Kisses in the Rain
Chapter 1: The South Rises to the North
I wiped away the water from my face as I walked into a fairly quiet and old building. It was the Manhattan Newsboy Lodging House. I walked to the counter to speak with the old man standing behind it. "Excuse me, sir." I said.
He turn to face me, A smile coming to his face. "You'ah not from around heah ah ya?" the old man said.
"Well...no. But, how'd you know?" I said, a bit confused.
"Ya accent. It's southan. Don't heah too many'a dose 'round heah." he said.
I smiled a pleasant smile to him.
"Ah you heah fa a bed?" he asked.
"Yes, I'd like to be a newsie." I said matter-of-factly.
The old man introduced himself as Kloppman. He then told me the necessary information needed for board, and told me to go upstairs. I walked up the creaky stairs and into an open room with many bunkbeds. There were boys everywhere. They were loud, and didn't notice my rather quiet entrance.
But, then, one of the boys looked up from his cards. His sandy, brown hair fell perfectly in front of his deep hazel eyes. He wore a bright red bandanna around his neck, and had a cowboy hat hanging loosely on his back. He put his cards down, saying he was out, his eyes never leaving mine. I noticed, as he stood, that he was fairly tall. He slowly walked closer to me.
I came to about the bottom of his chin.
"Can I help ya ma'am?" he asked politely.
I smiled, pushing a piece of my long, wet, blonde hair behind my ear. "Yes, um...I'm the new newsie. The old man...Kloppman?...told me to come up here." I said.
He smirked at my accent.
'Why does everyone keep doing that?' I thought. The rest of the boys had gone quiet by now, all eyes on me and the cowboy.
"Well...we all sleep da same...bunks. Take ya pick of any'a da empty ones."
I smiled and walked over to a bottom bunk next to the window, sitting my few, soaking wet things down onto it.
He smiled, noticing I had picked the bed beneath his.
"Um...can I wash up?" I asked a bit nervously.
Some of the boys smirked.
'I wish they'd quit doing that.' I thought as I walked into the bathroomm.
The hot water running over my body felt so good compared to the freezing cold rain. I wasn't used to such cold. 'Alabama never even thought of getting this cold.' I thought. 'Oh well, too late to go back now. I can't. I just can't.' I thought to myself, scolding and cursing the weather. I finished up and threw my hair up into the towel. I pulled on my underclothes, then pulling on my tight blue jeans, fitting my butt and hips perfectly. They were my favorite pair. I then threw on my army green wife beater, also returning my necklace to it's place around my neck. It was a key. My brother had given it to me to remind me of him; to tell me, that as long as I had this, he'd always be with me. I'd be home. He'd given it to me right before I left.
A tear began falling down my cheek. I furiously wiped it away. 'I won't cry. He'd want me to be happy. I just won't. I'll be tough, like he told me.' I thought. I had only just turned 16. I left a month after my birthday.
"Hey...um..are ya finished? Can I come in?" a voice at the door said. It sounded like the cowboy.
I wiped away traces of the salty tears that had fallen not 2 seconds before. "Yes, you may come in." I said politely, my voice still shaky from before.
He walked in, seeming to float as he did so. He was smiling at me. "Not to be rude but...I don't believe ya evah told me ya pretty name." he said.
I blushed in embarassment as I suddenly realized that I had not. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. My name is Elizabeth Desirae." I said. I smiled sweetly, sticking my hand out for him.
He then did the most atrocious thing. He spit in his hand, sticking it out for a hand shake.
I pulled my hand away, not sure of what to do or say. It was a bit of an embarassing moment.
"What'sa matta?" he asked, a look of shock in his eyes as I had quickly pulled my hand away. He then started laughing. "I'm sorry. I fagot..you'a not usedta us." He was smiling as he said so. He seemed embarassed. "Well...see...mosta da goils in dis city like to be treated like we treat any odda guy...in every way pretty much. It's sorta a respect thing." he said, his lips thick with the accent. "Are you one of dose goils?" he asked, still unable to contain his laughter and embarassment.
I shook my head, a blank look on my face. I wasn't sure what to say.
He then took my right hand, gently holding my light fragile fingers in his, and gently kissed my delicate knuckles.
I smiled sweetly at him as he looked warmly into my blue-grey eyes.
