The next morning arrived as usual and the girls did their usual thing…except for one thing - a knock at the window.
"What are the guys doing here so early?!" Jewel asked, a little panic.
Cone slung open the window. "What are you doing here?" She noticed there was only five of them, and almost sighed in relief.
"It's kind of dangerous for ya'll to be here right now" Pearl said, walking up behind Cone.
Jack quirked a smile at her. "Wese live fer danger." Pearl whirled her eyes at him - blushing, not commenting about it.
"Where's Davey?" Copper asked, hanging out the other window a few feet away.
"He had ta go ta school taday" Jack answered her. Copper growled, ducking back into the window and closing it.
"Can we come in fer a sec?" Spot shoved his way to the front.
Now July was hanging out the other window. "We don't want YOU in here!" The two started arguing.
"Will they ever stop fighting?" Mush asked, hands crammed in his pocket.
Cone shook her head and grinned. "Only if the world spins off it's axis." Mush cocked his head, thinking about that remark.
The two 'Kid' brothers - who had been quiet - were getting anxious on the fire escape. "So, can we come in?" Trey called from the back of the cluster.
"Oh, come on, Cone. Let them in for a moment" Patch said, peeking out the other window with July.
Cone sighed, knowing she was going to say yes. Glancing up at Mush's dazed expression, she moved out the way for the guys to climb in.
"Where's all the other guys?" Clink frowned not seeing Jake in the group. "I want to see Jake!"
"Some of da guys sell 'way from dis part a town so dey couldn't come" Blink replied, climbing in and meeting Damsel on the way.
Ace strolled out of the wash room. "What are you guys doing here? and why the heck is Race not here?"
"He's at da track" Jack replied, hurrying over to talk to Pearl before anymore questions were asked.
"Look guys…" Cone trailed off, getting serious. "We need to know something about the House of Refuge."
All the newsies present turned to her almost in shock. "What about it?" Spot blethered, nearing the closet with July.
Cone plopped down on her bed with Mush sitting down next to her. "Mr. Snyder mentioned it last night and he also mentioned he has a twin brother who use to run it but is in jail now."
Jack's month was hanging open. "So dis Snyder guy dat's keepin' youse heah is da brodder of da Snyder who tried ta put me in jail so many times?"
"I guess so." Cone shrugged.
"Dat can't be good!" Trey spouted, out of no where.
Blink smacked his brother's shoulder. "Naw, wouldn't a thought."
The pounding of footsteps came suddenly. "Oh no! That might be Mr. Snyder!" Clink exclaimed, being closest to the door.
"No time to climb out the window. Guys, hide somewhere." Cone slammed the window down, and told Mush to get under her bed. Jack did the same, but slid under Pearl's bed. Trey and Blink went to hide in the wash room as July pushed Spot into the closet, but his key 'somehow' got tangled together with her necklace and they were stuck together. They rushingly fiddled around with it for a moment, but it didn't help.
Spot sighed frustratedly. "Take off your necklace."
"I can't! Why don't you?!" July's voice was a little edgy. Patch was fixing to run over and help when they heard the door knob start to turn. July pushed Spot behind her, and he sort of hide in the clothes. July keep her hands behind her back, holding on to Spot's hand in the process.
The heavy door swung open slowly as Mr. Snyder made his way in the room. The girls tried not to look too obvious that something was wrong especially July, but she was failing.
"Girls, what have you been up to?" he asked, his blank blue eyes wavering around the area.
"Nothing. Why?" Ace answered him, acting calm.
Mr. Snyder sighed heavily like he was exhausted. "I just don't know about you girls sometimes." He peered over at July like he was going to walk up to her, but veered off in the direction of the washroom. Patch and Damsel nearly screamed out 'don't go in there'. Good thing Jewel was there to stop them before they did. Mr. Snyder strolled over to the windows on the far side of the room, and bolt the them shut. The girls watched in horror.
"I am off girls." Mr. Snyder dismissed himself and left. Every person in the room let out a sigh of relief. PT stood at the door to make sure he was gone while the boys crept out of their hiding places.
"Oh my goodness!" July shouted, keeping her voice down to where the downstairs wouldn't hear it. Spot came out of the closest holding something in one hand. His other hand was red and basically wet from July squeezing it from nervousness.
"Is dis yours?" he asked, holding up a garter. July would of smacked him if they didn't still have the 'stuck together' issue to deal with. Patch - now - ran over there to help them, and Ace seized her garter away from Spot.
Pearl and Jack tried to pull up the window, but it was bolted down tight. "It won't move."
Cone sat on her bed once again, grimacing. "Now what?" Mush sat down beside her, slipping his arm around her shoulder.
"How are we going to get the guys out?!" Damsel said, nearing tears. Blink came to comfort her.
"The only way to get the guys out is either through the back or front door" Jewel suggested, pushing a thin strain of hair out her face and frowning.
"The back door would be the best bet" Ace added, sounding kind of like Racetrack.
"Yeah, because the front door might look pretty suspicious" Clink inquired.
Cone grappled with the decision. "I think we'll have to do that. We'll just have to be very, very careful."
"Wait, how are we going to do this?" Patch asked, finally getting July and Spot unattached.
"At least two of us has to sneak the guys down to the back door" Cone explained, in deep thought of the structure of the building.
"I'll go!" Patch blurted out, glancing at Trey - blushing.
"That'd be good, because me and Patch know this place pretty well." Cone stood up. "Let's get our boys out of here."
Like usual, the guys who were there bide 'goodbye' to their girls, and snuck out the door with Cone and Patch. Cone lead the way with Patch in the back - watching for strays. They crept down the back stairs then into the hallway. Cone suddenly stopped, thinking she had heard Lila coming but it was just her 'active' imagination. Proceeding into the kitchen, they made it to the back door and the newsies got out the building safely.
"Sorry we caused ya trouble" Mush told Cone.
"It's okay. I was an idiot. If you weren't so cute, you guys wouldn't gotten pass so much as to the fire escape" Cone remarked with a jokingly smirk.
"I guess I'll take dat as a compliment." Mush shrugged, and kissed her on the cheek - shifting into the alleyway pass the door.
Cone waited for Patch to finally let Trey go then closed the door, taking a deep breath. "I think that went well."
"I think so too" Patch replied with a faint smile. "I'm just thankful we got them out."
"Me too." Cone and Patch started to walk back to the room when Mr. Snyder came out of no where.
"Patch!" The two girls nearly jumped out of their skin. Cone had a tense hand over her chest like she was about to have a heart attack.
"Yes, Mr. Snyder?" she squeaked out, turning toward him.
"What are you and Cone doing down here?"
