Part 8: A Brand New Day
Jack awoke to the sound of rustling. He groaned, rubbing his eyes groggily, and open them. Crutchy was scrambling around his small room, getting dressed. He was headed upstairs to wake all the newsies up. Jack groaned again.
"Mornin' Jack!" Crutchy greeted enthusiastically. He leaned over the small sink, and splashed a handful of water on his face. "Ya don't have to get up if ya don't want. I'm just goin' to wake up da kids."
"That's okay. I'm already awake." He sat up and stretched. "I'm got some business to get done."
"Oh yeah?" Crutchy said, sliding on his gray vest bluntly. "Whatcha gonna do?"
Jack stared up at him, thinking of his plans for the day. He rubbed his hands over his eyes again trying to get the sleep dust out then walked over to the sink to wash his face also. "Just walk 'round the city to see who else I run in to."
Crutchy hobbled to the door. "If ya wait, I could go wit ya and show ya where some of the guys work now."
Jack nodded. "Okay." And, Crutchy disappeared out the room.
Upstairs, both bunkrooms were still silent. It wasn't quit sunrise yet, but a few rays were poking their way through the curtains. A gentle stir came from Hawkeye's bed, and he turned over. He slowly opened his clear green eyes to see a pair of big brown ones staring into his.
"AH!" Hawkeye jumped, almost falling off his top bunk. He growled at the figure standing over him snickering. "Meery-Jane, whatcha want?"
Cricket quirked a smile. "I need to ask you somethin'."
Hawk yawned then flickered. "You woke me up to ask me somethin' you coulda asked me in…" he checked his pocket watch that was hanging on the bed post. "…ten minutes."
"Yeah." Cricket shrugged. "Now, listen, I gotta go and pay the doctor for Waterbug's bill. I need someone to go wit me so…why not you?" She glimmered at him with extreme delight.
Hawkeye tried to look through the thought in her face. Did she really want me to go with her? - he thought. Or was it something else…
Before he could decide, Crutchy hobbled in the room "C'mon boys! Get up! Time to sell papes!" The gimp pulled open the curtains, and light flooded the room. "Get up!"
The boys started to get up slowly and blankly, most of them still half asleep. Crutchy glanced over at Hawkeye's bunk to see Cricket there.
"Mary-Jane, whatcha doin' in the boys' room? Get back to the goils room and get dressed." He smiled at her teasingly.
Cricket rolled her eyes, but still needed an answer from Hawk before she burst. "Well?!"
"Of course, I'll go with you." Hawkeye sat up, laughing to himself a little.
The girl grinned, and squabbled back into the hallway to the girls' room. Hawk shook his head, getting up.
"Hey Townie!" Cricket yelled as the newsies left the lodging house. Hawkeye was walking and talking with Dice.
Townshend turned, grinning. "Yeah?"
Cricket leaned in close not wanting anyone else homing in on their conversation. "Wha' is wrong wit Hawk? He seemed a little distant last night."
"Uh…" Townie sputtered, not knowing what to say. Cricket gave him a curious look, and he blushed from his stuttering. "He just has some stuff on his mind."
The corners of Cricket 's lips curved up. "And wha' kinda stuff?" Her curiosity was taking over quickly especially if it had something to do with Duncan.
She looked at him sideways as Townie became nervous. "I can't."
"Why?"
Townie jumped up on the curve, noticing from the corner of his eye that Hawkeye was watching him. He shrugged. "It's just guy stuff."
Cricket stared at Townie, not believing him. "Fine. I know how ya are with keeping secrets." She knew she'd get it out of Hawkeye sooner of later.
At the distribution office, Hawkeye got his newspapers and started walking off. He'd already told Townshend he was selling alone today, because of where he had to do with Cricket. She came up from behind him.
"Duncan......."
Hawk stopped in his tracks. She didn't want to sell with him too, did she. Wait, why am I trying to push her away? He turned around. "Yeah?"
"I'm selling with you today. Let's go." Cricket walked passed him, leaving Hawk a little stunned by her bluntness.
Jack stepped out the lodging house. Crutchy remembered that he had a few things to do before going out for the day. Jack said he'd only take a walk around the block. It was a beautiful day in New York City. The sun was shining on the street, making shadows as it shone on the buildings. Jack walked aimlessly down the street. He had made it to the next block and was about to turn around, when he glanced in a store. It was the old book store. He'd only been in there a few times, but never had enough money to buy a book.
Jack smiled as he made his way to the door. It was a different time, different age. He wouldn't be thrown out anymore. The little bell above the door rang, announcing his presents. Books covered the shelves. Some people were browsing around. Jack started looking. Only a few minutes had gone by before he heard a familiar voice. I feel like I'm the only one who left New York! But, the owner of the voice was someone he didn't desire to see....at least, he thought he didn't.
Jack slipped out the front door hurriedly, and looked back into the book store window. His eyes caught the owner of the voice. David stared right back at Jack in shock - like he'd seen a ghost. They couldn't tear their eyes away until a lady touched David's shoulder. He flinched, but went back to what he was doing. Jack felt his stomach turn and stepped fast back to the lodging house.
