The group of eight newsies approached a run down building that looked barely habitable. "You live here?" Swan questioned Jessie as they ascended the rickety stairs to the third floor.
"Yeah, well lived her. Now I am on the streets with my sisters." Jessie said stepping over what looked like a pile of clothes in the hallway.
"Actually Ise think wes got room in the bunkhouse. Youse can come live there." Spot quickly offered. Jessie was hesitant but nodded after Kit gave her a reassuring smile.
A loud, large woman opened the door Jessie knocked on. "About time youse came. Ise was getting ready to call the bulls. Take them both Ise don't need to more brats. Here now get lost before Ise do get the bulls." The woman shoved two young girls around 6 and 4 out into the hallway before slamming the door.
Both girls looked excited to see their sister but automatically calmed down and lowered their eyes when they saw the boys. Bait and Jolly stood in fascination, here were two girls younger then them. Two almost identical evil smiles crossed their faces until Kit cleared her throat and shook her head no, a stern look in her eyes. Spot cleared his throat. "Ise guess wes should go and get youse settled."
Swan bent down to look at the two girls, "Hi I'm Swan would either of you like a ride to your new home?" The girls eyes came up in surprised and they looked to Jessie for an answer. When she nodded both girls nodded. Swan took the older one while Cray got the younger one.
"So Inny who's who?" Kit asked after they left the building.
Jessie pointed as she spoke. "Becca is the youngest and Rachel is older."
"Ise guess we have to put another bun in youse room Kit." Spot spoke deliberately failing to mention it was his room too.
"I guess so. Inny you don know you are coming into a bunk house that has over 30 male occupants. You can't always be looking down."
"30 guys? Maybe we can stay somewhere else." Jessie looked positively frightened.
"Youse will have youse own space with Kit here. None of the older guys is allowed back there unless youse invite them. Bait and Jolly are the appointed Kit wake uper's though. But youse got nothing to worry about from them." Spot assured her, and shot a pointed look at Bait and Jolly as he finished.
"And Inny most of the guys are nice once you get to know them. Crier is the only guys I know that is a jerk." Kit tired to reassure Jessie as they approached the lodging house.
"Kit we really need to get back to Manhattan. You're coming to the Poker match next week right?" Swan spoke as he put down Rachel.
"Of course I have to show you how to play poker right, don't I."
Swan responded with a "Yeah right" and pulled her braid before turning way. Cray put down Becca and gave Kit a quick hug whispering "Mills knows." Mills came over then "Don't be such a stranger and follow youse heart. Youse got a good one." They hugged and then all three headed off to Manhattan.
"Don't they live here?" Jessie asked.
"Nope they all live in Manhattan. They were her because of some trouble." Kit was as vague as possible.
"Oh I see." Jessie looked a bit down.
"Shall wes go in? Bait and Jolly have probably told everyone wes here with three lovely girls." Spot teased both little girls and causing Jessie to blush.
"Kosei I'd like you to meet Jessie Rachel and Becca. Girls this is Kosei, he runs the place. We pay him 6 cents a night to live here or you can pay 28 cents a week or even a dollar a month. Ain't that right Kosei?" Jessie's face went white trying to figure out how much it would cost to keep the girls with her.
"Of course but Kit youse forgot Ise charge half price for kids under 10."
"Oh that's right Bait and Jolly only pay three cents a night. So I am sure Becca and Rachel will be the same."
Jessie looked relieved "We have our own room right?" As Kit nodded she made her decision, "Okay we'll stay her." She tried to put down her money but Kosei stopped her.
"Now all newsies get a week free when they first start. Youse can pay next week. Now youse need to sign in here, all three of youse." Kosei turned the book toward the newsies. Kit and Spot signed in, having paid a week in advance earlier. Jessie picked up both girls and held their hand as they wrote their names, a bit shakily. Then signed in herself.
