AN: OKAY PEOPLES, REVIEW!!!!!
Chapter 3:
The next morning Calli woke early to make sure she was ready before the boys were. *The last thing I want is to have one of those many boys find me changing.*
She reflected on that for a moment, and shrugged. *Course, I don't have any other clothes to change into.* Calli stepped out of the bathroom, and found herself crushed against the door as a stampede of boys burst through. Her hat flew across the room and she quickly put her hand on her hair. *Great,* she thought as she crawled towards the hat.
Fortunately, no one noticed her and she stuffed her hair under her hat. *I sure hope this doesn't happen every day. Hmm, maybe I should do my hair in a tight bun from now on so it will at least stay up if my hat comes off. At least it's better than having my hair down.*
Calli sat down on her bed to wait for the boys to finish. When they were done, they burst out of the washroom and rushed down the stairs. Calli found herself being carried along in the tide. *Doesn't anyone notice me? Where are Race and Kid Blink?* She strained her head to see ahead of her.
*No such luck,* she thought disappointedly. Once outside, the newsies began singing and dancing along the streets. The curly-haired boy who shared a bunk with her did several flips while the others made their way dancing towards a small table filled with loaves of bread. Three nuns gave out food and drinks, which the newsies accepted gratefully.
Meanwhile, Calli tried her best to keep up with the group. *Where are they? I barely see anyone I recognize.* Suddenly she saw a cowboy hat taller than the rest of the boy's heads. *Didn't Jack wear a hat like that?* She quickly ran towards the hat, trying to catch up to him before he moved again.
Jack smirked knowingly as she reached him, and Calli quickly tried to look dignified and calm. (Very hard to do, seeing as how she was gasping for air, and her face was flushed.) "I see you found us," he remarked.
"Observant, isn't he?" Calli muttered under her breath, causing Jack to look at her sharply. An angelic expression spread across her face. "Sooo...who is gonna be my partner?"
Race popped a cigar in his mouth and declined. "I don't want to lose all yer money before youse have extra." He explained.
"Okay...Blink?" Jack asked, looking past her. Calli turned around to see the boy, and almost stepped back. *He sure is cuter in the daylight, isn't he?*
"Sure," he agreed as they resumed walking towards the distribution office. Calli followed the rest to the end of the line, that is, she followed Kid Blink and Race into line, Jack went straight to the beginning of the line.
*They let him get away with that?* Calli thought incredulously, observing the length of the line. *Oh, I forgot. He's the leader, he gets away with whatever he wants.*
~*~*~*~*~
As they walked through central park, Kid Blink began teaching her how to sell papes. "Da trick is youse gotta learn ta 'improve da truth' a little. Like, dis story right here." He held up a newspaper and pointed to an article titled, "Mayor gives speech on necessity of taxes." Kid Blink shook his head. "Dey're just waitin' fer us to find a fault, aren't dey? Well, anyway, try it like dis." He held the paper up and waved it back and forth. "MAYOR COVERS SCAM TO GET MONEY!" Calli watched several people hurry over to him and buy a paper.
"What did I tell you, Tom?" An upper class woman insisted, pulling a man over to buy one. She handed Kid Blink a nickel and walked off.
"You were right, Mary."
Blink shook his head and grinned at her. "It's people like dat dat let us earn a living. You try."
Calli picked up one of her newspapers, glanced at the contents, and held it above her head. "BANK USES PEOPLE'S MONEY TO PAY DEBTS! REFUSES TO PAY IT BACK! " She yelled, looking triumphantly over at Kid Blink as a crowd gathered around her. Several minutes later, she shifted the bundle of newspapers that was now considerably lighter to her other side.
"You're a natural, Curt. What page number was that?" She told him and held up another paper.
~*~*~*~*~
*This is pretty easy,* she thought an hour later. *Almost half of my papers sold and it's not even lunchtime.* She raised another paper and opened her mouth, when she heard something that made her freeze.
"DANGEROUS GOIL CRIMINAL ESCAPES FROM REFUGE! POLICE BAFFLED! HIGH REWARD!" Kid Blink called out, oblivious to the sudden whiteness of his companion's skin.
*Calm down,* she told herself. *You don't even look like a girl, they can't possibly recognize you. Not that Hearst knows what I look like that great. I've only seen him...what, twice? I've even seen his stupid nephew more than that.* She thought back to the time she had first met Thomas. He had been as unimpressive then as he had been the whole time she knew him.
