The first muggy September days in Manhattan had passed slowly. Papers sold so slowly that Swan ended up selling half of Mills' and Cray's papers along with what was left of his. On the 6th Cray and Swan sold on their own, Mills had to stay at Medda's that day to do some extra work. The guys took a quick break in the mid morning to get something to drink. They leaned against a building wall and talked.
"Swan I've been thinking. I should stop selling papes."
Swan blinked in surprise. "Why's that?"
Cray shrugged, "I just too old to sell. I have been too old for a while, at least to old to sell here. In Lincoln I might get away with it but people expect me to have a real job. And Medda's is a real job."
"So you're just gonna quit? You don't have anywhere to live besides the lodging house right?" Swan tried to reason with him.
"Actually Bryon has offered to let me room with him till I get some where's else. I told him I'd think about it." It was obvious he didn't want to talk any more as he gathered up his papes shouting out headlines.
Swan and Cray didn't speak till lunch. As they entered Tibby's they realized they weren't the only ones who were having trouble selling. Tibby's was almost empty. The only newsies there were Jack, Race, and Mush.
"Slow day guys?" Swan spoke as they walked to the table.
"Yeah nothing is selling for no one." Mush spoke around a bite.
"See Cray it ain't your age that is causing you not to sell well. You don't need to quit then." Swan was smug as he pointed out this fact.
"Youse thinking of quitting being a newsie?" Race was the first to catch on, for once.
"Not thinking going to. Medda's pays well and the other bouncer aid I could stay with him. I am taking him up on his offer and moving out."
"Youse gonna quit just like that? Never saw youse as a quitter."
"I am not a quitter, Race just a realist. I can't live on what I make as a newsie forever. What if I want to get married? I not about to bring a girl to live at the lodging house. I'm just moving on. You guys won't hold this against me will you? I still want to be friends."
"Youse ain't going forget us are you?" Mush asked.
"Nah wes just gonna make sure we take more of his money when he comes to play poker." Jack teased.
"Oh great, just what I need. Plus my best friend and my sister are still newsies, so forgetting all of youse would be the least of my worries." They all laughed then and dug into their food.
"Did youse hear the President is in New York, up in Buffalo." Mush spoke around another mouthful of food.
"That ain't news. Now if he were working in Harlem now that would be news." Swan commented.
"Nah it would hafta be Brooklyn and he would hafta be a newsie for it to actually be news."
"Youse all crazy nothing the President does is news. He couldn't be more boring." Jack said as he stood up. "Here put youse dough down headlines need to be called.
The guys got up and headed out to work again. Cray hit Swan on the shoulder. "Have fun improving the headlines I think I'll head to Medda's early. Maybe I can talk to Bryon before it gets busy."
"Sure you're going to talk to Bryon. I heard Medda complain the guy's always late. Tell Mills I say hello." Swan winked and side stepped a swat. "See you later Cray don't get back too late. We might give your bed away before you got some where to sleep." Swan called out over his shoulder as she ran to catch up with the guys.
Cray shook his head, his ears a bit red from knowing how close to the truth Swan had come. As he walked to Medda's he whistled one of the songs from the girls' acts. He knew all the songs to all the acts and if the need ever arose he could probably do an act with out missing a beat. But it would have to be late in the night when most everyone was drunk. He laughed then at the idea of him in a dress. Medda wouldn't want to lose any of her customers she would have to be very, very desperate to put him on the stage.
As he entered by the stage door he encountered the unnerving site of Mills, Lily, and Violet running around looking for something or someone. He stood in the doorway trying to figure out what was going on when Mills came up to him.
"Cray oh God wes got trouble. Three of the girls are sick. What are wes going to do?" Mills had a frantic look in her eyes.
"Calm down. Where's Medda?" Cray stayed calm looking for his employer.
"She's upstairs."
"Can I go see her?"
"No that's not allowed youse know that." Mills' shock was enough to pull her out of her hysteria.
"Okay then how many girls aren't sick?"
"Two, Violet and Lily that's it. They're new youse know that. Why?"
"Well we could have a modified show. Do some comedy with Bryon and me mimicking a couple of the girls' acts. Maybe you could do one of the tamer ones."
"Me on stage? I can't do that. I would be way to scared." Mills eyes were huge.
"Hello dears. Crale what had you suggested?" Medda spoke as she came in from the stage.