Jack awoke to the sound of rustling. He groaned, rubbing his eyes groggily, and open them. Crutchy was scrambling around his small room, getting dressed. He was headed upstairs to wake all the newsies up. Jack groaned again.
"Mornin' Jack!" Crutchy greeted enthusiastically. He leaned over the small sink, and splashed a handful of water on his face. "Ya don't have to get up if ya don't want. I'm just goin' to wake up da kids."
"That's okay. I'm already awake." He sat up and stretched. "I'm got some business to get done."
"Oh yeah?" Crutchy said, sliding on his gray vest bluntly. "Whatcha gonna do?"
Jack stared up at him, thinking of his plans for the day. He rubbed his hands over his eyes again trying to get the sleep dust out then walked over to the sink to wash his face also. "Just walk 'round the city to see who else I run in to."
Crutchy hobbled to the door. "If ya wait, I could go wit ya and show ya where some of the guys work now."
Jack nodded. "Okay." And, Crutchy disappeared out the room.
Upstairs, both bunkrooms were still silent. It wasn't quit sunrise yet, but a few rays were poking their way through the curtains. A gentle stir came from Hawkeye's bed, and he turned over. He slowly opened his clear green eyes to see a pair of big brown ones staring into his.
"AH!" Hawkeye jumped, almost falling off his top bunk. He growled at the figure standing over him snickering. "Meery-Jane, whatcha want?"
Cricket quirked a smile. "I need to ask you somethin'."
Hawk yawned then flickered. "You woke me up to ask me somethin' you coulda asked me in…" he checked his pocket watch that was hanging on the bed post. "…ten minutes."
"Yeah." Cricket shrugged. "Now, listen, I gotta go and pay the doctor for Waterbug's bill. I need someone to go wit me so…why not you?" She glimmered at him with extreme delight.
Hawkeye tried to look through the thought in her face. Did she really want me to go with her? - he thought. Or was it something else…
Before he could decide, Crutchy hobbled in the room "C'mon boys! Get up! Time to sell papes!" The gimp pulled open the curtains, and light flooded the room. "Get up!"
The boys started to get up slowly and blankly, most of them still half asleep. Crutchy glanced over at Hawkeye's bunk to see Cricket there.
"Mary-Jane, whatcha doin' in the boys' room? Get back to the goils room and get dressed." He smiled at her teasingly.
Cricket rolled her eyes, but still needed an answer from Hawk before she burst. "Well?!"
"Of course, I'll go with you." Hawkeye sat up, laughing to himself a little.
The girl grinned, and squabbled back into the hallway to the girls' room. Hawk shook his head, getting up.
"Hey Townie!" Cricket yelled as the newsies left the lodging house. Hawkeye was walking and talking with Dice.
Townshend turned, grinning. "Yeah?"
Cricket leaned in close not wanting anyone else homing in on their conversation. "Wha' is wrong wit Hawk? He seemed a little distant last night."
"Uh…" Townie sputtered, not knowing what to say. Cricket gave him a curious look, and he blushed from his stuttering. "He just has some stuff on his mind."
The corners of Cricket 's lips curved up. "And wha' kinda stuff?" Her curiosity was taking over quickly especially if it had something to do with Duncan.
She looked at him sideways as Townie became nervous. "I can't."
"Why?"
Townie jumped up on the curve, noticing from the corner of his eye that Hawkeye was watching him. He shrugged. "It's just guy stuff."
Cricket stared at Townie, not believing him. "Fine. I know how ya are with keeping secrets." She knew she'd get it out of Hawkeye sooner of later.
At the distribution office, Hawkeye got his newspapers and started walking off. He'd already told Townshend he was selling alone today, because of where he had to do with Cricket. She came up from behind him.
"Duncan......."
Hawk stopped in his tracks. She didn't want to sell with him too, did she. Wait, why am I trying to push her away? He turned around. "Yeah?"
"I'm selling with you today. Let's go." Cricket walked passed him, leaving Hawk a little stunned by her bluntness.
Jack stepped out the lodging house. Crutchy remembered that he had a few things to do before going out for the day. Jack said he'd only take a walk around the block. It was a beautiful day in New York City. The sun was shining on the street, making shadows as it shone on the buildings. Jack walked aimlessly down the street. He had made it to the next block and was about to turn around, when he glanced in a store. It was the old book store. He'd only been in there a few times, but never had enough money to buy a book.
Jack smiled as he made his way to the door. It was a different time, different age. He wouldn't be thrown out anymore. The little bell above the door rang, announcing his presents. Books covered the shelves. Some people were browsing around. Jack started looking. Only a few minutes had gone by before he heard a familiar voice. I feel like I'm the only one who left New York! But, the owner of the voice was someone he didn't desire to see....at least, he thought he didn't.
Jack slipped out the front door hurriedly, and looked back into the book store window. His eyes caught the owner of the voice. David stared right back at Jack in shock - like he'd seen a ghost. They couldn't tear their eyes away until a lady touched David's shoulder. He flinched, but went back to what he was doing. Jack felt his stomach turn and stepped fast back to the lodging house.
