-I know the streets are not real names. I have a pile of books next to me and I am looking at the author's last names.
-I am not sure if they had movies back then, but I am not the biggest history buff.
You know that feeling when you first wake up in the morning but you haven't quite opened your eyes yet? The feeling when your half asleep and half awake. And out can slip into a dream world that you control. Do you know that feeling? I love that feeling. In my dream world I am pretty, rich, and have a boyfriend. I hate to open my eyes and see the face of me staring back in the mirror. I sighed. If I didn't wake everybody up, nobody would. So I got up, I staggered a little bit across the room still wearing off the 'celebration' of last night. I took advantage of everybody sleeping and got in the shower first.
Actually the shower is in the one and only room. We call it the 'pleasant room.' But it is anything but pleasant. There is a closet. That holds the toilet, so when the lantern isn't lit we are in trouble. Us four girls (Amber, Missy, Jerrie, and I) share the rent for this room. There is a bunk bed (Amber sleeps on the bottom and I sleep on the top) in one corner, a pull out couch that almost serves as a bed unless company comes over (Jerrie sleeps on that) against a wall in the back, and a small bed in the other corner (Missy sleeps on that one). There is a little counter space and some pots and pans. It is far from great but all of us except Amber have lived on the street so we don't complain. I got out of the shower and draped an old scratchy towel around my body. I looked at the clothes. There was a big pile that we all shared. I wasn't sure what to grab. It was a big day.
"What do guys wear?" I said quietly. Apparently not quietly enough because I turned and saw Missy sit up. She was pretty. Why cant I be like her? She has long curly blond hair and is really thin.
"Just look like you rolled out of bed." She said getting up but falling. She got up and went to the old cracked mirror.
"If that means how you look now, no thanks. They can keep their job." I replied thinking I was smart. She just gave me the finger and laughed. I picked some old pants and a tee shirt. And of course an old newsies cap I used to pile up my short blond hair into. We all cut our own hair and let's just say I am not as skilled with cutters as the others are. "Hey Amber! Jerrie, get your asses out of bed now!" I yelled. A thump came from the wall. "Sorry Mrs. Kirchoff!" I yelled again. She is the old lady who is the landlord. She kinda smells. "Ouch!" I yelled as a pillow hit the side of my head. I didn't even half to look, it was Jerrie. So I replied by throwing it back. They both sat up as Missy got out of the shower. They both dashed for it at once but Jerrie made it first.
"Why are we getting up so early?" Amber asked.
"You don't remember? We have been planing it for like a week." I answered in a smart alic tone.
"Oh yeah." The sewing shop we all worked at closed and we needed new jobs. So we were all going to pretend to be boys to be newsies. I don't know why she didn't remember it. She thought of it. She is the smart one. She was also the quiet one. And I would kill to look like her. She had long straight brown hair. Blue eyes. Beats my ugly brown eyes. And she had a shape. I was smaller than everyone.
"Do you think we can hang out with the cute newies?" Missy asked
"Oh I know! That one that is built who sells by Turo street! Oh!" Jerrie said stepping out of the shower when she heard conversation about guys. Amber stepped in and they got dressed as I sat there. I should make the beds. Oh well. Everybody calls me somewhat of a slacker.
"Do you remember the newsies strike last year? The leader. That is the cute one." Amber shouted over the shower noise. Oh no! I thought he was cute. I can't compete with Amber! Jerrie started to brush her medium length hair. It was this really an cute reddish color.
"Guys we have to leave in like ten minutes." I reminded them.
"Hey Gwennie," That is me, "How much do papers cost to buy?" Missy asked. None of us knew the answer.
"We will just bring a little money." Amber said stepping out of the shower. She hates walking the streets with a lot of money because she got jumped once.
"Are we ready?" Jerrie asked. We all said yes and left. I must say I looked better as a boy than a girl.
~~~~~*~~~~~~~
We peaked passed the brick wall of what looked like the paper office. There were around twenty boys there. The one who led the strike last year was one wall away from me! Their ages range from 6 to 18.
