Just a quick note before this chapter offically starts, I do have a lot more written but since school is starting I am going to probably only post one chaper every two-three days. Thanks to all who have reviewed, hope you enjoy the next chapter. :)
The next morning Kit was the first up. She was a little disoriented as she sat up yawning. Memories came back and she almost began to freak out again, until she looked around. A smile tugged at her lips, there lay Spot and Cray on the floor. They both looked so innocent, but she knew better. Kit decided a good shower would be in order and got up.
As she moved to the door she saw Mills asleep on the top bunk. It would be nice to have a girl to talk to as she got ready so she carefully climbed back over the guys legs and over to her bunk. "Hey Mills wake up. The guys like it if we goils wake up before them." Her wake up call similar to the one Mills had given her on Kit's first night in Manhattan. Mills stirred and finally woke up. Kit placed a finger over her own lips then motioned Mills to follow.
When they entered the wash room Mills gave Kit a hug. "So how youse feeling?"
Kit shrugged off her shirt and stepped into the shower. "Okay." After a five-minute shower she dried off and slipped into her only clean clothes, a dress.
Spot came in then and kissed Kit on the cheek before going to wash up, "Morning Kit." Rounder had followed him in and saw him kiss Kit. He couldn't resist commenting. "Ise guess Spot really ain't to old for youse is he Kit?" The other Brooklyn newsies snickered and Kit was at a loss of how to respond. She settled on going back to her bun and waiting for Mills to return and explain some things.
Mills came in Pulling her hair up in a bun. Kit looked at her, "Mills what as that about? How out of it was I yesterday?"
Mills hesitated before answering, "Well when youse first woke up youse were calling for Cray and Swan, using their real names. Then youse asked who all of us were, and Spot said he was youse boyfriend and youse said he was cute but too old cause he looked at least 20. Spot said he was only 18 so how's he too old for you and youse said youse was 13. We left for a second to discuss stuff and youse started to scream for Spot to stay away from Chair and youse would snap out of it. Finally Swan got youse awake then you launched yourself at Spot and ended up falling asleep in his lap."
Kit blushed bright red, "I remember that" Her eyes widened in horror "Mills you don't think he thinks I like him do you?"
Mills looked surprised, "You don't like him?"
"No" Kit responded just a bit to quick, "I mean he is like a best friend. I don't think he could like me any differently." She ducked her head so the disappointment couldn't be seen.
Mills snickered, "Ise thinks he likes youse though."
"Really?" Kit's eyes got big.
"Ise thought youse didn't like him like that." Mills teased.
"I, hey we need to get going if we are going to sell today." Kit bounded out the door almost running over Spot, Swan and Cray. " You guys were listening to us?"
The guys had the decency to look ashamed. Kit looked ready to kill them, but Mills saved them by dragging her out and off to get their papers.
As they approached the distribution office there was a hold up. Kit figured she could probably solve it with the left over anger she had towards the guys and began to thread her way up to the window, with Mills at her heels. At the window stood a slight tall girl demanding that Cryder give her 40 papers. Kit came up and smiled at Cryder. "So Crier, what's the problem here?"
Cryder sneered, "It's Cryder and it don't concern youse, Kit."
"But I think it does, I mean it is keeping me from getting my papes. What is going on." Kit leaned in close to the bars of the window, begging for Cryder to start something.
"Not that it's any of youse business Kit but Ise don't give papes to goils."
"I thought she was going to pay you for them Crier. Plus It may been a while since I got my own papes but you have never not given me MY papes. Why can't, excuse me what's your name miss?"
"Jessie" the brunet looked ready to cry.
"Nice to meet you Jessie, any way Crier why can't Jessie here get some papes? I see she has her 20 cents already out, just give her the papes and I won't have to tell your mommy how mean you are to girls."
Cryder glared at Kit, "Just cause youse Spot's goil don't mean youse get everything youse wants."
"Well now that's gonna be news to Spot ain't it. I seem to remember him and you having a discussion which you lost. I want 120 papes and I want you to give Jessie her 40. Please." Kit slapped down her money and Cryder left, grumbling something about "uppity goils and their hard fisted boyfriends." He brought back 160 papers for her and Jessie. "No how bad was that? Later Crier."
