Wow I can't believe this story has made it to fourteen chapters! I could never have done this without everyone's amazing support!
This is my gift to you please enjoy this longer chapter!
"Jack I can't do this, they're all going to hate me!"
"Come on Bird ya can't lie to da odda newsies forevah. Besides theyse gonna find out sooner or later."
"I feel a cough coming on, I'm dizzy, faint!"
She feigns dizziness and dramatically collapses onto the bed.
"You ain't. If you were den you wouldn't be telling me."
Beth groans.
"They didn't like me all that much before, so there is absolutely no reason they'll even tolerate me now."
"I told youse that they've been real worried 'bout you. It took all my charm and influence to keep dem outta here while youse were…"
She smirks and finishes his sentence.
"Recovering?"
"I was gonna say tryin to lengthen yer recovery time."
"I wasn't!
"Every time I turned around, you were tryin to get up outta bed when you weren't even supposed to movin."
"Clara wanted me to stay in that bed for three weeks without moving, and then she made me 'take it easy' for another month! Who wouldn't try to escape that?
"Well then why are you tryin to convince me that yer sick again?"
She sighs and stares out the window
"I know I wasn't real open with the boys, but those newsies were like my brothers, and I don't want them to treat me...like just some girl."
"Well dey still are your bruddas even if they know youse a girl."
Without a sound Katherine enters the room triumphantly.
"Beth, I know how to fix all of those problems."
Jack looks at her somewhat skeptically. Beth puts her hands on her hips.
"Oh you do huh? Big sis to the rescue? You know I don't really want to tell them, but I am not going to have someone else do it for me!"
Katherine rolls her eyes and holds out a beautiful blue, long-sleeved blouse, and a floor-length gray skirt. For once Beth is rendered speechless. Jack gives a low whistle. Katherine just smiles a little smugly.
"This will speak for itself."
Beth receives it almost unwillingly, looking it up and down, shaking her head in disbelief.
Katherine's smile widens to a grin.
"You can thank me later."
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"Hey fellas. Guys? SETTLE DOWN! Sheesh what's a guy gotta do to call order to a meetin round heah. Now dat I has yer attention, youse will be happy to know dat Bird is now fully recovered."
A cheer breaks out that is louder and longer than Beth might have hoped or expected. The newsies are buzzing with questions.
"Is he comin back soon?"
"Can we'se go an see him now?"
"He gonna still sell papes?"
"Ise could use a new partner."
Jack smiles at his boys he knew that they cared about Bird no matter how cold he err "she" had been.
"Why don't I let Bird answer dose questions for ya. Hey Bird come on in, da boys missed ya."
She takes a deep breath and walks into the room. The boys just stare at her completely FAILING to make the connection between herself and "Bird".
"Hey Jackie dat's a real pretty goil dere, but where's Bird?"
"Hey Race why dontcha shut yer mouth 'fore I shut it wid my fist!"
Race just stares at her open-mouthed.
"Youse is Bird?"
She blushes unwillingly.
"Yeah, guess I am."
He blinks.
"Youse a goil."
"I am quite aware of that."
"You ain't a boy?"
"I'm certainly not both."
Murmurs fill the room. Beth glances nervously at Jack, but he shakes his head.
"I'm sorry that I lied to you, all of you. I had my own good reasons for hiding my identity, but I probably could have trusted you guys."
Romeo looks at her and asks sheepishly.
"Why didn't ya?"
"You hawk the headlines well, but I wasn't too sure if you were any good at keeping secrets."
Race just looks at her.
"I still can't believe that youse a girl."
She shrugs.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that you can get away with nuthin Racetrack. I might be a girl, but if you poke fun at me I'll still soak ya for all I'm worth."
Romeo whispers to Race.
"That's a pretty bad soakin 'cause I'd say da value's gone up considerably."
She glares at him.
Race broaches a question cautiously.
"Youse still gonna be a newsie?"
She snorts.
"Heck yeah. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I don't need to support myself. But… every single one of you has to promise not to give me away. Not one person outside of these doors can know I'm a girl, got it?"
"What's with da secrecy?"
"Yeah, why ya gotta be a boy? Dere are odda goil newsies."
Jack chooses this moment to step in.
"If any of youse breathes a word 'bout dis to anyone outside dese walls I'll soak ya personally. Bird's got good reasons for her secrets and let me tell ya she's got plenty of dem."
Race folds his arms defiantly.
"Let's hear one of dese 'good reasons'."
Beth steps up with her hands on her hips, quickly re-adopting her New York accent.
"Like heck I'm gonna tell youse. Jack nearly had to drag it outta me, an I ain't gonna just blurt it out to a room full of loud-mouthed newsboys."
Romeo doffs his cap towards her.
"But we'se are a bunch of loud-mouthed newsboys who will be keepin yer secret."
Spec nods vigorously.
"Wild horses won't drag it out of me."
Shouts of agreement echo across the room.
Race mutters under his breath.
"No horses will, but da Delancies might."
Romeo shrugs off the comment and puts an arm around Bird in an attempt to be charming.
"No mattah who's after youse we'll protect ya Birdie."
Beth just rolls her eyes and glares at the hopeless newsboy.
"First, get yer hands off me Romeo. Second I just need yer mouths closed I don't need no protection from nuthin and from no one. Third, ya call me Birdie again and youse will be the one needin protection!"
The boys hoot and ooh as a red-faced Romeo makes a hasty exit.
"You struck out lover-boy!"
Romeo waves them off dismissively.
"Yeah, sure I'd like to see one of youse do bettah."
The boys look at each other nervously and then glance at Beth. She raises her eyebrows as though daring them to try they're luck.
Race whispers to Mush.
"We shoulda named her fireball like Ise suggested."
She whirls on him with her fists poised. Jack struggles not to laugh at Race's surprised and slightly frightened face. He is saved only by the sound of the front door swinging open, followed by a familiar voice.
"Heya fellas sorry I'm late for da meetin. What did I miss?"
As Crutchie takes in the scene his eyes widen and he shakes his head in confusion as though he can't believe his eyes. Almost all of the boys are huddled in a group, pushing and shoving each other towards a girl. The girl on the other hand is glaring at Race both fists raised, ready to start swinging. Jack laughs as Race uses Crutchie's interruption and Beth's momenetary distraction to escape her soaking range. He walks over to Crutchie slings one arm around his shoulders and uses the other arm to gesture to the chaos in the room.
"Not much Crutch, ya didn't miss much. Just a typical meetin of da Manhattan Newsies."
Crutchie points at Bird who is now chasing Race and screaming at him for his latest tactless remark.
"Uh who's da goil lookin ready to kill Race?"
Jack takes his hat off, runs a hand through his hair and replaces the cap.
"Now dat you missed."
I hope you enjoyed it! Keep on reading and reviewing and I will keep on writing. And please let me know if there are things I can improve on. I'm not the best writer, but I just love to tell stories!
K. Kelly