Author's Note: Hey ya'll! I want to say thanks to those people who have
reviewed.. Thankyou all so much, and you really help me to get beyond
writer's block and all. Oh, and thanks to Valerie and Diana, sorry for not
having a specific note, but I can't figure out how to get my computer to
help me, so I can't figure out what your reviews said at the moment..sorry!
Thankyou though!
Slick- Thanx, yep, good story goes a long way, but great story does go
farther..
Irish Fury- Yep, well, ya wanna know when they find out? Read this
chapter.(hehehe)
KATT- Thankee ever so much! I did, I did!
Chapter 7:
The next morning, Calli rolled out of bed sleepily at the crack of dawn. She looked at the patch of sunlight on the wall, thinking about the past day's events. *C'mon, Calli, you have ta get over it. Thomas was probably only there for one day, anyway. No reason to get bent out of shape.* She nodded her head firmly in resolve to get back to normal.
*Things would be soo much easier if I didn't have to wake up earlier than everyone,* she grumbled as she padded across the room.
Calli walked into the wash room and glanced at the mirror, then continued on to the stalls. Suddenly, she stopped and walked slowly back to the mirror. What she saw stopped her dead in her tracks. She stared at the dirty-faced boy in the mirror with sleepy eyes and rough skin. She held her hands out and looked at them. Instead of clean hands, they were now dirty and callused with broken nails. Calli pulled her hat off and surveyed the mess of tangles in front of her. *I look like a monster.* She pulled her fingers through it, trying to get out the worst of the tangles.
Calli sighed hopelessly as she looked in the mirror again, noting the difference between what she looked like now and earlier.
She forced herself to think about that for a minute. With a twinge of guilt, she realized that she hadn't really been caring much what she looked like lately, because of everything going on and living with a bunch of boys. *Well,* she thought with determination, *even though I live with boys and am supposed to be one, that doesn't mean I have to look like I just came out of a pile of mud.*
Calli dipped her hands into the sink and scrubbed with soap until her hands felt numb. She splashed water on her face and scoured it with soap, until it smarted.
*Well, I guess that's the best I can do right now,* Calli thought as she quickly donned the clothes she had borrowed from Kid Blink, a white, blue-striped shirt, pants, and hat and headed down the stairs as the other newsies woke up.
~*~*~*~*~
Jack called out to Kid Blink and Calli as they walked towards Central Park. He ran over to them and hefted his newspapers up.
"Curt's gonna sell wit' me taday. I don't want a repeat of yestoiday."
Calli looked coldly at Jack, but Kid Blink nodded and agreed. "Good idea. Bye, Curt!"
Calli looked at him in amazement, protesting, but he was already walking away. "But I-"
Jack started walking. "Curt, are youse shore you don't wanna tell me what's goin' on?"
Calli sighed, *I can tell that this is going to be a long day.* "Yes. I already told you that I can't tell you about it."
To her great surprise, he nodded and dropped the subject.
*Well, that sure was easier than I expected it to be.*
~*~*~*~*~
Throughout the day, Jack stuck close to Calli, who stuck close to crowds and getaway places.
She scanned the crowd for Thomas and police, and nervously shouted a headline. *Geez, I'm jumpier than I've ever been in my entire life! C'mon, Calli, get a hold of yourself!*
Someone tapped her on the back and she cried out. Turning around, she let her breath out as she saw a puzzled customer holding out a penny.
"Oh, sorry, miss." Calli handed her the newspaper and put the money in her pocket. "Thank you, miss."
Jack walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Curt, whoevah it was is not out ta get youse. You were jist a newsie in da wrong place at da wrong time. You can calm down."
Calli looked at him and shook her head. "No, you don't get it. I." Her attention wandered as a carriage came down the street quickly. People jumped out of the way, and called out angrily, but their words died on their lips as many policemen came around the corner on horseback, following the carriage.
She shrank back into the crowd instinctively, but Jack ran over to a bench and pulled her up beside him to see better. Calli took firm control of herself and shaded her eyes, peering at the carriage windows.
Suddenly, a head poked out and Calli toppled over the bench in surprise. Jack jumped down in instinct, too. He hid his face as the police came by, but seeing Calli's face, he forgot about himself.