Patch swallowed. "Just doing something for Lila."
The man nodded - half-heartedly - and continued on with what he looked like he anxiously wanted to say. "I have someone for you to meet." He turned to Cone. "You are excused to go back upstairs. Cone started back to the stairs, glancing back to see Patch's distraught expression. Mr. Snyder lead her off to the parlor where she made eye contact with the 'guests'. There sat a man in his 50's and a boy around 18. Patch was a little confused by now.
"This must be Kelly Patchin" the older man said, stepping over to her. "You are a lovely young lady."
Patch made a funny face, totally dazed. "Thanks."
"I told you, Basil. My little Patch is a wonderful girl" Mr. Snyder smiled ((it still looked evil)) and clasped a hand on Patch's shoulder. "I've raised her to be a proper lady." Patch's thoughts weren't so proper while Mr. Snyder said that.
"She is quit pretty" the younger man said, nodding and staring at her in approval.
"May I ask, what's going on?" Patch threw in, thinking of any situation this was going to.
Mr. Snyder turned to her, delighted as heck for some reason. "Why, Patch my dear, this is your betroved."
"WHAT?!?!?!?!" Patch screamed, almost fainting and literally making everyone in ten miles of her - deaf.
In the bedroom, all the girls jumped at the scream. July leaped up into her bed. "That was Patch! Mr. Snyder is hurting her!" She ran to the door, slung it open, and ran out. Cone and Clink following after her. They had no idea what Snyder was doing to Patch, but they knew if July would do something crazy if he was hurting Patch.
Cone and Clink rammed into July at the bottom of the stairs. She had stopped suddenly when she saw the 'company'. Patch was bent over trying to breathe, and the young man was at her side. She pushing him away, but he keep coming back. The three girls on the stairs watched, quietly.
"Are you okay?" the young man, who seemed concerned, asked.
Patch stood up straight, pushing him away again. "Can you please tell me…" she took another deep breath. "…what's going on?"
Mr. Synder grinned widely. "You didn't know, my dear?" It scared Patch because Snyder was acting TOO nice. She shook her head. "A few months ago Mr. Basil - here - saw you lovely girls and wanted his son, Harrison, to be married to one of you. Since you are the oldest, you shall be married first."
"Oh no…" Clink murmured as the three on the stairs were still listening and grumbling.
Cone uttered, lowly. "This isn't good."
"What's going on?" Damsel asked, all the sudden, coming down the stairs. All in unison, July, Cone, and Clink, 'shh'ed her.
"And there's more good news" Mr. Snyder stated.
Patch looked at him in shock. "There's good news?!"
"Mr. Basil has three more sons. So, three of your friends will actually be related to you by marriage."
"I'm not marrying him" she announced, more calm, pointing a finger in Harrison's direction. She turned and run up the stairs - almost in tears. Harrison's expression was confused. The four girls on the stairs - still - sized him up. He looked like a nice guy concerned about what was wrong with Patch, but Kid Trey was the only guy she wanted.
Mr. Snyder turned to them with a deadly glare in his eye. It only took one glimpse of it for the girls to hurry back upstairs to their room. He brought his attention back to his guest. "Why, I don't know what got into my dear Patch. I'll have a talk with her. Don't worry Harrison, you'll have a bride."
With that, Mr. Basil and his son left. Mr. Snyder started to make his way to the second floor. Meanwhile, Patch was crying on her pillow.
"I can't believe this" she murmured, wrapped around her pillow. "How could he do this?"
July was sitting beside her trying to comfort her friend. "It's okay. We're not going to let this Harrison guy marry you."
Patch sniffled as Pearl handed her a handkerchief. "And how?"
"We'll do something" Cone informed, staring out the window at the guest that just left.
"I wish Trey was here!" Patched cried.
Over at the boy's lodging house, the newsies were just doing their normal activities that they always did except one thing was wrong. There was this strange feeling in the room. All the guys who knew the girls was had that feeling. Finally, Mush broke the tension.
"Guys, I think somethings wrong" he said, jumping off his top bunk.
"Yeah" Trey agreed. "Somethings not roight and I think it's da goils."
Jack shook his head. "I know. But wha' we suppose ta do 'bout it?"
"Rescue 'em!" Spot shouted, cane in hand and ready to go to war.
Davey, who was staying at the LH that night ((just because I say so!)) , rolled his eyes. "We just can't storm in there and carry them away. We need a plan."
Skittery snorted. "Oh yeah, like the strike." Everyone threw a yell his way and went back to thinking about the situation.
The other newsies, who really had no clue what was going on, minded their own busy.
Jack's eyes whirled around the room, thinking. "Y'know Dave, dat ain't such a bad idea."
Davey's month hung open. "What?"
"Like, wese go dere, get da goils out, and hide 'em somewheres. Jist don't know wheres."
The guys thought for a few minutes, then Spot spoke out with a mischievous smirk, "Dey can stay in Brooklyn."
"Oh yeah, you really like dat, huh Spot?" Race remarked.
Spot growled at Race, but nothing more. Davey spoke again. "Since we're going to go there with this anyway, we need a plan."
The girls were all upset over listening to Mr. Snyder 'plans' for them that Patch told them. After a while, they all just slumped around doing silent activities. Jewel was reading. Ace was playing solitaire with the cards Race gave her. Clink was already a sleep. PT was talking to Pearl in the corner as Pearl was finishing up on her sewing. July and Patch were sitting around thinking up ways to get out of this situation. Copper was staring out the window. Cone and Damsel were busy making up a song.
They were all interrupted by a soft knock was heard from the door. The door opened slightly as an unfamiliar person peeked in.
"May I come in?" It was Harrison - the young man Patch was betroved too.
July threw him an evil look. "You're not welcome in here."
"Please…" he stepped forward, hat in hand. "I just need a few moments."
The girls were fixing to rally around there betroved friend when Cone stopped them. "Girls, let the boy talk. If he doesn't have anything worthwhile to say, then we'll soak 'em!" She smirked after going into her fake accent.
Harrison averted his eyes to the floor, fiddling with his hat heavily. It seemed he was quit intimidated by a bunch of girls. "I'm sorry that this has to happen this way." He glanced up mostly at Patch as he spoke. "I didn't plan on it, but my father and Mr. Snyder are just too big…jerks."
"You can say that again!" Ace remarked.
"What I'm trying to say is…" Harrison took a deep breath. "I don't want to marry you either."
"Really?" Patch stared in surprise.
"Why? What's wrong with her?!" July lashed out. Patch jabbed her in the ribs.
"Oh! It's not that you are nice and a lovely person. It's just I have someone else I love."
"Ohhhhhhhh……" all the girls said in unison.
