After Rounder left. Kit waited anxiously, she hadn't seen her friends in almost a month. She wondered if they had come without anyone's knowledge or if this was a first step for reconciliation. Ever since she had left Manhattan the situation between Brooklyn and Manhattan had deteriorated to a near stand still. Hawk like eyes on both sides watched the borders between the boroughs. For Rounder to even let anyone in from Manhattan was unusual in and of itself.
"KIT!" She turned around and there was Mills. They met and hugged. Until she had seen Mills she didn't realize how much she had missed them. As she looked up there were Cray and Swan. All began to talk in unison, which caused them all to laugh.
Kit felt a tug on her sleeve and knelt down eye level with Bait. He looked worried as he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Kit whose they? They come to take youse home?"
Kit sat back on her heels before shaking her head no and standing up.
"Guys I want to introduce you to some people. Cray, Swan Mills this is Bait, Jolly and the tall one is Roundhouse. Bait, Jolly, and Rounder this here is my best friend Swan, me brudder Cray and my first friend in New York Mills."
Bait suddenly played shy and hid behind her leg but Jolly spoke up at the taller people. "Youse can't take Kit away. She's ain't done teaching me and Bait to read and write."
Kit laughed, "Jolly I don't plan on leaving anytime soon. How many more papes do we have to sell?"
Jolly held up the stack, "Bout 8."
"Good why don't you and Bait go sell them then we'll head back to the bunk house."
"Okay come on Bait." Jolly went running into the crowd.
"Rounder can you go find Spot and tell him we're not going to sell the evening edition. And that wes going back to the bunk house?" Kit turned to the Brooklyn newsie who was standing sentry behind her.
"Sure Kit, Ise tell him when the boys get back."
"No you go tell him now, it's almost time for the afternoon edition and you don't need him ticked off at you if he finds out he didn't need to by extra papes." Rounder thought about it and after giving Swan and Cray threatening looks headed off to find Spot.
"Is he always like that Kit?"
"Only when they are concerned about me. They don't want to lose me I guess. So what are you up to?"
Swan spoke up, "Nothing much nothings going on in Manhattan."
Mills and Cray gave him a look, "Sure Swan. Well Cray and me been working for Medda."
"Yep I am a bouncer. It's great."
"That's cool so you supposed to be here?"
"Well actually…"
"Kit wes done selling here…" Jolly gave Kit 25 cents.
"Jolly you had 10 papes at the most where did you get 25 cents?"
"Bait got it cuz he found a ladies purse and gave it to hur."
Kit smiled and gave Bait a hug, "Well then this 15 cents here is Bait's. Do you want me to hold on to it?" Bait nodded. "You ready to head back?"
"Ise want to stay here and go do stuff." Jolly began to whine.
"Kiddo if Kit says youse have to go den youse have to go." Spot came throwing Jolly over his shoulder. "Mills how did life in Manhattan?"
"Spot it goes good, wish this strike would end though, the guys are getting lazy."
"Ise bet, so what youse doing over on this side of the bridge?"
"Just here to see Kit, make sure she's doing good." Mills shrugged.
"So Kit what you been up to?" Cray slowed down to her pace, then knelt down to allow Bait to climb on his back.
"I've been busy selling papers."
"She's teaching me and Jolly how to read and write and do arithmetic." Bait stumbled over the last work.
"And Kit's been sewing up me clothes so they be warm in the winter." Jolly called from his new perch on Spot's back.
"Youse been real busy, youse do any thing for you self?" Mills questioned.
"I enjoy the teaching part, but I have been learning poker and how to shoot with a slingshot. Swan it's much harder than shooting a rifle."
"Youse only been here a month and already youse a Brooklyn newsies. Who would have thought." Mills exclaimed.
As they continued down the street, the ragtag group made a spectacle. The two younger boys were on ridding piggyback on Spot and Cray's backs as they talked. Swan hung behind the guys not really talking to anyone. While Kit and Mills were falling farther and farther behind speaking back and forth giggling about anything and everything.
"So Mills you and Cray are working together?"
"Yeah youse got a nice brudder youse know that?"
"Yep he is a nice guy. So what do you really think bout him?"
Mills looked around and saw that the guys were far enough ahead so that they wouldn't hear, before she spoke, "Ise thinks he is pretty coo, and Ise wondering what kind of goil he normally goes for."
"Girl he likes? He doesn't go after a certain type, unless you consider that they all annoy the heck out of me a type. I am sure that some they I'll like his girl just not at the moment. You like him like that?" Kit was curious. She sat down on the curb.
"Ise think Ise might, but not like Ise want him to know. So how did liven with all these Brooklyn boys?"
"They ain't that bad. I mean their tough, but they don't bug me too much. Up till last week I wasn't sure if they would let me stay at the lodging house. I'm surprised Spot still talks to me. I keeps waken him up at night cause of nightmares."
"Nightmares, bout what happened in Bal'more?" Mills hurried to explain when she saw Kit's look of shock, "Cray told me about it. Youse don't mind do youse?"
"No I am just surprised that's all. But yeah about that stuff."
"Youse tell anyone here yet?"
