A Twist Of Fate
Morning
Jack hurried getting dressed. Today was the day that what David called "Newsies revenge" would occur. When Jack got back from his encounter with Lizzie in front of Meddas theater, he caught a glance of Spot sneaking away in the alley. Jack knew he had only been away for less than half an hour, so whatever they planned, hadnt taken long to be planned. When he went upstairs he did find that was the case. But he found that Spot had sworn all the secrecy, including David who at first didnt want to keep Jack out of the plan.
"I guess Spot had his reasons." Jack said.
"He knows about you and Lizzie." Mush responded as he brushed his teeth. "He thought for some strange reason you might run off and warn her."
"Why in the heck would I do that?" Jack demanded of his friend. "Shes the enemy. The bad guy...girl."
"Thats exactly why. Shes a girl." Mush said, "A very pretty girl."
"Well right now she looks really ugly to me." Jack said.
"I'm not so sure you believe that." Mush said. "Cause I sure don't."
"Go to bed." Jack muttered. "Quit being a pain."
"All right. See ya in the mornin'." Mush said getting into his bed. Jack laid down on his own bed, but didnt get under his sheets. It was a warm night. Jack had been a little bit mad at himslf for being so short with his friend. There must have been a reason. Maybe it was because Mush had hit the nail on the head. If he hadnt, then he was very very close to seeing the truth Jack thought he so brilliantly hid.
Jack thought about last nights events as he went to David and Les's house. He went up via the fire escape. He knocked on the window. Sarah, their sister, waved at him and opened the window.
"Jack. Hi." She greeted him. "How about some breakfast? We can spare a little sausage, I think."
"Thanks all the same Sarah, but we gotta get moving." He said to David and Les.
"Right." David said. "You're early this morning." He said getting Les his hat. They went to the door and went down the stairs.
"No earlier than usual." Jack said. I want to know exactly what you guys is plannin for our girl 'friends'."
"Ah," David said. "You'll have to see."
"I don't see anything with you that tells me what it is." Jack said as they left the building. "No clues?"
"None." David said. "Right Les?"
"Right!" Les said. "We're gonna get those girls!"
"I can hardly wait." Jack said.
They walked the rest of the way to the gates of the globe building. All the guys were there. Most of the ones that usually carried their homemade signs, didnt carry them today. Jack looked at them warily. Do they know whats going to happen, he wondered to himself. It was starting to look like he, and the girl scabs were going to be the only one didnt know what they were in for.
There was about a five minute wait. David looked at Jack, who seemed about ready to jump out of his own skin. He put his hand on Jacks shoulder and he jumped a mile.
"I suppose you deserve a hint." David said.
"Oh, great, its almost time and NOW you dangle a hint in front of me?" Jack asked with a bit of exasperation in his voice. "What is it? At least it will break the silence."
"What is the one thing we know about all girls?" David said. "All over the world, ugly-pretty, whatever, what do you think they all have in common?"
"I dunno." Jack said. "What?"
"You'll see." David said.
"Thats a hint?" Jack asked raising his eyebrow. He smacked his palm. "Oy."
The bell rang loudly. The gates opened. The wagon left first with its pile of papers. Some guys on the side leapt on board and threw some of the piles of neatly stacked papers to the ground. The wagin kept going, although about a third of its load was now being stomped, ripped and thrown to the ground. After the wagon passed the crowd of boys, the girls soon came out. They each had a sizable stack with them. Jack quickly surveyed the crowd. Two girls over from the far left of the line stood Lizzie. She was there. She had, from what Jack could see, ten papers in her hand. She had her hair tied back.
"She didn't listen to me." Jack said to himself. "Then why would she have any reason to?"
Jack was distracted by David who put his hand in his pocket. He seemed to search for something for a minute, then he stopped. He then brought his hand from his pocket, something shiny and metal hidden in his hand/ He brought it to his lips where Jack could see what he was holding. It was a whistle, the cheap kind you find in toy stores. David sucked in a lungful of air, and blew it.
"Bonzai!" Racetrack yelled as he hopped onto a stoop. He pulled something out from underneath his shirt. It was big and round and wet. It was a water balloon.
