"Wake up Chase!" Jenny Whispered.
"Where am I?" Chase blinked and grabbed her hurting arm. "Why is my arm bleeding?" she asked surprised.
"We went back in time." Alyn said bluntly with a shrug. "It's August. 1899, New York."
"Sounds like Newsies." Chase said with a yawn.
"That's because we're right outside of the Newsboys Lodging House." Jenny filled her in before shoving a paper in her face. "See?"
"Damn it!" Chase reeled. "Now I'm in a different city, different time zone, Different year, I'm hurt, wet and cold." She ranted. "In other words. This couldn't get any worse.
"I say we head for the newsy house. I don't think we're going home anytime soon." Alyn suggested.
Chase's voice trembled. "Um… Ah… Ok…"
"Don't be afraid." Jenny comforted. "Alyn's a good talker."
"I have to do it?!?" Alyn exclaimed.
"Sure as hell I ain't." Jenny retorted.
"Ow! Uh, My arm is killing me." Chase whined.
"Fine." Alyn gave in.
The three disoriented girls trudged up the stairs of the lodge house and knocked on the door. Kloppman, the attendant answered.
"What C-can I gets you girls?" he asked looking through his spectacles.
"We're looking for lodging for the night, my friend is hurt and we just got into town." Alyn pleaded.
"It's six cents a night." He told them as Alyn forked over a dollar in quarters from their own time, hoping that it isn't looked at too closely. "You can stay." He told them.
He lead them up to where the bunks were. "Ok boys, These girls are gonna stay the night, give 'em the first two bunks and I want no trouble! You hear? No TROUBLE!" he talked sternly. "'specially 'cuz one of 'ems hurt." He left the room and shut the door behind him.
The boys who were lounging on the bunks moved, quite pleased to have girls staying with them.
"You Hoit?" Someone asked in Chase's ear, making her jump and hit her head on the top bunk. She turned wincing and holding her head with her hand.
"Yeah." She sighed seeing Mush's recognizable face. She lifted the sleeve of her favorite green shirt to reveal her bleeding arm. Mush looked at it and smiled.
"hoit yer arm pretty badly." He said ripping strips from a sheet and tying them around her arm.
"Thanks." Chase blushed and smiled. Alyn and Jenny were getting situated on their own bunks and chatting with those she recognized as Racetrack and Specs.
"Me name's Mush." Mush introduced himself and ruffled the hair on her head. "I didn't hoit you when I scared ya did I?" he asked politely.
Chase laughed with a large smile and blushed a bit more. (have you noticed she's prone to blushing?) "No, I'm fine." She turned to see Jenny and Alyn had joined them. "I'm Chase, This is Jenny and Alyn." A head popped down from the top bunk with Jack Kelly's ever so recognizable face.
"The name is Kelly. Jack Kelly." He said with a smile and held up his upside down hand to shake with Chase, which she attempted to shake, but got a little messed up which made her laugh. "So where's ya from?" Jack asked of them
"The Twenty-first century." Chase joked but was hit rather hard with a pillow from Jenny which muffled her voice.
"Wisconsin." Jenny corrected. She hated the movie Newsies and wanted nothing to do with them. Jack told them they should be heading to bed and they all crawled in happily… with the exception of Jenny who still wasn't pleased that they were anywhere near the newsies.
Spot Conlon looked through the window of a newsy lodging house. It was 4:30 in the morning and he had seen an angel walk into the place the night before. She and her two friends appeared out of nowhere and seemed like they were from out of town.
"hey it's Brooklyn!" Mush said from inside the window. Pulling the pane up he leaned out. "What ya doin' Spot?"
"Well if it ain't Mush. I's just paying a visit, what's new around here? I's got birdies chripin' in me ears." He invited himself in. "Hey Jacky boy!" he said with a smile.
"We gots some new Newsies Spot." Jack said.
"so I heard. How they holdin?" he said as the three girls finally woke up.
"They'se all right." Jack said. "They came in last night, One's a little roughed up, the others are fine." He snorted. "You want to take one out to teach? They won't give you much trouble, theys a bit girly for being newsies."
Spot shrugged. "Eh, why not, I'll take the one in green." Looking up to the ceiling he smiled, "she looks easy enough to handle" Jenny, the shortest girl, walked past the bunks and smiled.
The conversation around the room, which was the one Chase was more in tune to, included Mush, Race, Skittery, Specs, Blink, and Crutchy.
"That's my Cigar!" Race accused of Skittery who was sucking on it.
"You'll steal anodder." Skittery replied.
"Hey bummer's we gots woik to do." Blink told them.
"Since when did you become me modder?" Specs asked
"Aw, Stop yer bawlin'" Crutchy wined.
"Who ast You?" Mush, Blink and Specs asked at the same time. This was all hilariously funny to Chase who couldn't stop laughing if she tried until Jenny walked over.
"Heyya." Jenny greeted to Spot before sitting next to Chase, the girl in green, and proceeding to whap her rather hard with a pillow. Leaning over she whispered in the girl's ear. "These guys are exactly like the movie, and Spot Conlon just walked in." she smiles widely.
"Jenny, Jenny, Jenny." The girl in green smiled, "Act natural, They're just Newsies."
"We ain't JUST newsies. We're Newsies with brains." Spot Conlon was standing over them now and the short girl named Jenny giggled and punched the girl in green in the arm.
"Eh! Jenny! That hurt." The girl in green returned the punch.
"I'm Spot, Spot Conlon." He said as he leaned over the girls.
"The most famous newsy in all of New York. I know. And that's Jack, That's Mush, Race, Specs, Boots, Kid Blink, Vinnie, Crutchy, Skittery, Diamond…" she smiled contently. "I'm Chase." She pointed with her thumb to the girl next to her. "That's Jenny." Chase looked around Spot to the blob on the top bunk behind him "and that. is Alyn."
A few of the newsies who hadn't told Chase their names sauntered over. "How'd you know me name?" Blink asked as he leaned on the bunk with Spot. The newsies had practically closed the girls into the bunk by now.
"Short story that I'm not telling." Chase said with a grin. Boy is she fiery in the morning. Someone hit her in the arm. "Jenny!" She moaned turning around.
"Buzz off Chase, be nice, they're letting us stay here ya'know." She paused. "So don't blow it." She said with an evil grin.
"Shouldn't we be selling papes 'bout now?" Chase changed the subject quickly.
"You'se commin' wid me" Spot said as he poked Chase in the chest.
Jack looked around. "Blink You take Jenny, and Mush if you can wake Alyn up, take her." Blink immediately proceeded to shake Alyn and push her off the bunk.
"Getup!" Blink said "We's got papes to sell." Alyn slowly arose and blinked.
"wha? Papes? Wait." Alyn looked confused for a few seconds. "ahhh. Be right there Blink." She said and Blink stared at her.
"I didn't tell you my name either…" Blink glared.
"Short story I'm not telling." She said as she followed him out to the newsies square.
Chase sighed, the money she had in her pocket wasn't good in 1899, therefore, she was broke. Spot bought her papes for the first day but he told her she had to do it for the next. He had decided to take her down near the docks when they had sold their last paper. "That's really pretty." She stated looking out over the water.
