Chapter 3
"Now, the first thing I wanna know is, if you'se is really Sarah's best friend, why's is it dat I's never seen you before now?" Jack asked.
"I grew up with the Jacob's. I lived next door and--" Ashley was cut off by Spot.
"Ya, ya, ya, Girly, we figured dat." Spot, always one for getting to the point, was looking rather impatient.
Ashley let herself look at Spot for a minute. That face, that ATTITUDE, hmmm…
"HEY!" she exclaimed. "You're Spot Conlon, huh?"
"Well, no kidding, there little goil!" he said. "What took you so long?"
"I've never seen you before, but Sarah talks about you a lot," Ashley said in retort.
"Oh, she does, does she? And that's another thing, who else does she talk about? And why do I never hear of you?" Jack asked, his face full of hope and confusion.
"Don't worry, she talks about her boyfriend, all of the time, a Jack someone, Jack…"
"Kelly?" Skittery offered. It was the first time he had spoken since he had been embarrassed.
"That's it!" Ashley exclaimed. "Wow! Yeah, he's a Newsie, too!"
"Is that so?" asked David, a twinkle in his eye. Everyone started laughing, except for Ashley.
"What? What'd I miss here?" she asked, her face clouding with confusion.
"Well, my new little sis, Jack Kelly is yours truly!" Jack said.
"Oh, my gosh! That was really mean of you boys not to tell me this earlier!" Ashley was feeling rather foolish for not making the connection sooner.
"Don't worry about it, it's all in good fun." David could hardly contain his laughter though he was trying desperately to keep it in.
"If this is what having brothers is all about, then I don't know how many I want!" Ashley said, her eyes flashing.
"Aaaww, c'mon, it's not that bad!" Skittery said, placing his arm around her shoulders.
Ashley turned a crimson color as the others, not able to hold it back any longer, exploded with laughter.
A couple of hours later, after Ashley had woken up from a well-deserved nap, she noticed that the boys had come back in.
"How'd ya sleep?" asked Jack.
"Fine, thanks! Actually, it's the best sleep I've had for a while," Ashley admitted, though she wasn't about to admit who was in her dreams.
"You know what? You never finished explaining how you and my sister are best friends." David said.
"Oh, ya! Well, I lived next door to the Jacob's with my family," she started again.
"Yeah, we's already hoid that," interrupted Spot again.
She shot him an annoyed glance and received a raised eyebrow in return from the Brooklyn leader. She decided to ignore it and continued.
"Well, a year ago, my family had to move to a different neighborhood, and my mama had to start working. That meant I had to stay around the house and I never had any time of my own. Then when mama got sick, I just couldn't stand it any longer, and came--"
Once again, she was interrupted, but not by Spot. Instead, it was the crash of the door being thrown open against the wall. A swarm of boys came rushing in, not looking too happy, either.
"What in the name of anything holy is going on here?!" Race demanded.
"Yeah, all of a sudden, Mr. New Boy takes off, and three of the best of us follow after him!" Kid Blink raved. "What's the deal, Jack?"
"Yeah, yeah, what he said!" Crutchy said.
"Fellas, let me introduce you to Miss Ashley Jenkins, otherwise known as 'Mr. New Boy'," Jack said.
"OOOOHHHHH," the boys said, looking rather shamefaced.
"Ashley, des three loudmouths is Racetrack, Kid Blink, and Crutchy. Don't pay no attention to dem, dey's is just jealous dat dey didn't have the foist opportunity to meet ya," said Jack calmly, as if nothing had happened.
"So, uh, Jack? Is dis you'se new girl or something?" asked Race.
"I don't think so! As a matter of opinion, I think he's rather nice looking, but guys are the FURTHEST thing from my mind right now, especially ones that try to be charming!" Ashley quickly interjected.
"So, what's going on den?" Mush wanted to know.
"I'll tell you the story later. I think that Spot here wanted something or another to talk to us about, otherwise he wouldn't have been walking around Manhattan looking for us," Jack said.
All the boys got the clue and filed out of the room leaving Ashley and David alone.
"Are you tired still? You look a little sleepy," he asked, concern in his voice.
"Yeah, I am a bit." Ashley yawned widely as she struggled to stay awake.
"Well, I'm going to leave you here. Don't worry, no one will hurt you. But as soon as you wake up, you're getting washed up and we're taking to back to my place," David said sternly.
Ashley was in no mood to argue. "Ok, bye…" she trailed off to sleep.
