Author's Note: Okay everyone…fair warning, I am starting my Spring Break
this Friday and so I won't be able to update until after that…I will be at
my mom's (her computer has the world's slowest connection…I don't have the
patience to do anything more than check email on that dinosaur). I will
also be at my grandmother's (yeah, like she has a computer…lol) and in
Vicksburg, Mississippi (which is my vacation, so hopefully I'll have better
things to do than write fan fic. I'll write some the following week when I
get back.
Chapter 7
"Oh, a kitten," Dodger exclaimed. Trapped under the crate was a small bundle of black, white and orange fur. Dodger gently picked it up. "Jack can I keep it?"
"It's okay with me but you'd better check with Kloppman," he said with an indulgent smile.
"Oh thank you, Jack," she cried. "Let's go ask him right now!"
"First we have to finish selling our papes and then we can go see him, okay?"
"Okay!"
Dodger settled the kitten into the large pocket of her skirt. For the rest of the morning she sold harder than she had ever sold before, which really isn't saying much considering that she had only been selling for a week. Finally all the papes were gone.
"Jack, can we go now? Please?" she asked, excitedly.
"Sure," he said with a laugh. Dodger hurried away in the direction of the lodging house. Jack trailed along behind her, amused by her enthusiasm.
Dodger ran into the lodging house and up to the front desk. She called out, "Mr. Kloppman!"
"Yes, Dodger what do you need?" he asked.
"Look what I found," she said carefully extracting the kitten from her pocket. The kitten blinked sleepily at the two humans. She had been enjoying a nap in the warm pocket.
"Well, ain't she a beaut," he said looking at the kitten.
"How do you know it's a she?" Dodger asked.
"Well, see the color of her fur. That means she's a calico, and calicos are always girls," he explained.
"Oh, neat," she said with a smile. "Can I keep her here at the lodging house, please?"
"I don't see why not, but you'll have to take care of her. Feed her; clean up after her and all that. Do you think you can handle that?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed.
"Okay then. Now why don't you too head upstairs," he told them. Dodger climbed the stairs with her new pet cradled in her arms.
"Hey, Dodger, what've you got there?" Dutchy asked her when she reached the bunkroom.
"Hi, Dutchy it's a kitten. I found her under a crate in an alley near where Jack and I sell. Isn't she pretty?"
"She sure is."
"Are you going to keep her here at the lodging house?" Boots asked.
"Yes. Kloppman said I could."
"What's her name?" another newsie asked.
Dodger paused. "I don't know. I haven't thought about it yet."
"Well, you have to name her."
"I know. I'll get Smarts to help me think of a name for her. He's real smart so he'll know a name for her. Where is he?"
"He and Dave and Les will be here in a minute. They only had a few more papes when I saw them a minute ago." Specs told her. As he finished the door to the bunkroom opened and in walked Les, David, and Smarts.
"Smarts, look what I found! It's a kitten! I get to keep her!" she yelled excitedly.
"That's nice. What's her name?" he asked.
"I don't know yet. Do you have any ideas?"
"I don't know." He looked at the kitten in concentration. "I'll have to think about it."
"What do you think, Dutchy?" Dodger asked looking at him.
"I don't know. What about the rest of you guys?" he asked.
Author's Note: I decided to devote a whole chapter to the naming of the kitten…the guys will get to help…if you have any suggestions tell me…the reason for the introduction of the kitten will be explained at the end of the next chapter.
One more thing…since threatening to cry didn't work I'll have to think of some other way to get more people to review…hmm, I could try bribery but I don't have anything to give anybody…no chocolate (remember I gave it up for Lent), no money (I'm a poor college student)…I guess I could offer fruit smilies (wonderful little sugar filled fruit snacks)…all right that's it…fruit smilies for everyone who reviews this chapter, just tell me do you want red, yellow, orange or grape?
Chapter 7
"Oh, a kitten," Dodger exclaimed. Trapped under the crate was a small bundle of black, white and orange fur. Dodger gently picked it up. "Jack can I keep it?"
"It's okay with me but you'd better check with Kloppman," he said with an indulgent smile.
"Oh thank you, Jack," she cried. "Let's go ask him right now!"
"First we have to finish selling our papes and then we can go see him, okay?"
"Okay!"
Dodger settled the kitten into the large pocket of her skirt. For the rest of the morning she sold harder than she had ever sold before, which really isn't saying much considering that she had only been selling for a week. Finally all the papes were gone.
"Jack, can we go now? Please?" she asked, excitedly.
"Sure," he said with a laugh. Dodger hurried away in the direction of the lodging house. Jack trailed along behind her, amused by her enthusiasm.
Dodger ran into the lodging house and up to the front desk. She called out, "Mr. Kloppman!"
"Yes, Dodger what do you need?" he asked.
"Look what I found," she said carefully extracting the kitten from her pocket. The kitten blinked sleepily at the two humans. She had been enjoying a nap in the warm pocket.
"Well, ain't she a beaut," he said looking at the kitten.
"How do you know it's a she?" Dodger asked.
"Well, see the color of her fur. That means she's a calico, and calicos are always girls," he explained.
"Oh, neat," she said with a smile. "Can I keep her here at the lodging house, please?"
"I don't see why not, but you'll have to take care of her. Feed her; clean up after her and all that. Do you think you can handle that?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed.
"Okay then. Now why don't you too head upstairs," he told them. Dodger climbed the stairs with her new pet cradled in her arms.
"Hey, Dodger, what've you got there?" Dutchy asked her when she reached the bunkroom.
"Hi, Dutchy it's a kitten. I found her under a crate in an alley near where Jack and I sell. Isn't she pretty?"
"She sure is."
"Are you going to keep her here at the lodging house?" Boots asked.
"Yes. Kloppman said I could."
"What's her name?" another newsie asked.
Dodger paused. "I don't know. I haven't thought about it yet."
"Well, you have to name her."
"I know. I'll get Smarts to help me think of a name for her. He's real smart so he'll know a name for her. Where is he?"
"He and Dave and Les will be here in a minute. They only had a few more papes when I saw them a minute ago." Specs told her. As he finished the door to the bunkroom opened and in walked Les, David, and Smarts.
"Smarts, look what I found! It's a kitten! I get to keep her!" she yelled excitedly.
"That's nice. What's her name?" he asked.
"I don't know yet. Do you have any ideas?"
"I don't know." He looked at the kitten in concentration. "I'll have to think about it."
"What do you think, Dutchy?" Dodger asked looking at him.
"I don't know. What about the rest of you guys?" he asked.
Author's Note: I decided to devote a whole chapter to the naming of the kitten…the guys will get to help…if you have any suggestions tell me…the reason for the introduction of the kitten will be explained at the end of the next chapter.
One more thing…since threatening to cry didn't work I'll have to think of some other way to get more people to review…hmm, I could try bribery but I don't have anything to give anybody…no chocolate (remember I gave it up for Lent), no money (I'm a poor college student)…I guess I could offer fruit smilies (wonderful little sugar filled fruit snacks)…all right that's it…fruit smilies for everyone who reviews this chapter, just tell me do you want red, yellow, orange or grape?