"New Yawks the best for dis stuff." He said to her. She was just about to ask him about the strike, and if he really thought he was the king of New York sometimes. "I's been meanin' to ast you'se 'bout how ya knew all our names dis mornin'"
Chase grinned. "You wouldn't understand."
"Yer hiddin' somethin' aren't ya?" he gazed at her suspiciously.
"mmmm… Yeah." She said rather bluntly. As she smiled he turned to watch her. They were sitting a few feet apart on the end of the dock, He moved a bit closer because he didn't know what to do. She made him tongue tied.
"You'se goin' to tell me?" he asked the most obvious question.
"mmmm… nope." She said with a grin. Chase turned to him and blushed slightly. "thanks for today Spot… it's more fun than it looks."
Spot nodded and blushed a bit himself. "We's should get movin'" he suggested standing and offering his hand to help her up. Taking his hand Chase stood up, but lost her balance and fell into Spot. He caught her in his arms and she looked up into his eyes, blushing dramatically.
"thanks." She whispered. She became tongue tied herself at that moment. Spot nervously took her hand and pulled her along into an alley. A blur of Mush and Alyn ran by the two but neither really noticed.
"The Delancy's and their gang will be coming around soon, you be out when they come. Ya hear?" He said once they got to the alley. Chase nodded quickly. She couldn't believe it was only 5 PM, and she had come that close to kissing Spot Conlon. This was going to be a long day, or week, or month, or however long until she figured out how to get back to her own life.
Chase knew she should definitely leave if the Delancy's were coming around, but she stuck next to Spot. "Where are you going to go?" she asked.
"I'm goin' to make sures you'se get outta here." He said with a smile and started to climb the fire escape. Chase followed him with a hope of maybe seeing the sunset from above on the roof.
"Where are we goin'?" she asked. Chase was prone to picking up accents quickly and was slowly working her way into the New York newsies accent.
"We'se goin' back to the lodge, as far from dis place as possible." He said helping her onto the roof. Chase nodded and looked back over the ocean to see two people splashing around quite a bit. She laughed and walked along the edge of the roof.
"Don'ts fall. Brooklyn will miss ya." Spot told her as they walked along. She laughed at his comment and blushed, again, She really wasn't herself around guys and jumped down doing a little dance move she had learned. He laughed at her and she blushed again. He took her hand and they jumped across a narrow space between buildings. She smiled when he didn't let go of her hand and they started down the next fire escape.
Alyn glared helplessly at Mush who had stolen her hat. "Give it back." She said for the twentieth time in the past ten minutes. They had already sold all of their papers and Mush thought it was rather funny to steal the hat Alyn was so proud of.
"Nu-huh." He said shaking his head and holding the hat above her head. She jumped for it and grabbed it out of his hand.
"So there." She said putting her hat on her head and tucking her messy brown hair up into it. She grinned and when he swiped it from her head again she sighed. "MUSH!" she ran after him down the street and through a few alleys. "C'mon MUSH!" she yelled after him in hot pursuit.
He laughed with his half smile as he ran off the end of a pier into the ocean, The tide was out and he could touch. She jumped in after him not noticing that they had run by Spot and Chase in one of the alleys.
They splashed around in the harbor for a bit. Alyn jumped up onto Mush's back who thought this was all hilariously funny and was having a stupendous time. He held the hat out in front of him so she couldn't reach it and they spun in the water before falling over. They laughed and splashed around. Mush ran slowly against the water resistance and Alyn trudged after him and dived just in time to tackle him in the shallow waves and grab back her hat. And dumping it, with all the water, back on her head. Mush stood up and took her drenched hand. They both, sopping wet, got up and went to the end of the dock they had run off of, and the same one Spot and Chase sat at earlier. The two watched the sun set at the horizon with a smile.
"Sweet." She said as she watched the orange and purples and reds float across the sky.
"What?" Mush asked her at the new found language.
"um…ah…. Yeah." She simply said looking at him.
"You'se hiding something ain't ya?" he looked back at her.
"um… Now why would I be doing that?" she inquired with a perk.
"I dunno, its just too weird dat you'se and yer friends showed up outta nowhere and with yer clothes and all… None of ya are wearin' dresses… and ya'll gots words on yer shirts." He posed.
Alyn nodded slowly thinking. "Well… uh… lets say they're a special gift… from Pulitzer." She says thinking about the movie.
"For special new employees?" Mush interrogated remembering the line.
"ahhh… ok…" she mumbled to herself for a second. "So ummm… I can't tell you." She said out right.
"why not?" He asked.
"Then I'd have to kill you." She joked and he laughed. "can we just go change into dry clothes?"
"I's only gots one more pair…" He looked her up and down. "Top or bottom?"
She thought for a second realizing that he had just offered her clothes and that he would have nothing else to wear. "um… no. You can have them. Where I come from wet is normal." Mush shrugged and now in the darkness of night the started back to the lodge.
Blink was amazed that by this time in the morning (6:30 am) Jenny had already told him off, sold half her papers, and managed to make him infatuated with her fiery attitude, looks, and presence. You can understand he was quite mad when she stomped off to go find someone who wasn't so stubborn and annoying.
"Ya Can't leave." He protested as he ran to catch up with her.
Glaring, she whacked him in the chest. "just watch me." She growled at him causing him to become even more infatuated.
"Yer not goin' to survive out there." He called after her as she yelled a phony head line. He sighed and ran up into the shadows to follow her. When she had sold all of her papers it was dark and she leaned against the wall of a building and looked around. She had no idea where she was and she definitely didn't want to go see Blink at the lodging house even if she didn't know how to get there. Jenny sighed and murmured a bit to herself "go back to the lodge and tell Alyn and Chase you want to go home… no, Chase'll want to stay. Think, think, thin-YELP!" her yelp was practically a scream as Blink pulled her into the alley way and covered her mouth. Immediately she slapped him across the face when she recognized the eye patch. "Mmmm mm mmm mmmm mmmmm mmmmm?!?" she exclaimed from under the hand. He pulled his hand away and she slapped him again.
"What do you think you're doing?" she exclaimed once again.
"keepin' you out of trouble. Now shut up, and If you don't want to be soaked by Harlem, kiss me!" he looked at her urgently.
"WHAT?" she exclaimed.
"Kiss. Me." he urged her on.
"There's no one from Harlem out there." She said glaring at him, then she looked into the street. "You're making up lies."
Blink shook his head and pulled her further into the darkened alley so as they won't be seen. "Harlem is not a place you want to mess wid." He told her sternly "They'll be here any minute, If we don't hide, You'll be dead, I don't think you're friends will like dat." She bounced up and down with a little bit of adrenaline pumping through her body at the moment.
"Fi.." she didn't get to finish saying she would when Blink had her in a tight lip lock. He had his arms around her making it look convincible as possible. At that point he had her up against the wall and she kissed him back praying she wouldn't be killed by a Harlem newsy.