"Well since your only healthy girls are new, I thought maybe they could do the acts they know. Then have more of a comedy filling in. Maybe Bryon and I could do parody's of an act or two and Katie here could do one of the tamer dance routines. We all do know most of the acts." Cray stopped and waited for Medda's response.
"That sounds like a good idea it might just work. Katie where is Bryon? He needs to be here."
"You called Medda? What can I do for you?" Bryon came in the side door as if he owned the world.
"Bryon, three of the girls are down sick. We can't cancel so you, Katie and Crale are going to fill in."
Bryon's face blanched. "Fill in?" he gulped attempting to regain his composure.
"Yes you and Crale won't wear the dresses just the accessories and such. You have been helping teach Lily and Violet the routines so I know you could fill in for just one night. Come dears lets get everything together." Medda herded her shocked employees into the dressing room and called for Lily and Violet to come also.
They sat and devised a plan for the night. They decided to get a hold of a couple of newsies to fill in as bouncers, Medda agreed to 4 all together as long as they were "big". Lily and Violet would be the focus, each would do two songs. Mills would go between one of their acts doing a small dance and song. Bryon refused to do his act on his own so the guys decided their act would be at the very beginning. Cray and Bryon agreed to do the only duet that Medda had on the record, called "Sisters", the entire song was on the record which meant the guys would just have to do the dance and lip sync the lyrics.
After choosing their act and practicing, which had Kenneth, the bartender, on the floor laughing, Cray and Bryon gathered what was left of their dignity and went in search of four "big" newsies. Mush and Jack were quickly agreed upon and found and since Swan was with them he was the third. Kid Blink was the reluctant fourth. All four agreed finally not wanting to miss what Cray had billed as the funniest act in 4 states, plus it was some extra dough.
After Cray told the guys their responsibilities he and Bryon went back stage to get ready. It was a full house, everyone sat back stage hoping their modified show would go over well. A last minute line up change had Mills first and the guys last. The show had gone over well up to the point when Bryon and Cray took the stage. As they performed they loosened up and soon were very into their song (AN: If you have ever seen the movie White Christmas w/ Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye you know the scene this is ripped off of). Both acted it up trying hard to make it as comedic as they could. While some of the crowd was hesitant by the end of it the act was well received and both of the men could barely keep from laughing.
It took a while for the hall to clear out, all of the performers and the recruited bouncers were exhausted and sat in the dressing room drinking to their success.
"Ise can't get over how good youse guys were. Cray youse were holding out on us all this time weren't you. Well here's to Cray's new career, acting, one day wes all be saying wes knew him when." Jack lifted his glass of champagne in a toast.
"Let's not forget our friend Mills who would have thought she could do this so well?" Mush raised his glass to toast Mills but was stopped when Cray stood up.
"Well that was Katie's only performance, she ain't doing that again." He swayed a bit as he walked to sit by Mills.
As he sat down Mills turned to him, "Who says Ise ain't doing this again?" She looked cross at the thought that he was telling her what to do.
"I do" and with that he kissed her, effectively silencing her from expressing her out rage. This caused all the other occupants to start a chorus of catcalls and wolf whistles. The two other girls started to giggle and couldn't stop.
When they came up for air Mills turned about four shades of red and Cray finished off his sentence, "You're my girl and you ain't going to be parading on that stage and that's final." She started to protest and Cray kissed her again. The room erupted with more catcalls and when it was over Mills buried her face into Cray's shoulder, not daring to look at any of her friends.
Medda entered the room attracted by the noise and quickly diagnosed what had happened. "All right call it a night. All you boys must get leave now, my girls need their beauty rest."
The guys all stood up and helped the girls up to their feet. Mills decided to show the guys out, but held onto Cray's arm till everyone was out of hearing range. "Crale Oberg youse really want me from your goil, youse gonna have ta ask me tomorrow. Night." She stood up on her toes and gave him a quick peck and before he could respond she slipped back into the building.
As Cray caught up with his friend they began to tease him. The teasing went on until Mush spoke out, "Hey this means Ise won." Everyone turned to look at him, then Blink smacked him.
"Sure rub it in. Ise bet on Kit and Spot."
"There was a betting pool going on and no one told me? Man, I could have cleaned up." Bryon joked good-naturedly.
"Hey they're not official yet, so no results are final." Swan interjected.
Cray had been silent up until now, "It's official, I just have to ask her tomorrow."
This silenced his friends for most of the trip to the lodging house.
"Youse two can stay here tonight and move Cray's stuff latter." Jack spoke as they stood outside. Both men nodded and after paying and signing in all six fell into the open bunks to sleep off the alcohol.