"Let's go up and get youse settled." Spot lead the way into the main bunkroom. "Here's the half cent tour. This is the guys bunkroom, that's the washroom, and here's youse room. Ise think there's a cot back here." Spot went to search in the stuff for a cot as Kit helped the girls get settled.
"I guess you can put stuff on this shelf. Spot, here let me help you." Kit glanced over in time to see Spot almost fold himself into the cot he was laying out for the girls. It took a couple of tries but finally it was settled.
"Ise see you outside for lunch right Kit?" Spot breathed in and out from the small excursion.
"Of course you paying?" Kit teased.
"Ise paying." Spot quickly kissed her cheek and left waving the little girls to follow him out saying something about "giving the big goils some time alone".
Jessie spoke first, "So how long you been Spot's girl?"
Kit blushed, "He always is doing stuff like that, we ain't actually dating. He never asked me to be his girl, yet. So is that all you have to wear?" She said changing the subject and pointing to Jessie's clothes.
"Is something wrong with a dress?" Jessie looked concerned.
"Well dresses get in your way if you're trying to run, and we do that a lot. I am only wearing a skirt cause I got up and didn't feel like wearing pants. I get Jolly and Bait have out grown some clothes that would fit your sisters. And I bet we could buy you something from a store."
Jessie looked skeptical but agreed. "If you say so now where should we sleep?"
"I'll take the top bunk, the girls could sleep on the bottom and you could have the cot, or I could take the cot and you could have the top bunk."
Jessie grinned at the idea of her own bed. "I think I would like the top bunk, well we don't want to keep you from your lunch date."
"What? No come, come this place is always cheep and Bait and Jolly are coming. We are getting sausages from the vendor down the street." Kit said in an inviting tone.
"If you're sure." Jessie hesitated.
"Sure we'll work on getting you a new name too." Kit smiled, "Even though I have a couple in mind."
"Okay, how bout Rachel and Becca? Will they get new names too?"
"Yep we'll give you all new names and tell Kosei on our way in tonight. We still have the afternoon edition to sell." The girls left to find Spot and the kids.
"Yeah, well lived her. Now I am on the streets with my sisters." Jessie said stepping over what looked like a pile of clothes in the hallway.
"Actually Ise think wes got room in the bunkhouse. Youse can come live there." Spot quickly offered. Jessie was hesitant but nodded after Kit gave her a reassuring smile.
A loud, large woman opened the door Jessie knocked on. "About time youse came. Ise was getting ready to call the bulls. Take them both Ise don't need to more brats. Here now get lost before Ise do get the bulls." The woman shoved two young girls around 6 and 4 out into the hallway before slamming the door.
Both girls looked excited to see their sister but automatically calmed down and lowered their eyes when they saw the boys. Bait and Jolly stood in fascination, here were two girls younger then them. Two almost identical evil smiles crossed their faces until Kit cleared her throat and shook her head no, a stern look in her eyes. Spot cleared his throat. "Ise guess wes should go and get youse settled."
Swan bent down to look at the two girls, "Hi I'm Swan would either of you like a ride to your new home?" The girls eyes came up in surprised and they looked to Jessie for an answer. When she nodded both girls nodded. Swan took the older one while Cray got the younger one.
"So Inny who's who?" Kit asked after they left the building.
Jessie pointed as she spoke. "Becca is the youngest and Rachel is older."
"Ise guess we have to put another bun in youse room Kit." Spot spoke deliberately failing to mention it was his room too.
"I guess so. Inny you don know you are coming into a bunk house that has over 30 male occupants. You can't always be looking down."
"30 guys? Maybe we can stay somewhere else." Jessie looked positively frightened.
"Youse will have youse own space with Kit here. None of the older guys is allowed back there unless youse invite them. Bait and Jolly are the appointed Kit wake uper's though. But youse got nothing to worry about from them." Spot assured her, and shot a pointed look at Bait and Jolly as he finished.
