Chapter 7
"Okay... exactly how much did ya hear?" Mystery asked, trying to figure out exactly where to start explaining things from.
"Just about everythin'. Doesn't mean I understand it though, who's Christian? What gang? An' what's Joirsy got ta do with ya?" Jack asked.
"Hold on let me start at the beginning then..." Mystery said and sighed. She sat down on her bed crossed legged and pulled her arm band out of a box.
"Hey, that's like da ones dat dose two guys were wearin', da ones dat came ta Tibby's," Race exclaimed.
"That's because they are the same," Mystery said simply. "And my name's not really Mystery, and Firefly and I didn't meet on a train and her name isn't Firefly. We both lived in New Jersey and we're members of a gang called "The Liberty" not one of the best choices we ever made... The leader of the group was named Christian, and he's a pretty mean guy as you would expect him to be, the two guys you saw were Chris and Matthew. They were sent by Christian to bring us back to Jersey. Right before we left, our job was to rob this house, a very wealthy family; well we got caught. In exchange for no time in prison, we gave the cops the name and location of the gang. Well Christian found out, and had to move headquarters, which made him really mad and then noticed we weren't there..."
"And he figured out it was you guys," Race finished.
"Right, but by that time we were already on the train and we just stayed there until it stopped here, and then we met you guys. We would have been fine, had we not written a letter to an old friend, and he turned us into Christian, and he and a few members of The Liberty took a trip up here. We had a fight with them today, luckily we won. But eventually we're going to have to figure out what we're going to do. Oh and by the way, my name is Ashlee, and Fire's is Kaitlin," she added.
"Why didn't ya just tell us?" Jack asked. "We could help ya, the newsies are a pretty big group, we could help ya with these guys."
Ashlee shook her head, "Nope this has to be just us, but thanks, we've thought about that before. We know how to fight and take care of ourselves, we were in a gang remember."
"Which explains why ya were so good wid a slingshot," Spot said, coming into the room. "Sorry, I couldn't help but hear da last part, I came ta tell ya dat dose guys are askin' 'round again."
"Heya, Spot," Jack said, holding out his hand for a spitshake.
"Well don't worry, they're idiots anyway, and it's not like they're gonna find us, Kaitlin and I know how to get rid of them," Ashlee said confidently.
"Sure ya don't want any help?" Spot asked, "Brooklyn and Manhattan can be pretty strong tagedda, and I'm sure Harlem would join us, and Cactus an' Reb 'ave some connections ta oddah gangs."
"Maybe..." Ashlee responded. She looked over at the clock.
Kaitlin came running into the room. "Where have you been?" Ashlee asked.
"That doesn't matter, what matters is on my way back to the LH I saw Christian. Not where he stays or anything, I just saw him, he didn't see me. We didn't get into a fight or anything like that, he was just standing there... I wasn't even looking for him!!! I thought I should come back and get ya."
Ashlee winced, and she turned to the Newsies. "We appreciate your help, but really, this isn't your fight. Kaitlin and I need to take care of this ourselves. I don't want to feel responsible if anything happens to you guys. Don't worry, we know how to take care of ourselves."
"But to a degree, it is our fight. Newsies stick togeddah, and you're now Newsies. Anuddah t'ing is dat your our friends, and friend's help each uddah out." Jack responded.
Kaitlin looked at Ashlee, "So you told them everything?"
Ashlee nodded, "They deserved to know."
Kaitlin agreed with Ashlee, "Ashlee's right, we don't want to put you guys in danger. "The Liberty" is a tough gang...the toughest in Jersey actually."
Spot smirked, "Brooklyn moight not be a gang, but we'se da toughest Newsies in New Yawk. Everyone feahs us."
"Would you guys please step outside? Ashlee and I need to talk it over." Kaitlin told them. The boys nodded, and stood in the hallway.
"We do need their help." Ashlee said.
"Yeah, I know it, but I feel bad, because we brought this upon ourselves, and now the Newsies have to pay for it. "The Liberty" is ruthless, and they'll kill anyone who stands in the way of what Christian wants. And plus, Christian doesn't need to bring the Newsies to Jersey to kill them...since they're not in the gang." Kaitlin reminded her friend.
Ashlee agreed, but said, "But, I know Christian...and he'll kill us the first time we set foot in Jersey. The Newsies are our only hope at the moment, and if they're willing to help us out...then we should let them. It is their choice, it's not like we asked them to help us, they volunteered. Plus, with Brooklyn on our side, we have a good chance of winning. And another thing, if we can defeat the Liberty, then most likely they'll disband...and well...Jersey will be free from that gang."
Kaitlin thought about it for a moment. "I suppose so...But I still feel pretty bad about bringing the Newsies into this, because it's our fault. If we didn't get busted robbing that house..."
