Note: So here's a pretty quick update. I think I like this story a whole lot. Ha ha. Anyway, more coming up. If I don't make the contest deadline, it's okay, cause I had fun doing this, and that's what matters! I sincerely hope you enjoy. Thank you!
Through Ups and Downs Chapter 4 - The Party
Mush carefully combed his hair. He was in his best tonight. Sure, it wasn't what the scabs wore, but it looked nice enough on him. A long sleeved, white cotton shirt, black pants, and a gray vest completed his outfit, along with his cabby hat.
"Whaddaya think Kid?" he asked Blink who had draped himself over the back of a chair, watching Mush's every move.
"Um, do I 'ave to answer dat?" Kid Blink asked, signature grin on his face. Mush ignored him. Racetrack was feeling in a very good mood tonight.
"Shut up, ya bummah," he said. Mush decided he must be speaking to Blink. Mush held in a laugh while Blink waved the Italian away. Race took a place in front of the mirror.
"Ya lookin' sharp foah ya lady friend?" Racetrack asked, nodding approvingly at Mush's appearance. Mush just gave a little smile.
"Lord, please help Adah not to keep secrets from me," he prayed silently.
"Come on boy's!" Jack Kelly yelled from the room below. "I don't wanna keep my goil waitin'!" The newsies all began to stampede down the stairs. Except Mush. He looked in the mirror once more, then started off in the opposite direction of the others. He was picking up Adah. When he reached her apartment, Mush knocked, straightened himself, and smiled. The door opened, and Adah stood there, looking beautiful. He had never seen her like this. Gone were the work dress, handkerchief, and basket. She wore a light purple, ankle length dress with sleeves that came to her elbow. A deep purple sash was tied around her waist. Her eyes were bright, and her long, raven locks hung about her shoulders.
"Come in," she invited. "I'll just be a moment."Adah offered him a chair, then turned to a small mirror propped up on the table. She quickly tied her hair up with a purple ribbon so that it flowed down from her head. It was stunning. Adah was not the most beautiful girl in the world, though others considered her pretty. But to Mush she WAS the most beautiful girl in the world. And that's called love. Some might not understand this love as he'd only known her a few days. But that didn't matter. For some reason he felt he'd known her much longer.
"Alright. I'm ready," Adah said, fixing one of her boot laces. The duo left the room, and Mush found Adah, as always, to be a great companion. The hand gestures, motions, and movement she made enlivened the conversation as they walked along.
"Here we are," Mush said, going with the stream of other newsies entering the theater.
"There's an awful lot of people here," Adah observed as Mush led her to a table seat, then took the space beside her. "I didn't know there were so many newsies in Manhattan," she continued, watching as more people filed through the doors, filling the balcony's.
"Na, dese people aren't all from 'hattan. Dey come from all over New York." Adah raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"So, what boroughs?" Mush thoughtfully bit his lip. Adah was digging for something. He was quite sure of it.
"Well, dere's da Bronx, Queen, Midtown,...Brooklyn."
"Brooklyn?" Adah asked, her eyes going wide. Ah ha!
"Yep, Brooklyn. With Spot Conlon leadin' 'em in."
"Sp- Spot Conlon?" she asked, glancing at the door as if she expected Spot to swagger through at any moment. Adah looked at the clock on the wall. "Well, would you look at the time," she said in a high, strained voice. "I guess I'd better be going" Mush began regretting telling her about Brooklyn and Spot being here. The boy laid a hand on her elbow. "Don't go. Please." Adah looked at him. "It doesn't matter that Spot's here." Mush almost thought Adah said something in response like, "Yes it does" But the girl didn't leave. And that was good. She was still a bit jumpy, looking to and fro with an expression of apprehension on her face.
"Welcome Newsies!" Medda Larkson said in her sing song voice. The newsies responded with wild cheers, while Adah watched with interest. With every moment that passed she was becoming more and more comfortable.
The Swedish Nightingale sang a few songs, with the boys joining right in. When she finished a few tables were sat out at the side of the stage. One held a punch bowl with an abundance of glasses, and the other two had platters of food.
"All of you are invited to these refreshments! This is a party is it not? If we run out, and more cups are required, just see one of my assistants," Medda said, pointing to a man dressed like a clown who was giving out candy. Then she came off the stage to greet the newsies. Laughter and loud talk erupted in Irving Hall, and boys shuffled to the stage for refreshments.
"Want somethin'?" Mush asked his companion. She shrugged, so he stood. "I'll get somethin'." Suddenly, Adah reached out and grabbed his arm. "What's da mattah?" Mush asked, a confused look on his face.
"Please don't go," she begged, her eyes wide again. "Or at least let me come with you?" Mush agreed, and Adah held his arm as they pushed through the throng. If she let go she might get lost in the sea of people. So Mush found his hand holding hers. When they reached the stage, they saw a Queens newsie saunter away from the tables, tucking something into his pocket with a pleased look on his face. Mush ignored the question tugging at his mind. Instead he took two small sandwiches, and two cups of punch. Then he and Adah returned to their seats.
"What kind of sandwiches are those?" Adah asked, lifting the bread to survey the contents.
"Dunno," Mush replied, taking a bite from his. Free meals were special, so he took what he could get no matter what. He wasn't being picky.
"It's turkey," Adah informed, taking a bite from her own. Her eyes filled with pleasure as she chewed (with her mouth shut!).
"So you um, like turkey?" Mush guessed. Adah swallowed while nodding enthusiastically.
"Favorite meat." She reached for her punch, and took a sip. "Hm." She looked at the cup with a strange expression on her face.
"Let's talk," Mush said abruptly. Adah raised an eyebrow.
