Hey everyone, here's another chapter for you. Don't worry, there will be
more. And I promise it won't be all sappy romance, there's some drama
coming in the next few. Enjoy!
Stuck In The Middle
Chapter 2: Not Just Any Girl: A Newsie Girl
Tibby's was unusually packed that afternoon. Thankfully, the amount of people crammed into the room created a kind of radiant heat that we all appreciated after a long day of selling.
I sat comfortable and content in the booth with Specs, Skittery, Dutchy, Mush and Kid Blink. They were having a conversation about something, but I was completely oblivious to it.
"Hope… ya alive?" Blink asked, waving a hand in front of my face.
"Huh?"
The group cracked up at my obvious lack of reality.
"Well boys," Jack called over the chaos. "Whatdya say we head over to Medda's for a show?"
A chorus of cheers rang up from the group, signifying a definite "yes". In one coordinated move, the whole diner got up and exited the building. I stayed in my seat until the others were piled out into the streets. Slowly I pulled on my jacket. I was almost out the door when Skittery popped his head back into the restaurant. "You commin Hope?"
"Sure," I replied happily.
He playfully offered me his arm and we followed a few paces behind the large, noisy group.
"So ya gonna just live with us here in Manhattan forever Hope? Ya ever going back to Midtown?" Skittery asked pleasantly.
"Who knows. I go where I want when I want."
He chuckled lightly. "I'm not sure that Shiner would agree with that."
I shrugged. "My brother just thinks he's tough is all. I don't care what he says. I aint scared of him."
"You'se probably the only one in this city. Shiner even makes Spot shake in his boots."
Before I had the chance to respond, Race turned around and called to us. "Come on ya bums. The show's bout to start."
Two hours later, the whole group had poured its way back onto the freezing New York streets. "That Medda sure is a looker," Mush mused.
Specs turned to me. "Now why is it that you don't wear none of those frilly little dresses, huh Hope?"
I raised my eyebrows at him. "You're kidding right?"
"Why not? You'se a goil aint ya? Goils wear dresses."
I opened my mouth with a witty comment, but Jack beat me to the punch. "Not newsie goils."
A cold gust of winter wind ripped through the streets, forcing all of us to forget joking and hustle to the lodging house. Once safely inside, the boys headed up to the bunkroom. Slowly, I started to follow, but the warm pot bellied stove was too inviting. I made myself comfortable in one of the old chairs and turned my attention to the window. Snow had started heavily falling since we had returned, and a thick white blanket was quickly covering everything.
Suddenly something fell over my legs and shoulders. I looked up to see Skittery standing over me, pulling a blanket so it covered my feet. "Thanks."
"You all right?" he asked gently, pulling up a chair next to me.
I smiled lightly at him. "I'm fine, just watching the snow."
He stared out the window for a moment, the grabbed my hand. "Come on."
"Where are you taking me?"
"You'll see." He pulled me outside into the lightening snowfall, dropping my hand once we were on the porch.
I shook my head and turned for the door, but as I did, I was hit in the side by a big slushy snowball. I looked up to see Skittery flashing me an innocent grin. Quickly, I picked up a pile of snow and chucked it at him, missing by about a foot.
"You throw like a girl!" he taunted.
"I am a girl!" I threw another at him. This time, it was close, but he still easily dodged it.
Suddenly he was hitting me over and over with handfuls of snow. Both of us began laughing loudly, the sound filling the quiet, empty street.
"What's the idear?" Racetrack called from the bunkroom window. "We'se tryin to sleep up here."
"Come on out here," Skitts called back up to him. While his attention was elsewhere, I took aim. "The weather's –"
He was cut off when a snowball hit him square in the chest.
"I throw like a girl huh?"
"Oh yer askin for it now girlie," Skittery mumbled playfully. Before I knew what was happening, I was on my back in the snow. The other newsies began quickly filtering out of the front doors onto the street. Soon snow was flying in every direction.
I walked to a quieter part of the street, lay down in the snow, and started flailing my arms and legs. After a few seconds, a face appeared above me. "What're ya doing?"
"It's called a snow angel Skitts," I replied with a grin while I struggled to sit up without destroying my creation.
Skittery offered his hand, easily pulled me up and then examined my snow sculpture. "Wonderful madam."
"Why thank you sir," I replied, playfully bowing graciously.
The commotion began to die down as the newsies all headed back inside. We slowly followed, Skitts never dropping my hand after he helped me up. Skittery and I were the last to enter the room. Wet and slightly cold, the others had all situated themselves around the stove and dosed off one by one. The two of us squeezed in as close to the fire as we could. Unfortunately it wasn't close enough. The snow had begun to melt on my clothes and the warmth of movement soon vanished. I was about to get up, but Skittery beat me to it. He returned quickly with two blankets, handed me one and promptly wrapped himself up in the other.
"Night Hope," He whispered, leaning over to kiss my forehead before turning over and slipping into a dream world.
