next chapter! no school and ill be trapped with my little cousins, ill be putting out a ton of them...
RileyHiggins-you're too kind. just hurry up and update yours!
Garen Ruy Maxwell-your supposed to feel sorry for him. yay! my attempts are working!
fweee, here we go! onward!
"I know I'm going to have to talk to him eventually, but can't it wait?" There was nothing Mustang wanted to do less than face Dutchy now that she knew he hadn't left her side. "What exactly happened? No one ever told me, and I can't remember." Blink told her, including every detail he could remember. "I fell off the Brooklyn Bridge? That's awesome!"
"Maybe fa you! Scared da heck outta us!" She just laughed. Slowly her laughter faded and an uncomfortable silence settled. Mustang realized how dark the room had become. Suddenly, the door pushed open and she squinted against the light that appeared. Not able to see through it to the person standing in the dorrway, she put her hat on. None of the newsies needed to see her still red and puffy eyes. Blink must have figured out who it was first because he stood and left. The lantern was placed on her bed side table and the blinding light subsided to show that it was Dutchy who had just entered.
"Sit down," she muttered, avoiding his eyes.
"I just wanted to bring you a lantern-"
"No. Sit. We need to talk." He sat next to her on the bed. "I need to apologize." She pulled her hat off and began to toy with it, any excuse to keep her eyes down. "Kid Blink told me everything. That you just wanted me to be safe. That you've been in here since they brought me back. You're my best friend. I never wanted it to be like this. I never wanted the first thing I said to you when I woke up to be angry. I never, never wanted to be the one to make you cry." She finally looked up at him and saw a tear rolling down his face. She wiped it away and blinked back her own tears. "Never."
"I'm sorry too. For lying to you. I just-"
"I know. You've apologized already. You didn't deserve what I said to you." She focused her attention back to her hat. "I just hope you're not too mad at me." After only a second's pause he put a finger under her chin and guided her face back up. He smiled and hugged her. "Oh Dutchy, what would I do without you?"
"Well, you probably wouldn't fall off the Brooklyn Bridge." They both laughed. Fianlly they both sat back up and faced each other. He thought that even when they were wet with tears her eyes were very pretty. "You know, you should get some sleep. I assume you'll want to be out selling again tomorrow." She nodded happily and put her hat back on the table. "See ya in the morning then."
"Good night." As he left she began to think. The way he had looked at her. It was different. It almost seemed like he was seeing her for the first time. Something told her it should bother her, but it didn't. Actually, as she thought about it, she thought she might haveliked it. It was like someone seeing something wonderful. Something they really liked that they hadn't ever seen before. He was her best friend and he had just looked at her like she was some kind of amazing treasure. He had gotten her back after he thought he'd never see her again. Twice. Maybe that's what he was to her. Some kind of priceless gem. She turned off the lantern and lay down. She took the small leather horse in her hands. Just a toy she brought with her when she left Santa Fe. But she gave it to him, and he kept it. He kept it and now she had it back. She tried to remember what it had been like beofre she left to Long Island. All that she got were brief flashes of memories. Laughing boys all around her, selling papers, the warm feeling of the lodging house, how nice it was to come inside after a long cold day and be with her friends. She wasn't sure if she fell asleep or passed out from remembering.
Dutchy walked slowly up the stairs. At the top, he turned and saw the line of light under her door dissapear. Smiling to himself, he walked as quietly as possible over to his bunk.
"You ok?"Blink asked in a whisper from his bunk. "She didn't yell at yeh or anything?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"She's a good friend."
"Yeah, she is." He slipped his shoes off and fell into the bunk below Bumlets. He hummed to himself and drew imaginary pictures with his finger. Shewas a wonderful friend. As he thought, he realized how jealous he was of Kid Blink. Not nessasarily because he'd been soaked by the Delanceys, but because Mustang had saved him. He couldn't help but hate the fact that she was so crazy about him. Blink was the shoulder she cried on, not him. He realized how jealous that made him, and came again to the obvious conclusion. He loved her. Just a few moments ago she had referred to him as her best friend. That wasn't what he wanted. He loved her, he couldn't deny that to himself anymore.
sorry, in a romantic mood today. i was watching country music videos allday, so of course they manage to lodge themselves in my brain..."must be doin' somethin right, i just heard you sigh, lean into my kiss and close those deep blue need you eyes, dont know whati did to earn a love like this but i must be doin' somethin right" sorry, just had to get that out of my system...