk."
"Oh no ya don't," Blaze interrupted. "Jack can wheel ya down, it'll work."
"Or I can wheel ya," Spot added.
"Yer too scrawny," Luna smirked.
"Now listen here." Spot frowned, but as he saw Luna take off towards the ocean, he stopped mid-sentence and ran after her. "Come back!"
Chuckling, Jack grasped the handles of the wheelchair and with Autumn at his side, and Blaze holding Bumlets' hand, he started pushing the chair through the sand. Though the process took them awhile, they finally caught up to Spot and Luna near the water and watched as Spot threw her into the ocean.
"She's gonna dunk him for dat," Autumn laughed and sure enough, they saw the Brooklyn leader fall victim to a dunk by his girlfriend.
They watched in silence as the couple in the water playfully fought, and finally Bumlets spoke up.
"At least lemme sit down in da sand," Bumlets voiced, hoping his friends would oblige.
Blaze looked towards Jack, who helped Bumlets out of the chair and onto the sand. "Well, while you and Blaze enjoy da view, me and Autumn are gonna take a short walk. Be back in a bit." He locked arms with Autumn and grinned down at the couple. "Be good, no sand fights."
Rolling his eyes, Bumlets smiled back. "We'll try ta be good. for a little while." He turned back to Blaze and opened his arms.
Fearing his back might hurt if they sat for too long, Blaze turned the wheelchair so he could rest against it without it moving, then sat between his legs, her back against his chest. She lifted her head up to look into his eyes and smiled as she felt his arms slide around her.
"Yer too much," he whispered. "Thanks for bringin' me."
Blaze kissed his chin and shrugged lightly. "I try, and yer welcome." She turned back to look at the waves crashing in front of them and sighed. Though she didn't want to think about it, Blaze could see some of the color leaving his cheeks, and his body slowly becoming thinner. She didn't know how much time he had left, and only wished to savor every waking minute she had with him.
~~~~
The scent of the ocean penetrating her senses, Blaze opened her eyes to see the wagon close to Coney Island. She looked around, watching the excited faces of the other Newsies, yet she didn't see a reason to smile.
Taking her arm, Luna carefully helped Blaze to her feet and smiled. "Come on, it's about time Spot had another dunkin', even if da water is still a little cold."
Nodding, Blaze followed behind the group as they walked down to the beach and sat alone in the sand. She watched them run around and push a few of the boys in the cold water, but she couldn't participate - it didn't feel right. She was supposed to be here with Bumlets, sitting in his arms, instead of alone in the sand.
While they continued to horse around, Autumn plopped down besides Blaze and offered her shoulder to cry on, which Blaze accepted readily. At times the antics of the others caused a small smile to appear on Blaze's face, but tears remained in her eyes.
"I'm glad ya came wid us," Autumn spoke up.
Shrugging, Blaze wasn't so sure she was glad to be there, but Luna was right, it was nice to get out of the lodging house for a bit. "Thanks, Autumn," she mumbled.
Smiling, Autumn leaned her head atop Blaze's, and the two watched as Luna went after Spot again.
