Kit made it to the boarding house with out any trouble. Her anger was swiftly dissipating and turning to tears, as she climbed into a bunk and allowed herself to cry. Kit didn't hear Mills call out a greeting, instead she cried. She cried about her situation, the tears she had kept hidden. The tears she wanted to cry in Nebraska and in Baltimore all the tears that she couldn't cry came out now. She couldn't stop them, and even if she could she wasn't going to let them stop. She finally cried herself to sleep never noticing Mills siting in the bunk with her.
Mills had not gone with the guys for two reasons. One because she was mad at them all for treating Kit like this. And two because she didn't want to miss saying goodbye to Kit if she could help it. Mills had hoped to come up with something that would convince Kit to stay, but if not she wanted to say a proper good bye to Kit and ensure that she had the money to live on her own. It wasn't that Mills agreed with Jack on this point, in fact she totally disagreed with him, but unlike Kit she wasn't ready to stand up to him just yet.
Mills didn't want Kit to go so she had spent the entire time since the guys had left to go to lunch trying to come up with different ideas that would allow her to stay. When Kit had entered the room, Mills had called out a hello but that had been blocked by the tears that Kit was crying. Mills then climbed off her bunk and went over to her friend. She remembered that someone use to rub her back when she would cry as a little girl and wondered if that would help her friend. She rubbed Kit's back until the sobs dissipated and Kit had cried herself to sleep.
Not long after Kit had fallen asleep, Mills heard footfalls on the stair, believing it was one of the newsies she had gotten up to keep them from coming in. As she headed toward the door Spot appeared. He looked around frantically until he saw Kit on the bunk sleeping, "She's okay? She wasn't hurt when she came in was she?"
"Ise don't know she came in here crying like there was no tomorrow, then threw herself down there and fell asleep. What youse doing here anyway? This ain't exactly where Ise expect to see you."
Spot cleared his throat nervously trying to look around Mills to see that Kit was all right for himself before he answered, "Well Kit showed up in Brooklyn for lunch. Ise brought her back and tried to talk Kelly into letting her work till the strike was over, it didn't work. So I came to make sure she was okay."
Mills was suspicious, not even David on a good they would come and check to see if a newsie was okay. She felt that something must be up, "Fine Ise need to go check some thing out. Ise be right back."
Mills got up and went downstairs to get an apple to eat from the kitchen Kloppman had. When she had left Spot went over to the bunk where Kit was sleeping and leaned against it. "So goilie Ise taught you and me weren't gonna ever speak to each other. So why youse sleeping in my bunk again? What are we gonna do with youse? Ise can't let you stay here, it's not safe. Too bad wes can't send you to Medda's, but she would probably make you sing and thence. And youse don't strike me as a singing or dancing type. What's to become of you Kit?"
"Youse just wanted to make sure she was all right? Sure Spot." Mills had come in with out Spot noticing "Want an apple? So youse don't have any ideas either?"
"No Ise run out a long time ago." He spoke around a bite of his apple.
Mills stayed on the bunk across from where Kit was sleeping, "You thought of taken her to Brooklyn with you? Ise know it don't seem right sending a goil to live there but she will be safer there then here."
"Youse the second person to suggest that, Ise don't knows though. How would the rest of the guys feel bout me taking in a goil like that to live with us. Ise can bet they won't be too happy."
"If the guys weren't to care though?" Mills looked curious, she knew that this was the closest they had to a plan and wasn't about to let it go.
"Then Ise take her along, but even if it were just till the strike was over, youse really think Kelly would let her back in?" Spot already knew the answer. Jack was just as territorial as he was at times, and Jack never allowed someone to come back in if they had broken his trust. Spot knew that if he were to take Kit to Brooklyn Jack would never allow her to work in Manhattan again as a newsie.
"No probably not, but maybe she could find some thing in Brooklyn that she wouldn't have here."
"And what would that be? All her friends and family are here in Manhattan, not Brooklyn."
"True but so are the Delancey brudders, if she keeps getting in their way she won't be able to walk so good. She's just a kid Ise don't think she need to be walking like Crutchy the rest of her life."
