Title: Walter Karly
Author: Moth/Stacy whatever ^_^
Rating: G
Summary: This one's for Wally the Dancing Waiter since he never gets any love ^_^
Dedication: Although I don't know her, I'm dedicating this to Thumbsucker Snitch, because it was her strange pairings generator that inspired me.
Walter Karly bobbed his along to the sound of the singing newsboys. He knew that when the day ended he would have to go back to the cold and lonely rooms he called home and then there would be no escape, but for now he would lose himself in the song.
"Wally!" John Tibby, the owner of the restaurant Wally worked at waved him over. "I need you to get a bunch of drinks together on a tray for these kids. They'll be thirsty after all the singing and dancing." Wally gave a mock salute and set about his task, still bobbing.
"To our man Denton!" The newsboys raised their glasses to the reporter. Wally wondered briefly where on earth the man had gotten that hideous bowtie, and how he had the guts to wear it. He was brought back to reality by the tinkling of the bell over the door as the newsboys left the restaurant, jostling each other and laughing at inside jokes the whole way.
"Wally, you want to get those tables? You can leave after, we won't get much more business today." Tibby gestured at the mess the boys had left and disappeared into the back.
Wally started placing all the glasses on the tray as he reflected on what it would be like to be young again. To not have to worry about pleasing enough people to keep a good job, not knowing that death was a very real threat. Young kids these days went through life thinking they were invincible. He took the tray into the kitchen and returned to the main room just long enough to wipe down the tables and grab his coat from the closet. Maybe he would feel invincible too, if he had a woman to show off for. Wally banished that thought as soon as he realized he was thinking it. Women brought nothing but trouble.
~*~*~
"Wally, one of these days you're going to realize that you have to let something go if you really love it." The speaker was a pretty brown-haired, blue-eyed woman with a gentle smile. She was standing at the door holding a carpetbag in one hand and a hat in the other.
"Just tell me why Amy, that's all I ask." Walter pleaded with his ex-fiance, knowing he was only temporarily able to keep her from walking out of his apartment, and his life, forever.
Amy smiled gently. "Wally, you're too protective. You need to find a woman who needs to be taken care of, someone who's not as independent as me." She placed her hat on her head, kissed Wally on the cheek and walked out.
~*~*~
"Nothing but trouble." Wally said to himself, "nothing but trouble." He unlocked the door to his apartment, registering the mildew smell that hung in the air. He walked to the closet and picked out a shirt and pants to wear when he went to the show later that evening. Wally was very careful with his clothes. He took pride in making sure they looked their best, and he kept little packets of dried roses in the ones he wasn't wearing so they would smell nice.
After washing his face and hands, Wally changed clothes and headed out the door. Since Amy had left him he'd gone to the same place every evening. He didn't want to sit in his apartment and feel sorry for himself, but he figured going out would help that. Wally walked quickly along the street, nodding at people he passed and humming the words to a melancholy tune he'd heard the other day. Reaching Irving Hall, he paid the 50-cent admission fee and went inside.
"Come back my lovey-dovey baby, and cootchie-coo with me." As Medda finished her song, she noticed a man sitting in one of the balcony seats. She'd noticed the same man sitting in the same seat for over a month now, always at her weekday evening show. He looked forlorn and lonely, especially when she sang
Lovey-Dovey Baby. Medda smiled and curtsied to her audience and then hurried offstage.
As Wally headed down the stairs, a hand tugged gently on his arm. Turning, he found himself staring at a pile of curly red hair. The hair tilted back and a pair of eyes came into his line of vision. He stared at the vaudeville performer in shock. "Y-yes?"
"Well, I couldn't help noticing you sitting in the same seat of the balcony every single weeknight for the past month and a half, especially looking so sad, so I decided to come meet you and see what your troubles were." Medda tilted her head slightly and smiled up at him. "Would you like to take me out for coffee?"
"Uh… Alright, yes, that would be fine." Wally answered before he had fully processed her question. He found himself arm-in-arm with Medda, talking about all his problems as if he'd known her forever. More surprising, she was actually listening and offering support. Soon, their conversation turned to other topics and they both lost track of time until a nearby clock tower struck eleven times.
"Oh my! We'd best be getting home!" Medda looked about for a familiar landmark, but nothing looked like anything she'd seen before. "Where are we?" Drunken laughter rang out from a nearby alley and an old man staggered into their path.
"By Jove, you're in England!" The drunk raised his bottle. "Hats off to the queen!" He bowed to Medda, almost fell over and caught himself just in time. "Don't forget Scotland Yard!" He staggered back into his alley. Medda clutched Wally's arm, confessing that while she seemed self-confident and secure, she was only that way inside Irving Hall, and on the stage. Out in the city she felt weak and afraid of everyone.
By the time Wally and Medda found their way back to Irving Hall, Wally's watch was showing 12:30. "May I see you again Miss Larkson?" Wally asked, hat in hands.
She laughed. "Medda, if you please. And yes, you may. Tomorrow?" She didn't wait for an agreement, but pecked him lightly on the cheek and disappeared into her building. Wally didn't even notice the walk home, his head was full of red curls and green eyes the color of emeralds.
~*~
6 months later…
~*~
Racetrack, Mush and Kid Blink sat in the front pew of the chapel, along with several other newsies. As Medda walked up the aisle towards her soon-to-be husband, Mush leaned over to Blink.
"Isn't that the waiter from Tibby's that was always bobbing his head when we sang?" Blink nodded.
"What's his name again?"
Racetrack joined the conversation. "That's Wally. Well, his name is really Walter Karly, but everyone calls him Wally."
Mush grinned. "That's perfect!"
"What?"
"Medda's marrying Wally the Dancing Waiter!"
The EndCheesy, yes I know… But I was inspired. It actually wasn't supposed to turn out like this; it was going to be really angsty when I first started… Ah well. At least Wally got his story ^_^