Under The Bridge

[Spot Conlon]

Under the bridge

[Street]

~New~

Street liked the Brooklyn Bridge the most out of all the other bridges in New York. There were a surprising number of kids sleeping under the bridge like her. She knew a few of them, enough to miss them when they got arrested.

She hummed to herself as she gathered up her slightly damp and very muddy blankets. She was going to wash them in the river and them lay them on the rocks to dry. Then, when she came back at night-if they had not been stolen-they would be dry and warm. Street rolled the blankets up, waved to one of the boys as he climbed to the top of the bridge to go to work.

Street wondered what her day would bring... Watches? Necklaces? Bracelets? Gold? Silver? Bronze? Her fingers started to itch, like they always did when she was thinking of stealing. She suppressed the urge and held her blankets tightly.

She focused, there was a figure coming towards her. Did she know them? Or were they new?

[Emil]

Emil looked utterly out of place here and he knew it. He had only come down here so that Eszter could get a bit closer to the water. She had been fussy all day and the sound of water always lulled her to sleep. He had expected the area to be pretty much empty but when he had arrived with a then (finally) sleeping Eszter, he had been met by the sight of dozens of ragged-looking people staring at him as if he was from another planet. His clothing was modest and and he didn't have anything that was worth any money so he didn't think they would rob him or anything but couldn't help but tighten his grip on his sister a bit as he scowled his way past the chattering groups, towards the water's edge. He wasn't a mean person by any means but since the fire, he couldn't help but feel angry at all the people around him. How could they just go on with their lives when his parents and his sweet little brother and sister were dead? Didn't they know that the world had ended? Bastards...
It should have been them. All of them, just anyone but his family.

As he neared the river's bank, he spotted a girl, much older than him, who was looking at him in a particularly appraising way. He hated her most of all. He didn't know why. He didn't have to know why. He just did. "What do you want?" he hissed at her, his eyes narrowing with contempt as he passed her and sat down at the edge of the water, rocking Eszter gently in his arms. She was getting awfully big now. Pretty soon he wouldn't be able to hold her so easily anymore. you'd better get walking soon he thought, a ghost of a smile flickered over his face as he looked at her. He may not have been all she had but she was all he had now and they were the only ones that mattered and they'd be thick as thieves when she got a little older they'd see. They'd all see.

[Street]

"What do you want?"

Street raised her eyebrows. "I don't want nothin', I was just wonderin' why a boy like ya would bring your young sister down here. She is your sister, yeah?" Street asked, she walked past him to the river, her barefeet sunk a little in the mud. She commenced to wash out her blanket.

"Ya don't know what they do ta children they find down here, huh? They beat 'em and take 'em ta the refuge. I saw 'em beat a kid so bad once, he died. Real little he was, but a bit bigger then ya. She's cute, does she got a name?" Street asked suddenly, looking at the baby as she relayed this information cheerfully.

"My name's Rosalind Love. But most people around her know me as Street. I guess 'cause I live on the street. Ya got a family, boy?" Then she looked alarmed. "Oh! I'm rude ain't I? Ya gotta have a name too! So, what's your name? Todd, John, Ezekiel?" Street asked, smiling slightly.

[Emil]

Emil gave a short nod in response to the girls question and continued looking determinedly straight ahead at the water. He hadn't known that anyone came down here at all let alone policemen. He hadn't even been allowed down here until a couple months ago. He didn't think he was really in much danger from the policemen. Though he'd learned in the past month that the police weren't exactly as good as he thought they were, the fact that he looked clean and well cared for had saved him from their wrath so far. For the most part, they seemed to think that he was just a normal school kid with good, law-abiding parents who would be taken seriously if they ever filed a complaint against an officer. Either way, he didn't really plan on coming here again. He didn't like bringing Eszter around people like this any more than he had to.

