Chapter 2:
'Curt' and Race talked and laughed on the way back, Kid Blink breaking in and making a comment every now and then. Mostly, he just listened and thought. *Race is right. Curt isn't that bad. In fact, Jack will probably like him.*
~*~*~*~*~
Jack Kelly was talking with Crutchy when he noticed Race and Kid Blink come in, talking loudly. A few minutes later, Les wandered over to him. Jack glanced down to see if it was important, but forgot about it when Les didn't seem to urgent. That is, until Les began tugging on his sleeve. Jack looked down, "What is it, Les?"
Les gazed up at him. "The boy who yelled at me is here with Kid Blink and Racetrack."
Jack narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Oh he is, is he? Well, we'll just have to have a little talk with him."
~*~*~*~*~
Race and Kid Blink led Curt around the Lodging House, giving her the grand tour. After they had finished, they went to a corner of the bunkroom and sat down to talk. Race immediately began rambling on about his gambling career, not noticing he had lost their attention until several minutes later.
He looked over at Curt, and saw him wince and narrow his eyes. Defiantly, the boy stood and squared his shoulders. *What's goin' on?* Racetrack peered around him to see what was wrong. Jack was approaching them with a group of the newsies. Needless to say, they didn't look like an average welcoming committee.
Race turned to see if Kid Blink knew what was happening, and realized he was standing as well in what appeared to be an act of support to Curt. *He looks as confused as me,* Race observed. *Geez, what's Jack so mad about? As far as I know, Curt hasn't done anything wrong.* With that knowledge in mind, Race also stood up, defending his new friend until Curt was proven guilty.
Calli felt the presence of her two new friends, and knew she should feel grateful for their encouragement, but was too busy berating herself. *Of all the places I could have stayed, I had to pick the one with the kid's bodyguard. Oh boy, I had to pick a fight with a leader. Good going, Calli, now you'll be beaten up and thrown back out into the street.*
~*~*~*~*~
Jack stopped walking and lazily leaned against a bedpost. The newsies around him murmured about the new boy and Jack's behavior. Crutchy walked forward to introduce himself to the boy, but a look from Jack stopped him.
Several minutes passed and the newsies began to get restless. Jack started to speak and all movement abruptly came to a halt. "What's yer name?"
Calli blinked at Jack. *Huh? He asks me what my name is? Maybe he doesn't recognize me,* she thought hopefully.
*No chance of that,* her realistic side told her. *Oh be quiet,* she thought, *I can dream, can't I?* She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to answer with what she hoped to be a calm voice. "Curt."
Calli winced at her failure and tried again. "My name is Curt." She relaxed as it sounded deeper and more boyish.
"I see. Well, I'm Jack Kelly. Dis heya is Skittery, Mush, Snoddy, Boots, Snaps, David, Dutchy, Specs, Mud, Swifty, Jake, Crutchy, Pie Eater, Snipeshooter, you met Racetrack and Kid Blink," he introduced all of the surrounding boys with a gesture of his hand. "And of course you know Les." He motioned to the kid she had yelled at and Les walked up to stand next to Jack.
Calli realized where this was going and shook her head, but Jack continued on, fakely innocent. "Oh, wait a minute. Maybe you don't know who he is. You probably just yell at kids witout knowing them all the time." Jack glared at her and crossed his arms.
Calli watched the newsies around him begin muttering amongst themselves again. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kid Blink and Race frown. *I better come up with a good excuse soon, or I'll be standing on this side of the line alone.* "I had a bad day," she muttered, giving up. *Great excuse.*
"And having a bad day immediately gives you de right to yell at someone, does it?" Jack asked. *I'm not gonna let him off da hook dat easy.*
Calli looked at her feet and flexed her fingers. "Well.....no. I guess not. It's just that everyone was watching me, and...well...I know that's no excuse, but..." She stammered for several seconds and stopped suddenly, *Wait a minute. It's not his place to yell at me, and I'm not going to let him.*
"You know what, Mister Jack-I'm-a-leader-so-do-what-I-want? I'm allowed to not like having everybody watch me. Would you? And furthermore, I don't have to listen to what you say. You're not MY leader. I came here for food, money, and to get to know some people, but I see that I'm not gonna fit in unless I do whatever you say, and be your humble little servant. Well, I'm..."