"Come in." Callicia stepped into the room and nervously looked at her father. "It's all right. This is my nephew, Thomas. I believe you two will become very well acquainted..." Callicia tuned him out and focused in on the boy about her age sulking on the sofa. Brown hair, almost pitch- black eyes, thin mouth, hunched shoulders... 'Well acquainted?' she thought apprehensively.
"Curt?" Kid Blink waved a hand in front of her face, bringing her back to the present. "Do you want ta eat now?"
"Sure... where?" Calli asked eagerly, barely restraining herself from demanding the information on point of death and high-tailing it towards the food source.
"Jist follow me." ~*~*~*~*~
Tibby's was full of newsies, calling out to the waiters, gossiping, eating, talking, laughing, and... well, basically just being social. Kid Blink expertly weaved his way throughout the swarms of boys with Calli in tow.
"Heya, Blink! Who's yer companion?"
"Huh? Oh, Curt." Kid Blink replied distractedly.
Calli listened to the conversations around her and tried to pick out a familiar voice.
"Dis goil...real beauty...love with me..."
"Den we ran from dem...da bulls chased..."
"Mr. Tibby! How 'bout a free meal since I'm yer favorite customer?"
"No."
"Ahhh...why not?" The boy wheedled pleadingly. *Ohhh, I wonder who that could have been? Who would beg like that?* Calli sarcastically asked herself. *Hmmm...let's see, maybe it's...Jack? Yep. Oh, well, the voice isn't welcome, but at least it's familiar,* Calli thought sourly, swiveling around to find Jack. Her eyes rested on a group of newsies surrounding the boy in question, who was obviously the center of attention. Racetrack, David, Les, the boy she shared a bunk with...yep, she recognized them.
Kid Blink and Calli sat down and joined into the conversation after ordering their food. Or, Blink joined in, Calli concentrated on stuffing her mouth full of whatever food was in reach.
"So dis group of boys are stealing some money from me. I see dem, and soak all of dem in two punches..." Calli looked around at the awed faces all turned up to Jack and shook her head. *Don't they ever get tired of listening to this junk?!*
TO BE CONTINUED
AN: C'mon, ya know ya wanna, click on the little blue button, even if it's only ta say, Great Story, or Bad Story.. C'mon, let's see how many Great Story's or Bad Story's. I can get.let's start counting!!!!
Chapter 3:
The next morning Calli woke early to make sure she was ready before the boys were. *The last thing I want is to have one of those many boys find me changing.*
She reflected on that for a moment, and shrugged. *Course, I don't have any other clothes to change into.* Calli stepped out of the bathroom, and found herself crushed against the door as a stampede of boys burst through. Her hat flew across the room and she quickly put her hand on her hair. *Great,* she thought as she crawled towards the hat.
Fortunately, no one noticed her and she stuffed her hair under her hat. *I sure hope this doesn't happen every day. Hmm, maybe I should do my hair in a tight bun from now on so it will at least stay up if my hat comes off. At least it's better than having my hair down.*
Calli sat down on her bed to wait for the boys to finish. When they were done, they burst out of the washroom and rushed down the stairs. Calli found herself being carried along in the tide. *Doesn't anyone notice me? Where are Race and Kid Blink?* She strained her head to see ahead of her.
*No such luck,* she thought disappointedly. Once outside, the newsies began singing and dancing along the streets. The curly-haired boy who shared a bunk with her did several flips while the others made their way dancing towards a small table filled with loaves of bread. Three nuns gave out food and drinks, which the newsies accepted gratefully.
Meanwhile, Calli tried her best to keep up with the group. *Where are they? I barely see anyone I recognize.* Suddenly she saw a cowboy hat taller than the rest of the boy's heads. *Didn't Jack wear a hat like that?* She quickly ran towards the hat, trying to catch up to him before he moved again.
Jack smirked knowingly as she reached him, and Calli quickly tried to look dignified and calm. (Very hard to do, seeing as how she was gasping for air, and her face was flushed.) "I see you found us," he remarked.
"Observant, isn't he?" Calli muttered under her breath, causing Jack to look at her sharply. An angelic expression spread across her face. "Sooo...who is gonna be my partner?"
Race popped a cigar in his mouth and declined. "I don't want to lose all yer money before youse have extra." He explained.
"Okay...Blink?" Jack asked, looking past her. Calli turned around to see the boy, and almost stepped back. *He sure is cuter in the daylight, isn't he?*
"Sure," he agreed as they resumed walking towards the distribution office. Calli followed the rest to the end of the line, that is, she followed Kid Blink and Race into line, Jack went straight to the beginning of the line.
