By Princess MacEaver
"Look, Mush!" Kid Blink said,
grabbing his friend's arm and pointing down a narrow bystreet. "It's one a dose goils in da alleys. Let's go!"
"Alright!"
Mush said eagerly, following Blink toward the alley. "I was beginnin' ta think we wasn't gonna get one dis week!"
They turned
into the alley to see a tall beauty in trousers and suspenders, a tweed newsies
cap set on her strawberry blond curls.
She wore a dark blue backpack and faced away from them, apparently
consulting a map.
Blink paused
to adjust his eyepatch and smooth his vest.
"How do I look?"
"Fine," Mush
replied, brushing a hand through his hair.
"But rememba, it's my toin dis week."
He started off
toward the girl but Blink jerked him back.
"Whattaya mean it's your toin?" he asked. "You got dat Irish goil last week, da one who sang."
Mush shook his
head. "Dat was two weeks ago,
Blink. Last week it was your toin wit
dat pokah-playin' Italian."
"Dat wasn't
last week! Anyway, didn't you get bof
dose twins dat one week in June? Dat
oughta count for two."
"Dat don't
count," Mush insisted. "I didn't find
out dere was two of 'em til aftahwards."
"You're full
of it," Blink retorted, pushing Mush's shoulder.
Before push
could come to shove, however, the girl turned and noticed them. "Oh, hi!" she said, her lips parting in a
friendly smile to show gleaming white teeth.
The newsies
froze, looks of stupefaction crossing their faces. Week after week, the girls never failed to disappoint.
The girl still
held the folded paper, which did indeed appear to be a shiny map. "Hey, do you think you could help me out
here?" she asked, taking a step toward them.
"Don't worry!"
Mush said, smacking his fist into his hand and transforming his awed expression
into one of vengeance. "We'll take care
a dem!"
"We'll soak
'em! Nobody hoits a beautiful goil like
you an' gets away wit it!" Blink added, his face darkening.
They held up
their fists in boxer poses and waited for the action. The girl looked at them blankly and then twisted around to look
behind her at the otherwise empty alley.
"Um,
guys? What're you doing?"
"Rescuin' ya!"
Blink said. "What do ya t'ink? Now where are dese thugs?"
The boys
maintained their intimidating scowls and scanned the alley with suspicious
looks. The girl raised her eyebrows and
looked amused.
"I hate to
break it to you," she said, "but I don't need to be rescued. I was just wondering if you—" She held up the map again but they cut her
off.
"Don't need ta
be rescued?" Mush repeated, a look of disbelief on his face. "What, somebody already help ya?"
"I bet Specs got 'er, da
bum. He knows dis is our
territory!"
"Oh boy," the
girl muttered under her breath, then smiled sweetly. "Look, guys, I don't mean to disappoint you, but I'm really not
in any danger."
"Den what're
you doin' heah?" Blink asked. "How're
we supposed ta meet?"
"Get ta know
each otha?"
"Form a
lifelong bond?"
"Realize we'se
attracted to each otha and have wild monkey—"
"Wait," the
girl interrupted, holding up a hand.
"What makes you think all that's gonna happen?"
The boys
looked at each other.
"Well,
because, it always does," Blink finally said, as if he were explaining why the
sun rises every morning.
"Maybe it
does, but why do you think I'm the girl it happens with?" she persisted,
curious.
"Well, you are wearin' da
requisite modern boys' clothing wit a futuristic twist, an' dat newsie cap
dere—dat's a dead giveaway," Mush explained.
"Plus," Blink
added, "you're real pretty. I nevah met
one dat wasn't a knockout."
"Jeeze," the
girl observed, giving them a skeptical look.
"You guys got it all figured out."
"Well, dat's how it's done," Blink
said. "Otha stuff, too. Like your real name is Mary Sue, but you
have a cute nickname dat reflects bot' your personality an' some sorta
trademark object or action a yours."
"Sorry," the
girl replied. "My name's Johanna, and
I've never had a nickname., unless you count Nugrape, this inside joke thing in
seventh grade."
"Dere's
somethin' really weird about dis goil," Blink whispered to Mush, keeping his
eye on Johanna. She had pulled her
backpack around and was rummaging through it.
"Den what're
you doin' heah?" Mush asked her. "If
you ain't gonna hook up wit one a us—"
"Or both—"
"An' all dat,"
Mush finished.
Johanna found
what she was looking for in her bag and looked up. "Well, you can sign this for me."
"Sign what?"
Mush asked, as she handed a hot pink box and a pen to Blink.
Blink's eye widened as he looked
the video case over. "Man, I seen some
serious anachronisms in my time, but dis puts Medda's exit signs ta shame. You see dis, Mush?"
Mush took it and his jaw
dropped. "Dat's Jack! An' Race!"
He flipped it over. "Blink! Dat's you!"
"Lemme see dat!" Blink grabbed it back and stared at his
picture. "It is me…" he
breathed.
Johanna shifted her weight. "Could you just sign it please. Something like, to Johanna, love Trey." Blink looked up upon hearing the name and
she quickly added, "Or Kid Blink. Either-or."
Blink tentatively held the pen and
signed his name. Mush took the Sharpie
and did the same, then passed back the video.
"Thanks," Johanna said, sticking it
back in her backpack. "Very much
appreciated. Now if you could point me
toward the station? I can't make sense
of this dumb map."
Mush pointed a shaky hand in the
direction of the station and the speechless boys watched her begin to walk
away.
"Wait!" Blink suddenly whispered to
Mush. "We can't just let her leave like
dat. She's supposed ta get beat up an'
all!"
"Well what can we do about it?"
Mush asked. "She messed everything up."
Blink bit his lip. "Hey, Johanna!" he called.
"Yeah?" she said, turning.
"Let's soak 'er!" Blink whispered,
and the boys took off after her.
"Ahh!" Johanna screamed, trying to
twist out of Mush's grip. "What do you
think you're doing?"
"I'm sorry," Mush said, struggling
to hold her. "But you gotta follow da
rules. You gotta get rescued from a
fight."
"You're crazy!" Johanna yelled,
kicking out at Blink, who held up a fist but
hesitated, biting his lip.
"Don't worry," he said
nervously. "Somebody'll be right heah
to save ya. Somebody's always
around. Just make shoah you scream real
loud."
"An' if nobody comes, we'll save ya
ourselves," Mush promised, trying to sound reassuring.
"You're out of your minds!" Johanna
shrieked.
"Aooow!" Mush suddenly cried,
feeling Johanna's teeth sink into his arm.
As he grabbed his arm in pain, she pulled out of his grip.
"Mush!" Blink yelled, chasing after
the girl. As he caught her by her
backpack, she whirled around and kicked him where it counts. He staggered back against the wall, groaning
and dropping the backpack. She snatched
it off the ground and took off running.
"Thanks for the directions!" she
shouted over her shoulder. "Freaks!"
