Note--I just want to add something here that I noticed that I didn't make very clear at the end of the last chapter. Becca isn't moving to Kingston, she's just going there to visit for a couple weeks.
Chapter 3
Skittery made his way back to the Lodging House. Throughout the entire afternoon, he hadn't been able to shake the feeling that he had been watched, and talked about, during lunch that day. 'Probably weren't sayin' nuttin' good, eit'ah,' he thought cynically. But the attention seemed to have come from Ebony and Clover's, especially Clover's, direction. And she certainly wasn't the type to say anything bad about anyone, certainly not behind their back, without pointing out all of the person's good traits.
Still…he wasn't sure. But it was Clover…that girl intrigued him, to say the least. She was so compassionate, so optimistic, so…his opposite. She had definitely seen all the bad things the world had to offer (it was a certain look behind the eyes, you could only notice it if you yourself had been through similar experiences and seen similar things) and yes she had come through so differently. How? Skittery was baffled.
It didn't matter anyway, though. He would never be able to be like Clover. Sure, the guys may think he was normal enough, a little brooding but nothing major, however, he wasn't. The things he had seen, the things he had been through…it was impossible to be a happy, unburdened person after that. The world, the REAL world, was such a dark, cold, cruel place. What was the point of pretending it didn't bother you, pretending that the light and good out there were stronger? "It's only setting yoahself up for disappointment," Skittery muttered.
***
After telling the others of her decision, Becca headed to Medda's. The newsies were sad to see her go, but it was just a visit, after all, and they agreed with Jack and Hazel: it was best for her to go. So Becca went to Medda's, intending to ask for a favor. She wanted to leave as soon as possible so she could get to Kingston and have a few weeks with David before his testing began. However, if she sent a letter to her father, it wouldn't get there for a few weeks.
Instead, Becca asked Medda if she would send a telegraph. The sixteen-year-old would need the money in her savings to buy a train ticket, and she didn't have enough for that and a telegraph. Becca refused to let Jack help her buy a train ticket ("tickets to Kingston don't cost that much") and she assured her brother that their father would buy a ticket for a ride back to the city ("and if he doesn't, I'll find a way back. I've had luck with sneaking aboard trains before, it's really not that hard.")
Medda instantly agreed to send a telegraph to Rhys and it wasn't long at all until a reply came back. Their father was delighted to have Becca, and if he happened to see Dave, he would make sure that the Jacobs son wouldn't see him. For Becca wished to surprise Dave with her visit, and if he saw Rhys, having Becca show up all of a sudden wouldn't be as much of a surprise.
***
The day Becca was to leave came and passed. She was leaving at night, so she could sleep on the train and arrive in Kingston around lunchtime. Luckily, she managed to get the next few weeks off (unrealistic, I know, but please just bear with me, it's such a minor detail.) Becca embraced all of the newsies before leaving until she reached the cluster off to the side: Spot, Ebony (who still weren't talking), Hazel, and Jack. She went to the girls first, hugging all of them. "Now remembah t'at left hook I showed ya," Ebony said tearfully, "ya got a mean right hook, but yoah left really needs woik…ya gotta watch out in new places…"
"Ebony," Becca stated, "I'm going away for a few weeks. I'll be back before you know it..
"Not soon enough," returned Clover.
"Clover," sighed Becca after hugging her. She leaned in and whispered in the red-haired girl's ear, "you write and tell me all about Skittery." Seeing Clover's speechless look, she added, "Ebony was right. You are making it too obvious. But don't worry, no one else, except maybe Spot and he knows everything, has noticed." Clover nodded, and let Becca move on to Hazel. The dirty-blond haired newsie hesitated only a second before throwing her arms around Becca's shoulders, bawling.
"I can't believe you're leavin'! What am I gonna do without ya? I'm gonna soak Davey, he's takin' my best friend away from me!" Becca patted Hazel's shoulder. Hazel was sensitive about losing people, she'd lost so many, but…
"I'm not gonna be gone for long, don't worry. And I thought you were the one who talked Jack into letting me go."
"That was before ya actually were about ta leave!" Becca hugged Hazel back, who composed herself in a few moments. "Alright, I'm better now."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay." Becca shuffled over to Spot. It was then that her chin began wobbling as she saw Spot's famous smirk fade after Hazel, Clover, and Ebony walked away to give them some privacy. "Spot," she started, "I--"
"Aw, Angel, don't get t'at sad look on yoah face," he tapped her chin with his knuckle. "Alright, c'mere." Spot wrapped Becca in a bear hug. When they parted, his smirk returned.
"Now, kiddo, if anyone ovah t'ere tries ta mess with ya, tell 'em t'at t'ey'd bettah get off yoah back 'less t'ey want ta bring t'e wrath of Spot Conlon down on t'eir heads."
"Your reputation spreads that far?"
"I got my boidies. No one messes with my cousin. But I don't t'ink I'll have ta worry. Ya do got Conlon blood in ya, aftah all." A wet laugh escaped Becca's lips. The Brooklyn leader glanced over her shoulder to see Jack, his eyes glued to the ground below him. Spot gave Becca a final hug before steering her over to her brother.
There they stood for awhile, until the conductor called, "All aboard, all aboard! The train for Kingston leaves in 5 minutes!" Becca turned a shade paler and began shaking,
"J-Jack, I don't think I can do this." The golden-haired newsie didn't wait a moment longer. He enveloped Becca in a massive, crushing hug.
"Yes, yes ya can. Yoah strong. Yoah my sistah."
"But Jack, what if something happens?" Becca's chin wobbled extremely, "I can't, I can't go through anything like that again." Jack pulled away from Becca and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Lissen ta me. Ya will be fine. Ya can do t'is. And if I don't get a telegraph back by t'e day aftah tamorrow t'at ya made it ta Kingston safe, me'n Spot will come aftah ya, okay?" Yet, Becca detected a gleam in Jack's eyes that could only be a wall of unshed tears. She nodded. Jack glanced at the train, for the conductor had just called out the one minute warning. He gave her one last hug before ushering her onto the train. "I love ya, little sis,"
"I love ya, big bro." Jack watched as the locomotive pulled away. Many different thoughts, fear, confusion, pride, love, logic, buzzed around in his head. They were silenced as Spot came up beside Jack and spoke.
"It feels like she's been heah foahevah. I can hardly remembah what it was like befoah she got heah."
"Well, Spot, we're about ta find out."