Author's Note: This is a short chapter…now that I'm done stating the
obvious I would like to explain something. Yes Dutchy is probably about
five or six years too old for Dodger…I realize this…I said that she fell in
love with him NOT vice versa. Dodger has a crush! What Dodger feels is
puppy love…come on, didn't you ever crush on some guy years older than you?
I know I did. Now get your minds out of the gutter!
Chapter 5
Jack, and Dodger finished up early and headed for Tibby's. They reached the restaurant before anyone else and sat down at a booth.
"So, kid, what did you think about being a newsie?" Jack asked.
"It's hard work," she told him. "I mean being a pickpocket is so much easier. But at least being a newsie I don't have to worry about the bulls as much and I get to meet all kinds of interesting people."
"So, you think you'll want to stick with it?" he asked.
"Sure, as long as Smarts does," she told him with a grin as she began wolfing down her lunch.
A few minutes later the rest of the newsies piled into the restaurant. Smarts ran over to Dodger and sat down in the seat next to her.
"Hey, how did your selling go?" she asked.
"It was alright, I guess," he said with a shrug. "How about you?"
"It was great. I can't wait until its time for the afternoon edition," she told him with a smile. Dodger began studying the different newsies in the restaurant. Eventually her eyes landed on the newsie who had rescued her earlier. She jumped up from her seat and bounded over to his table.
"Hey there, Dutchy!" she exclaimed.
"Hey, kid, how was your first day on the job?" he asked, amused by her enthusiasm.
"It was great. I love being a newsie!"
"That's good. Since it sounds like you'll be sticking around, how about I introduce you to some of the fellers?" he suggested.
"Okay," she answered as she pulled up a chair next to him.
"Well, these guys here are Specs, Pie Eater and Snoddy. They're close friends of mine. Over there is Race, Mush, and Blink. Those guys are Jake, Swifty, Snitch and Bumlets. Then there's Crutchy, Boots, and Snipes, but I understand that you already met Snipes," he finished with a laugh.
"There sure are a lot of you guys," she said.
"Yeah, well, really there's a bunch more, but these are the guys that are regulars in Manhattan," Specs told her.
At that moment Jack walked up, "Hey kid, you ready to go get the afternoon papers?"
"Sure Jack, lets go!" she exclaimed. They spent the rest of the day selling the afternoon edition of the World and then went back to Tibby's for dinner. Once they finished there dinner the newsies began to head toward the lodging house.
"Bye, guys, we'll see you tomorrow," Dodger told him as she and Smarts turned to head down a different street.
"Where are you going?" Jack asked. "The lodging house is this way."
"We're going home," Smarts answered.
"Don't you want to live with us at the lodging house?" he asked.
"You mean we can?" Dodger asked, surprised.
"Of course. We all live there. It's a nice place plus it's easy for all of us to protect one another if we all stay at the same place," Jack explained. They were startled at having been offered a place to stay. They looked at each other and began to whisper lowly. Smart shook his head a couple of times. Dodger looked at him stubbornly and crossed her arms over her chest. Finally Smarts seemed to give in.
Dodger turned to the newsies triumphantly. "We'll stay with you."
Another Author's Note: The next few chapters will probably be short or at least shorter than my others have been. In fact I'm surprised at how long this fic is turning out to be, considering Smarts and Dodger were originally invented as secondary characters for another fic I am writing (I should begin posting it soon).
Chapter 5
Jack, and Dodger finished up early and headed for Tibby's. They reached the restaurant before anyone else and sat down at a booth.
"So, kid, what did you think about being a newsie?" Jack asked.
"It's hard work," she told him. "I mean being a pickpocket is so much easier. But at least being a newsie I don't have to worry about the bulls as much and I get to meet all kinds of interesting people."
"So, you think you'll want to stick with it?" he asked.
"Sure, as long as Smarts does," she told him with a grin as she began wolfing down her lunch.
A few minutes later the rest of the newsies piled into the restaurant. Smarts ran over to Dodger and sat down in the seat next to her.
"Hey, how did your selling go?" she asked.
"It was alright, I guess," he said with a shrug. "How about you?"
"It was great. I can't wait until its time for the afternoon edition," she told him with a smile. Dodger began studying the different newsies in the restaurant. Eventually her eyes landed on the newsie who had rescued her earlier. She jumped up from her seat and bounded over to his table.
"Hey there, Dutchy!" she exclaimed.
"Hey, kid, how was your first day on the job?" he asked, amused by her enthusiasm.
"It was great. I love being a newsie!"
"That's good. Since it sounds like you'll be sticking around, how about I introduce you to some of the fellers?" he suggested.
"Okay," she answered as she pulled up a chair next to him.
"Well, these guys here are Specs, Pie Eater and Snoddy. They're close friends of mine. Over there is Race, Mush, and Blink. Those guys are Jake, Swifty, Snitch and Bumlets. Then there's Crutchy, Boots, and Snipes, but I understand that you already met Snipes," he finished with a laugh.
"There sure are a lot of you guys," she said.
"Yeah, well, really there's a bunch more, but these are the guys that are regulars in Manhattan," Specs told her.
At that moment Jack walked up, "Hey kid, you ready to go get the afternoon papers?"
"Sure Jack, lets go!" she exclaimed. They spent the rest of the day selling the afternoon edition of the World and then went back to Tibby's for dinner. Once they finished there dinner the newsies began to head toward the lodging house.
"Bye, guys, we'll see you tomorrow," Dodger told him as she and Smarts turned to head down a different street.
"Where are you going?" Jack asked. "The lodging house is this way."
"We're going home," Smarts answered.
"Don't you want to live with us at the lodging house?" he asked.
"You mean we can?" Dodger asked, surprised.
"Of course. We all live there. It's a nice place plus it's easy for all of us to protect one another if we all stay at the same place," Jack explained. They were startled at having been offered a place to stay. They looked at each other and began to whisper lowly. Smart shook his head a couple of times. Dodger looked at him stubbornly and crossed her arms over her chest. Finally Smarts seemed to give in.
Dodger turned to the newsies triumphantly. "We'll stay with you."
Another Author's Note: The next few chapters will probably be short or at least shorter than my others have been. In fact I'm surprised at how long this fic is turning out to be, considering Smarts and Dodger were originally invented as secondary characters for another fic I am writing (I should begin posting it soon).