Essie woke up several hours later when she heard the sudden boom of many voices shouting and laughing. She realized it was the boys returning back after finishing work for the day. She woke up Andrew, not wanting to meet these boys alone, and they stood at the end of their bed, ready to greet the boys.
They came running inside the room, laughing and talking loudly. Most of them wore hats of some kind, either caps or bowler hats. They wore worn out clothing with holes in them and faded colors. All of their shoes, Essie noticed, were almost worn down to the sole. She saw some boy with his big toe poking out through a hole in the front. And they were all covered in dirt. They were all of various ages; some looked to be about fifteen or sixteen. There was one boy who looked to be almost eighteen. Some of the smaller kids might have been thirteen but Essie and Andrew began to assume they were the youngest in the room.
The talking slowed down as the boys realized there were strangers in the room. Eventually the group of about eight boys stopped in their tracks and stared at the siblings. Finally, someone said something.
"Hey, who are the hoity-toity kids?" a kid in the front shouted loudly. Some of the others laughed but one hit the back of the kid's head.
"It's those kids Kloppman told us bout just now," he said. This boy was black and the dirt he was covered in made him even blacker. He walked forward and extended a hand. He gave a friendly smile to Essie and Andrew as they each shook his hand.
"Hey, kids, I'm Boots," he introduced himself.
"How old are you?" Andrew asked, holding tightly onto his crutch out of nerves. Boots laughed.
"Aw, calm down kid," he said. "I'm not gonna hurtcha. I'm almost fourteen. Kloppman told me you's was both twelve. So ya twins, huh?" One of the boys, this one wearing an eye patch, stepped up.
"Really? I ain't never met a twin before," he said excitedly. "Nice to meetcha. Names Kid Blink."
"My name is And-" Essie elbowed him sharply and he stopped talking.
"Mista Kloppman told us that we should get new names on account of our pop," she explained. "He might be out lookin for us."
"You's two's runaways?" another kid said.
"Yeah, we ran away yestaday," Andrew said. "Our pop ain't a kind man."
"I gotcha," another boy said. "My pop used to be the same way before he got arrested."
"Don't you's two worry," Kid Blink said. "We'll find a nickname for ya in no time."
"Hey kid, how'd you get that gimp?" one of the younger boys blurted out. It was followed by Boots smacking him upside the head.
"Hey shut-up, Loudmouth," he said. "Dere's something called manners."
"What about 'em?" Loudmouth asked.
"You should get some!" Boots said, earning some laughs from the others.
"It's ok, I don't mind them askin," Andrew said. "Like we's said, our pop ain't a kind man. He drinks a lot and when I was little, he pushed me down some stairs. My leg's been bad eva since."
"Is that why ya need da crutch?" the smallest boy asked.
"Course that's why, Mouse," Loudmouth said. "Don't be stupid." For the next thirty minutes, as more boys began coming in, the children were asked more questions. Where were they from? Why did they leave? Why did Kloppman let Essie stay? Had they ever sold papes before?
"Alright, alright, calm down," a booming voice suddenly said. A tall boy entered the room. He looked to be the oldest of all the boys, he was bound to be eighteen. He was very tan, most likely from working outside in the sun all day, every day. He had a presence of authority. As soon as he walked in the room, the group, which had grown to an enormous size, parted waters to allow him to walk to the center. He held out a hand and shook each of the siblings' hands.
"Nice to meet cha," he said. "Name's Sneak. Now dinna's gonna be soived in a few minutes so we's all gonna clean up and then we'll continue this little chat afta we's all eat. That ok?" He turned around to the group. They all nodded, disappointed that Sneak had interrupted an exciting conversation, and dispersed. Sneak watched as some of the boys went to their beds and others to the bathroom. Then he turned back to the children and crouched down to their level.
"Now, what's a crutch like you and a doll like you doin in a place like this?" he asked them. They quickly summarized their story, having told it over and over in the past thirty minutes, and he nodded when they finished.
"Well I'm very sorry that happened to you's kids," he said. "But we's a family of our own here. We's gonna keep you safe from dat old man o' yours. Now, let's go get some dinna togetha, huh? You's two hungry?" They nodded.
"We haven't eaten since yestaday mornin," Andrew said. "O' course, Pop neva cared much to feed us regular meals so we's used to be hungry."
"That just makes me so angry," Sneak said, standing up straight. "That a fatha can let his two, very nice kids go hungry."
"What about your fatha?" Andrew asked.
"My pop died when I was eight," he said. "He got sick and me mudda couldn't afford no docta so he died. Then mudda wasn't makin much money. So's I came here. I go to visit her one and a while, to check up on my kid brudda and all. They's doin ok with my extra money but I'm almost eighteen and I won't be able to stay here no mores. Then me brudda's gonna have to come here. But I'm gonna teach him all I knows."