"Death from above!" Voices from the sky called. The girls stopped in their tracks. They looked up. Jack looked up too to see what they were looking at. Spot Conlan and his friends were standing on low porch roofs and cars. They all held the same thing that Racetrack did. A water balloon. Some of the balloons were brown. All at once the balloons were flung at the girls. The girls screamed and ran for cover. Some were hit with the water balloons, some with the brown ones with the mysterious concoction in it.
"What girls hate the most is looking awful in front of anyone!" David said. "They wouldnt dare go anywhere without looking their best!"
"Thats the idea?" Jack said as the balloon assault continued. "What a great idea." Someone handed him a balloon. He hefted it and threw it into the crowd. Lizzie had been dodging them for a few minutes, but the one Jack happened to throw hit her in one arm, forcing her to drop her load. Jack laughed until he saw who his unfortunate target was. His face dropped. He was all for this idea until a few seconds ago. He didnt want to hit Lizzie and he had. He stood there quietly and watched the balloon assault near its end, the boys were quickly runningout of ammo.
"Let's get out of here." Jack said to the guys. "They've had enough."
"All right Jack." Mush said. A whistle was blown. Mush looked at David.
"That wasn't me. That was the bulls!" David said. He grabbed his little brother and ran off. The rest of the boys soon followed as the cops filled the area.
"What was in those brown balloons anyway?" Jack asked Racetrack breathlessly as he caught up with them.
"Borscht! The cold soup. Courtesy of Crutchy! We have something for you, from hi back home." Racetrack explained.
"Great." Jack said.
Lizzie wiped water off of her face. She frowned in Jacks direction. She stared at his back. So this is what he warned me about. Why didnt I listen? Better yet, why didnt I warn the others?
Jeannie and Rosie walked up to her. One was covered in water, the other was covered in a weird brown mixture.
"Come on you two." She said. "I'll help you clean up. Maybe I can squeeze the water out of Jeannie over Rosie and kill two birds with one stone."
"Thats a great idea." Rosie said. "But why would you want to kill two birds anyway?"
Lizzie looked at her, then looked forward again. There would be no papers sold today, she thought. Whatever it was the boys pulled here, it worked, at least for today anyway.
Morning
Jack hurried getting dressed. Today was the day that what David called "Newsies revenge" would occur. When Jack got back from his encounter with Lizzie in front of Meddas theater, he caught a glance of Spot sneaking away in the alley. Jack knew he had only been away for less than half an hour, so whatever they planned, hadnt taken long to be planned. When he went upstairs he did find that was the case. But he found that Spot had sworn all the secrecy, including David who at first didnt want to keep Jack out of the plan.
"I guess Spot had his reasons." Jack said.
"He knows about you and Lizzie." Mush responded as he brushed his teeth. "He thought for some strange reason you might run off and warn her."
"Why in the heck would I do that?" Jack demanded of his friend. "Shes the enemy. The bad guy...girl."
"Thats exactly why. Shes a girl." Mush said, "A very pretty girl."
"Well right now she looks really ugly to me." Jack said.
"I'm not so sure you believe that." Mush said. "Cause I sure don't."
"Go to bed." Jack muttered. "Quit being a pain."
"All right. See ya in the mornin'." Mush said getting into his bed. Jack laid down on his own bed, but didnt get under his sheets. It was a warm night. Jack had been a little bit mad at himslf for being so short with his friend. There must have been a reason. Maybe it was because Mush had hit the nail on the head. If he hadnt, then he was very very close to seeing the truth Jack thought he so brilliantly hid.
Jack thought about last nights events as he went to David and Les's house. He went up via the fire escape. He knocked on the window. Sarah, their sister, waved at him and opened the window.
"Jack. Hi." She greeted him. "How about some breakfast? We can spare a little sausage, I think."
"Thanks all the same Sarah, but we gotta get moving." He said to David and Les.
"Right." David said. "You're early this morning." He said getting Les his hat. They went to the door and went down the stairs.
"No earlier than usual." Jack said. I want to know exactly what you guys is plannin for our girl 'friends'."
"Ah," David said. "You'll have to see."
"I don't see anything with you that tells me what it is." Jack said as they left the building. "No clues?"
"None." David said. "Right Les?"
"Right!" Les said. "We're gonna get those girls!"
