Author's Note: I was ambitious and I went ahead and got another chapter
ready to go…yea! Any who, this chapter hints at a plot…I know everyone
except me was bored with the whole kitten sideline, but oh well too late
now…I'm still not sure where this fic is going but if everyone will just
fasten their seatbelts we can all find out together!!
Chapter 9
The next day, Dodger headed for the distribution center, taking with her Sleeping Beauty or just Beauty as the boys had already begun to call her. Beauty dozed away in Dodger's pocket for most of the day.
When Jack and Dodger went to Tibby's for lunch, Dodger snuck Beauty in to the restaurant. Most of the newsies were already there. Dodger and Jack at their regular table in the front with Dave, Les and Smarts.
"What can I get you today?" the waiter asked.
"The usual." Jack answered.
"Same for me, except I want milk to drink," Dodger told him.
"Milk?" he asked, uncertainly. The newsies never drink anything as remotely healthy as milk.
"Yeah and can you bring me a little plate with it?" she asked.
"Whatever you say, kid," the waiter said with a sigh and a shake of his head. He would never understand these newsies.
When the food came Dodger took the extra plate and set it next to her on the booth. She poured a little of the milk in it and set Beauty next to it. The kitten began to lap it up.
"She's hungry, too." Dodger explained to the other newsies.
"Why don't you give her part of your sandwich?" Les asked.
"Because she's just a baby and she still needs to drink milk," she told him sounding as if she had the experience of a mother of five.
"Well, when can she eat real food?" Les asked.
"When she's older," Dodger told him matter-of-factly. They finished their lunches and headed outside to sell the afternoon papers. Jack and Dodger got their usual amount of papers and headed down their usual route.
"Hey, Jack I was talking with Race and I was wondering if tomorrow morning I could sell with him and go to the track in the afternoon. I've always wanted to see the horses."
"Sure thing kid. I'll sell with Dave and Les tomorrow and you and Smarts can go with Race."
"Thanks, Jack," Dodger said with a large smile. They finished up their stack of papers and headed for the lodging house.
***
The next morning Dodger was running a little late so she told the other newsies she would catch up with them. They were in particularly good moods that day and they left singing and dancing the whole way down the street.
When Dodger finally got to the square seconds behind the boys. Near the distribution office she noticed a couple of girls sitting on the statue of Horace Greeley. They were watching the boys with interest.
It wasn't unusual to see non-newsies in the square. Sometimes a newsie's girlfriend would come by to say hi or something, but these girls were different. They looked rougher than most of the newsie's girls. Plus she didn't recognize them as belonging to any of the guys. She walked in their direction wondering what they were doing there.
The girls were vastly different in appearance. One girl was a tall full figured redhead, the other was a petite girl with hair as black as coal. Both girls wore pants, which was very unusual. The tall girl had her hair pulled back and wore a black cap, much like the ones that the boys often wore. The shorter one was bareheaded and her hair floated freely about her face. Also on the statue was a huge gray cat that was giving itself a bath.
As Dodger got near she heard the tall girl say, "Who're they?"
"They're newsies," Dodger answered.
"And you are…" the tall one asked.
"I'm the Dodger, I'm a newsie just like those boys. I can introduce you to them, all the girls want to be introduce them to the boys," she offered. It was true; in the short time she had been here she had often been asked to introduce someone.
"That's okay, sugar. We were just wondering. Thanks anyway," the tall one answered with a laugh. Dodger shrugged and walked over to the newsies and began to talk with a few of them.
"So kid, you about ready to go?" Race asked her.
"I sure am. So is Beauty!"
"Well, go round up your partner and we'll get you some papes and be on our way," he told her.
As the gates swung open Dodger ran to the desk to get her papers. As she came back out again she noticed the girls were still sitting there. They were looking the newsies as if assessing them. Then the taller girl pointed at Jack and they both nodded. Dodger wondered what they were doing but she forgot about it as soon as Race came over to her.
