Thanks to everyone who reviewed!!! I love y'all! Woah, southern moment.
I've been having those a lot ever since I came back from Alabama.
"Snoddy! Specs! Skittery! Wake up!" Kloppman made his way through the boys boarding room and whacked Skittery's feet. "Carryin da bannah!" He looked around, once he was satisfied that all the boys were slowly making their way out of bed he crossed the hall. "Carryin da bannah goils!" He said, flicking the light switch a couple of times. Stress groaned and rolled over, opening her yellow-green eyes.
"What time is it?" She muttered, her words sounding hoarse and warped with the earliness of the morning.
"5'o'clock on this lovely Wednesday morning." True said.
"How can you be so cheery?" Scale asked, looking at the smiling True who was pulling on her black suspenders.
"Ya just get used to it. In a couple of days, you'll probably be up, just like me."
"I doubt it." Stress said, closing her eyes again.
"How are the new goils doing?" Jack asked, popping his head into the room. Scale threw a pillow at him. "Ah, c'mon. If ya goin to be a Newsie, ya gotta start acting like one." He nodded at True. "Get those lazy carcasses out of bed." She grinned and went to the washroom. A moment later she appeared at the head of Stress' bed, poised over the girl's head with a cup of water.
"You wouldn't dare." Stress said, glancing up before snuggling deeper under the covers.
"Oh, yes I would." True said, dumping the glass on the somewhat sleeping Stress.
"What the..?" Stress yelped jumping out of bed. She pushed her wet hair out of her eyes and glared at True.
"It got ya awake, didn't it?" True asked, calmly. "Now ya better hurry, five minutes til we leave." Stress glared once more at her and then stormed into the washroom.
"It's a fine life, carryin da bannah trough it all." Mush was singing softly as he waited outside the girls' room for Mischief. "Hey!" He said, smiling as she came out.
"Hey you, we're going to have a new selling partner today..Riot. We need to teach her the tricks o' the trade around 'ere." Mischief said. Mush's smiling face fell. "Don't look so glum, else you'll turn into Skittery."
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"See, the key to being a Newsie is improvin da truth." Jack Kelly said, hoisting his papers above his right shoulder. "If ya can't do that, then you won't be very good. Maybe a couple o' old broads'll pity you and buy a pape."
"So ya mean lyin?" Decker asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Lyin. Lyin is such a harsh word, dat's why we use improvin da truth. Sides, it nothin that the men up dere don't do." Jack said.
"I see." Decker said skeptically. "Well, I'se not too bad at lyin..improvin da truth."
"Hmm..ya know what you'se gonna be my sellin partnah for today." Jack said. "Dat okay wit ya Davey?"
"Yeah..I was gonna sell wit Stress anyways." David said, putting an arm around the brunette girl next to him.
"Good. Now listen up, I'se want all of you oldies here to pair up with a newbie and show 'em the ropes." Jack ordered.
"Me and Mischief got Riot." Mush called out. Jack looked around at everyone else. "Decker, Stress, and Riot are all accounted for..what about the rest of you'se?"
"I'll take Keys." Blink said, speaking up from where he was talking with the boy.
"Me an'Dutchy'll take Alley." Specs said.
"Good. Now we'll see ya at Tibby's latah." Jack said, leaving with Decker and Les in tow.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Here, see this article. Read da headline." David said to Stress as they walked along the street.
"Mayor signs declaration that Central Park is to be preserved." Stress read slowly.
"That ain't very interesting, so ya want to try an' make it bettah." David said. "Try it." Stress smiled and thought for a moment.
"Mayor declares that Central Park is to be sold to the French!" Stress called out, getting three people to buy a paper from her.
"Not too shabby." David said, smiling admirably at her. Stress blushed, surprising herself.
"Ok, try the story on page 4." He said, handing another paper to her.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Ahh!" Riot screamed, stamping her foot. "I can't do this! Why don't people buy papers from me?" Mischief and Mush looked at each other.
"Well..sometimes the whole improvin da truth deal isn't for dem." Mush said.
"Yeah, ya just have to find your own approach." Mischief added, nodding at what Mush said.
"What? I can't find my own approach!" Riot protested. "I think it has to do with my horrible made-up headlines."
"Here, we'll help ya think o'some good ones." Mischief offered. "Turn to page 6."
"Fire happens in apartment building, casualty one cat." Riot read.
"Ok, well that ain't very interesting is it?" Mush said. "Try to think of ways to improve it, lots o' times people buy papes if it mentions da mayor."
"Umm.fire happens, mayor condemns the building?" Riot suggested. Mush and Mischief looked at each other.
"Try again." Mush said.
"I got one! Fire at Mayor's Mansion, Mayor in critical condition!" Riot exclaimed.
"Good, try it!" Mischief exclaimed. Riot yelled out and within a few seconds, had 6 papers sold.
"Got the jist of it?" Mush asked.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Kings strike again! Robbed the White House of all its jewels!" Keys yelled out. "There goes all of my papes."
"Damn boy, you'se a natural at this." Blink said. Keys smiled.