"Hey ya Blink." A boy with a chain in his hand walked up behind them. The two broke apart. "Got you'se self a new girlfriend?" Blink just shrugged and stood in front of Jenny.
"Harlem?" she whispered in his ear, he shook his head.
"woise, Brooklyn, famous for stealing goils." He said backing up. Jenny trembled behind Blink.
"How you'se doin' Mikey?" Blink asked trying to keep Mikey's mind off of killing the two of them.
"I's doin' good." He replied moving the chain through one of his hands threateningly. "You'se must be makin' out fine yerself, wid dat goil and all." Jenny trembled a bit more. He swung the chain at them and Blink spread his arms to keep Jenny back.
"You'se don't want to do dis…" Blink Coaxed Mikey.
"Oh? I don't?" Mikey sneered as he swung the chain again. This time it made contact with Blink's side and he yelped in pain. Jenny's eyes widened, and she realized, there WAS a real danger, she really COULD get killed. She grabbed the top off a trash can.
Mikey started to laugh evilly, and swung for Blink's head. Thinking fast Jenny deflected it with the garbage can lid. Blink shook his head as he looked at her. 'don't' he mouthed and she shook her head back. She defended him again with the top, but this time it flew out of her hand and into the wall. She shuddered praying for help. Blink and Jenny backed up further into the alleyway, looking for anyway to get out of their current predicament. The kissing deploy didn't work, trash can lid didn't work, and they were running out of options.
Mikey pushed them further into the alley. He swung again at the two of them and Blink ducked quickly and attempted to hit the legs out from under Mikey. The chain whizzed over Blink's head and cut Jenny on the tip of the nose. She glared a glare only a girl can give when they become so pissed there is no way you get out of the trouble she causes. Blink had missed the first time but Jenny didn't care she stepped over him and punched the sluggish Mikey in the face.
That's when it happened. A marble came flying by at an amazing speed and hit the renegade newsy from Brooklyn in the head. Mikey grabbed the side of his head and knocked himself with the chain, causing a bit more pain. Blink knocked Mikey's feet out from under him and Jenny took charge of kicking Mikey in the stomach as many times as possible.
"I got him! I got HIM!" Chase yelled from a fire escape jumping up and down and hugging Spot before giving him the slingshot back and running down the metal stairs and sliding down the ladder at the end. She ran up to Jenny and pulled her away from beating up Mikey. Hugging Jenny, Chase bounced, a little too happy and full of adrenaline for her own good.
Jenny pulled back and kicked Mikey in the stomach again before feeling her nose. Chase looked at it for a second. "Ooo. That looks bad." She commented before having her legs pulled out from under her by the chain Mikey had. "Ahhh!" she screamed before kicking him as best she could in the face when she hit the ground which knocked him out cold. She rolled over finally feeling the pain of the fall and she grabbed her bandaged arm.
Spot had reached them now and Blink had gotten back up looking at Chase lying on the ground. Jenny was a little fazed now and didn't realize exactly what was happening. Spot leaned down and helped Chase back up. He slung her arm around his shoulder. And motioned for them to get moving back to the lodge. Blink had gone to comfort Jenny who was puking in a corner.
Chase awoke late at night in her bunk with a start. No one else was in the room and she figured it must have been only midnight at most. Suddenly a sharp pain rose through her arm and she shot straight up in bed remembering the previous situation she was looking for Spot but instead she hit her head rather hard on the bunk above her. She grabbed her forehead with her hurt arm and immediately regretted it. She clutched her arm and her forehead for a few seconds before Spot came wandering in. When he noticed her sitting up in the bed he rushed to her side.
"You'se ok?" He asked with a worried look on his face. Spot drew her hand away from her forehead to look at it. He sat next to her on the bed examining her wounds.
"Yeah… I'm… fine." Chase said a bit wearily. "What happened?" she droned out.
"You passed out half way back…" he said smiling.
"Ohhh." She moaned. "Damn. I wasn't to hard to bring back was I?"
"no." He said taking the bandage off her arm. "we had to rip the sleeve off yer shirt though." She looked down at her bruised shoulder.
"Is it bad?" she said feeling it under her fingertips and cringing at the pain.
"You'se'll be fine." He smiled at her as she looked at her torn shirt.
"Do you have a shirt I can borrow?" she asked with a pleading look in her eye. He gladly gave her the one he was wearing over his under shirt. Chase smiled at him. "you are so sweet." She put it on over her green shirt and buttoned it up. She then proceeded to worm her way out of the green shirt from under the blue one he had given her. He laughed at the way she did this, it looked rather interesting. He started to lean in to kiss her, but as they were just so close Jenny ran in yelling. Both of their heads whipped around to the door.
"We are NOT HAVING THIS CONVERSATION!" Jenny yelled as she stomped through the door and slammed it in Blink's face.
"Oh YES WES ARE!" He yelled holding his nose as he forced his way through the door. Jenny threw herself onto the bed and pounded her fists against a pillow.
"There is NO WAY I COULD EVER LIKE…. YOU!" she yelled before screaming into her pillow.
Blink growled and looked up to god to ask 'why?' "DERE WAS A DING DERE AND YOU'SE KNOWS IT TOO!" He yelled back. She couldn't deny it there was something in the kiss, but she just wanted to go home. "IF YOU'SE EVER WANT TO GO BACK YOU'LL NEED MY HELP!" he yelled at her.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Jenny yelled back covering her head under a pillow and singing loud 'Lalala's'. Blink was about to react to her by pulling the pillow away when a dripping Mush and Alyn walked in.
"What happened to you?" Chase asked of them
"We took a little swim." Alyn answered before seeing that Jenny had buried her head and Chase was wearing Spot's shirt, and that her own shirt was missing a sleeve.
"I should ask the same of you!" Alyn exclaimed.
"Ahhh… just a little skirmish." Chase laughed as Spot put the final touches on her bandages.
"We soaked 'em good." Spot grinned. "Blink knocked 'is legs out and Jenny punched 'im in da face few times and kicked 'em in da stomach too." He shrugged. "Chase 'ere got 'im wid da slingshot and Mikey pulled 'er over wid 'im. She soaked 'im good." He stated proudly.
Chase couldn't help but blush. "You should have seen the sunset." Alyn said.
"it was beautiful." Mush laughed as he stood next to jenny and pulled off her pillow. "Whatcha doin' down there?" he asked with his half smile that charmed everyone.
"Hiding from him." Jenny pointed to Blink quietly, who was brewing on the bunk next to her.
"It's her fault." Blink grumbled at her and Mush shrugged and took off the undershirt he was wearing that day showing his suspenders and what Jenny thought were rather cute muscles. Chase started to giggle to herself when she noticed the goofy grin Jenny had on her face. Chase knew exactly what Jenny was thinking, Chase thought it too. Spot looked at her.
"What?" he asked which made her laugh harder and shake her head.
"Nothing" she squeaked out. Spot smiled at her, causing her to blush yet again. (told you she was prone to blushing.) Chase had never really had a boyfriend, or kissed a guy for that matter, and she really liked Spot.