Ashlee nodded, "I know. But I, for one am glad to be out of the gang."
Kaitlin grinned for the first time in hours, "Even away from Christian?" She teased.
Ashlee playfully hit her friend on the arm, "Just leave that Christian thing alone, would ya? Geez!" Then Ashlee narrowed her eyes, "But when we fight them, I get Christian, got it?"
Kaitlin raised an eyebrow, "Sure, I guess, but if we ever see Richie again, I get to beat the heck outta him."
Ashlee smiled, "Only if I don't get there first."
Kaitlin smiled back, "Ok, lets tell the guys." She went to open the door, and the 3 Newsies came tumbling into the room, apparently leaning on the door listening to their conversation.
Kaitlin frowned, "When are you going to learn to stop eavesdropping?"
The boys looked sheepish, and Ashlee laughed. "Well since we don't have to explain anything else, I think I'm going to take a little walk." Ashlee said, getting up from the bed.
"Mind if I come with you?" Kaitlin asked. Ashlee shook her head, and they walked out of the Lodging House.
"I feel guilty about bringing the Newsies into this fight." Ashlee admitted to her friend.
Kaitlin nodded. "Me too, but you know there's nothing else we can do."
"I know it." They walked in silence to Central Park, and then sat down on a bench.
"It's been a while since we've seen Christian and the gang. Some of the gang members weren't all that bad, ya know?" Ashlee started.
"Yeah." Kaitlin answered.
"And Christian wasn't all that bad...as long as you didn't oppose him." Ashlee grinned, "And you do have to admit, he was pretty cute."
Kaitlin snorted, "I suppose it depends on who you ask." Ashlee rolled her eyes, and they sat in silence for a while.
"Aw, c'mon. Remember his really cute blue eyes, and his gorgeous blond hair?" Ashlee said, grinning.
Kaitlin rolled her eyes, "I think you're still obsessed with him. All I remember, is how his blue eyes could pierce through anyone and make chills run through your veins, and how bossy he was."
Ashlee shrugged, "Sure, he was bossy, but that's what a leader usually is...takes command. Whoa...why am I defending him? He's the one whose out to kill us."
Kaitlin laughed, "Because you're in loooooooooove."
Ashlee hit her friend, and they sat back in silence, enjoying the peaceful quiet of darkness.
After about an hour, they got up and continued back to the Lodging house, coming in the back entrance so they wouldn't have to talk to anyone.
"Okay... exactly how much did ya hear?" Mystery asked, trying to figure out exactly where to start explaining things from.
"Just about everythin'. Doesn't mean I understand it though, who's Christian? What gang? An' what's Joirsy got ta do with ya?" Jack asked.
"Hold on let me start at the beginning then..." Mystery said and sighed. She sat down on her bed crossed legged and pulled her arm band out of a box.
"Hey, that's like da ones dat dose two guys were wearin', da ones dat came ta Tibby's," Race exclaimed.
"That's because they are the same," Mystery said simply. "And my name's not really Mystery, and Firefly and I didn't meet on a train and her name isn't Firefly. We both lived in New Jersey and we're members of a gang called "The Liberty" not one of the best choices we ever made... The leader of the group was named Christian, and he's a pretty mean guy as you would expect him to be, the two guys you saw were Chris and Matthew. They were sent by Christian to bring us back to Jersey. Right before we left, our job was to rob this house, a very wealthy family; well we got caught. In exchange for no time in prison, we gave the cops the name and location of the gang. Well Christian found out, and had to move headquarters, which made him really mad and then noticed we weren't there..."
"And he figured out it was you guys," Race finished.
"Right, but by that time we were already on the train and we just stayed there until it stopped here, and then we met you guys. We would have been fine, had we not written a letter to an old friend, and he turned us into Christian, and he and a few members of The Liberty took a trip up here. We had a fight with them today, luckily we won. But eventually we're going to have to figure out what we're going to do. Oh and by the way, my name is Ashlee, and Fire's is Kaitlin," she added.
"Why didn't ya just tell us?" Jack asked. "We could help ya, the newsies are a pretty big group, we could help ya with these guys."
Ashlee shook her head, "Nope this has to be just us, but thanks, we've thought about that before. We know how to fight and take care of ourselves, we were in a gang remember."
"Which explains why ya were so good wid a slingshot," Spot said, coming into the room. "Sorry, I couldn't help but hear da last part, I came ta tell ya dat dose guys are askin' 'round again."
"Heya, Spot," Jack said, holding out his hand for a spitshake.
"Well don't worry, they're idiots anyway, and it's not like they're gonna find us, Kaitlin and I know how to get rid of them," Ashlee said confidently.
"Sure ya don't want any help?" Spot asked, "Brooklyn and Manhattan can be pretty strong tagedda, and I'm sure Harlem would join us, and Cactus an' Reb 'ave some connections ta oddah gangs."
