A/N: I can finally update! *Dances* My computer was being stupid for a
while, lol. *Gives Bittersweet a cookie jar shaped like a sock* Thanketh!
Lint and paper clips to everyone who reviews!
Stress- Thanks for letting me use your character! If I write something totally wrong or something, let me know, but I'll try to stay as close to your description as I can. I put you as one of the girls in the lodging house I hope that's ok. =D
`*`*`*`*`
Selley opened one eye and peered around the room. It was as still as a graveyard, and just as quiet, aside from Smudge babbling something about Skittery in her sleep.
The light streamed in through the curtains, painting the girl's faces a glowing yellow.
Selley, being the youngest at 7, was usually up first. She quietly hopped out of her bunk, wanting to be the first in the bathroom. After the other girls used it, there was usually suds on the walls, water on the floor and towels everywhere. Being the first meant getting the best bar of soap and the nicest towel.
Just as Selley reached for the fluffy towel hanging on the wall, Mrs. Norren the lodging house owner and caretaker, rushed up the stairs ringing the brass bell she always used to rouse the newsies from their sleep.
"Up! Up now! Ain't no time for lousin' about! Time ta sell the papes!"
Selley groaned. She never got to have the bathroom all to herself, damn Norren for once again interrupting her.
Stress flipped a piece of her curly hair over her shoulder and shoved Selley out of the way reaching for a towel. Selley glared and shoved her back. Stress raised her eyebrows and laughed, Selley never stuck up for herself like that. She grinned and handed the younger girl a towel.
Smudge searched under her bed for a lost sock, smacking her head on the frame when she got up.
"Hell!" She mumbled, stumbling into the bathroom while managing to trip over Prairie's shoes.
"PRAIRIE!!!" her name echoed through the entire room. Prairie snickered and turned back to the mirror.
~*~*~*~
Weasel handed Mush his usual 50 papes, while Oscar and Morris took their own sweet time counting the rest of the papers.
Diamonds smirked at Weasel, fishing for her two bits bummed off Cake earlier.
"50 papes, Mr. Weasel." She said, wondering if yesterday's event was going to happen all over again.
Weasel slit his eyes at her a moment, before yelling "50 papes, Oscah." Diamonds grinned at him cheekily and joined Poem, Cake and a few of the boys including Pie Eater in a group off to the side discussing the headlines.
Derby scratched her head thoughtfully, while mock mulling over how many papes to get, as though she was deciding between having fish or soup for dinner. Leaning on one elbow, she finally clicked her tongue and said, "Mm.da usual."
Weasel smacked the papes in front of her, shooing her away. Derby scooped up her papes and winked smartly at Oscar.
"I'm getting' tired of dem goils." Weasel announced to Morris and Oscar, tying bundles of papes together behind him. They nodded their agreement.
"Gettin' tired of us? Already?" Stress grinned through the bars at him, "I woulda given' youse one or two more weeks, Weasel." Jack laughed behind her.
Stress gathered her papes and sat with Jack on the steps, scanning the headlines.
Selley smiled inside, she wanted to be like the other girls, never being nervous or scared to say something smart directly to Weasel. They were brave and brash, Selley was shy and quiet.
Skittery snapped Selley's red suspender and ruffled her hair, "Gonna get papes or stand dere all day?" he said.
"She's probably dreamin' 'bout youse, Skits." Mush laughed.
Selley turned red, the color slowly creeping up her cheeks. She slapped her hands to her face, knowing she looked like a tomato when she blushed.
"Aw, leave da poor kid alone." Blink defended, gently shoving Mush, but still smiling.
"We ain't bein' like dat, we'se just kiddin', right Mush?" Skittery answered, messing Selley's hair again. Mush nodded.
Selley looked at her feet, willing her bright red blush to go away.
Weasel gave Selley her papes, but only 30. She had asked for 35. Selley looked at the papes, hoping Diamonds, Jack or anyone was nearby to tell Weasel he had gypped her. She searched in desperation around, mentally trying to tell someone to help her.
Her hands trembled as she turned back to the barred window looming like a dreaded shadow.
'I bet da Brooklyn boys can hear my heart thumpin' now.' She thought, putting her papes back on the ledge to show Weasel.
Weasel rolled his eyes and tossed the other fives papes on the ground. Selley started to pick them up, her blonde hair hanging in her eyes, when someone stopped her.
"What was dat for Weasel? Youse get kicks outta seein' goils like Selley have to pick da papes up where youse threw dem?" Cake challenged, her eyes flat with no emotion, staring at Weasel.
The newsies fell silent; Weasel was testing his luck lately.
Morris stepped out of the distribution room, ready to use his fists. He wiped the sweat from under his hat and curled a lip at Cake.
Cake's dark eyelashes hardly even fluttered. Morris moved closer.
"Youse wanna say my uncle is a cheatah?"
Poem grabbed Selley before anything got angry. Selley watched wide eyed from Poem's lap, wishing Cake hadn't put herself in danger like that. Selley felt it was all her fault, she cast her eyes downwards.
Morris lunged, receiving a punch from Cake. Mush, Jack, Derby, Stress and Diamonds all joined in, eventually driving Morris back into the room.
Weasel snickered to Oscar, which made Morris even angrier. The three argued with each other for hours, while the newsies laughed and whoop, going off to their selling spots.
Selley cried silently inside. She didn't mean to start a fight.