The newsies slowly started to file in all with different looks on their faces. Race looked mad, he had lost again at the track, Specs was quite happy, He had met a girl, Pie Eater looked normal. Almost all of them inquired about Jenny's buried head, Chase's beat up arm, Why Spot was still there, or why Alyn and Mush were dripping. At last Jack walked in.
"Heyya Spot." He greeted.
"Heyya Jacky boy." Spot replied from his place lounging next to Chase who had slowly fallen asleep on his shoulder.
"How'd the goil's do?" Jack asked. The three friends had fallen asleep in their bunks, Chase on Spot, Jenny under her pillow, and Alyn still dripping wet.
"Chase and Jenny soaked Mikey." Spot shrugged. Jack looked surprized, he had underestimated the girls. "Chase beat up 'er arm real bad. Jenny's commin' close to soakin' Blink." He leaned his head against the bar of the bunk.
"sold all yer papes?" Jack asked leaning over Chase and Spot. Spot nodded.
"fast too." He shifted a bit on the bunk and Chase mumble-sang a bit to herself. 'porcelain' tub with boilin' water.' She rolled slightly enough for Spot to slip out.
"I dink you founds yerself a goil friend." Jack teased before jumping on to the bunk above Chase.
"Can I take a bunk 'ere t'night?" Spot said unhooking his cane and sling shot from his belt and slinging his hat onto the post of Chase's bed.
"Yeah, yeah… Take Chase out tomorrow too. I ain't lettin' a rookie wid a bad arm out on da streets of New Yawk." Jack said pointing to the bunk across from Chase. "Sleep there."
"mmmm." Chase smiled as she woke up and looked around. As she turned her head backward she scrambled and fell out of her bed, clutching her arm. Spot had been right behind her and scared the living daylights out of her body. "SPOT!" she exclaimed standing up. He smiled and put his hat on his head.
"We's got papes to sell." He said as the early morning hit her and she moaned half out of pain and half out of tiredness.
"GET UP." Blink said from across the room at Jenny's bunk. He pushed her off the side. "Pape's waitin'." Jenny moaned.
"I am NOT going with you." Jenny protested.
"You'se don't got a choice." He retorted.
"that's what you think." She said up in his face. Mush started to hit Alyn with a pillow.
"Alyn. Get up!" Mush shook Alyn a bit. Jenny laughed.
"no no no… you gotta do it like This." Jenny said pulling Mush away and dragging Chase over. Chase laughed and climbed on the top bunk with Jenny. "Allllllllllyyyyyyn!" Jenny called waving her arms around like a four year old. "Gettttt upppp! Time to PLAY!" Chase bounced up and down on the bed making it rock and bend. Suddenly Alyn fell off the bed like before and Chase and Jenny peered over. "uh-oh." They said together in little kid voices. Alyn moaned and got up with the help of Mush.
"You guys are really mean." Alyn scowled at Jenny and Chase who were laughing their heads off at their own antics. They hopped off the top bed and after washing off their faces and combing their messy hair they set off to Newsies Square.
"Ellis Island in flames! Thousands mourn death!" Alyn yelled at the top of her lungs. "Extra! Extra!" She unloaded four papers on passing couples all interested in the inferno.
"Bad headlines today Eh?" Mush asked her as they made their way down second to third street.
"Yeah, only thing I got is this giant candle lit rally on Ellis Island." She shrugged. "Inferno on Ellis Island!" she yelled and coughed afterward.
"You'se sick?" Mush pounded her back with his hand.
"No… I'm fine… just a…ah.. AhhhCHOO!" she sneezed into her hand. "cold." She said with a sniffle.
Mush shook his head disapproval. "Yer sick."
"I am not sick. I think I would know if I was sick." She said. "Anyway, this'll help sell papes, am I right?"
"yeah, yeah." He shrugged. "Yer still sick."
"Whatever." She shrugged and coughed again. "Buy a pape Mister?" Alyn suckered an entire crowd into buying out her papers. "Told ya." She laughed at him, which caused her to cough again.
"Yer sick and you know it. " Mush said to her before selling his last paper to a barber on fourth street. "Where we gonna go now?" he inquired of her. She shrugged and looked around
"Tibby's? The docks again? The track? Newsy square?" she said looking around "roof?"
"Hows 'bout Tibby's?" he said flicking his head to one side motioning that it was that way.
"Sure." She said following him. They walked into Tibby's to see all the other newsies sitting around cooling off from the august sun. They took chairs at the table with the rest of them. Race dumped a bottle of ice water on Blink.
"What ya thinkin' 'bout Blink?" Race asked of his wet friend.
"Where's Jenny?" Alyn had immediately noticed the absences of her friend
Blink jumped up as the cold ice hit his body. "Wha'd you do dat for?" he erupted at Race.
"Ya need ta cool off… Thinkin' 'bout Jenny?" Race chuckled at Blink. Blink blushed and scowled. Alyn leaned over the table and caught Blink's attention with her intimidating stare.
"Where's Jenny?" she growled in his face under her hat. "where is she?"
Blink just shrugged as Alyn erupted.
"You DON'T know where Jenny is. You don't KNOW where jenny is…" she looked around and glared into Blink's uncovered eye. "you left her in New York, with no Newsy, only her papes, and no directions to anywhere? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" she yelled at him before whapping the hat off the top of his head. Blink stood up at this and got into Alyn's face as well.
"No I don't know where she is. She LEFT ME!" He yelled in her face and pushed her back into her seat, shutting her up at the same time. She brewed in anger for a few moments before throwing her chair down and storming out. She only left after a few words with Mush.
"I'm going to look for her." Alyn stormed off into the unknown territory of New York.
A few blocks away Jenny sat on the edge of the statue platform in Newsy Square munching on an apple.
Chase sat browsing the paper before buying. "fifty Papes, Weasel." She laughed to herself. She had always wanted to say that. She was about to pound down a quarter, when Spot flicked it on to the counter instead. "SPOT!" she said to him as he tried to pay for her papers.
"Give 'er fifty papes weasel." Spot said with a smile and handed her the fifty papers. "there." She glared at him and pushed them back into him.
"no. I'm not taking you're papes." She said shaking her head. "You need 'em more than I do."
He pushed them back at her. "Take dem." Chase just pushed them back.
"No." she turned back to Weasel. "Fifty Papes." Weasel just shrugged and Oscar pushed them to her. She put her money on the counter and took her papers. Spot tried to give her back the papers but she refused them quickly. "I am not going to take you're papes."
They left the square with Spot a bit mad that she didn't let him pay for her papers. "Why wouldn't ya take the papes?"
"I am not going to take you're money. You bought my papes yesterday, I buy them today." Chase reasoned with Spot.
"fine." He replied as they walked through the alleys and the streets to where they were going to sell.
"buy me papes mister?" Chase pleaded with a couple walking down the street. The man nodded and gave her a penny. "thank you, thank you mister." She gave him her paper.
Spot yelled headlines next to her. "Ellis Island in Flame! Inferno on Ellis Island!" a crowd of people flocked to him and They sold their papers out within an hour.
