Crazy, how it feels tonight.
Crazy, how you make it all alright,-Dave Matthews Band
Cassia smiled as she heard her parents carriage go down the street. She placed her ear to her bed room and listened.
"Shit!" she whispered as she heard the maids sweep around the hallway.
Guess I'm going out the window, she thought. She grabbed her coat and slipped out the window and onto the fire escape.
"Rev? ya goils comin?" yelled Snoddy.
"Nah, we'se gonna meet ya dere" replied Ribbons.
"Why do I get da strange feelin dat dose goils are planning sumptin?" asked Swifty.
"Our Goils? Plannin sumptin?" laughed Itey "Nah!"
"Princess!" yelled Revolution "Ya Came!"
"Of course I came"
"Now, Lets get down to business" said Ribbons "Go put this on"
Ribbon handed Cassia a pile of clothes.
"Okay"
Cassia went into the washroom and changed out of her pale blue dress and into the long blue pants and a plain white shirt. She then slipped on a pair of cheap leather boots.
"How do I look?" she asked.
"Why, Princess, ya look almost look like one of us" laughed Revolution.
"Thanks" replied Cassia happily.
"Jus one more ting" said Ribbons.
Ribbons un wound the elaborate up-do and tied Cassia's hair into a simple braid. Then Revolution plopped a standard newsy hat on top of her head.
Snoddy looked around the crowded Brooklyn Lodging House.
"Hey Snoddy" said A voice "Who are you looking for?"
Snoddy turned around to see a tall newsgirl standing in front of him. She looked strangely familiar to him.
"Cassia?"
The girl grinned and pulled the cap off her head.
"Its me" she said laughing.
"Its nice ta see ya" said Snoddy smiling.
Cassia smiled, she couldn't believe she was here, but she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him.
"What?"
"Nothing"
"So, does the Princess play poka?"
"She doesn't know"
"Well, sha'll we see?" asked Snoddy offering her, his arm.
"Yes" replied Cassia taking her arm.
Revolution looked at Ribbons and griined.
"excellent work mah friend" said Ribbons shaking her hand.
"And you as well" said Revolution laughing.
"I told you so" said Swifty grinning at Itey and the girls "our goils are always planning sumptin"
"Conlon, this is Cassia Monroe" said Jack when Cassia and Snoddy joined the poker game "Also known as Princess"
"So, ya a newsgoil?" asked Spot.
"No…I'm a …"
"Seamstress" offered Stress.
"Yeah"
Cassia soon discovered that she couldn't play poker.
"Um boys" she said "I…fold?"
"Me too" said Snoddy.
She placed her cards on the table and wlaked outside to enjoy the fresh air. She heard someone behind her and knew who it was already.
"Why did Stress tell Spot, I was a seamstress?" she asked sitting down on the steps of the LH.
"Because, Conlon doesn't like rich kids. Most newsies don't" replied Snoddy.
"Why?"
"Because we have never been treated good by rich kids"
"Oh"
Cassia looked up into the clear night sky.
"See those stars right there?" she asked.
"Yeah?"
"That's the constellation Cassiopeia. According to Grecian history, she was put up there to atone for the problems her vanity casued"
"How do ya know dat?"
"My mother named me after her" said Cassia.
Cassia laid her head on Snoddy's shoulder and began to tell him about the rest of the constellations. Snoddy wasn't listening though, all he could think about was how the all that shiny black hair smelled like Jasmine.
"Shit!" said Cassia looking at the slim silver watch on her wrist "I have to go"
"All ready?" asked Snoddy.
"Yeah" she whispered.
"Ya want me ta walk ya home?"
"No, I'll be fine"
"Ya shoah?"
Cassia smiled and nodded.
"Will I see ya again?"
"Hmmm…I don't know."
Snoddy smiled and kissed her softly.
"Yeah, You'll see me again" she said her face blushing…..
Carryin Da Banner,
Revolution