"I hope you understand."
"I understand fully!" Patch smiled, jumping onto her bed. "I have someone I love too."
"Well, that's wonderful. But we have to do something to get out of this arrangement."
"Leave that up to us…" Jack Kelly appeared behind Harrison, arms folded like he was proud of something he just did. Well, he should be proud b/c him and Spot just snuck into Snyder's boarding house without getting caught so far - remember the windows had been bolted down.
"Jack? What are you doing here?" Pearl asked, in shock - running up to him.
Jack grinned happily. "Let's just say it was my slick wits."
Spot came barreling into the bunk room. "More like my slick wits and good looks." He slipped a hand through his hair.
"Would you shut up, Spot." Jack rolled his eyes.
"Boy, you can just smell the ego in the room" Copper quirked.
"Excuse me" Harrison said, very confused. "Who are you?"
"Ise Spot Conlon, otherwise known as Brooklyn."
"And Ise Jack Kelly." Jack put out his hand to shake, but Harrison just sorta stared at it.
"Look heah…" Spot started. "We need ta get da goils out before Snyder and dat fat guy comes back."
"That fat guy is my father" Harrison informed, placing his hat back on his head.
Spot shrugged. "Whatevah."
Cone finally stepped up. "Harrison, can you do something for us?" He nodded. "Good. Be useful and go be the look out so we can get out of this joint."
Harrison left and went to be a 'look out' while Jack and Spot got the girls out there the kitchen. Lila was a sleep, so, that was a good thing. Of course, the other newsie guys were waiting on the alley close by ;)
"So where are you guys going to hide us?" Pearl asked, as the group walked down a back alley.
"Wese gonna hide ya at Medda's place till we can figure out where ta bring youse" Jack replied.
They made it to Irving Hall a few minutes later. Medda was just fine with the girls staying there, and decided to put them to work after the guys left - since it was late and all. The girls sleep in the several dressing rooms that night and got to sleep in late for once in the morning.
"Hey Medda, can I talk to you?" Cone asked, pulling the older lady aside that morning.
Medda nodded. "Why sure. Whatcha need, kid?"
"Me and Damsel wrote a song and we kind of hoped that we could perform it here" Cone said, holding up a piece of paper with words on it. "You think your piano player can set a tune to this?"
Medda looked over the works and smiled widely. "This is the perfect song to sing here. I'll get Fred on coming up with a tune right away." She scampered off with the paper.
Cone just stood there for a little while just thinking until she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find two girls around her age standing behind her. "Hi" she greeting.
"Hi, your Coneflower, right?" the blonde girl asked.
Cone nodded. "Yes, that's me."
"Medda told us to come and help you. She's already got Fred making music to your song" the other girl said.
"Really? That quick?" Cone looked surprised.
"Yes!" the blonde girl said enthusiastically with a smile. "Oh, we forgot to mention our names. I'm Dot." She shook Cone's hand.
"And I'm Shadow" the other girl said and shook Cone's hand also.
"Do you two work here?"
"Yes, we do" Shadow answered. Cone looked at her a little surprised. "Oh, not like that!" She flushed, as well as Dot.
"Shadow is the seamstress for Medda and I'm the cookie baker!" Dot smiled, happily, as she pulled some cookies out of her pocket. "Want one?" She held a cookie in front of Cone's face.
"Sure!" Cone took the cookie and started eating. "So, what'd you want again?"
Shadow held up her needle and thread. "We've come to sew your costume."
Cone's face went blank. "Huh?"
"Um…I don't think this is a good idea" Damsel whimpered a little as Shadow sewed together the green material on her puffy sleeve.
"Are you sure Mr. Snyder won't come in here? Or what about his goonies?" Pearl asked sitting in a big orange chair with her blue satin dress already one.
"Y'know, Medda has some very interesting taste" Copper remarked, staring strangely at the flower patterned wall paper.
"Counting flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all" Cone sang out of no where ((that's a real song too!!)).
"Where'd that come from?" Clink asked, waiting at the dressing room door for someone to walk in.
Cone shrugged. "I have no clue."
"Hello?" Jewel shouted from huge purple couch. "What if Mr. Snyder comes in here while you guys are performing?"
"I don't think he'd recognize us with all this make-up on. We look like prostitutes" July remarked, as she stood in front of the mirror.
Medda had gotten some of the girls to be part of the show, singing and dancing to Cone and Damsel's song they had made up back at the boarding house. Of course, Cone had asked earlier but didn't know they'd have to dress so 'revealing'.
"Yes, we sure do" Cone replied, straightening out her corset. "but it will be the only time we do this."
"Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, this is risky" Patch exclaimed, worriedly.
Damsel sighed. "I don't think I want to."
"Ouch!" Cone screamed, as Pearl helped tie her corset closed.
All the 'what if's and groans were interrupted by the door swinging opening. "Anybody want some cookies?!" Dot yelled, entering the room with a trey of cookies. All the girls ran and collected a few.
Medda entered the room right after Dot with a huge smile. "You girls look wonderful!"
"Hey girls! Guess who's…" they heard next from the door way. Just then, Ace and PT appeared. "Uh…" they both stuttered.
"What's going on?" PT asked, walking over to the purple couch and sitting down.
"They're singing and dancing in Medda's show" Jewel replied to her.
"And why wasn't I informed of this…so I could do it too!" Ace yelled, pouting.
"You two just had to go bug the stage hands up in to rafters" Copper said, rolling her eyes.
"We couldn't help it though!" PT protested.
"Yeah, we were having a little fun" Ace said, exchange a mischievous grin with PT.
"Girls, I think you should start practicing now" Medda interrupted, pointing her pink feather at them.
Cone, Damsel, Pearl, and July got up and walked out the door behind Medda. The rest of the girls followed.
It was late-afternoon when some of the newsies arrived early at Irving Hall. The guys tried to go backstage, but Medda stopped them and told them to sit up front for a 'special' show. The newsies exchanged curious and mischievous glances.
Davey leaned close to Jack and asked, "What do you think the girls are up too?"
"I don't know" he replied, with a huge smile. "But I bet it's gonna be good."
Race smirked at the hearing his favorite word and tried to get Jack and Davey to take that bet.
The lights turned out and a spotlight shone on the center of the stage. A drum roll came out of no where, and an announcer's voice was heard. "Gentlemen, put your hands together for the newest Irving Hall show…we present to you…the Newsgirls!" The curtain cut in the middle reveal a surprise.
Coneflower was standing there in a blue, slender dress with her hair swooped up in a braid. Blink elbowed Mush who's mouth was hanging open. Whistles rang from around the room to which Mush turned around and glares at all the predecessors.
