The next morning it was time to do laundry. She started walking to the well. All of a sudden all 6 of the newsies she had met, started walking up the street. Straight towards her. She moved Rachel, who she was rocking in her arms, to the arm that Samantha's basket was in. Faith started walking really fast. She knew something was wrong. She didn't even look back. Then somebody grabbed her arm. It was Mush.
"Hi ... ah ... it was Mush right?" she said very carefully so as not to give away that she was afraid. She had learned from her ex-boyfriend that boys could smell fear. Like dogs. Then Mush answered.
"Yeah. Wanna go ta Tibby's, Faith?" asked Mush. Everyone was staring her down. She was very, very scared.
"Like a date?" she asked right back at him.Now she was sweating.
"Yeah you could call it dat," he replied.
"No Rachel go with ME!" yelled Spot." Ise know a good place all da way in Brooklyn."
"All the way in BROOKLYN!" she said as if that was her punishment.
"Look at dis sweet face, Faith. Don't turn ME DOWN!" yelled Crutchy.
"Rachel, I saved your life!" yelled Blink. "I love you."
"No I do," said all the boys simultaneously.
"You know, NONE OF YOU GUYS REALLY LOVE ME!" she screamed. By now she wasn't scared she was just mad. "People in Boston used to tell me how sweet I was. They all wanted to marry me. Especially Brad. Brad...." she said fading into a deep daydream.
Brad Gyseni, pronounced guy-seen-ee, was not dreamy. Brad was cute. Brad was in the park most of the time. He was brilliant. He loved animals. He actually hand fed a tiger once. It was a tamed tiger but still. He also once swam with sharks. He tried to bring Faith swimming with sharks but she refused. When they were around 12, right after Faith's mother died, they made a contract that they would get married. But then last year Brad married a girl named Katelyn Jarfuncel. Thats a weird last name. It is pronounced gar-foon-sel.
"I'm going home to think about this I'll choose soon by lunch. Just go!" Faith went home to think about it. By lunch she had a solution. She walked to the restaurant, TIBBY's. She opened the door and all of the newsies crowded around her. She had ear plugs in so she couldn't hear them.
They all yelled at her.
"What?" asked Faith as she took the ear plugs out
"Who did ya choose?" asked Racetrack.
"I made the hardest decision of my life in the last 6 hours. I decided..." started Faith. All the newsies leaned toward her. "I decided that... Well Jack, you love the girls and thats a plus, Race, you're great company and thats a plus, Blink you saved my life and thats a plus, Crutchy, you're are the sweetest person I've ever met and thats a plus, Mush, you are handsome and the best seller I've ever met and thats a plus, and Spot, you are sensitive and loving and thats a plus. But all of you have your flaws. Jack, you keep leaving, Race, you get scared easily, Blink, you aren't very experienced with girls, Crutchy you are only, what 75 pounds, Mush you're only 14, and Spot, you live all the way in Brooklyn. But I did decide on one of you. I also decided I'm moving back to Boston. I'll bring one of you to my home there. The one I chose is handsome, strong, loving, caring, and protective. It's not Crutchy, Mush, or Blink." One by one the boys moved to a different table. Faith walked over and kissed them all on the cheek.
"Blink, remember, I'll always remember you and your kindness. Well all of you," she said. Then she got back to the other three. "Racetrack. Please come here." She whispered into Races ear and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He walked to sit with the others. "Jack come here." Spot was excited.
"Jack, I love you. But only as a friend. Spot, I chose you to come live with me. Pack your stuff we're leaving in a week. You can live with me if you like until then. If you'd like to visit your friends I'll understand."
"Ise wanna live wid you," he shouted quickly. She went back and gave everyone a kiss and left with Spot. Spot was proud. He held Samantha and had one arm around Faith. He was a little taller than Faith.
"Spot?" asked Faith.
"Yeah?" he asked right back.
"Do you want new clothes? Not that there's anything wrong with your clothes now but I thought..."
"I'd love to. Wese can go soon. I'll get me money and we can..."
"NO! I wouldn't dare let you even use a penny. I'll pay."
"If youse insist."
As they walked to Debets Homestore, Faith took her money out. She gave the clerk 100 dollars for Spot to get anything he wanted. About an hour later Spot came out with about 5 bags. He had 50 dollars left. Faith carried the babies while Spot carried the bags. They got back and began a long conversation. About ten minutes into the conversation they sat down at the table because Spot had something important to talk to Faith about.
"Ise been tinkin dat Ise could change me name," said Spot.
"Are you sure? We'd have to go to the courts and get it changed and go through the whole legally procedure and..." but Spot didn't let her finish.
"No wese wouldn't. Spot ain't my real name anyway. Its ... embersing. Its Robert."
"I love that name. That would be great. Whats your last name?" asked Faith.
"Conlon is me real last name."
"There's only one problem I have about you. My family is a bow/courtsy
type. No spit shakes. Please."
"Okay." he said. He wasn't mad he looked at her in a trance.
"What? Do I have like spinach in my teeth?" asked Faith.
"No. Ise was jus' lookin' at you pritty face."
"Thanks, Robert Conlon. You know you look wonderful ina ll your new clothes."
They went to sleep for a while. They woke up at 6am on Monday (they had the name-change conversation on Saturday) so they could catch the 10am train to Boston. They loaded a train car with their stuff. All they had was a crib, some new clothes, the babies, the 3 baskets, the 4 cats, some food, some money, the things she brought, and other things that Faith bought while she was in NYC for a week. She had named the kittens Tulip, Rose, and Daisy. As she, the babies, the kittens, Iris, and Spot walked up the walk everyone ran to her.
"Faith Laurel Hart! Where have you been?! We have worried for so long. What are you doing with a boy? What are you doing with babies? Why do you have three kittens?" yelled Nana, who had been terrified while she was gone.
"Okay let me start, I was in NYC, this is Robert Conlon, my new fiancee, I found these babies and couldn't give them up, and I found the kittens with the blonde baby, Samantha. My things will be here around 6:30. But nana please let me rest. I've been moving around all day."
"Okay. As long as you're home. I love you. Go rest. So Robert, would you like to nap too or will you be joining my family for lunch?" asked Nana in her loving tone. Faith knew she was home.
(This story isn't finished but alot of people thought it was. Please read my next follow-up chapter in about 3 weeks. Please also read my 2nd story Truth. Its odd but short.)