Blink Gets His Saturday Night

Chapter Six

'In His Arms'

-Insert sob here-

"Introducing the Mayor of New York City, Ronald Devan."

I applauded mechanically. I looked around. Everyone in the room was captivated by the greatness of my father. It made me sick. My father had showed to be arrogant. I looked next to me, hoping to see Kid Blink, rather than Joshua smiling smugly at me. This was the third banquet I had gone to with Joshua and he had yet to prove himself to be anything like Kid Blink.

I never understood that saying 'You only miss things when they're gone.' Now I knew what it meant too well. It had been a month since I last spoke to Kid Blink. I had no chance during the day to go seem him because my father had enrolled me into a fancy finishing school where the girls were as stuck up as I used to be. It pained me to wake up every morning and be escorted down the rode to the horrid building where I was held captive. One day as we were walking I saw Blink. I paused and waved towards him, but Blink just shook his head and walked in the opposite direction of me. I didn't understand.

"Dacey?" Joshua speaking to me brought me back into reality.

"Yes?" I answered unwillingly.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked sticking out a hand.

No, I said in my mind. I would never dance with you. "Of course." I said, and took his hand.

While we dancing I didn't look Joshua in the eye. I simply couldn't manage the let down. I was in a state of denial.

--

Two days after the banquet I was walking to the finishing school. I suppose my father had gained back some trust for me because I no longer had an escort with me. I welcome the chance to walk alone in the streets as if I weren't royalty, but another child of the city. I smiled in spite of myself while walking.

"M'am, do you have any change you could spare?" A small voice to the side of me asked.

I looked over and down to see a young boy. He was missing his front teeth and his clothes were badly ripped and he wore no shoes on his dirty feet, but he still had a hopeful look to his rugged face.

"Why yes I do." I said smiling. I dug in my pocket for a dollar coin. I bent down next to the boy, so I was eye level with him. "This is a dollar. Keep it safe, alright."

The boy nodded gladded and started to walk off and it was then I noticed he was holding papers. I called out to him and he turned back to me.

"Do you know Kid Blink?" I asked the little Newsie. "'Course I know Blink." The boy said smiling fondly.

"Great. He's a friend of mine. Can you do me a favor?" I asked quickly.

"Anything for you lady." The boy said still smiling.

"Can you tell him that Dacey's sorry?" I asked, choosing my words carefully.

"Shoa will." The boys said skipping off.

I smiled and checked my watch. I was going to late. My father wouldn't ever let me walk to school alone again. I sighed and started to run. I was too busy worrying about the time to watch where I was going. I ran into someone.

"I'm so sorry. Will you excuse me?" I said then went to continue running but was stopped.

"Don't worry about a thing Ms. Devan." The person said. I glanced up and sighed. It was Joshua.

"Hi Joshua." I said smiling, hoping it would get me out quicker. "How are you?"

"Doing great Dacey." Joshua said as he grabbed my shoulder. I instantly became uncomfortable with his touch.

"Good. Look, Joshua. I've got to get to school, I'll talk to you later." I said trying once again.

"How about you skip today and spend the day with me?" Joshua said his grasp becoming tighter.

"I really can't, Joshua. My father would kill me." I said laughing uncomfortably.

"Let's go." He grabbed my wrist tightly and I couldn't get loose.

"Joshua, I would like to but I can't. How about you come over tonight for dinner?" I asked, really wanting to get away from him.

"Tonight isn't so good for me. How about now?" He asked, more demanding than anything.

"I told you..." I started, but I was cut off.

Two boys walked over to Joshua and I. I guessed they were his cronies by the looks of pure glee on their faces. I kept trying to get Joshua's hand off of my wrist, but I couldn't. The other boy's put there hands on my shoulders and talked and laughed as if nothing odd was happening. I was fuming. My father would never trust me with even the tinniest things ever again.

"How's your little Newsie boy Dacey?" Joshua asked smirking as we walked.

"I don't know." I answered him through clenched teeth.

The boys laughed and I took the chance to stomp on Joshua's foot. He let go of my wrist and before the others could re-act I ran. I didn't look back to see if they followed, but they did. They kept up with me. I had never been very athletic, but I could run. The only thing I thought about as I ran was to get away. To hide and never go back to my home again, to never face my father again and forget everything that had happened in the past two months. I could see my breath in the cold as I ran. I hadn't brought a jacket because the walk to school wasn't long, but now the cold rattled my bones and chilled my blood. I kept running and running. My eyes watered from the wind and blurred my vision. I ran half blinded for a while until I hit what felt to be wall. I fell to the road and gasped. The blurry figure that I had ran into wasn't a wall, but a person. I wiped my eyes and turned around to Joshua and his two friends catching up with me where I sat on the ground. I gasped and got up, but the three young men were already by me. They were walking towards where I was frozen. I was sure they now meant to hurt me, I could no longer run. I braced myself for whatever might come, but nothing came. The person I had run into was standing in front of me.

"What do you'se think you're doin'?" The person said.

"Get out of the way, charity boy." I heard Joshua say.

The person made a swift movement with his arm and I saw Joshua fall backwards, blood dripping from his nose. Joshua's friends caught him and stood him back up. Joshua took a few swings at the person standing in front of me, but missed. Figuring that he couldn't win a fistfight Joshua took out a knife. I tried to scream, but my vocal chords were frozen with the rest of my body. I felt helpless and dumb as I just stood there. I rubbed the tears out of my eyes and blinked. The person standing in front of me was a boy. A hat covered his head. The boy kicked Joshua in the stomach and grabbed the knife. By now Joshua's friends had long run away. The boy took the knife and held it to Joshua's throat.

"Get you'se self out of here and don't ever think 'bout getting neah Dacey." The boy said. By now I recognized the voice.

Joshua ran off at a speed I'm sure set a new record. The boy turned around. I was re-frozen by the person I saw. Kid Blink. He wiped his face with his sleeve and took off his hat and bowed smiling.

"M'lady" He said still smiling his smile that had won my heart the first time I saw him.

I smiled back, and moved towards him, my body had finally become unfrozen. Once close enough I wrapped my arms around him. He lifted me up and twirled me around, which might sound stupid to some of you, but believe me, it was the best moment of my whole life. Then he put me down and sat on the edge of the sidewalk. It was then I noticed the stack of papers he dropped when I ran into him. I looked around and had no idea where I was or how far I had ran.

"Thank you." I said, looking at Blink's face.

I bent forward and kissed him and he kissed me back. Then I rested my head on his shoulders and told him what had happened through sobs and he just held me. ---

I suppose I could end my story here and hide you from what happens after this point. You would leave from reading this feeling considerably happier then you will if I write what happens soon after, but you would oblivious to the horrors of live if I did. So I feel it is my duty to report to you that not all stories end beautifully. So if you're not one for heartbreak, don't go to next the page. Just back away from my tale keeping the image of me in Blink's arms.