He considered just ignoring the older girl when she asked Eszter's name but just then, she shifted slightly in his arms and let out a soft coo which made him feel a bit more gracious even to the girl who he was still determined to hate. "Her name's Eszter" he answered stiffly, his eyes now glued to his sister's face. He refused to look at the girl. Looking at people always made it harder to hate them and he was going to hate her no matter what."Not that it's any of your business"

He let out a derisive snort as she introduced herself. "Rosalind Love? What kind of name is that?" he asked, turning instinctively to look at her before he could stop himself. He promptly averted his gaze again, angry at himself for not doing what he had wanted to do. "I'm Emil" he introduced himself shortly before falling silent. He couldn't think of any other biting remark to make to this Street girl and he simply refused to be civil with her so silence was really his only option at this point.

[Street]

"Her name's Eszter" he answered stiffly, his eyes now glued to his sister's face. He refused to look at the girl. Looking at people always made it harder to hate them and he was going to hate her no matter what."Not that it's any of your business"

"Eszter? How cute! Do ya like shiny things Eszter?" Street asked softly, pulling a gold chain from a hidden pocket. She swung it back and forth a couple of times and then tossed it, where it landed by Emil's feet. "Ya can have it, I can get another."

. "Rosalind Love? What kind of name is that?" he asked, turning instinctively to look at her before he could stop himself. He promptly averted his gaze again, angry at himself for not doing what he had wanted to do. "I'm Emil" he introduced himself shortly before falling silent.

"Well, Love's my middle name, my last name's Lexeme. The orphanage lady gave me the middle name Love because I was so sweet and adorable. That was before the other matron came..." Street broke, her voice sounding bitter at the mention of the other lady. "Emil, huh? That's a good, strong name. Are ya an immigrant? See, my daddy was a Scottish immigrant, my mother was Russian. The Lexemes originated in France or somthin'. I dunno, I only found out they were rich, then they weren't and that's about the time I was found in an alley." Street shrugged, stretching her blanket out on a sunny rock.

"Do ya live with anyone? I mean, do ya have any relatives?" Street asked. "I think I got a Grandmother in Scotland, but ya can never be too sure. They kicked me outta the library before I got ta read much." Street glanced at him. "Am I talkin' too much? 'Cause if I am, just tell me ta shut up and I will. Then ya can talk, all about your sister."

[Emil]

Emil picked up the chain and gave it a brief inspection before stuffing it in his pocket "She does have real toys you know." he bit back at Street, now only marginally successful at sounding utterly disgusted and ungrateful. After all, the chain looked to be pretty nice and from the looks of this girl she couldn't have had very much to start with. It was a nice gesture but he still hated her. Eszter would have too if she was awake, he was sure of it and even if she didn't, she was just a baby. She would learn how lousy people were in due time.

He pointedly ignored everything she said about herself. Why should he care about what happened to her when she was a kid? That just wasn't how the world worked. If he'd leaned anything in these past two months it was that nobody really cared about anyone else. When it came down to it, all people cared about was themselves and to think otherwise just made you an idiot. He wouldn't let Eszter be an idiot like this girl when she grew up. All he had to do was look around him to see where that got you.

His ears perked up at the sound of his name and as hard as he tried he couldn't completely block her out as she promptly went back to waffling on about where her family was from and some other crap like that.

It was sort of a good thing that he hadn't tuned her out completely because after a minute or so he caught another question amidst the neverending chatter and this time he didn't have to wait too long before she actually gave him some kind of perceivable opening so that he could reply. Not that he really wanted to but he didn't have anything better to do so he did. "My folks were from Hungary me and my brother and sisters were born here. They're all dead now except for Eszter. She lives with our aunt and uncle but they don't want me but they give me clothes so I can't complain. After all, they don't owe me anything." explained in a bitter voice, brushing a lock of hair away from Eszter's forehead as he did so.

[Street]

"She does have real toys you know."

"I figured that, with ya as a big brother. Ya really take care of her, I can tell. Ya can always hawk it if ya want, that was what I was gonna do with it." Street shrugged.