"Curt! What's wrong?" He knelt down beside her.
"Jack.that was Hearst!" She said breathlessly, more scared than he'd ever seen her.
"Yeah, so?"
"So I have to get out of here!" She scrambled to her feet and ducked into the crowd, keeping her back to the carriage as she made her way quickly towards an alley.
Jack hurried to keep up with her and grabbed her arm. "Curt! Stop, slow down! T'ink 'bout it! Hearst might be terrible, but do you really t'ink he cares 'bout one newsie dat much?"
Calli stopped for a minute and looked him in the eye. "Doesn't Pulitzer care about you 'dat much'?" Having made her point, she tried to go, but Jack held onto her.
"Dat's completely different! I mean, Pulitzer knows who I am an' all 'bout me, an'. well, it's just different!"
Calli stared at him and said quietly, "No, it's not. Not at all."
Jack's eyes widened as she started to walk away. He yanked on her arm and pulled her back away from the crowd.
"Whoa, whoa, hold on a minute. What was dat? What were youse."
At that moment, every policeman began running towards them. Jack looked quickly at Hearst who was screaming frantically and pointing to Curt. He could barely make out the words, Callicia, and go!!!! go!!!.
Calli, for her part, and gone completely still, then wrenched free from him and took off down the street. Jack glanced at the police and carriage who were following her and quickly caught up with her, shoving her down an alley way.
"GO! QUICK! Over da wall! C'mon, hurry!" He gave her a boost and she clawed her way over, with him close behind.
"GO!" He screamed, racing past Tibby's.
~*~*~*~*~
Kid Blink and Race simultaneously ran their fingers through their hair and looked out the window again. "Where are they?"
"Relax." Itey said, taking a drink. "Dey'll be here soon."
Whistles and shouts began outside, and every newsie in the room got up to look out the window. Two figures streaked past Tibby's in a blur, followed by what seemed like hundreds of policemen and a lone carriage.
Kid Blink was out the door like lightning, calling over his shoulder as he went, "It's Jack and Curt!"
Everyone jumped up, knocking over chairs in their haste to get outside. The dozens of newsies raced after Jack and Curt, distracting and confusing the policemen.
~*~*~*~*~
The policemen slowed after awhile and the captain walked tiredly back to Hearst.
"Mr. Hearst? I'm sorry, sir, but my men cannot tell those newsies apart. They all look exactly the same running by."
Hearst sighed and nodded agitatedly . "Well, at least we know for certain that she's here, not just a figment of Thomas' imagination."
~*~*~*~*~
Back at the Lodging House, the tired newsies dove for every available bed stretching out and groaning. As one, they all turned to look at Jack, who explained as much as he knew, then turned to look at Calli.
After several minutes of silence, Kid Blink asked slowly, "Why is Hearst after you, Curt?"
The rest of the newsies looked at her for an explanation.
Calli looked at her feet and twisted her hands. *C'mon, it's now or never. You should have just done this in the beginning, you brought this upon yourself.*
Finally, Calli looked up. "Because he wanted me to marry his nephew." She said quietly.
The room suddenly became so still that you could have heard a pin drop. Race stared at her, speechless for once. he quickly recovered. "Uh, Curt.."
Calli remained silent and bit her lip. *It's over,* she realized, sadly. Out of the depths of her self-pity, she noticed Kid Blink walking up to her. Looking up at his concerned face, she knew she would miss him most of all.
His face slowly changed as comprehension dawned upon him, and he reached toward her hat. She stopped him, and resignedly brushed her hand up her forehead and back over her head, pulling her newsie hat off in the process. A cascade of frizzy white-blonde hair tumbled down to just above her waist, several pieces in her face, which she shook irritably out of the way.
Calli looked around the room slowly as the boys mouths dropped open. Racetrack, Crutchy, Jack, Bumlets, Mush...all her friends. They now stared at her as if she was a total stranger, surprise, anger, glee, shock, and annoyance flitting across their faces. Now they would never accept her. Calli mustered up all her dignity and, raising her head slowly, ran out of the room.
