*Thanx to everyone who reviewed! They mean so much. (*
Disclaimer : I do not own any newsies. That is why I obsess about them.
Blink sniffled pathetically. Angie rolled her bottle-green eyes behind his shoulder. It was almost 100% girl trouble. Newsies had to be tough, never showing their weaknesses. But Blink could never seem to keep the tears in when he lost another "great love".
"She was da one, Angie, really....I thought she was it. How could she leave me like dat?" the sniffles became louder and Angie felt Blink start to shake against her shoulder. Great, she groaned inside her head. The guys would never let him live it down if they saw him like this. There was only one thing left to do.
Pushing away from Blink to face him, Angie removed her hands from around his shoulder and smacked Blink across his red face, leaving a red mark in it's wake.
Blink stared at Angie in total surprise, too stunned to speak. Then, he blinked twice and regained his senses. His eye narrowed and then winded again.
"Thanks, Angie, I need dat." Blink said with a sheepish smile.
"No problem." Angie returned the favor, showing off her slightly crooked teeth. But inside she sighed. Let's see, this was the what, fourth girl in the last three months? And each one was "the one". Blink always got the girl with his messy blond hair and blue eye, but always ended up driving them away with his over protectiveness.
"Blink....maybe you should stay away from the ladies for awhile, hmmm? Give your heart a chance to recover." Angie said, standing up and looking around the shabby room. "I have to go find Race right now. Go play cards or something, get your mind off your troubles." She patted the desolate boy next to her one last time before turning away.
Now, it was time to have a little fun. Her mothering tendencies satiated for a bit, she went looking for Race. As she thought about what she had to tell him, a wicked grin slid onto her face, lighting up her eyes. Rubbing her hands together, she ascended the steps to the bunkroom and called out.
"Race! Hey, Racetrack Higgins! Are you in there?" Angie stuck her shaggy head into the room to make sure everyone was decent before going in. She had made this a practice soon after she came to the lodging house, after she walked innocently into the dorm one day and spied Jack and a few other newsies standing around, as naked as the days they were born. She wasn't nearly as embarrassed as the boys were.
"Yeah, I'se here, Angie." She followed the voice to the corner of the bunkroom, where Race was sitting on a wooden box, peacefully smoking his ever-present cigar.
Angie grinned when she saw her best friends cute Italian face. Race and her had clicked right away, and he was more like a brother to her than her own, 13 years her senior, had ever been. They did everything together, usually selling together as well. But today Race hadn't worked, claiming a stomachache.
"You little liar! You are perfectly fine." Angie said to Race, sitting down next to him and removing the cigar from his mouth. Puffing for a few minutes, she continued. "Why didn't you sell today, Race? You seem perfectly well to me."
Race didn't answer her, so Angie gave his cigar back. He could be such a baby sometimes, Angie thought. But I still love him, anyway.
"So, what happened?" Angie pressed. "If you don't tell me, I wont tell you the extremely juicy little tidbit I heard today from.....Mister Ronald Block."
"The Mista Ronald Block?" Race exclaimed. "The master of the horserace himself?"
"The very one." Angie replied with a smirk. "So, are you going to tell me what happened? Or will I just have to assume that the Delancy's scared you off for good?"
"Ah, stop it." Race laughed. "It ain't that big of a deal. Ya see, yestaday, when we went to eat lunch and you went to talk ta Spot? Well, this little bugga and me gots inta this augument, and he says ta me..." Race chuckled, trailing off. "This little bugga, he says ta dat he bet's I'se cant go a day widout sellin or gambling."
"So, you took the bet, right?"
"You bets I did. And when I find that little squirt tomorrow, he's gonna pay me a dollah."
"A dollar? Race, you can't take a dollar from a newsie, especially a young one. That's an entire month's savings!"
"Yeah, well, wait till ya heah my side. It I'se be the one ta lose, I'se woudda had to pay a dolloah and two bits."
"I'll never understand you." Angie said, giving up. "A gamblers logic is the hardest to debate." She sighed and leaned against her best friend, taking in the comforting smell of him, the leather and horse manure from his day at the track, the spicy tobacco from his cigar and the signature sent that was Race's own. Race, in turn, ruffled Angie's hair and asked, "So, what's been happenin wit you? How was selling taday without me?"
"The best! In fact, I think you should be sick tomorrow too." Angie joked. But Race could see her eyes getting darker, the way they always did when she was hurt.
"Da pity sells?" He said softly, as the other newsies trickled in from a long day of selling. Angie hated when other people felt bad for her, newsies included. Only Race was allowed to know how she really felt. So he whispered, so only Angie could hear his word of comfort.
"Oh, Angie...." He murmured, pulling the tense girl next to him closer. "Ya know they'se don't do it on piopose. Don't worry about it. They don't know ya. They'se just strangas. Ignore them and take deah money."