Kit picked up her papers and gave Jessie hers and Mills half of what was left. Jessie followed them down the dock and ran to catch up with them. "Um Kit?" Jessie called and Kit stopped. "I just wanted to say thanks."
"Oh it was nothing. By the way I'm Kit Oberg." She maneuvered her papers then stuck out her hand.
"Jessie Malone."
"Youse ever sell before?" Mills asked, "Ise Mills O'Riely."
Jessie looked at her shoes, "No I haven't, but I figured I could learn from watching everyone else. I am a pretty quick study.
"That's no way to learn, come on you can sell with me an Mills. We'll teach you how it's done." Kit offered.
"Really? Sure I would like that." Jessie spoke softly. She looked at her shoes again but before Kit could ask why a pair of arms reached around her and began to tickle her. Kit sung around quick and saw it was Spot.
"Hey Kit youse still mad at me?" Spot asked.
"Me mad at you? Now why would I be mad at you for listening in on a private conversation?" Kit mockingly asked. She then turned to Mills but saw her kissing Cray.
"Kit Ise see youse made a friend, Ise proud." Spot taunted before Kit elbowed him.
"Be nice, she's a newsie now. Jessie I'd like you to meet my friends, Spot Conlon and Swan Swanson. The guy kissing Mills is my brother, Cray, I think. Mills, Cray stop you're embarrassing me." The two broke apart goof smiles present, "Anyway. Guys this is Jessie Malone."
Spot took an arm from around Kit and stuck out it out for a hand shake with Jessie, "Hey. Kit forgot to mention though, she my goil. So youse real name is Jessie?"
Jessie shook his hand but kept her eyes down, as she nodded. Bait and Jolly chose that moment to run up. "Kit if wes don't' get going no one's going to buy our papes."
"Wes all going to sell on the Island today?" Kit looked incredulous but none of the guys had any intentions of letting her sell o her own with just Mills and this new girl. "What is the headline anyway?"
Bait showed her a paper. "It says 'President Paralyzed' What does that mean?"
Kit hesitated before answering, but Jessie beat her, "It means he can't walk or maybe he can't move at all depend on how bad it is."
Bait nodded and said "oh." He and Jolly then began to call out their improved headline. "President unable to walk" "President to be a cripple." They both sold out before Coney Island and it was decided that they would be the bait for the day. They split up as they got there, girls and guys each group took a younger boy, Bait staying with the girls. And so the lessons began for Jessie.
"First off you chose a good time to start. You are guaranteed to sell out. So most of this we'll use after news gets slow again. You should always look through the pape to find stories that are good for improving."
"You mean I have to lie?" (AN: why is that always the first thing anyone new says?) Jessie was scandalized.
"No just improving. Like this story, "Planned Trash Fire to Kill Rats." "City suspected in arson that kills hundreds." You ain't lying just improving." Jessie was skeptical but nodded. "Okay Inny, watch me then you can try to sell one of yours."
"Hold it Inny?"
"Yeah every newsie has a nickname, mine is Kit, Mills, Bait etc. they ain't our real names. You can be Innocent and it'll shorten to Inny."
"Can't I choose my own?" Jessie begged.
"Youse got something in mind." Mills asked.
Jessie thought for a second, "Not now."
"Well then you can be Inny till then. Let's get selling or we'll never be done before the guys."
Jessie was right about being a quick study and soon all three girls were selling to the passer-byes. Bait stuck close to Kit's side, and after four hours they were finished and sat on a bench to wait for the guys.
"So Inny youse don't got an accent where youse from?" Bait asked.
Jessie looked at her hands, "North Carolina."
Kit put out a hand and brought Jessie's eyes up to see hers. "Why do you keep lowering your eyes when you talk to guys?"
"Habit, my father had a thing about respect and my mother and I never looked him in the eye, ever. He died last year and y mother tired to break me of the habit but she couldn't. She died two weeks ago I got thrown out on the street yesterday." Her eyes came up then, filled with horror. "Rachel and Becca, oh no I forgot to get them."
She got up to leave but Kit held out a hand. "Who are Rachel and Becca? Where are they?"
"They're my sisters. I left them at a neighbor's before I came. I need to go get them."
"We'll go with you, Bait go get the guys and tell them we went to help Jessie get her sisters."