TO BE CONTINUED
A.N.- Review! I'm having major writer's block and can't think of what to do to finish the story! I used to know but now I've forgotten, so only about 2 chapters beyond this one I've written then I'm stuck. I just need to finish it off, so please, help a poor stuck writer and review! You can give me advice about the ending!
REVIEW~!!!!!
Chapter 7:
The next morning, Calli rolled out of bed sleepily at the crack of dawn. She looked at the patch of sunlight on the wall, thinking about the past day's events. *C'mon, Calli, you have ta get over it. Thomas was probably only there for one day, anyway. No reason to get bent out of shape.* She nodded her head firmly in resolve to get back to normal.
*Things would be soo much easier if I didn't have to wake up earlier than everyone,* she grumbled as she padded across the room.
Calli walked into the wash room and glanced at the mirror, then continued on to the stalls. Suddenly, she stopped and walked slowly back to the mirror. What she saw stopped her dead in her tracks. She stared at the dirty-faced boy in the mirror with sleepy eyes and rough skin. She held her hands out and looked at them. Instead of clean hands, they were now dirty and callused with broken nails. Calli pulled her hat off and surveyed the mess of tangles in front of her. *I look like a monster.* She pulled her fingers through it, trying to get out the worst of the tangles.
Calli sighed hopelessly as she looked in the mirror again, noting the difference between what she looked like now and earlier.
She forced herself to think about that for a minute. With a twinge of guilt, she realized that she hadn't really been caring much what she looked like lately, because of everything going on and living with a bunch of boys. *Well,* she thought with determination, *even though I live with boys and am supposed to be one, that doesn't mean I have to look like I just came out of a pile of mud.*
Calli dipped her hands into the sink and scrubbed with soap until her hands felt numb. She splashed water on her face and scoured it with soap, until it smarted.
*Well, I guess that's the best I can do right now,* Calli thought as she quickly donned the clothes she had borrowed from Kid Blink, a white, blue-striped shirt, pants, and hat and headed down the stairs as the other newsies woke up.
~*~*~*~*~
Jack called out to Kid Blink and Calli as they walked towards Central Park. He ran over to them and hefted his newspapers up.
"Curt's gonna sell wit' me taday. I don't want a repeat of yestoiday."
Calli looked coldly at Jack, but Kid Blink nodded and agreed. "Good idea. Bye, Curt!"
Calli looked at him in amazement, protesting, but he was already walking away. "But I-"
Jack started walking. "Curt, are youse shore you don't wanna tell me what's goin' on?"
Calli sighed, *I can tell that this is going to be a long day.* "Yes. I already told you that I can't tell you about it."
To her great surprise, he nodded and dropped the subject.
*Well, that sure was easier than I expected it to be.*
~*~*~*~*~
Throughout the day, Jack stuck close to Calli, who stuck close to crowds and getaway places.
She scanned the crowd for Thomas and police, and nervously shouted a headline. *Geez, I'm jumpier than I've ever been in my entire life! C'mon, Calli, get a hold of yourself!*
Someone tapped her on the back and she cried out. Turning around, she let her breath out as she saw a puzzled customer holding out a penny.
"Oh, sorry, miss." Calli handed her the newspaper and put the money in her pocket. "Thank you, miss."
Jack walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Curt, whoevah it was is not out ta get youse. You were jist a newsie in da wrong place at da wrong time. You can calm down."
Calli looked at him and shook her head. "No, you don't get it. I." Her attention wandered as a carriage came down the street quickly. People jumped out of the way, and called out angrily, but their words died on their lips as many policemen came around the corner on horseback, following the carriage.
She shrank back into the crowd instinctively, but Jack ran over to a bench and pulled her up beside him to see better. Calli took firm control of herself and shaded her eyes, peering at the carriage windows.
Suddenly, a head poked out and Calli toppled over the bench in surprise. Jack jumped down in instinct, too. He hid his face as the police came by, but seeing Calli's face, he forgot about himself.
"Curt! What's wrong?" He knelt down beside her.
"Jack.that was Hearst!" She said breathlessly, more scared than he'd ever seen her.
"Yeah, so?"
