"50 papes" Blink smacked his coin on the counter and turned to his friend Mush. "Betcha I'se can out sell yah b'fore lunch at Tibby's!"
"Yah my ass youse can out sell me, yer on." Mush smiled at the thought of easy money.
"Hay, none if yah would be make'n a bet widout lett'n me in on a piece of da action now would yah?" Race remarked as he made his way over to the two friends.
"Nah, I was jist sett'n blink 'ear strait. He seems unusually convinced dat he kin outsell me! So what a we's bett'n on?" Mush curiously eyed blink.
" Hows about… a dime?" Blink replied after a pause. He was deep in thought 'bout how he was going to sell all his papes when a girl walked into the circulation aria. Blink quickly looked around him. None of the other guys had seemed to notice her yet, which gave Blink the advantage. He headed towards her oblivious to whatever Mush was rambling on about.
" Hay. Me names Blink." He reached out to shake her hand but she just stared at it.
" Well why yah tell'n me?" she retorted.
" Well I'se jist being friendly, yah don't have to bite me head off." Blink stared at her. She had blue gray eyes, kinda like spot, but not so demanding. Her hair was dark blond, almost golden, and her nose was strait and just ever so slightly upturned, you know enough to be cute without looking snobbish. Actually, she kinda looked a lot like Spot except she didn't share his thin wiry figure. This girl didn't look at all boyish, and she wasn't to thin either. She wasn't plump, but she didn't look like she had been starving or anything.
" Well its been nice an' all, but I gotta get me papes." And with that she turned on her heal sending her shoulder length, slightly wavy, hair in all directions as she spun, heading in the direction of the line of newsies waiting for there papes.
Jack strode over to blink with a confused look on his face, " Who's dat? And where's she goin?"
Blink stood stunned for a moment before clueing into what Jack had asked. " I have no idea, but she looks an awful lot like Spot." He drifted off in thought.
"Nah," Jack shook his head " but no one sells in my territory widout lett'n me know. Dats includin' goils. Jack set off towards the stranger followed by Blink and a growing group of curious newsies that had been watching.
"40 papes," the girl flicked two dimes through the bars onto the counter.
Morris smiled and nodded to his brother at he girl. Oscar came over with a cynical smile on his face. "What's a beautiful young goil doin want'n ta sell papes like deys hear bums?"
"Ah, cut the crap youse two, and give me my papes." She said slightly annoyed
" Aw come on sweet face, how's about a trade? I give's yah what you want and you gives me what I want." Oscar smiled as he looked her up and down. She had on a light blue skirt, dark blue sash, a dingy pinkish long sleeved undershirt and a grayish blue men's shirt left open, with the bottom tied in a knot at her waist and the sleeves rolled up to her elbows.
She giggled a little, smiled sweetly and motioned for Oscar to come closer to her. She stood up on her toes so her face met level with his. " how's about…" Her smile faded and the sweet sing song voice she was using turned into a dangerous hiss as she reached through the iron bars grabbing Oscar by his shirt collar and slamming him forward. " How's about yah tell yer liddle friend 'ear ta give me my papes… NOW" she growled.
Morris shoved the papers at her and as she grabbed them Oscar reached through the bars and shoved her harshly, sending her stumbling backwards off the ramp right onto the crowd of newsie spectators that had gathered to watch the strange girl.
" why you liddle … " she struggled to get off the boys she landed on, to a standing position.
"Hay, hay there. Youse better calm yerself liddle missy. Yah could'a gotten yerself hoit!" Jack said grabbing on to one of her shoulders.
She slowly turned to face the Boy who dare hold her back " excuse me? Did I jist hear yah call me liddle missy? Cause if I ain't mistaken, I think I'se older den you!"
The group of newsboys laughed , she had a young face and looked maybe 14. The laughing boys only made her more angry as she stood fuming in the crowd.
"Well yah aint neva gonna git out of da distribution center talk'n ta Jack like dat." Race piped up from beside her.
She picked up the papers that scattered when she fell, and dug into her pocket fishing out a matchbox. Taking out a single match and sticking it in the side of her mouth, she lazily looked up at the group of newsboys before her. " What's it to you anyways?" She looked strait at Jack studying him.
"Yah, nice ta meet'cha too." The newsies laughed, "I'se Jack Kelly, da leada of the Manhattan newsies. An' if yer gonna sell papes in my hear territory, I kinda likes ta know about it. So what's yer name?"
" An what if I don't wanna tell yah? " She looked at him slightly annoyed.
" Well… den I'se jist gonna have ta soak yah fer bein' hear!" Jack cautiously took a step forwards as if daring her to take the challenge as the newsies cheered.
" Jack, common, she's jist a goil." Blink yelled from the back of the crowd making his way to Jacks side.
The girls mouth dropped at this comment 'yer right Lefty, she thought to herself, cute but a liddle slow'. " Listen Cyclops, I aint just a goil, an I can take care of meself." She stated matter-o-factly.
" Dats it," Jack shook his head," I'se had enough of this. Blink, I need yah ta bring her ta da lodge'n house. I needs ta have a liddle talk wit dis one."
Blink nodded and headed towards the girl as Jack handed his papers to David and Les to sell for the day. The girl just looked at Blink with a curious smile on her face and she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Like I said b'fore, I'se Blink. Yah wanna tell me yer name?"
"No" she replied bluntly.
"Alright, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Yer choice." He waited but she kept silently standing there with her arms crossed. "Fine." He reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the large gate of the distribution center. She didn't like this at all, and decided to do something about it.
"Hay! Let go 'a me yah big ofe!" she roughly, with some deal of difficulty, pulled her arm from his grasp and the match fell out of her mouth as she aimed a punch at his jaw. He just barely dodged it and grabbed her around the waist from behind.
"The hard way it is," Blink managed to say as the girl was twisting and kicking the air, flailing her arms to get out of his tight grip. This was quickly getting the attention of all the other newsies from around the distribution center.
"Let me go …NOW!" she was yelling at Blink who was trying to hold onto this wild girl without getting hit by one of her flying limbs.
Blink could see Mush out of the corner of his eye laughing at his struggle with the girl." A liddle help hear Mush?" Blink yelled at his friend who quickly came to the rescue by grabbing a hold of her legs.
"AHHHH……… I'll soak yah both!"
She screamed a variety of profanities and phrases all the way to the lodging house, which thankfully for Blink and Mush, was only a couple of blocks away.
Jack was already in the bunkroom when he heard the yelling coming from downstairs. He smiled to himself at the girl who did kinda look like Spot Conlon, and had the vigor to match it. He was glad he sent Boots and Race down to Brooklyn so Spot could come and check this out for himself.
Blink and Mush walked to the center if the bunkroom and dropped the struggling girl on the floor with a 'thud'.
She dug into her shirt pocket bringing out another match to chew on, and got to her feet, just standing in the middle of the room where she had been dropped.
"Look. You obviously aint been around long, which is fine, but yah got to tell me who yah are. I'se gots ta protect the territory, yah understand?" Jack stated trying to reason with her. "So whats yer name?"
She looked at him for a second before answering reluctantly, "Matches. Me names Matches"
"Damn goil. It took all of that's jist at get yer name out of yah?" Blink said rubbing his bruised shins.
"What kin I say. I aint used ta tak'n orders. Look ken I go now? I gots ta git back ta me friend, and find me papes I dropped before I was so rudely abducted." She scowled at the 3 boys in the room and stalked out of the door, but as soon as she stepped out of the doorway she saw something that made her step back into the room.
"Spot was jist down the street Jack. He was coming ta visit anyways" Race exclaimed.
"Who are you?" Matches demanded as Spot stood in the doorway blocking her only way out.
Spot ignored the girl and turned to Jack, leaning himself against the doorframe. "Tak'n in strays again Jacky-Boy?" Jack suppressed a smile.
"Who are yah call'n a stray?" Matches challenged as she headed towards him. "Look. I gots places ta be." She tried to slip past him but he pushed her roughly back into the room. She stumbled backwards and landed on her ass.
"Such grace! I'se Spot Conlon, leadah a Brooklyn. Yah look familiar."
"Dats cause she looks like yah Spot!" Boots piped up from the corner.
Spot bent down to get a closer look at the girl who sat glaring at him from the floor.
"Kin I help it if he looks like a goil?" Matched scrambled to her feet and looked around the room at the newsies trying desperately not to laugh at her comment.
"Now look 'ear goil," Spot said threateningly through clenched teeth, "didn't yer mudda ever tell yah ta respect yer elders?"
"Damn, whats with the age thing? How old d'yah think I am?" Matches threw her hands up in the air exasperated.
All the newsies in the room just stared at her shocked until Spot interrupted the silence.
"Hay, now no respectable goil goes around swer'n like that……"
"Who said I was respectable?" She raised an eyebrow
Spot smirked and just shook his head.
"Look, dat all? Cause I gots things ta do, an I still want me papes back. I cant jist afford ta give away two dimes like that." Matches put her hands on her hips.
Jack cleared his throat, "Yah sure, but if youse gonna sell in my hear territory youse gonna have ta be one of me newsie." He leaned back against the wall calmly.
"No one owns me an I plans on keep'n it that way. B'sides me an Lefty kin take care of ourselves."
"Wait a sec, deres more a you?" Blink had an exasperated look on his face.
"No, I'se me own poison…. But I do gots me a friend, who might, I add, be a little worried 'bout me seeing as I aint got back to 'er yet." Matches had calmed down considerably since she was first dropped in the room, but did not dare let off her guard.