"Tanks. Now what do ya want to do?" Keys asked.
"How 'bout I show ya all the places around Manhattan? We can pick up a few ladies, while we'se at it." Blink suggested, winking.
"Fine wit me." Keys said. "I need some women anyways."
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"So what do you guys do for fun around here?" Alley asked.
"Well, we'se go to Medda's, loiter around da city, occasionally some of us 'ill go to Brooklyn." Specs said.
"Fun." Alley said.
"You'se have to get used to it." Dutchy said defensively.
"Wanna show me some of it?" Alley asked. Dutchy and Specs shrugged.
"Sure."
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"How'd you'se get along?" Jack asked the five newbies.
"Great." Riot said sarcastically. "After I finally learned how ta improve da truth, I did fine." She explained.
"They all did great." Mush said, the others agreeing with him.
"Good. By the way, I talked to Jay and he says Spot wants us to come ta Brooklyn for a visit in a couple days. Seems like these five intrigued him." Jack said.
"Finally a visit! I haven't seen Spot in forevah." True exclaimed winking at her angry brother.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Someone help me! Please help me!" A girl with long, somewhat red hair, exclaimed, running into the restaurant, Charley's. Spot pointed at the girl and smirked.
"What do ya want?" He asked.
"Someone's trying to rape my friend in an alley down a ways from me." She gasped.
"Well, it's your lucky day. Spot's here to save her." He said. "Show me where she be." She ran out of the restaurant.
"Here they come." The girl said. She screamed. "Help me! Help me, someone please!" She cried out. "Ok, they're getting close now, turn around and look at them, then hit me and run away." The raper turned and looked then hit her, causing her to crumple to the ground and took off. "Thanks Sullivan." She said.
"Anytime." Sullivan said, disappearing into the shadows. The girl who had come to Spot flew to her friend's side.
"Is she okay?" The girl asked.
"I think she will be, she'll be a bit shaken up. And she's gonna have a nasty shinah." Spot said. The girl on the ground moaned and opened her eyes.
"Is he gone?" She asked.
"Yeah, he ran away when he saw us coming." Spot said, helping the two girls to their feet. "Put your one arm around her to help her walk. Her leg is beaten up pretty bad. We're going to take her back to the restaurant. What are your names?"
"I'm Natasha, but most people call me Dragonfly, on account of this." She said, moving her shoulder a bit to reveal a dragonfly shaped tattoo.
"I'm Icy. Icy Harlem. Nothing else." The girl said, looking up into Spot's eyes. He saw why she was called Icy. Her eyes were a piercing blue and gray. They looked like little icicles suspended in motion.
"Snoddy! Specs! Skittery! Wake up!" Kloppman made his way through the boys boarding room and whacked Skittery's feet. "Carryin da bannah!" He looked around, once he was satisfied that all the boys were slowly making their way out of bed he crossed the hall. "Carryin da bannah goils!" He said, flicking the light switch a couple of times. Stress groaned and rolled over, opening her yellow-green eyes.
"What time is it?" She muttered, her words sounding hoarse and warped with the earliness of the morning.
"5'o'clock on this lovely Wednesday morning." True said.
"How can you be so cheery?" Scale asked, looking at the smiling True who was pulling on her black suspenders.
"Ya just get used to it. In a couple of days, you'll probably be up, just like me."
"I doubt it." Stress said, closing her eyes again.
"How are the new goils doing?" Jack asked, popping his head into the room. Scale threw a pillow at him. "Ah, c'mon. If ya goin to be a Newsie, ya gotta start acting like one." He nodded at True. "Get those lazy carcasses out of bed." She grinned and went to the washroom. A moment later she appeared at the head of Stress' bed, poised over the girl's head with a cup of water.
"You wouldn't dare." Stress said, glancing up before snuggling deeper under the covers.
"Oh, yes I would." True said, dumping the glass on the somewhat sleeping Stress.
"What the..?" Stress yelped jumping out of bed. She pushed her wet hair out of her eyes and glared at True.
"It got ya awake, didn't it?" True asked, calmly. "Now ya better hurry, five minutes til we leave." Stress glared once more at her and then stormed into the washroom.
"It's a fine life, carryin da bannah trough it all." Mush was singing softly as he waited outside the girls' room for Mischief. "Hey!" He said, smiling as she came out.
"Hey you, we're going to have a new selling partner today..Riot. We need to teach her the tricks o' the trade around 'ere." Mischief said. Mush's smiling face fell. "Don't look so glum, else you'll turn into Skittery."
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"See, the key to being a Newsie is improvin da truth." Jack Kelly said, hoisting his papers above his right shoulder. "If ya can't do that, then you won't be very good. Maybe a couple o' old broads'll pity you and buy a pape."
"So ya mean lyin?" Decker asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Lyin. Lyin is such a harsh word, dat's why we use improvin da truth. Sides, it nothin that the men up dere don't do." Jack said.
"I see." Decker said skeptically. "Well, I'se not too bad at lyin..improvin da truth."
"Hmm..ya know what you'se gonna be my sellin partnah for today." Jack said. "Dat okay wit ya Davey?"
