a hopeless romantic | r.s

Chapter Five

They all watched as Amy left the theater, unsure of what to do.

Finch was mortified by what his friend had done. Of course, it was always someone new with Romeo, but Finch couldn't ever imagine that he'd treat Amy, possibly the nicest, bubbliest girl he'd ever met, the same way as any other.

He just couldn't make sense of it. When Laura had shown up with Romeo, Finch had just assumed that something had happened between Amy and Romeo, but when Amy walked in as if she hadn't a care in the world, Finch knew that that wasn't the case, ultimately ruining the illusion that Amy had just been another one of Romeo's girls, after all.

The look of pure heartache and disbelief on her face would forever be burned into his mind.

"Someone has ta talk ta him," Finch said to Lane, somewhat distractedly, still trying to wrap his head around what had happened. Romeo's betrayal. Amy's hurt. The new girl Romeo was courting- Amy's own sister, no less.

"Yer right," Lane agreed, just as soon storming over to Romeo and hauling him up to his feet. "C'mon. Wese leavin'."

"But Laney..." Romeo lamented.

Lane shot him a glare that quickly shut him up. Finch couldn't help but be glad that he wasn't on the other end of that one.

No words were spoken as the boy thrudged after the other two strikers.

As soon as they'd made it outside, Lane spun on her heel and threw him yet another glare. A moment passed in which no one said anything, before she sighed. "You guys already know Ise no good at speeches."

Finch straightened his spine, knowing he'd have to take over the job. "Romeo, what ya did back dere wasn't right. But Ise guessin' ya already knew dat."

Romeo shifted nervously on his feet, not saying anything.

"Answer him," Lane growled. Finch felt a spark of pride at her attitude.

"I jus didn't like her like dat," Romeo mumbled, twisting his shoe into the ground. Finch, of course, had trouble hearing what he'd said, and inwardly cursed both his damaged ear and Snyder for having thrown him into that filing cabinet in the first place.

"Clearly." Lane scoffed. "But ya ain't like dat usually. Tha Romeo I know is respectful, 'n innocent. Not some heartbreak-ah."

"Ya can't treat goils like ya treat tha newsies," Finch added. He winced as he felt a dull throbbing coming on in his head. Yet another thing the Refuge had gifted him with. "Especially someone like Amy. She ain't like Lane. She's too fragile ta be thrown around like ya did wit her."

Lane looked torn between feeling flattered or insulted.

"Sorry," Romeo muttered, kicking at the dirt on the ground again.

"It ain't me ya gotta apologize ta."

Romeo quickly snapped his gaze up to Finch's. "But she hates me! I can't..."

"She don't hate ya," Finch told the boy, rolling his eyes. "She's hoit. It wasn't fair fa ya ta have led her on like ya did. She needs ta hear ya say sorry. Fa what ya did. Fa what ya told her."

Romeo was quiet for a long moment, and Finch suspected it wasn't just because he didn't know what to say. "I..."

"Ya what?"

"I had ta say dat," Romeo declared, looking up. "Laura told me ta."

"Dere's somethin' seriously wrong wit dat goil," Lane muttered. "Why did she make ya say dat, Socks?"

Romeo shrugged, averting his eyes. He hadn't been able to keep either of their gazes for more than five seconds since the beginning of their conversation. "She said Yellow wasn't suited fa someone like me. Dat we'd nev-ah last. Dat she 'n I would be bett-ah ta-gether. She told me if I wanted ta keep Yellow safe, I had bett-ah made sure she was mad at me. She don't seem too mad, though."