"That's true, Ise guess she can come to Brooklyn with me, Ise know the guys ain't gonna like this one bit. Least this way some one keeps an eye out for her. How long we gonna let her sleep though?"
"Come on we'll get some stuff for her then wake her up in a bit." Mills led Spot out the door, "Don't worry bout her, she'll be safe for now. Ise got one question for you though, can Ise come and see her? If this turns into an all out fight or some thing I don't want to lose her and Ise sure her brudders feel the same way."
"Youse know this is gonna be bad. Jack and me just don't agree on this one. But as Ise sees it Ise won't be keeping you from seeing Kit. If Jack won't let you come we'll figure some ting out."
Both knew this was probably just words since if a ban of travel between the boroughs was called then there would be no way for the girls to meet. After gathering a change of clothes from Kloppman Mills and Spot went up the stairs to wake up Kit. As they got there they found Kit sitting up with her head on her knees.
Mills motioned for Spot to stay back as she went over to comfort her friend. "You feeling better Kit?" Mills sat on the bunk next to Kit as she spoke.
"Not really, Why are you here?" Kit barely lifted her head off her knees.
"Ise didn't want you to leave with out bean able to say good bye. And Ise bean working on keeping the guys out of here till youse were ready for them. Spot wants you to go to Brooklyn, if you want to."
Kit sniffled as she lifted her head, "He really said that even after the way I treated him?"
"Yeah really, Ise think he likes you." Mills whispered so Spot couldn't hear, then laughed at Kit's horrified look, "He's not that bad."
"No he couldn't like me. I mean he'll get hurt if he does."
"Ise joking, he just wants you to be safe from the Delancey's and said you could go with him. You want to here it from him?"
When Kit nodded Mills motioned for Spot to come in. "She's right, Ise think youse would be safer if youse came with me. Youse don't have to but Ise can get you a room and a job, such as it is."
Kit thought for a moment before nodding. Spot put out his hand and helped her out of the bunk. "Wes better get going before Jack and his guys get back, thanks for you help Mills."
Kit gave her friend a quick hug, "Thanks for being here for me Mills, see you soon?"
Mills nodded and watched from the window as Kit and Spot left for Brooklyn, before turning back to her bunk and letting the tears fall down her face also.
Mills had not gone with the guys for two reasons. One because she was mad at them all for treating Kit like this. And two because she didn't want to miss saying goodbye to Kit if she could help it. Mills had hoped to come up with something that would convince Kit to stay, but if not she wanted to say a proper good bye to Kit and ensure that she had the money to live on her own. It wasn't that Mills agreed with Jack on this point, in fact she totally disagreed with him, but unlike Kit she wasn't ready to stand up to him just yet.
Mills didn't want Kit to go so she had spent the entire time since the guys had left to go to lunch trying to come up with different ideas that would allow her to stay. When Kit had entered the room, Mills had called out a hello but that had been blocked by the tears that Kit was crying. Mills then climbed off her bunk and went over to her friend. She remembered that someone use to rub her back when she would cry as a little girl and wondered if that would help her friend. She rubbed Kit's back until the sobs dissipated and Kit had cried herself to sleep.
Not long after Kit had fallen asleep, Mills heard footfalls on the stair, believing it was one of the newsies she had gotten up to keep them from coming in. As she headed toward the door Spot appeared. He looked around frantically until he saw Kit on the bunk sleeping, "She's okay? She wasn't hurt when she came in was she?"
"Ise don't know she came in here crying like there was no tomorrow, then threw herself down there and fell asleep. What youse doing here anyway? This ain't exactly where Ise expect to see you."
Spot cleared his throat nervously trying to look around Mills to see that Kit was all right for himself before he answered, "Well Kit showed up in Brooklyn for lunch. Ise brought her back and tried to talk Kelly into letting her work till the strike was over, it didn't work. So I came to make sure she was okay."
Mills was suspicious, not even David on a good they would come and check to see if a newsie was okay. She felt that something must be up, "Fine Ise need to go check some thing out. Ise be right back."