"Now, the first thing I wanna know is, if you'se is really Sarah's best friend, why's is it dat I's never seen you before now?" Jack asked.
"I grew up with the Jacob's. I lived next door and--" Ashley was cut off by Spot.
"Ya, ya, ya, Girly, we figured dat." Spot, always one for getting to the point, was looking rather impatient.
Ashley let herself look at Spot for a minute. That face, that ATTITUDE, hmmm…
"HEY!" she exclaimed. "You're Spot Conlon, huh?"
"Well, no kidding, there little goil!" he said. "What took you so long?"
"I've never seen you before, but Sarah talks about you a lot," Ashley said in retort.
"Oh, she does, does she? And that's another thing, who else does she talk about? And why do I never hear of you?" Jack asked, his face full of hope and confusion.
"Don't worry, she talks about her boyfriend, all of the time, a Jack someone, Jack…"
"Kelly?" Skittery offered. It was the first time he had spoken since he had been embarrassed.
"That's it!" Ashley exclaimed. "Wow! Yeah, he's a Newsie, too!"
"Is that so?" asked David, a twinkle in his eye. Everyone started laughing, except for Ashley.
"What? What'd I miss here?" she asked, her face clouding with confusion.
"Well, my new little sis, Jack Kelly is yours truly!" Jack said.
"Oh, my gosh! That was really mean of you boys not to tell me this earlier!" Ashley was feeling rather foolish for not making the connection sooner.
"Don't worry about it, it's all in good fun." David could hardly contain his laughter though he was trying desperately to keep it in.
"If this is what having brothers is all about, then I don't know how many I want!" Ashley said, her eyes flashing.
"Aaaww, c'mon, it's not that bad!" Skittery said, placing his arm around her shoulders.
Ashley turned a crimson color as the others, not able to hold it back any longer, exploded with laughter.
A couple of hours later, after Ashley had woken up from a well-deserved nap, she noticed that the boys had come back in.
"How'd ya sleep?" asked Jack.
"Fine, thanks! Actually, it's the best sleep I've had for a while," Ashley admitted, though she wasn't about to admit who was in her dreams.
"You know what? You never finished explaining how you and my sister are best friends." David said.
"Oh, ya! Well, I lived next door to the Jacob's with my family," she started again.
"Yeah, we's already hoid that," interrupted Spot again.
She shot him an annoyed glance and received a raised eyebrow in return from the Brooklyn leader. She decided to ignore it and continued.
"Well, a year ago, my family had to move to a different neighborhood, and my mama had to start working. That meant I had to stay around the house and I never had any time of my own. Then when mama got sick, I just couldn't stand it any longer, and came--"
Once again, she was interrupted, but not by Spot. Instead, it was the crash of the door being thrown open against the wall. A swarm of boys came rushing in, not looking too happy, either.
"What in the name of anything holy is going on here?!" Race demanded.
"Yeah, all of a sudden, Mr. New Boy takes off, and three of the best of us follow after him!" Kid Blink raved. "What's the deal, Jack?"
"Yeah, yeah, what he said!" Crutchy said.
"Fellas, let me introduce you to Miss Ashley Jenkins, otherwise known as 'Mr. New Boy'," Jack said.
"OOOOHHHHH," the boys said, looking rather shamefaced.
"Ashley, des three loudmouths is Racetrack, Kid Blink, and Crutchy. Don't pay no attention to dem, dey's is just jealous dat dey didn't have the foist opportunity to meet ya," said Jack calmly, as if nothing had happened.
"So, uh, Jack? Is dis you'se new girl or something?" asked Race.
"I don't think so! As a matter of opinion, I think he's rather nice looking, but guys are the FURTHEST thing from my mind right now, especially ones that try to be charming!" Ashley quickly interjected.
"So, what's going on den?" Mush wanted to know.
"I'll tell you the story later. I think that Spot here wanted something or another to talk to us about, otherwise he wouldn't have been walking around Manhattan looking for us," Jack said.
All the boys got the clue and filed out of the room leaving Ashley and David alone.
"Are you tired still? You look a little sleepy," he asked, concern in his voice.
"Yeah, I am a bit." Ashley yawned widely as she struggled to stay awake.
"Well, I'm going to leave you here. Don't worry, no one will hurt you. But as soon as you wake up, you're getting washed up and we're taking to back to my place," David said sternly.
Ashley was in no mood to argue. "Ok, bye…" she trailed off to sleep.