"Alright well tell us where she is an me an Race'll go git 'er. Spot'll stay hear wit yah. Boots, Mush, go sell yer papes. We'll all meet at Tibby's fer lunch." Jack turned to Matches again, "So wheres yer liddle friend?"
"Liddle friend……" Matches mumbled laughing to herself. "You kin try, but I don't think she'll go wit'cha. Were a lot alike!"
"Well that's it, I'm gett'n outta here b'fore I get hoit!" and with that Blink grabbed the sleeve of Mush's shirt and dragged him towards the door.
"Blink, wait! Remember that favor yah owe me?" Jack smiled at the look on Blinks face.
"Oh no! Jack, com'on. Don't be like this. Anything but this!" Blink pleaded.
"Sorry Blink. I need yah ta stay and watch Matches here while Race and I go git her friend."
"What about Spot? He can handle her!"
"Dats what I'm afraid of" Jack mumbled looking at Matches and Spot giving each other death stares.
"Oh… fine" Blink sulked as he dragged his feet across the room, back to his bunk and jumped up on it lying on his stomach, he closed his eyes. Well at least I kin git meself a little more sleep… if she wasn't so damn stubborn… Blink drifted off in thought.
Jack and the others left after Matches told Race where to find her friend Lefty and what she looked like.
Spot settled himself in a chair across the room playing with his cane, watching Matches carefully. She shuffled uncomfortably.
"Where yah from Goil?" Spot eyed her curiously.
"Da names Matches… BOY" she emphasized the last word, "I'se been around."
She slowly looked around the room, her eyes resting on the sleeping boy in one of the beds. She walked over to where Blink lie and stopped in front of his face. Spot watched curiously from the corner. Matches leaned in close studying his features. He's not to bad looking she though, maybe even cute? "Hum" she added thoughtfully, although a bit to loudly as Blink opened his eyes to see the girl staring at him, inches from his face, and jumped.
"Ahhargh" Blink yelped as he rolled right off his top bunk and onto the floor with a 'thud' at which point Spot fell off his chair laughing hysterically.
"Hay, I'se sorry," Matches stifled her laughter to show that she was sincere and bent down to see if he was all right.
"What the hell was yah doi'n?" Blink was sprawled on the floor on his back squinting in pain.
"Well…I…" she hushed her voice to a soft whisper and crouched beside him. " I.. I jist wanted ta apologize fer all da stuff I said. Yah was jist tryi'n ta be nice… but you know how it is on da streets, if someone's be'n nice dey usually want sumtin fer it. Sorry" she said the last part almost inaudible as she righted herself offering to help him up.
He took her hand, "Ok, whatever. Its all right."
She let go of his hand and looked down at her own. It was almost black with dirt and city grime. She touched he face and wondered if it looked the same.
"Um… Blink?"
"Yah what?" He asked still angry.
"You wouldn't have … like showers or sumtin here would yah?" she asked hopefully.
His face softened a little. "Well yah sure. You can use them if you want, there right through there." He pointed towards the washrooms.
The thought of being clean for the first time since a couple of months ago, when she and Lefty went swimming in the freezing waters of the east river, got her extremely hyper and excited.
She kind of yelped, letting out a happy sound and smiled for the first time at Blink. She hoped on the spot twice and quickly, without thinking, kissed him on the cheek dashing like a bolt towards the showers laughing.
"Alright, did I miss something?" Spot sauntered over.
"I don't know, but if you find out don't forget to tell me." Blink stared in the direction Matches had fled before shrugging at Spot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MEANWHILE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hay Jack, I think I'se found 'er." Race shouted from the mouth of an alley not too far from Central Park.
Lefty, who was sitting on a trash can banning her legs on the side, contemplating reasons why Matches hadn't shown up yet, jumped at the voice as a strange Italian boy headed towards her. Lefty immediately jumped off and backed away.
Damn it matches, where are you?
"Where are yah Race?" cane a voice from outside the alley.
"Right here. I think I's got her!" The boy sounded a little to happy about this for Lefty's liking.
" Oh no you don't!" Lefty retorted as she flung her fist hard into his left cheek, catching him off guard, and sending him to the ground. Lefty took this as her chance to run. She ran right out of the alley and into the front of some strange boy. Lefty fell to the ground with an 'oophf' and the boy staggered back a couple of steps.
"Sorry miss," he said as he offered his hand to help her up," Lefty … is it?" he asked hopefully.
"How… ?" she questioned as she looked into his face, immediately deciding this was the most handsome man on the face of this earth, her lips curving into a goofy smile.
"Uh…da names Jack Kelly" he looked around unsure of himself. "Matches told us where you might be. She's at the lodging house" He looked down at the girl in front of him. She had ragged shoulder length hair like her friend, but Lefty's was completely strait and more of an auburn colour. She wore pants instead of a skirt but the salmon colored men's shirt was worn in the same style as Matches.
"Why's she dere? Did she get in more trouble?" Lefty sighed as she remembered how feisty her friend could get.
"No, not really. Just a misunderstanding. She said you would be worried about her so we volunteered to find you. She said you probably wouldn't come with us but… "
"Yah I'll follow you" Lefty interrupted looking up at Jack trying not to look weird. Jack didn't seem to notice. He was to busy wondering what Lefty would like without all the dirt on her face when Lefty got a confused look to her. "We? Us? Who's wit yah?"
Just then Racetrack bound out of the alley and towards Lefty who took this as an opportunity to hide behind Jack.
"What da hell was dat all about?" Race yelled attracting attention by passers by.
"Well what would you think if some strange guy came up to yah talking to an invisible poison say'n 'I tink I's got her' ?…… WELL?" She was becoming more sure of herself and had ventured away from her hiding place behind Jack.
"Whatever. I'm going back." Race muttered angrily as he pushed past her. Jack was trying to stifle his laughter as the two followed Race back to the lodging house.
Race bound angrily up the stairs and through the bunkroom door flopping down on his bunk.
"Hay, nice shina, where'd yah get that?" Blink pointed out
"Shut up"
Just then Jack came in with some strange girl.
"Hay…" Lefty asked skeptically "Where's Matches?" She looked around at the two other boys lounging in the room.
Blink subconsciously touched his cheek and looked down at the ground, "Uh… she just went to take a shower. We said it was ok, that ok wit'chu Jack?"
"Yah sure, "he turned to Lefty "you look like you could use one too."
Lefty laughed, "Oh do I ever" and with that she eagerly dashed into the washroom.
"Come on guys, lets go downstairs an wait fer th'm" Jack lead the way to the front room.
A little while later they all heard talking coming from upstairs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~UPSTAIRS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Lefty what did they do ta make ya follow dem? Did dey hoit yah?" Matches asked her friend worried for her safety as she grabbed Lefty's arms and checked it for bruises
Lefty laughed "No, nutting like that dey said you told them where to find me and that you said I might be worried about yah, which I was, so I went wit Jack" she got a far off look to her when she mentioned his name.
Matches threw her arms in the air as if to ask God why? "Lefty" she started sternly "It coulda been a trap! You know better! Yah could've been hoit!" Matches turned to the sink and tried to get some of the grime off her skirt.
"Matches, are you blind? Did you see Jack?" Matches glanced over at her friend who was waving her arms about her face.
"yah, what of him?"
"What of him?" She practically screamed. She lowered her voice to a whisper looking around "he's gorgious! I'd be crazy to pass up an opportunity like dis, even if yah weren't 'ear!"
"Yah whatever" matches put on her skirt, which was thoroughly soaked, but clean and wrung out her hair brushing through it with the only brush she could find in the room and headed out looking a hell of a lot better then before with an equally as clean and happy Lefty in toe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~DOWNSTAIRS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"what do yah think their talk'n 'bout Jack? What of who?" Blink asked. They had heard Lefty scream part of the girls conversation and were going out of their mind thinking of what was going on up there.
"Well how am I supposed to know? I can't read minds" Jack trailed off as the two girls, looking a whole lot nicer and cleaner came bounding down the stairs laughing
"No way" Blink, Spot, Race and Jack all mumbled at approximately the same time.(cause we don't want it to seem unrealistic!)
Matches and Lefty stood talking to each other not noticing the four boys across the room. Lefty's hair was lighter looking than before and her skin was tanned and slightly burnt by the early summer sun. Other than that she was as beautiful as ever. Her shape just right, not plump, not thin. Matches hair was lighter blond than Blink originally thought. Her skin was more pale and her face was lightly sprinkled with freckles. The long skirt that touched the ground was sopping wet, leaving small puddles as she walked.
"Yer supposed to take your clothes off 'b'fore tak'n a shower" Spot quipped at the sight of her long wet garment.
Matches rolled her eyes "Don't think dat just 'cuz I'se where'n a skoit dat I can't hold me own"
Lefty just laughed with the boys at her comment "pftt" spot let out "maybe Lefty 'ear could hold her own but youse where'n a skoit yah can't do nutth'n"
"Uh actually, dats why she's da one were'n da skoit," Lefty interrupted.
Everyone waited for her to go on while Matches leaned against the banister looking around, occasionally glancing at Blink from time to time. 'I'll have to draw him for sure, there's just something about him…. God, I'm becoming pathetic …. Lefty shoot me now!' She thought as Lefty continued.
"Yah see, I'se more quiet. I'se da one a us dat thinks 'bfore talk'n," Matches shot her friend a glare, "and well, if Matches looked a little higher in da social class, she could get away with more a da stuff she says. Most guys ain't apt ta hit a goil." Lefty smiled hoping Jack would see her.
