Blink's French Girl

by Star

Kid Blink watched most of the Manhatten newsies walk into the Lodging House for

the night. Making sure that no one saw him, he crept slowly down the dark alleys

and into the worst slums in New York.

"Where is she?" he muttered, nervously licking his lips.

A dark figure in a tattered coat came running up to him. He made his hands into

fists, almost without noticing. Being a newsie had made his senses sharp and

alert. He unclenched his fists when he saw it was Sophie, the french girl he had

wanted to see.

"Bonjour, my friend," she whispered, squeezing his hands.

"Heya, take it. I made more den da usual today." Blink thrust a small pile of

coins into her cold hands.

"Blink, how can I ever thank you?" Sophie asked, tears filling her eyes, which

she tried to stop. "How did you know about Marc?"

"What? What's wrong wit 'em?"

"He is very sick. I don't know what to do!" Sophie began to cry, great sobs that

choked her. Blink hugged her, wanting more than anything to make everything

alright.

"Go back home. I'll get some of da udders. Marc's gonna be okay." Blink tried to

reassure her.

"Dieu merci!" she whispered, through tears, than ran off into the night. Blink

watched to make sure she was safe, than he too went running back to the Lodging

House. As he ran, he kept seeing in his mind the first time he had met her.

***

It had been a bright day, and what's more, a great day of selling. That's when

Blink saw the bulls. His best friends, Mush and Race had been there one minute,

selling their papes like always. Then the bulls all-too familiar whistle had

blown, and they had taken off running. But this time it wasn't meant for them.

Blink had stopped when he heard a girl's scream. A bull had a girl by the arm.

She kicked him, and swearing, he grabbed hold of her again. She was yelling

"Non! Non! Laissez-moi partir, y aller!"

"Now missy, you were stealing from this man, and you're going to the refuge,

whether you speak English or not!" the officer had yelled at her, dragging her

away.

"Aide moi!" she shrieked, trying to kick the officer and run away at the same

time.

Blink admired the girl's spunk. He quickly ran to the officer's side. "What she

steal, sir?" He tried to act as dignified as possible

"Eh? This girl was stealing some bread and fruit," he muttered, pushing past

him.

"If I pay, will ya let her go?"

"Well, I suppose I could..." the bull started, but the vendor greedily reached

out for the money.

"Heya." Blink handed the vendor most of the money he had made that day. "Let's

get ya outta heya!" He grabbed the girl's hand, but she pushed it away. She

started running down an alley, but Blink soon caught up to her and grabbed her

arm.

"Do ya...do ya...talk English?" Blink asked.

"Yes, now let go of me!" she said, her accent making the words sound light and

airy.

"Look, I saved ya out dere! Dey would have sent ya to da Refuge!"

"I would have got out," she replied, defiantly.

"Look, honey, I've been in da Refuge before, an' it ain't as easy as ya think ta

get away."

"You don't think I could?!" she stomped angrily.

"Well, if anybody could get out, ya could," he grinned at her. "Why didn't ya

talk to dat bull in English?"

"I thought they'd have some pity on a poor french girl," she shrugged, knocking

her blonde hair off of her shoulders with contempt. "What's wrong with your

eye?"

Blink's hand quickly flew up to his patch. She probably thought he'd been

playing pirates or something. "Nothin'."

"Then why do you wear that patch?" She looked at him like he was crazy.

"Promise ya won't tell?" he asked, then lowered his voice to a whisper. "I wear

it so I can get sympathy from da people dat buy me papes."

The girl laughed, light like her voice, and her eyes danced. "I hope it works

for you better than it does for me."

He grinned too. "Heya, I don't even know ya name. Me name's Blink, an' I'm 16."

"Sophie, 16 and pleased to meet you," she smiled, and curtsied again.

"What 'cha doin' heya in New Yawk?"

"We were poor in Paris, and mere and pere thought it was better here in America.

They sent us here alone." She got a soft look on her face, remembering her

parents.

"Who's we?"

"Marc and I. He is my nine year old brother. He's a pest," she wrinkled her nose

in distaste. Blink laughed.

"Ya know, yer not so bad, when ya not mad."

"You're not so bad when you're not grabbing me and chasing me into alleys!"

Sophie smiled.

"Do ya not have any money? Where are ya stayin'?" he asked, becoming more and

more charmed with Sophie, and he wanted to know everything about her.

"I have no money, but I am staying with my aunt. I cannot find work." She

quickly looked down, but Blink saw the frustration in her green eyes. "Aunt will

throw us out if we cannot find money soon! Then where do we go?"

"I wouldn't worry 'bout it. Ya seem like a pretty smart goil. You'll figure

somethin' out." He gave her another charming smile, and Sophie thought she would

melt under it's brightness. She'd never met someone who grinned so much!

"I'm sorry, but I have to go. I've already been gone too long as it is," Sophie

looked sadly at him, wanting to stay longer.

"Can I walk ya home?" Blink hoped he didn't sound like he was begging.

"Oh! Non!! Non! Aunt will be very angry if she finds a strange American boy with

me!" She laughed, but her eyes were scared.

"When can I see ya again?" he asked, eagerly.