"Let's get these things sold so we can head to the races!"
***
"Come on, Valentine! Come on, Valentine! You can do it, baby!"
Dodger watched the horses go round the track as Race cheered on his favorite. Race's horse never seemed to win. In fact whichever one he bet on seemed to come in close to last. This race was no different.
"Well, that does for today, kids, let's head back to the Lodging House."
"Okay, Race," Smarts said. The three of them headed toward the Lodging House.
They reached it just as it got dark. They headed upstairs to the bunkroom. Dodger went over to her bunk and sat down. Dodger took Beauty out of her pocket and laid her down on the bed. The kitten looked up at her and meowed.
"Hey, Dodger, how was your day at the tracks?" Dutchy asked her.
"It was great. We saw a lot of horses and there were a lot of people and Race lost a lot of money."
"Well, sounds like there was a lot of everything," Dutchy commented with a laugh.
"I guess so,"
"Did Beauty have a good time?" he teased.
"Sure, she got to sleep the whole time," Dodger joked. It had quickly become a joke between the newsies that Dodger's kitten was aptly named. She slept almost constantly. They joked that she could have slept through a hurricane.
"So are you going to go to Medda's with us tomorrow night?" Dutchy asked her changing the subject.
"I really want to go. I've never been to a Vaudeville show before," she told him.
"Well then you have to come. Medda is the greatest star of the Vaudeville stage to date!" Dutchy exclaimed with a grin. Dodger laughed at him. "So are you gonna come, kid?"
"Sure!"
"Good. It wouldn't be the same without you."
Kloppman opened the door and said, "To bed! To bed! Everyone in bed! You have to sell papes in the morning! To bed! To bed!"
The newsies headed for their bunks. Dodger picked Beauty up and settled the kitten on the side of the bed on her pillow. She sat down and took off her shoes and stockings. She lay down and slid beneath the covers.
"Good night, Smarts! Good night, Jack! Good night, Dutchy! Good night, guys!" she yelled.
"Good night, Dodger!" the boys chorused.
Another Author's Note: um…well…I really don't have anything to say here except, well…R&R!
Chapter 9
The next day, Dodger headed for the distribution center, taking with her Sleeping Beauty or just Beauty as the boys had already begun to call her. Beauty dozed away in Dodger's pocket for most of the day.
When Jack and Dodger went to Tibby's for lunch, Dodger snuck Beauty in to the restaurant. Most of the newsies were already there. Dodger and Jack at their regular table in the front with Dave, Les and Smarts.
"What can I get you today?" the waiter asked.
"The usual." Jack answered.
"Same for me, except I want milk to drink," Dodger told him.
"Milk?" he asked, uncertainly. The newsies never drink anything as remotely healthy as milk.
"Yeah and can you bring me a little plate with it?" she asked.
"Whatever you say, kid," the waiter said with a sigh and a shake of his head. He would never understand these newsies.
When the food came Dodger took the extra plate and set it next to her on the booth. She poured a little of the milk in it and set Beauty next to it. The kitten began to lap it up.
"She's hungry, too." Dodger explained to the other newsies.
"Why don't you give her part of your sandwich?" Les asked.
"Because she's just a baby and she still needs to drink milk," she told him sounding as if she had the experience of a mother of five.
"Well, when can she eat real food?" Les asked.
"When she's older," Dodger told him matter-of-factly. They finished their lunches and headed outside to sell the afternoon papers. Jack and Dodger got their usual amount of papers and headed down their usual route.
"Hey, Jack I was talking with Race and I was wondering if tomorrow morning I could sell with him and go to the track in the afternoon. I've always wanted to see the horses."
"Sure thing kid. I'll sell with Dave and Les tomorrow and you and Smarts can go with Race."
"Thanks, Jack," Dodger said with a large smile. They finished up their stack of papers and headed for the lodging house.
