Ice finished selling her papers by lunch and was on her way to Tibby's when
she heard the voice that she'd come to dread. "Are you'se soire she's in
Manhattan, I mean hoir brudder is in Brooklyn."
The second voice could still send shivers down her back, "Dey got in a fight, she's here all right and she'll pay, den we'll deal wit Conner, right after we finish with Lana." 'Oh no I've got to warn Temper, but how? I'll talk to Fighter.' As soon as the two men passed her hiding spot, she dashed out into the open and went running towards Tibby's, to meet up with the other newsies. She threw the door open drawing the stares of some curious people, she scanned the tables and saw Fighter sitting with two unfamiliar faces but she realized that they lived at the lodging house. Quickly she made her way to their table, "Fightah I'se gotta tawk to you'se."
Fighter looked up at her questioningly and saw Ice's disheveled appearance, "Okay, I'se will be right back boys." She followed to a secluded table and they both sat down, "What's going on?"
"It's dem, dere back I'se gotta warn Tempah?"
"I'se tought you'se two weren't tawkin."
"We aren't dat is where I need you'se, you gotta go visit Brooklyn and tell him."
Fighter raised an eyebrow, but nodded when she saw the look Ice had in her eye, it was something Fighter had never seen in her. Ice was scared and she had a crazed look there too. "Okay, I'se will do it, but when I'se get back you'se have some explainin ta do, like why you'se and Tempah ain't tawkin."
Fighter stood and left Ice alone at the table, but Ice went right into a train of thought and she blocked everything out. Fighter walked back to where she had been sitting with Racetrack and Skittery and grabbed the rest of her papes. Race gave her a questioning look and she smirked and kissed his cheek, "I'se will be back tonight, I'se got some business ta take care of." With that she walked out, leaving some money on the table for her food and started towards the Brooklyn bridge, calling out headlines every now and then.
Once she got to the docks, she quickly scanned the boys standing there searching the familiar face, that was so much like Ice's. Not seeing him, she made her way to the boy who had to be Spot sitting on top of a bunch of crates, like a king. She ignored the whistles she got and just stared straight ahead, once she got to him he hopped down and stared at her. Keeping her game face on she straightened her shoulders and stared Spot down, "I'se lookin for Tempah Riley."
"Oh yeah? Well why would you'se be doin dat?"
"Cuz I'se got a message foir da bummer, now where is?"
"I'se don't like you'se attitude goil, maybe you'se should leave."
Then a tall boy of 6'0 stepped out of the shadows, his gray eyes seeming mystical, and his blonde hair hidden under a black newsie cap. "It's alright Spot, she a friend." Fighter quirked an eyebrow at that, knowing that at one point they had actually been much more. Now though he had a girlfriend and she had Race, who she wouldn't give up for anything in the world. "What are you'se doin here?"
"Dey's back," That's all he needed to understand exactly what she meant. "Ice saw dem but she asked me ta come here since you'se didn't leave on da best of terms."
Temper turned red but Fighter couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or anger, "Yeah I'se know, is she wit you?"
Fighter shrugged, "Was, I'se don't know where she is now."
Temper nodded, "Yeah tanks for da heads up."
"No problem, member I owed you'se sistah one," With that she turned and made her way back towards Manhattan and towards Race. Once she got to the Manhattan Lodging House, she scanned the faces searching for Ice, but came up with nothing. Though she did see Race, so she headed to where he was sitting playing poker. 'That boy is gonna kill himself losin all his money ta da fellas.'
Fighter laughed at the thought of Race actually losing, but then changed her mind and remembered the first night she came and he lost pitifully to her. Of course, he'd said that he'd let her win since she was a girl, but Fighter knew he was just trying to salvage some of his pride. Race looked up and noticed her, motioning for her to come sit with him, so she did. Kissing him quickly before pulling up a seat and sitting right next to him. He looked at his card and then at Fighter's pleading face, quickly coming to the conclusion that poker could wait. He put his cards down, "Fold." Then he took Fighter's hand and led her towards the bunkroom, which then led to the roof. As soon as they got up there, Fighter noticed a lone figure standing with one leg propped up on the edge of the roof, with an elbow laying on it, gently twirling a cigarette.
"Race, wait here, I'll be right back." Race pouted causing Fighter to laugh but she made her way to the person, stopping about five feet behind them, trying to decide whether or not to say anything, but she didn't get a choice in the matter.
"Fighter are you just gonna stand dere or are you gonna tell me how it went wit Spot?"
Fighter laughed, remembering the first time Ice had done that, and how freaked out she'd been. "It went well, your brudder will be watchin his back..he asked about you'se."
Ice turned quickly and squashed the cigarette in between her fingers, "What did you'se say?"
"Dat I'se saw you'se but you'd moved on and I didn't know where you'se was."
"Thanks Fighter, I owe you."
"Yeah you do, so tell me what da hell happened wit Tempah."
Ice looked over Fighter's shoulder and smirked, "I'll tell you'se tomorrow, right now I tink Race is getting a little impatient."
Fighter smiled, "Yeah I'se guess it can wait, but no later den tomorrow Ice."
Ice shrugged, "Yeah I'se won't forget."
