Part 7: Green Eye of Jealousy


Jeannie, Waterbug, and Inkblot watched the intensity of the nightly poker game. Kingpin and Dice had gotten back about an hour ago and started the game. They had come in a few minutes apart from each other, but Hawkeye laughed to himself when he seen how flustered his cousin's face was. That's when he teased her. It was one of his favorite hobbies - to tease the girls who he cared about dearly. Even though he cared about all the girls in the lodging house, he held a special place for Dice, Doll Face, and Cricket.
Hawk sighed thinking of Cricket. He glanced over at her to see she was laying on her top bunk talking to Doll. What else was new? He knew if he stared at her long enough, she'd get curious and walk over to him. It was the late night 'ritual'. Hawkeye stared as hard as he could in Cricket's direction. Doll giggled when she saw him looking over, but she didn't tell Cricket what the mischievous Manhattan leader was doing.
Cricket was casually talking to Doll about what ever had come to mind - headlines, fights…the usual! She started to feel awkward and knew it was a certain someone trying to intimidate her. Cricket was fixing to slip off her bunk when a distraction entered the room.
"Jack! Heya! You came back!" Cricket shouted as she quickly ran up to him.
Jack Kelly smiled slightly. "Yeah, I toldja I would."
Doll followed after Cricket. "Jack, tell us about whatcha do as a real cowboy. Please?" She gave him pleading eyes.
"Of course, I will." The two girls lead him to the table by the door corner. Most of the newsies went over there and sat in front of Jack. He felt like a storyteller kind of like the old man that took him in after arriving in Santa Fe. The three youngest newsies sat right in front of him and stared anxiously. Geez, they probably weren't even born when I left heah - Jack thought.
Townshend was walking over to sit around Jack when he noticed his best friend moping on his bed. He shook his head and walked over to him. "What's wrong, Hawk?"
"What?" Hawkeye glanced at Townie, dazed. He was basically in his own world - more brooding than thinking rational.
"You have something on your mind." Townie smiled. "It's written all over your face. Somethings wrong."
Hawk groaned. It was hard having a best friend who knows you as well as you know yourself. He sighed, knowing there was no way he could hide. "That Jack Kelly has been heah for only a day and have you seen how Cricket looks at him?"
"At Jack?" Townshend scrunched his nose. "No, not really. Why?"
"Well, I saw it. It's ain't right." Hawkeye hit his pillow.
"Duncan…" Townie started.
"Don't Duncan me, Townshend Turner!" Hawkeye spouted out, almost making a scene of their conversation, but only a few newsies sitting at the edge of the group looked back to see what was going on. Nosy! He usually didn't act like this, but Cricket had always ruffled his feathers because he loved her. Why he hadn't told her yet……he didn't really know himself.
"Hawk, calm down, please" Townie said, almost pleading. He had a feeling about what was going on in his best friend's head, but didn't know if it was true or not.
Hawk peered around the room to see almost everyone occupied. He slipped off his top bunk, climbed out onto the fire escape with Townie right behind, and closed the window.
There was silence between the two until Townie got up the courage to ask again. "What is wrong?"
"She looks at him like he hung the moon. She must of been hidin' this crush all this time" Hawkeye rambled on.
"Just because in Cricket's eyes Jack is a hero and great guy doesn't mean you have to think she is falling all over him. Y'know, not even a few hours ago you considered Jack Kelly your hero too."
The leader of the Manhattan newsies looked out into the city, knowing Townshend just might be right. "I know, and he still is. But what if she likes him? He's took old for her."
"Let me ask you something, Hawk, why do care so much?"
Hawk turned to his friend sharply. "Cricket is me best friend just like you, Dice, and Cock. I care about her. Why don't you?"
"Because I know that nothing is gonna go on. Geez, Duncan!" Townie opened the window and climbed back in leaving Hawk outside. He knew that Hawkeye only needed to cool off and be by himself so he could calm down. It will pass. Cricket was only a friend. At least, that's all that was on Townie's mind. Hawk's mind was thinking something different.
