"What?" Suddenly it all made sense: the golden blond hair, the bright blue
eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"You just show up here, out of nowhere. What did you expect me to do, Bel, give up the life that I've known for the last six years; come back here as if nothing had happened?"
"It is where you belong, Gabe."
"Not anymore," he replied softly. "I belong with the newsies. They are my family now; my only family."
A lump rose in my throat. "So where does that leave me?"
"I want you as a part of my life, Bel, but you have to understand that I have changed."
"As have I," I choked out.
"I know," he murmured in a husky whisper.
He took a few steps closer to me, and before I had time to react, he had wrapped his arms around my waist. As he began to lean his face toward mine, a strange feeling took root in the pit of my stomach.
I quickly pulled out of his arms. "Please, don't."
He took a staggering step back.
"This isn't why I came to find you, Gabe."
He stared blankly at me. "But I thought-"
"You are the best friend that I have ever known, and for that I love you, just not."
He nodded. "Just not that way. I get it."
"I am sorry."
He smiled and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, hugging me tightly. "Don't be."
The tears that had been welling up in my eyes finally spilled down my cheeks, leaving moist spots on Gabe's shirt. When my voice was finally steady enough to speak, I murmured into his shoulder. "Promise me something?"
"Anything."
"Promise me that you won't disappear again."
He laughed slightly and pulled me closer. "I swear."
We stood in the dark street for a few more minutes, enjoying the comfort of his arms.
"I should get goin. The boys'll be gettin worried." He backed away, dropping a kiss on my forehead. "Goodnight Bel."
When I entered the lodging house the next afternoon, it was unusually quiet. As I made my way toward the front desk, I could hear hushed voices. I peered around the corner, finding Boots, Snipe and Kloppman huddled around the desk.
"Is that right, Kloppman?" Boots asked, passing a sheet of paper across the worn wood surface. Kloppman pointed out a few errors and passed it back.
Suddenly, a realization washed over me. For the first time in years, my future seemed clear. I silently backed out of the lodging house, darting back to my house.
"Mrs. Paige!" I called into the empty house. "Mrs. Paige!"
The old woman sprinted into the foyer. "What is it child? What's wrong?"
I smiled broadly at her. "I am going to start a school."
Her eyes widened and she stared at me in disbelief. "What brought this on?"
"You see," I started, talking a mile a minute. "As you know I have been spending a great deal of time with the newsies, and today I went to the lodging house, and the younger newsies can not read and write well. So it got me thinking how much good I could do. I am going to start a school for kids who can't afford to attend any other way. Here. We have more than enough room."
She nodded, waiting patiently until I was finished. "Well, good for you, dear."
"That's it? You're not going to try to talk me out of it?"
"And why would I do such a thing? It sounds wonderful, dear." She smiled sweetly. "Shall we start making some arrangements?"
We spent the rest of the day sitting around the kitchen table, going over the record books and planning lessons. When the doorbell rang, we both jumped.
I got up and quickly moved to the door. As I opened it, a brisk gust of wind swept through the hallway.
"Heya, beautiful, how's it rollin?" Jack stood before me, eyes dancing.
"Wonderful!" I replied, smiling brightly.
"We're havin a poker game tonight. All the newsies in the city are comin. Da boys wanted me to come and invite ya. So, ya wanna come?"
"Sure," I replied, grabbing a shawl before following him down the street. It was only then that I realized that it had grown dark outside.
I could barely believe the intensity of the noise that hit me as we walked into the lodging house. The usual multitude of newsies had tripled. Between the sheer number of people and the addition of a few tables, the bunkroom had turned into a frenzy.
I quickly scanned the room, finding Gabe huddled in the corner with Race and Skittery. I watched from a safe distance as the trio laughed and joked, completely high spirited. I couldn't help smiling as they playfully punched each other.
Moving out of the doorway to make room for even more newsies who were entering the room, I spotted Specs sitting a few feet away, staring out the window. I squeezed through the group of chatting newsies that separated us. When I got close enough, I noticed the same devoid expression that was on his face the night before.
"Hey, why the sad face? This is supposed to be your party."
Before Specs could answer, a very energetic Gabriel came tearing across the room. "Bel! You made it!"
He pulled me into a quick hug, kissing my forehead. I lightly hugged him back, not taking my eyes off of Specs. His face contorted into a scowl and he climbed out the window, letting it slam behind him.
"What was that all about?" Dutchy asked, turning to the window.
I cursed under my breath when I realized how the embrace must have looked to Specs. Biting my lip, I stared at the closed window.
Gabe studied my face for a moment and then smiled. "He's a lucky guy."
"What?"
"Give me a little credit, Bel," he said with a slight smile. "I'm not blind."
I could feel the blush rising in my cheeks, and I concentrated my gaze on the floor.
Gabe lifted my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. "Let me go talk to him." Resting a hand on my shoulder, he pushed passed me and ducked out the window.
