A/N: An update!!!!!! I surprise myself! :) I promise I will finish this. Soon, too. Here's proof! And thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far, you guys are great! (Except Twinks. She sucks hosewater, j/k)
Chapter Seven
New Irving Hall was small compared to many of the other theaters springing up in New York City. It was also run down, and owned by a compulsive gambler with no talent for cards and no luck. The newsboys were packed in. At last count, there was nearly two thousand inside and many more clustered around the building, playing craps or loitering on the sidewalk.
Inside was a maelstrom of activity. The newsboys were restless, waiting for the speeches to begin and the food to be given out. Mush opened the rally, a little nervous about being in front of so many people, but his voice rang out clear and loud when he yelled, "Carryin' the banner!" The cheers rose up around him and he grinned as he continued. "We've got lotsa speakers here tonight, guys! All of them supporting us! So quite down and listen up!"
Annie watched from backstage as Mush announced the first speaker, a announcer from the tracks that had been a newsie when he was a kid. Her mind wasn't on him, though, and it certainly wasn't on the kids milling around backstage.
Suddenly there were arms around her waist and gentle lips at her cheek. She found herself wishing they weren't there as she turned to face Davey. "You nervous?" he asked her.
She smiled tightly. "A little." Her eyes fell. "I wish Morris and Sully were here."
His arms dropped from her waist. "Yeah, I know." He gave her a little push as the announcer moved offstage. "Go on then."
Annie took a deep breath and walked onto the stage. She was wearing her best dress and her hair was neatly combed, but she still felt self-conscious. From her place on the middle of the stage, she could see everyone. Spot caught her eye from the front row and nodded a little, a reassuring smile in his eyes.
"Heya, guys!" she called out, a bit of her confidence returning. They all cheered. "We've been working hard so far, and doing a great job!" More cheers, and her voice got stronger. "No matter what they do to put us down, we've got to hold on! Work together! We'll beat 'em!" she cried, right before she saw him.
He was standing at the edge of the crowd, near the door, listening. She swallowed hard and stared directly at him, willing him to hear her. "Bad things have happened. We've lost one of our own. But we have to go on fighting! Giving up isn't the answer. It never has been. So don't! Fight! Don't let them keep us down!"
He stared right into her eyes. He heard, and he understood. Then he turned away. She lowered her eyes. "That's… that's all I have to say."
*
He shouldn't have came. He knew it was a mistake, but he had needed to come, see how everyone was doing without him… without Sully. He clinched his hands into fists as he headed out of Irving Hall.
"Morris!" Annie cried behind him.
He stopped and turned. He forced a smile. "Heya, Annie."
"Where have you been? I… We've been so worried about you!"
Morris shrugged. "I couldn't stay. I just… I had to get away for a while."
"And now? You're just gonna leave again?" Annie's eyes bore into his, angry and hurt.
"You don't understand. I lost my best friend!" Morris pleaded.
"I do understand. I know its hard. I miss him too but you can't give up. You have to do something!" she exclaimed. "What would Sully do?"
"Sully's dead, Annie! He's dead because of me!"
"You didn't shoot him! It's not your fault!"
"He followed me, he listened to me! And it got him killed."
"If you walk away, they'll get away with it! *They* killed Sully, Morris. Not you. And if can't see that…" She looked away. "Then maybe we don't need you." She bit down hard on her lip and her eyes filled, but she didn't take it back, just turned and walked back inside.
Chapter Seven
New Irving Hall was small compared to many of the other theaters springing up in New York City. It was also run down, and owned by a compulsive gambler with no talent for cards and no luck. The newsboys were packed in. At last count, there was nearly two thousand inside and many more clustered around the building, playing craps or loitering on the sidewalk.
Inside was a maelstrom of activity. The newsboys were restless, waiting for the speeches to begin and the food to be given out. Mush opened the rally, a little nervous about being in front of so many people, but his voice rang out clear and loud when he yelled, "Carryin' the banner!" The cheers rose up around him and he grinned as he continued. "We've got lotsa speakers here tonight, guys! All of them supporting us! So quite down and listen up!"
Annie watched from backstage as Mush announced the first speaker, a announcer from the tracks that had been a newsie when he was a kid. Her mind wasn't on him, though, and it certainly wasn't on the kids milling around backstage.
Suddenly there were arms around her waist and gentle lips at her cheek. She found herself wishing they weren't there as she turned to face Davey. "You nervous?" he asked her.
She smiled tightly. "A little." Her eyes fell. "I wish Morris and Sully were here."
His arms dropped from her waist. "Yeah, I know." He gave her a little push as the announcer moved offstage. "Go on then."
Annie took a deep breath and walked onto the stage. She was wearing her best dress and her hair was neatly combed, but she still felt self-conscious. From her place on the middle of the stage, she could see everyone. Spot caught her eye from the front row and nodded a little, a reassuring smile in his eyes.
"Heya, guys!" she called out, a bit of her confidence returning. They all cheered. "We've been working hard so far, and doing a great job!" More cheers, and her voice got stronger. "No matter what they do to put us down, we've got to hold on! Work together! We'll beat 'em!" she cried, right before she saw him.
He was standing at the edge of the crowd, near the door, listening. She swallowed hard and stared directly at him, willing him to hear her. "Bad things have happened. We've lost one of our own. But we have to go on fighting! Giving up isn't the answer. It never has been. So don't! Fight! Don't let them keep us down!"
He stared right into her eyes. He heard, and he understood. Then he turned away. She lowered her eyes. "That's… that's all I have to say."
*
He shouldn't have came. He knew it was a mistake, but he had needed to come, see how everyone was doing without him… without Sully. He clinched his hands into fists as he headed out of Irving Hall.
"Morris!" Annie cried behind him.
He stopped and turned. He forced a smile. "Heya, Annie."
"Where have you been? I… We've been so worried about you!"
Morris shrugged. "I couldn't stay. I just… I had to get away for a while."
"And now? You're just gonna leave again?" Annie's eyes bore into his, angry and hurt.
"You don't understand. I lost my best friend!" Morris pleaded.
"I do understand. I know its hard. I miss him too but you can't give up. You have to do something!" she exclaimed. "What would Sully do?"
"Sully's dead, Annie! He's dead because of me!"
"You didn't shoot him! It's not your fault!"
"He followed me, he listened to me! And it got him killed."
"If you walk away, they'll get away with it! *They* killed Sully, Morris. Not you. And if can't see that…" She looked away. "Then maybe we don't need you." She bit down hard on her lip and her eyes filled, but she didn't take it back, just turned and walked back inside.