The song started… "Whoever thought I'd meet the boy of my dreams…whoever thought he'd want me…I spent my nights alone without a song in my heart…until one day…" The curtain opened up and the newsies got the shock out of their lives. Damsel, Pearl, and July were all dolled up. They started to do touch steps till they got on the side of Cone. "Now I never have to be lonely…because I have him by my side…oh oh oh…I never have to be lonely…I'll have him forever…yeah yeah…"
The song went on for another minute. But, within that minutes, something evil slithered in. Mr. Snyder and Warden Snyder came sauntering in. *gasp* Two Snyders! Mr. Snyder stared at the stage while a group of young ladies danced and sang. He squinted to see them clearer.
"They look oddly familiar" he told his brother.
Warden Snyder stared at them too. "Oh really…" his eyes fixed on the boys sitting in the front tables. "Those boys look awfully familiar too." They both exchanged evil smirks.
Meanwhile, Jake and Skittery were late getting the Irving Hall. They slip on into the door, but suddenly came right back out when something ugly caught their eye.
"Was…was…dat jist two Snyders we saw?" Jake asked, hesitantly.
Skittery nodded slowly. "Yeah."
"We should go warn da others!" The two newsies ran to the back way into the building.
After the girls had finished their song, they bowed and went back stage where the guys came walking back there.
"You goils were great!" Jack said, smiling, mainly at Pearl though.
Mush walked up to Cone. "Dat was beautiful."
"Thank you" she replied, hugging him.
"You girls were just perfect" Medda tweaked in, flittering her feather around. "But I have to go perform now. We'll talk later about you performing more."
The girls looked surprised. "Performing more?" July stuttered. "Yay!"
"Hey baby, you should perform every night." Spot smirked.
"Stop trying to butter me up!" She smacked him on the shoulder then kissed him.
"Guys!!!" Jake and Skittery came burrowing through the crowd on the backstage. "Da Snyders are heah!"
"Dere right out front!" Skitts added in.
"We better get out of here. Mr. Snyder might of brought along his croonies!" Damsel said, frantically. Blink ran over to her to comfort her.
"We didn't see anyone else wit de, but doesn't mean dey didn't bring anyone." Skittery said. Everyone started to find each other so they could leave before the Snyders found them. Skittery looked around for PT. "Where's PT?"
"Oh no!" July gasped. "Her and Ace went to go talk to that stagehand guy somewhere around here."
"We gotta go find 'em!" Racetrack looked a little panicked now.
"We'll go search on the other side of the stage!" Cone yelled, running off with Mush behind the curtain. Racetrack and Skittery went to look upstairs while the others snuck out to the alleyway.
"Dang it, where could dey be?" Mush sighed in frustration.
"Oh no telling when it's Ace involved." Cone held Mush's hand as they started back to the right side of the stage where the others were. They stopped when they saw that the others weren't there. "Okay, where'd they go?"
"Maybe they left you high and dry to deal with us" an wicked voice came out of the darkness of the backstage. The two were horrified when the two Snyders came out of no where. Mr. Snyder was holding a gun on them.
Cone's grip on Mush's hand grew tenser as he pushed her behind him acting as a shield. The two Snyders laughed at this act of chivalry.
Mr. Snyder snorted. "You thought that you could escape me, Coneflower. I always knew where you girls were. I thought it was quit hilarious that you all were befriending these newsies which were my brother's most hated foes." He cocked the gun.
"You've caused me enough trouble Coneflower. I think we should end this little fiasco right now" Warden Snyder threw in, throwing his head back and laughing.
"Were ya plannin' on endin' it da coward way 'er take all us down at once." Mush and Cone let out a sigh of relief when they saw the rest of the gang standing behind the two Snyders with various large, heavy object in their hands just waiting for the Snyders to make a move.
Spot cracked a smirk. "Go ahead, make our day."
The Snyders stood there for a moment staring at all the newsies and the girls. Mush took the opportunity to pull Cone to a safer place - away from the aim of Mr. Snyder's gun.
"What is going on here?!" Medda screeched, seeing the scene. She spied the gun, and immediately called for help. Some of her big thug looking guy came.
After a while, the policed arrived and the two Snyders were carted off to jail with evil smirks on their faces. The newsie guys and their girls rest in the now empty Irving Hall. The police had questioned mainly the girls, finding out about the boarding house. They proclaimed that the girls were now free to live the life they should. Everyone was overjoyed.
"Now where do we go?" Jewel asked, frowning at the thought of going back to live at the boarding house.
"Yeah, we can't go back to the boarding house!" July chimed in.
"You couldn't get me to go back there even if you paid me a thousand dollars" Copper commented, wrinkling her nose.
"Y'know goils" Jack started with Pearl sitting conveniently on his lap. "Ya can come live at da lodgin' house wit us and be newsies too."
Kid Trey lit up. "Yeah! We can turn the attic into a bunkroom for ya'll and teach ya'll how ta be newsies!"
"That would be great!" Patch exclaimed, kissing Trey on the cheek.
"Then we'd all be together all the time!" Damsel added. She looked at Blink, and blushed at her outburst.
"Wait!" July stopped everything. "But, Spot lives in Brooklyn. I wouldn't get to see him much."
Spot nodded. "Dat's true, but how 'bout ya come wit me ta Brooklyn?"
"Really?!" A smile came across July's face, but disappeared. "But, I don't want to leave Patch and Damsel and Cone and Copper and all of them! They're like my sister."
"Den I'll jist have ta make it a habit a comin' ta Manhattan" Spot smirked.
"Sounds good to me." July mirrored his smirk, and they started to make out…what else is new.
"Hey! Get a room!" Skittery called from the stage. He and PT had been up there together. But not really talking like they usually did.
"Get a room, yaself!" Spot called back, mockingly.
"It's gettin' late. We should be headin' back before Kloppman locks us out da house" Racetrack commented, knowing exactly what happens when you get back to the lodging house late.
"And, we need to go start a poker game!" Ace grinned. "Will we be sharing a washroom with you boys?"
"Uh…ya gonna have ta" Race replied.
"Yeah, 'cause we only have one" Jack added in.
Ace jumped up. "Oh me on my, what fantastic news!"
The gang piled out of Irving Hall going the direction of the lodging house. Everything was great now.
"Mush…" Cone murmured, as they walked at the end of the gang - holding hands. "Did you push me behind you tonight out of impulse or were you protecting me?"
Mush stopped, looking her in the eyes. "I did dat to protect ya. I love ya, Cone." Then he kissed her.
"Aww…Mushie, I love you too." He grinned that goofy grin at her, and they started walking behind the gang again. Cone laid her head on his shoulder. "I have a feeling that nothing will ever split any of us apart now."
