Note: Hehe. What do ya'll think?

Play Ball

"AAAAHHHHHGHHHHHHHHHGHHH!" The scream tore through the air, coming from the empty lot behind the Newsboy's Lodging house. David was immediately alarmed, fearing one of the boys had gotten themselves into a terrible accident. The boy ran toward the sound, almost tripping over Bumlets and Skittery, who sat on the back stoop, calmly watching the display with interest.

"Wha-what's going on?" David asked.

Skitts' face took on a rather evil smile. "Here's how it went," he began.

XO

"Hey Jack, Blink, ya wanna play baseball with me an' the boys?" Mush queried excitedly. Jack straightened his cowboy hat cockily.

"Well, I'm not suah if you boys can keep up with me, but uh, suah, I'll play." He swaggered from the room, trying to look like a real cowboy (It really looked like badly disfigured bowed legs.)

"Uh, suah," Blink consented, making sure his leather eye patch was secure.

"Okay, Boots is playing foist base, I'm at second, and Jake is on third. Who wants to bat foist?" Mush asked, holding up a scratched and battered baseball bat that might have seen better days. A couple of kids shrugged, but no one volunteered when Jack started hopping around like a three year old.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!"

Mush pretended to think for a moment, before his good-natured smile shone out. "Well Jack, I'se guess you'se is goin' foist!"

Jack nodded, grinning wildly as he grabbed the bat and sauntered over to the board they had placed as a makeshift home plate. Swifty took the pitcher's spot, and pulled his arm back, tossing the ball. Jack swung grandly, his bat cutting through the air like uh.. a knife through butter! (?)

"Yeah!" he cheered, raising his fists in the air, before jogging slowly- it had to be a home run after all, he didn't need to overexert himself.

"Uh, Jack?" Swfity said, concerned greatly.

"Yeah?" Jack asked, not pleased with the interruption to his glory.

"Ya didn't hit the ball."

Jack looked back to home plate. The dusty, old ball sat there in the dirt, right next to the plate. The Manhattan leader scratched his head. "We'll give it another go," he finally proclaimed, taking up the bat again.

This continued until Jack FINALLY hit a dribbler in the dirt, and made it to first. (All the newsies wiped their foreheads, relieved.)

"Is it my turn to pitch?" Blink asked as Swifty passed him the ball. The other newsie confirmed it, and Kid Blink pulled his arm back, about to pitch it to Snipeshooter, who was at bat at last.

"Wait a minute," Jack interrupted. Kid Blink sighed. "Let me show you the right way, okay?" Jack asked, (it was more of a statement.) "Now, in ordah for you ta see how to properly pitch, you hafta be battin'."

Kid Blink took up the bat from poor Snipes who wondered if he would ever get the chance to hit.

"I'm ready Jack," Blink confirmed, gripping the bat like a true ball player.

Jack grinned. "Here we go!" he crowed, pulling his arm back, and hurling the ball as hard as he could toward the general direction of the batter's box.

XO

"AAAAHHHHHGHHHHHHHHHGHHH!" Kid Blink screeched, clutching his good eye where the ball had only just connected rather painfully. "Me eye! Me eye!"

David was a bit horrified by the story as he watched Blink stumble about blindly for a moment. Jack Kelly looked stricken. "Blink, I didn't mean to," he said, "Just a lucky.. miss."

Blink screamed again before rushing toward Jack. "I'll moidah ya! You bummah! You jus had to hit me good eye!"

Jack the um.. slightly humbled, took off towards the lodging house, hurtling the three boys on the steps in his fear of Blink.

"I'll soak ya!" Blink followed, so perhaps a bit of vision had returned.

But Skittery shook his head, pressing his lips together. "Poor Jack," he said after a moment, "It was nice knowin' him."