"Don't have to, we're here." Spot reached out a hand to help Kit up. "Shall wes go?" Jessie nodded and led them off to get her sisters.
The next morning Kit was the first up. She was a little disoriented as she sat up yawning. Memories came back and she almost began to freak out again, until she looked around. A smile tugged at her lips, there lay Spot and Cray on the floor. They both looked so innocent, but she knew better. Kit decided a good shower would be in order and got up.
As she moved to the door she saw Mills asleep on the top bunk. It would be nice to have a girl to talk to as she got ready so she carefully climbed back over the guys legs and over to her bunk. "Hey Mills wake up. The guys like it if we goils wake up before them." Her wake up call similar to the one Mills had given her on Kit's first night in Manhattan. Mills stirred and finally woke up. Kit placed a finger over her own lips then motioned Mills to follow.
When they entered the wash room Mills gave Kit a hug. "So how youse feeling?"
Kit shrugged off her shirt and stepped into the shower. "Okay." After a five-minute shower she dried off and slipped into her only clean clothes, a dress.
Spot came in then and kissed Kit on the cheek before going to wash up, "Morning Kit." Rounder had followed him in and saw him kiss Kit. He couldn't resist commenting. "Ise guess Spot really ain't to old for youse is he Kit?" The other Brooklyn newsies snickered and Kit was at a loss of how to respond. She settled on going back to her bun and waiting for Mills to return and explain some things.
Mills came in Pulling her hair up in a bun. Kit looked at her, "Mills what as that about? How out of it was I yesterday?"
Mills hesitated before answering, "Well when youse first woke up youse were calling for Cray and Swan, using their real names. Then youse asked who all of us were, and Spot said he was youse boyfriend and youse said he was cute but too old cause he looked at least 20. Spot said he was only 18 so how's he too old for you and youse said youse was 13. We left for a second to discuss stuff and youse started to scream for Spot to stay away from Chair and youse would snap out of it. Finally Swan got youse awake then you launched yourself at Spot and ended up falling asleep in his lap."
Kit blushed bright red, "I remember that" Her eyes widened in horror "Mills you don't think he thinks I like him do you?"
Mills looked surprised, "You don't like him?"
"No" Kit responded just a bit to quick, "I mean he is like a best friend. I don't think he could like me any differently." She ducked her head so the disappointment couldn't be seen.
Mills snickered, "Ise thinks he likes youse though."
"Really?" Kit's eyes got big.
"Ise thought youse didn't like him like that." Mills teased.
"I, hey we need to get going if we are going to sell today." Kit bounded out the door almost running over Spot, Swan and Cray. " You guys were listening to us?"
The guys had the decency to look ashamed. Kit looked ready to kill them, but Mills saved them by dragging her out and off to get their papers.
As they approached the distribution office there was a hold up. Kit figured she could probably solve it with the left over anger she had towards the guys and began to thread her way up to the window, with Mills at her heels. At the window stood a slight tall girl demanding that Cryder give her 40 papers. Kit came up and smiled at Cryder. "So Crier, what's the problem here?"
Cryder sneered, "It's Cryder and it don't concern youse, Kit."
"But I think it does, I mean it is keeping me from getting my papes. What is going on." Kit leaned in close to the bars of the window, begging for Cryder to start something.
"Not that it's any of youse business Kit but Ise don't give papes to goils."
"I thought she was going to pay you for them Crier. Plus It may been a while since I got my own papes but you have never not given me MY papes. Why can't, excuse me what's your name miss?"
"Jessie" the brunet looked ready to cry.
"Nice to meet you Jessie, any way Crier why can't Jessie here get some papes? I see she has her 20 cents already out, just give her the papes and I won't have to tell your mommy how mean you are to girls."
Cryder glared at Kit, "Just cause youse Spot's goil don't mean youse get everything youse wants."
"Well now that's gonna be news to Spot ain't it. I seem to remember him and you having a discussion which you lost. I want 120 papes and I want you to give Jessie her 40. Please." Kit slapped down her money and Cryder left, grumbling something about "uppity goils and their hard fisted boyfriends." He brought back 160 papers for her and Jessie. "No how bad was that? Later Crier."
Kit picked up her papers and gave Jessie hers and Mills half of what was left. Jessie followed them down the dock and ran to catch up with them. "Um Kit?" Jessie called and Kit stopped. "I just wanted to say thanks."