Jack listened angrily to her for a moment, his rage bubbling up inside of him. He could barely restrain himself from lunging towards the boy. After a moment, he interrupted, "At least I don't yell at little kids when I'm in a bad mood! And what do you know about what I'm like? You can't even speak without having to take out your anger on someone!"
Calli glared at him, and tried to think of a quick retort. Obviously, this wasn't one of her strong points. *Ugh. The only thing I hate more than a bossy person is when that certain bossy person has a point.* She finally seethed and stood looking at him in the utmost contempt. Every now and then she would open her mouth to reply, but would shut it again and scowl all the more. *Oh, how do you come up with an answer to something that's true? I'm pathetic.*
Jack smirked at her, knowing he had won for the moment. After a while of embarrassing silence, Jack thought she had learned her lesson and pointed to a separate room. She followed, extremely annoyed at having to humble herself.
The rest of the newsies attempted to listen in, but gradually began to get on about their tasks.
~*~*~*~*~
Once, in the room, Jack settled back against the wall casually and began to speak. His voice exuded his complete confidence in himself. "Okay, look. I will forget the whole yelling-at-Les episode. If your gonna stay, ya gotta understand I'm the leader here. Despite what you think, I am not usually bossy, only when one of me boys gets picked on."
He pinned her with a meaningful look. "All I'm asking is dat you hold yer temper, okay? Do ya think youse can manage dat?"
Calli nodded, defeated. *There is no part in arguing as long as he's happy.*
Jack, satisfied, moved on to other things. "So, Curt, how old are ya?"
"Fifteen," Calli replied stiffly.
"How long are ya planning ta stay?"
Calli shrugged, "It depends."
Jack nodded, "I see. Well, someone can teach you ta sell papes tomorrow. Maybe Race or Kid Blink."
~*~*~*~*~
That night, Calli lay on the bottom of a bunk, trying to get comfortable. The boy on the top of her bed tossed and turned until he fell asleep and started to snore. Calli ignored it and began thinking. Soon a revolutionary idea hit her, and she opened her eyes wide. *This is not good. I'm in a roomful of boys. And these boys don't have a clue I am a girl. Oh, boy. This is really not good.*
TO BE CONTINUED
'Curt' and Race talked and laughed on the way back, Kid Blink breaking in and making a comment every now and then. Mostly, he just listened and thought. *Race is right. Curt isn't that bad. In fact, Jack will probably like him.*
~*~*~*~*~
Jack Kelly was talking with Crutchy when he noticed Race and Kid Blink come in, talking loudly. A few minutes later, Les wandered over to him. Jack glanced down to see if it was important, but forgot about it when Les didn't seem to urgent. That is, until Les began tugging on his sleeve. Jack looked down, "What is it, Les?"
Les gazed up at him. "The boy who yelled at me is here with Kid Blink and Racetrack."
Jack narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Oh he is, is he? Well, we'll just have to have a little talk with him."
~*~*~*~*~
Race and Kid Blink led Curt around the Lodging House, giving her the grand tour. After they had finished, they went to a corner of the bunkroom and sat down to talk. Race immediately began rambling on about his gambling career, not noticing he had lost their attention until several minutes later.
He looked over at Curt, and saw him wince and narrow his eyes. Defiantly, the boy stood and squared his shoulders. *What's goin' on?* Racetrack peered around him to see what was wrong. Jack was approaching them with a group of the newsies. Needless to say, they didn't look like an average welcoming committee.
Race turned to see if Kid Blink knew what was happening, and realized he was standing as well in what appeared to be an act of support to Curt. *He looks as confused as me,* Race observed. *Geez, what's Jack so mad about? As far as I know, Curt hasn't done anything wrong.* With that knowledge in mind, Race also stood up, defending his new friend until Curt was proven guilty.
Calli felt the presence of her two new friends, and knew she should feel grateful for their encouragement, but was too busy berating herself. *Of all the places I could have stayed, I had to pick the one with the kid's bodyguard. Oh boy, I had to pick a fight with a leader. Good going, Calli, now you'll be beaten up and thrown back out into the street.*
~*~*~*~*~
Jack stopped walking and lazily leaned against a bedpost. The newsies around him murmured about the new boy and Jack's behavior. Crutchy walked forward to introduce himself to the boy, but a look from Jack stopped him.