"So I have to get out of here!" She scrambled to her feet and ducked into the crowd, keeping her back to the carriage as she made her way quickly towards an alley.
Jack hurried to keep up with her and grabbed her arm. "Curt! Stop, slow down! T'ink 'bout it! Hearst might be terrible, but do you really t'ink he cares 'bout one newsie dat much?"
Calli stopped for a minute and looked him in the eye. "Doesn't Pulitzer care about you 'dat much'?" Having made her point, she tried to go, but Jack held onto her.
"Dat's completely different! I mean, Pulitzer knows who I am an' all 'bout me, an'. well, it's just different!"
Calli stared at him and said quietly, "No, it's not. Not at all."
Jack's eyes widened as she started to walk away. He yanked on her arm and pulled her back away from the crowd.
"Whoa, whoa, hold on a minute. What was dat? What were youse."
At that moment, every policeman began running towards them. Jack looked quickly at Hearst who was screaming frantically and pointing to Curt. He could barely make out the words, Callicia, and go!!!! go!!!.
Calli, for her part, and gone completely still, then wrenched free from him and took off down the street. Jack glanced at the police and carriage who were following her and quickly caught up with her, shoving her down an alley way.
"GO! QUICK! Over da wall! C'mon, hurry!" He gave her a boost and she clawed her way over, with him close behind.
"GO!" He screamed, racing past Tibby's.
~*~*~*~*~
Kid Blink and Race simultaneously ran their fingers through their hair and looked out the window again. "Where are they?"
"Relax." Itey said, taking a drink. "Dey'll be here soon."
Whistles and shouts began outside, and every newsie in the room got up to look out the window. Two figures streaked past Tibby's in a blur, followed by what seemed like hundreds of policemen and a lone carriage.
Kid Blink was out the door like lightning, calling over his shoulder as he went, "It's Jack and Curt!"
Everyone jumped up, knocking over chairs in their haste to get outside. The dozens of newsies raced after Jack and Curt, distracting and confusing the policemen.
~*~*~*~*~
The policemen slowed after awhile and the captain walked tiredly back to Hearst.
"Mr. Hearst? I'm sorry, sir, but my men cannot tell those newsies apart. They all look exactly the same running by."
Hearst sighed and nodded agitatedly . "Well, at least we know for certain that she's here, not just a figment of Thomas' imagination."
~*~*~*~*~
Back at the Lodging House, the tired newsies dove for every available bed stretching out and groaning. As one, they all turned to look at Jack, who explained as much as he knew, then turned to look at Calli.
After several minutes of silence, Kid Blink asked slowly, "Why is Hearst after you, Curt?"
The rest of the newsies looked at her for an explanation.
Calli looked at her feet and twisted her hands. *C'mon, it's now or never. You should have just done this in the beginning, you brought this upon yourself.*
Finally, Calli looked up. "Because he wanted me to marry his nephew." She said quietly.
The room suddenly became so still that you could have heard a pin drop. Race stared at her, speechless for once. he quickly recovered. "Uh, Curt.."
Calli remained silent and bit her lip. *It's over,* she realized, sadly. Out of the depths of her self-pity, she noticed Kid Blink walking up to her. Looking up at his concerned face, she knew she would miss him most of all.
His face slowly changed as comprehension dawned upon him, and he reached toward her hat. She stopped him, and resignedly brushed her hand up her forehead and back over her head, pulling her newsie hat off in the process. A cascade of frizzy white-blonde hair tumbled down to just above her waist, several pieces in her face, which she shook irritably out of the way.
Calli looked around the room slowly as the boys mouths dropped open. Racetrack, Crutchy, Jack, Bumlets, Mush...all her friends. They now stared at her as if she was a total stranger, surprise, anger, glee, shock, and annoyance flitting across their faces. Now they would never accept her. Calli mustered up all her dignity and, raising her head slowly, ran out of the room.
TO BE CONTINUED
A.N.- Review! I'm having major writer's block and can't think of what to do to finish the story! I used to know but now I've forgotten, so only about 2 chapters beyond this one I've written then I'm stuck. I just need to finish it off, so please, help a poor stuck writer and review! You can give me advice about the ending!
REVIEW~!!!!!