Well she was just seventeen, you know what I mean?
And the way she looked was way beyond compare.
So how could I dance with another when I saw her standing there?
Pushing her hair out of her face, Sadie bent over the wash basin rubbing her hands together briskly through the cold water, bracing herself for the shock of splashing the icy water on her face. She'd dug out her nicest dress for the day, and she'd run a comb through her hair for exactly one hundred strokes, and once the dirt of the street was scrubbed off, she might actually pass for presentable. There was no harm in looking nice before suggesting her idea to Race – her crazy idea. She knew that convincing him to help her was going to be difficult, next to impossible most likely, but she trusted her powers of persuasion to bring him around to her side.
She sucked in a deep gasp of air as she brought a handful of water up over her face, the cold stinging through her eyelids and making her shudder. Some of the other girls liked to wake up early to boil water for washing, but Sadie preferred those precious extra moments of sleep in exchange for a cold awakening. Scrubbing at her cheeks, she kept her movements brisk to speed the process and soon she was looking up at a clean face, slightly red from the rough scrubbing, but clean none the less. Drying off and tying back her hair, she gave herself one last look over before hurrying to grab her small coin purse, shoving it deep in the pocket of her skirt as she hurried out the door.
Her shoes click-clacked along the bumpy pavement of the bustling New York streets as she ran along them, dodging on coming pedestrians with ease thanks to her small frame. She mumbled "'scuse me, please" to those who got in her way too late, and despite the early morning jumble of workers and shoppers, she found herself slipping into Tibby's only a few moments late – not that that would stop Race from complaining. Anything beyond five minutes early was late in his world. The bell above the door rang merrily, announcing her arrival and she took her time regaining her breath from her jog before making her way over to the booth she saw Race had saved.
"Jesus. What da hell took so long…" Race started, only just barely looking at her through the smoke of his cigarette. He fell silent as she approached and gave a low whistle as he looked her over. "Ya clean up nice, kid."
"Yeah, yeah. Ya buyin' or are ya gonna be a cheap date again?" Sadie smirked at him and let him hold the door open for her, before heading inside.
"I ain't no cheap date." He spit back at her playfully, following after her, taking a seat at a booth across from her. "Ya look nice."
"Yeah?" she folded her hands on the table, and ordered herself a cup of coffee. "It's nothin' fancy." There was a moment of silence. "Ya sellin' with me today, still?"
"Of course I'se…"
Sadie could only assume he meant to agree with her, but he was cut off by the slamming of a set of large hands against their table. She winced slightly, following the hands up to set of lean arms, sleeves rolled up to the elbow, her eye continuing to narrow but determined shoulders. She didn't want to look up any further. She already knew who it was.
"Well, well, well. What have we here?"
"Get lost, Spot." She spat out. Her insides were already beginning to twist at the thought of him being so close to her. He made her plain nervous – and on top of that he just made her feel awful.
"Jeeze, Sadie. Ya don't need t'be a bitch about it. I was just makin' my way over to say g'mornin' to Race here. Don't get your bloomers all in a knot." He and Race exchanged a quick spit shake, and the next thing Sadie knew she was being shoved over against the wall to make room for Brooklyn. She tried to send Race a pleading look but he was already deep in conversation with the boy at her side. Fantastic.
It felt like hours before the bells started ringing to let the boys know the papers were hot off the presses and waiting for them at the distribution office. Sadie nearly got lost in the mass exodus from the restaurant and it was only Race's careful eye that kept her from falling underfoot of the anxious newsies.
"Ya gotta be more careful, girlie." He warned as they fell into step with one another on the sidewalk, his arm wrapping around her shoulder playfully. "Ya know they all can't see ya. You'se a shrimp."
Sadie's face wrinkled up in irritation.
"A shrimp, huh? And what does dat make you? Goliath?" Race looked vaguely offended but was cut off from speaking in his own defense by her hand. "I'se right and ya know it."
An irritated glance. Silence. Sadie laughed and fell into line behind Race as they all waited anxiously for the shudders to the service window to open. Finally, a smiling old face pulled back the wooden slats and gave the boys a wave.
"Sorry to keep you young fellas waiting. These old bones of mine don't move like they used to."
The strike had seen the end of Weasel and the Delancey's for good, and within a few days Mr. Menahem had come into replace the good for nothings. Sadie liked Mr. Menahem, and so did he boys. He was old but kind, and he always double counted your papes for you to make sure he wasn't cheating you. And whenever Sadie approached the window he always greeted her in the same way.
"Young lady, I have a new riddle for you today." He said, as he started counting out her papes.
"I'se ready for it this time, Menahem. You give it ta me."
"Though it be cold, I wear no clothes. The frost and snow I never fear; I value neither shoes nor hose and yet I wander far and near. My diet is forever good, I drink no cider, port, nor sack. What Providence doth send for food I never buy, nor sell, nor lack."
