Bound To Rain

He Doesn't Belong

~Olive's POV~

Once we got back to the Lodging House, Elmer went straight onto the roof. I went into our room and fell asleep almost instantly. It'd been a weird day. I thought I would have woken up when he came in, but I guess I didn't. I woke up around the time I usually did. When I climbed down the ladder I noticed that Elmer wasn't there.

He must've already gotten ready and went downstairs.

I put on my suspenders, cap, boots, and vest then heading downstairs. I didn't see Elmer.

Maybe he's at the gate...?

So I went outside and to the gate, only to find out that he wasn't in Newsie Square. The boys gathered around the gate, waiting for the Delancey's to open it. I went over to Jack.

"D'ya know where Elmer is?" I asked him.

"He's in Brooklyn." He told me.

"Brooklyn?" Why would he have gone to Brooklyn at night?

"He wanted to be a Brooklyn Newsie." Jack said quickly.

"Why?" I asked quietly.

"He wouldn't say." The boy said sympathetically.

"Is gonna see Harriet." I muttered, then went the opposite way of the Newsies once the gate was opened. Penelope nodded me in, and I rushed to my sister's room.

"What did ya do?" I yelled as I speed-walked to the bedside.

"What?" Harriet yelled back. "I ain't doin' anythin'!"

"You told Elmer ta kiss me," I told her. "And now he's a Brooklyn Newsie."

"He's a Brooklyn Newsie now?" She gasped.

"Yes!" I stamped my foot.

"Why?" My sister asked.

"I don't know!" I adjusted my cap.

"Go find him." She instructed.

"I don't think he's wantin' to be found." I told her quietly.

"Ya should still–" Harriet started.

"Ya want me ta take your advice?" I yelled. "Look where that got us before!"

"Okay." She said calmly. "Wait a few days, then ya gotta find him."

"A few days?" I couldn't wrap my mind around waiting or being patient.

"Just a few days." She nodded. "So he actually did it?"

"Uh-huh."

"So you's finally had ya fist kiss!" Harriet shouted in excitement.

"Yeah." I mumbled.

"Ain't you happy?" She tilted her head.

"No!" I threw my head back in frustration. "Because my best friend left!"

"He'll come back." Harriet promised.

"I'm hopin' so." I muttered.

I decided not to sell that day. Instead, I spent hours talking to Harriet. At around 7:00, I said bye and went back to the Lodging House. The boys were doing their usual thing, playing cards and hanging out. I spent awhile playing cards with Race, Albert, JoJo, Specs, and Finch. At 10:00 I went to our room. Well, my room I guess. I just looked around at the emptiness, climbed onto the top bunk, and fell asleep.

~Elmer's POV~

It was too much. Harriet told me to just kiss her and see what happens, but she never said what to do if she kissed back. I'm awful at improvising this kind of thing. Olive probably hates me by now, kissing her then leaving. I would hate me too. I hate the thought of her selling alone. Hopefully Jack will get one of the boys to sell with her. Not Race, he's too flirty. Maybe Crutchie. Or Specs.

I sell by the Bridge, so if she goes by, I'll see her. Spot moved further into Brooklyn to change things up. Me and some guy named Badger sell where he and Reed used to.

"Elmer!" Badger snapped, ripping me from my thoughts.

"Huh?" I looked up at him. We were in the room half the boys shared. That's one thing I don't like about Brooklyn. No privacy. It was only me, Badger, Fisher, Gregory, and Reed in here right now.

"I'm askin' ya a question!" He told me impatiently. He's like that.

"Well could ya repeat it?" I replied.

"Get a load of this kid!" Badger growled to the others.

"How's ya goil feel dat ya changed city?" Reed asked, an edge to his voice.

"She's fine." I told them flatly.

"Well she ain't gonna be you's much longa." Fisher snickered. I stood up quickly.

"Whaddya mean?" I growled.

"I's just thinkin' that Race ain't hard on the eyes." The boy stood up as well.

"Race wouldn't take her." By now we were in each other's faces.

"Oh, I ain't too sure 'bout that." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

(A/n: I'm not gonna give any descriptions for the Brooklyn Newsies that I made up, you can do that on your own. Just thought I'd give readers a little window of imagination 😂.)

"I is." I hissed, voice wavering.

"Don't be." Fisher sneered, then reader back. Before I knew it, he had punched me in the face. I fell. "See? I's told Spot he's too young ta be here."

"Spot won't listen." Reed muttered. "The kid's a Manhattan boy, Spot'd neva kick him out."

Reed delivered a kick to my stomach. As I struggled getting up, Spot threw open the door.

"Hey!" He shouted. The boys backed up, although Badger and Gregory didn't do anything. "What's goin' on here?"

The boys were silent. I sat up against the wall, a bit of blood dribbling out of my nose.

"We get a new kid and this is how ya welcome him?" Spot continued.

"He's too young for Brooklyn." Fisher complained.

"Well he's got experience." Spot crossed his arms.

"He's fourteen!" Reed protested.

"Sixteen." I coughed.

"See?" The leader motioned towards me. "He ain't too young."

"He don't belong here." Reed told him angrily.

"Clearly!" Fisher agreed.

"Just leave him alone." Spot ordered, helping me up. I nodded and went up to the top bunk, closed my eyes, and fell into a fitful sleep.

(A/n: This isn't gonna be one of those boring endings, not saying it's ending yet, but they're going to meet up again very very soon.)