"Well yah coitenly don't act higher in da social class da way yah jist jumped up ta kiss Blink bout 20 minutes ago" Spot jumped in trying to anger Matches. He didn't know why but she was sort of fun to piss off, just to see if you can.
"What?" Race jumped in the conversation for the first time.
Blink blushed, "It was jist on the cheek when I said she could get all cleaned up. She got all hyper and … well …" Blink instantly found his worn shoes extremely interesting.
Jack was starring between his friend and the new girl with the ever-present match in her mouth, who had stayed completely silent, avoiding the gazes of others the whole time. "Right… anyways we all gots ta go sell our papes. Race, since you'se da only one who hasn't eidder been kissed, threatened 'er screamed at by Matches…. You go wit her. Spot, you must have sumt'n ta talk wit me 'bout else you wouldn't be here.. so Blink'll go wit Lefty. Got that? Good."
"Now wait a minute. I don't need ta sell wit anybody. No offence Race." She blurted out after Jack.
"Uh... none taken I guess." Race stared at Matches, who didn't seem all that friendly and he didn't really want to sell with her but he knew it would probably end up that way.
" Look kid, you and Race are about the same age, sell yer papes wit 'im. Who knows, maybe even you could make friends." And with that Jack and Spot walked off to wherever.
It was nearly 7am "Come on goil we're already late. We aint never gonna git nothin' done at this rate." And with that Matches reluctantly let Race pull her onto the streets of New York, but not before Lefty gave her a look that told her to behave. If only for a couple of hours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matches was calling out her headlines and she wasn't too bad either, though she wasn't the greatest but she never let Race help her with it. He fumbled around in his pocket for a match with which to light his cigar.
"Damn" he mumbled to himself. Then turned towards Matches still searching his pockets. "Got a light by any chance?" He mumbled.
Matches laughed which caused a confused Race to look at her. She pointed to the match in her mouth before striking it against a nearby building and lighting his cigar for him.
"Don't I always?" she quipped, replacing the burnt match with a fresh one, chewing on it lightly.
Race looked over at her. She was smiling brightly, as she seemed to almost charm most of the younger men into buying her papes from her. She seemed somewhat hyper at times, talking very fast and Race swore that if it weren't for all those trips to the races he wouldn't understand a word she was saying.
"So, what was that all about?" Race asked just after a short pause.
"What?" she asked looking strait ahead.
"You were all mean and … well … you know," mean and bitchy is what, Race added in his head, although he would never say that out loud.
"Look, take the time ta git ta know me and I kin be real nice, but when I gits abducted by strange boys fer no reason I tend ta git a liddle pissed. I jist don't like ta come off as no pushover yah know? I kin take care of meself." She turned to face Race, "How old do yah think I am?"
Race looked at her strangely, "What?"
"Jist, how old do I look?"
"Well," Race started slowly, "Jack said dat…"
"No… not what Jack thinks. How old do YOU think I am?" Matches put her free hand on her hip.
"I don't know, I'd say youse around da same age as Snitch. 15 or sumtin' around dat." Race nodded slightly assuring himself he was right.
Matches smiled broadly, "and what about Lefty? How old do you think she is?"
"Lefty?" Race asked thinking about it for a second, "she's gotta be about more Jack, or Blinks age. 18."
Matches started to laugh, only confusing Race further.
"So that's why I keep gitt'n told ta respect me elders," she said more to herself than to anyone else.
"Then how old are you?" Race asked curiously.
Matches smirked, " I guess you'll neva find out huh!"
"I'll neva understand you goils."
Matches laughed as the two headed towards Tibby's.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BLINK & LEFTY~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So you know what yer doin?" Blink asked as they headed towards the busy market place with Leftys half of the 40 papes Matches bought.
"Not a clue." Lefty replied without hesitation.
Blink stopped in his tracks to stare at Lefty, "What?"
Lefty looked down at her shoes, "Well Matches always was the one to do stuff like that. You know thinking up stories and that."
Blink sighed, "OK well it aint that hard. Yah jist either gotta find sumthin interesting dat yah tink people would take an interest to, or yah gotta make one of da headlines seem interust'n."
Lefty looked down at her small stack of papers that seemed impossibly large to her, and back at Blink with a look of udder hopelessness on her face.
"Look, try this, what could you do ta make dis seem interust'n?"
Lefty looked at what he was pointing at ' John Warrin, rodent exterminator called to Manhattan by mayor" she read out loud. "Whats this about?"
"Oh." Blink started, "Its all about how da mayor has a problem wit da rats and 'es called in dis special guy ta git rid of 'em. Nothin special?"
"And I'm supposed ta make that inta sumthin peoples gonna wanna buy?" Lefty asked skeptically, "How the hell is I supposed to do that?"
"Well say something like Serial killer heads towards Manhattan - hundreds suspected to die." As he yelled his headline a bunch of men came over to buy papes from Blink, two even got one off of Lefty.
"Just like that?" Lefty stared at him as he handed another pape to a business man.
"Yup. Just like that now you go try, same story."
"Alright…" and she headed off on her own. An hour later Blink came up to check on her. She looked like she hadn't sold any.
"Are yah even trying?" Blink laughed.
"I am," Lefty wined, "But I told yah. I aint no good at imaginative stuff." She sighted frustrated.
"Alright …. Lets go ta Tibby's fer lunch." And with that, they were gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TIBBY'S~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Race and Matches arrived first and tucked themselves into a large booth in the corner. Race found out that she was fun to be around when she wasn't mad, and Matches, although she resented the fact everyone thought she was like 15 when she was actually 18, found a friend in Race.
"How do you know how ta sell papes? I aint neva seen yah round deys here pawts." Race said trying to strike up some sort of conversation.
"Well it aint dat hard. If yah do it like I do, most a its jist charm. Yah jist ask nicely, bat yer eyelashes. Or if dat don't woik, make sumtin up. Most a da time it woiks. I can sell ta almost any guy dat way. Call it a gift"
"Nope… batt'n me eyelashes neva woiked for me." Matches laughed at Race. She loved his sense of humor, she could tell they'd be friends.
"Bet'cha I kin sell a pape ta anyone you point at! I gots me one left."
Race smiled and chuckled. "Yah found me only weakness. Yer on." Race looked out the window and spotted a man of about 20 buying an apple off a vendor and an all too familiar something rolled up under his arm. He pointed in that direction. " How bout him."
With that Matches scurried out of the restaurant and over to the man. "Excuse me sir." The man turned to face her. "I'm awfully sorry to disturb you, but I was sent by my father to run a couple of errands, and I only had enough money for them. I must sound terribly gullible for falling for it, but I got tricked into buying a paper from a newsboy down the street, and I have not enough money to bring my father the lunch he sent me for. You wouldn't happen to want to buy this paper off me would you?" Her eyes wide with the saddest look she could muster up and blinked a couple of times for affect.
The man looked down at her and said, "I'm awfully sorry miss, but I myself bought one from that same newsboy." Holding up a rolled up paper.
"Oh please sir, My father will be ever so angry with me, and I do want to please him so." She lightly touched his arm looking up at him with a pleading look. I got him now
"Well… I suppose this time, but do be more careful next time miss." And he handed her a penny.
"Yes sir, thank you sir." And she practically skipped back to the restaurant penny in hand.
"How did you … he already had a pape. And he still bought yours. How did you do that?" Race exclaimed with wide eyes.
"I guess dats me own little secret aint it!" Matches smiled.
Just then Jack and Spot entered meandering over to where Race and Matches sat. Jack sat next to Race and Spot slid in next to Matches.
"I was hoping you wouldn't do that." Matches made up her mind that she didn't like Spot much.
Spot just smiled, "I know!"
Just then Blink and Lefty walked in. Blink had his arm slung around her. Matches felt a little jealous but brushed it off. Lefty was still holding a stack of, say, 13 papers.
"So how'd it go?" Jack looked up at the as he smiled at the handful of papers still in Leftys arms.
"She's hopeless," Blink laughed, "Didn't sell any on her own!"
"Uhhh…," Lefty let out a groan, " It aint like I didn't try none!" she fell into the seat next to Jack dropping her remaining papers on the table. "Now I aint got no money fer me lunch."
Matches laughed, "Its alright Lefty, I'll do it. Be back in a sec boys." She moved to slide out of the booth but Spot sat in her way. "Could yah move yah lazy bum!?!"
"Where do yah think yer going? We don't want you running off now!" Spot glanced at her sideways.
"Wit me friend Here I'll come back I promise!" Spot didn't move, "Look, I'll even give Race all da money I made taday. I'll be back when I see da odder newsies." Still Spot stayed. No one was saying anything so Matches grabbed her little change purse and through it to Race, "And I know how much is in der so don't try anything." Race just smiled and shook his head. Matches ducked under the table hitting one of Spots knees. He kicked her back hitting her in the stomach.
"Sorry… reflexes" he snickered from above the table.
She stood up and grabbed the papers on the table, glaring at Spot. "Be back in a bit Lefty!" and she started heading towards the front doors. A man started in and she stopped him, "Excuse me sir. Something to read with your meal?" She smiled politely.
"Well that would be nice, thank you."
And she left the store, after throwing the earned penny to Lefty.