Several minutes passed and the newsies began to get restless. Jack started to speak and all movement abruptly came to a halt. "What's yer name?"
Calli blinked at Jack. *Huh? He asks me what my name is? Maybe he doesn't recognize me,* she thought hopefully.
*No chance of that,* her realistic side told her. *Oh be quiet,* she thought, *I can dream, can't I?* She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to answer with what she hoped to be a calm voice. "Curt."
Calli winced at her failure and tried again. "My name is Curt." She relaxed as it sounded deeper and more boyish.
"I see. Well, I'm Jack Kelly. Dis heya is Skittery, Mush, Snoddy, Boots, Snaps, David, Dutchy, Specs, Mud, Swifty, Jake, Crutchy, Pie Eater, Snipeshooter, you met Racetrack and Kid Blink," he introduced all of the surrounding boys with a gesture of his hand. "And of course you know Les." He motioned to the kid she had yelled at and Les walked up to stand next to Jack.
Calli realized where this was going and shook her head, but Jack continued on, fakely innocent. "Oh, wait a minute. Maybe you don't know who he is. You probably just yell at kids witout knowing them all the time." Jack glared at her and crossed his arms.
Calli watched the newsies around him begin muttering amongst themselves again. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kid Blink and Race frown. *I better come up with a good excuse soon, or I'll be standing on this side of the line alone.* "I had a bad day," she muttered, giving up. *Great excuse.*
"And having a bad day immediately gives you de right to yell at someone, does it?" Jack asked. *I'm not gonna let him off da hook dat easy.*
Calli looked at her feet and flexed her fingers. "Well.....no. I guess not. It's just that everyone was watching me, and...well...I know that's no excuse, but..." She stammered for several seconds and stopped suddenly, *Wait a minute. It's not his place to yell at me, and I'm not going to let him.*
"You know what, Mister Jack-I'm-a-leader-so-do-what-I-want? I'm allowed to not like having everybody watch me. Would you? And furthermore, I don't have to listen to what you say. You're not MY leader. I came here for food, money, and to get to know some people, but I see that I'm not gonna fit in unless I do whatever you say, and be your humble little servant. Well, I'm..."
Jack listened angrily to her for a moment, his rage bubbling up inside of him. He could barely restrain himself from lunging towards the boy. After a moment, he interrupted, "At least I don't yell at little kids when I'm in a bad mood! And what do you know about what I'm like? You can't even speak without having to take out your anger on someone!"
Calli glared at him, and tried to think of a quick retort. Obviously, this wasn't one of her strong points. *Ugh. The only thing I hate more than a bossy person is when that certain bossy person has a point.* She finally seethed and stood looking at him in the utmost contempt. Every now and then she would open her mouth to reply, but would shut it again and scowl all the more. *Oh, how do you come up with an answer to something that's true? I'm pathetic.*
Jack smirked at her, knowing he had won for the moment. After a while of embarrassing silence, Jack thought she had learned her lesson and pointed to a separate room. She followed, extremely annoyed at having to humble herself.
The rest of the newsies attempted to listen in, but gradually began to get on about their tasks.
~*~*~*~*~
Once, in the room, Jack settled back against the wall casually and began to speak. His voice exuded his complete confidence in himself. "Okay, look. I will forget the whole yelling-at-Les episode. If your gonna stay, ya gotta understand I'm the leader here. Despite what you think, I am not usually bossy, only when one of me boys gets picked on."
He pinned her with a meaningful look. "All I'm asking is dat you hold yer temper, okay? Do ya think youse can manage dat?"
Calli nodded, defeated. *There is no part in arguing as long as he's happy.*
Jack, satisfied, moved on to other things. "So, Curt, how old are ya?"
"Fifteen," Calli replied stiffly.
"How long are ya planning ta stay?"
Calli shrugged, "It depends."
Jack nodded, "I see. Well, someone can teach you ta sell papes tomorrow. Maybe Race or Kid Blink."
~*~*~*~*~
That night, Calli lay on the bottom of a bunk, trying to get comfortable. The boy on the top of her bed tossed and turned until he fell asleep and started to snore. Calli ignored it and began thinking. Soon a revolutionary idea hit her, and she opened her eyes wide. *This is not good. I'm in a roomful of boys. And these boys don't have a clue I am a girl. Oh, boy. This is really not good.*
TO BE CONTINUED