Friends for Life: Part 5
By: Echo


Two weeks later I stared out the window as the thoughts rushed through my head, each more sad than the first. Even when I tried my hardest, I couldn't stop them, and I had never been so lost in my life.

Brooklyn walked into the room and smiled slyly. She started to run towards a nearby bunk but tripped causing something to fly out of her hands and land at my feet. I picked up the book I had always guarded so carefully and started reading a page dated August 26, 1899, the day of my father's funeral: 'I guess things aren't going to well right now... but I'm going to New York, where Brooklyn is. I can only pray things will get better, and maybe they will. The newsies Brooklyn talk about so often in her letters seem like great guys. I know my dad would want it this way, for me to keep on hoping for the best. I've come this far and I'm not going to let this defeat me... as long as a person has hope, there is no defeat...'

I stopped reading and threw the book down and then ran out of the room before I could start crying.

~*^^*~*^^*~*^^*~*^^*~*^^*~
Jack stared out the window at the raindrops starting to slide down the glass as Brooklyn picked up the book and brushed it off slowly. Jack smiled sadly. "It's like Echo's rubbin' off on everyone an' everythin'... includin' da weatha'."

Brooklyn sighed. "I'm worried bout 'er Jack... she's never acted like this before. She doesn't even care that I tried to read this stupid book."

None of the guys said anything. They all knew that something was wrong with Echo, and they had all tried to cheer her up, but she had more of an effect on them than they had on her.

~*^^*~*^^*~*^^*~*^^*~*^^*~
I looked around the room at the rest of the newsies who were asleep by now, I was the only one still awake. I looked over at the window and noticed it had stopped raining so I went up the the roof. When I got to the top I noticed that someone else was already there, and then I realized it was Echo. I sighed as I sat down beside her. "Look, I know ya ain't gonna talk ta me... ya haven't talked ta anyone for so long, why should dis be any different? But everyone's worried bout ya, an' I just wish ya'd tell me what's da matta'."

For a few seconds she was silent, as usual, but then she looked up and said something for the first time in two weeks. "Why should I tell you? It's not like you care, Jack."

I was to shocked at first to say anything, but eventually managed to talk. "I do care bout ya. Ya mean a lot ta me, what makes ya think I don't care?"

She looked at the ground. "After what happened all you ever did was glare at me."

"Echo... we was worried bout ya."

She looked up at me again. "Well if you care so much, why didn't you talk to me that day after I got hurt? Was it just my imagination or were you mad at me when I told you to go away?"

I looked into her eyes. "I care bout ya more den I've eva' cared bout anyone. When Spot carried ya in dat night I was so scared cause I thought I'd lost ya. I was gonna tell ya I was sorry but when ya din't wanna talk ta me... I lost it." I paused. "Echo... Chris, please tell me what happened dat night. I'm beggin' ya."

Her eyes started to glaze over with tears and she looked away. "I was leavin' Brooklyn and on the way back I heard a noise in an alley so I decided to check it out. I didn't see anything, but then Oscar and Morris trapped me in there... I thought I could handle it, but Oscar had a knife. I was afraid I would never get out of that alley alive... but then Matt ran in and helped me."

I stared at her in shock. "McClareny?"

She nodded. "He told me to get help and I wasn't going to but he wasn't giving in, so I started running to the Lodging House but by the time I got there I was so dizzy I could hardly walk and I passed out before I could get help and then Blink walked in the next day with that paper and.. and" I put my arms around her as she started crying. "Jack, he's dead and it's all my fault. The last time I talked to him I told him I hated him and I didn't care if he died. He didn't even know-"

"It's alright, it ain't yer fault Chris." I said quietly.

She looked up at me, trying to hold back her tears. "It is my fault. He was my best friend almost all my life and if it weren't for me he would still be alive! If I would have stayed and helped him he would be fine! But I won't ever see him again, and I won't ever be able to tell him how much he meant to me... I'm all alone because the only person I had left is gone!"

"If ya woulda stayed in dat alley, ya wouldn't be heya right now... an' ya ain't alone... ya got me." I said softly as I kissed her gently and brushed away a tear. She looked scared for a few seconds and then put her head on my shoulder. "I didn't mean that Jack. I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologizin', ya ain't got nothin' ta be sorry for." I said sternly. When she didn't reply a few minutes later I realized she was asleep. I kissed her and whispered in her ear, "I love ya."

~*^^*~*^^*~*^^*~*^^*~*^^*~
"Hey Blink, have you seen Echo?" Brooklyn asked me when I walked out of the bunk room. I shook my head. "No, I haven't seen Jack eitha'... I'll see if one of 'em is up on da roof." When I got up there I found Echo asleep on Jack's shoulder with his arms around her. I smiled. "How'd ya sleep Jack?"

"Fine Blink." He said as he smiled at the still sleeping Echo and nudged her gently. "Hey, ya gonna wake up?"

She opened her eyes and looked confused for a few seconds and then waved at me cheerfully. "Hi Blink!"

I stared at her and then looked at Jack suspiciously, but he just shrugged. On the way down the stairs I grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Hey... um, Jack?"

"What?"

I looked at Echo. "Well, um... Echo ova' dere is in a pretty good mood an' um... what were ya two doin' last night?"