---- From the demented desk of Derby: Woo.. long chapter. *Runs in a circle*
Stress- Thanks for letting me use your character! If I write something totally wrong or something, let me know, but I'll try to stay as close to your description as I can. I put you as one of the girls in the lodging house I hope that's ok. =D
`*`*`*`*`
Selley opened one eye and peered around the room. It was as still as a graveyard, and just as quiet, aside from Smudge babbling something about Skittery in her sleep.
The light streamed in through the curtains, painting the girl's faces a glowing yellow.
Selley, being the youngest at 7, was usually up first. She quietly hopped out of her bunk, wanting to be the first in the bathroom. After the other girls used it, there was usually suds on the walls, water on the floor and towels everywhere. Being the first meant getting the best bar of soap and the nicest towel.
Just as Selley reached for the fluffy towel hanging on the wall, Mrs. Norren the lodging house owner and caretaker, rushed up the stairs ringing the brass bell she always used to rouse the newsies from their sleep.
"Up! Up now! Ain't no time for lousin' about! Time ta sell the papes!"
Selley groaned. She never got to have the bathroom all to herself, damn Norren for once again interrupting her.
Stress flipped a piece of her curly hair over her shoulder and shoved Selley out of the way reaching for a towel. Selley glared and shoved her back. Stress raised her eyebrows and laughed, Selley never stuck up for herself like that. She grinned and handed the younger girl a towel.
Smudge searched under her bed for a lost sock, smacking her head on the frame when she got up.
"Hell!" She mumbled, stumbling into the bathroom while managing to trip over Prairie's shoes.
"PRAIRIE!!!" her name echoed through the entire room. Prairie snickered and turned back to the mirror.
~*~*~*~
Weasel handed Mush his usual 50 papes, while Oscar and Morris took their own sweet time counting the rest of the papers.
Diamonds smirked at Weasel, fishing for her two bits bummed off Cake earlier.
"50 papes, Mr. Weasel." She said, wondering if yesterday's event was going to happen all over again.
Weasel slit his eyes at her a moment, before yelling "50 papes, Oscah." Diamonds grinned at him cheekily and joined Poem, Cake and a few of the boys including Pie Eater in a group off to the side discussing the headlines.
Derby scratched her head thoughtfully, while mock mulling over how many papes to get, as though she was deciding between having fish or soup for dinner. Leaning on one elbow, she finally clicked her tongue and said, "Mm.da usual."
Weasel smacked the papes in front of her, shooing her away. Derby scooped up her papes and winked smartly at Oscar.
"I'm getting' tired of dem goils." Weasel announced to Morris and Oscar, tying bundles of papes together behind him. They nodded their agreement.
"Gettin' tired of us? Already?" Stress grinned through the bars at him, "I woulda given' youse one or two more weeks, Weasel." Jack laughed behind her.
Stress gathered her papes and sat with Jack on the steps, scanning the headlines.
Selley smiled inside, she wanted to be like the other girls, never being nervous or scared to say something smart directly to Weasel. They were brave and brash, Selley was shy and quiet.
Skittery snapped Selley's red suspender and ruffled her hair, "Gonna get papes or stand dere all day?" he said.
"She's probably dreamin' 'bout youse, Skits." Mush laughed.
Selley turned red, the color slowly creeping up her cheeks. She slapped her hands to her face, knowing she looked like a tomato when she blushed.
"Aw, leave da poor kid alone." Blink defended, gently shoving Mush, but still smiling.
"We ain't bein' like dat, we'se just kiddin', right Mush?" Skittery answered, messing Selley's hair again. Mush nodded.
Selley looked at her feet, willing her bright red blush to go away.
Weasel gave Selley her papes, but only 30. She had asked for 35. Selley looked at the papes, hoping Diamonds, Jack or anyone was nearby to tell Weasel he had gypped her. She searched in desperation around, mentally trying to tell someone to help her.
Her hands trembled as she turned back to the barred window looming like a dreaded shadow.
'I bet da Brooklyn boys can hear my heart thumpin' now.' She thought, putting her papes back on the ledge to show Weasel.
Weasel rolled his eyes and tossed the other fives papes on the ground. Selley started to pick them up, her blonde hair hanging in her eyes, when someone stopped her.
"What was dat for Weasel? Youse get kicks outta seein' goils like Selley have to pick da papes up where youse threw dem?" Cake challenged, her eyes flat with no emotion, staring at Weasel.
The newsies fell silent; Weasel was testing his luck lately.
Morris stepped out of the distribution room, ready to use his fists. He wiped the sweat from under his hat and curled a lip at Cake.
Cake's dark eyelashes hardly even fluttered. Morris moved closer.
"Youse wanna say my uncle is a cheatah?"
Poem grabbed Selley before anything got angry. Selley watched wide eyed from Poem's lap, wishing Cake hadn't put herself in danger like that. Selley felt it was all her fault, she cast her eyes downwards.
Morris lunged, receiving a punch from Cake. Mush, Jack, Derby, Stress and Diamonds all joined in, eventually driving Morris back into the room.
Weasel snickered to Oscar, which made Morris even angrier. The three argued with each other for hours, while the newsies laughed and whoop, going off to their selling spots.
Selley cried silently inside. She didn't mean to start a fight.
---- From the demented desk of Derby: Woo.. long chapter. *Runs in a circle*