"Do you know a lot?" Andrew asked. Sneak nodded. He put a guiding hand on both siblings' shoulders and walked with them to the door. They walked slowly so Andrew could keep up.
"I'm gonna let you's two stick wit me for bit," he said. "When we goes out tomorrow mornin, yous two is gonna come wit me, and I'll show ya what to do. Shouldn't be too hard for two little kids to sell papes." Andrew and Essie sat with Sneak at dinner as more of the boys asked them questions. Sneak tried to get everyone to calm down and leave them alone but gave up after a few minutes.
After they cleaned up their plates, everyone went up to the bunkroom. A few boys climbed into their beds and went to sleep. Some of them sat in their beds to read or write. But a few boys formed circles and began playing games of cards, marbles, and dominos. Sneak joined the circle of kids playing marbles and gestured for Andrew and Essie to join them. Andrew sat on the outskirts of the circle so he could stretch out his leg but faced inwards. Essie went to sit next to Andrew but Sneak and Boots invited to sit in between them Andrew offered a smile of encouragement, and she joined them.
Essie felt very odd being surround by so many boys. The only boy she had ever been around was Andrew and maybe one or two of his friends. But Andrew had always been there by her side and now he wasn't. Instead she tried to focus on the game of marbles in front of her. She had seen some boys playing marbles when she was little and found it an interesting game. She dragged Andrew outside time and time again to watch the boys play the game. After a few days, the boys noticed them watching and asked if they wanted to play. Essie had eagerly accepted but let the boys know she didn't know how to play. Five games later it became apparent that she obviously did know what she was doing and was winning every game.
Now, sitting in this circle with people she had just met, Essie felt like she had to prove herself. She had to show these boys that she wasn't any girly girl. She could be tough like them. She could play with them and beat them. She watched as the boy called Shoots drew a large circle with a piece of charcoal. He dumped a bag of marbles onto the floor and quickly arranged them into a cross.
"Alright, who's playing this round?" he asked, smacking his hands together excitedly.
"I will," Essie said bravely. Some of the guys laughed, others clapped their hands. She blushed at their reactions.
"Aw, this ain't no goily game, dollface," Shoots said. "I don't want ya to lose and cry about it."
"I ain't not dollface," Essie replied indignantly. "I thinks you's just afraid of losin to a little girl."
"Oooooohhhhh!" called out many of the boys. Shoots smiled but handed her a marble. Essie ignored the laughs and calls and concentrated on hitting the marbles. She snapped the marble out of her hand and smiled as it collided with the other marbles. Several went flying out of the circle.
"Well, dollface, this game's a gonna get interestin here," Shoots said. Five minutes later, Shoots had not had a single turn and Essie had just beat him at his own game. The other boys laughed as Shoots accused her of cheating.
"Well, well, well," Sneaks said. "Did you know that Shoots had never been beat before? That's why he's called Shoots, cuz he's always shootin marbles."
"Not anymore," Essie said proudly. Everyone laughed.
"Well, Dollface, we's just got to keep an eye on ya now," Boots said, gathering up the marbles and starting another game.
"I told ya not to call me dollface," Essie said crossly. "I ain't no doll."
"It's ya name now," Sneaks said. "Ya betta git used to it!"
"Don't I has a say in my own name?" Essie asked.
"Nope!" everyone called out.
"Just ask, Wuss," Kid Blink said. "He screamed at spida once and has neva forgot about it!" The kid named Wuss jumped at Kid Blink and started play fighting with him. Everyone cheered them one when Kloppman came in the room.
"Hey, hey, hey!" he shouted, clapping his hands loudly. "What's this all about? Break it up, quit it!" He shouted, walking over to Wuss and Kid Blink rolling around on the floor. They laughed and Kid Blink stood up, giving a hand to Wuss, who took it and stood up.
"Alright, alright, lights out in five minutes," Kloppman shouted. There were many groans and protest but Kloppman put his hands up.
"Hey you're the ones who have to get up at six o'clock, not me," he said. "Besides, you've got two newsies to train."
"Don't worry, Kloppman," Sneak said. "I'm gonna watch Dollface and the crutch tomorrow."
"Dollface, huh?" he said, looking at Essie. She rolled her eyes and stalked off to her bed. Kloppman laughed. "Seems fitting. Get in bed, now, you've wasted enough time as it is! Cut out those lights!"
"Ya getting cranky in ya old age, gramps," Sneak laughed as he walked to cut out the light in the back of the room. Everyone was climbing into their beds, and Kloppman was saying good night to a few boys.
"You don't get this way without a little help, Sneak," Kloppman said. "Night boys, see you in the mornin!" There were calls of "good night" as Sneak cut out the light.
Essie lay in her bed above Andrew and stared at the ceiling as her eyes adjusted to the dark. Twenty-four hours ago she and Andrew were wandering the streets and sleeping in an alley. And now she had new friends and a safe place to stay. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep hoping things would begin to get better.