"Nice one." Chase commented as they walked around The streets of New York.
He nodded and smiled. "To Tibby's?" He asked inquiringly. Chase nodded and stole his hat. He grinned at her and was about to swipe it back when Jack walked up with a bright smile and a nod.
"Well, if it ain't Jack be nimble, Jack be quick." Chase and Spot said together.
"What?" Jack asked Chase and Spot turned to her at the same time with a questioning look. Chase couldn't help but start to laugh and giggle. The two friends turned to each other, spit in their hands, and shook. Chase's laughing fit ended with her in a cheery smile And she followed the two friends as they walked.
"Goin' to Tibby's?" Jack asked with a smile.
"Yeah." Spot replied as Alyn rushed by Chase almost knocking her over.
"Alyn! Hey Alyn!" Chase yelled to her friend. Jack and Spot stopped and turned around. "Alyn! What's wrong?"
"Blink…. AGH!" Chase started before storming off again. Chase ran after her, Spot and Jack kept walking to Tibby's.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!?" Chase stopped Alyn dead in her tracks.
Alyn sighed thinking. She took off her hat and paced. She put her hat back on before thinking. "Blink left jenny somewhere in New York." Chase's eyes widened.
"Somewhere? As in he doesn't know where she is?" Chase asked anger brewing.
"yeah." Alyn was pacing faster now. "we have to find her." Chase nodded.
"She could be anywhere though." Chase reasoned. "You take the docks… I'll check the roofs. Meet at Newsy square." Chase said before getting a nod from Alyn. Chase ran through an alleyway and up the fire escape on to the roof. She watched Alyn run down the alley toward the docks. Chase ran across the roof and jumped to the next one. She scanned the area and noted that no one was insight. She came to a building which looked down upon Newsy square. Jenny lay unconscious next to the statue. Chase ran down a fire escape as fast as possible to her friend.
"Jenny! Jenny!" Chase screamed as she came down as fast as possible. She came out from the alley she had run down, She rushed to her side. "Jenny! Jenny!" she called leaning over her friend. "Jenny wake up! Wake up Jenny!" Chase kneeled next to her unconscious friend and felt for a pulse. It was steady and strong. This made Chase smile and tried to wake Jenny up by tapping her on the face with the palm of her hand. "JENNY!" she yelled into the air.
Alyn had no luck at the docks but could hear Chase yelling from there. She came running into the Newsy square to see Chase cradling the unconscious Jenny in her lap. "Alyn!" Chase called to her.
"What happened?" Alyn said in a fright of panic.
"I don't know. I saw her lying down here like this from a roof top." Chase said.
"This is Blink's fault." Alyn brewed pacing.
"We don't know that." Chase said whispering into Jenny's ear "wake up. Wake up. Wake up. wake up."
"He's the one who left her here." Alyn said as she stopped pacing before Jenny's eyes fluttered open. "Jenny?"
"JENNY?!?" Chase said excited.
"Wha? What happened? Where's Mikey?" Jenny asked wearily.
"Mikey did this to you?" Chase asked.
"Yeah… he came at me with a chain… but he punched me instead." Jenny felt her blackened jaw.
"I'm taking you back to the lodging house." Chase said helping Jenny up to her feet and slinging Jenny's arm around her shoulder. "Lets go."
"I want to go home." Jenny commented still disoriented.
"We all do." Alyn said as they made their way back to their lodging.
Alyn paced nervously between the bunks, Jenny lay on one side with a wet towel on her neck and forehead, Chase sat on the edge of a bunk on the other side. Alyn started to mumble about how to get back to 2001 as Chase started to play with Spot's hat.
"What was the last thing you did before you woke up in the street?" Alyn asked Chase.
"Mmmm… I don't really remember… There was a loud crash of thunder…" Chase tried to recall the evening, but her mind was dwelling on everything that had happened more recently.
"I remember that… it was right above me.." Jenny said cringing.
"mmmm… it must have something to do with the rain… and the thunder…" Alyn was pacing faster now.
"But what?" Chase posed running Spot's hat through her fingers.
"I don't know." Alyn sighed as she flopped onto the bunk next to Chase. "what are we going to do?" she said rubbing her face
"I miss… my basement" Chase said with a dreamy eye.
"I miss my slippers." Alyn said with a smile, making the three laugh.
"I miss… I miss… Jeff." Jenny said smiling as she talked about her brother. The three laughed harder.
"I miss my computer." Chase laughed.
"I miss… school." Alyn sighed.
"I miss… my car." Jenny whined as Racetrack sauntered in. None of the girls noticed.
"You don't own a car." Chase commented.
"So I miss driving my mom's car." Jenny shrugged. "ok… I miss having the freedom to drive you guys around. So there." Jenny laughed.
Racetrack pulled the cigar out of his mouth. "Car? Wattsa car?" he asked. The girls all looked at each other.
"That stinks!" Alyn said.
"Put that out. It'll kill you." Chase chastised pointing to the cigar.
"Yeah. Yeah." He said putting it out on a side table.
"That's sick." Jenny commented.
"Wattsa car?" Race asked again, the three girls exchanged glances.
"ahhh… ummm." Chase looked distressed.
"Its what we Wisconsians call a carriage." Alyn rattled off smoothly. Racetrack nodded skeptically.
"You twistin' me arm?" He asked leaning against the bunk.
"no… of course not." Chase sputtered pulling her knees into her chest.
"You'se guys are hiddin' somethin'…" Race said to them.
"What makes you think that?" Alyn rattled off calmly, Alyn knew they had to get through it or they would loose the trust of the newsies.
"well… ahh…" he paused.
"See you've got nothing on us. We're clean." Alyn truly hated lying to the Newsies but she had to keep their cover up. The rest of the Newsies started to file back in slowly.
"whad happened to you?" Jack asked of Jenny when he meandered in.
"Mikey soaked me." She said simply feeling her blackened jaw again.
"Mikey? Again?" Jack questioned.
"yeah." Jenny rubbed the back of her head.
Jack started to mumble to himself. Chase plopped the hat back on her head and leaned against a pole on her bunk. Alyn stood and climbed into her own bed. Blink walked in at that moment and rushed to Jenny's side, even though he didn't want it to look suspicious, it was quite obvious he was worried.
"You'se ok?" He asked her touching the shiner on her chin. "Nice shiner." Jenny slapped him.
"It's YOUR fault." She said to him.
"You were the one who left ME." He looked offended.
"I was BUYING an APPLE!" she sat upright in bed, causing her to grimace with her stiff muscles. "And when I turned around you LEFT!"
"You stomped off!" He accused of her.
"no I didn't. I told you I was hungry… and I stopped to get an APPLE. AN APPLE!" She raised her voice at him. Chase stalked over.
"Would the two of you just SHUT UP?!?" She asked of them. They both looked at her speechless. "I can't take you're endless fighting!" Chase turned to Blink. "You shouldn't have left her." She turned to jenny. "You shouldn't have gone off without a Newsy." Jenny just snorted at her. Chase glared and went back to her bed and buried her face in the pillow. Spot walked in at that very moment.
