Ok sooo I just re-checked how google translate says Jeannicas name is pronounced and its wrong -_-
PRONUNCIATION OF JEANNICAS NAME:
John-a-ka and when you just see Jean its just john
Just to see who reads these put Space Newsies at the bottom of your review :D
Thank you to my reviewers! Much love This ones dedicated to you :D
After much pleading from Doc who really wanted to sell with me, Jack had to intervene and tell him that he was to young to teach me how to sell. I have never seen a kid so heart broken. So as a deal I promised that I would sit with him at dinner, and Race promised to keep me safe, and away from the Delancy brothers. Which left me utterly confused.
"All right so here the name of the game, 'Improve the truth'" I looked up from my 'papes' and locked eyes with Race.
"Ok" I nodded.
"Like this" He sat down next to me. We were in central park amongst all the hustle and bustle of the city. "House fire, all out safe' No it's not gunna do" He shook his head disapprovingly at the paper.
"Factory on fire 20 dead!" Race held his paper up and hawked the head line. I was a quick learner, but a horrible seller. By the time Racetrack was done with his 50 papes I had only sold 15 of my 20.
"Racetrack I'm beginning to think I'm not a good Newsie" I whined collapsing on a bench. I felt horrible, not only because of the gruesome heat, but because I was failing and failing miserably.
"Now don't say that! You're a fine Newsie, your first days the hardest"
"Oh Yeah! How was Raven on her first day huh?" Racetrack pondered for a moment and then shook his head defeated. "Told ya" I stuck out my tongue at him.
"Hey now!" Racetrack threw up his hands in defense. "I didn't say she was good"
"Whatever Race, I quit!"
"Aww Jean"
"Nope I quit!" I stood up and started walking towards Sheep's head.
"Jean stop! Do you even know where you're going?" Race was chasing after me holding my abandoned papers in his hand. I stopped letting him catch up.
"Yes, Sheepshead. I grew up in New York, Race"
"And you like Sheepshead?"
"I love it, my dad used to take me there when I was little"
Race threw his hand over his heart "A girl after my own heart!" he sighed dramatically.
"Oh can it" I bumped him with my shoulder playfully. By the time we were reached Sheepshead Race had sold all of my papers. The pair of us stood in front of the rich entrance staring with awe.
"They are not going to let us in there" Race whispered. I looked at the pair of us, black from the ink, sweaty from the unbearable sun, and hungry.
"We have to come back"
"Jean, they still won't let us in. Were street rats"
"Race they have to! It's the only place I can go and be close to my father"
"Jean, I'm sorry"
"It's not your fault" I shook my head and turned away.
"We can go in the regular way"
"No, let's just go eat" I turned away. I didn't want to be a handful for Race, but it was true I had no pictures no letters nothing from my father my mother burned them all, and this. SH (sheepshead) was the only place he was here.; In pictures with the horses, with me.
"What's your full name Jean?"
"Jeannica Annalise Hays. Yours?"
"Anthony Damien Higgans"
"Damien, I always wanted a kid with that name" I smiled.
"So Jean Annalise are you going to stay a newise?"
"No"
Racetrack stopped dead in his track. "What"
"I said NO"
"You cant' give up after one day"
"Can to!"
"Quitter!"
"WHAT!"
"Quitter! You're a quitter"
"I am not!"
"You are to! Just give it a chance please, for me" Racetrack had stepped up to me and grabbed my arms, our faces inches apart. I glanced at his lips blushing before pulling my self from his grasp.
"For Doc"
"Fine for Doc"
"You need a nick name" Race said when we reached the door to Tibby's. Every one had already arrived but the pair of us. It would be totally awkward for the two of us to walk in so late but we had to.
"Frenchy!" Doc tackled me sending me stumbling backwards into Race who grabbed me around the waist to prevent my sudden date with the floor.
"Woah! Doc careful there or I'm going to have to protect Jean from you not the Delancy's" Race chuckled.
"Frenchy?" I asked confused.
"Yeah! Its your new nick name I came up with. Ya' know, since you're from France"
"Frenchy?" I squatted so I was eyelevel with Doc. "Hmmmmmm"
"Do you like it?" All of the boys were watching now.
"I love it Doc!" I giggled kissing him on the cheek.
"Woo hoo!" He pumped his fist and jumped up happily. "I told you Mush!"
I giggled at his joy. I wish I was still like that giddy and happy, not a care in the world. But Brothels…they're hard places to be, especially for a girl, especially for a girl with a famously slutty mother. Not a day went by when I wasn't harassed or groped. And Edgar didn't do a thing about it just smiled, almost jealously at the man who did it.
"Let's go sit" Racetrack spoke, pulling me out of my trance. The two of us joined Doc, Mush, Blink, and Jack at a booth.
"So Frenchy, how was you're first day?" Jack took a sip of his cola.
"It was horrible"
"It wasn't that bad" Racetrack defended.
"Race I didn't even sell all 20 papers"
"So what, who cares if you're not the best…" Mush beamed.
"Mush," I shook my head "Isn't the point to be good?"
"I guess"
Then silence. I looked around the room at the newsies. If I was back in France I defiantly would not have talked to such a rag tag group of people. I would have stuck to my self, working and reading and thinking about horses.
"Daddy, what horse are you betting on this time?" I may have been 14 but I still called my father Daddy. My dad smiled at me bending down to whisper in my ear.