"How'd she do that?" Blink asked a little shocked, "If I tried dat, he woulda jist ignored me, or have me t'rone out fer annoying in him er sumt'n"
"I dunno," Race said as he looked out the window, "but she's been doi'n it all day! Even sold one to a guy dat already had one when I bet her she couldn't." Race explained, "and she weren't all mean. She was real nice guys, a liddle hyper, and talks real fast, but nice."
The boys just stared at Race. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. Lefty started to laugh at the expression on there faces. They all turned to her.
Lefty continued to talk, "Yah she's always bouncing about, can be annoyingly perky, especially in da moinens. But get her mad and watch out… although," Lefty paused, "she tends to forgive easily. She can be so confusing."
"Yer tell'n me," Blink spoke up just a little to loudly and Spot burst into laughter as Jack tried to hide his smile.
Lefty continued without thinking, "… and gullible as all get out!" Lefty clasped her hand across her mouth and looked up. "Oh my gosh .. I'm so sorry . just forget I said that. You wont let her know I told you right?" The boys nodded in agreement… all but Spot who just grinned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matches smiled as she headed down the street, almost skipping. She only had one more paper left, and it had only been about twenty minutes since she left Tibby's. She was about to head back when she crashed into someone. "Oh, I'm awfully sorry sir." She put on her fake upper class accent. The boy turned around to face her and smiles mischievously.
"Well hello missy. Remember me?" Oscar reached out to grab her arm.
"Unfortunately," she mumbled to herself.
"What?" Oscar growled.
"Nothin… sorry." She decided to play it safe, she slipped on her regular street accent and decided to pour on the charm. However much it made her cringe inside. "So…… what's you name?"
"What's it to you goil?" Oscar sneered bringing his face close to hers. She tried best she could to ignore his bad breath.
"um… well, me names Matches. I was jist curious, you have such a strong grip, but I don't think you realize your strength. Your kinda hoit'n me mista!" She looked up at him with pleading eyes. He loosened his grip , still holding firmly onto her wrist.
Oscar smiled slyly, "I do, do I?"
"Oh yes," Matches elaborated in a sweet innocent voice, "I'm so sorry about this morni'n, I think we started off badly. I hope I didn't hoit yah none sir." She playfully touched his face where slight red lines could be seen. "you being so tough, I couldn't seem someone like me hoit'n yah any." Oscar just stood there, stupidly, griping her wrist. "So, sir, could yah tell me yer name? Please?" Matches batted her eyelashes lightly, rocking on back and forth on her feet, making her skirt sway lightly around her.
"Uh.. Oscar."
"Oh, that's such a hansom name. It suits you perfectly!" She shivered inwardly. Oscar let go of her hand and came back to earth.
"Yah know, youse real gorgeous sweet face."
"Aw, thank you Oscar! Hum… I was wonder'n…. I only have one last pape left. Yah wouldn't be want'n ta do me a favor and buy it from me would yah?" Matches widened her eyes, and touched his arm lightly. Lefty would like him, he looks like her type, although he's a little creepy.… she thought.
"Well… " He hesitated, "It aint like I gotta buy me papes, I get dem free yah know."
"Well… call it a favor, maybe I'll do you a favor one day" she said, not having any idea what she was getting herself into.
Oscar grinned thinking he knew what she meant, "Deal," and with that he handed her a penny and went on his way.
Bumlets, who was selling across the street, had seen the whole thing. He ran up to her, "Are you alright? Did I see what I think I saw?" His eyes were wide. "Did yah jist walk away from a Delancy witout gitt'n hoit?"
"Yup… and I sold 'im me last pape too!"
Bumlets stared, unbelieving, at her. "Hay, aren't you dat goil I saw dis morning in da Distribution Center?"
"Yah so what if I am?" Matches snapped.
"Sorry" Bumlets said.
"Aw.. its alright, lets go ta Tibby's, I'm start'n ta git hungry."
Making there way to Tibby's, Bumlets tried to get Matches to tell him her secret to selling her papers.
"I guess dats me own liddle secret and not tell'n you would make no difference."
When they finally got to Tibby's, Bumlets rushed in not making much sense at all.
"Yah soulda seen her… she sold her pape to… and got away and… she, she, she."
"Slow yerself dere, and use different woids, one after da udder." Race commented trying to make sense of what Bumlets was saying.
"I saw her with Oscar, and I was gonna help her but she got away without being hoit er nuthin, den she told me she sold him 'er last pape, too… Oscar Delancy!"
Lefty looked at the commotion and rolled her eyes thinking to herself 'only matches'.
Jack turned to Lefty, "Yer friend… she always caus'n dis much of a disturbance everywhere she goes?"
"Pretty much, always draw'n attention one way or annuder."
The two looked over as Matches started to look through one of few papes, a very annoyed Spot had left over.
"I'm start'n ta see what you mean." Jack said letting out a laugh that Lefty found absolutely adorable. She just smiled. Finally matches came over with a group of newsies following behind her. Slapping about 12 cents in pennies and a nickel on the table. Pulling a stray chair to the table she sat down remembering that Race still held her money.
"I believe yah gots sumti'n dat belongs to me." Race tossed the small change purse at Matches.
"Go ahead and check it, but you aint gonna find a diference from what it was when you gave it to me and now." Matches counted her pennies. "3 cents. Yah owe me 3 cents Race, Hand it ova." Tossing the money across the table, Race scowled at Spot, which gave the impression that it was all Spots idea.
"Don't worry bout it Race, I know you don't need to take money from a goil" Matches chuckled at the two boys glaring at each other from there seats. Spot folded his arms and leaned back against his seat.
"Watch what you say, goil, or else."
Matches looked him up and down and laughed, "Or else what? You'll tickle me ta death?"
Spot jumped from his chair at the laughing girl, but Blink and Mush held Spot from pulverizing her. "You watch it kid, jist be careful," Spot calmed down , "Cause wit a mouth like that, I might not be da only one youse gonna be watch'n out fer." And he ripped himself from the two boy's grasps storming past her and out the door, knocking her to the ground.
Matches paced in front of the resturant with a cigarette she borrowed from Blink.
"Hay! Take it easy there girl! Not even Race inhales them that fast!"
"Back of Muttface or Butless or ……. whatever your name is."
"Bumlets."
"Whatever. Look I'm not in the mood to run around doing things to get you guys to accept me or Lefty ok. Like it or not. Just leave us alone." And with that she stormed down the cobblestone and dust filled road out of sight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dusk That Night ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lefty waked alone through central park and casually leant up against a large oak watching the low setting sun. "Warm night ain't it?" the only sound that followed was the soft cooing of the local pidgins as they settled down for the night. "You know," she continued softly, " Jack asked us to stay with them and become newsies." Silence. "And it IS a rare occasion that newsies accept anyone let alone girls to join their ranks." The leaves rustled above her sounding strangely like a low growl of disagreement. "and, if Matches had just kept her stubborn little yap shut instead of mouthing off at everyone we might have …"
"Arrgh" was the cry from above as a body rolled off a thick lower branch and landed softly in a crouching position. "I ain't doi'n no favors for no that no good street rat by following his every whim as if he owed me." Matches (stood) to her full height and glared into the distance. "I jist don't like 'em."
Lefty sighed. "Just give it a chance! Either that or its back to liv'n in the trees, and I don't know 'bout you but I'd like a night in a real bed! Beds Matches! They have real beds! We haven't slept in one of those since … We've NEVER slept in one of those! And no more stealing! We can buy our food and have proper meals. Real friends, a real life." Another sigh was heard as her shoulders slumped, " aww, hell."
Matches looked over at her distraught friend. She could see her point, it would have a lot of ups, but ups always come with downs. Like having to answer to someone, and not just anyone, but a boy! 'I'm not yet married that I have to bend my will to the whims of some guy off the street, else he might take away the bed and life I will no doubt become accustomed to in a short while.' She couldn't alter her pride like that, but she couldn't sacrifice the happiness of a friend for her pride either. "You like him don't you?"
"Huh?" lefty turned, obviously confused.
"Jack. You like him." She stated bluntly
"yah." Blushing she turned away, "He's not all that bad if yah get to know him, and a whole lot better than some of the scum we've met on the streets." she continued barely whispering "And he's not… not to hard on the eyes if yah know what I mean…"
Matches made a face. "alright you can stay."
"Yah mean yer gonna apologize? Were gonna be newsies? Alright I cant wait, Race said he'd teach us cards and I completely neglected ta mention were an ace at the table so …"
Matches caught her shoulders, "No , look. You go, go and be a newsie with Jack. I'm staying here."
"but…"
"Naw I jist cant do it. Try to understand. Not with him there"
"Come to your senses girl! Damn you and your fuck'n pride. Don't be stupid."
"If yah need me you'll know where to find me. Goodnight Lefty." And with that she jumped up grabbing a low branch and pulled herself up into the tree.
"Its gonna rain tonight! Jist come wit me! No one will mind! Sleep in a REAL bed!"
"GOODNIGHT LEFTY"
Lefty stomped away mumbling loudly under her breath. "Stubborn little wench"
"I LOVE YOU TOO RACHEL!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Twilight ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The relentless rain had drenched Matches to the bone through the night, which made the branch she was sleeping on slippery and in her restless sleep she stirred sliding right off it into the mud that stretched the ground below. She lazily sat up and spat out the mouthful of mud she acquired as a result of the fall. A drop of water fell from the tree onto her nose clearing a pink dot on her dirty face. "well at least its still raining, I'd rather be wet then wet and muddy any day" she said to no one in particular, but a quick glance at the clear sunrise before her banished all hope of a good day, and she flopped back down in the mud with a curse of frustration.