The End!
"What are the guys doing here so early?!" Jewel asked, a little panic.
Cone slung open the window. "What are you doing here?" She noticed there was only five of them, and almost sighed in relief.
"It's kind of dangerous for ya'll to be here right now" Pearl said, walking up behind Cone.
Jack quirked a smile at her. "Wese live fer danger." Pearl whirled her eyes at him - blushing, not commenting about it.
"Where's Davey?" Copper asked, hanging out the other window a few feet away.
"He had ta go ta school taday" Jack answered her. Copper growled, ducking back into the window and closing it.
"Can we come in fer a sec?" Spot shoved his way to the front.
Now July was hanging out the other window. "We don't want YOU in here!" The two started arguing.
"Will they ever stop fighting?" Mush asked, hands crammed in his pocket.
Cone shook her head and grinned. "Only if the world spins off it's axis." Mush cocked his head, thinking about that remark.
The two 'Kid' brothers - who had been quiet - were getting anxious on the fire escape. "So, can we come in?" Trey called from the back of the cluster.
"Oh, come on, Cone. Let them in for a moment" Patch said, peeking out the other window with July.
Cone sighed, knowing she was going to say yes. Glancing up at Mush's dazed expression, she moved out the way for the guys to climb in.
"Where's all the other guys?" Clink frowned not seeing Jake in the group. "I want to see Jake!"
"Some of da guys sell 'way from dis part a town so dey couldn't come" Blink replied, climbing in and meeting Damsel on the way.
Ace strolled out of the wash room. "What are you guys doing here? and why the heck is Race not here?"
"He's at da track" Jack replied, hurrying over to talk to Pearl before anymore questions were asked.
"Look guys…" Cone trailed off, getting serious. "We need to know something about the House of Refuge."
All the newsies present turned to her almost in shock. "What about it?" Spot blethered, nearing the closet with July.
Cone plopped down on her bed with Mush sitting down next to her. "Mr. Snyder mentioned it last night and he also mentioned he has a twin brother who use to run it but is in jail now."
Jack's month was hanging open. "So dis Snyder guy dat's keepin' youse heah is da brodder of da Snyder who tried ta put me in jail so many times?"
"I guess so." Cone shrugged.
"Dat can't be good!" Trey spouted, out of no where.
Blink smacked his brother's shoulder. "Naw, wouldn't a thought."
The pounding of footsteps came suddenly. "Oh no! That might be Mr. Snyder!" Clink exclaimed, being closest to the door.
"No time to climb out the window. Guys, hide somewhere." Cone slammed the window down, and told Mush to get under her bed. Jack did the same, but slid under Pearl's bed. Trey and Blink went to hide in the wash room as July pushed Spot into the closet, but his key 'somehow' got tangled together with her necklace and they were stuck together. They rushingly fiddled around with it for a moment, but it didn't help.
Spot sighed frustratedly. "Take off your necklace."
"I can't! Why don't you?!" July's voice was a little edgy. Patch was fixing to run over and help when they heard the door knob start to turn. July pushed Spot behind her, and he sort of hide in the clothes. July keep her hands behind her back, holding on to Spot's hand in the process.
The heavy door swung open slowly as Mr. Snyder made his way in the room. The girls tried not to look too obvious that something was wrong especially July, but she was failing.
"Girls, what have you been up to?" he asked, his blank blue eyes wavering around the area.
"Nothing. Why?" Ace answered him, acting calm.
Mr. Snyder sighed heavily like he was exhausted. "I just don't know about you girls sometimes." He peered over at July like he was going to walk up to her, but veered off in the direction of the washroom. Patch and Damsel nearly screamed out 'don't go in there'. Good thing Jewel was there to stop them before they did. Mr. Snyder strolled over to the windows on the far side of the room, and bolt the them shut. The girls watched in horror.
"I am off girls." Mr. Snyder dismissed himself and left. Every person in the room let out a sigh of relief. PT stood at the door to make sure he was gone while the boys crept out of their hiding places.
"Oh my goodness!" July shouted, keeping her voice down to where the downstairs wouldn't hear it. Spot came out of the closest holding something in one hand. His other hand was red and basically wet from July squeezing it from nervousness.
"Is dis yours?" he asked, holding up a garter. July would of smacked him if they didn't still have the 'stuck together' issue to deal with. Patch - now - ran over there to help them, and Ace seized her garter away from Spot.
Pearl and Jack tried to pull up the window, but it was bolted down tight. "It won't move."
Cone sat on her bed once again, grimacing. "Now what?" Mush sat down beside her, slipping his arm around her shoulder.
"How are we going to get the guys out?!" Damsel said, nearing tears. Blink came to comfort her.
"The only way to get the guys out is either through the back or front door" Jewel suggested, pushing a thin strain of hair out her face and frowning.
"The back door would be the best bet" Ace added, sounding kind of like Racetrack.
"Yeah, because the front door might look pretty suspicious" Clink inquired.
Cone grappled with the decision. "I think we'll have to do that. We'll just have to be very, very careful."
"Wait, how are we going to do this?" Patch asked, finally getting July and Spot unattached.
"At least two of us has to sneak the guys down to the back door" Cone explained, in deep thought of the structure of the building.
"I'll go!" Patch blurted out, glancing at Trey - blushing.
"That'd be good, because me and Patch know this place pretty well." Cone stood up. "Let's get our boys out of here."
Like usual, the guys who were there bide 'goodbye' to their girls, and snuck out the door with Cone and Patch. Cone lead the way with Patch in the back - watching for strays. They crept down the back stairs then into the hallway. Cone suddenly stopped, thinking she had heard Lila coming but it was just her 'active' imagination. Proceeding into the kitchen, they made it to the back door and the newsies got out the building safely.
"Sorry we caused ya trouble" Mush told Cone.
"It's okay. I was an idiot. If you weren't so cute, you guys wouldn't gotten pass so much as to the fire escape" Cone remarked with a jokingly smirk.
"I guess I'll take dat as a compliment." Mush shrugged, and kissed her on the cheek - shifting into the alleyway pass the door.
Cone waited for Patch to finally let Trey go then closed the door, taking a deep breath. "I think that went well."
"I think so too" Patch replied with a faint smile. "I'm just thankful we got them out."
"Me too." Cone and Patch started to walk back to the room when Mr. Snyder came out of no where.
"Patch!" The two girls nearly jumped out of their skin. Cone had a tense hand over her chest like she was about to have a heart attack.
"Yes, Mr. Snyder?" she squeaked out, turning toward him.
"What are you and Cone doing down here?"
Patch swallowed. "Just doing something for Lila."