"You see that one; The brown one with the spots?"
"Yes" I whispered back.
"His name is Gunner, he never fails me."
"Really?" I jumped at the sound of the starting gun.
"Yes, and do you know what his riders name is?"
"No"
"Annalise"
"But Daddy girls are not aloud to jockey"
"They don't know she's a girl. I named you after her, because she's strong, beautiful, and successful. Just like you are"
"Oh Daddy Can I meet her?"
"Of course alainn" I smiled at my fathers Irish. He called me beautiful.
"Gunner Winnnnsss" The announcer yelled over the microphone.
"Told ya'" My father smirked. I made sure my hat was tied to my head properly before taking my fathers hand and following him to the collection booth.
I never met her.
"Frenchy!"
"What!"
"Your food is here" I blinked looking down at the plate in front of me, Corn and Meatloaf.
"oh" I didn't realize how hungry I was and had cleaned my plate off in about three minutes. I watched as Raven suddenly stood and left. No one paid any mind. "Where is she going?"
"Who? Raven?" Race asked.
"Yeah"
"No one knows, she doesn't talk about it…" Jack interjected.
"Has anyone ever tried to follow her?"
"No, what's her business is her business"
"oh"
"We should head back now boys Spots supposed to come over for poker tonight" Jack rose suddenly.
"Spot?" I asked turning to Race.
"The King of Brooklyn! Doc yelled.
"He's uhh… quite the charmer" Race rolled his eyes. I just shrugged placed money on the table. The walk back to the lodging house was insane the boys were running around like mad men. Hooting and hollering. Once we were settled in the lodging house with three games of poker ready, and a few bottles of beer set out we waited.
"So are you excited to meet Spot?" Doc sat next to me on the couch.
"I guess? Why are you so excited?"
"Because Tubs comes with spot!"
"And who Is Tubs? Is it your girlfriend?"
"NOOOO!" Doc blushed "Tubs is a boy and he's my best friend"
"Oh well he certainly has to be cool, if he's friends with Doc"
"He is! We sword fight! Maybe you can sword fight with us"
"With real swords!"
"No Frenchy! With wooden ones" Doc shook his head at me oblivious to my childlike banter. The door suddenly flew open. If it had been pushed any harder it would have flown off its hinges. In strode who I could only assume was the king of Brooklyn. Behind him was about 13 Newsies including one boy that ran over to Doc and they immediately started talking.
"Jacky boy!" he called spit shaking with Jack. I winced. Gross.
"Conlons how's Brooklyn"
"Fine Jacky boy fine" Spot made his way around the room, shaking hands or nodding before stumbling upon me. Those eyes I knew those grey eyes anywhere. Nicholas. "Well well well…it seems you've stumbled upon a good old friend of mine"
I jumped up and threw my arms around him in a hug. I saw some of the newsies expressions, like I wasn't supposed to hug him.
"Ta tu alainn sin. Cad a tharla duit, shil me go raibh tu sa Fhranic" You're so beautiful, what happened to you? I thought you were in France" Nicholas or Spot spoke to me in Irish, he always did.
"I left"
"Why?"
"My mother" I spat. He shook his head knowingly.
"Wait the two of you know each other?" Race cut in, standing next to me sizing up Spot.
"I grew up with Nic-Spot" I corrected.
"Really….huh" Race huffed.
"Got a problem with that Higgins?" Spot threatened.
"Nick" I shook my head placing my hand on his chest trying to stop him. Spot glared at my hand and looked up at me.
"Curse you" He spat before turning away. Only I knew he was joking.
"Do you want to play some poker?"
"Don't know how"
Raccetrack gasped dramatically clutching his heart and falling to the floor. "I'm a teaching you, now"
He jumped up grabbed my hand lacing our fingers and towed me to a table with Mush, Spot, Blink, and Jack. Racetrack sat directly next to me dropping my hand. He picked up some cards and handed them to me. "Well play as a team the first round ok?"
"Sure" Race leaned over and looked at our cards.
"Ok we have an Ace a queen and a King…that's good" He whispered in my ear. I shivered.
"So what do I do?"
"Take these two and.." Then it was all a blur…We won, because of Racetrack but I had no understanding of the game.
"Race.."
"Hmm"
"I still don't get it" I coughed.
"Really"
"Yes" Cough.
"Are you sure"
Cough "I'm sure" I was gasping and wheezing the second Race knew what was going on he grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the smoky table. The room was spinning as he dragged me outside.
"Frenchy its ok, its ok"
Spot burst outside.
"She still has asthma attacks?"
"Yeah.."
Then I was in between spots legs my back against his chest his hand on my torso.
"Alainn breathe with me" beautiful. "Count, count to 10 in your head"
"Her lips are blue" Race looked down at me, horrified.
"Breathe with me" I did, I tried as had as I could. Finally my breathing was normal. I moved from Spots arms and curled up into a ball on the steps.
"When was the last time it was that bad?" Spot asked concerned.
Racetrack sat down next to me and held me in his arms.
"Three months ago"
"How did you recover?"
"By my self, counting"
"My god" Spot was pissed, I could tell…as he stood up and slammed back into the lodging house.
"Race can we stay out here?"
"Sure" I snuggled closer to him before falling asleep on his shoulder.
Review 3 Possible contest comming up soon:D