Mills got up and went downstairs to get an apple to eat from the kitchen Kloppman had. When she had left Spot went over to the bunk where Kit was sleeping and leaned against it. "So goilie Ise taught you and me weren't gonna ever speak to each other. So why youse sleeping in my bunk again? What are we gonna do with youse? Ise can't let you stay here, it's not safe. Too bad wes can't send you to Medda's, but she would probably make you sing and thence. And youse don't strike me as a singing or dancing type. What's to become of you Kit?"
"Youse just wanted to make sure she was all right? Sure Spot." Mills had come in with out Spot noticing "Want an apple? So youse don't have any ideas either?"
"No Ise run out a long time ago." He spoke around a bite of his apple.
Mills stayed on the bunk across from where Kit was sleeping, "You thought of taken her to Brooklyn with you? Ise know it don't seem right sending a goil to live there but she will be safer there then here."
"Youse the second person to suggest that, Ise don't knows though. How would the rest of the guys feel bout me taking in a goil like that to live with us. Ise can bet they won't be too happy."
"If the guys weren't to care though?" Mills looked curious, she knew that this was the closest they had to a plan and wasn't about to let it go.
"Then Ise take her along, but even if it were just till the strike was over, youse really think Kelly would let her back in?" Spot already knew the answer. Jack was just as territorial as he was at times, and Jack never allowed someone to come back in if they had broken his trust. Spot knew that if he were to take Kit to Brooklyn Jack would never allow her to work in Manhattan again as a newsie.
"No probably not, but maybe she could find some thing in Brooklyn that she wouldn't have here."
"And what would that be? All her friends and family are here in Manhattan, not Brooklyn."
"True but so are the Delancey brudders, if she keeps getting in their way she won't be able to walk so good. She's just a kid Ise don't think she need to be walking like Crutchy the rest of her life."
"That's true, Ise guess she can come to Brooklyn with me, Ise know the guys ain't gonna like this one bit. Least this way some one keeps an eye out for her. How long we gonna let her sleep though?"
"Come on we'll get some stuff for her then wake her up in a bit." Mills led Spot out the door, "Don't worry bout her, she'll be safe for now. Ise got one question for you though, can Ise come and see her? If this turns into an all out fight or some thing I don't want to lose her and Ise sure her brudders feel the same way."
"Youse know this is gonna be bad. Jack and me just don't agree on this one. But as Ise sees it Ise won't be keeping you from seeing Kit. If Jack won't let you come we'll figure some ting out."
Both knew this was probably just words since if a ban of travel between the boroughs was called then there would be no way for the girls to meet. After gathering a change of clothes from Kloppman Mills and Spot went up the stairs to wake up Kit. As they got there they found Kit sitting up with her head on her knees.
Mills motioned for Spot to stay back as she went over to comfort her friend. "You feeling better Kit?" Mills sat on the bunk next to Kit as she spoke.
"Not really, Why are you here?" Kit barely lifted her head off her knees.
"Ise didn't want you to leave with out bean able to say good bye. And Ise bean working on keeping the guys out of here till youse were ready for them. Spot wants you to go to Brooklyn, if you want to."
Kit sniffled as she lifted her head, "He really said that even after the way I treated him?"
"Yeah really, Ise think he likes you." Mills whispered so Spot couldn't hear, then laughed at Kit's horrified look, "He's not that bad."
"No he couldn't like me. I mean he'll get hurt if he does."
"Ise joking, he just wants you to be safe from the Delancey's and said you could go with him. You want to here it from him?"
When Kit nodded Mills motioned for Spot to come in. "She's right, Ise think youse would be safer if youse came with me. Youse don't have to but Ise can get you a room and a job, such as it is."
Kit thought for a moment before nodding. Spot put out his hand and helped her out of the bunk. "Wes better get going before Jack and his guys get back, thanks for you help Mills."
Kit gave her friend a quick hug, "Thanks for being here for me Mills, see you soon?"
Mills nodded and watched from the window as Kit and Spot left for Brooklyn, before turning back to her bunk and letting the tears fall down her face also.