Angie looked up into his twinkling black eyes. How did Race always know what to say to make her feel better? She was so lucky to have a friend like him.
"I know, Race, I know. But it's all I can do to keep from soaking them when they look at me and say, look at that poor girl, so plain, with that horrendous scar across her face." Angie imitated her mother's annoying Southern drawl to perfection.
Race laughed and looked up from Angie's face as Jack came over to the pair. Nudging Angie to pay attention, both stood up to face their handsome, blond haired leader as he swaggered over.
"Well, Jack, looks like you're in a good mood today." Angie said, giving Jack a small kiss on the cheek in welcome.
"Yeah, I'se in the best mood, let me tell ya!" Jack was so enthusiastic, that when he talked one of his wide-flung arms hit Race in the face and sent him tumbling onto a bed. Race groaned, massaging his nose.
"Heya, Jack, watch were ya send you'se arms!" Race said with disgust. Punching Jack lightly in the stomach in retaliation, he wandered off to join Mush and some others in a recently started game of poker.
Jack looked around quickly and pulled Angie into a corner. This was not good, she thought. Jack better not be having another one of his harebrained ideas. Last time Jack had dragged Angie into one of his "masta plans" she was almost caught by the bulls and put into the House of Refuge.
"What is it this time, Jacky-boy?" Angie asked, using Spot's name for him. Whenever she did that, it was almost like a secret signal for Jack to watch out and make sure whatever the hell he was saying was good and smart.
Jack and Angie had become good friends after Angie joined the newsies gang. Though not as close to Angie as Race, Jack still came to Angie whenever he needed a person to talk to that understood the real him, the Jack the rest of world never saw. Not that the real Jack was any less charismatic as the show one, but inside, Jack was just as venerable as anyone else.
Angie waited for Jack to speak. After one last look to make sure no one was within ear shot, he began to speak so fast and soft it was difficult for Angie to hear him.
"Listen, Angie..I'se just hooked up with that new giol, ya know the one that always hangs around the LH? Well, anyways, she wanted ta know it I had a sista, because her brodda wants to come ta tha party wit us tommora night at Spot's and he don't have a giol to go wit. So I'se said dat I got a sista, and she would be more den happy ta go."
Jack looked down at his scuffed shoes and, blushing, into Angie's face. "Say you'se gonna go, Angie. Jest pretend tonight. I really think dat she's gonna stay round." Swallowing his pride, he even added a little, "Please?"
Angie groaned in frustration. What was it with the boy's love lives tonight?
Jack was famous for picking the girls that didn't want him. They were pretty and hung around just long enough to be noticed on the arm of Jack Kelly, the devilishly handsome leader of the Manhattan Newsies. Then they dumped him, breaking his heart, and moved onto the next conquest. Which was usually Spot. They made the rounds.
The funny thing was, there were tons of girls that really liked Jack. But Jack, being the charming, brilliant and sometimes clueless guy that he was, had some skewed radar that made him just pass over the nice girls and go for the bitches.
Angie shook her head at the tall boy in front of her. "No way, Jack. I am not pretending to be some crazy sister of yours. You really want the girl? Tell her the truth. She'll appreciate it."
Angie tried to push past him, but Jack grabbed her arms and begged. "Please, Angie? Please please please? I'll do anything." He gripped her arms harder and leaned in his face close to her. "Ya gotta do dis foah me, Angie. Me boys are gonna heah me beggin an get tha wrong ideas. I'll ask you one last time...please?"
Angie knew how hard it was for Jack to bend over like this. Wrenching her arms away from his iron grip, she scratched her scar, a habit of hers when she was thinking, and contemplated the adorable puppy eyes Jack was giving her.
Alright, what harm would it do? Angie decided to give it a go.
"Alright, big guy, I'll do it, just for you. But you owe me one.....a big one." Angie finally said. She mentally banged her head against the wall as soon as she said it. Why did she always give in to those eyes? She could swear they were magic or something.
Jack's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Angie! Ya wont regret dis!" He gave her a huge bear hug, enfolding her generous body before dashing off to meet his new "giol".
"By da way, we'se gonna be leavin at seven tommoa night!" Jack called over his shoulder.
Angie walked over to bed, he step slow. She was not looking forward to meeting another strange boy the next night. These little brothers were always either pimple pitted and mean, only out for a free grope. Or else they were hot and knew it, never giving Angie a second glance. Angie didn't know what was worse.
Sighing, she sat tiredly on the bed. It had been such a long day, and all she wanted to do was sleep. She had perfected the art of sleeping through a tornado, an essential virtue to have when living with boys who stayed up till three in the morning. Stretching out on top of the covers, she put her hands behind her head on the rock hard-pillow and let her mind drift.
The selling, the tip...shoot, she still didn't finish telling Race.... Blink....Jack....bother....
