Uptown Girl
Chapter 5 Luck Guess
The next morning, Spot got the other newsies out of the lodging house as quietly as possible, but Evy still woke up.
"Morning beautiful," David said as she slowly began to sit up. He kissed her softly on the forehead. "Feeling better?"
Before Evy could answer, Kate burst through the door, Mush close in toe. She pulled Evy into a protective hug. "What did he do this time?"
"He who?" David asked quickly, his voice a mix of concern and anger.
Katelyn shot Mush a glance and he grabbed David by the arm. "Come on Dave, let's let dem talk a little." Reluctantly, he obeyed, using the time as an opportunity to go home and get changed.
Evy explained the events of the previous night to Kate, who sat listening intently. When she had finished her explanation, Kate simply asked, "What now?"
Evy opened her mouth to answer, but she was once again interrupted by a sea of newsies making their way into the lobby. Race, Kid Blink, Spot, and Mush quickly joined the girls in their corner of the room.
"Guess what I heard," Race began, his voice filled with excitement. The voices in the room soon silenced, waiting for an entertaining story from the gambler. "Pulitzer's daughter's missin'. The old man tried to marry her off ta Morris and she ran screamin!" Peals of laughter tore through the lobby. Evy began to fee suffocated, and excused herself quickly.
She sat on the steps, leaning against the warm building in weak hopes that the day's peacefulness would rub off on her. Unfortunately, she couldn't get Race's comment out of her mind. Suddenly it dawned on her that it would only be a matter of time until someone realized who she really was. What would happen then, what about David? Granted, they didn't know each other as well as she would have hoped, but if he found out the truth, they never would. Her mind was frantically searching for some kind of answer when she felt eyes on her back. "Hello Spot," she muttered without turning around.
"How'd you know it was me?"
"You're the only one who would sneak up on a thinking person like that."
He smirked. "How bout we go for a little walk?" Evy nodded and followed him down the street.
They walked in silence for a long time until Evy finally spoke up. "So what's on your mind?"
"What makes you think that some…" Spot began, but stopped short when he saw the knowing look in her eyes. "Ok ya caught me. I want to know what happened to you last night. Why were ya so upset? And who were you an Kate talkin' bout this mornin'?"
"You know eavesdropping is a bad habit," Evy joked trying to lighten the mood a little. But one look at Spot's face told her to sober up and tell the truth, or at least half of it. "I just had to get away," she answered simply.
After a few moments of silence he spoke up again. "I understand Evolyn."
Her head snapped up at the mention of her name. "What did you just say?"
"I'm right aint I. You're Evolyn Pulitzer."
She opened her mouth to protest, but she knew it was no use. Her reaction answered his question for her. "How'd you know?"
"Lucky guess," he replied with a smirk, but his expression changed when he noticed a look of sheer horror cloud over her face. "Don't worry, I don't think that none of the boys have figured it out yet, an I aint gonna be the one to tell em." He stopped walking and she soon joined him on a nearby curb. "So now will ya tell me the whole truth bout last night?"
And so, Once again, Evy relayed the events of the previous night. When she had finished, she looked up to see him trying desperately to control his laughter. "What? What's so funny?"
"You… and Morris Delancy." He could no longer control himself. "You'd kill that boy before the honeymoon!" Evy gave up and joined Spot in his laughter.
"Spot!!" Boot's voice could be heard down the street long before either could see him. "Spot, Dave needs ya back at da lodgin house." Without another word, all three took off down the street.
"Be at the circulation offices before dawn!" David finished as the trio entered the lobby.
"Dave—"
"We're back Spot!" David interrupted. "You see the Delancy's picked a fight with me and Sarah and then Jack came and…" He continued a lengthy explanation of the day's happenings.
When he had finished, Spot leaned over to Evy and commented, "Now ya see why I calls him da walkin mouth."
"We need your boys to cover Brooklyn," David continued, trying his best to ignore the previous comment. "We'll get you the papes you just get them to the working kinds ok?"
Spot nodded and was quickly out the door headed for Brooklyn. After he was out of sight, David turned back to Evy. "I have to go now, will you be here in the morning?"
"Yeah I think so," she replied quietly. "Be careful." She pulled him into a kiss that lasted a little longer than she had intended. They both pulled back sheepishly as the remaining newsies whistled and yelled catcalls across the room.