"Maybe..." Ashlee responded. She looked over at the clock.
Kaitlin came running into the room. "Where have you been?" Ashlee asked.
"That doesn't matter, what matters is on my way back to the LH I saw Christian. Not where he stays or anything, I just saw him, he didn't see me. We didn't get into a fight or anything like that, he was just standing there... I wasn't even looking for him!!! I thought I should come back and get ya."
Ashlee winced, and she turned to the Newsies. "We appreciate your help, but really, this isn't your fight. Kaitlin and I need to take care of this ourselves. I don't want to feel responsible if anything happens to you guys. Don't worry, we know how to take care of ourselves."
"But to a degree, it is our fight. Newsies stick togeddah, and you're now Newsies. Anuddah t'ing is dat your our friends, and friend's help each uddah out." Jack responded.
Kaitlin looked at Ashlee, "So you told them everything?"
Ashlee nodded, "They deserved to know."
Kaitlin agreed with Ashlee, "Ashlee's right, we don't want to put you guys in danger. "The Liberty" is a tough gang...the toughest in Jersey actually."
Spot smirked, "Brooklyn moight not be a gang, but we'se da toughest Newsies in New Yawk. Everyone feahs us."
"Would you guys please step outside? Ashlee and I need to talk it over." Kaitlin told them. The boys nodded, and stood in the hallway.
"We do need their help." Ashlee said.
"Yeah, I know it, but I feel bad, because we brought this upon ourselves, and now the Newsies have to pay for it. "The Liberty" is ruthless, and they'll kill anyone who stands in the way of what Christian wants. And plus, Christian doesn't need to bring the Newsies to Jersey to kill them...since they're not in the gang." Kaitlin reminded her friend.
Ashlee agreed, but said, "But, I know Christian...and he'll kill us the first time we set foot in Jersey. The Newsies are our only hope at the moment, and if they're willing to help us out...then we should let them. It is their choice, it's not like we asked them to help us, they volunteered. Plus, with Brooklyn on our side, we have a good chance of winning. And another thing, if we can defeat the Liberty, then most likely they'll disband...and well...Jersey will be free from that gang."
Kaitlin thought about it for a moment. "I suppose so...But I still feel pretty bad about bringing the Newsies into this, because it's our fault. If we didn't get busted robbing that house..."
Ashlee nodded, "I know. But I, for one am glad to be out of the gang."
Kaitlin grinned for the first time in hours, "Even away from Christian?" She teased.
Ashlee playfully hit her friend on the arm, "Just leave that Christian thing alone, would ya? Geez!" Then Ashlee narrowed her eyes, "But when we fight them, I get Christian, got it?"
Kaitlin raised an eyebrow, "Sure, I guess, but if we ever see Richie again, I get to beat the heck outta him."
Ashlee smiled, "Only if I don't get there first."
Kaitlin smiled back, "Ok, lets tell the guys." She went to open the door, and the 3 Newsies came tumbling into the room, apparently leaning on the door listening to their conversation.
Kaitlin frowned, "When are you going to learn to stop eavesdropping?"
The boys looked sheepish, and Ashlee laughed. "Well since we don't have to explain anything else, I think I'm going to take a little walk." Ashlee said, getting up from the bed.
"Mind if I come with you?" Kaitlin asked. Ashlee shook her head, and they walked out of the Lodging House.
"I feel guilty about bringing the Newsies into this fight." Ashlee admitted to her friend.
Kaitlin nodded. "Me too, but you know there's nothing else we can do."
"I know it." They walked in silence to Central Park, and then sat down on a bench.
"It's been a while since we've seen Christian and the gang. Some of the gang members weren't all that bad, ya know?" Ashlee started.
"Yeah." Kaitlin answered.
"And Christian wasn't all that bad...as long as you didn't oppose him." Ashlee grinned, "And you do have to admit, he was pretty cute."
Kaitlin snorted, "I suppose it depends on who you ask." Ashlee rolled her eyes, and they sat in silence for a while.
"Aw, c'mon. Remember his really cute blue eyes, and his gorgeous blond hair?" Ashlee said, grinning.
Kaitlin rolled her eyes, "I think you're still obsessed with him. All I remember, is how his blue eyes could pierce through anyone and make chills run through your veins, and how bossy he was."
Ashlee shrugged, "Sure, he was bossy, but that's what a leader usually is...takes command. Whoa...why am I defending him? He's the one whose out to kill us."
Kaitlin laughed, "Because you're in loooooooooove."
Ashlee hit her friend, and they sat back in silence, enjoying the peaceful quiet of darkness.
After about an hour, they got up and continued back to the Lodging house, coming in the back entrance so they wouldn't have to talk to anyone.