"Oh it was nothing. By the way I'm Kit Oberg." She maneuvered her papers then stuck out her hand.
"Jessie Malone."
"Youse ever sell before?" Mills asked, "Ise Mills O'Riely."
Jessie looked at her shoes, "No I haven't, but I figured I could learn from watching everyone else. I am a pretty quick study.
"That's no way to learn, come on you can sell with me an Mills. We'll teach you how it's done." Kit offered.
"Really? Sure I would like that." Jessie spoke softly. She looked at her shoes again but before Kit could ask why a pair of arms reached around her and began to tickle her. Kit sung around quick and saw it was Spot.
"Hey Kit youse still mad at me?" Spot asked.
"Me mad at you? Now why would I be mad at you for listening in on a private conversation?" Kit mockingly asked. She then turned to Mills but saw her kissing Cray.
"Kit Ise see youse made a friend, Ise proud." Spot taunted before Kit elbowed him.
"Be nice, she's a newsie now. Jessie I'd like you to meet my friends, Spot Conlon and Swan Swanson. The guy kissing Mills is my brother, Cray, I think. Mills, Cray stop you're embarrassing me." The two broke apart goof smiles present, "Anyway. Guys this is Jessie Malone."
Spot took an arm from around Kit and stuck out it out for a hand shake with Jessie, "Hey. Kit forgot to mention though, she my goil. So youse real name is Jessie?"
Jessie shook his hand but kept her eyes down, as she nodded. Bait and Jolly chose that moment to run up. "Kit if wes don't' get going no one's going to buy our papes."
"Wes all going to sell on the Island today?" Kit looked incredulous but none of the guys had any intentions of letting her sell o her own with just Mills and this new girl. "What is the headline anyway?"
Bait showed her a paper. "It says 'President Paralyzed' What does that mean?"
Kit hesitated before answering, but Jessie beat her, "It means he can't walk or maybe he can't move at all depend on how bad it is."
Bait nodded and said "oh." He and Jolly then began to call out their improved headline. "President unable to walk" "President to be a cripple." They both sold out before Coney Island and it was decided that they would be the bait for the day. They split up as they got there, girls and guys each group took a younger boy, Bait staying with the girls. And so the lessons began for Jessie.
"First off you chose a good time to start. You are guaranteed to sell out. So most of this we'll use after news gets slow again. You should always look through the pape to find stories that are good for improving."
"You mean I have to lie?" (AN: why is that always the first thing anyone new says?) Jessie was scandalized.
"No just improving. Like this story, "Planned Trash Fire to Kill Rats." "City suspected in arson that kills hundreds." You ain't lying just improving." Jessie was skeptical but nodded. "Okay Inny, watch me then you can try to sell one of yours."
"Hold it Inny?"
"Yeah every newsie has a nickname, mine is Kit, Mills, Bait etc. they ain't our real names. You can be Innocent and it'll shorten to Inny."
"Can't I choose my own?" Jessie begged.
"Youse got something in mind." Mills asked.
Jessie thought for a second, "Not now."
"Well then you can be Inny till then. Let's get selling or we'll never be done before the guys."
Jessie was right about being a quick study and soon all three girls were selling to the passer-byes. Bait stuck close to Kit's side, and after four hours they were finished and sat on a bench to wait for the guys.
"So Inny youse don't got an accent where youse from?" Bait asked.
Jessie looked at her hands, "North Carolina."
Kit put out a hand and brought Jessie's eyes up to see hers. "Why do you keep lowering your eyes when you talk to guys?"
"Habit, my father had a thing about respect and my mother and I never looked him in the eye, ever. He died last year and y mother tired to break me of the habit but she couldn't. She died two weeks ago I got thrown out on the street yesterday." Her eyes came up then, filled with horror. "Rachel and Becca, oh no I forgot to get them."
She got up to leave but Kit held out a hand. "Who are Rachel and Becca? Where are they?"
"They're my sisters. I left them at a neighbor's before I came. I need to go get them."
"We'll go with you, Bait go get the guys and tell them we went to help Jessie get her sisters."
"Don't have to, we're here." Spot reached out a hand to help Kit up. "Shall wes go?" Jessie nodded and led them off to get her sisters.