"Yah my ass youse can out sell me, yer on." Mush smiled at the thought of easy money.
"Hay, none if yah would be make'n a bet widout lett'n me in on a piece of da action now would yah?" Race remarked as he made his way over to the two friends.
"Nah, I was jist sett'n blink 'ear strait. He seems unusually convinced dat he kin outsell me! So what a we's bett'n on?" Mush curiously eyed blink.
" Hows about… a dime?" Blink replied after a pause. He was deep in thought 'bout how he was going to sell all his papes when a girl walked into the circulation aria. Blink quickly looked around him. None of the other guys had seemed to notice her yet, which gave Blink the advantage. He headed towards her oblivious to whatever Mush was rambling on about.
" Hay. Me names Blink." He reached out to shake her hand but she just stared at it.
" Well why yah tell'n me?" she retorted.
" Well I'se jist being friendly, yah don't have to bite me head off." Blink stared at her. She had blue gray eyes, kinda like spot, but not so demanding. Her hair was dark blond, almost golden, and her nose was strait and just ever so slightly upturned, you know enough to be cute without looking snobbish. Actually, she kinda looked a lot like Spot except she didn't share his thin wiry figure. This girl didn't look at all boyish, and she wasn't to thin either. She wasn't plump, but she didn't look like she had been starving or anything.
" Well its been nice an' all, but I gotta get me papes." And with that she turned on her heal sending her shoulder length, slightly wavy, hair in all directions as she spun, heading in the direction of the line of newsies waiting for there papes.
Jack strode over to blink with a confused look on his face, " Who's dat? And where's she goin?"
Blink stood stunned for a moment before clueing into what Jack had asked. " I have no idea, but she looks an awful lot like Spot." He drifted off in thought.
"Nah," Jack shook his head " but no one sells in my territory widout lett'n me know. Dats includin' goils. Jack set off towards the stranger followed by Blink and a growing group of curious newsies that had been watching.
"40 papes," the girl flicked two dimes through the bars onto the counter.
Morris smiled and nodded to his brother at he girl. Oscar came over with a cynical smile on his face. "What's a beautiful young goil doin want'n ta sell papes like deys hear bums?"
"Ah, cut the crap youse two, and give me my papes." She said slightly annoyed
" Aw come on sweet face, how's about a trade? I give's yah what you want and you gives me what I want." Oscar smiled as he looked her up and down. She had on a light blue skirt, dark blue sash, a dingy pinkish long sleeved undershirt and a grayish blue men's shirt left open, with the bottom tied in a knot at her waist and the sleeves rolled up to her elbows.
She giggled a little, smiled sweetly and motioned for Oscar to come closer to her. She stood up on her toes so her face met level with his. " how's about…" Her smile faded and the sweet sing song voice she was using turned into a dangerous hiss as she reached through the iron bars grabbing Oscar by his shirt collar and slamming him forward. " How's about yah tell yer liddle friend 'ear ta give me my papes… NOW" she growled.
Morris shoved the papers at her and as she grabbed them Oscar reached through the bars and shoved her harshly, sending her stumbling backwards off the ramp right onto the crowd of newsie spectators that had gathered to watch the strange girl.
" why you liddle … " she struggled to get off the boys she landed on, to a standing position.
"Hay, hay there. Youse better calm yerself liddle missy. Yah could'a gotten yerself hoit!" Jack said grabbing on to one of her shoulders.
She slowly turned to face the Boy who dare hold her back " excuse me? Did I jist hear yah call me liddle missy? Cause if I ain't mistaken, I think I'se older den you!"
The group of newsboys laughed , she had a young face and looked maybe 14. The laughing boys only made her more angry as she stood fuming in the crowd.
"Well yah aint neva gonna git out of da distribution center talk'n ta Jack like dat." Race piped up from beside her.
She picked up the papers that scattered when she fell, and dug into her pocket fishing out a matchbox. Taking out a single match and sticking it in the side of her mouth, she lazily looked up at the group of newsboys before her. " What's it to you anyways?" She looked strait at Jack studying him.
"Yah, nice ta meet'cha too." The newsies laughed, "I'se Jack Kelly, da leada of the Manhattan newsies. An' if yer gonna sell papes in my hear territory, I kinda likes ta know about it. So what's yer name?"
" An what if I don't wanna tell yah? " She looked at him slightly annoyed.
" Well… den I'se jist gonna have ta soak yah fer bein' hear!" Jack cautiously took a step forwards as if daring her to take the challenge as the newsies cheered.
" Jack, common, she's jist a goil." Blink yelled from the back of the crowd making his way to Jacks side.
The girls mouth dropped at this comment 'yer right Lefty, she thought to herself, cute but a liddle slow'. " Listen Cyclops, I aint just a goil, an I can take care of meself." She stated matter-o-factly.
" Dats it," Jack shook his head," I'se had enough of this. Blink, I need yah ta bring her ta da lodge'n house. I needs ta have a liddle talk wit dis one."
Blink nodded and headed towards the girl as Jack handed his papers to David and Les to sell for the day. The girl just looked at Blink with a curious smile on her face and she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Like I said b'fore, I'se Blink. Yah wanna tell me yer name?"
"No" she replied bluntly.
"Alright, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Yer choice." He waited but she kept silently standing there with her arms crossed. "Fine." He reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the large gate of the distribution center. She didn't like this at all, and decided to do something about it.
"Hay! Let go 'a me yah big ofe!" she roughly, with some deal of difficulty, pulled her arm from his grasp and the match fell out of her mouth as she aimed a punch at his jaw. He just barely dodged it and grabbed her around the waist from behind.
"The hard way it is," Blink managed to say as the girl was twisting and kicking the air, flailing her arms to get out of his tight grip. This was quickly getting the attention of all the other newsies from around the distribution center.
"Let me go …NOW!" she was yelling at Blink who was trying to hold onto this wild girl without getting hit by one of her flying limbs.
Blink could see Mush out of the corner of his eye laughing at his struggle with the girl." A liddle help hear Mush?" Blink yelled at his friend who quickly came to the rescue by grabbing a hold of her legs.
"AHHHH……… I'll soak yah both!"
She screamed a variety of profanities and phrases all the way to the lodging house, which thankfully for Blink and Mush, was only a couple of blocks away.
Jack was already in the bunkroom when he heard the yelling coming from downstairs. He smiled to himself at the girl who did kinda look like Spot Conlon, and had the vigor to match it. He was glad he sent Boots and Race down to Brooklyn so Spot could come and check this out for himself.
Blink and Mush walked to the center if the bunkroom and dropped the struggling girl on the floor with a 'thud'.
She dug into her shirt pocket bringing out another match to chew on, and got to her feet, just standing in the middle of the room where she had been dropped.
"Look. You obviously aint been around long, which is fine, but yah got to tell me who yah are. I'se gots ta protect the territory, yah understand?" Jack stated trying to reason with her. "So whats yer name?"
She looked at him for a second before answering reluctantly, "Matches. Me names Matches"
"Damn goil. It took all of that's jist at get yer name out of yah?" Blink said rubbing his bruised shins.
"What kin I say. I aint used ta tak'n orders. Look ken I go now? I gots ta git back ta me friend, and find me papes I dropped before I was so rudely abducted." She scowled at the 3 boys in the room and stalked out of the door, but as soon as she stepped out of the doorway she saw something that made her step back into the room.
"Spot was jist down the street Jack. He was coming ta visit anyways" Race exclaimed.
"Who are you?" Matches demanded as Spot stood in the doorway blocking her only way out.
Spot ignored the girl and turned to Jack, leaning himself against the doorframe. "Tak'n in strays again Jacky-Boy?" Jack suppressed a smile.
"Who are yah call'n a stray?" Matches challenged as she headed towards him. "Look. I gots places ta be." She tried to slip past him but he pushed her roughly back into the room. She stumbled backwards and landed on her ass.
"Such grace! I'se Spot Conlon, leadah a Brooklyn. Yah look familiar."
"Dats cause she looks like yah Spot!" Boots piped up from the corner.
Spot bent down to get a closer look at the girl who sat glaring at him from the floor.
"Kin I help it if he looks like a goil?" Matched scrambled to her feet and looked around the room at the newsies trying desperately not to laugh at her comment.
"Now look 'ear goil," Spot said threateningly through clenched teeth, "didn't yer mudda ever tell yah ta respect yer elders?"
"Damn, whats with the age thing? How old d'yah think I am?" Matches threw her hands up in the air exasperated.
All the newsies in the room just stared at her shocked until Spot interrupted the silence.
"Hay, now no respectable goil goes around swer'n like that……"
"Who said I was respectable?" She raised an eyebrow
Spot smirked and just shook his head.
"Look, dat all? Cause I gots things ta do, an I still want me papes back. I cant jist afford ta give away two dimes like that." Matches put her hands on her hips.
Jack cleared his throat, "Yah sure, but if youse gonna sell in my hear territory youse gonna have ta be one of me newsie." He leaned back against the wall calmly.
"No one owns me an I plans on keep'n it that way. B'sides me an Lefty kin take care of ourselves."
"Wait a sec, deres more a you?" Blink had an exasperated look on his face.
"No, I'se me own poison…. But I do gots me a friend, who might, I add, be a little worried 'bout me seeing as I aint got back to 'er yet." Matches had calmed down considerably since she was first dropped in the room, but did not dare let off her guard.