"My folks were from Hungary me and my brother and sisters were born here. They're all dead now except for Eszter. She lives with our aunt and uncle but they don't want me but they give me clothes so I can't complain. After all, they don't owe me anything." explained in a bitter voice, brushing a lock of hair away from Eszter's forehead as he did so.

Street looked at him now, and when she spoke, her voice was very quiet. "Do ya really believe that? Do ya really believe they owe ya nothin'? By what ya say, I think they owe ya the whole world..." She turned away, to stare out over the river. "Are ya bitter at the world? Why? Because ya parents are dead, or just because ya feel worthless?" Street's grey eyes fixed themselves on him, almost like they were trying to see into his soul.

"I see a scared little boy, tryin' ta shut out the world. The world is a marvelous place, I'm glad my parents abandoned me. They gave me life and they gave me the city. There's no place better then this city..." Street whispered, turning back to the river.

[Emil]

Emil scoffed bitterly at Street's whole spiel about him and his aunt and uncle but, nevertheless when he spoke, his throat burned and he couldn't keep a slight waver out of his voice. "Oh please!" he hissed, his voice deathly quiet "spare me the sentimental bit. nobody owes me anything. Nobody owes anybody anything. Especially not in this hellhole that you think is so special!" He had been right about her in the first place he hated her so much he wished she'd just die right there. How dare she pretend that she knew him just because they were both alone. He was nothing like her and if he ever was he'd do the whole world a favor and take a long walk off a short pier.

"And who the hell are you to call me a little boy? I haven't been a boy for a month now. I'm a man! I don't have a choice anymore I have to be." he growled at her, careful to keep his voice low enough that he wouldn't wake Eszter. She was a pretty deep sleeper but even she had her limits. "Just so you know." he added, his voice now icy but calm and his eyes full of a penetrating hatred. "I'm not bitter at the world. I'm only bitter at people like you who aren't worth the air you breathe because it should have been you who burned to death instead of my family" his voice broke slightly as he finished and a tear fell down his cheek and onto Eszter's "They were good people." he whispered finally, more to his sister than to Street. "It was no fair."

[Street]

"Oh please!" he hissed, his voice deathly quiet "spare me the sentimental bit. nobody owes me anything. Nobody owes anybody anything. Especially not in this hellhole that you think is so special!"

Street's eyebrows disappeared at this point. "Please do not use such language around me. It isn't polite. So ya think ya parents would want ta hear speakin' like that around your sister? Even if she is a little baby." Street sighed. "This place may not seem special ta ya, but it's special ta me. It's my home. And everybody owes somebody somethin'. Whether it's a little bit of bread when you're starvin' or a friendly smile when you're feelin' blue. That's all. It doesn't have ta be somethin' big."

"And who the hell are you to call me a little boy? I haven't been a boy for a month now. I'm a man! I don't have a choice anymore I have to be." he growled at her, careful to keep his voice low enough that he wouldn't wake Eszter. She was a pretty deep sleeper but even she had her limits. "Just so you know." he added, his voice now icy but calm and his eyes full of a penetrating hatred. "I'm not bitter at the world. I'm only bitter at people like you who aren't worth the air you breathe because it should have been you who burned to death instead of my family" his voice broke slightly as he finished and a tear fell down his cheek and onto Eszter's "They were good people." he whispered finally, more to his sister than to Street. "It was no fair."

"You're right, you're a man. Men have forgotten how ta dream. Have ya forgotten how ta dream, for yourself or your sister?" Street asked him carefully, not wanting to upset him more. "And... Do ya really think people deserve ta die? It's a good thing I breathe in a lot of that smoke from the factories, huh? I might die soon..." She said, her voice like ice.

"I'm sure that your parents were good people, otherwise they wouldn't have raised a boy such as ya. Ya chose ta look after your sister, whereas most boys I know would've just left her their relatives and gone off." Street said, "But ya chose ta look after her, even though ya don't really need ta. You're a good boy-man I mean.

"Oh! And case ya didn't get the message, life isn't fair. But the craziest thing ya can do in this world is ta see life as it is, and not as it should be."