"Jack… Jack!" Spot called as he walked in.
"Mikey soaked Jenny again." Jack told him. "Do somethin' 'bout it." Spot looked surprised at this outburst. "He's from Brooklyn."
"The scab soaked 'er?" Spot asked. "Where's Chase?" His mind was obviously on something else.
Jack pushed Spot. "Yeah He did. Do somethin' 'bout it or we'se gonna take Mikey out completely."
"I said I's'll take care of it." Spot said pushing Jack back. "Where's Chase?"
"She ain't here." Jack pushed him.
"Den where is she?" Spot glared up at Jack.
"I'm Right Here!" Chase said frustratingly, she had small streaks of tears down her face.
"What's with you?" Spot asked walking over and sitting next to her.
"Nothing." Chase grumbled. "I just want to go home." She said into her pillow.
"What?" Spot had clearly not heard her.
"I want to go home." She growled at him.
"Who died and made you queen grump?" Spot obviously wasn't in a good mood either. Chase just growled at him, the last thing she wanted to do was fight, but she had no other emotions but fear and anger in her at the time.
"Buzz off Spot." Jenny called from her bunk. Spot took the hat off of Chase's head and plopped it back on his own.
The ambiance of the room had gone from mildly pleasant to rather retched in just a few minutes. Alyn was still pacing. "I got it!" She said all at once, This made everyone stop and look at her, even Chase pulled her head out of her pillow.
"Got what?" Race asked, he had lit his cigar again and was taking a small pull on it. Alyn marched over and pulled it out of his mouth and threw it out the window.
"that'll kill you." Alyn said before turning to talk to Jenny and Chase, "I think I know how to get home." This made Jenny and Chase sit up straight and pay their attention. "First we have to wait for it to rain… Here and at home… then… well… I haven't figured that out yet." She said with a shrug.
Chase shrugged. "We have to wait for a really big thunderstorm right? Maybe we have to do something at the same time then…" the newsies all stared at them
"Why can't you'se just take da train? Or a carriage?" Blink suggested.
"It's a little more complicated than that." Chase bit her lip as she talked, Their secret was practically blown.
"How complicated?" Jack asked. The three girls were standing now, and the interested newsies were closing in.
"Ah… well… " Chase looked to Jenny who shrugged and turned to Alyn for an answer.
"we're not from here." Alyn told the newsies, The girls had no way out of this confrontation now.
"We'se know dat." Spot pursed his lips and crossed his arms.
"Promise that you guys won't look think we're crazy." Chase asked turning in the circle to get everyone's approval. "You have to promise." Chase got into Spot's face. "Promise?" she raised an eyebrow. Spot spit in his hand and Chase spit in hers they shook on it.
"We're from… Madison, Wisconsin…" As Alyn paused all the newsies rolled their eyes like the climax was over, "year 2001." She said to them and they all looked startled and started to back up.
"Yer lyin'" Spot said to them. The three girls shook their heads.
"You gotta believe us." Chase said a pleading look in her eye. Race looked skeptical.
"Whattsa car?" He asked knowing they had lied earlier.
"It's a carriage without a horse… a horseless carriage if you will…" Alyn explained. "very common." The newsies stared at them, afraid.
"We AREN'T CRAZY!" Chase said moving toward Spot, the newsies in that area backed up. Chase looked pleadingly into Spot's eyes. "You promised." She said quietly. "you shook on it." Chase looked a bit betrayed. Spot just stared at her like he had never seen her before. Chase turned, the entire room was quiet. "Mush? You gotta believe us. Race? Blink?" All three of the guys looked down at their feet. "Fine. Fine Then." Chase became enraged and stomped out the door. She returned for a moment. "You PROMISED!" She screamed and ran back out of the room. The newsies were still in shock.
Chase ran out into newsy square it was almost one o'clock. She found the statue in the middle of the square and pulled herself onto it's lap to fall asleep. She never noticed when someone picked her up and moved her.
Back at the lodge the two remaining girls crawled into bed, The newsies were still a bit afraid of them, but they were coming to their senses slowly.
"we need to find Chase." Alyn commented from her bunk, tired and cold.
"She could be anywhere." Mush was the first to talk.
"She could be DEAD." Jenny commented with a sigh. She banged her head against a pillow.
"We should wait until morning." Spot added. "She's probably on the steps outside, cryin'"
Jenny proceeded to throw a pillow at Spot. "Shut up."
Spot complied by just glared at her and played with the hat on the end of his cane.
The entire room was quiet for at least a minute.
"There's no way you could find her at this time of night in a place as big as New York." Mush sighed climbing into his bed shirtless, Jenny was quite pleased to see this display of skin, but she hid her blush and grin in her pillow.
"Chase can take care of 'erself." Spot put in rolling in the bed so he was on his back. Everyone uneasily fell into a rough sleep.
Chase awoke in a state of panic. She didn't know where she was, and her hands were bound with a strips of cloth. She sat straight up in bed and hit her forehead on the bunk above her. "I've really got to stop doing that." She commented to herself before peering at her surroundings. It was early, very early in the morning and Mikey and a few others were lounging around.
"Nice of you'se to join us." Mikey said with an evil grin.
"Whe…where am I?" Chase asked looking around and pulling her legs up close to her. She noticed they were unbound.
"Harlem, my little sweet." Mikey said with a sleazy smile as he walked over and touched her cheek. She spit at him.
"Don't touch me." Chase glared a glare, the omega of all glares, the Holy Grenade of all glares. It was a patent Chase Glare.
"Dear me, I believe the dog pound may have a new member." Mikey laughed at her.
"She's too horrible for the pound." One of his followers joked.
"Buzz off." She growled at them.
"Now why can't you go respectable Chase, wear some dresses." Mikey was in her face now.
"Because that would be logical." This was one of Chase's favorite lines. Just to piss her off he kissed the 'sweet little thing' in his eyes. She pulled back, this was the last draw, Her first kiss like this. Picking up her feet she kicked him square in the chest. A few newsies gasped. Mikey fell backwards and got back up quickly. He grabbed her by the collar of her shirt.
"You'se shouldn't have done that." He said in her face again.
"And why not?" Chase retorted cocking her head to the side and giving him a fearless stare even though her insides were trembling. His faced looked like it was about to explode. He simply threw her to the ground on her hurt arm. She screamed in pain, squeezing out a single tear. He came at her again. This time she stuck her feet in the air and kicked him over her.
"'cuz you could get hurt." He said with an evil smile as he slowly got up. The other newsies in the room stared at the girl lying on the floor with her hands bound behind her. She rolled over onto her knees and rocked back onto her feet.
"First rule in kidnapping. Do NOT forget to tie you're captive's feet together." She said with a smile as she backed up. Her arm was bleeding again and she winced in pain. He came at her again, she simply stepped out of the way and rolled across one of the bunks. What she didn't expect when she stood up to see another newsy standing there.
"Second rule, Have back up." He picked her up and set her back on the bed. "Mikey start writin' that ransom note." He tied her feet together.
Mikey looked down at his toes. "I's don't know how to write." This caused Chase to laugh.