"Alright well tell us where she is an me an Race'll go git 'er. Spot'll stay hear wit yah. Boots, Mush, go sell yer papes. We'll all meet at Tibby's fer lunch." Jack turned to Matches again, "So wheres yer liddle friend?"
"Liddle friend……" Matches mumbled laughing to herself. "You kin try, but I don't think she'll go wit'cha. Were a lot alike!"
"Well that's it, I'm gett'n outta here b'fore I get hoit!" and with that Blink grabbed the sleeve of Mush's shirt and dragged him towards the door.
"Blink, wait! Remember that favor yah owe me?" Jack smiled at the look on Blinks face.
"Oh no! Jack, com'on. Don't be like this. Anything but this!" Blink pleaded.
"Sorry Blink. I need yah ta stay and watch Matches here while Race and I go git her friend."
"What about Spot? He can handle her!"
"Dats what I'm afraid of" Jack mumbled looking at Matches and Spot giving each other death stares.
"Oh… fine" Blink sulked as he dragged his feet across the room, back to his bunk and jumped up on it lying on his stomach, he closed his eyes. Well at least I kin git meself a little more sleep… if she wasn't so damn stubborn… Blink drifted off in thought.
Jack and the others left after Matches told Race where to find her friend Lefty and what she looked like.
Spot settled himself in a chair across the room playing with his cane, watching Matches carefully. She shuffled uncomfortably.
"Where yah from Goil?" Spot eyed her curiously.
"Da names Matches… BOY" she emphasized the last word, "I'se been around."
She slowly looked around the room, her eyes resting on the sleeping boy in one of the beds. She walked over to where Blink lie and stopped in front of his face. Spot watched curiously from the corner. Matches leaned in close studying his features. He's not to bad looking she though, maybe even cute? "Hum" she added thoughtfully, although a bit to loudly as Blink opened his eyes to see the girl staring at him, inches from his face, and jumped.
"Ahhargh" Blink yelped as he rolled right off his top bunk and onto the floor with a 'thud' at which point Spot fell off his chair laughing hysterically.
"Hay, I'se sorry," Matches stifled her laughter to show that she was sincere and bent down to see if he was all right.
"What the hell was yah doi'n?" Blink was sprawled on the floor on his back squinting in pain.
"Well…I…" she hushed her voice to a soft whisper and crouched beside him. " I.. I jist wanted ta apologize fer all da stuff I said. Yah was jist tryi'n ta be nice… but you know how it is on da streets, if someone's be'n nice dey usually want sumtin fer it. Sorry" she said the last part almost inaudible as she righted herself offering to help him up.
He took her hand, "Ok, whatever. Its all right."
She let go of his hand and looked down at her own. It was almost black with dirt and city grime. She touched he face and wondered if it looked the same.
"Um… Blink?"
"Yah what?" He asked still angry.
"You wouldn't have … like showers or sumtin here would yah?" she asked hopefully.
His face softened a little. "Well yah sure. You can use them if you want, there right through there." He pointed towards the washrooms.
The thought of being clean for the first time since a couple of months ago, when she and Lefty went swimming in the freezing waters of the east river, got her extremely hyper and excited.
She kind of yelped, letting out a happy sound and smiled for the first time at Blink. She hoped on the spot twice and quickly, without thinking, kissed him on the cheek dashing like a bolt towards the showers laughing.
"Alright, did I miss something?" Spot sauntered over.
"I don't know, but if you find out don't forget to tell me." Blink stared in the direction Matches had fled before shrugging at Spot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MEANWHILE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hay Jack, I think I'se found 'er." Race shouted from the mouth of an alley not too far from Central Park.
Lefty, who was sitting on a trash can banning her legs on the side, contemplating reasons why Matches hadn't shown up yet, jumped at the voice as a strange Italian boy headed towards her. Lefty immediately jumped off and backed away.
Damn it matches, where are you?
"Where are yah Race?" cane a voice from outside the alley.
"Right here. I think I's got her!" The boy sounded a little to happy about this for Lefty's liking.
" Oh no you don't!" Lefty retorted as she flung her fist hard into his left cheek, catching him off guard, and sending him to the ground. Lefty took this as her chance to run. She ran right out of the alley and into the front of some strange boy. Lefty fell to the ground with an 'oophf' and the boy staggered back a couple of steps.
"Sorry miss," he said as he offered his hand to help her up," Lefty … is it?" he asked hopefully.
"How… ?" she questioned as she looked into his face, immediately deciding this was the most handsome man on the face of this earth, her lips curving into a goofy smile.
"Uh…da names Jack Kelly" he looked around unsure of himself. "Matches told us where you might be. She's at the lodging house" He looked down at the girl in front of him. She had ragged shoulder length hair like her friend, but Lefty's was completely strait and more of an auburn colour. She wore pants instead of a skirt but the salmon colored men's shirt was worn in the same style as Matches.
"Why's she dere? Did she get in more trouble?" Lefty sighed as she remembered how feisty her friend could get.
"No, not really. Just a misunderstanding. She said you would be worried about her so we volunteered to find you. She said you probably wouldn't come with us but… "
"Yah I'll follow you" Lefty interrupted looking up at Jack trying not to look weird. Jack didn't seem to notice. He was to busy wondering what Lefty would like without all the dirt on her face when Lefty got a confused look to her. "We? Us? Who's wit yah?"
Just then Racetrack bound out of the alley and towards Lefty who took this as an opportunity to hide behind Jack.
"What da hell was dat all about?" Race yelled attracting attention by passers by.
"Well what would you think if some strange guy came up to yah talking to an invisible poison say'n 'I tink I's got her' ?…… WELL?" She was becoming more sure of herself and had ventured away from her hiding place behind Jack.
"Whatever. I'm going back." Race muttered angrily as he pushed past her. Jack was trying to stifle his laughter as the two followed Race back to the lodging house.
Race bound angrily up the stairs and through the bunkroom door flopping down on his bunk.
"Hay, nice shina, where'd yah get that?" Blink pointed out
"Shut up"
Just then Jack came in with some strange girl.
"Hay…" Lefty asked skeptically "Where's Matches?" She looked around at the two other boys lounging in the room.
Blink subconsciously touched his cheek and looked down at the ground, "Uh… she just went to take a shower. We said it was ok, that ok wit'chu Jack?"
"Yah sure, "he turned to Lefty "you look like you could use one too."
Lefty laughed, "Oh do I ever" and with that she eagerly dashed into the washroom.
"Come on guys, lets go downstairs an wait fer th'm" Jack lead the way to the front room.
A little while later they all heard talking coming from upstairs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~UPSTAIRS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Lefty what did they do ta make ya follow dem? Did dey hoit yah?" Matches asked her friend worried for her safety as she grabbed Lefty's arms and checked it for bruises
Lefty laughed "No, nutting like that dey said you told them where to find me and that you said I might be worried about yah, which I was, so I went wit Jack" she got a far off look to her when she mentioned his name.
Matches threw her arms in the air as if to ask God why? "Lefty" she started sternly "It coulda been a trap! You know better! Yah could've been hoit!" Matches turned to the sink and tried to get some of the grime off her skirt.
"Matches, are you blind? Did you see Jack?" Matches glanced over at her friend who was waving her arms about her face.
"yah, what of him?"
"What of him?" She practically screamed. She lowered her voice to a whisper looking around "he's gorgious! I'd be crazy to pass up an opportunity like dis, even if yah weren't 'ear!"
"Yah whatever" matches put on her skirt, which was thoroughly soaked, but clean and wrung out her hair brushing through it with the only brush she could find in the room and headed out looking a hell of a lot better then before with an equally as clean and happy Lefty in toe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~DOWNSTAIRS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"what do yah think their talk'n 'bout Jack? What of who?" Blink asked. They had heard Lefty scream part of the girls conversation and were going out of their mind thinking of what was going on up there.
"Well how am I supposed to know? I can't read minds" Jack trailed off as the two girls, looking a whole lot nicer and cleaner came bounding down the stairs laughing
"No way" Blink, Spot, Race and Jack all mumbled at approximately the same time.(cause we don't want it to seem unrealistic!)
Matches and Lefty stood talking to each other not noticing the four boys across the room. Lefty's hair was lighter looking than before and her skin was tanned and slightly burnt by the early summer sun. Other than that she was as beautiful as ever. Her shape just right, not plump, not thin. Matches hair was lighter blond than Blink originally thought. Her skin was more pale and her face was lightly sprinkled with freckles. The long skirt that touched the ground was sopping wet, leaving small puddles as she walked.
"Yer supposed to take your clothes off 'b'fore tak'n a shower" Spot quipped at the sight of her long wet garment.
Matches rolled her eyes "Don't think dat just 'cuz I'se where'n a skoit dat I can't hold me own"
Lefty just laughed with the boys at her comment "pftt" spot let out "maybe Lefty 'ear could hold her own but youse where'n a skoit yah can't do nutth'n"
"Uh actually, dats why she's da one were'n da skoit," Lefty interrupted.
Everyone waited for her to go on while Matches leaned against the banister looking around, occasionally glancing at Blink from time to time. 'I'll have to draw him for sure, there's just something about him…. God, I'm becoming pathetic …. Lefty shoot me now!' She thought as Lefty continued.
"Yah see, I'se more quiet. I'se da one a us dat thinks 'bfore talk'n," Matches shot her friend a glare, "and well, if Matches looked a little higher in da social class, she could get away with more a da stuff she says. Most guys ain't apt ta hit a goil." Lefty smiled hoping Jack would see her.
