Disclaimer: We own ourselves, nothing more, nothing less.
Opening Comments: Well, we had a sleep over. And played Skitch's Newsie Drinking Game which got us all sugared up, so…
Authors: The Chicago Newsgoils Quartet (Dottie, Sparkles, Stage, and ToT)
There's a Newsie in My Kitchen
Once upon a Thursday, it was a teacher's institute for the next day…meaning no school the next day for the students of Batavia (take your pick of the state). Dottie and Sparkles headed over to Stage's house for a giant fun party thingy.
After ToT had arrived (exceedingly late due to unexpected babysitting), the four plunked themselves down on the couch in the family room and Stage took it upon herself to pop in the DVD of Newsies. She retreated back to the couch and pressed the "play" button.
The evening was going along smoothly, nothing unexpected in Stage's home. It was in the beginnings of "Carryin' Da Banner".
"Met this goil last niiiight!"
BOOM!
Poof. Sizzle. Stzzzzzt.
The fuse blew, plunging the entire household into pitch blackness.
"Stage, what did you do?!" Dottie demanded.
"Nothing!"
"Riiiight..." ToT commented.
"At least it can't get any worse." Sparkles said, shrugging although none could see her.
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!
"Or not…"
"Damn fire alarm." Stage grumbled, getting up off the couch. "I'll get some flashlights and candles and turn off that infernal thing."
"I want newsies!" ToT whined. Stage groped blindly in the darkness towards the kitchen. She successfully turned off the alarm—and by that we mean that she pounded it a couple times—and headed back with her prizes of candles and matches.
Stage held her hand out in front of her and her fingers came in contact with cloth. She found it to be a sleeve and grabbed on, forgetting that the others had been wearing tank tops. The arm started to pull away and Stage followed. She pulled back and headed for where she thought the light switch was. Mind you, she's still in the kitchen.
****
ToT stretched her arms out in front of her, yawning, and froze when her hand came in contact with bare skin. She moved her hand slightly and thought long and hard about what she was feeling.
"Whoa, who took off their shirt?"
****
Dottie reached out for her pop. Unfortunately she overshot where she thought the table lay, feeling past it. Dottie's hand landed on cloth. She frowned for a moment and hit the item a few times.
****
Sparkles had gotten tired of waiting for Stage's return and had decided to venture forth after her. She had an idea that Stage might have gotten herself stuck in some random place. For example, she might have walked into a closet instead of into a room. Sparkles had her hands out in front of her. Sparkles stopped when her hands hit a stomach.
"When did you put on a shirt? Like…a real shirt?" She asked, feeling the arms and going up. "And suspenders? Did you go to a thrift store or something? And you put your glasses on…geez, what all did you do in five minutes?!"
Pszz.
All the lights came back on.
****
Stage looked at the sleeve she was hanging onto, up the arm, to the shoulder...
"I don't know you…" She said, looking up at the face of the owner of the arm. "But I'd sure like to!" Stage had a vague recollection that he looked somewhat familiar. "Oh, its just Specs…" She sighed, making a 'forget it' motion with her other hand. "Wait! WHAT?! AH!"
Stage jumped backwards and bumped into somebody else. She whirled around and jumped backwards. "AH!"
Stage ran out of the kitchen and into the living room where Sparkles was. She was looking a bit surprised and had her hand on a blonde boy's face.
"Sparkles! There are newsies in my kitchen!" Stage exclaimed. She saw the boy standing in front of Sparkles, turned, and ran from the room. Stage went into the family room next.
****
ToT had her hand on the front of a topless boy with curly brown hair. He looked from her, to where her hand rested, and back to her face with a mischievous grin.
"I like where this is going!" He said. She flushed a scarlet color and yanked back her hand.
Dottie was looking down at the kid who was sitting on the floor right by the table. He looked a little annoyed at the fact that her hand was resting on his head. Dottie grinned nervously and pulled back her hand.
Right about then, Stage slid to the edge of the stairs. She flailed her arms wildly, trying to gain back her balance and not fall down the three stairs. Stage stepped back and looked up.
"And in my family room!" She exclaimed.
Ding dong.
"Oh, no…don't tell me." Stage unlocked the door and another boy walked in. He had a beige hat pulled over his black hair.
"Hey all!" He called into the room.
"Hi Bumblits!" They chorused back.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who just said Bumblits?" Sparkles asked, poking her head into the entryway. "BUMBLITS!" She exclaimed, skipping in and throwing her arms around the slightly confused newsie. He turned red when he realized what she was wearing. All the girls, except Stage, were in their PJs. Those consisted of boxer shorts and tanks.
"Sorry!" He yelled, turning away and covering his eyes.
"What the…?" Sparkles began. She noticed that most of the others were diverting their eyes as well. "Its only shorts and a tank top…"
"Remember what century it was." Stage muttered, leaning against a wall and covering her face with her hands.
"1899 was a good year." Dottie grinned.
"Um, we're not in our underwear or anything." ToT told them. "You can look. Although, I'd prefer if you didn't."
"Who says we ain't allowed ta look. We's in our undawear, and so's youse." Mush commented, still grinning.
"It ain't polite." Specs scolded, walking into the entryway, Blink and Dutchy coming in behind him.
"I's don't care."
"So, where are we?" Dutchy asked, looking at the ceiling. "One minute, we's gettin' ready in da mornin' and da next t'ing youse knows, we's in a different buildin' wit a bunch o' goils…and da sun ain't even up. Ya'll tawlk funny, too."
"Didja hear dat, goils?" Sparkles teased. "We's tawlk funny!"
"Ain't dat rude?" Dottie added.
"Ain't no way ta treat a lady." ToT laughed.
"Alright, alright. Youse made yer point." Blink said. "Now tell us where we are."
"In Stage's house." Dottie said, slowly. "In Illinois…"
"Ya mean we jumped ovah a dousand miles?" Racetrack demanded, standing up.
"And uh…few years." ToT added, looking a little uncomfortable.
"How many would dat be?" Jack asked, suspiciously.
"Um…a hundred three…" Sparkles told them.
"WHAT?!"
"I said a three…plus a hundred …"
"Wait, how much is dat?" Dutchy asked curiously.
"Hundred and t'ree." Specs told them, flatly.
"So da date's…"
"2002." Spot replied, finished counting on his fingers.
"Wow! Didja do dat in yer head?" Mush said, thoroughly impressed.
"Yeah…"
"Hey, where'd Stage go?" Dottie asked, noticing the spot where she had been standing was now empty. Stage came out a few minutes later, balancing eight plates on her arms. Sparkles, Dottie, and ToT took some plates to relive some of the load.
"What's this for?" Sparkles asked, looking down at the sandwiches packed with roast beef. On the side lay some chips and grapes.
"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." ToT grinned.