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About an hour later, Sara looked at herself in the mirror. Not bad. Still pretty banged up, but not as dirty, maybe I'm recognizable. Sara turned around and walked out the door. Emily was already up, and beginning to get dressed and ready for work.
"So, you look much bettah. How ya feelin'?"
"Still pretty sore, but much bettah. Thanks again fa lettin' me borrow ya clothes."
"No problem. When we get inta Tibby's, I'll see if I can get ya some woik. Don't know what, but I'll do me best."
"Well, whatever it is, I'll take it. I'm outta a job anyways."
So they left the lodging house, and headed for Tibby's. When they got in, Emily talked to the boss, and got Sara a little job for the day. Mainly just cleaning tables and sweeping floors, but at least she had something to do. Sara's morning was consumed with those tasks until early afternoon when the newsies began to filter in. Jack was among the first, and he pulled Sara over.
"So, I found out who did dis ta you an' ya friend. Dey confessed it, I had a feelin' it was dem. Oscar an' Morris Delancy. They said that they were paid to get her, and 'couldn't avoid hurting you,' so they said."
"Do ya know who they were paid by?" Sara sank down into a chair. "Michele's parents."
"Did dey say where dey had to bring her?" Sara was getting anxious and started to bit her nail again.
"Dey didn't say, but I'll find out. Ya's one of us now, and means dat what happens to you, or anybody else here is my business." Jack looked for anything in her face, but he couldn't tell. He continued on a higher note, "Sides, it'll give me an excuse to soak da Delancey's."
"Do you know if she's still here? In New York City?" Sara wanted to at least know where her friend was.
"I dunno. I can try an' find her, but I can't make any promises."
She paused. "At least you tried. She was surprised to find herself fighting back tears.
"Do you know why her parents were after her?"
"I'm not sure, but I know dat she ran away from her mother, couple of years back. Her father left her mother with three young children. I think dat her parents are back together err somethin', and now dey's looking for her. I have no idea why, though."
"Oh." Jack didn't know what to say. "Yeah, life's rough."
Sara sighed. It was bound ta happen. If only I had told 'er ta go, or if only we stayed 'ere longer, or not even come at all, if only-
"Don't be doin' dose "what if" t'ings," Blink comforted, who had come over in the middle of their conversation. "I can see right through ya. It'll only make things worse on yourself. Trust me."
"Alright" She sniffed as a lone tear ran down her cheek.
"Don't worry," Blink put his arm around her. "It'll turn out fine."
"Guess I need to work on my poker face." Sara mumbled to herself, along with a little laugh.
"Poker?" Racetrack's ears had perked up at the sound of his favorite game. "Where's da Game? You guys holdin' out on me?"
"Calm down, Race." Blink cut in. "We're just talkin' 'bout a poker face. Alright?" Blink turned back to Jack and Sara, "Gosh, his ears. Dey picks up everythin'. If-"
"I heard dat Blink." Came Racetrack's reply, as all the other newsies who were laughed.
"Anyways, Sara, if ya ever need help on a poker face Race'll be glad to help."
"You bet!" Racetrack was still looking at the paper waiting for his food.
Emily came over to where Sara, Jack and Blink were sitting. "Sara, take a break. It'll be your lunch break, and soon I'll take mine."
Sara nodded "Fine wit me."
"And all of you, what can I get you to eat?" Emily took their orders and was soon back with their lunch and continued their conversation, as Emily went to wait on another table.
"Tomorrow, how 'bout we take ya out an' show ya da ropes of being a newsie? Improvin' da truth an' stuff" Blink winked at Jack. "I would take ya today, but seems dat you're pretty busy."
"Sure, why not?" Sara had a glimmer of hope. "I've got nothin' to lose!"
About an hour later, Sara looked at herself in the mirror. Not bad. Still pretty banged up, but not as dirty, maybe I'm recognizable. Sara turned around and walked out the door. Emily was already up, and beginning to get dressed and ready for work.
"So, you look much bettah. How ya feelin'?"
"Still pretty sore, but much bettah. Thanks again fa lettin' me borrow ya clothes."
"No problem. When we get inta Tibby's, I'll see if I can get ya some woik. Don't know what, but I'll do me best."
"Well, whatever it is, I'll take it. I'm outta a job anyways."
So they left the lodging house, and headed for Tibby's. When they got in, Emily talked to the boss, and got Sara a little job for the day. Mainly just cleaning tables and sweeping floors, but at least she had something to do. Sara's morning was consumed with those tasks until early afternoon when the newsies began to filter in. Jack was among the first, and he pulled Sara over.
"So, I found out who did dis ta you an' ya friend. Dey confessed it, I had a feelin' it was dem. Oscar an' Morris Delancy. They said that they were paid to get her, and 'couldn't avoid hurting you,' so they said."
"Do ya know who they were paid by?" Sara sank down into a chair. "Michele's parents."
"Did dey say where dey had to bring her?" Sara was getting anxious and started to bit her nail again.
"Dey didn't say, but I'll find out. Ya's one of us now, and means dat what happens to you, or anybody else here is my business." Jack looked for anything in her face, but he couldn't tell. He continued on a higher note, "Sides, it'll give me an excuse to soak da Delancey's."
"Do you know if she's still here? In New York City?" Sara wanted to at least know where her friend was.
"I dunno. I can try an' find her, but I can't make any promises."
She paused. "At least you tried. She was surprised to find herself fighting back tears.
"Do you know why her parents were after her?"
"I'm not sure, but I know dat she ran away from her mother, couple of years back. Her father left her mother with three young children. I think dat her parents are back together err somethin', and now dey's looking for her. I have no idea why, though."
"Oh." Jack didn't know what to say. "Yeah, life's rough."
Sara sighed. It was bound ta happen. If only I had told 'er ta go, or if only we stayed 'ere longer, or not even come at all, if only-
"Don't be doin' dose "what if" t'ings," Blink comforted, who had come over in the middle of their conversation. "I can see right through ya. It'll only make things worse on yourself. Trust me."
"Alright" She sniffed as a lone tear ran down her cheek.
"Don't worry," Blink put his arm around her. "It'll turn out fine."
"Guess I need to work on my poker face." Sara mumbled to herself, along with a little laugh.
"Poker?" Racetrack's ears had perked up at the sound of his favorite game. "Where's da Game? You guys holdin' out on me?"
"Calm down, Race." Blink cut in. "We're just talkin' 'bout a poker face. Alright?" Blink turned back to Jack and Sara, "Gosh, his ears. Dey picks up everythin'. If-"
"I heard dat Blink." Came Racetrack's reply, as all the other newsies who were laughed.
"Anyways, Sara, if ya ever need help on a poker face Race'll be glad to help."
"You bet!" Racetrack was still looking at the paper waiting for his food.
Emily came over to where Sara, Jack and Blink were sitting. "Sara, take a break. It'll be your lunch break, and soon I'll take mine."
Sara nodded "Fine wit me."
"And all of you, what can I get you to eat?" Emily took their orders and was soon back with their lunch and continued their conversation, as Emily went to wait on another table.
"Tomorrow, how 'bout we take ya out an' show ya da ropes of being a newsie? Improvin' da truth an' stuff" Blink winked at Jack. "I would take ya today, but seems dat you're pretty busy."
"Sure, why not?" Sara had a glimmer of hope. "I've got nothin' to lose!"