A Little Bit of Rain
By Morning Glory Novak
The steady drumming of rain persisted all day long, in fact this was the fourth day that the rain poured from the gray clouds, and there was no sign of it letting up. A short thin girl sat in front of the window, her arms cross flat against the wooden sill, as he chin rested against the top of her right hand. She watched as the drops of rain splashed against the windowpane. A huff escaped her lips causing brown hair to fly up from her face, "I'm bored." Finally she pushed back from the sill, the chair scrapping the wooden floor, causing several of the others girls to look her way.
One of the older girls sitting at the card table with her feet up, rolled her eyes, "And we ain't, Mo?"
Aki walked into the bunkroom soaking wet, selling papers had proven to be more difficult on the fourth day, then the last three. No one wanted to be out in the rain, "Then do something." Aki spoke to Mischief as she knocked her feet off the table. Aki gathered some clothes to change.
"You're drippin' water all over me." Mischief scowled, waving her hand at Aki, and then brushing off the water droplets.
A pair of brown eyes looked up from the corner of the bunkroom, peering over the edge of a book, borrowed from the lodging house library, "You could read a book Mischief." Corner suggested quietly.
Mischief laughed a little leaning back in her chair, once more placing her feet upon the table, "Read?" She shook her head, "I think I'll pass."
"Well we need to find something to do." Mahogany sunk heavily down on to her bunk in a bored fashion. Mo looked out the window from her bunk longing for the rain to stop. For now sitting in the bunkroom would have to do.
The boys were having a similar problem as the girls. One floor below the boys were sitting around the card table playing Poker for the fourth day in a row, "I'm out." Bandit tossed the cards down, causing a couple marbles used as bets to roll across the table, "I don't have much more to lose mates." The tall English boy rose from his spot at the table. Walking over to the window he placed one arm above his head, leaning against the frame, looking out at the rain drenched streets.
Luca smirked as he gathered his winnings, he had just conned the boys once more. He pocketed the coins and dropped the other trinkets into the drawer in the nightstand along side his bunk, "So what should we do next?" He questioned feeling the boredom already settle in.
Skeleton peered across at the older boys; he could see the gears already beginning to turn in their heads. He quietly closed his book and picked up his journal deciding whatever they had planned, writing in the library was a much safer idea. He tucked everything under one arm and slipped out of the bunkroom unnoticed.
"We could always go bother the girls." Bandit suggested, he was always for making them squeal.
A wicked smirk spread across Luca's lips, "That always provides to be of some entertainment." He could always try to con them out of a couple pennies since the boys were starting to catch on now.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" The voice of reason spoke from his top bunk by the door.
"Of course it is Indigo!" Bandit flung a pillow across the room hitting Indigo playfully. Then an idea struck him, "I got an idea."
Indigo tried to duck the flying pillow, but it struck his shoulder. He grasped the corner ready to launch it back, when Bandit had an idea, "This can't be good."
"Grab yer pillows guys." Bandit instructed grabbing the one off of Skeleton's bunk. Bandit was in a lighthearted mood now. He readied the troops and armed them with pillows before they made their sneak attack upon the unsuspecting girls.
The boys crept up the stairs to right outside of the girls' bunkroom. Bandit put a finger to his lips to motion for everyone to be quiet. Bandit reached for the knob and turned it slowly, making no noise.
Luca smirked clenching the corner of the feather filled pillow; at least he wouldn't be bored any more. He could picture the girls' faces as they were unsuspectingly pelted with pillows. On Bandit's command the small army of boys, with their war cry, rushed in on the girls.
Aki had just walked out of the washroom, drying her hair with a towel, when a pillow whacked her in the side, "Wha-?" She rolled her eyes seeing it was the boys who started it. Dropping the towel onto a chair she grabbed the nearest pillow, pelting the boy who had hit her.
Mischief was knocked backwards out of her chair. She hit the floor hard, "Ow." She sat up flipping her black hair out of her face and rubbing the back of her head. Once she caught her bearings, she launched into the all out pillow war that was going on.
Luca hit Aki once more, the pillow burst open. Feathers rose in the air landing everywhere. Aki's eyes widened, "You're going to get it Luca!" She hollered chasing after the boy. Luca released the pillow throwing it at Aki hoping to slow her down, but it did not work as he planned.
Luca took off down the stairs, heading all the way down to the lobby. He reached the door moments before Aki whipping it open and out onto the streets. Luca figured that she wouldn't follow him out to the street and he could climb back up the fire escape. However, he had been proven wrong.
Mr. Henderson could hear the loud noises coming from the bunkrooms above his head. He heard several feet pounding in the stairs, and then a whirlwind of white feathers as two newsies rushed through the lobby of the lodging house, "What in the world?" He was baffled. Mr. Henderson placed his pencil down between the pages of the ledger before rising from his stool. He made his way up the stairs. Mr. Henderson stopped at the first bunkroom, pushing the door open with a creak, he was surprised to see that there was no one in there; the noise was coming from the girls' bunkroom.
A further bewildered Mr. Henderson climbed the next set of stairs up to the girls' bunkroom, a trail of evidence lay strewn across every stair, where all the noise appeared to be coming from. He pushed back the door slowly; the site almost gave the poor man a heart attack. White feathers blanketed the floor like a layer of freshly fluffy fallen snow. Feathers flew in the air every direction creating a blizzard affect, "What is going on in here?!" Mr. Henderson called out, trying to rise above the voices ringing through the bunkroom.
"Uh oh, it's Mr. Henderson." A tan skinned boy with black hair froze in his spot. Normally Indigo would not allow himself to be dragged into something that would get him into trouble, however when the whole pillow fight had started, he was not thinking of the consequences.
When the feathers finally settled, only a few moving because of the drafty windows, a group of newsies had frozen in their spots. Feathers littered the floor, bunks, chairs, and table tops. The feathers stuck in the hair of the girl's and some of the boys. Mahogany blew a couple feathers out of her face, stirring up a handful more.
Mr. Henderson shook his head, "The lot of you know where the brooms and dust pans are." He turned slowly to head down the stairs once more. He was not upset with the newsies; he remembered when he was that young. A bit of fun never hurt anyone before. Mr. Henderson sat down once more at the front desk watching the feather covered newsies walk into the kitchen to retrieve the brooms and dust pans.
The rain had finally let up later that night as Glory crawled back into the window of the lodging house. She had missed curfew by a few minutes, but she had a good reason, luckily no one was up to hear it. She made her way over to her bunk quietly. Glory kicked off her boots, dropping her cabby hat next to them. She peeled back the blankets read to sleep, when a puff of white feathers flew up into the air. Glory jumped up quickly, and a few snickers could be heard through out the bunkroom. Glory couldn't help, but allow a small smirk to play across her lips. She had to admit it was good one, and made her curious as to what had gone on while she was out, but tomorrow was another day, she'd find out then. Glory brushed most of the feathers from her bunk before climbing in. The giggles died down and soon everyone was asleep, preparing for the next rainless selling day.