Red entered Bonnie's Floral, frustrated with her skirts and shoes. Blast these wretched skirts! She pasted a smile on her face, hiding exhaustion and a forming black eye. The girl behind the counter smiled back.
"The regulars, miss?"
She nodded. The girl continued to speak.
"This here's a delivery for Miss Dominique. Since you work there, saves me the trouble. Do you mind?"
She shook her head, and into her basket was placed two dozen roses. The cheerful clerk waved as Red turned away, grimacing as she entered the streets.
"Extra! Extra! Fire on the El! Extra! Hundreds of deaths! Nude corpse found under tracks! Extra! Extra!"
Red dashed into an alleyway. That voice. She grinned crazily. Swiftly, she peeked around the corner. The grin bloomed. Jack. That little devil. She watched a few minutes as he sold a few papers, then moved off before they could catch his story of a man lighting up on the El and being warned to put it out on page sixteen. And the dead cat found under the train tracks on page ten. Then she groaned. He was headed the way she needed to. He probably won't recognize me in me skirt anyways. I can always run.
She took a deep breath and headed across the street. As she passed by Jack she averted her eyes.
"Buy a pape, miss?" She glanced upward then immediately fixated her gaze onto her high-topped, thin leathers. She shook her head and scurried off, almost bursting inside from being able to contact another newsie. She had slipped a note into his pocket. A grin slipped onto her face. Sly little devil.
- - - - - - - -
"I'm fine. Tell everyone that I'm fine. Tell Blink not to worry. He'll find something of mine under my bed. He can share if he wants. I'm watching you. Signed, Red."
Kloppman lowered the crinkled piece of paper. Blink flushed a bit, but there was a hint of sadness that lingered around him these days. For the last few months, actually. Silence ensued.
"Well, who's up fo' a game o' Go Fish?"
"Race." Groans echoed around the room, drowning out Blink's footsteps in the stairwell. Kloppman looked after him as the room gently shifted into activity. Jack sat in his chair, one leg up over the armrest and one hand supporting his face. He sat there until most of the newsies had gone up, staring into the dying embers. Flames had always been entrancing to him. And they left him time to think.
- - - - - - - -
Blink had made his way to Red's room. Tyke didn't sleep there anymore, and there were no sheets on either bed. He dropped to his knees and pulled out a stack of papers.
The Blood Dread Mutiny he read on one title. Blood Dogs: A mystery he read on another.Diamond in the Rough was yet another. And on and on they went. Pirates, castles, princesses, murderers, bloodhounds, and the old lady living across the street who complained of their noise at night. He flipped through the papers, scanning the titles, skimming stories, intrigued at the plots and characters.
He yawned and stretched. He should go to be, but there was one last pile he hadn't touched yet. He pulled it out. Stacks of paper surrounded him. He pushed them back under the bed the way he'd found them. He'd read them in their entirety one day, but not now… ten at night. He listened to the clock sounding in the hall.
One more pile. He wiped the sleep from his eyes. One more to look over, then to bed. He glanced at the top.
For JackAlone
Locked in here
Moonlight through the window
Shining through the bars
How can things be beautiful
When life is so ugly?
Alone
No one knows
Just another street rat
Life draining through my toes
Lifeless today
Just a shell
No pain
No cares
Moonlight through the window
Shining through the bars
Throw yourself into moonlight
Forget the scars
Forget the pain
Maybe I'll live again
Moonlight through the window
Blink flipped the page. It reminded him too much of the Refuge.
For MushGentle rain
Pounding my body
Dripping down my face
Puddles forming
At my feet
Papes stained through
Carriages spray
As they trot through
Drenched in street sludge
Walking home
Hands in pockets
Rain dripping down my back
A glint in the gutter
A quarter
Cold and wet
In my hand
Warm in my pocket
Mush was always optimistic, even when it was raining. Mush liked rain. Blink smiled. The pages were starting to blur. He turned it over.
For BlinkAnd there he stopped. He could read no more. He pushed the stack of paper hastily under the bed. He slowly stepped down the stairs, clinging to the railing. He silently pushed open the squeaky door, wincing at its sound. One bunk open on top. Perfect. He waded through clothes and miscellaneous items on the floor. Standing before the open bunk, he shed his outer clothing, and pulled himself up to the bed dressed only in his long johns.
When up there, he grabbed Monkey sitting on the pillow. Sheets were hastily pulled over a chilling body. Almost as soon as his head touched the pillow he was out.
Wet tracks dried on his cheeks as he slept into the night.
I won't go upstairs until Red comes back.
Upstairs, the stack of paper rested on the floor, two sheets of paper to the side and the one on top reading For Blink.
Maybe someday
I'll write what I truly feel
For the boy on the corner
Hawking papers
To the passerby
Maybe someday
I'll whisper
I love him
In his ear
Maybe someday
I'll hug him
And he'll hug me back
Maybe someday
Maybe someday
Maybe someday will never come
- - - - - - - -
Red's not fighting back cuz her stepmom will throw her friends in prison. I put that in chapter 2 I think...yeah. For those who are mad or confused about that. sry. Thank you Garen, madmbutterfly, uhmmm...well, if i forgot you, I'm sorry. Thank you faithful reviewers! You make my day sharper than a marble! -rj