"So who got some last night?" One asked. They all laughed. I finally picked up the nerve to strut in and then lost it again remembering-
"How do boys walk?" Amber said copying my thoughts.
"Just um," Jerrie replied "Just walk cockyly."
"Cockly like?" I began.
"No." She snapped then I swear she whispered something about me being a pervert. I got it started and we all walked out. Way to 'cockly' so we just walked somewhat normal.
"Who is youse?" One boy asked. He was around 15 and wearing a pink shirt.
"We's new in this here part of town." I said trying to be the leader because if I wasn't that I was a nobody. "And," I stammered. Missy kicked me. "And we uh, want to be newsies." He looked me up and down. And then he called for somebody named Jack. Oh my God! The cute one was walking this way! Settle down Gwen. I thought over and over. Jack what a cute name.
"What is it?" He said.
"These here guys say there new. Can we trust um?" Them Jack looked us up and down a couple times.
"Yeah you buy papes over there. If you kneed to lodge the house is over there."
"Oh ok." I said letting my voice go to its regular tone. So I quickly did my boy voice again. We went and stood in line. We got to the front. I went first.
"Yes um, 50 uh, papes please." I asked. The man looked at me kinda funny an finally got my papers. Next up was Amber who stayed very close to me.
"40." She got them. Jerrie got 40 and Missy got 50.
"Wait what are youse guyses names?" The guy in the pink shirt muttered.
"I'm Jeffery" I said .
"Brett." Missy said.
"The name's Steven." Said Jerrie.
"And I'm Andy." Said Amber. We rehersed on the way over here.
"Yeah well nobody is selling over by Myrer square today so's ya guys can take that if you want. It's your best bet." Jack said before leaving. So we began our first day at our new jobs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey extra! Car crash on Harr avn! Hey! People!" I shouted in vain. I had only sold twelve papers and it was almost noon. And I am pretty sure those people got the papers because they felt sorry for me. I wonder how the everybody else is doing? Oh my gosh Jack! He is half a block away. I could hear him shouting.
"Extra extra! Car crash results in major injury!" Where was that story?
"I'll take one." A man said buying the last of his 100 papers. How does he do it? He started to walk toward me.
"Not doing so well Jeffery, that's it right?" He asked.
"Yeah it is and no it isn't." I replied. It took him a moment to comprehend what I was saying.
"Here is what you gotta do. You bend the truth." He explained to me. I felt so stupid.
"All the rest of the boys and I go get lunch a Tibby's. Wanna go? You can finish afterward. And on the way I'll explain bending truth."
"Well my friends-" I started but he interrupted me.
"Some of the other guys probably told them to go there for lunch." So I agreed. And we started a walk to Tibby's. I wanted to take of my awful hat but my awful hair would fall down.
"So you guys are from?" He started but I began to panic. We hadn't thought of this.
"Arizona." I lied. It was the first place I could think of.
"Really where in Arizona?" He sounded a little excited. "Isn't Arizona close to New Mexico?" Oh no! I don't know.
"Um, we are from Denny Arizona." Oh my god! Is that even a place? What am I saying? "Yeah it is kinda close. We moved here four years ago but never got to going up to this part of town." I don't even know where New Mexico is! "So are youse from here?" I quickly changed the subject before he asked any more questions.
"Yeah." He sighed. "I have almost never been out of Manhattan. So are youse guys brothers?"
"What, oh! Yes. I mean no!" I was so caught up in conversation I forgot all about my 'boyishness.' "No, me and Brett," That is Missy, "are cousins and Steve and Andrew are our friends." And that was the way it really is. "Do you have any siblings?"
"No. So are you guys gonna live in the Lodging House? Do you have parents?" What is with his questions?
"We have an apartment in downtown by Kanter street. And um," What do I say what if Amber said we had parents to somebody and Missy said to somebody that we didn't? We uh, don't. Lived on our own for four years now." And it is the truth. I found it best not to lie to him to much. "It that Tibby's?" I said pointing to a small diner across the street. I hope it is. I can smell fries.