*They let him get away with that?* Calli thought incredulously, observing the length of the line. *Oh, I forgot. He's the leader, he gets away with whatever he wants.*
~*~*~*~*~
As they walked through central park, Kid Blink began teaching her how to sell papes. "Da trick is youse gotta learn ta 'improve da truth' a little. Like, dis story right here." He held up a newspaper and pointed to an article titled, "Mayor gives speech on necessity of taxes." Kid Blink shook his head. "Dey're just waitin' fer us to find a fault, aren't dey? Well, anyway, try it like dis." He held the paper up and waved it back and forth. "MAYOR COVERS SCAM TO GET MONEY!" Calli watched several people hurry over to him and buy a paper.
"What did I tell you, Tom?" An upper class woman insisted, pulling a man over to buy one. She handed Kid Blink a nickel and walked off.
"You were right, Mary."
Blink shook his head and grinned at her. "It's people like dat dat let us earn a living. You try."
Calli picked up one of her newspapers, glanced at the contents, and held it above her head. "BANK USES PEOPLE'S MONEY TO PAY DEBTS! REFUSES TO PAY IT BACK! " She yelled, looking triumphantly over at Kid Blink as a crowd gathered around her. Several minutes later, she shifted the bundle of newspapers that was now considerably lighter to her other side.
"You're a natural, Curt. What page number was that?" She told him and held up another paper.
~*~*~*~*~
*This is pretty easy,* she thought an hour later. *Almost half of my papers sold and it's not even lunchtime.* She raised another paper and opened her mouth, when she heard something that made her freeze.
"DANGEROUS GOIL CRIMINAL ESCAPES FROM REFUGE! POLICE BAFFLED! HIGH REWARD!" Kid Blink called out, oblivious to the sudden whiteness of his companion's skin.
*Calm down,* she told herself. *You don't even look like a girl, they can't possibly recognize you. Not that Hearst knows what I look like that great. I've only seen him...what, twice? I've even seen his stupid nephew more than that.* She thought back to the time she had first met Thomas. He had been as unimpressive then as he had been the whole time she knew him.
"Come in." Callicia stepped into the room and nervously looked at her father. "It's all right. This is my nephew, Thomas. I believe you two will become very well acquainted..." Callicia tuned him out and focused in on the boy about her age sulking on the sofa. Brown hair, almost pitch- black eyes, thin mouth, hunched shoulders... 'Well acquainted?' she thought apprehensively.
"Curt?" Kid Blink waved a hand in front of her face, bringing her back to the present. "Do you want ta eat now?"
"Sure... where?" Calli asked eagerly, barely restraining herself from demanding the information on point of death and high-tailing it towards the food source.
"Jist follow me." ~*~*~*~*~
Tibby's was full of newsies, calling out to the waiters, gossiping, eating, talking, laughing, and... well, basically just being social. Kid Blink expertly weaved his way throughout the swarms of boys with Calli in tow.
"Heya, Blink! Who's yer companion?"
"Huh? Oh, Curt." Kid Blink replied distractedly.
Calli listened to the conversations around her and tried to pick out a familiar voice.
"Dis goil...real beauty...love with me..."
"Den we ran from dem...da bulls chased..."
"Mr. Tibby! How 'bout a free meal since I'm yer favorite customer?"
"No."
"Ahhh...why not?" The boy wheedled pleadingly. *Ohhh, I wonder who that could have been? Who would beg like that?* Calli sarcastically asked herself. *Hmmm...let's see, maybe it's...Jack? Yep. Oh, well, the voice isn't welcome, but at least it's familiar,* Calli thought sourly, swiveling around to find Jack. Her eyes rested on a group of newsies surrounding the boy in question, who was obviously the center of attention. Racetrack, David, Les, the boy she shared a bunk with...yep, she recognized them.
Kid Blink and Calli sat down and joined into the conversation after ordering their food. Or, Blink joined in, Calli concentrated on stuffing her mouth full of whatever food was in reach.
"So dis group of boys are stealing some money from me. I see dem, and soak all of dem in two punches..." Calli looked around at the awed faces all turned up to Jack and shook her head. *Don't they ever get tired of listening to this junk?!*
TO BE CONTINUED
AN: C'mon, ya know ya wanna, click on the little blue button, even if it's only ta say, Great Story, or Bad Story.. C'mon, let's see how many Great Story's or Bad Story's. I can get.let's start counting!!!!