[Emil]

Emil gave another derisive snort "Why should I watch my mouth around you? You're not a lady. You're just a bum who can make little bums and what do you know about what my parents would have wanted?" he fumed, a superior smirk on his face. "You're just like everyone else see? You think the world is this great place an even though it's not fair if we all just stick together, everyone will be okay and maybe it would be, if everyone helped everyone else but the world doesn't work like that."

He stared out at the water for a minute or two, the smirk now completely absent from his face, wracking his mind for something to say that would really make her hurt. "Y'know, I hope you do die from the smoke, the last thing the world needs is another chump like you the shame is that it didn't happen quicker. Your parents ought to have locked you in a room full of that smoke so you could die faster" he said, his mind flashing to his little brother and sister. "I bet they would've if they'd thought of it. Why else would you leave a baby alone in the city other than to let it die?"

He didn't even bother replying to her comment about him being a good brother. She was wrong about that. Just flat out wrong. He had never been a good brother. Even before Eszter was born He'd never wanted anything to do with Dorothya or Atilla. They'd always asked him to play with them and they followed him around like they worshipped him but all he did was push them aside and tell them that they were too young. And when Eszter was born it had gotten worse. He'd hated her for crying so much and for having to stay in the same room as him. The only reason why he had even saved her from the fire was because it was what his mother had told him to do in an emergency. Hell, he wasn't even really the one who took care of her now that was his aunt. He just watched her during the day.

[Street]

"Why should I watch my mouth around you? You're not a lady. You're just a bum who can make little bums and what do you know about what my parents would have wanted?" he fumed, a superior smirk on his face. "You're just like everyone else see? You think the world is this great place an even though it's not fair if we all just stick together, everyone will be okay and maybe it would be, if everyone helped everyone else but the world doesn't work like that."

He stared out at the water for a minute or two, the smirk now completely absent from his face, wracking his mind for something to say that would really make her hurt. "Y'know, I hope you do die from the smoke, the last thing the world needs is another chump like you the shame is that it didn't happen quicker. Your parents ought to have locked you in a room full of that smoke so you could die faster" he said, his mind flashing to his little brother and sister. "I bet they would've if they'd thought of it. Why else would you leave a baby alone in the city other than to let it die?"

Street had enough. She stood up, crossed over to him and slapped him across the face. "Don't ya ever... Ever! Talk like ya know about me! Just because you're too blind ta see the forest for the trees doesn't mean the rest of the world is! Ya are not a man. Ya are a miserable little boy who doesn't know when ta grow up!" Street fumed, her chest heaving. She had slapped so as not to disturb the baby-for she was aborable.

Just because her brother was a miserable little thing did not mean the little girl had to pay for it. She took it back, "Ya ain't a good brother if ya are willin' ta act like this around your sister." Then she turned and sat by the bank, watching him. Waiting for what he would do next.

[Emil]

Emil was somewhat surprised when Street actually slapped him but the look of shock on his face was quickly replaced by a bitterly triumphant smirk. "I knew it." he hissed at her, his eyes full of contempt, standing up and taking a step away from her. "You pretend to be all sweet and friendly but all it takes is a couple rude comments and you're striking little kids" he sneered "you're worse than me at least I admit that I'm a lousy person and if you think that my sister'd do better to think the world all sugar and rainbows and just get let down like I did, that just shows how little you know." He paused to adjust Eszter in his arms "I'll give you this, though. You're a good actress. You really almost got me but in the end you broke... just like all the rest" he looked at her in a mixture of disgust and (considerably less) disappointment. "He looked down at his sister's sleeping face before adding a somewhat dejected "at least she'll be real." and turning to walk away.

((sorry it's really short. I couldn't think of anything else to write))

[Street]

Street shook her head. "I am what I am. I try ta be nice and kind, but when someone insults me and tells me I should die, I'm sorry if I get a little testy..." Street said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, she'll be real alright, real sad." Street called after him.

((OMG!! Their character foils for each other! I learned about this in English, lol))