"Well yah coitenly don't act higher in da social class da way yah jist jumped up ta kiss Blink bout 20 minutes ago" Spot jumped in trying to anger Matches. He didn't know why but she was sort of fun to piss off, just to see if you can.
"What?" Race jumped in the conversation for the first time.
Blink blushed, "It was jist on the cheek when I said she could get all cleaned up. She got all hyper and … well …" Blink instantly found his worn shoes extremely interesting.
Jack was starring between his friend and the new girl with the ever-present match in her mouth, who had stayed completely silent, avoiding the gazes of others the whole time. "Right… anyways we all gots ta go sell our papes. Race, since you'se da only one who hasn't eidder been kissed, threatened 'er screamed at by Matches…. You go wit her. Spot, you must have sumt'n ta talk wit me 'bout else you wouldn't be here.. so Blink'll go wit Lefty. Got that? Good."
"Now wait a minute. I don't need ta sell wit anybody. No offence Race." She blurted out after Jack.
"Uh... none taken I guess." Race stared at Matches, who didn't seem all that friendly and he didn't really want to sell with her but he knew it would probably end up that way.
" Look kid, you and Race are about the same age, sell yer papes wit 'im. Who knows, maybe even you could make friends." And with that Jack and Spot walked off to wherever.
It was nearly 7am "Come on goil we're already late. We aint never gonna git nothin' done at this rate." And with that Matches reluctantly let Race pull her onto the streets of New York, but not before Lefty gave her a look that told her to behave. If only for a couple of hours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matches was calling out her headlines and she wasn't too bad either, though she wasn't the greatest but she never let Race help her with it. He fumbled around in his pocket for a match with which to light his cigar.
"Damn" he mumbled to himself. Then turned towards Matches still searching his pockets. "Got a light by any chance?" He mumbled.
Matches laughed which caused a confused Race to look at her. She pointed to the match in her mouth before striking it against a nearby building and lighting his cigar for him.
"Don't I always?" she quipped, replacing the burnt match with a fresh one, chewing on it lightly.
Race looked over at her. She was smiling brightly, as she seemed to almost charm most of the younger men into buying her papes from her. She seemed somewhat hyper at times, talking very fast and Race swore that if it weren't for all those trips to the races he wouldn't understand a word she was saying.
"So, what was that all about?" Race asked just after a short pause.
"What?" she asked looking strait ahead.
"You were all mean and … well … you know," mean and bitchy is what, Race added in his head, although he would never say that out loud.
"Look, take the time ta git ta know me and I kin be real nice, but when I gits abducted by strange boys fer no reason I tend ta git a liddle pissed. I jist don't like ta come off as no pushover yah know? I kin take care of meself." She turned to face Race, "How old do yah think I am?"
Race looked at her strangely, "What?"
"Jist, how old do I look?"
"Well," Race started slowly, "Jack said dat…"
"No… not what Jack thinks. How old do YOU think I am?" Matches put her free hand on her hip.
"I don't know, I'd say youse around da same age as Snitch. 15 or sumtin' around dat." Race nodded slightly assuring himself he was right.
Matches smiled broadly, "and what about Lefty? How old do you think she is?"
"Lefty?" Race asked thinking about it for a second, "she's gotta be about more Jack, or Blinks age. 18."
Matches started to laugh, only confusing Race further.
"So that's why I keep gitt'n told ta respect me elders," she said more to herself than to anyone else.
"Then how old are you?" Race asked curiously.
Matches smirked, " I guess you'll neva find out huh!"
"I'll neva understand you goils."
Matches laughed as the two headed towards Tibby's.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BLINK & LEFTY~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So you know what yer doin?" Blink asked as they headed towards the busy market place with Leftys half of the 40 papes Matches bought.
"Not a clue." Lefty replied without hesitation.
Blink stopped in his tracks to stare at Lefty, "What?"
Lefty looked down at her shoes, "Well Matches always was the one to do stuff like that. You know thinking up stories and that."
Blink sighed, "OK well it aint that hard. Yah jist either gotta find sumthin interesting dat yah tink people would take an interest to, or yah gotta make one of da headlines seem interust'n."
Lefty looked down at her small stack of papers that seemed impossibly large to her, and back at Blink with a look of udder hopelessness on her face.
"Look, try this, what could you do ta make dis seem interust'n?"
Lefty looked at what he was pointing at ' John Warrin, rodent exterminator called to Manhattan by mayor" she read out loud. "Whats this about?"
"Oh." Blink started, "Its all about how da mayor has a problem wit da rats and 'es called in dis special guy ta git rid of 'em. Nothin special?"
"And I'm supposed ta make that inta sumthin peoples gonna wanna buy?" Lefty asked skeptically, "How the hell is I supposed to do that?"
"Well say something like Serial killer heads towards Manhattan - hundreds suspected to die." As he yelled his headline a bunch of men came over to buy papes from Blink, two even got one off of Lefty.
"Just like that?" Lefty stared at him as he handed another pape to a business man.
"Yup. Just like that now you go try, same story."
"Alright…" and she headed off on her own. An hour later Blink came up to check on her. She looked like she hadn't sold any.
"Are yah even trying?" Blink laughed.
"I am," Lefty wined, "But I told yah. I aint no good at imaginative stuff." She sighted frustrated.
"Alright …. Lets go ta Tibby's fer lunch." And with that, they were gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TIBBY'S~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Race and Matches arrived first and tucked themselves into a large booth in the corner. Race found out that she was fun to be around when she wasn't mad, and Matches, although she resented the fact everyone thought she was like 15 when she was actually 18, found a friend in Race.
"How do you know how ta sell papes? I aint neva seen yah round deys here pawts." Race said trying to strike up some sort of conversation.
"Well it aint dat hard. If yah do it like I do, most a its jist charm. Yah jist ask nicely, bat yer eyelashes. Or if dat don't woik, make sumtin up. Most a da time it woiks. I can sell ta almost any guy dat way. Call it a gift"
"Nope… batt'n me eyelashes neva woiked for me." Matches laughed at Race. She loved his sense of humor, she could tell they'd be friends.
"Bet'cha I kin sell a pape ta anyone you point at! I gots me one left."
Race smiled and chuckled. "Yah found me only weakness. Yer on." Race looked out the window and spotted a man of about 20 buying an apple off a vendor and an all too familiar something rolled up under his arm. He pointed in that direction. " How bout him."
With that Matches scurried out of the restaurant and over to the man. "Excuse me sir." The man turned to face her. "I'm awfully sorry to disturb you, but I was sent by my father to run a couple of errands, and I only had enough money for them. I must sound terribly gullible for falling for it, but I got tricked into buying a paper from a newsboy down the street, and I have not enough money to bring my father the lunch he sent me for. You wouldn't happen to want to buy this paper off me would you?" Her eyes wide with the saddest look she could muster up and blinked a couple of times for affect.
The man looked down at her and said, "I'm awfully sorry miss, but I myself bought one from that same newsboy." Holding up a rolled up paper.
"Oh please sir, My father will be ever so angry with me, and I do want to please him so." She lightly touched his arm looking up at him with a pleading look. I got him now
"Well… I suppose this time, but do be more careful next time miss." And he handed her a penny.
"Yes sir, thank you sir." And she practically skipped back to the restaurant penny in hand.
"How did you … he already had a pape. And he still bought yours. How did you do that?" Race exclaimed with wide eyes.
"I guess dats me own little secret aint it!" Matches smiled.
Just then Jack and Spot entered meandering over to where Race and Matches sat. Jack sat next to Race and Spot slid in next to Matches.
"I was hoping you wouldn't do that." Matches made up her mind that she didn't like Spot much.
Spot just smiled, "I know!"
Just then Blink and Lefty walked in. Blink had his arm slung around her. Matches felt a little jealous but brushed it off. Lefty was still holding a stack of, say, 13 papers.
"So how'd it go?" Jack looked up at the as he smiled at the handful of papers still in Leftys arms.
"She's hopeless," Blink laughed, "Didn't sell any on her own!"
"Uhhh…," Lefty let out a groan, " It aint like I didn't try none!" she fell into the seat next to Jack dropping her remaining papers on the table. "Now I aint got no money fer me lunch."
Matches laughed, "Its alright Lefty, I'll do it. Be back in a sec boys." She moved to slide out of the booth but Spot sat in her way. "Could yah move yah lazy bum!?!"
"Where do yah think yer going? We don't want you running off now!" Spot glanced at her sideways.
"Wit me friend Here I'll come back I promise!" Spot didn't move, "Look, I'll even give Race all da money I made taday. I'll be back when I see da odder newsies." Still Spot stayed. No one was saying anything so Matches grabbed her little change purse and through it to Race, "And I know how much is in der so don't try anything." Race just smiled and shook his head. Matches ducked under the table hitting one of Spots knees. He kicked her back hitting her in the stomach.
"Sorry… reflexes" he snickered from above the table.
She stood up and grabbed the papers on the table, glaring at Spot. "Be back in a bit Lefty!" and she started heading towards the front doors. A man started in and she stopped him, "Excuse me sir. Something to read with your meal?" She smiled politely.
"Well that would be nice, thank you."
And she left the store, after throwing the earned penny to Lefty.
"How'd she do that?" Blink asked a little shocked, "If I tried dat, he woulda jist ignored me, or have me t'rone out fer annoying in him er sumt'n"
"I dunno," Race said as he looked out the window, "but she's been doi'n it all day! Even sold one to a guy dat already had one when I bet her she couldn't." Race explained, "and she weren't all mean. She was real nice guys, a liddle hyper, and talks real fast, but nice."