The man nodded - half-heartedly - and continued on with what he looked like he anxiously wanted to say. "I have someone for you to meet." He turned to Cone. "You are excused to go back upstairs. Cone started back to the stairs, glancing back to see Patch's distraught expression. Mr. Snyder lead her off to the parlor where she made eye contact with the 'guests'. There sat a man in his 50's and a boy around 18. Patch was a little confused by now.
"This must be Kelly Patchin" the older man said, stepping over to her. "You are a lovely young lady."
Patch made a funny face, totally dazed. "Thanks."
"I told you, Basil. My little Patch is a wonderful girl" Mr. Snyder smiled ((it still looked evil)) and clasped a hand on Patch's shoulder. "I've raised her to be a proper lady." Patch's thoughts weren't so proper while Mr. Snyder said that.
"She is quit pretty" the younger man said, nodding and staring at her in approval.
"May I ask, what's going on?" Patch threw in, thinking of any situation this was going to.
Mr. Snyder turned to her, delighted as heck for some reason. "Why, Patch my dear, this is your betroved."
"WHAT?!?!?!?!" Patch screamed, almost fainting and literally making everyone in ten miles of her - deaf.
In the bedroom, all the girls jumped at the scream. July leaped up into her bed. "That was Patch! Mr. Snyder is hurting her!" She ran to the door, slung it open, and ran out. Cone and Clink following after her. They had no idea what Snyder was doing to Patch, but they knew if July would do something crazy if he was hurting Patch.
Cone and Clink rammed into July at the bottom of the stairs. She had stopped suddenly when she saw the 'company'. Patch was bent over trying to breathe, and the young man was at her side. She pushing him away, but he keep coming back. The three girls on the stairs watched, quietly.
"Are you okay?" the young man, who seemed concerned, asked.
Patch stood up straight, pushing him away again. "Can you please tell me…" she took another deep breath. "…what's going on?"
Mr. Synder grinned widely. "You didn't know, my dear?" It scared Patch because Snyder was acting TOO nice. She shook her head. "A few months ago Mr. Basil - here - saw you lovely girls and wanted his son, Harrison, to be married to one of you. Since you are the oldest, you shall be married first."
"Oh no…" Clink murmured as the three on the stairs were still listening and grumbling.
Cone uttered, lowly. "This isn't good."
"What's going on?" Damsel asked, all the sudden, coming down the stairs. All in unison, July, Cone, and Clink, 'shh'ed her.
"And there's more good news" Mr. Snyder stated.
Patch looked at him in shock. "There's good news?!"
"Mr. Basil has three more sons. So, three of your friends will actually be related to you by marriage."
"I'm not marrying him" she announced, more calm, pointing a finger in Harrison's direction. She turned and run up the stairs - almost in tears. Harrison's expression was confused. The four girls on the stairs - still - sized him up. He looked like a nice guy concerned about what was wrong with Patch, but Kid Trey was the only guy she wanted.
Mr. Snyder turned to them with a deadly glare in his eye. It only took one glimpse of it for the girls to hurry back upstairs to their room. He brought his attention back to his guest. "Why, I don't know what got into my dear Patch. I'll have a talk with her. Don't worry Harrison, you'll have a bride."
With that, Mr. Basil and his son left. Mr. Snyder started to make his way to the second floor. Meanwhile, Patch was crying on her pillow.
"I can't believe this" she murmured, wrapped around her pillow. "How could he do this?"
July was sitting beside her trying to comfort her friend. "It's okay. We're not going to let this Harrison guy marry you."
Patch sniffled as Pearl handed her a handkerchief. "And how?"
"We'll do something" Cone informed, staring out the window at the guest that just left.
"I wish Trey was here!" Patched cried.
Over at the boy's lodging house, the newsies were just doing their normal activities that they always did except one thing was wrong. There was this strange feeling in the room. All the guys who knew the girls was had that feeling. Finally, Mush broke the tension.
"Guys, I think somethings wrong" he said, jumping off his top bunk.
"Yeah" Trey agreed. "Somethings not roight and I think it's da goils."
Jack shook his head. "I know. But wha' we suppose ta do 'bout it?"
"Rescue 'em!" Spot shouted, cane in hand and ready to go to war.
Davey, who was staying at the LH that night ((just because I say so!)) , rolled his eyes. "We just can't storm in there and carry them away. We need a plan."
Skittery snorted. "Oh yeah, like the strike." Everyone threw a yell his way and went back to thinking about the situation.
The other newsies, who really had no clue what was going on, minded their own busy.
Jack's eyes whirled around the room, thinking. "Y'know Dave, dat ain't such a bad idea."
Davey's month hung open. "What?"
"Like, wese go dere, get da goils out, and hide 'em somewheres. Jist don't know wheres."
The guys thought for a few minutes, then Spot spoke out with a mischievous smirk, "Dey can stay in Brooklyn."
"Oh yeah, you really like dat, huh Spot?" Race remarked.
Spot growled at Race, but nothing more. Davey spoke again. "Since we're going to go there with this anyway, we need a plan."
The girls were all upset over listening to Mr. Snyder 'plans' for them that Patch told them. After a while, they all just slumped around doing silent activities. Jewel was reading. Ace was playing solitaire with the cards Race gave her. Clink was already a sleep. PT was talking to Pearl in the corner as Pearl was finishing up on her sewing. July and Patch were sitting around thinking up ways to get out of this situation. Copper was staring out the window. Cone and Damsel were busy making up a song.
They were all interrupted by a soft knock was heard from the door. The door opened slightly as an unfamiliar person peeked in.
"May I come in?" It was Harrison - the young man Patch was betroved too.
July threw him an evil look. "You're not welcome in here."
"Please…" he stepped forward, hat in hand. "I just need a few moments."
The girls were fixing to rally around there betroved friend when Cone stopped them. "Girls, let the boy talk. If he doesn't have anything worthwhile to say, then we'll soak 'em!" She smirked after going into her fake accent.
Harrison averted his eyes to the floor, fiddling with his hat heavily. It seemed he was quit intimidated by a bunch of girls. "I'm sorry that this has to happen this way." He glanced up mostly at Patch as he spoke. "I didn't plan on it, but my father and Mr. Snyder are just too big…jerks."
"You can say that again!" Ace remarked.
"What I'm trying to say is…" Harrison took a deep breath. "I don't want to marry you either."
"Really?" Patch stared in surprise.
"Why? What's wrong with her?!" July lashed out. Patch jabbed her in the ribs.
"Oh! It's not that you are nice and a lovely person. It's just I have someone else I love."
"Ohhhhhhhh……" all the girls said in unison.
"I hope you understand."