"Okay. About what?" Mush stared thoughtfully at his hands for a moment.
"I got a new job today." Adah grinned. "And it's better too. Pays twenty cents an hour."
"That's great Mush," Adah said sincerely. "I just wish I could get one." They sat in silence for a moment.
"When do you start?" Adah asked, breaking the quiet.
"Next week."
"Oh. So I won't see you anymore?" she asked softly. Mush shrugged.
"Depends."
"On what?"
"Do you want to see me anymore?" Adah waited a few moments, then looked up at him through her dark eyelashes.
"Yeah. Yeah, I do," she said quietly. The truth was, Mush would probably be selling papers when he wasn't working in the store. But if Adah had said she didn't want to see him, he would have changed selling spots. Spot. Spot Conlon. Now his mind was once again on the leader of Brooklyn. Was it possible that this seemingly sweet girl was two timing both of them? Or was there some other reason? Something Mush wasn't aware of?"
"Mush?" Adah snapped him out of his musings. "What are you thinking about?" she asked him, looking a bit concerned.
"I jus' got some tings on my mind."
"Oh." Adah had probably been seeking something more, but she didn't push it.
Out of nowhere Racetrack Higgins approached the table, swaying. He clumsily sat his cup on the table and hiccuped. Adah gave Mush a questioning look.
"You been drinkin' again Race?" he asked in disgust. Race shook his head emphatically, which looked quite funny had you been there.
"No-o-o-o. Jusss' a few cups of punch," he said, nearly falling. Hiccuping again, he leaned against the table, and started to giggle. "Wanna play a game Mushh? I'll roll ya..double..or..nothin'." And with that, the Italian newsie was asleep, leaning on their table.
"Oh dear," Adah said, sniffing her cup. "This definitely must have some sort of alcohol. I thought it tasted funny, but I didn't look into it." Mush let the thought of how she could possibly know what alcohol smelled like pass as he stared at Racetrack, and then became aware of other things happening. The newsies had emptied the first punch bowl, and now the second was being lifted up. Just one thing didn't make sense. Medda never gave the boys alcohol. Someone else must have done something to the punch.
Just then a familiar looking boy walked past the table, took one look at Race, and promptly burst out laughing.
"Look at Higgins!" he crowed. "I always knew he couldn't hold 'is liquor!" Just then a fist smashed into his nose. And angry Skittery stood glowering over him.
"What was dat for?" The boy asked, rubbing his nose.
"You jus' insulted 'hattan," Skittery said angrily. The boy stood up, almost to Skitt's height.
"Well you jus' offended Queens," he said, and punched Skitts in the jaw. Now a full fledged fight had begun, and all the newsies soon joined in, punching and smacking. It didn't help that almost everyone was drunk. Then it dawned on Mush. The boy Skittery had hit, he must have spiked the punch! It was the same kid leaving the punch bowl earlier, who had hid something in his pocket. Great. Now, Mush didn't wish to stick around for the rest of the brawl, especially with a lady there. He took Adah by the hand, and tried to shield her from the maddening fight. Unfortunately, a stray fist hit him in the eye, and when he finally escaped the crowd, he felt the tender area. He would have a shiner. Medda was trying to break the fight up, but Mush didn't stick around for the lecture that would follow. He led Adah out into the street.
"So what did you think of that?" he asked nervously.
"Um, it was interesting..until the end. I think you guys should have a smaller party. Just Manhattan. And no liquor, or big theater. You should also play some real party games. We used to do that in..nevermind," Adah abruptly cut herself off. "Sorry for talking so much," she said, her cheeks bright pink.
"Dat's okay," Mush said. They walked in silence for a few minutes.
"Hey look," Adah said with wonder as big snowflakes began to fall. "It's beautiful." The girl sighed, looking all around her. They stood in silence once again, watching the snow coat the ground. It was clean and white right now. Soon some of it would be black and dirty with soot and mud. When Mush and Adah walked on again, they did so slowly, enjoying the beauty of the night.
"You can put some of that snow on your eye," Adah suggested. And Mush complied.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
By the time the two reached Adah's apartment, a good bit of snow had fallen. So Adah surprised Mush when she closed her eyes, threw her arms out, and fell into a bank of white snow. She moved her arms up and down, making a snow angel.
"You should do one," she said when she had finished.
"Well, I don't know.." Adah suddenly pushed Mush into the snow bank, leaving a funny looking print. The girl then sighed, smiling at the two shapes on the ground. Now Mush found that his clothes were wet, and Adah's appeared to be also. The boy had been planning on giving her his coat after her snow angel experiment, but now that was out of the question as his coat was soaked. If only snow didn't melt into water. Sigh.
"We'd better get you inside," Mush said, worried the girl would catch a cold.
"Wait a minute," Adah said. "If I have to go inside, then before you leave, we're having cookies and milk."
"Cookies?" Mush asked. He LOVED cookies. They were a treat, and he hadn't gotten any at the party. "I guess," he said. So they walked up the stairs, and arrived at the room. That's when Adah remembered.
"Oh no!" she exclaimed, greatly upset. "I forgot my purse at the party! How could I? I had everything in it. My key, everything." Mush was about to say that it was because of the wildness of the party that it had totally slipped her mind. Like the coat. But then the girl leaned against the door in frustration.. and it swung open.
"What?" Adah said in surprise. "I thought I locked the door. Hmm. Must have forgot." She stepped into the room.
"Wait Adah, something's not right."
"What do you mean..wait my purse it's on the counter! Mush!" A muffled scream came from inside, and before Mush could choose to either run in and help with whatever was happening, or go for assistance, huge hands reached out, plucked him off his feet, and dragged him into the room.