The boys just stared at Race. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. Lefty started to laugh at the expression on there faces. They all turned to her.
Lefty continued to talk, "Yah she's always bouncing about, can be annoyingly perky, especially in da moinens. But get her mad and watch out… although," Lefty paused, "she tends to forgive easily. She can be so confusing."
"Yer tell'n me," Blink spoke up just a little to loudly and Spot burst into laughter as Jack tried to hide his smile.
Lefty continued without thinking, "… and gullible as all get out!" Lefty clasped her hand across her mouth and looked up. "Oh my gosh .. I'm so sorry . just forget I said that. You wont let her know I told you right?" The boys nodded in agreement… all but Spot who just grinned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matches smiled as she headed down the street, almost skipping. She only had one more paper left, and it had only been about twenty minutes since she left Tibby's. She was about to head back when she crashed into someone. "Oh, I'm awfully sorry sir." She put on her fake upper class accent. The boy turned around to face her and smiles mischievously.
"Well hello missy. Remember me?" Oscar reached out to grab her arm.
"Unfortunately," she mumbled to herself.
"What?" Oscar growled.
"Nothin… sorry." She decided to play it safe, she slipped on her regular street accent and decided to pour on the charm. However much it made her cringe inside. "So…… what's you name?"
"What's it to you goil?" Oscar sneered bringing his face close to hers. She tried best she could to ignore his bad breath.
"um… well, me names Matches. I was jist curious, you have such a strong grip, but I don't think you realize your strength. Your kinda hoit'n me mista!" She looked up at him with pleading eyes. He loosened his grip , still holding firmly onto her wrist.
Oscar smiled slyly, "I do, do I?"
"Oh yes," Matches elaborated in a sweet innocent voice, "I'm so sorry about this morni'n, I think we started off badly. I hope I didn't hoit yah none sir." She playfully touched his face where slight red lines could be seen. "you being so tough, I couldn't seem someone like me hoit'n yah any." Oscar just stood there, stupidly, griping her wrist. "So, sir, could yah tell me yer name? Please?" Matches batted her eyelashes lightly, rocking on back and forth on her feet, making her skirt sway lightly around her.
"Uh.. Oscar."
"Oh, that's such a hansom name. It suits you perfectly!" She shivered inwardly. Oscar let go of her hand and came back to earth.
"Yah know, youse real gorgeous sweet face."
"Aw, thank you Oscar! Hum… I was wonder'n…. I only have one last pape left. Yah wouldn't be want'n ta do me a favor and buy it from me would yah?" Matches widened her eyes, and touched his arm lightly. Lefty would like him, he looks like her type, although he's a little creepy.… she thought.
"Well… " He hesitated, "It aint like I gotta buy me papes, I get dem free yah know."
"Well… call it a favor, maybe I'll do you a favor one day" she said, not having any idea what she was getting herself into.
Oscar grinned thinking he knew what she meant, "Deal," and with that he handed her a penny and went on his way.
Bumlets, who was selling across the street, had seen the whole thing. He ran up to her, "Are you alright? Did I see what I think I saw?" His eyes were wide. "Did yah jist walk away from a Delancy witout gitt'n hoit?"
"Yup… and I sold 'im me last pape too!"
Bumlets stared, unbelieving, at her. "Hay, aren't you dat goil I saw dis morning in da Distribution Center?"
"Yah so what if I am?" Matches snapped.
"Sorry" Bumlets said.
"Aw.. its alright, lets go ta Tibby's, I'm start'n ta git hungry."
Making there way to Tibby's, Bumlets tried to get Matches to tell him her secret to selling her papers.
"I guess dats me own liddle secret and not tell'n you would make no difference."
When they finally got to Tibby's, Bumlets rushed in not making much sense at all.
"Yah soulda seen her… she sold her pape to… and got away and… she, she, she."
"Slow yerself dere, and use different woids, one after da udder." Race commented trying to make sense of what Bumlets was saying.
"I saw her with Oscar, and I was gonna help her but she got away without being hoit er nuthin, den she told me she sold him 'er last pape, too… Oscar Delancy!"
Lefty looked at the commotion and rolled her eyes thinking to herself 'only matches'.
Jack turned to Lefty, "Yer friend… she always caus'n dis much of a disturbance everywhere she goes?"
"Pretty much, always draw'n attention one way or annuder."
The two looked over as Matches started to look through one of few papes, a very annoyed Spot had left over.
"I'm start'n ta see what you mean." Jack said letting out a laugh that Lefty found absolutely adorable. She just smiled. Finally matches came over with a group of newsies following behind her. Slapping about 12 cents in pennies and a nickel on the table. Pulling a stray chair to the table she sat down remembering that Race still held her money.
"I believe yah gots sumti'n dat belongs to me." Race tossed the small change purse at Matches.
"Go ahead and check it, but you aint gonna find a diference from what it was when you gave it to me and now." Matches counted her pennies. "3 cents. Yah owe me 3 cents Race, Hand it ova." Tossing the money across the table, Race scowled at Spot, which gave the impression that it was all Spots idea.
"Don't worry bout it Race, I know you don't need to take money from a goil" Matches chuckled at the two boys glaring at each other from there seats. Spot folded his arms and leaned back against his seat.
"Watch what you say, goil, or else."
Matches looked him up and down and laughed, "Or else what? You'll tickle me ta death?"
Spot jumped from his chair at the laughing girl, but Blink and Mush held Spot from pulverizing her. "You watch it kid, jist be careful," Spot calmed down , "Cause wit a mouth like that, I might not be da only one youse gonna be watch'n out fer." And he ripped himself from the two boy's grasps storming past her and out the door, knocking her to the ground.
Matches paced in front of the resturant with a cigarette she borrowed from Blink.
"Hay! Take it easy there girl! Not even Race inhales them that fast!"
"Back of Muttface or Butless or ……. whatever your name is."
"Bumlets."
"Whatever. Look I'm not in the mood to run around doing things to get you guys to accept me or Lefty ok. Like it or not. Just leave us alone." And with that she stormed down the cobblestone and dust filled road out of sight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dusk That Night ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lefty waked alone through central park and casually leant up against a large oak watching the low setting sun. "Warm night ain't it?" the only sound that followed was the soft cooing of the local pidgins as they settled down for the night. "You know," she continued softly, " Jack asked us to stay with them and become newsies." Silence. "And it IS a rare occasion that newsies accept anyone let alone girls to join their ranks." The leaves rustled above her sounding strangely like a low growl of disagreement. "and, if Matches had just kept her stubborn little yap shut instead of mouthing off at everyone we might have …"
"Arrgh" was the cry from above as a body rolled off a thick lower branch and landed softly in a crouching position. "I ain't doi'n no favors for no that no good street rat by following his every whim as if he owed me." Matches (stood) to her full height and glared into the distance. "I jist don't like 'em."
Lefty sighed. "Just give it a chance! Either that or its back to liv'n in the trees, and I don't know 'bout you but I'd like a night in a real bed! Beds Matches! They have real beds! We haven't slept in one of those since … We've NEVER slept in one of those! And no more stealing! We can buy our food and have proper meals. Real friends, a real life." Another sigh was heard as her shoulders slumped, " aww, hell."
Matches looked over at her distraught friend. She could see her point, it would have a lot of ups, but ups always come with downs. Like having to answer to someone, and not just anyone, but a boy! 'I'm not yet married that I have to bend my will to the whims of some guy off the street, else he might take away the bed and life I will no doubt become accustomed to in a short while.' She couldn't alter her pride like that, but she couldn't sacrifice the happiness of a friend for her pride either. "You like him don't you?"
"Huh?" lefty turned, obviously confused.
"Jack. You like him." She stated bluntly
"yah." Blushing she turned away, "He's not all that bad if yah get to know him, and a whole lot better than some of the scum we've met on the streets." she continued barely whispering "And he's not… not to hard on the eyes if yah know what I mean…"
Matches made a face. "alright you can stay."
"Yah mean yer gonna apologize? Were gonna be newsies? Alright I cant wait, Race said he'd teach us cards and I completely neglected ta mention were an ace at the table so …"
Matches caught her shoulders, "No , look. You go, go and be a newsie with Jack. I'm staying here."
"but…"
"Naw I jist cant do it. Try to understand. Not with him there"
"Come to your senses girl! Damn you and your fuck'n pride. Don't be stupid."
"If yah need me you'll know where to find me. Goodnight Lefty." And with that she jumped up grabbing a low branch and pulled herself up into the tree.
"Its gonna rain tonight! Jist come wit me! No one will mind! Sleep in a REAL bed!"
"GOODNIGHT LEFTY"
Lefty stomped away mumbling loudly under her breath. "Stubborn little wench"
"I LOVE YOU TOO RACHEL!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Twilight ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The relentless rain had drenched Matches to the bone through the night, which made the branch she was sleeping on slippery and in her restless sleep she stirred sliding right off it into the mud that stretched the ground below. She lazily sat up and spat out the mouthful of mud she acquired as a result of the fall. A drop of water fell from the tree onto her nose clearing a pink dot on her dirty face. "well at least its still raining, I'd rather be wet then wet and muddy any day" she said to no one in particular, but a quick glance at the clear sunrise before her banished all hope of a good day, and she flopped back down in the mud with a curse of frustration.