"I understand fully!" Patch smiled, jumping onto her bed. "I have someone I love too."
"Well, that's wonderful. But we have to do something to get out of this arrangement."
"Leave that up to us…" Jack Kelly appeared behind Harrison, arms folded like he was proud of something he just did. Well, he should be proud b/c him and Spot just snuck into Snyder's boarding house without getting caught so far - remember the windows had been bolted down.
"Jack? What are you doing here?" Pearl asked, in shock - running up to him.
Jack grinned happily. "Let's just say it was my slick wits."
Spot came barreling into the bunk room. "More like my slick wits and good looks." He slipped a hand through his hair.
"Would you shut up, Spot." Jack rolled his eyes.
"Boy, you can just smell the ego in the room" Copper quirked.
"Excuse me" Harrison said, very confused. "Who are you?"
"Ise Spot Conlon, otherwise known as Brooklyn."
"And Ise Jack Kelly." Jack put out his hand to shake, but Harrison just sorta stared at it.
"Look heah…" Spot started. "We need ta get da goils out before Snyder and dat fat guy comes back."
"That fat guy is my father" Harrison informed, placing his hat back on his head.
Spot shrugged. "Whatevah."
Cone finally stepped up. "Harrison, can you do something for us?" He nodded. "Good. Be useful and go be the look out so we can get out of this joint."
Harrison left and went to be a 'look out' while Jack and Spot got the girls out there the kitchen. Lila was a sleep, so, that was a good thing. Of course, the other newsie guys were waiting on the alley close by ;)
"So where are you guys going to hide us?" Pearl asked, as the group walked down a back alley.
"Wese gonna hide ya at Medda's place till we can figure out where ta bring youse" Jack replied.
They made it to Irving Hall a few minutes later. Medda was just fine with the girls staying there, and decided to put them to work after the guys left - since it was late and all. The girls sleep in the several dressing rooms that night and got to sleep in late for once in the morning.
"Hey Medda, can I talk to you?" Cone asked, pulling the older lady aside that morning.
Medda nodded. "Why sure. Whatcha need, kid?"
"Me and Damsel wrote a song and we kind of hoped that we could perform it here" Cone said, holding up a piece of paper with words on it. "You think your piano player can set a tune to this?"
Medda looked over the works and smiled widely. "This is the perfect song to sing here. I'll get Fred on coming up with a tune right away." She scampered off with the paper.
Cone just stood there for a little while just thinking until she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find two girls around her age standing behind her. "Hi" she greeting.
"Hi, your Coneflower, right?" the blonde girl asked.
Cone nodded. "Yes, that's me."
"Medda told us to come and help you. She's already got Fred making music to your song" the other girl said.
"Really? That quick?" Cone looked surprised.
"Yes!" the blonde girl said enthusiastically with a smile. "Oh, we forgot to mention our names. I'm Dot." She shook Cone's hand.
"And I'm Shadow" the other girl said and shook Cone's hand also.
"Do you two work here?"
"Yes, we do" Shadow answered. Cone looked at her a little surprised. "Oh, not like that!" She flushed, as well as Dot.
"Shadow is the seamstress for Medda and I'm the cookie baker!" Dot smiled, happily, as she pulled some cookies out of her pocket. "Want one?" She held a cookie in front of Cone's face.
"Sure!" Cone took the cookie and started eating. "So, what'd you want again?"
Shadow held up her needle and thread. "We've come to sew your costume."
Cone's face went blank. "Huh?"
"Um…I don't think this is a good idea" Damsel whimpered a little as Shadow sewed together the green material on her puffy sleeve.
"Are you sure Mr. Snyder won't come in here? Or what about his goonies?" Pearl asked sitting in a big orange chair with her blue satin dress already one.
"Y'know, Medda has some very interesting taste" Copper remarked, staring strangely at the flower patterned wall paper.
"Counting flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all" Cone sang out of no where ((that's a real song too!!)).
"Where'd that come from?" Clink asked, waiting at the dressing room door for someone to walk in.
Cone shrugged. "I have no clue."
"Hello?" Jewel shouted from huge purple couch. "What if Mr. Snyder comes in here while you guys are performing?"
"I don't think he'd recognize us with all this make-up on. We look like prostitutes" July remarked, as she stood in front of the mirror.
Medda had gotten some of the girls to be part of the show, singing and dancing to Cone and Damsel's song they had made up back at the boarding house. Of course, Cone had asked earlier but didn't know they'd have to dress so 'revealing'.
"Yes, we sure do" Cone replied, straightening out her corset. "but it will be the only time we do this."
"Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, this is risky" Patch exclaimed, worriedly.
Damsel sighed. "I don't think I want to."
"Ouch!" Cone screamed, as Pearl helped tie her corset closed.
All the 'what if's and groans were interrupted by the door swinging opening. "Anybody want some cookies?!" Dot yelled, entering the room with a trey of cookies. All the girls ran and collected a few.
Medda entered the room right after Dot with a huge smile. "You girls look wonderful!"
"Hey girls! Guess who's…" they heard next from the door way. Just then, Ace and PT appeared. "Uh…" they both stuttered.
"What's going on?" PT asked, walking over to the purple couch and sitting down.
"They're singing and dancing in Medda's show" Jewel replied to her.
"And why wasn't I informed of this…so I could do it too!" Ace yelled, pouting.
"You two just had to go bug the stage hands up in to rafters" Copper said, rolling her eyes.
"We couldn't help it though!" PT protested.
"Yeah, we were having a little fun" Ace said, exchange a mischievous grin with PT.
"Girls, I think you should start practicing now" Medda interrupted, pointing her pink feather at them.
Cone, Damsel, Pearl, and July got up and walked out the door behind Medda. The rest of the girls followed.
It was late-afternoon when some of the newsies arrived early at Irving Hall. The guys tried to go backstage, but Medda stopped them and told them to sit up front for a 'special' show. The newsies exchanged curious and mischievous glances.
Davey leaned close to Jack and asked, "What do you think the girls are up too?"
"I don't know" he replied, with a huge smile. "But I bet it's gonna be good."
Race smirked at the hearing his favorite word and tried to get Jack and Davey to take that bet.
The lights turned out and a spotlight shone on the center of the stage. A drum roll came out of no where, and an announcer's voice was heard. "Gentlemen, put your hands together for the newest Irving Hall show…we present to you…the Newsgirls!" The curtain cut in the middle reveal a surprise.
Coneflower was standing there in a blue, slender dress with her hair swooped up in a braid. Blink elbowed Mush who's mouth was hanging open. Whistles rang from around the room to which Mush turned around and glares at all the predecessors.
