Ch.12 Newsboy's Lodge

I spent another long, boring day in the hospital. The second day nobody came to visit me, not even my brother. I was seriously mad at him. If he had been beat up and put in the hospital I woulda been the first person to see him, no exceptions. My injuries felt much better and all my cuts were healing nicely so that evening I demanded to be released from the hospital. The doctor didn't want me to go and tried to persuade me to stay for one more day, but I wouldn't listen. One more lonely day in that room would make me crazy. Once I was actually on the outside again I regretted my hasty decision for my sides and head ached with a dull pain. All my inhibitions about staying with a group of boys were put aside after I was beat up. The streets were no place for girls who didn't know how to fight. If you don't count the night I was attacked I had never seen the inside of the Lodge and was a bit nervous about asking to sleep there. I kept thinking what if they don't allow girls to sleep there, or what if they don't want me to stay there. I knocked on the door and there was no answer. " How rude", I thought, " no one's opening the door for me." I pulled the door open and stepped inside. There was a large wooden desk that took up most of the entryway. Behind it stood a thin man with gray hair and a bowler hat. " Hello?" I said cautiously. " Well you must be better then if you are out of the hospital", the old crooned. " My name's Kloppman. You looked pretty scary the other nights. The boys been worried about you." He sent me up the stairs so I could talk to the guys.
The biggest room upstairs was the one the newsies slept in. There were rows and rows of bunk beds. All of them were empty because they were all standing in the middle of the room. They were talking in a big circle with their backs to me. I yelled out a hearty, " HI!" Every single boy jumped and spun around with shocked expressions on their faces. " I got out of the hospital early so I decided to come talk to you guys. Is Double here?" Jack told me that Double had some business to do and he would be back later. Then I asked Jack, since he's kinda the leader, if I could stay at the lodge. His positive reply was so quick that my mouth fell open. They were really gonna let me stay here just like that. I hugged him. I realized that I really hug people a lot. He gave me a top bed in the farthest corner of the room. There were several beds over there were empty so I'd have that part of the room to myself. He also showed a nightstand where I could put my stuff, however I own nothing but the clothes on my back. That night I finally met the other newsies. I talked to Race first. His full name was Racetrack and after talking with him for five minutes it was obvious why. He loved gambling, especially betting on horses. Race looked Italian born and had the strongest New York accent out of all the newsies. He agreed to teach me how to play poker. I met Kid Blink next. He had blonde hair and blue eyes with a black eye patch that covered one of them. He was a really big flirt, and was always nice to me. I knew that we'd be friends. Then there was Mush. Mush had brown curly hair and big brown eyes. He made me laugh always laughing and repeating other people jokes. Mush reminded me of my brother that way. Snipeshooter was a younger newsies who liked cigars, in fact, the whole night he had been stealing Race's cigar. I could tell the night was coming to a close because everyone began yawning. I went to bed first pulling the sheets over my head so that they could change. Someone shouted, " All right we're changed now!" I peaked from underneath the covers and sure enough they were all in bed. I looked around to see who else had a top bunk. I saw Jack had one and so did Kid Blink. I yelled, " Goodnight!!" I heard several " goodnights" but even more " shut-ups." After all the comments died someone else said, " See ya tomorrow, Fury!" I looked up to see Copper who smiled at me. He sure was coming in late, it turns out that he had a top bunk too. " Night, Copper" I whispered. I drifted off to that sweet dreamland. It wasn't interrupted all too soon. There was someone getting into the bed below mine. I sat up and leaned over the edge. Double was slipping into bed. He was decidedly filthy. I startled him by saying, " Where have you been?" There was no answer for he was already sleeping. Then I whispered, " Until tomorrow, then."