Then he got an interesting, curious look on his face as he released my hand.
"What?" I said, not sure of why he was looking so goofily at me.
"It's jist...you'a eyes. They changed?"
I gave him a puzzling look.
"Well...when ya foist got heah, they were a pretty green. But now...they'a blue...almost grey." he said.
I simply shrugged, smilling again.
He smiled warmly back, his crooked smile almost a smirk. He seemed to have a thoughtful, dazed look as he looked down at what seemed to be my mouth.
'What is he looking at?' I thought.
"Listen um...you wanta go take a walk wid me tomorrah? I'll show ya da city." he asked, seemingly nervous. "I wouldn't da'ah take a pretty goil like you out this late at night." he said smirking. '
There's that smirk again. They seem to like doing that. Does no one know how to actually smile here?' I thought. 'But his...is SO cute.' I thought. I smiled and walked past him, brushing his arm ever-so-gently with mine. "Goodnight." I said softy, barely above a whisper.
"Goodnight." he replied.
I could feel his eyes watching me as I walked out of the room. I heard the water in the sink run as I lay down on my bunk. It was surprisingly comfortable. I sighed as I closed my eyes and began to fall into my relived slumber. 'I'm safe.' I thought before drifting finally into the darkness hidden behind my eyelids.
DREAM
"You've gotta go. It's the only way you'll be safe. I won't let you stay here. Not while it's like this. Liz you gotta go. Please. For me." he pleaded while I sat in protest on my bed.
"NO! I won't leave you alone. I won't. You can't make me." I screamed, tears beginning to fill my worried and frightened green eyes.
"Liz. You need to go now." He pulled my suitcase that he'd packed for me from under the bed and sat it in my lap. "Go." he said.
I smiled shakily and jumped into his arms, hugging him and taking in everything about his touch and scent before I pulled away, now crying.
He pulled out a long silver chain with a key attached to it and put it around my neck. It was the key to his window. "As long as you have this, I'll be with you. You'll be home." he smiled and hugged me once more.
Heavy footsteps made themselves known as they came closer up the 32-step staircase.
"Hurry! Go!" he said, pushing me toward the window.
I kissed his cheek and climbed down and fell into the grass below, tears flowing down my cheeks. I looked into his eyes one last time before turning and running for my life to the train station.
END
I woke to the sunlight flooding into my eyelids. As my vision cleared I saw that Jack was sitting at the windowsill, watching the scene outside. We were the only two left in the room.
"You'ah awake." he said smirking.
"Where...is everyone?" I asked sleepily, wiping my eyes and sitting up.
"They all left already. Today's a sellin' day. But I'm takin' da day off to show you around." he said, a real smile now on his lips.
"You sleep like a rock. You know dat?" he said laughing.
I gave him a confused look.
"Usually goils dat stay da night complain about how loud da guys are in da mornin'. But you slept right trough it." he said, laughing once more.
I laughed slightly, not intending to let him know how I earned that skill, and then walked into the bathroom. I washed my face and brushed my teeth and hair and then walked back out, now wearing my long ankle-length white peasant skirt matched with a baby pink tank top and my hair down and sightly wavy from air-drying.
I smiled pleasantly at Jack and laughed as his jaw dropped slightly when he saw me. "Hi." I said.
He smirked again, probably at my accent. "Woah." he said.
I smiled and tucked my hair behind my ear. "What?" I asked shyly.
"Ya look gorgious. The focus'll definitely be on you. You'll be runnin' all da goils away from me." he said, bragging subtely.
I now immitated teh New York attitude and said, "What girls?", immitating the smirk they'd all given me before perfectly.
He laughed and said, "Tou sche." and we walked out of the L.H. He kept his distance from me, sure not to make me uncomfortable by his usual flirting.
We made our way to Tibby's. It was now lunchtime and Jack had told me that the boys usually eat at Tibby's for lunch after they sell their papers. We walked in and it was loud and smokey. I saw the same boys from the L.H. and they recognized me as well.
"Heya Cowboy! How's it goin'?" most of them yelled.
I saw a short, Italian-looking boy--he looked maybe a couple of years older than me--who sat up and turned to face me and Jack. "Eya Kelly! Ey South! Come on back. We'll make room." he yelled.
"Who's South?" I whispered to Jack. I knew Kelly was him.