"Even if you'se did, I'se wouldn't." Ice climbed down the fire escape and Fighter went back to talking with Race, momentarily letting Ice and all of her problems, drift towards the back of her head.
The second voice could still send shivers down her back, "Dey got in a fight, she's here all right and she'll pay, den we'll deal wit Conner, right after we finish with Lana." 'Oh no I've got to warn Temper, but how? I'll talk to Fighter.' As soon as the two men passed her hiding spot, she dashed out into the open and went running towards Tibby's, to meet up with the other newsies. She threw the door open drawing the stares of some curious people, she scanned the tables and saw Fighter sitting with two unfamiliar faces but she realized that they lived at the lodging house. Quickly she made her way to their table, "Fightah I'se gotta tawk to you'se."
Fighter looked up at her questioningly and saw Ice's disheveled appearance, "Okay, I'se will be right back boys." She followed to a secluded table and they both sat down, "What's going on?"
"It's dem, dere back I'se gotta warn Tempah?"
"I'se tought you'se two weren't tawkin."
"We aren't dat is where I need you'se, you gotta go visit Brooklyn and tell him."
Fighter raised an eyebrow, but nodded when she saw the look Ice had in her eye, it was something Fighter had never seen in her. Ice was scared and she had a crazed look there too. "Okay, I'se will do it, but when I'se get back you'se have some explainin ta do, like why you'se and Tempah ain't tawkin."
Fighter stood and left Ice alone at the table, but Ice went right into a train of thought and she blocked everything out. Fighter walked back to where she had been sitting with Racetrack and Skittery and grabbed the rest of her papes. Race gave her a questioning look and she smirked and kissed his cheek, "I'se will be back tonight, I'se got some business ta take care of." With that she walked out, leaving some money on the table for her food and started towards the Brooklyn bridge, calling out headlines every now and then.
Once she got to the docks, she quickly scanned the boys standing there searching the familiar face, that was so much like Ice's. Not seeing him, she made her way to the boy who had to be Spot sitting on top of a bunch of crates, like a king. She ignored the whistles she got and just stared straight ahead, once she got to him he hopped down and stared at her. Keeping her game face on she straightened her shoulders and stared Spot down, "I'se lookin for Tempah Riley."
"Oh yeah? Well why would you'se be doin dat?"
"Cuz I'se got a message foir da bummer, now where is?"
"I'se don't like you'se attitude goil, maybe you'se should leave."
Then a tall boy of 6'0 stepped out of the shadows, his gray eyes seeming mystical, and his blonde hair hidden under a black newsie cap. "It's alright Spot, she a friend." Fighter quirked an eyebrow at that, knowing that at one point they had actually been much more. Now though he had a girlfriend and she had Race, who she wouldn't give up for anything in the world. "What are you'se doin here?"
"Dey's back," That's all he needed to understand exactly what she meant. "Ice saw dem but she asked me ta come here since you'se didn't leave on da best of terms."
Temper turned red but Fighter couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or anger, "Yeah I'se know, is she wit you?"
Fighter shrugged, "Was, I'se don't know where she is now."
Temper nodded, "Yeah tanks for da heads up."
"No problem, member I owed you'se sistah one," With that she turned and made her way back towards Manhattan and towards Race. Once she got to the Manhattan Lodging House, she scanned the faces searching for Ice, but came up with nothing. Though she did see Race, so she headed to where he was sitting playing poker. 'That boy is gonna kill himself losin all his money ta da fellas.'
Fighter laughed at the thought of Race actually losing, but then changed her mind and remembered the first night she came and he lost pitifully to her. Of course, he'd said that he'd let her win since she was a girl, but Fighter knew he was just trying to salvage some of his pride. Race looked up and noticed her, motioning for her to come sit with him, so she did. Kissing him quickly before pulling up a seat and sitting right next to him. He looked at his card and then at Fighter's pleading face, quickly coming to the conclusion that poker could wait. He put his cards down, "Fold." Then he took Fighter's hand and led her towards the bunkroom, which then led to the roof. As soon as they got up there, Fighter noticed a lone figure standing with one leg propped up on the edge of the roof, with an elbow laying on it, gently twirling a cigarette.
"Race, wait here, I'll be right back." Race pouted causing Fighter to laugh but she made her way to the person, stopping about five feet behind them, trying to decide whether or not to say anything, but she didn't get a choice in the matter.
"Fighter are you just gonna stand dere or are you gonna tell me how it went wit Spot?"
Fighter laughed, remembering the first time Ice had done that, and how freaked out she'd been. "It went well, your brudder will be watchin his back..he asked about you'se."
Ice turned quickly and squashed the cigarette in between her fingers, "What did you'se say?"
"Dat I'se saw you'se but you'd moved on and I didn't know where you'se was."
"Thanks Fighter, I owe you."
"Yeah you do, so tell me what da hell happened wit Tempah."
Ice looked over Fighter's shoulder and smirked, "I'll tell you'se tomorrow, right now I tink Race is getting a little impatient."
Fighter smiled, "Yeah I'se guess it can wait, but no later den tomorrow Ice."
Ice shrugged, "Yeah I'se won't forget."
"Even if you'se did, I'se wouldn't." Ice climbed down the fire escape and Fighter went back to talking with Race, momentarily letting Ice and all of her problems, drift towards the back of her head.