Everything You Want
By: Tinamari E. Coleman
Chapter Two: A Familiar Face
Blister sighed and nervously tucked a loose strand of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear. It had been four whole years since she stepped foot in the lodging house, four years since she'd hawked a headline. Hawk.that name sent a chill through her spine. But not a bad one, I kind of good one. It was a nervous chill, and perhaps anxious too. In fact, the one person she missed most from the lodging house was one of the reasons she left in the first place. She shook her head, ridding her mind of memories past. Blister picked her bundle off the steps of the lodging house and headed into the old, brick building.
She came to the lobby, where no one really paid much attention too her. It had been for long years, and she had become an unfamiliar face to the newsies of Brooklyn, most of whom from her time had left the lodging house with the hopes of fulfilling their real hopes and dreams. Blister looked around the room, searching for at least one recognizable face. She saw several boys crowded around the only table in the room, deep in a game of cards. She remembered how she used to do that with her best friend's Penny and Broomstick and the others.
"Excuse me, miss? May I help you?" Said an old voice from behind her. Blister turned around to see an elderly man sitting behind the main desk. "Jacob!?" she said, coming closer. The man shook his head. "Sorry miss, but Jacob passed to years back. I'm his brother, John." Blister nodded sadly. "Oh.well, thanks. Um.I'm Blister McKenzie. I used to be a lodger her a few years back and I was wondering if I could stay here and be a Newsie again."
"McKenzie, eh? You wouldn't happen to be Charlie's sister, would you?" John asked. Blister's face fell solemn and her eyes turned cold. "Yes.but I'd rather not talk about my brother, thanks.It's been hard since the.uh, accident." she said, obviously not wanting to talk. John nodding, understanding. "I remember you, it's been a while since you been around here. Your friends have missed you." He said. Blister smiled meekly, still feeling uncomfortable.
"Well, Blister, you're in luck. We've got ten open bunks, you can have whichever one you want. Just sign your name in the log.there you go. And it's still 3 cents a night, in case you were wondering." John said, smiling pleasantly at her. Blister returned the smile more fully now, and started to head up the stairs. Suddenly, she felt two arms fly around her neck.
"BLISTER!!!!!!" The boy screamed, hugging her tight. Blister turned, a bit startled. Her eyes widened and her smile grew quickly. "300!! Oh my god, it's been forever!" she cried. When she had first been a Newsie here, 300 was like her second older brother. He cared for her and watched over her almost as much as Charlie did. "Where the hell have you been B? We've missed you so much!" 300 said, slipping linking his arm with hers and leading her up the stairs.
When they entered the bunkroom, they were greeted by even more screams as Penny and Broomstick bounded over to Blister, practically knocking her to the floor. "You're back!!! Blister you're back!!!!!" They cried. It was probably one of the most happy times in Blister life. She hadn't seen her friends for four whole years, and know, her best ones were here.
"We heard about the factory strike, Hawk's been keeping up with you the whole four years you've been gone!" Penny said. Blister's heart ached. "He- he has?" Broomstick grinned ear to ear. "You better believe it! He's swooned over you since the moment you left. You two gunna hook up together again now that you're back?" Broomstick said.
Blister shook her head. "No, that part of my life died four years ago. I'm not even planning to remember Hawk. We're history." She defended. Broomstick and Penny shook their heads. Suddenly, 300's face lit up and he smiled strangely. "Turn around, Blister."
Blister looked at him weird, but obeyed as she always did and turned. There, standing in the doorway, was quite a familiar face.
By: Tinamari E. Coleman
Chapter Two: A Familiar Face
Blister sighed and nervously tucked a loose strand of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear. It had been four whole years since she stepped foot in the lodging house, four years since she'd hawked a headline. Hawk.that name sent a chill through her spine. But not a bad one, I kind of good one. It was a nervous chill, and perhaps anxious too. In fact, the one person she missed most from the lodging house was one of the reasons she left in the first place. She shook her head, ridding her mind of memories past. Blister picked her bundle off the steps of the lodging house and headed into the old, brick building.
She came to the lobby, where no one really paid much attention too her. It had been for long years, and she had become an unfamiliar face to the newsies of Brooklyn, most of whom from her time had left the lodging house with the hopes of fulfilling their real hopes and dreams. Blister looked around the room, searching for at least one recognizable face. She saw several boys crowded around the only table in the room, deep in a game of cards. She remembered how she used to do that with her best friend's Penny and Broomstick and the others.
"Excuse me, miss? May I help you?" Said an old voice from behind her. Blister turned around to see an elderly man sitting behind the main desk. "Jacob!?" she said, coming closer. The man shook his head. "Sorry miss, but Jacob passed to years back. I'm his brother, John." Blister nodded sadly. "Oh.well, thanks. Um.I'm Blister McKenzie. I used to be a lodger her a few years back and I was wondering if I could stay here and be a Newsie again."
"McKenzie, eh? You wouldn't happen to be Charlie's sister, would you?" John asked. Blister's face fell solemn and her eyes turned cold. "Yes.but I'd rather not talk about my brother, thanks.It's been hard since the.uh, accident." she said, obviously not wanting to talk. John nodding, understanding. "I remember you, it's been a while since you been around here. Your friends have missed you." He said. Blister smiled meekly, still feeling uncomfortable.
"Well, Blister, you're in luck. We've got ten open bunks, you can have whichever one you want. Just sign your name in the log.there you go. And it's still 3 cents a night, in case you were wondering." John said, smiling pleasantly at her. Blister returned the smile more fully now, and started to head up the stairs. Suddenly, she felt two arms fly around her neck.
"BLISTER!!!!!!" The boy screamed, hugging her tight. Blister turned, a bit startled. Her eyes widened and her smile grew quickly. "300!! Oh my god, it's been forever!" she cried. When she had first been a Newsie here, 300 was like her second older brother. He cared for her and watched over her almost as much as Charlie did. "Where the hell have you been B? We've missed you so much!" 300 said, slipping linking his arm with hers and leading her up the stairs.
When they entered the bunkroom, they were greeted by even more screams as Penny and Broomstick bounded over to Blister, practically knocking her to the floor. "You're back!!! Blister you're back!!!!!" They cried. It was probably one of the most happy times in Blister life. She hadn't seen her friends for four whole years, and know, her best ones were here.
"We heard about the factory strike, Hawk's been keeping up with you the whole four years you've been gone!" Penny said. Blister's heart ached. "He- he has?" Broomstick grinned ear to ear. "You better believe it! He's swooned over you since the moment you left. You two gunna hook up together again now that you're back?" Broomstick said.
Blister shook her head. "No, that part of my life died four years ago. I'm not even planning to remember Hawk. We're history." She defended. Broomstick and Penny shook their heads. Suddenly, 300's face lit up and he smiled strangely. "Turn around, Blister."
Blister looked at him weird, but obeyed as she always did and turned. There, standing in the doorway, was quite a familiar face.