Inside, Jack was just finishing one of his stories of being a newsie. "Me and Spot was trapped by the bulls. We didn't know where we was goin' because it was apart of the city we'd never been to. That was the moment Spot decided to learn all the city from Queens to the Bronx and maybe more. He was determined to know all the city because that was before he became the leader of Brooklyn.
"Anyways, we was trapped by a seven foot brick wall when all the sudden a rope falls from the top of it. It was Snoddy and Pie Eater. I don't know how they found us, but that was the first time we had ever met 'em. So we climbed up the rope and got away. That's when I told 'em to come live at the Manhattan lodgin' house with me. Spot didn't have a problem with it because he lived in Brooklyn. But, that was it for that story."
"Gee Jack, that was great" Crutchy said, from the doorway. He hobbled in. "I hate to break this up, but it's time for lights out."
"Awe Crutchy, do we have to go to bed?" Dice asked, scooping up her cards as Kingpin slipped his lucky dice in his pocket.
"Now Dicey, y'know you'll be all tired and not wanna get up tomorrow mornin'." Crutchy told her, shaking his finger at her.
Dice rolled her eyes. "What else is new though?"
Crutchy laughed, herding everyone up. Cab Goyins and Chaos were asleep on Fox's bed. He smacked Cab with his hat, making them get up. Waterbug had climbed in Jack's lap going in and out of sleep. He handed her to Hoax as the girl's cleared the room. Jeannie was a sleep in her brother - Binx's - lap. Dissy and Luke were sorta busy in the a corner of the room, and received a stern look from their lodging house keeper. Mouse and Patchwork were literally drooling over Chronicles and Binx. Harlem sat a top of a bunk listening to Troubleshooter and Kuhn talk under her. Townie helped Doll to her bunk in the other bunkroom, because her foot had fallen asleep. It was a normal night at the Manhattan Lodging House.
Cricket stepped up to Jack. "That was a great story. I can't wait to hear more."
"Well, I liked tellin' it. Reminded me of the good ole' times" Jack reminisced. He wanted to talk to Crutchy about things that were. It was going to be hard though. The reason why he left might come up in the conversation.
"I wish Hawkeye would of been in heah to hear it. Townie told me he's on the fire escape. I better go see what he's up too." Cricket walked away to the window.
Crutchy and Jack watched as all the newsies got in bed with the girls going to their own bunkroom. Crutchy had to separate Cab and Chaos. Chaos had somehow slipped in Cab's bed. Crutchy raised a suspicious eyebrow, and shooed Chaos off to the girls' bunkroom.
Cricket had already talked to Hawkeye. He seemed very distance tonight and that scared her because he was never like that to her. She'd ask Townshend about that in the morning.
After ever single newsie was in bed and the lights had been turned out ((but that didn't stop any of the kids to stop chatting)), Crutchy and Jack headed downstairs. Crutchy had a cot stored in the closet. It was Kloppman's old bed, but when Kloppman died and Crutchy took over, he had to have a better bed than a small cot.
"Thanks Crutchy" Jack said as he was taking the cot out the closet.
"For what Jack?" Crutchy hobbled from the lobby.
"For lettin' me stay and not accusing me of...y'know" Jack's tone went down when he said the last words.
The lodging house keeper shook his head. "You know I'd never turn an ole' friend down and I don't accuse you of anything. What happen was out of your hands. You know dat, I know dat, everyone did."
"Except one person." Jack sat on the cot drifting off into his thoughts.
Crutchy placed a hand on his old friend's shoulder and said firmly, "It wasn't your fault. Davey didn't mean what he said last time you saw him."
Jack looked up at Crutchy, his eyes almost in tears. "It's been nine years since we saw each other. I don't think I could face up to him."
"Well, if you change your mind, Davey goes to the graveyard every Sunday."
"He still hasn't stopped grieving, has he?"
"Not since Les died, he told me he had another reason to actually visit the graveyard. I hated hearin' him so sad, but there wasn't anything I could do. He needed his best friend around."
Jack snorted. "Well, that wouldn't be me."
Crutchy shook his head in disagreement. "You just don't know how wrong you are."