"You're ransoming me but you don't know how to write a ransom note… you guys are good… really good." She laughed at them. The unnamed newsy pushed her down on the bunk.
"Shut up." He yelled at her. She shut up quickly.
"Everyone be quiet." A female voice said from the door way. Chase looked up. It was Sarah, David's sister. Chase's jaw dropped open. "I will write the note."
The newsies were looking down at their toes and had taken off their hats.
"All right Miss Sarah." Mikey said handing her a pencil and paper. She quickly set to work writing something.
"Jack and Spot- Give up you're territories and Chase will return unharmed and smiling. –Mikey" Sarah read out loud.
"Deliver this to Jack's newsies." Sarah handed the note to one of the newsies.
"I should have known it was you." Chase sputtered to Sarah.
"Well you didn't." Sarah retorted.
"Why are you doing this? I thought you liked jack, you know you had that entire kissy, kissy scene at the end after Jack came back with Teddy Roosevelt in that carriage. And then Roosevelt became president and he was really cool, you know I got a teddy bear for Christmas from Julie this year, it's really nice and fuzzy. " Chase asked of her. Sarah looked at her with a blink but Chase kept babbling, as she stood and hopped over to Sarah. "I wonder what Julie would do in this situation. She would probably hit you." Chase was now working her hands over her rear and had jumped through her arms. She hit Sarah with her hands. "Maybe not, she's not quite the violent type, but she would definitely be wearing one of her hats, maybe her tweed hat, it's a lot like Spot's. Speaking of Spot, CUE SPOT!" Chase yelled at the window. Everyone was just stared at her. "SPOT! You're s'pose to come save me now! I'm almost done saving myself! Damsel in Distress here! Where's my knight in shining armor?" She took a breath for once and was about to keep talking when someone hit her over the head with a club, knocking her unconscious.
"Because Jack must die." Sarah said proudly feeling her face. "And when they give up their territories, you must too."
Blink pushed Jenny off the edge of the bunk. "Get up." He growled at her. He was still mad that she had lied to him about where she was from.
"I'm not going with you, I'll get killed!" Jenny glared at him. He shrugged. Alyn forced herself to get up… for once.
"I'll go with you Blink…" Alyn said rubbing her eyes free of sleep. Mush shrugged and nodded.
"An' den I's'll take you Jenny." He said with a smile.
"Now Everybody you'se gotta keep a look out for Chase. If we'se don't find her, well… Find her." Jack announced to all of the newsies.
"I'll take Midtown." Race told jack as he left the building.
"I'll take uptown." Crutchy said leaving as well.
"Ahhh… Spot, You'se and Blink and Mush… and da goils take Harlem… Boots, Snipe, Diamond, You'se come wid me to Brooklyn." Jack dictated. Everyone left the place in a rush, None of the Newsies cared where, or when, then girls were from. They just all knew that they had to find Chase, or they'd have two very pissed off girls on their hands who couldn't leave if they tried.
Spot took control when they entered Harlem territory. "Mush, you and Jenny go that way. Blink and Alyn, you go that way. I'll head for the newsy house" He continued to give them orders before jamming his hands in his pockets and separating. "check the alley ways first, den the roofs, look in every window you'se pass." He said as they set off, He thought this would be one of the last places Chase could be, but he had a gut feeling they would run into trouble. "Stays togeader. We don'ts want no more soakin'." Spot said, as they walked down the main street.
Jenny sat on the edge of a roof looking down into a dark, musty alley. It was littered with stray animals, trash, a few people, and trash cans.
"Is it really true?" Mush asked from behind her as he bounced a small ball up and down.
"Hmm?" she spun her legs around and rested her head on her hands.
"2001? Time travel?" He asked again jumping onto the edge of the roof and walking it like a balance beam.
Jenny blushed. "Yeah." She just couldn't like to his cute face.
"What dos you think yer doin'?" Someone said, it was a Harlem newsy.
"Lookin' for a friend." Mush jumped down and stood in front of jenny, who sighed. She was really getting tired of people trying to protect her like that.
"You'se ain't doin' much lookin'" The newsy commented, he looked a bit young and inexperienced, trying to act tough.
"We can't find her." Jenny said peeking out from behind mush.
The newsy frowned for a second. "Hmmm…" he said as he thought. "Wass'er name?"
"Chas…" Jenny started but was cut off by Mush.
"Joan." Mush said, Jenny thought this was ironic, Joan was Chase's middle name. The newsy laughed. He had heard Jenny and figured it out.
"You'll never find her! NEVER!" he laughed evilly at them and Jenny took a deep breath as she became angry.
"You know where Chase is? You do?" she stepped out in front of mush who put his hand on her shoulder. "Where is she? Hmmm? Tell me where she is." She started to raise her voice as she talked and would have advanced on him if Mush's hand had not been there. The newsy just cackled evilly.
"She's in safe hands… for now." The newsy's eyes glittered as he toyed with jenny's mind. This put her over the edge and in a sudden burst of unjennyness she tackled the newsy and sat on him.
"WHERE IS SHE?" she started hitting the newsy with flailing arms. Mush had to literally pick her up and wrap his strong arms around her to keep her from attacking. She had a small piece of paper in her hand. something she had taken from the newsy. The kid scrambled away running as fast as possible. Jenny turned and cried into Mush's chest. He stood there and rocked her slowly. He kissed her on the forehead and started to walk away.
"I'm takin' you back to the lodge." He said hugging her shoulder with one arm. She nodded clutching the piece of paper in a clenched hand.
Chase trembled inside. They aren't coming. She thought to herself. Mikey was in the wash room, another newsy was sleeping quietly in a bunk across the room, Sarah was somewhere around, and the others could be anywhere. I'm going to die. She sighed. She knew she shouldn't let herself sink to such a level, but lying on her side with her hands and feet tied tightly wasn't giving her much hope. She blinked. She would never have a boyfriend, she would never go to the movies again, she would never sit outside with a melting Popsicle on a really hot day again. She shook her head to stop her thinking. A simple question popped into her head, Why do they put Braille on drive up ATM's? she shook it from her mind. She rolled over looking around, her chances were hopeless, unless someone would save her, but it didn't look like that was happening. Something tapped the window but chase dismissed it. A slight creak came from behind her (the window), and she just closed her eyes, you're dreaming, she told herself.
"Psst… Chase. Psst." Chase's head whipped around and her eyes widened.
"Spot!" she said in surprise sitting up quietly in the bed. He squeezed through the small opening he had created and started to untie her.
"C'mon, let's get out of here." He said helping her to the window, her ankles were in pain from the ties. She nodded thinking this was all too easy. He held her hand as she slid through the opening, and just as she got through she saw Mikey walk into the room. She gasped and spot spun around to see Mikey come at him with a knife. Spot backed away slowly and shut the window as he went by, preventing Chase from climbing back in to fight.
Chase pressed her face against the window, only to see Mikey take false swings at spot. She sighed and paced. She couldn't say here, and she couldn't let Mikey kill Spot. She paced faster on the ledge throwing her arms in thought. She ran up to the window when she heard a crash, only to see Spot now had a cut on his cheek and Mikey had fallen into a bunk, causing a speculating newsy to fall off.