The song started… "Whoever thought I'd meet the boy of my dreams…whoever thought he'd want me…I spent my nights alone without a song in my heart…until one day…" The curtain opened up and the newsies got the shock out of their lives. Damsel, Pearl, and July were all dolled up. They started to do touch steps till they got on the side of Cone. "Now I never have to be lonely…because I have him by my side…oh oh oh…I never have to be lonely…I'll have him forever…yeah yeah…"
The song went on for another minute. But, within that minutes, something evil slithered in. Mr. Snyder and Warden Snyder came sauntering in. *gasp* Two Snyders! Mr. Snyder stared at the stage while a group of young ladies danced and sang. He squinted to see them clearer.
"They look oddly familiar" he told his brother.
Warden Snyder stared at them too. "Oh really…" his eyes fixed on the boys sitting in the front tables. "Those boys look awfully familiar too." They both exchanged evil smirks.
Meanwhile, Jake and Skittery were late getting the Irving Hall. They slip on into the door, but suddenly came right back out when something ugly caught their eye.
"Was…was…dat jist two Snyders we saw?" Jake asked, hesitantly.
Skittery nodded slowly. "Yeah."
"We should go warn da others!" The two newsies ran to the back way into the building.
After the girls had finished their song, they bowed and went back stage where the guys came walking back there.
"You goils were great!" Jack said, smiling, mainly at Pearl though.
Mush walked up to Cone. "Dat was beautiful."
"Thank you" she replied, hugging him.
"You girls were just perfect" Medda tweaked in, flittering her feather around. "But I have to go perform now. We'll talk later about you performing more."
The girls looked surprised. "Performing more?" July stuttered. "Yay!"
"Hey baby, you should perform every night." Spot smirked.
"Stop trying to butter me up!" She smacked him on the shoulder then kissed him.
"Guys!!!" Jake and Skittery came burrowing through the crowd on the backstage. "Da Snyders are heah!"
"Dere right out front!" Skitts added in.
"We better get out of here. Mr. Snyder might of brought along his croonies!" Damsel said, frantically. Blink ran over to her to comfort her.
"We didn't see anyone else wit de, but doesn't mean dey didn't bring anyone." Skittery said. Everyone started to find each other so they could leave before the Snyders found them. Skittery looked around for PT. "Where's PT?"
"Oh no!" July gasped. "Her and Ace went to go talk to that stagehand guy somewhere around here."
"We gotta go find 'em!" Racetrack looked a little panicked now.
"We'll go search on the other side of the stage!" Cone yelled, running off with Mush behind the curtain. Racetrack and Skittery went to look upstairs while the others snuck out to the alleyway.
"Dang it, where could dey be?" Mush sighed in frustration.
"Oh no telling when it's Ace involved." Cone held Mush's hand as they started back to the right side of the stage where the others were. They stopped when they saw that the others weren't there. "Okay, where'd they go?"
"Maybe they left you high and dry to deal with us" an wicked voice came out of the darkness of the backstage. The two were horrified when the two Snyders came out of no where. Mr. Snyder was holding a gun on them.
Cone's grip on Mush's hand grew tenser as he pushed her behind him acting as a shield. The two Snyders laughed at this act of chivalry.
Mr. Snyder snorted. "You thought that you could escape me, Coneflower. I always knew where you girls were. I thought it was quit hilarious that you all were befriending these newsies which were my brother's most hated foes." He cocked the gun.
"You've caused me enough trouble Coneflower. I think we should end this little fiasco right now" Warden Snyder threw in, throwing his head back and laughing.
"Were ya plannin' on endin' it da coward way 'er take all us down at once." Mush and Cone let out a sigh of relief when they saw the rest of the gang standing behind the two Snyders with various large, heavy object in their hands just waiting for the Snyders to make a move.
Spot cracked a smirk. "Go ahead, make our day."
The Snyders stood there for a moment staring at all the newsies and the girls. Mush took the opportunity to pull Cone to a safer place - away from the aim of Mr. Snyder's gun.
"What is going on here?!" Medda screeched, seeing the scene. She spied the gun, and immediately called for help. Some of her big thug looking guy came.
After a while, the policed arrived and the two Snyders were carted off to jail with evil smirks on their faces. The newsie guys and their girls rest in the now empty Irving Hall. The police had questioned mainly the girls, finding out about the boarding house. They proclaimed that the girls were now free to live the life they should. Everyone was overjoyed.
"Now where do we go?" Jewel asked, frowning at the thought of going back to live at the boarding house.
"Yeah, we can't go back to the boarding house!" July chimed in.
"You couldn't get me to go back there even if you paid me a thousand dollars" Copper commented, wrinkling her nose.
"Y'know goils" Jack started with Pearl sitting conveniently on his lap. "Ya can come live at da lodgin' house wit us and be newsies too."
Kid Trey lit up. "Yeah! We can turn the attic into a bunkroom for ya'll and teach ya'll how ta be newsies!"
"That would be great!" Patch exclaimed, kissing Trey on the cheek.
"Then we'd all be together all the time!" Damsel added. She looked at Blink, and blushed at her outburst.
"Wait!" July stopped everything. "But, Spot lives in Brooklyn. I wouldn't get to see him much."
Spot nodded. "Dat's true, but how 'bout ya come wit me ta Brooklyn?"
"Really?!" A smile came across July's face, but disappeared. "But, I don't want to leave Patch and Damsel and Cone and Copper and all of them! They're like my sister."
"Den I'll jist have ta make it a habit a comin' ta Manhattan" Spot smirked.
"Sounds good to me." July mirrored his smirk, and they started to make out…what else is new.
"Hey! Get a room!" Skittery called from the stage. He and PT had been up there together. But not really talking like they usually did.
"Get a room, yaself!" Spot called back, mockingly.
"It's gettin' late. We should be headin' back before Kloppman locks us out da house" Racetrack commented, knowing exactly what happens when you get back to the lodging house late.
"And, we need to go start a poker game!" Ace grinned. "Will we be sharing a washroom with you boys?"
"Uh…ya gonna have ta" Race replied.
"Yeah, 'cause we only have one" Jack added in.
Ace jumped up. "Oh me on my, what fantastic news!"
The gang piled out of Irving Hall going the direction of the lodging house. Everything was great now.
"Mush…" Cone murmured, as they walked at the end of the gang - holding hands. "Did you push me behind you tonight out of impulse or were you protecting me?"
Mush stopped, looking her in the eyes. "I did dat to protect ya. I love ya, Cone." Then he kissed her.
"Aww…Mushie, I love you too." He grinned that goofy grin at her, and they started walking behind the gang again. Cone laid her head on his shoulder. "I have a feeling that nothing will ever split any of us apart now."
The End!