"No I just can't, they ain't like Cray or Swan. I don't want them to know."
"Kit if youse been keeping them up don't youse think they need to know?"
"Maybe if the dreams return I'll tell Spot."
"Good, speaking of Spot, what's with him and youse?"
Kit blushed, "Nothing we share the same set of bunks. That's all." She didn't mention that Spot had shared her bed a couple of times when the dreams had been really bad.
"Uh huh, sure, Ise gotcha. Youse know those little boys are adorable."
"Jolly and Bait? Yeah they are. You should see them at night they are so cute. You know they have been doing this since they were 6? Right after the strike Spot found them on the street wandering. So he brought them back and they get taken care of by the Brooklyn boys."
"They seem to think the world of youse."
"I love them to death, they can get into trouble a lot but they're never intentionally bad."
"So they are 8?"
"Yeah, we think they are twins."
"They have real names?"
"Not that they'll answer too but Spot says they used to call them Andrew and Christopher. I like Jolly and Bait better."
"Ise figure Jolly got his named based on his laughing almost all the time. But what bout Bait?"
"You know how it is easier to sell with little kids?"
"Yeah they bring people in cause they feel sorry for the, we call them ba…OH cute."
Kit glanced up at the clock on a bank front. "We better get going I bet the guys are frantic looking for us."
"Spot protective of youse?"
"Yeah I can walk to Coney Island just fine on my own, with the boys but he insists on coming with us. I don't even buy my own papes. Spot buys for us, and we pay him."
"Now that's different."
"I knows, Here's we are. Hey Kosei this is Mills she only staying for now."
"Kitty youse know the guys are out looking for youse?"
"Figures we'll stay up stairs if they come looking for us that's where we be."
Kit and Mills when up the stairs and into Kit's room.
"What's with the blanket?"
"It's for my privacy."
"Ise thought youse shared a bunk with Spot."
"We do this one, he's got the top and I sleep on the bottom one."
"Kit Youse up here?" Spot's voice cut off Mills as she had opened her mouth to comment.
"Yeah Spot I'm up here. All safe and sound, no cuts or bruises. No one touched me."
Spot came in followed by Swan, Jolly, Bait, and Cray. "If youse ain't careful, Ise might jus have to remedy that. What is the big idea running off like that."
"Running off? Seems to me that we got left behind by you guys. Ain't that right Mills?"
"Yep wes got left behind so don't go yelling at us bout it."
"Kit do wes get a lesson tonight?" Bait come over to her.
"I don't think tonight squirt. I want ta spend time with Mills, Cray and Swan. Unless Spot wants to teach you, tonight is gonna be off."
All other conversations were cut off and flew out the window by Falcon coming in and his announcement. "Spot Jack Kelly's coming this way and he ain't happy. Says youse two gots to talk."
"KIT!" She turned around and there was Mills. They met and hugged. Until she had seen Mills she didn't realize how much she had missed them. As she looked up there were Cray and Swan. All began to talk in unison, which caused them all to laugh.
Kit felt a tug on her sleeve and knelt down eye level with Bait. He looked worried as he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Kit whose they? They come to take youse home?"
Kit sat back on her heels before shaking her head no and standing up.
"Guys I want to introduce you to some people. Cray, Swan Mills this is Bait, Jolly and the tall one is Roundhouse. Bait, Jolly, and Rounder this here is my best friend Swan, me brudder Cray and my first friend in New York Mills."
Bait suddenly played shy and hid behind her leg but Jolly spoke up at the taller people. "Youse can't take Kit away. She's ain't done teaching me and Bait to read and write."
Kit laughed, "Jolly I don't plan on leaving anytime soon. How many more papes do we have to sell?"
Jolly held up the stack, "Bout 8."
"Good why don't you and Bait go sell them then we'll head back to the bunk house."
"Okay come on Bait." Jolly went running into the crowd.
"Rounder can you go find Spot and tell him we're not going to sell the evening edition. And that wes going back to the bunk house?" Kit turned to the Brooklyn newsie who was standing sentry behind her.
"Sure Kit, Ise tell him when the boys get back."
"No you go tell him now, it's almost time for the afternoon edition and you don't need him ticked off at you if he finds out he didn't need to by extra papes." Rounder thought about it and after giving Swan and Cray threatening looks headed off to find Spot.
"Is he always like that Kit?"
"Only when they are concerned about me. They don't want to lose me I guess. So what are you up to?"
Swan spoke up, "Nothing much nothings going on in Manhattan."
Mills and Cray gave him a look, "Sure Swan. Well Cray and me been working for Medda."
"Yep I am a bouncer. It's great."
"That's cool so you supposed to be here?"
"Well actually…"
"Kit wes done selling here…" Jolly gave Kit 25 cents.
"Jolly you had 10 papes at the most where did you get 25 cents?"
"Bait got it cuz he found a ladies purse and gave it to hur."
Kit smiled and gave Bait a hug, "Well then this 15 cents here is Bait's. Do you want me to hold on to it?" Bait nodded. "You ready to head back?"
"Ise want to stay here and go do stuff." Jolly began to whine.
