Spot was leaning against a light post as when they exited the tent. "You been waiting long?" Kit asked when they got over to him.
He shook his head "Nah the ticket seller told me where my goil and her brudders were, in the tent."
"He called me your girl?"
"Actually no he saw me hanging round and asked, so Ise told him Ise looking for me goil and hur brudders."
The look that Kit sent him would have turned water to ice and game him a pause, "I am not your girl."
"Ise know, but if Ise say I was waiting for three newsies Ise think he would of called the Bulls."
Kit didn't look convinced but continued to walk with the guys. The boys began to tell Spot of their day. Being excited, as they were Kit didn't have to say much. Jolly pulled on her hand after both were finished with their stories, "Kit youse really gonna teach us to read?"
"Yes if you want to learn I'll teach you."
"When?"
"How bout tonight when we get back? You still have a left over pape?"
"Yep," Jolly turned to his friend, "Guess what Kit says she would teach us to read tonight."
"Cool race youse back to the boarding house." Bait called out as he began running.
"Cheater, wait for me." Jolly bellowed as he followed, leaving Kit and Spot to by themselves.
"Youse really gonna teach them to read?"
"Yes, they need to be able to read the headlines if they are gonna sell them. You can't always tell them the headlines." She looked at him accusingly.
"Youse mad ain't you? Ise sorry for telling that guy that youse me goil."
"Yeah I am mad that you said that. You could have said I was your sister or something."
"Ise didn't think of that. So youse think the boys can learn to read?"
"Yes it isn't that hard."
They reached the boarding house then and after signing in went up stairs. Jolly and Bait were waiting with a newspaper in hand. "You guys are ready aren't you?"
"Yep" Kit and the boys sat on an open bunk and she began to point out letters and their sounds. Both boys picked it up pretty quickly and were reading small words by the time they began yawning. "That's all for tonight, you go get ready for bed."
She stood up and stretched as they went off to get changed. "Kit youse want to play poker?" Rounder called from the circle on the floor.
"I have never played before, but sure if you guys want to teach me, I'll play." She came and sat on the floor. The guys explained the basics, and some of the rules. The dealer, a sober guy and answering to the name Sticks, dealt the hands to Spot, Rounder, Brownoser and Kit, all picked up their cards. Kit caught on after a couple of hands, and was able to win a couple of smaller pots.
On the last hand Kit looked at her cards, she had the Jacks of hearts and spades, the Queen of Diamonds and the tens of Diamonds and clubs. She decided to go for a full house and threw out the Queen, gaining a 10 of spades. She had gained a good poker face as the night went on and was able to keep the emotions off her face. The pot rose quickly to a dollar when Rounder and Brownoser folded. The poker faces of Spot and Sticks were impeccable. At a $1.10 Sticks folded. And at $1.25 Spot decided it was time to call. He had a pair of aces and a pair of 6's. He reached for the pot but Kit stopped him buy starting to lay down her cards. The full house beat his two pairs and she gathered her winnings, thanking the guys as she headed to bed.
Spot decided checked on Kit before he went to bed and she seemed fine. Everyone had been asleep when a scream woke the room.
"Not again, Spot can't youse keep her quiet?" Falcon complained from his bunk.
"Ise go check on her." Spot climbed out of his bed and pulled on a pair of pants. As he stepped into the room it was obvious that Kit was in the middle of another nightmare. He sat on the bed and tried to awaken her. She opened her eyes, full of fear and looking about 5 years younger. Spot put his arms around her whispering to her in a calming tone.
It seemed to work as she fell back to sleep. He got up and left, but as he got to the doorway, he heard her beginning to struggle again. Then it clicked, Kit knew she was by herself and that triggered the nightmare.
"Kit come on wake up youse need to wake up. Ise need to sleep and youse can't be getting good sleep. Wake up."
Kit woke up then, looking around nervously, "Is he gone?"
"Is who gone? Kit it's me Spot. There's no one here but me. Ise need to go get some stuff then Ise be back okay?"
Kit just sat there and nodded, "Okay."
Spot went and got the blanket and pillow off his bunk and grabbed his clothes before heading back. "Kit what is going on?"
"It was just a bad dream, nothing more." Kit didn't want to talk about it, "I want to sleep, Night." She curled up on her side.
Spot sighed then climbed up on the top bunk figuring that he could hear Kit if she was dreaming again before she woke the rest of the bunkhouse. Morning came and brought Kosei up to wake the newsies. He stopped in Spots space first and was taken back by the fact that Spot wasn't in his regular bed a girl was. He had heard the scream last night but had thought it was one of the younger boys. He didn't expect to for a girl sleeping in his lodging house.
"Spot Conlon wake up. Youse friend here ain't supposed to be here. Youse know that."
"Huh?" Spot slowly woke, "Me friend? Oh Kit. She's only gonna be here till the end of the week."
Kosei nodded but said, "She can't stay, out there, there's 25 guys most old enough to
have goils, Ise can't let her stay. Wake her up," Kosei headed for the door, and called out into the bunkroom "It's time to go hawk the headlines."