Before she realized what had happened, Angie was sound asleep.
Blink sniffled pathetically. Angie rolled her bottle-green eyes behind his shoulder. It was almost 100% girl trouble. Newsies had to be tough, never showing their weaknesses. But Blink could never seem to keep the tears in when he lost another "great love".
"She was da one, Angie, really....I thought she was it. How could she leave me like dat?" the sniffles became louder and Angie felt Blink start to shake against her shoulder. Great, she groaned inside her head. The guys would never let him live it down if they saw him like this. There was only one thing left to do.
Pushing away from Blink to face him, Angie removed her hands from around his shoulder and smacked Blink across his red face, leaving a red mark in it's wake.
Blink stared at Angie in total surprise, too stunned to speak. Then, he blinked twice and regained his senses. His eye narrowed and then winded again.
"Thanks, Angie, I need dat." Blink said with a sheepish smile.
"No problem." Angie returned the favor, showing off her slightly crooked teeth. But inside she sighed. Let's see, this was the what, fourth girl in the last three months? And each one was "the one". Blink always got the girl with his messy blond hair and blue eye, but always ended up driving them away with his over protectiveness.
"Blink....maybe you should stay away from the ladies for awhile, hmmm? Give your heart a chance to recover." Angie said, standing up and looking around the shabby room. "I have to go find Race right now. Go play cards or something, get your mind off your troubles." She patted the desolate boy next to her one last time before turning away.
Now, it was time to have a little fun. Her mothering tendencies satiated for a bit, she went looking for Race. As she thought about what she had to tell him, a wicked grin slid onto her face, lighting up her eyes. Rubbing her hands together, she ascended the steps to the bunkroom and called out.
"Race! Hey, Racetrack Higgins! Are you in there?" Angie stuck her shaggy head into the room to make sure everyone was decent before going in. She had made this a practice soon after she came to the lodging house, after she walked innocently into the dorm one day and spied Jack and a few other newsies standing around, as naked as the days they were born. She wasn't nearly as embarrassed as the boys were.
"Yeah, I'se here, Angie." She followed the voice to the corner of the bunkroom, where Race was sitting on a wooden box, peacefully smoking his ever-present cigar.
Angie grinned when she saw her best friends cute Italian face. Race and her had clicked right away, and he was more like a brother to her than her own, 13 years her senior, had ever been. They did everything together, usually selling together as well. But today Race hadn't worked, claiming a stomachache.
"You little liar! You are perfectly fine." Angie said to Race, sitting down next to him and removing the cigar from his mouth. Puffing for a few minutes, she continued. "Why didn't you sell today, Race? You seem perfectly well to me."
Race didn't answer her, so Angie gave his cigar back. He could be such a baby sometimes, Angie thought. But I still love him, anyway.
"So, what happened?" Angie pressed. "If you don't tell me, I wont tell you the extremely juicy little tidbit I heard today from.....Mister Ronald Block."
"The Mista Ronald Block?" Race exclaimed. "The master of the horserace himself?"
"The very one." Angie replied with a smirk. "So, are you going to tell me what happened? Or will I just have to assume that the Delancy's scared you off for good?"
"Ah, stop it." Race laughed. "It ain't that big of a deal. Ya see, yestaday, when we went to eat lunch and you went to talk ta Spot? Well, this little bugga and me gots inta this augument, and he says ta me..." Race chuckled, trailing off. "This little bugga, he says ta dat he bet's I'se cant go a day widout sellin or gambling."
"So, you took the bet, right?"
"You bets I did. And when I find that little squirt tomorrow, he's gonna pay me a dollah."
"A dollar? Race, you can't take a dollar from a newsie, especially a young one. That's an entire month's savings!"
"Yeah, well, wait till ya heah my side. It I'se be the one ta lose, I'se woudda had to pay a dolloah and two bits."
"I'll never understand you." Angie said, giving up. "A gamblers logic is the hardest to debate." She sighed and leaned against her best friend, taking in the comforting smell of him, the leather and horse manure from his day at the track, the spicy tobacco from his cigar and the signature sent that was Race's own. Race, in turn, ruffled Angie's hair and asked, "So, what's been happenin wit you? How was selling taday without me?"
"The best! In fact, I think you should be sick tomorrow too." Angie joked. But Race could see her eyes getting darker, the way they always did when she was hurt.
"Da pity sells?" He said softly, as the other newsies trickled in from a long day of selling. Angie hated when other people felt bad for her, newsies included. Only Race was allowed to know how she really felt. So he whispered, so only Angie could hear his word of comfort.
"Oh, Angie...." He murmured, pulling the tense girl next to him closer. "Ya know they'se don't do it on piopose. Don't worry about it. They don't know ya. They'se just strangas. Ignore them and take deah money."