He just laughed and whispered back, "It's you. He's given your official newsie name now."
I just nodded my head in agreement and smiled at the boys as I came to their back booth.
"Heah South. You can sit by me." the Italian boy said.
I just smiled and sat down next to him.
"Well what about me? Dat's my usual seat." Jack said.
The boy sat there in thought for a moment and then suddenly looked around laughing. "Can we get this man a chair please?" he yelled.
Jack just laughed and grabbed a chair.
"You'ah just lucky you'ah so pretty goily." the boy said. "Jack don't give his seat up to jist anyone."
I laughed and flashed Jack a big smile.
"I'm Racetrack. Call me Race." he said putting his hand out to shake mine.
I smiled and shook it.
Suddenly all the boys around me began introducing themselves. I recognized their faces from the previous night, but the only names I caught were: Mush, Skittery, Blink, Crutchy, David, and Dutchy. I simply smiled and tried to remember them all. They knew I'd forget in a matter of hours, but they didn't care. They just seemed happy to have another member of the opposite sex to talk to that would be in the house.
"So Liz, wheah ya from anyway?" Mush asked.
"She's from da south dumbass." Race said smirking at his brilliance.
"I know dat. But wheah in da south?" Mush said offensively.
I smiled and replied, "Opelika."
They all got a bewildered look on their faces, but it soon disappeared as soon as it had come and they just smile dand laughed.
I felt more welcome than I thought I was going to be.
LATER
I was sitting on Jack's bunk. He was attempting to teach me how to play poker. The boys were lounging and being loud as I now saw they were accustomed to being. All of a sudden, they all got louder, cheering for someone who'd just come into the room. He was with a group of boys. They all looked slightly tougher than my group of boys. There was one semi-short, black haired, lanky boy in front; he had a cane and a slingshot being held in eithe rof his pockets; but I couldn't get a good look at his face. So, I kept playing cards with Jack.
"You'ah turn. Whatcha got goily? Lay it on me." he said.
I simply smiled and shrugged and laid down my cards to reveal a royal flush.
Jack's jaw dropped. "Wh...How...Whe...How'd you get dat!" he finally said.
I just laughed as he lunged at me, tickling me.
"Well if it ain't Jack-be-nimble, Jack-be-quick." I heard a voice say from the floor.
Jack stopped tickling me. "Eya Spot! How's it goin'?" he asked. They spit shook and Spot glanced over at me, smirking all the while. His smirk was different. It wasn't as modest as Jack's or Race's. It was arrogant. I didn't like it.
"Oh. Spot. Dis is da newest addition to our crew. Dis is..."
"Elizabeth Desirae. Hi. Nice to meet you." I said, smiling as I said so.
"Woah." he said, pretending to fall back against the bed beside him. "Would ya listen to dat accent. Jeez. Where'd ya find dis goil Jack?" he said laughing.
"She found us." Jack said, smiling fully at me.
"Well, maybe I can show ya round da city sometime." Spot said, smirking at me and winking his right eye.
"No thanks." I said, still smiling. "Jack's already showed me around."
I saw Jack out of the corner of my eye making a stop motion, but I didn't care to pay any attention to that.
"Well, he hasn't shown ya round my part of da city." he said, still smirking.
"I don't want to see your part of the city. And if I do, I'll get Jack to show me." I smiled at Jack, who immedietly stopped making the gestures as soon as Spot turned around.
"Well Jacky boy, it seems like this goil doesn't want me around. So I'm jist gonna go ova heah. Talk to me when she's not around." Spot smirked at me once more and I smiled back.
"What's the matta with you?" Jack whispered after Spot had walked off.
"What do you mean?" I asked innocently.
"Do you not know what THIS means!" he asked, once again doing the stop gesture.
I nodded. "Well, I did nothing wrong. I didn't like the way he was looking at me. It made me feel like a..."
"Piece of meat?" Jack finished. "That's all goils are to him. He's got a new goil every day. Sometimes 2 in 1."
"That's repulsive." I said in disgust.
"Well...dat's Spot. So be nice. Please?" he pleaded.
I nodded and smiled. "Of course. I will. I forgot my manners." I could feel Spot watching me. But I paid no attention. I continue smiling and carrying on as if he didn't exist. I even beat Race a few times in poker before the night was over.