He shook his head "Nah the ticket seller told me where my goil and her brudders were, in the tent."
"He called me your girl?"
"Actually no he saw me hanging round and asked, so Ise told him Ise looking for me goil and hur brudders."
The look that Kit sent him would have turned water to ice and game him a pause, "I am not your girl."
"Ise know, but if Ise say I was waiting for three newsies Ise think he would of called the Bulls."
Kit didn't look convinced but continued to walk with the guys. The boys began to tell Spot of their day. Being excited, as they were Kit didn't have to say much. Jolly pulled on her hand after both were finished with their stories, "Kit youse really gonna teach us to read?"
"Yes if you want to learn I'll teach you."
"When?"
"How bout tonight when we get back? You still have a left over pape?"
"Yep," Jolly turned to his friend, "Guess what Kit says she would teach us to read tonight."
"Cool race youse back to the boarding house." Bait called out as he began running.
"Cheater, wait for me." Jolly bellowed as he followed, leaving Kit and Spot to by themselves.
"Youse really gonna teach them to read?"
"Yes, they need to be able to read the headlines if they are gonna sell them. You can't always tell them the headlines." She looked at him accusingly.
"Youse mad ain't you? Ise sorry for telling that guy that youse me goil."
"Yeah I am mad that you said that. You could have said I was your sister or something."
"Ise didn't think of that. So youse think the boys can learn to read?"
"Yes it isn't that hard."
They reached the boarding house then and after signing in went up stairs. Jolly and Bait were waiting with a newspaper in hand. "You guys are ready aren't you?"
"Yep" Kit and the boys sat on an open bunk and she began to point out letters and their sounds. Both boys picked it up pretty quickly and were reading small words by the time they began yawning. "That's all for tonight, you go get ready for bed."
She stood up and stretched as they went off to get changed. "Kit youse want to play poker?" Rounder called from the circle on the floor.
"I have never played before, but sure if you guys want to teach me, I'll play." She came and sat on the floor. The guys explained the basics, and some of the rules. The dealer, a sober guy and answering to the name Sticks, dealt the hands to Spot, Rounder, Brownoser and Kit, all picked up their cards. Kit caught on after a couple of hands, and was able to win a couple of smaller pots.
On the last hand Kit looked at her cards, she had the Jacks of hearts and spades, the Queen of Diamonds and the tens of Diamonds and clubs. She decided to go for a full house and threw out the Queen, gaining a 10 of spades. She had gained a good poker face as the night went on and was able to keep the emotions off her face. The pot rose quickly to a dollar when Rounder and Brownoser folded. The poker faces of Spot and Sticks were impeccable. At a $1.10 Sticks folded. And at $1.25 Spot decided it was time to call. He had a pair of aces and a pair of 6's. He reached for the pot but Kit stopped him buy starting to lay down her cards. The full house beat his two pairs and she gathered her winnings, thanking the guys as she headed to bed.
Spot decided checked on Kit before he went to bed and she seemed fine. Everyone had been asleep when a scream woke the room.
"Not again, Spot can't youse keep her quiet?" Falcon complained from his bunk.
"Ise go check on her." Spot climbed out of his bed and pulled on a pair of pants. As he stepped into the room it was obvious that Kit was in the middle of another nightmare. He sat on the bed and tried to awaken her. She opened her eyes, full of fear and looking about 5 years younger. Spot put his arms around her whispering to her in a calming tone.
It seemed to work as she fell back to sleep. He got up and left, but as he got to the doorway, he heard her beginning to struggle again. Then it clicked, Kit knew she was by herself and that triggered the nightmare.
"Kit come on wake up youse need to wake up. Ise need to sleep and youse can't be getting good sleep. Wake up."
Kit woke up then, looking around nervously, "Is he gone?"
"Is who gone? Kit it's me Spot. There's no one here but me. Ise need to go get some stuff then Ise be back okay?"
Kit just sat there and nodded, "Okay."
Spot went and got the blanket and pillow off his bunk and grabbed his clothes before heading back. "Kit what is going on?"
"It was just a bad dream, nothing more." Kit didn't want to talk about it, "I want to sleep, Night." She curled up on her side.
Spot sighed then climbed up on the top bunk figuring that he could hear Kit if she was dreaming again before she woke the rest of the bunkhouse. Morning came and brought Kosei up to wake the newsies. He stopped in Spots space first and was taken back by the fact that Spot wasn't in his regular bed a girl was. He had heard the scream last night but had thought it was one of the younger boys. He didn't expect to for a girl sleeping in his lodging house.
"Spot Conlon wake up. Youse friend here ain't supposed to be here. Youse know that."
"Huh?" Spot slowly woke, "Me friend? Oh Kit. She's only gonna be here till the end of the week."
Kosei nodded but said, "She can't stay, out there, there's 25 guys most old enough to
have goils, Ise can't let her stay. Wake her up," Kosei headed for the door, and called out into the bunkroom "It's time to go hawk the headlines."