"Yeah that is." He said grabbing my hand as he pulled me across the busy street. His hands were soft. We entered the diner. It was packed to the brim with newsies who stopped in for lunch. Do I follow Jack to a both or find my own?
"Hey!" I herd a voice yell from across the place. It was Missy and Jerrie was right beside her. So she looked back for Jack to tell him she was going to sit down but he already was ordering across the room. So she pulled a chair over to the both. They both looked good. They looked as boys and girls. It's not fair!
"How did you do?" Jerrie asked. "I sold 20 of 'em." She said with a grin.
"I sold 12." I said with eyes on down. When I looked up I saw Jerrie laughing so I hit her playfully.
"Ow! I sold 24!" She said.
"I sold all of 'em." A voice said 'cockly' behind me. It was Amber. She moved Missy over and sat beside her. "I like this job." She continued.
"Order 93." The cook yelled. Jerrie got up and brought back a hamburger and 2 orders of fries. She cut hamburger in 3 pieces. I don't eat meat.
"You don't eat meat. What are you a goil?" A voice said behind me.
"What no!" I shouted. "I mean I am allergic."
"Um, ok." The boy said. I think his name is David but I don't know. And he turned back to his poker game.
"Oh yeah," I whispered to them stuffing fries in my mouth "Were from Denny Arizona, it is close to New Mexico, and we have no siblings, and we moved here 4 years ago. But everything else is true." I turned as I thought somebody said my name. I scanned the room but nobody was looking at us. Geese, they were all cute. But we are supposed to be guys.
You know that feeling when you get the best idea in the world? I love that feeling. And I got one.
"Amber," I asked because she was the one who remembered everything "What is that kid's name over there?" I asked jerking my head toward the kid with all the muscles.
"Um, Mush." She said barley looking up from her hamburger third.
"Yeah, hey um, Mush?" I asked. He looked over.
"What?" He asked turning to me.
"Where do you'se guys go at night. You know after work. For fun." I asked. How come every time I talked to guys I sounded stupid?
"We usually hang out at the lodging house but tonight we'se going to the new flick on the Myer street theater."
"Oh cool thanks,"
"Are you going?" He asked as I began to turn around.
"Oh maybe." I turned back to the table and the girls huddled around me. They knew me well. They knew I had a plan.
"I'll tell you later." I whispered. And we talked a little more before Jack came over and told us we better get back.
I sold all my papers with Jack's advise. I still am not that good at it. I am on my way back home. Oh no, it is getting kinda dark. I started analyzing the people around me. It is a weird habit of mine. There is a young couple walking down the street. They look nice and in love. I hate them. I wish I was normal like them. Amber could have been normal. She had the normal suburban family. But she ran away for a reason unknown to me. It kinda pisses me off. She had it all and didn't like one aspect of it and ran away. A gangster walked by my left side. He might have had a childhood like me. My parents left me when I was six. I was raised by Amber's and Missy's parents. Jerrie didn't have parents either. I met her at Shady Pines. A re-hab center. I am not completely sober but I don't drink like I used to. Jerrie is though. When you live a new place every couple months you tend to turn to drinking. Then on my right comes a businessman talking to what I think is his wife or daughter.
"I am sorry I can't make it to her birthday party honey but I have a meeting" But he got out of my listening range so stopped listening. How can he just discard his family like that? That is how Missy's parent's were. That was just like her dad and that drunk was just like her mom. They occasionally did the parent thing for her, me and Jerrie. They died when her mom was driving drunk back from a late night business dinner. It happened on the Brooklen Bridge. She won't go over it. That is when she moved in with us. We are all 16 and are not allowed to live alone. But what the freeking government doesn't know won't hurt them. Let's just say Amber can pass for 18. With the right fake credentials.
Here is the old brick building. I ran up the 4 flights of stairs. Everybody was already there and in girl clothes.
