[Disclaimer] Still don't own Newsies, but I do own Kyriel.
Oh my god! An update only one day apart? Is this REAL? I'M updatin' so soon? *blinks* Believe it, folks! Here's chapter two of Fallen Leaves! *takes out maracas* Cha, cha, cha!
~*~
"I didn't lose it on purpose!" came a yell from up the Lodging House stairs. Skittery looked up from the newspaper he was skimming through to figure out who was shouting.
"Everythin' I lend you, you lose!" came another shout, this time from another person's voice, "Why can't I just have a normal sister who ain't such a pain in my neck?!" There was the sudden sound of a door slamming, causing Skittery to jump. He turned toward the stairs and saw one of his closest friends walking down them, her arms crossed over her chest and her head hung low.
"She thinks she owns the world," Skittery heard her mutter, "Just 'cause she's a year older don't give her no right to—." She stopped abruptly after noticing Skittery had been listening to her, "H-hey, Skitts," she said, sniffling, "Didn't see you there…"
"You okay, Ky?" Skittery asked, putting the newspaper down and walking over to her. The girl nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she lied.
"Then why are you cryin'?"
Kyriel turned her gaze back to the floor. "I lost her necklace. I didn't mean to… I guess it just fell off, and of course it's all my fault." She looked up at Skittery, tears slowly streaming down her face. "But I guess it's just dumb sister stuff, you know?"
"You shouldn't let her get to you all the time," Skittery replied, watching as Kyriel wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand.
"I know," she said, sniffling again, "But, I just get the feelin' that she thinks she can walk all over me, you know? Just 'cause I'm younger…"
Skittery motioned for her to come closer. She obliged and he wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. Kyriel looked up at him and smiled.
Skittery wasn't sure how long he and Kyriel had been standing in the lobby staring into each other's eyes when he finally spoke. "I'll help you find the necklace. Just…." He trailed off as Kyriel pressed her lips softly onto his own.
"… don't worry about it," he continued before gladly returning the kiss.
Skittery awoke the next morning to a small pain in his right shoulder. He squinted his eyes open, allowing them to adjust to the sunlight pouring through the window before turning over to see what was causing the ache. He groaned.
"Bumlets, go away," Skittery grumbled, pulling his bed sheets over his head, "And stop pokin' me, please…"
"Wake up, Skitts!" said the other boy enthusiastically.
"I'd rather not," Skittery muttered, "Just let me die here in peace…" He heard Bumlets sigh exasperatedly.
"Oh, come on," Bumlets said, rolling his eyes and pulling the sheets off of the bed, "Kyriel comes back today. Don't you want to see her again?" Skittery didn't answer. Instead, he pulled his pillow over his head. Bumlets quickly pulled the pillow off the other boy and hit him on the back of the head with it. Skittery sat up and glared at him, but Bumlets just smiled back innocently.
"Fine," Skittery said sighing, "I'm getting up, but only because I can't fall back to sleep without blankets and a pillow!"
"I win!" Bumlets said, smirking. With that, he turned and headed downstairs.
Skittery stood up and stretched. "Why can't I just stay up here?" he wondered aloud, "It's not like they'd miss me." Not feeling like going through his normal morning routine of putting on his work clothes, Skittery grabbed his usual pair of brown pants and pulled them on over his faded pink pajamas. After quickly splashing water onto his face from the sink near the bunk-beds, he forced himself to walk down the stairs and into the lobby.
Ershey, Mush and the small group of newsies they usually hung around were already back from selling papers and were sitting around and on the couch in the middle of the lobby. Bumlets had obviously decided to let him skip selling and sleep in. Skittery was grateful, although he couldn't deny that he would have rather not woken up at all that morning.
Bumlets had been sitting on a step at the bottom of the staircase, waiting for Skittery to come down.
"Good mornin'!" he said happily as the taller boy sat down next to him, "Actually, it's almost afternoon."
"What time is it?" Skittery asked, scratching the back of his head.
"Almost eleven," Bumlets replied, "I didn't think you'd be in the mood for an early wake up call. Erm, because of what happened yesterday, I mean."
"You know me too well." Skittery glanced at the crowd of newsies around the couch. Mush had his arm around Ershey, both of them laughing and talking with their friends. The couple hadn't always hated him. In fact, they had been two of Skittery's best friends, but ever since Kyriel left they'd done nothing but insult him and make him feel lower than he already was.