AN: this is a repost, I couldn't believe all the mistakes this had. So I re did it. Here is the corrected one.
"Swan I've been thinking. I should stop selling papes."
Swan blinked in surprise. "Why's that?"
Cray shrugged, "I just too old to sell. I have been too old for a while, at least to old to sell here. In Lincoln I might get away with it but people expect me to have a real job. And Medda's is a real job."
"So you're just gonna quit? You don't have anywhere to live besides the lodging house right?" Swan tried to reason with him.
"Actually Bryon has offered to let me room with him till I get some where's else. I told him I'd think about it." It was obvious he didn't want to talk any more as he gathered up his papes shouting out headlines.
Swan and Cray didn't speak till lunch. As they entered Tibby's they realized they weren't the only ones who were having trouble selling. Tibby's was almost empty. The only newsies there were Jack, Race, and Mush.
"Slow day guys?" Swan spoke as they walked to the table.
"Yeah nothing is selling for no one." Mush spoke around a bite.
"See Cray it ain't your age that is causing you not to sell well. You don't need to quit then." Swan was smug as he pointed out this fact.
"Youse thinking of quitting being a newsie?" Race was the first to catch on, for once.
"Not thinking going to. Medda's pays well and the other bouncer aid I could stay with him. I am taking him up on his offer and moving out."
"Youse gonna quit just like that? Never saw youse as a quitter."
"I am not a quitter, Race just a realist. I can't live on what I make as a newsie forever. What if I want to get married? I not about to bring a girl to live at the lodging house. I'm just moving on. You guys won't hold this against me will you? I still want to be friends."
"Youse ain't going forget us are you?" Mush asked.
"Nah wes just gonna make sure we take more of his money when he comes to play poker." Jack teased.
"Oh great, just what I need. Plus my best friend and my sister are still newsies, so forgetting all of youse would be the least of my worries." They all laughed then and dug into their food.
"Did youse hear the President is in New York, up in Buffalo." Mush spoke around another mouthful of food.
"That ain't news. Now if he were working in Harlem now that would be news." Swan commented.
"Nah it would hafta be Brooklyn and he would hafta be a newsie for it to actually be news."
"Youse all crazy nothing the President does is news. He couldn't be more boring." Jack said as he stood up. "Here put youse dough down headlines need to be called.
The guys got up and headed out to work again. Cray hit Swan on the shoulder. "Have fun improving the headlines I think I'll head to Medda's early. Maybe I can talk to Bryon before it gets busy."
"Sure you're going to talk to Bryon. I heard Medda complain the guy's always late. Tell Mills I say hello." Swan winked and side stepped a swat. "See you later Cray don't get back too late. We might give your bed away before you got some where to sleep." Swan called out over his shoulder as she ran to catch up with the guys.
Cray shook his head, his ears a bit red from knowing how close to the truth Swan had come. As he walked to Medda's he whistled one of the songs from the girls' acts. He knew all the songs to all the acts and if the need ever arose he could probably do an act with out missing a beat. But it would have to be late in the night when most everyone was drunk. He laughed then at the idea of him in a dress. Medda wouldn't want to lose any of her customers she would have to be very, very desperate to put him on the stage.
As he entered by the stage door he encountered the unnerving site of Mills, Lily, and Violet running around looking for something or someone. He stood in the doorway trying to figure out what was going on when Mills came up to him.
"Cray oh God wes got trouble. Three of the girls are sick. What are wes going to do?" Mills had a frantic look in her eyes.
"Calm down. Where's Medda?" Cray stayed calm looking for his employer.
"She's upstairs."
"Can I go see her?"
"No that's not allowed youse know that." Mills' shock was enough to pull her out of her hysteria.
"Okay then how many girls aren't sick?"
"Two, Violet and Lily that's it. They're new youse know that. Why?"
"Well we could have a modified show. Do some comedy with Bryon and me mimicking a couple of the girls' acts. Maybe you could do one of the tamer ones."
"Me on stage? I can't do that. I would be way to scared." Mills eyes were huge.
"Hello dears. Crale what had you suggested?" Medda spoke as she came in from the stage.
"Well since your only healthy girls are new, I thought maybe they could do the acts they know. Then have more of a comedy filling in. Maybe Bryon and I could do parody's of an act or two and Katie here could do one of the tamer dance routines. We all do know most of the acts." Cray stopped and waited for Medda's response.