"That wasn't that bad of a day what is?" I said apparently to loud because we heard that familiar knock from the wall.
"Sorry Mrs. Kirchoff!" We all yelled at the same time.
"No it wasn't too bad." Missy replied. "At least we met some guys."
"Yeah but it isn't like we can get with them. They would think were gay." Amber groaned.
"Not really," I said referring to my plan I made earlier at the Tibby's. "All we have to do is hang around them at night. As us. The real us." Everybody was quiet so I think they like it. "Ow!" I yelled as a pillow hit me in the head. "Jerrie!" I said as a natural reaction. But it was Amber.
"That is the stupidest idea I have ever heard!" She yelled. The knock on the wall. "Ugg! Sorry Mrs. Kirchoff. Gwen, don't you think they know our faces?"
"Not if we use make up."
"All of our make up put together doesn't make enough to cover one of us!" Missy joined in on the fight against my brilliant plan.
"Actually Gwen might be on to something here. They have free samples in the store on Myer's street. If somebody distracts the attendant we can steel it." Jerrie surprisingly joined in with me.
"Well actually I meant use it."
"That works too." She retaliated. And Amber and Missy finally agreed to it. And we did the plan. They all looked good on the way to the movie. I looked but-ugly as usual. Maybe I was just being hard on myself. Everybody else said I looked good. But then again they are all my friends.
We got our tickets and made our way to the movie room. There were three seats in the middle of the guys. Oh god! It is Jack! Oh he is so cute. When they all noticed us they took off their hats and made room to our seats. And it was Jack and Mush who first got in the chairs in front of us and turned around. He picked up Amber's hand and kissed it. Ugg! She smiles and blushed.
"Hey lovely ladies. I'm Jack Kelly. This is Mush. Who are youse goils and why are you here to grace us with your presents?" I was about to open my mouth when Jerrie opened her mouth and answered! I say it again if I am not the leader I am nothing!
"I am Missy, this is Jerrie, Amber, and Gwen." She smiled
"Why Missy I love your dress," It was white short and mine! "It is a little crowed here, would you like to move towered the back with me?" Race asked not even hiding the fact he was looking at her chest. The only reason he picked her was because the dress she had on reviled her chest a lot. She looked at us for approval. I nodded.
"Why sure Race." They all looked at her! He hadn't said his name yet! "I uh, I heard everybody saying your name as we came in." They apparently approved of her reply and they walked over to the back of the room. I quietly groaned. The movie didn't start for a while. The next move maker was Mush.
"So uh, Jerrie, that is it right?" He was having trouble so she helped him out.
"Yeah, say would you like to escort me to the popcorn stand?" She said getting up. He agreed and they walked away. It is only me and Amber.
"Hey Skittery wasn't Jeffery and the gang gonna show up tonight?" Jack asked.
"I guess they didn't show that's all." He replied. Jack is about to say something. Is it to me or Amber? Oh God let it be me!
"So uh," he started. Just spit it out Jack! "So Amber," I didn't listen to the rest. I just tuned him out. My heart sunk like a stone off of the Brooklyn Bridge. She isn't that pretty. What am I saying, she is! Ugg! Guys are so shallow. I think Blink started over to me. But the movie started. I looked and say all of my friends making out. And I thought of me. A solitary lonely me.
~~~~*~~~~~~~
I lay in bed. I think it was 11 and I had to get up in 5 hours. I was tired but I couldn't sleep. That night everybody came back giggling. Blink did make a move on me after the movie but I almost flat out told him I wasn't interested. But everybody else got a good night kiss. And then some Jerrie told him we would meet them at Tibby's the next night. That was going to be a long night.
You know that feeling when it is late at night and you can't close your eyes. When you can't get asleep and you're problems in the present and your problems in the past keep running through your mind and you can't sleep? Do you know that feeling? I hate that feeling.
I won't continue if I don't get at least some reviews. And I want to continue. So please review! But I won't continue if nobody likes it. If only I can figure out how to add chapters.