I tried to close my eyes and do the same, but my head had begun to spin with so many happy thoughts that I simply lie awake listening to the fire crackle.
Stuck In The Middle
Chapter 2: Not Just Any Girl: A Newsie Girl
Tibby's was unusually packed that afternoon. Thankfully, the amount of people crammed into the room created a kind of radiant heat that we all appreciated after a long day of selling.
I sat comfortable and content in the booth with Specs, Skittery, Dutchy, Mush and Kid Blink. They were having a conversation about something, but I was completely oblivious to it.
"Hope… ya alive?" Blink asked, waving a hand in front of my face.
"Huh?"
The group cracked up at my obvious lack of reality.
"Well boys," Jack called over the chaos. "Whatdya say we head over to Medda's for a show?"
A chorus of cheers rang up from the group, signifying a definite "yes". In one coordinated move, the whole diner got up and exited the building. I stayed in my seat until the others were piled out into the streets. Slowly I pulled on my jacket. I was almost out the door when Skittery popped his head back into the restaurant. "You commin Hope?"
"Sure," I replied happily.
He playfully offered me his arm and we followed a few paces behind the large, noisy group.
"So ya gonna just live with us here in Manhattan forever Hope? Ya ever going back to Midtown?" Skittery asked pleasantly.
"Who knows. I go where I want when I want."
He chuckled lightly. "I'm not sure that Shiner would agree with that."
I shrugged. "My brother just thinks he's tough is all. I don't care what he says. I aint scared of him."
"You'se probably the only one in this city. Shiner even makes Spot shake in his boots."
Before I had the chance to respond, Race turned around and called to us. "Come on ya bums. The show's bout to start."
Two hours later, the whole group had poured its way back onto the freezing New York streets. "That Medda sure is a looker," Mush mused.
Specs turned to me. "Now why is it that you don't wear none of those frilly little dresses, huh Hope?"
I raised my eyebrows at him. "You're kidding right?"
"Why not? You'se a goil aint ya? Goils wear dresses."
I opened my mouth with a witty comment, but Jack beat me to the punch. "Not newsie goils."
A cold gust of winter wind ripped through the streets, forcing all of us to forget joking and hustle to the lodging house. Once safely inside, the boys headed up to the bunkroom. Slowly, I started to follow, but the warm pot bellied stove was too inviting. I made myself comfortable in one of the old chairs and turned my attention to the window. Snow had started heavily falling since we had returned, and a thick white blanket was quickly covering everything.
Suddenly something fell over my legs and shoulders. I looked up to see Skittery standing over me, pulling a blanket so it covered my feet. "Thanks."
"You all right?" he asked gently, pulling up a chair next to me.
I smiled lightly at him. "I'm fine, just watching the snow."
He stared out the window for a moment, the grabbed my hand. "Come on."
"Where are you taking me?"
"You'll see." He pulled me outside into the lightening snowfall, dropping my hand once we were on the porch.
I shook my head and turned for the door, but as I did, I was hit in the side by a big slushy snowball. I looked up to see Skittery flashing me an innocent grin. Quickly, I picked up a pile of snow and chucked it at him, missing by about a foot.
"You throw like a girl!" he taunted.
"I am a girl!" I threw another at him. This time, it was close, but he still easily dodged it.
Suddenly he was hitting me over and over with handfuls of snow. Both of us began laughing loudly, the sound filling the quiet, empty street.
"What's the idear?" Racetrack called from the bunkroom window. "We'se tryin to sleep up here."
"Come on out here," Skitts called back up to him. While his attention was elsewhere, I took aim. "The weather's –"
He was cut off when a snowball hit him square in the chest.
"I throw like a girl huh?"
"Oh yer askin for it now girlie," Skittery mumbled playfully. Before I knew what was happening, I was on my back in the snow. The other newsies began quickly filtering out of the front doors onto the street. Soon snow was flying in every direction.
I walked to a quieter part of the street, lay down in the snow, and started flailing my arms and legs. After a few seconds, a face appeared above me. "What're ya doing?"
"It's called a snow angel Skitts," I replied with a grin while I struggled to sit up without destroying my creation.
Skittery offered his hand, easily pulled me up and then examined my snow sculpture. "Wonderful madam."
"Why thank you sir," I replied, playfully bowing graciously.
The commotion began to die down as the newsies all headed back inside. We slowly followed, Skitts never dropping my hand after he helped me up. Skittery and I were the last to enter the room. Wet and slightly cold, the others had all situated themselves around the stove and dosed off one by one. The two of us squeezed in as close to the fire as we could. Unfortunately it wasn't close enough. The snow had begun to melt on my clothes and the warmth of movement soon vanished. I was about to get up, but Skittery beat me to it. He returned quickly with two blankets, handed me one and promptly wrapped himself up in the other.
"Night Hope," He whispered, leaning over to kiss my forehead before turning over and slipping into a dream world.
I tried to close my eyes and do the same, but my head had begun to spin with so many happy thoughts that I simply lie awake listening to the fire crackle.