"I can hardly wait." Jack said.
They walked the rest of the way to the gates of the globe building. All the guys were there. Most of the ones that usually carried their homemade signs, didnt carry them today. Jack looked at them warily. Do they know whats going to happen, he wondered to himself. It was starting to look like he, and the girl scabs were going to be the only one didnt know what they were in for.
There was about a five minute wait. David looked at Jack, who seemed about ready to jump out of his own skin. He put his hand on Jacks shoulder and he jumped a mile.
"I suppose you deserve a hint." David said.
"Oh, great, its almost time and NOW you dangle a hint in front of me?" Jack asked with a bit of exasperation in his voice. "What is it? At least it will break the silence."
"What is the one thing we know about all girls?" David said. "All over the world, ugly-pretty, whatever, what do you think they all have in common?"
"I dunno." Jack said. "What?"
"You'll see." David said.
"Thats a hint?" Jack asked raising his eyebrow. He smacked his palm. "Oy."
The bell rang loudly. The gates opened. The wagon left first with its pile of papers. Some guys on the side leapt on board and threw some of the piles of neatly stacked papers to the ground. The wagin kept going, although about a third of its load was now being stomped, ripped and thrown to the ground. After the wagon passed the crowd of boys, the girls soon came out. They each had a sizable stack with them. Jack quickly surveyed the crowd. Two girls over from the far left of the line stood Lizzie. She was there. She had, from what Jack could see, ten papers in her hand. She had her hair tied back.
"She didn't listen to me." Jack said to himself. "Then why would she have any reason to?"
Jack was distracted by David who put his hand in his pocket. He seemed to search for something for a minute, then he stopped. He then brought his hand from his pocket, something shiny and metal hidden in his hand/ He brought it to his lips where Jack could see what he was holding. It was a whistle, the cheap kind you find in toy stores. David sucked in a lungful of air, and blew it.
"Bonzai!" Racetrack yelled as he hopped onto a stoop. He pulled something out from underneath his shirt. It was big and round and wet. It was a water balloon.
"Death from above!" Voices from the sky called. The girls stopped in their tracks. They looked up. Jack looked up too to see what they were looking at. Spot Conlan and his friends were standing on low porch roofs and cars. They all held the same thing that Racetrack did. A water balloon. Some of the balloons were brown. All at once the balloons were flung at the girls. The girls screamed and ran for cover. Some were hit with the water balloons, some with the brown ones with the mysterious concoction in it.
"What girls hate the most is looking awful in front of anyone!" David said. "They wouldnt dare go anywhere without looking their best!"
"Thats the idea?" Jack said as the balloon assault continued. "What a great idea." Someone handed him a balloon. He hefted it and threw it into the crowd. Lizzie had been dodging them for a few minutes, but the one Jack happened to throw hit her in one arm, forcing her to drop her load. Jack laughed until he saw who his unfortunate target was. His face dropped. He was all for this idea until a few seconds ago. He didnt want to hit Lizzie and he had. He stood there quietly and watched the balloon assault near its end, the boys were quickly runningout of ammo.
"Let's get out of here." Jack said to the guys. "They've had enough."
"All right Jack." Mush said. A whistle was blown. Mush looked at David.
"That wasn't me. That was the bulls!" David said. He grabbed his little brother and ran off. The rest of the boys soon followed as the cops filled the area.
"What was in those brown balloons anyway?" Jack asked Racetrack breathlessly as he caught up with them.
"Borscht! The cold soup. Courtesy of Crutchy! We have something for you, from hi back home." Racetrack explained.
"Great." Jack said.
Lizzie wiped water off of her face. She frowned in Jacks direction. She stared at his back. So this is what he warned me about. Why didnt I listen? Better yet, why didnt I warn the others?
Jeannie and Rosie walked up to her. One was covered in water, the other was covered in a weird brown mixture.
"Come on you two." She said. "I'll help you clean up. Maybe I can squeeze the water out of Jeannie over Rosie and kill two birds with one stone."
"Thats a great idea." Rosie said. "But why would you want to kill two birds anyway?"
Lizzie looked at her, then looked forward again. There would be no papers sold today, she thought. Whatever it was the boys pulled here, it worked, at least for today anyway.