"Non, it is better not to meet again. Thank you for helping me. Au revoir,

Blink." Sophie gave him a small kiss on the cheek, then quickly ran off. He had

stood there until Mush and Race had found him.

***

Blink snapped out of his daydream when he saw the Lodging House. He ran inside

and bounded up the steps. Panting, he pushed open the door.

"Hey fellas! Ya know that goil I met, a coupla months ago?"

"The French goil? Sophie, I think?" Mush asked.

"Yeah, dat's da one. She's in trouble! We gotta help her!" Blink sat down and

tried to slow his beating heart.

"What's da matta wit her?" Race sat beside him and handed him a cigarette.

"Her little brudda's real sick, an' dey don't got no money fer a doctor. Guys,

we gotta help her!"

The Lodging House got really quiet, as each boy looked at one another. Slowly,

hands started pushing up matresses, and reaching in secret hiding places. Blink

grinned. The newsies were great pals.

"Now let's go see dat goil!" Mush said, putting some coins in his pocket.

The newsies headed out behind Blink, who started to have flashbacks again.

***

"Man, what a goil!" Blink had said to Mush and Race.

"Is she pretty?" Mush asked.

"Yeah, I guess she is. But dere's somethin' different wit dis one."

"Blink, ya say dat every time ya meet a new goil," Race replied, laughing.

"Naw, dis one really is different! She's French! She said she lived in Paris!"

"Ah, da goil's from da city of love!" Race elbowed Mush in a knowing way.

"I don't think she likes me," Blink let out a sigh.

"Who wouldn't like ya Blink! Ya my best friend!" Mush insisted.

"Mush's right! I mean, ya good lookin', an' charming, an' well, all dat udder

stuff goils like," Race thought he was all of those things too.

"Well how come she don't wanna see me any more?"

"Maybe she does, an' she just thought ya didn't like her! Go an' find her, and

do somethin' nice fer her," Race suggested.

And he had. He had taken some extra money with him that day and he looked all

day for her. He found her stealing bread from another street vendor. This time,

she wasn't caught. Blink had followed her home. She lived in the worst part of

town, where murder was a daily occurrence. She lived in a small dirty shack, and

there were no windows. He knocked on the door, and a small boy answered. Blink

knew it was Marc.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?"he asked, looking scared.

"Sophie?" he asked, hoping he understood. The boy nodded and brought Sophie to

the door.

"Blink!" she gasped, then went on angrily. "You should not have come! My aunt is

very angry I have no money today! Do you want me to get thrown out?"

"Well, ya dropped this, when ya were in da street." Blink extended his handful

of coins to her. Sophie had stared at them for a long time. Then she looked at

Blink with warmth in her eyes, and Blink knew she understood that it was his own

money.

"Merci. I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time when you came. I wish I could let

you in," she said sadly, glancing back to where her aunt waited inside.

"Well, I guess I'd better go. Maybe I'll see ya around?" he asked hopefully.

"Oui. Please come back to see me," she replied, then quickly kissed him and shut

the door.

Blink grinned all the way back to the Lodging House.

***

"She lives heya?" Mush interrupted his memory.

"Yeah. I told ya she had no money."

"Dis place gives me da creeps at night," Mush replied, his brown eyes big and

alert.

"Gives me da creeps in da daytime," Race shivered in the cool night air.

"Look dere's heya house. Hey! Dat's her! What's she doin' outside?" Blink

started running toward her. She was huddled against the house, Marc next to her.

Marc was coughing violently, and the cloth he used was blood-splattered.

"Blink? Is that you?" Sophie asked timidly.

"Yeah, it's me. What are ya doin' outside in da cold?" he asked, helping her to

her feet.

"Aunt threw us out. She said she can't take care of us any more. Marc is so

sick!" Sophie looked up pleadingly at him.

Blink picked up Marc, and began to carry him out toward the hospital. Sophie,

Mush, and Race followed him.

"Blink, I can't afford the hospital. We must take him somewhere else."

"Naw, we're gonna pay for it. Don't worry he's gonna be fine." Sophie looked up

at him and he looked down at her, and their eyes locked. In that moment, Sophie

knew she loved him. And Blink knew he loved her.

Marc was in the hospital for a 2 weeks with pneumonia. Blink stopped by whenever

he could, more to see Sophie than Marc. The newsies were true to their word, and

everything was paid for. The day Marc was released, they all gathered around to

see him. Sophie kissed each boy's cheek, and Marc was already promised a job as

a newsie as soon as he felt up to it. The newsies left, all except for Blink. He

walked with Sophie and Marc to an old boarding house. Inside, was an elderly

lady who Blink knew. Flashing a smile, Blink got the old lady to take Sophie and

Marc in return for Sophie working for her.

Blink walked out the door, where a smiling Sophie was waiting for him. She put

her arms around his neck, and whispered: "Je t'aime." Then she gave him a long

kiss. Neither wanted it to end. Sophie walked inside, feeling happy at last, and

Blink went running down the street grinning madly. Sophie sat down on the chair,

and Marc came running to her.

"I like Blink," he said, already picking up English.

"Moi aussi," she said, sighing.

Down in the Lodging House, Blink told about what had happened. The newsies

teased him, but he didn't care. He knew that there was even better things to

come!

The End!