folklore

- 8 -

The day was a slow, gloomy one with no sun and a grey sky. Flowers faced down and newsies frowned as they half-heartedly sold newspapers. Energy was collectively low among all dispersed newsies around Manhattan.

All but an auburn haired one called Harley.

Though everything around her was grey, it was as if she was physically more vibrant than the others. Her smile replaced the brightness of the sun and she skipped around, each step adding more colour to the pavement. The flowers didn't bloom as much as usual, yet Harley still picked them, placing them so they stuck out of her pocket.

And Race stared as she hummed and twirled all day long with envy. How could she have not a worry in the world, especially with what's happening? But at the same time, he stared at her in awe- like usual. It was when everything was glum and dumb where he found her the most beautiful, standing out from all that was around her.

Her hair colour seemed brighter- almost red and her grey eyes shone a faint blue. Even her skin glowed and her lips were a more scarlet colour. But he immediately looked up as soon as he caught himself staring at her lips.

Everything that Harley disliked about herself, Race loved with every inch of his being.

He scolded himself for falling for a girl as quick as he had fallen for Harley. After all, he only spoke so much as 5 words a day to her. Yet he felt that he knew her so well, even without conversation.

But he wanted that to change.

So, he hesitantly approached the auburn haired newbie as she balanced on the curb, holding her arms out to prevent herself from wobbling off. "I don't know how ya do it."

Harley hopped off of the sidewalk curb. "do what?" She blinked innocently.

He waved his hand in circles, framing her face. "that,"
He let out an awkward laugh of sorts- perhaps a snort. Either way, Race's cheeks turned red, embarrassed of the sound that he had just uttered. "how yer all cheery an' stuff."

"well, with three newsies in the refuge and my brother dead, I'm far from cheery." Harley shrugged sheepishly. "but when everyone's in a woeful mood-"

"a what?"

"-somebody has to lighten up the mood, even if it's just a little." She hopped back onto the curb and stood on one foot, keeping her eyes on the pavement. "I guess I'm trying to establish a role among the newsies, I noticed that everybody has one."

Race simply shrugged. "I guess,"

"I never felt like I've belonged anywhere before." Now balancing on her other foot, she looked up
at Race. "it wasn't easy making friends at the orphanage, not many kids really liked me- not that I blame them honestly. It was an every man for himself situation."

"you belong just fine wit' the newsies."

With those words, Harley's eyes lit up and she lost balance, essentially falling forward. Race jumped forward and caught her just before she fell to the ground, keeping a tight grip on her.

They stayed the way that they were for the next while- not that any of them were keeping track. To Harley, it seemed that the world around them had dimmed. As if time stopped. As if it were just them two with nobody to disturb them. And how she wished for nobody to do so. The tight, yet careful grip he had on her made her legs feel like jelly and she felt that her heart was beating so fast to the point where it was vibrating.