BAM! Blink and Alyn flew up stairs and in. Blink grabbed Mikey by the back of his shirt and kneed him in the stomach while Alyn opened the window and crawled out. The two girls gazed through the window watching their newsies beat Mikey to a pulp.
Blink motioned for them to head out by jerking his head and they exited by the window. All four trampled down the fire escape into the street. All the way back Spot walked with his arm around Chase's waist and she fussed over his cut. Blink and Alyn were perfectly happy to laugh at them.
Mush helped Jenny up the steps and sat her down on the nearest bunk. He smiled brushing hair from her face before walking into the wash room. Jenny sat on the bunk and couldn't help but hum 'I'm the King of New York' for a second and bounce on the bed. Mush returned with a glass of water and she shut up.
"Drink this." He said handing it to her while he sat. She nodded and drank it quickly. She set the glass down and smiled.
"Thanks" she said, energy returned. He nodded and laughed brushing hair from her face and tipped her chin up. She blushed and they both leaned in. Their lips brushed slightly when chase's voice was audible from the hallway. The two broke apart and jenny became a beet red. "CHASE!" she suddenly realized and stood up. She sat back down when the room started to spin.
"Lemme clean up your cut. Please?" Chase hadn't heard as she felt Spot's cheek with her very fingertips, it was still bleeding and his arm was still around her.
"yeah, yeah." They had obviously been at this for a while, but blink and Alyn were still snickering as they followed behind. Jenny grinned at Chase, sending unknown messages about Mush and herself. Chase returned it with a knowing glance, sending her own messages about Spot and herself, before dragging Spot into the wash room.
Inside the wash room Chase grabbed a towel and ran it under cold water. Dabbing it on spot's face she smiled. "See, was it really that bad?" She wiped away the messy blood, leaving only a smallish mark where the cut was and a forming scab. "it's awl good." She laughed. It was a phrase from her own time, She settled with a large smile and Spot just figured it must have been something like that.
Chase was caught totally by surprise. It took her a second or two to figure out what was happening. Spot was kissing her, it was full of energy and excitement. She kissed him back and he wrapped his arms around her neck and pulled her in. When they finally pulled apart Chase blushed and smiled. As Chase exited she heard Blink snickering next to her and she slammed her foot down on his. He shut up quickly. She knew he had seen and She made her way over to sit down on the bunk across from Jenny.
Chase splashed water onto her face in the morning. Crutchy hobbled in.
"I'se gotta find myself a new spot." He said washing across from her. She giggled.
"Try Bottle alley or da Harbor." She sang out loud. Alyn who was next to grinned.
"Try central park it's guaranteed." Alyn sang the line with a laugh.
"Try any banker or bum or barber." Chase sang.
"They almost all knows how to read." The two sang together, ending in uncontrollable laughs. The newsies stared at them before Blink burst from the bathroom, he had not heard the commotion.
"I smell money!" He cried.
"You smell foul!" Alyn, Chase and Crutchy said. Chase and Alyn looked at each other and laughed. The newsies stared at them and they just waved them away. A few minutes later everyone left for newsy square.
The girls sat at the statue whispering to each other, they had ditched the guys in hope of spending the day together, gossiping mostly.
"dude. Why'd you stomp on Blink's foot." Jenny asked Chase.
"'Cuz… ahh… Spot kissed me and Blink saw it… I didn't want anyone to see." Chase blushed as she replied. "But what's up with you and Mush 'ey?"
"Well, if you hadn't decided to make you're triumphant return then I'd have a story to tell." Jenny said with a giggle. Alyn just sat munching on an apple.
"Wanna go to Tibby's?" Alyn suggested and the three headed down an alley toward the restaurant.
"Dude. I so have to stand on one of those tables and sing a line from King of New York." Chase said running ahead a bit.
"Wait up!" The other two called and ran to catch up. Chase rounded the corner and as Alyn and Jenny got there they saw Chase was no longer around. Turning, Jenny saw Chase standing eyes wide with Mikey's hand over her. Alyn spun around seeing Harlem newsies close in on them, quickly too. Chase tried to kick Mikey in the nuts, but was blocked by his knee, and he picked her up and threw her into the middle with the other two. She stood up and brushed off her shirt. The three girls stood back to back looking at the chains and boards and clubs and knifes the attackers had. Alyn whined.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Chase gulped… now she knew she was going to die. A board flew out towards her head and she ducked. It smacked Jenny instead who crumpled to the ground. Chase looked worriedly to Alyn who gasped, and couldn't find anything to say. The newsies enclosed them completely and Chains were thrown at them. A knife sliced into Alyn's arm, cutting a small slit across her shoulder. She grasped it and was hit with a club over the head. Alyn was out within a second. Chase looked around, she just couldn't handle this, it just didn't make any sense. A chain hit her in the stomach and she doubled over. She was hit with a board and knocked unconscious. It started to drizzle in the midday heat.
Jenny awoke with a start. She looked around and felt the tip of her nose, there was something there. She scrambled out of her bed and to the mirror. The clock read 3am, and there was a small scab on the end of her nose. She picked up her cordless phone and typed in the Number's to Chase's house.
"hello?" A tired voice said on the other line.
"Chase?" Jenny squealed.
"What? It's three in the morning. Go to bed." Chase whined.
"I just had the freakiest dream." Jenny said sitting on her bed.
"You did?" Chase was starting to wake up now. "I did too… and it had Alyn in it."
"Mine was about newsies." Jenny said bouncing.
"mine too… weird…" Chase shrieked practically into the phone. "Oh no… no…" Jenny could hear on the other line.
"What? What? You know what's weird? I still have a cut on my nose." Jenny said in anticipation.
Chase whined. "I'm wearing Spot's shirt." She said quietly. Jenny's eyes widened.
"We had the same dream… Flash Alyn." Jenny said quickly. Flash was code for a button that connected more than two people in a phone conversation. There was a slight click off, and then one on.
"Whaaat?" Alyn's voice came off clearly.
"Did you just have a dream?" Jenny asked quickly.
"Hmmm? Yeah." Alyn sounded like she was falling asleep again.
"Was it about newsies?" Chase asked.
"yeah.. Why are you guys calling at three in the morning?" Alyn was obviously not awake at all.
"We had the same dream… Do you have a cut?" Chase asked full of energy.
"What?" Alyn asked slowly awaking.
"A cut. On your arm. In the last scene you got cut. Do you have a cut?" Chase asked slower this time.
"Yeah… Oh man.. does this mean it happened?" Alyn asked sighing.
"We think so." Jenny popped in. "I've got a cut on my nose, Chase has a bandaged arm… and she's wearing Spot's shirt." Alyn sighed.
"Gotta go guys. Mom's coming." Chase said quickly and hung up. Alyn was connected through Chase and was cut off. Jenny turned off her phone and laid down in bed with a sigh, it had really happened. They had gone back in time and met three great guys… and now they would never see them again.