Angie looked up into his twinkling black eyes. How did Race always know what to say to make her feel better? She was so lucky to have a friend like him.
"I know, Race, I know. But it's all I can do to keep from soaking them when they look at me and say, look at that poor girl, so plain, with that horrendous scar across her face." Angie imitated her mother's annoying Southern drawl to perfection.
Race laughed and looked up from Angie's face as Jack came over to the pair. Nudging Angie to pay attention, both stood up to face their handsome, blond haired leader as he swaggered over.
"Well, Jack, looks like you're in a good mood today." Angie said, giving Jack a small kiss on the cheek in welcome.
"Yeah, I'se in the best mood, let me tell ya!" Jack was so enthusiastic, that when he talked one of his wide-flung arms hit Race in the face and sent him tumbling onto a bed. Race groaned, massaging his nose.
"Heya, Jack, watch were ya send you'se arms!" Race said with disgust. Punching Jack lightly in the stomach in retaliation, he wandered off to join Mush and some others in a recently started game of poker.
Jack looked around quickly and pulled Angie into a corner. This was not good, she thought. Jack better not be having another one of his harebrained ideas. Last time Jack had dragged Angie into one of his "masta plans" she was almost caught by the bulls and put into the House of Refuge.
"What is it this time, Jacky-boy?" Angie asked, using Spot's name for him. Whenever she did that, it was almost like a secret signal for Jack to watch out and make sure whatever the hell he was saying was good and smart.
Jack and Angie had become good friends after Angie joined the newsies gang. Though not as close to Angie as Race, Jack still came to Angie whenever he needed a person to talk to that understood the real him, the Jack the rest of world never saw. Not that the real Jack was any less charismatic as the show one, but inside, Jack was just as venerable as anyone else.
Angie waited for Jack to speak. After one last look to make sure no one was within ear shot, he began to speak so fast and soft it was difficult for Angie to hear him.
"Listen, Angie..I'se just hooked up with that new giol, ya know the one that always hangs around the LH? Well, anyways, she wanted ta know it I had a sista, because her brodda wants to come ta tha party wit us tommora night at Spot's and he don't have a giol to go wit. So I'se said dat I got a sista, and she would be more den happy ta go."
Jack looked down at his scuffed shoes and, blushing, into Angie's face. "Say you'se gonna go, Angie. Jest pretend tonight. I really think dat she's gonna stay round." Swallowing his pride, he even added a little, "Please?"
Angie groaned in frustration. What was it with the boy's love lives tonight?
Jack was famous for picking the girls that didn't want him. They were pretty and hung around just long enough to be noticed on the arm of Jack Kelly, the devilishly handsome leader of the Manhattan Newsies. Then they dumped him, breaking his heart, and moved onto the next conquest. Which was usually Spot. They made the rounds.
The funny thing was, there were tons of girls that really liked Jack. But Jack, being the charming, brilliant and sometimes clueless guy that he was, had some skewed radar that made him just pass over the nice girls and go for the bitches.
Angie shook her head at the tall boy in front of her. "No way, Jack. I am not pretending to be some crazy sister of yours. You really want the girl? Tell her the truth. She'll appreciate it."
Angie tried to push past him, but Jack grabbed her arms and begged. "Please, Angie? Please please please? I'll do anything." He gripped her arms harder and leaned in his face close to her. "Ya gotta do dis foah me, Angie. Me boys are gonna heah me beggin an get tha wrong ideas. I'll ask you one last time...please?"
Angie knew how hard it was for Jack to bend over like this. Wrenching her arms away from his iron grip, she scratched her scar, a habit of hers when she was thinking, and contemplated the adorable puppy eyes Jack was giving her.
Alright, what harm would it do? Angie decided to give it a go.
"Alright, big guy, I'll do it, just for you. But you owe me one.....a big one." Angie finally said. She mentally banged her head against the wall as soon as she said it. Why did she always give in to those eyes? She could swear they were magic or something.
Jack's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Angie! Ya wont regret dis!" He gave her a huge bear hug, enfolding her generous body before dashing off to meet his new "giol".
"By da way, we'se gonna be leavin at seven tommoa night!" Jack called over his shoulder.
Angie walked over to bed, he step slow. She was not looking forward to meeting another strange boy the next night. These little brothers were always either pimple pitted and mean, only out for a free grope. Or else they were hot and knew it, never giving Angie a second glance. Angie didn't know what was worse.
Sighing, she sat tiredly on the bed. It had been such a long day, and all she wanted to do was sleep. She had perfected the art of sleeping through a tornado, an essential virtue to have when living with boys who stayed up till three in the morning. Stretching out on top of the covers, she put her hands behind her head on the rock hard-pillow and let her mind drift.
The selling, the tip...shoot, she still didn't finish telling Race.... Blink....Jack....bother....
Before she realized what had happened, Angie was sound asleep.