"And Inny most of the guys are nice once you get to know them. Crier is the only guys I know that is a jerk." Kit tired to reassure Jessie as they approached the lodging house.
"Kit we really need to get back to Manhattan. You're coming to the Poker match next week right?" Swan spoke as he put down Rachel.
"Of course I have to show you how to play poker right, don't I."
Swan responded with a "Yeah right" and pulled her braid before turning way. Cray put down Becca and gave Kit a quick hug whispering "Mills knows." Mills came over then "Don't be such a stranger and follow youse heart. Youse got a good one." They hugged and then all three headed off to Manhattan.
"Don't they live here?" Jessie asked.
"Nope they all live in Manhattan. They were her because of some trouble." Kit was as vague as possible.
"Oh I see." Jessie looked a bit down.
"Shall wes go in? Bait and Jolly have probably told everyone wes here with three lovely girls." Spot teased both little girls and causing Jessie to blush.
"Kosei I'd like you to meet Jessie Rachel and Becca. Girls this is Kosei, he runs the place. We pay him 6 cents a night to live here or you can pay 28 cents a week or even a dollar a month. Ain't that right Kosei?" Jessie's face went white trying to figure out how much it would cost to keep the girls with her.
"Of course but Kit youse forgot Ise charge half price for kids under 10."
"Oh that's right Bait and Jolly only pay three cents a night. So I am sure Becca and Rachel will be the same."
Jessie looked relieved "We have our own room right?" As Kit nodded she made her decision, "Okay we'll stay her." She tried to put down her money but Kosei stopped her.
"Now all newsies get a week free when they first start. Youse can pay next week. Now youse need to sign in here, all three of youse." Kosei turned the book toward the newsies. Kit and Spot signed in, having paid a week in advance earlier. Jessie picked up both girls and held their hand as they wrote their names, a bit shakily. Then signed in herself.
"Let's go up and get youse settled." Spot lead the way into the main bunkroom. "Here's the half cent tour. This is the guys bunkroom, that's the washroom, and here's youse room. Ise think there's a cot back here." Spot went to search in the stuff for a cot as Kit helped the girls get settled.
"I guess you can put stuff on this shelf. Spot, here let me help you." Kit glanced over in time to see Spot almost fold himself into the cot he was laying out for the girls. It took a couple of tries but finally it was settled.
"Ise see you outside for lunch right Kit?" Spot breathed in and out from the small excursion.
"Of course you paying?" Kit teased.
"Ise paying." Spot quickly kissed her cheek and left waving the little girls to follow him out saying something about "giving the big goils some time alone".
Jessie spoke first, "So how long you been Spot's girl?"
Kit blushed, "He always is doing stuff like that, we ain't actually dating. He never asked me to be his girl, yet. So is that all you have to wear?" She said changing the subject and pointing to Jessie's clothes.
"Is something wrong with a dress?" Jessie looked concerned.
"Well dresses get in your way if you're trying to run, and we do that a lot. I am only wearing a skirt cause I got up and didn't feel like wearing pants. I get Jolly and Bait have out grown some clothes that would fit your sisters. And I bet we could buy you something from a store."
Jessie looked skeptical but agreed. "If you say so now where should we sleep?"
"I'll take the top bunk, the girls could sleep on the bottom and you could have the cot, or I could take the cot and you could have the top bunk."
Jessie grinned at the idea of her own bed. "I think I would like the top bunk, well we don't want to keep you from your lunch date."
"What? No come, come this place is always cheep and Bait and Jolly are coming. We are getting sausages from the vendor down the street." Kit said in an inviting tone.
"If you're sure." Jessie hesitated.
"Sure we'll work on getting you a new name too." Kit smiled, "Even though I have a couple in mind."
"Okay, how bout Rachel and Becca? Will they get new names too?"
"Yep we'll give you all new names and tell Kosei on our way in tonight. We still have the afternoon edition to sell." The girls left to find Spot and the kids.