"You just show up here, out of nowhere. What did you expect me to do, Bel, give up the life that I've known for the last six years; come back here as if nothing had happened?"
"It is where you belong, Gabe."
"Not anymore," he replied softly. "I belong with the newsies. They are my family now; my only family."
A lump rose in my throat. "So where does that leave me?"
"I want you as a part of my life, Bel, but you have to understand that I have changed."
"As have I," I choked out.
"I know," he murmured in a husky whisper.
He took a few steps closer to me, and before I had time to react, he had wrapped his arms around my waist. As he began to lean his face toward mine, a strange feeling took root in the pit of my stomach.
I quickly pulled out of his arms. "Please, don't."
He took a staggering step back.
"This isn't why I came to find you, Gabe."
He stared blankly at me. "But I thought-"
"You are the best friend that I have ever known, and for that I love you, just not."
He nodded. "Just not that way. I get it."
"I am sorry."
He smiled and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, hugging me tightly. "Don't be."
The tears that had been welling up in my eyes finally spilled down my cheeks, leaving moist spots on Gabe's shirt. When my voice was finally steady enough to speak, I murmured into his shoulder. "Promise me something?"
"Anything."
"Promise me that you won't disappear again."
He laughed slightly and pulled me closer. "I swear."
We stood in the dark street for a few more minutes, enjoying the comfort of his arms.
"I should get goin. The boys'll be gettin worried." He backed away, dropping a kiss on my forehead. "Goodnight Bel."
When I entered the lodging house the next afternoon, it was unusually quiet. As I made my way toward the front desk, I could hear hushed voices. I peered around the corner, finding Boots, Snipe and Kloppman huddled around the desk.
"Is that right, Kloppman?" Boots asked, passing a sheet of paper across the worn wood surface. Kloppman pointed out a few errors and passed it back.
Suddenly, a realization washed over me. For the first time in years, my future seemed clear. I silently backed out of the lodging house, darting back to my house.
"Mrs. Paige!" I called into the empty house. "Mrs. Paige!"
The old woman sprinted into the foyer. "What is it child? What's wrong?"
I smiled broadly at her. "I am going to start a school."
Her eyes widened and she stared at me in disbelief. "What brought this on?"
"You see," I started, talking a mile a minute. "As you know I have been spending a great deal of time with the newsies, and today I went to the lodging house, and the younger newsies can not read and write well. So it got me thinking how much good I could do. I am going to start a school for kids who can't afford to attend any other way. Here. We have more than enough room."
She nodded, waiting patiently until I was finished. "Well, good for you, dear."
"That's it? You're not going to try to talk me out of it?"
"And why would I do such a thing? It sounds wonderful, dear." She smiled sweetly. "Shall we start making some arrangements?"
We spent the rest of the day sitting around the kitchen table, going over the record books and planning lessons. When the doorbell rang, we both jumped.
I got up and quickly moved to the door. As I opened it, a brisk gust of wind swept through the hallway.
"Heya, beautiful, how's it rollin?" Jack stood before me, eyes dancing.
"Wonderful!" I replied, smiling brightly.
"We're havin a poker game tonight. All the newsies in the city are comin. Da boys wanted me to come and invite ya. So, ya wanna come?"
"Sure," I replied, grabbing a shawl before following him down the street. It was only then that I realized that it had grown dark outside.
I could barely believe the intensity of the noise that hit me as we walked into the lodging house. The usual multitude of newsies had tripled. Between the sheer number of people and the addition of a few tables, the bunkroom had turned into a frenzy.
I quickly scanned the room, finding Gabe huddled in the corner with Race and Skittery. I watched from a safe distance as the trio laughed and joked, completely high spirited. I couldn't help smiling as they playfully punched each other.
Moving out of the doorway to make room for even more newsies who were entering the room, I spotted Specs sitting a few feet away, staring out the window. I squeezed through the group of chatting newsies that separated us. When I got close enough, I noticed the same devoid expression that was on his face the night before.
"Hey, why the sad face? This is supposed to be your party."
Before Specs could answer, a very energetic Gabriel came tearing across the room. "Bel! You made it!"
He pulled me into a quick hug, kissing my forehead. I lightly hugged him back, not taking my eyes off of Specs. His face contorted into a scowl and he climbed out the window, letting it slam behind him.
"What was that all about?" Dutchy asked, turning to the window.
I cursed under my breath when I realized how the embrace must have looked to Specs. Biting my lip, I stared at the closed window.
Gabe studied my face for a moment and then smiled. "He's a lucky guy."
"What?"
"Give me a little credit, Bel," he said with a slight smile. "I'm not blind."
I could feel the blush rising in my cheeks, and I concentrated my gaze on the floor.
Gabe lifted my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. "Let me go talk to him." Resting a hand on my shoulder, he pushed passed me and ducked out the window.