"That sounds like a good idea it might just work. Katie where is Bryon? He needs to be here."
"You called Medda? What can I do for you?" Bryon came in the side door as if he owned the world.
"Bryon, three of the girls are down sick. We can't cancel so you, Katie and Crale are going to fill in."
Bryon's face blanched. "Fill in?" he gulped attempting to regain his composure.
"Yes you and Crale won't wear the dresses just the accessories and such. You have been helping teach Lily and Violet the routines so I know you could fill in for just one night. Come dears lets get everything together." Medda herded her shocked employees into the dressing room and called for Lily and Violet to come also.
They sat and devised a plan for the night. They decided to get a hold of a couple of newsies to fill in as bouncers, Medda agreed to 4 all together as long as they were "big". Lily and Violet would be the focus, each would do two songs. Mills would go between one of their acts doing a small dance and song. Bryon refused to do his act on his own so the guys decided their act would be at the very beginning. Cray and Bryon agreed to do the only duet that Medda had on the record, called "Sisters", the entire song was on the record which meant the guys would just have to do the dance and lip sync the lyrics.
After choosing their act and practicing, which had Kenneth, the bartender, on the floor laughing, Cray and Bryon gathered what was left of their dignity and went in search of four "big" newsies. Mush and Jack were quickly agreed upon and found and since Swan was with them he was the third. Kid Blink was the reluctant fourth. All four agreed finally not wanting to miss what Cray had billed as the funniest act in 4 states, plus it was some extra dough.
After Cray told the guys their responsibilities he and Bryon went back stage to get ready. It was a full house, everyone sat back stage hoping their modified show would go over well. A last minute line up change had Mills first and the guys last. The show had gone over well up to the point when Bryon and Cray took the stage. As they performed they loosened up and soon were very into their song (AN: If you have ever seen the movie White Christmas w/ Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye you know the scene this is ripped off of). Both acted it up trying hard to make it as comedic as they could. While some of the crowd was hesitant by the end of it the act was well received and both of the men could barely keep from laughing.
It took a while for the hall to clear out, all of the performers and the recruited bouncers were exhausted and sat in the dressing room drinking to their success.
"Ise can't get over how good youse guys were. Cray youse were holding out on us all this time weren't you. Well here's to Cray's new career, acting, one day wes all be saying wes knew him when." Jack lifted his glass of champagne in a toast.
"Let's not forget our friend Mills who would have thought she could do this so well?" Mush raised his glass to toast Mills but was stopped when Cray stood up.
"Well that was Katie's only performance, she ain't doing that again." He swayed a bit as he walked to sit by Mills.
As he sat down Mills turned to him, "Who says Ise ain't doing this again?" She looked cross at the thought that he was telling her what to do.
"I do" and with that he kissed her, effectively silencing her from expressing her out rage. This caused all the other occupants to start a chorus of catcalls and wolf whistles. The two other girls started to giggle and couldn't stop.
When they came up for air Mills turned about four shades of red and Cray finished off his sentence, "You're my girl and you ain't going to be parading on that stage and that's final." She started to protest and Cray kissed her again. The room erupted with more catcalls and when it was over Mills buried her face into Cray's shoulder, not daring to look at any of her friends.
Medda entered the room attracted by the noise and quickly diagnosed what had happened. "All right call it a night. All you boys must get leave now, my girls need their beauty rest."
The guys all stood up and helped the girls up to their feet. Mills decided to show the guys out, but held onto Cray's arm till everyone was out of hearing range. "Crale Oberg youse really want me from your goil, youse gonna have ta ask me tomorrow. Night." She stood up on her toes and gave him a quick peck and before he could respond she slipped back into the building.
As Cray caught up with his friend they began to tease him. The teasing went on until Mush spoke out, "Hey this means Ise won." Everyone turned to look at him, then Blink smacked him.
"Sure rub it in. Ise bet on Kit and Spot."
"There was a betting pool going on and no one told me? Man, I could have cleaned up." Bryon joked good-naturedly.
"Hey they're not official yet, so no results are final." Swan interjected.
Cray had been silent up until now, "It's official, I just have to ask her tomorrow."
This silenced his friends for most of the trip to the lodging house.
"Youse two can stay here tonight and move Cray's stuff latter." Jack spoke as they stood outside. Both men nodded and after paying and signing in all six fell into the open bunks to sleep off the alcohol.
AN: this is a repost, I couldn't believe all the mistakes this had. So I re did it. Here is the corrected one.