He laughed. "Blink, we just talked."

I stared at him. "Talked?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, we talked. Come on, we got papes ta sell."

~*^^*~*^^*~*^^*~*^^*~*^^*~*^^*~
I talked to Brooklyn all the way to the circulation office, even though it took her a while to get over the shock of my cheerful mood. "Did ya hear Blink's reaction ta you actin' like dis?" She asked in a joking voice.

"What did he say?"

She smiled mischievously. "He wanted to know what you and Jack were doing up on the roof alone all night."

"Oh... my... gosh... Is that all he ever thinks about?!" I asked while laughing hysterically.

She stared at me suspiciously. "What WERE you two doing?"

I hit her with my hat. "Brooklyn! We just talked!"

She shrugged. "Okay, if that's what you say."

I rolled my eyes as I went up to buy my papes and then went to my selling spot. Things were going pretty slow so I didn't get to Tibby's until everyone else was already there. When I walked in everyone in the room stopped talking and there was complete silence. "What is going on?"

Dutchy smiled. "Nothin'... we'se just talkin'."

"About what?"

Dutchy looked at Jack who just shrugged casually. "Da usual."

I sat down at the table and smiled sweetly at him. "What are you hiding from me?"

"What makes ya think we'se hidin' somethin'?" He asked innocently.

I smiled. "Well, you act like it. I mean, you got kind of quiet when I walked in... like there was something you didn't want me to hear."

Jack looked over at Blink who covered for him. "We was just talkin' bout how ya been actin' since you an' Jack... talked."

I dropped the subject and started talking to the others until Jack asked if I wanted to go for a walk. I smiled and accepted. We walked to Central Park where he stopped and kissed me. I pushed him back "Jack?"

"Hmmm?" He mumbled as he tried to kiss me again.

I smiled at him. "What is going on?"

"I can't tell ya."

I kissed him. "Now can you tell me?"

"Let me think about it." He said playfully and kissed me again and then shook his head. "Nope, we gotta go back anyway."

I pretended to pout. "You tricked me!"

He laughed. "Yeah, I did."

We walked back to the Lodging House where he made me wait outside the bunkroom. "Echo, ya eva' gonna come in?" I heard Brooklyn say impatiently. I rolled my eyes and opened the door. "What is going on in-" I stopped and stared at the boy standing in front of me and then hugged him. "Matt! What are you doing here?! I thought... What?" All of a sudden for no reason at all I punched him.

"It's okay, I deserved that." He said, more to himself than to me as he rubbed his jaw.

I stared at him in horror. "Oh Matt, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to .... well... oh, I'm sorry, really I am."

He laughed and stood up. "Stop apologizing."

I looked down at the ground. "Sorry... I, sorry... I mean.. I'm-"

"Nevermind." He said, trying not to laugh.

I smiled. "Where have you been? I thought-"

He nodded. "Yeah, I know... it's a long story."

I frowned and looked around the room at some of the guys, including Spot, and then at Matt again. "But... you.. they.. how did you get them to?"

He stopped me to explain. "I saw Jack after you told him what happened and he talked to the other guys about it and they all agreed I'd.... how did you say it Spot?"

Spot looked up and smiled. "Make a damn fine newsie." I stared at him like he had lost his mind until he added. "Not betta' den me, of course."

I sat down on a bunk beside Matt. "Where have you been since Colorado?"

He shrugged trying to hide how happy he was. "You know, places... San Fransisco, New Orleans, Dublin."

I stared at him. "No way."

He nodded. "Yep, Ireland."

I smiled. "What was it like?"

He rolled his eyes. "What kind of question is that? You've heard the answer a million times already!"

I frowned. "But I've never actually seen it... hey! Do you still draw?"

He smiled and pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me. "Yeah, they even gave me a nickname... Sketch. I had a feeling you might ask me that."

I stared at the picture of Ireland and smiled. "That is so.... wow."

He laughed. "Yep... even before I knew I'd have a chance to show you that I knew what you'd say. I missed having my little sister around, especially in Ireland."

I hugged him. "I missed you too... but I'm not your sister and I'm not little."

His face turned red. "You're like a sister to me.... you weren't kiddin though. I noticed you aren't the short little kid I remember. You've grown... up." He added quickly.

I laughed. "It's good to see you again."

Race rolled his eyes. "Dis is very beautiful an' all but uh... anyone up for a game a poka'?"

A group of newsies agreed that poker was a good idea but Jack sat down and put an arm around me. "I think I'll sit this one out Race." He said right before he kissed me.

"Jack, you hurt her and you'll be sorry." Sketch (Matt) said threateningly.

I smiled. "Sketch, go play poker and leave us alone."

He laughed. "Okay. But don't try anything, I'll be watching you two. Really close after what Blink told me about you two on the roof.

"We just talked!" Jack and I yelled at the same time causing everyone in the room to go into hysterics.

"Just keep tellin' yerself dat Jacky-boy!" Spot said sarcastically.

Jack looked at me and we both started laughing.

_-~*The End*~-_

E-mail me here and tell me what you think!

Back to the Index
Back to Newsies Fanfiction
Back to Brooklyn and Echo's Newsie Junk