At this point he'd hand her her papers and fold his arms with an excited smile on his face as she fished out her coins.
"Ya know, Mr. Menahem. I don't think I know dat one." She slid the shiny silver coins under the bars.
"Well, dat's no surprise!" Came an exclamation from one of the boys. Sadie whirled around, eyes narrowed as she tried to single out just who it had been. A sea of snickers met her and she bit her lip as she felt shame fall in, her cheeks flushing.
"Hey, if you'se so smart why don't you go ahead an' answer it smart guy?" She spat out, turning back to the window and Mr. Menahem. "I'll think in it real hard." She shouldered her papes and hopped off the platform to Race's side, following him out onto the street.
"What's it say, Race?" She asked quietly, looking down at the paper in her hands blankly. She could pick out a few basic words here and there, like "red" and "ice" and "mayor", but that was about it.
"Well, let's see. We got some more on the Mayor's Ice Trust Scandal – no one cares 'bout that. An' we got … nothin'. Just make somethin' up, Sade."
She wrinkled her nose and stared blankly at the page for another moment before raising the paper up above her head.
"Extra, Extra! Read all about it! Murderer still at large! Where will he strike next?"
Race picked up her idea and together they managed to sell out their papes without much effort. Race was ecstatic.
"Come on, Sadie. We got the whole afternoon aheada us." He was already dragging her in the direction of the walk to the trolley that would lead them down to at least the outskirts of Manhattan, where they'd have a long walk across Brooklyn to the tracks – Sadie wasn't looking forward to it in the least. Undoubtedly, he'd be coming home with lighter pockets that night. As they settled down on two of the only seats open, Sadie folded her hands in her lap.
"Race, I'se got a favor to ask."
"Shoot." He wasn't listening to her, more intent on picking at his fingernails and tapping his foot anxiously against the floorboards. She rolled her eyes.
"C'mon Race. Seriously, listen t'me." She nudged his arm with her elbow sharply to get his attention. "I really need you ta do somethin' for me."
"What?" He was irritated and she almost changed her mind, but taking a deep breath she steeled her nerves and pressed on.
"I want ya to get me into see Medda…"
"Why would ya wanna see Medda? Ya never come with us to see her."
"I'se got my reasons, Higgins." A pause. "Will ya do it?" Race looked completely flabbergasted by her request. She knew if he knew why she was asking, he'd never say yes. But hopefully he'd think she was just curious to meet the woman so many of the newsies revered and leave it at that.
"Sure, why the hell not?"
Sadie breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Race, her hands again clasping tightly in her lap as she let her head rest back against the window, hoping to make up for the long night she'd had on the long journey to the other side of the city.
She spent most of what was rest of the day, once they'd finished the long walk to Sheepshead, curled up in a seat by the edge of the track, dozing in and out of consciousness as Race cursed and cheered his bad and good fortune. She didn't even realize the tracks were closing until Race shook her shoulder, waking her up fully, telling her it was time for them to cash in his winnings and start walking home. What should have taken several hours took almost twice that as she lollygagged behind, yawning and stretching. Race was tempted to throw her over his shoulder and carry her the rest of the way several times.
It was late when they got home, far past curfew and Sadie could only hope that Ms. Winthrop would be far past asleep when Race dropped her at her door – otherwise she'd be hard up for a place to spend the night. Staying at the boy's lodging house was simply out of the question, so she had her fingers crossed for good fortune.
Race was apologizing profusely for getting her home so late and she almost wanted to laugh at it. He was never apologetic – ever. She shook her head and nudged him with her shoulder.
"Hey. Cool it. I'll be fine. You just get ya'self home. I'll see ya tomorrow. Don't forget your promise. Once youse done sellin' we're headin' to see Medda." Race nodded at her words and messed her dark hair.
"Yeah, yeah. I won't forget. Meet me at Tibby's around lunch time and we'll head out. I should be done sellin' by then." She nodded and punched him lightly on the shoulder.
"See ya, hot shot." He smirked and shot her wave as he started to back away, his hands slipping into his deep pockets, jingling the change there.
"Yeah, see ya."
"A fish!" She exclaimed, just as Race was starting to head back home. His brow furrowed as he turned around, pushing his hat back up out of his eyes to look at her.
"What the hell are ya talkin' about?"
"'Though it be cold, I wear no clothes. The frost and snow I never fear; I value neither shoes nor hose and yet I wander far and near. My diet is forever good, I drink no cider, port, nor sack. What Providence doth send for food I never buy, nor sell, nor lack.' It's a fish!" She continued, obviously excited at her own revelation. Race only laughed.
"Ya crazy – ya know that right?" She smiled at him and shook her head before turning back to the Lodging House doors, opening them slowly.
"Night, Race."