Skittery hesitated before speaking again. "So, what time is Kyriel supposed to get here?"
Before Bumlets could answer, however, the Lodging House door swung open gently. Ershey jumped up from her place on the couch to hug the girl who had just walked in tightly. After a couple of moments, she let go, revealing a girl with jet-black hair with dark brown eyes and a small smile gracing her delicate facial features. Skittery turned away, hoping the girl wouldn't notice him right away.
Bumlets on the other hand, jumped up quickly and ran over to greet the girl. "Kyriel!" he exclaimed, giving her a hug. She smiled and returned it.
"Heya, Bumlets!" said Kyriel, pulling away, "How you been?"
"Can't complain," he replied before the other newsies in the lobby came up to them, all welcoming Kyriel back to Manhattan.
"Okay, okay!" Skittery heard Kyriel say through all the other chatter, "I'll come right back down. Just let me drop my stuff off in the bunkroom. Hey, Ersh, I gotta talk to you later, alright?" Skittery watched as she pushed her way through the crowd and make her way toward the stairs.
"Skittery?" Kyriel said once she'd reached the staircase. Skittery looked up at her and forced a smile.
"Hey."
"Hi," Kyriel replied, making her way up the stairs.
"Um… I missed you," Skittery said softly, standing up as she passed him. Kyriel forced a small smile of her own and merely nodded as she reached the top of the stairs.
"Me, too."
"Kyri?" Skittery said, walking up the stairs and following her as she made her way to the door at the end of the hall.
"Yes?" Kyriel replied, turning around to face him.
"Do you remember the night you left?" Skittery asked, not thinking entirely about how she would react, just wanting the answer he had been needing for two years. Kyriel stared at him, not knowing how to respond.
Skittery, finally registering the fact that he shouldn't have asked her that so suddenly said, "Look, I—."
"Of course I think about that night," Kyriel replied turning her gaze toward the ground, "It's kind of hard to forget, dontcha think?" She opened the door that led to the girls' bunkroom.
"I'm—."
"Don't apologize," she said, giving him a small smile and shaking her head. She shrugged, "It ain't your fault. You didn't love me." With that, she entered the room and closed the door behind her, leaving Skittery alone in the hallway as waves of guilt washed over him.
"But that's not true…"
The sound of rain echoed through the Lodging House lobby as Skittery followed Kyriel to the door.
"You can't leave!" he shouted, "Why? Why do you have to go?"
"I told you!" Kyriel said, turning around to face him, tears streaming down her face, "My parents found me here and now they're takin' me back to Queens! There ain't nothin' I can do!" She turned back around quickly and yanked open the Lodging House door. Outside, the fallen, golden leaves whirled around in the gusting wind and rain. A horse and carriage waited in the middle of the square.
"No," Skittery said, grabbing Kyriel's hand before she could exit, "We can run away. Somewhere where they can't find us! Just—."
"Skittery, stop making this harder than it already is!"
"Please… Please, don't leave me," Skittery said softly, tears threatening to spill as he looked straight into her dark brown eyes.
"Skittery," Kyriel said, looking back into his eyes, "I… I love you." Skittery's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Kyriel let out a small sob, pulled her hand from his grasp and turned away.
"No, Kyriel, wait!" Skittery exclaimed as Kyriel walked out the door, shutting it quickly. After a moment's hesitation, Skittery yanked the door back open and ran outside, only to find that Kyriel and the carriage were gone.
He stood there for what felt like an eternity, letting the wind and rain beat against him as tears of guilt, remorse, and regret fell down his face.
~*~
Confused about somethin'? All shall be explained in the next chapter...
Shout-outs!
Ershey - *pokes* Don't worry... you ain't really a meanie. I'll prove it
in the next chapter... hopefully.
Dippy Conlon - Whee, glad you like it!
Sapphy - Aloooooha! *puts on a grass and does the hula* I love rain too!
*nudges Ersh* I don't know why Ershey hates it so much. Rain is awesome! And
I've told you this before, but yes, you can host my fic. :D
Clem - Arigatou! *coughs* That's 'thank you' in Japanese.
Dewey - Ooh, if you think of which animated character, you MUST tell me!
Oh, Toy Story rules, by the way. :D
Azn-kimmi - Hmm... you sure your prediction is right? *cocks eyebrow*
Only time will tell, ne? *cackles*
Reviews are very muchly appreciated. :D