Chapter Four

"Blink doesn't care about us anymore, not when he's got that pretty girl!" The haranguing started every morning when they went to get their papers. "How come you don't bring her around? Are you afraid she won't be able to resist my charms?" Skittery teased.

"You don't have enough to charm a dog," Blink retorted. He had been seeing Molly almost every day for nearly two months. Usually they sat and talked in the workroom for hours while she worked. Occasionally she would have him deliver something. He had even gotten a few unexpected tips. Then he'd go back and always get a free lunch from her. He was slowly learning about the candle trade by watching her and had begun helping her.

He looked forward to that time with her more than anything else. The only thing that bothered him was that he hadn't kissed her yet. He wanted to do that more than anything, but it had never felt like the right time. Their hands would linger sometimes, and she would blush just enough that he would think about doing it, but something always came in the way. A customer would walk in, or the wax was getting too hot, or too cold. Those intimate moments only lasted a few seconds before something needed to be done.

And then there was something else coming between them. He had asked about her father and mentioned how he had never seen him around the shop. Her answers sounded reasonable enough, but he wasn't satisfied. What kind of father left his daughter to run an entire business by herself? He hadn't seen him once the entire time he was there, and he knew she wasn't being entirely honest.

"What's going on?" Mush asked. Blink looked at Mush, but Mush hadn't directed the question at him. There was a crowd of newsboys gathered around and they looked furious. Some of them were yelling. They all hurried over to see what was happening.

Molly glanced at the backdoor for the fifth time that hour; she continued to think she heard him coming through the door. It was nearly two in the afternoon and Blink still hadn't shown up. He had been showing up around eleven in the morning everyday. He had never been this late. She was fighting with two different fears and she couldn't decide which was worse. She was afraid something had happened to him, but another more probable fear was weighing more heavily on her.

What if he was tired of her? She sighed heavily while she worked. She was realizing now how much he meant to her. She had felt so close to him, and she thought he shared those feelings. She had been so sure, but now doubt and worry were eating away at her. She had been so lonely since her mother died. Blink was one of the first friends she had been able to make since she started working. She tried not to overreact, but she was thinking about all the sad things that had happened recently and they all blurred together until she just let the tears come.

Blink hadn't realized he was running until he was almost a block away from her door. He had been so busy that morning that this was the first time he was able to get away. Everything seemed right and he felt like something good was going to happen. He slowed as he walked down the alley and caught his breath.

He opened the door without knocking and strode in with a huge grin on his face. Molly jumped in surprise and then rushed towards him, "Where have you been?" Blink swept her up in his arms and whirled her around the room. She let out a small cry and clung to his neck.

"Wait till you hear what's happened!" He lowered her down and kept his hands on her waist, his excitement giving him the courage to hold onto her. "When we went to get our papes this morning, everyone was real upset about something. So we find out, all the owners got together and decided to make us pay more for our papes."

Molly shook her head and wrinkled her forehead, "But why?"

"'Cause they're rich bastards, I don't know." Blink grimaced and coughed, "Uh, excuse my language. Anyway, you know I was telling you about Jack and the new guy Davy? They start talking, saying how we should boycott the paper; go on strike until they put the price back where it was. We've been all over town, talking to other newsies, and they're getting ripped off too. We're all going to get together and make a union." Blink paused to catch his breath and waited to hear her reaction. "Well? What do you think?"

Molly's mind was reeling from everything he had just said. On top of that her emotions were still in turmoil. She had been all set to be sad and angry with him and here he was, holding her like he never intended to let go, looking the happiest she had ever seen him. "That's great!" she said happily, unsure of what exactly to say.

He grinned and spun her around again. He set her down and pulled away to see her face. She was blushing and smiling; he could hardly believe his luck. His smile faded slightly as he noticed the redness around her eyes, "Something wrong?" Her smile faded instantly and she looked embarrassed. "Did you cut yourself again?" He grabbed her hands and gave them a once over.

"No, it was just over something silly," she could feel the heat on her cheeks as the blush deepened.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Don't worry, it was nothing!" She smiled. It seemed useless to mention it now. He was here and he was holding her closer than either of them had dared before. She didn't want to admit just yet how much he meant to her. He looked her over for a minute and she could tell he didn't believe her completely, but to her relief he let it slide. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her soundly on the lips.

Blink was grinning from ear to ear when he returned to the boarding house later that night. He slipped through the door unannounced and almost made it up the stairs.

"Blink! Where ya been?" Mush called.

"Come on, you know where's he been. Look at him!" Racetrack teased. Blink turned and tipped his hat to them before running up the stairs to the sound of whistles.