***
The next morning Dodger was running a little late so she told the other newsies she would catch up with them. They were in particularly good moods that day and they left singing and dancing the whole way down the street.
When Dodger finally got to the square seconds behind the boys. Near the distribution office she noticed a couple of girls sitting on the statue of Horace Greeley. They were watching the boys with interest.
It wasn't unusual to see non-newsies in the square. Sometimes a newsie's girlfriend would come by to say hi or something, but these girls were different. They looked rougher than most of the newsie's girls. Plus she didn't recognize them as belonging to any of the guys. She walked in their direction wondering what they were doing there.
The girls were vastly different in appearance. One girl was a tall full figured redhead, the other was a petite girl with hair as black as coal. Both girls wore pants, which was very unusual. The tall girl had her hair pulled back and wore a black cap, much like the ones that the boys often wore. The shorter one was bareheaded and her hair floated freely about her face. Also on the statue was a huge gray cat that was giving itself a bath.
As Dodger got near she heard the tall girl say, "Who're they?"
"They're newsies," Dodger answered.
"And you are…" the tall one asked.
"I'm the Dodger, I'm a newsie just like those boys. I can introduce you to them, all the girls want to be introduce them to the boys," she offered. It was true; in the short time she had been here she had often been asked to introduce someone.
"That's okay, sugar. We were just wondering. Thanks anyway," the tall one answered with a laugh. Dodger shrugged and walked over to the newsies and began to talk with a few of them.
"So kid, you about ready to go?" Race asked her.
"I sure am. So is Beauty!"
"Well, go round up your partner and we'll get you some papes and be on our way," he told her.
As the gates swung open Dodger ran to the desk to get her papers. As she came back out again she noticed the girls were still sitting there. They were looking the newsies as if assessing them. Then the taller girl pointed at Jack and they both nodded. Dodger wondered what they were doing but she forgot about it as soon as Race came over to her.
"Let's get these things sold so we can head to the races!"
***
"Come on, Valentine! Come on, Valentine! You can do it, baby!"
Dodger watched the horses go round the track as Race cheered on his favorite. Race's horse never seemed to win. In fact whichever one he bet on seemed to come in close to last. This race was no different.
"Well, that does for today, kids, let's head back to the Lodging House."
"Okay, Race," Smarts said. The three of them headed toward the Lodging House.
They reached it just as it got dark. They headed upstairs to the bunkroom. Dodger went over to her bunk and sat down. Dodger took Beauty out of her pocket and laid her down on the bed. The kitten looked up at her and meowed.
"Hey, Dodger, how was your day at the tracks?" Dutchy asked her.
"It was great. We saw a lot of horses and there were a lot of people and Race lost a lot of money."
"Well, sounds like there was a lot of everything," Dutchy commented with a laugh.
"I guess so,"
"Did Beauty have a good time?" he teased.
"Sure, she got to sleep the whole time," Dodger joked. It had quickly become a joke between the newsies that Dodger's kitten was aptly named. She slept almost constantly. They joked that she could have slept through a hurricane.
"So are you going to go to Medda's with us tomorrow night?" Dutchy asked her changing the subject.
"I really want to go. I've never been to a Vaudeville show before," she told him.
"Well then you have to come. Medda is the greatest star of the Vaudeville stage to date!" Dutchy exclaimed with a grin. Dodger laughed at him. "So are you gonna come, kid?"
"Sure!"
"Good. It wouldn't be the same without you."
Kloppman opened the door and said, "To bed! To bed! Everyone in bed! You have to sell papes in the morning! To bed! To bed!"
The newsies headed for their bunks. Dodger picked Beauty up and settled the kitten on the side of the bed on her pillow. She sat down and took off her shoes and stockings. She lay down and slid beneath the covers.
"Good night, Smarts! Good night, Jack! Good night, Dutchy! Good night, guys!" she yelled.
"Good night, Dodger!" the boys chorused.
Another Author's Note: um…well…I really don't have anything to say here except, well…R&R!