"Kiddo if Kit says youse have to go den youse have to go." Spot came throwing Jolly over his shoulder. "Mills how did life in Manhattan?"
"Spot it goes good, wish this strike would end though, the guys are getting lazy."
"Ise bet, so what youse doing over on this side of the bridge?"
"Just here to see Kit, make sure she's doing good." Mills shrugged.
"So Kit what you been up to?" Cray slowed down to her pace, then knelt down to allow Bait to climb on his back.
"I've been busy selling papers."
"She's teaching me and Jolly how to read and write and do arithmetic." Bait stumbled over the last work.
"And Kit's been sewing up me clothes so they be warm in the winter." Jolly called from his new perch on Spot's back.
"Youse been real busy, youse do any thing for you self?" Mills questioned.
"I enjoy the teaching part, but I have been learning poker and how to shoot with a slingshot. Swan it's much harder than shooting a rifle."
"Youse only been here a month and already youse a Brooklyn newsies. Who would have thought." Mills exclaimed.
As they continued down the street, the ragtag group made a spectacle. The two younger boys were on ridding piggyback on Spot and Cray's backs as they talked. Swan hung behind the guys not really talking to anyone. While Kit and Mills were falling farther and farther behind speaking back and forth giggling about anything and everything.
"So Mills you and Cray are working together?"
"Yeah youse got a nice brudder youse know that?"
"Yep he is a nice guy. So what do you really think bout him?"
Mills looked around and saw that the guys were far enough ahead so that they wouldn't hear, before she spoke, "Ise thinks he is pretty coo, and Ise wondering what kind of goil he normally goes for."
"Girl he likes? He doesn't go after a certain type, unless you consider that they all annoy the heck out of me a type. I am sure that some they I'll like his girl just not at the moment. You like him like that?" Kit was curious. She sat down on the curb.
"Ise think Ise might, but not like Ise want him to know. So how did liven with all these Brooklyn boys?"
"They ain't that bad. I mean their tough, but they don't bug me too much. Up till last week I wasn't sure if they would let me stay at the lodging house. I'm surprised Spot still talks to me. I keeps waken him up at night cause of nightmares."
"Nightmares, bout what happened in Bal'more?" Mills hurried to explain when she saw Kit's look of shock, "Cray told me about it. Youse don't mind do youse?"
"No I am just surprised that's all. But yeah about that stuff."
"Youse tell anyone here yet?"
"No I just can't, they ain't like Cray or Swan. I don't want them to know."
"Kit if youse been keeping them up don't youse think they need to know?"
"Maybe if the dreams return I'll tell Spot."
"Good, speaking of Spot, what's with him and youse?"
Kit blushed, "Nothing we share the same set of bunks. That's all." She didn't mention that Spot had shared her bed a couple of times when the dreams had been really bad.
"Uh huh, sure, Ise gotcha. Youse know those little boys are adorable."
"Jolly and Bait? Yeah they are. You should see them at night they are so cute. You know they have been doing this since they were 6? Right after the strike Spot found them on the street wandering. So he brought them back and they get taken care of by the Brooklyn boys."
"They seem to think the world of youse."
"I love them to death, they can get into trouble a lot but they're never intentionally bad."
"So they are 8?"
"Yeah, we think they are twins."
"They have real names?"
"Not that they'll answer too but Spot says they used to call them Andrew and Christopher. I like Jolly and Bait better."
"Ise figure Jolly got his named based on his laughing almost all the time. But what bout Bait?"
"You know how it is easier to sell with little kids?"
"Yeah they bring people in cause they feel sorry for the, we call them ba…OH cute."
Kit glanced up at the clock on a bank front. "We better get going I bet the guys are frantic looking for us."
"Spot protective of youse?"
"Yeah I can walk to Coney Island just fine on my own, with the boys but he insists on coming with us. I don't even buy my own papes. Spot buys for us, and we pay him."
"Now that's different."
"I knows, Here's we are. Hey Kosei this is Mills she only staying for now."
"Kitty youse know the guys are out looking for youse?"
"Figures we'll stay up stairs if they come looking for us that's where we be."
Kit and Mills when up the stairs and into Kit's room.
"What's with the blanket?"
"It's for my privacy."
"Ise thought youse shared a bunk with Spot."
"We do this one, he's got the top and I sleep on the bottom one."
"Kit Youse up here?" Spot's voice cut off Mills as she had opened her mouth to comment.
"Yeah Spot I'm up here. All safe and sound, no cuts or bruises. No one touched me."
Spot came in followed by Swan, Jolly, Bait, and Cray. "If youse ain't careful, Ise might jus have to remedy that. What is the big idea running off like that."
"Running off? Seems to me that we got left behind by you guys. Ain't that right Mills?"
"Yep wes got left behind so don't go yelling at us bout it."
"Kit do wes get a lesson tonight?" Bait come over to her.
"I don't think tonight squirt. I want ta spend time with Mills, Cray and Swan. Unless Spot wants to teach you, tonight is gonna be off."
All other conversations were cut off and flew out the window by Falcon coming in and his announcement. "Spot Jack Kelly's coming this way and he ain't happy. Says youse two gots to talk."