"Yeah..I was gonna sell wit Stress anyways." David said, putting an arm around the brunette girl next to him.
"Good. Now listen up, I'se want all of you oldies here to pair up with a newbie and show 'em the ropes." Jack ordered.
"Me and Mischief got Riot." Mush called out. Jack looked around at everyone else. "Decker, Stress, and Riot are all accounted for..what about the rest of you'se?"
"I'll take Keys." Blink said, speaking up from where he was talking with the boy.
"Me an'Dutchy'll take Alley." Specs said.
"Good. Now we'll see ya at Tibby's latah." Jack said, leaving with Decker and Les in tow.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Here, see this article. Read da headline." David said to Stress as they walked along the street.
"Mayor signs declaration that Central Park is to be preserved." Stress read slowly.
"That ain't very interesting, so ya want to try an' make it bettah." David said. "Try it." Stress smiled and thought for a moment.
"Mayor declares that Central Park is to be sold to the French!" Stress called out, getting three people to buy a paper from her.
"Not too shabby." David said, smiling admirably at her. Stress blushed, surprising herself.
"Ok, try the story on page 4." He said, handing another paper to her.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Ahh!" Riot screamed, stamping her foot. "I can't do this! Why don't people buy papers from me?" Mischief and Mush looked at each other.
"Well..sometimes the whole improvin da truth deal isn't for dem." Mush said.
"Yeah, ya just have to find your own approach." Mischief added, nodding at what Mush said.
"What? I can't find my own approach!" Riot protested. "I think it has to do with my horrible made-up headlines."
"Here, we'll help ya think o'some good ones." Mischief offered. "Turn to page 6."
"Fire happens in apartment building, casualty one cat." Riot read.
"Ok, well that ain't very interesting is it?" Mush said. "Try to think of ways to improve it, lots o' times people buy papes if it mentions da mayor."
"Umm.fire happens, mayor condemns the building?" Riot suggested. Mush and Mischief looked at each other.
"Try again." Mush said.
"I got one! Fire at Mayor's Mansion, Mayor in critical condition!" Riot exclaimed.
"Good, try it!" Mischief exclaimed. Riot yelled out and within a few seconds, had 6 papers sold.
"Got the jist of it?" Mush asked.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Kings strike again! Robbed the White House of all its jewels!" Keys yelled out. "There goes all of my papes."
"Damn boy, you'se a natural at this." Blink said. Keys smiled.
"Tanks. Now what do ya want to do?" Keys asked.
"How 'bout I show ya all the places around Manhattan? We can pick up a few ladies, while we'se at it." Blink suggested, winking.
"Fine wit me." Keys said. "I need some women anyways."
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"So what do you guys do for fun around here?" Alley asked.
"Well, we'se go to Medda's, loiter around da city, occasionally some of us 'ill go to Brooklyn." Specs said.
"Fun." Alley said.
"You'se have to get used to it." Dutchy said defensively.
"Wanna show me some of it?" Alley asked. Dutchy and Specs shrugged.
"Sure."
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"How'd you'se get along?" Jack asked the five newbies.
"Great." Riot said sarcastically. "After I finally learned how ta improve da truth, I did fine." She explained.
"They all did great." Mush said, the others agreeing with him.
"Good. By the way, I talked to Jay and he says Spot wants us to come ta Brooklyn for a visit in a couple days. Seems like these five intrigued him." Jack said.
"Finally a visit! I haven't seen Spot in forevah." True exclaimed winking at her angry brother.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Someone help me! Please help me!" A girl with long, somewhat red hair, exclaimed, running into the restaurant, Charley's. Spot pointed at the girl and smirked.
"What do ya want?" He asked.
"Someone's trying to rape my friend in an alley down a ways from me." She gasped.
"Well, it's your lucky day. Spot's here to save her." He said. "Show me where she be." She ran out of the restaurant.
"Here they come." The girl said. She screamed. "Help me! Help me, someone please!" She cried out. "Ok, they're getting close now, turn around and look at them, then hit me and run away." The raper turned and looked then hit her, causing her to crumple to the ground and took off. "Thanks Sullivan." She said.
"Anytime." Sullivan said, disappearing into the shadows. The girl who had come to Spot flew to her friend's side.
"Is she okay?" The girl asked.
"I think she will be, she'll be a bit shaken up. And she's gonna have a nasty shinah." Spot said. The girl on the ground moaned and opened her eyes.
"Is he gone?" She asked.
"Yeah, he ran away when he saw us coming." Spot said, helping the two girls to their feet. "Put your one arm around her to help her walk. Her leg is beaten up pretty bad. We're going to take her back to the restaurant. What are your names?"
"I'm Natasha, but most people call me Dragonfly, on account of this." She said, moving her shoulder a bit to reveal a dragonfly shaped tattoo.
"I'm Icy. Icy Harlem. Nothing else." The girl said, looking up into Spot's eyes. He saw why she was called Icy. Her eyes were a piercing blue and gray. They looked like little icicles suspended in motion.