The next week went pretty well. Eric took me out to dinner, selling went well, Matt and I became best friends, and things were going well with dad. Dave had been pretty busy all week getting something together, didn't say what it was though and I didn't think twice about it till Matt came running into Tibby's one afternoon.
All of us newsies were there including Rover and Spot. Spot was eating lunch with my dad, Mr. Higgins, and Mr. Blink. (They were all newsies with my Dad) Eric and I were sitting with Cards, Cyclops, and Rover and we were all swapping headlines when Junior joined our table. JR was Mr. Mush's kid. We all called him JR, or Junior, cause Mr. Higgins said he looked just like his dad when his dad was a newsie. JR was the oldest of us all and had quit being a newsie that year. Mr. Mush had married the daughter of the owner of Tibby's and now owned the joint.
"Hey JR," Rover greeted as he spit shook with JR, "how's it rollin'?
"It's goin' pretty good Rover, Pop's driving me up da wall though," JR shook his head a little smiling. That was something special about JR; he always had a smile on his face. When I was little I had the biggest crush on JR, it nearly broke my heart when I saw his girl…but I was seven years old…I got over it.
"So 'Fingers," Rover said looking over at me. I sat next to Eric whose arm was wrapped around my shoulders. "I hear you'se and Rusty is an official couple now." I grinned and nodded; I had finally gotten past the blushing stage much to my relief. I was about to say something when Matt ran in waving a paper over his head. As he burst into Tibby's he reminded me of a nine year old kid.
"Check it out 'Fingers!" He shouted grinning. He tossed the pape down in front of me and my jaw fell open. On the front page was an article on the newsie strike. There was a huge picture of my dad when he was my age and all of the other newsies. Turns out today was the something or other anniversary of the strike. Matt was practically having a heart attack and was jumping up and down.
"TA, clam down it ain't dat great," Rover said taking a sip of his water.
"Open to page two!" Matt exclaimed excitedly. By now a crowd had formed around me and the paper. I shrugged my shoulders and opened the paper. What I saw gave me more of a shock than the first page had. The headline of the article that took up the entire second page was, Newsies: The Next Generation.
"We'se in da pape!" I shouted excitedly. There we were in all our glory; in the center of the paper was a huge picture of all of us newsies.
"Where's me name? Where's me name?" Rover asked eagerly as he leaned across the table.
"Quit thinkin' bout you'se self," I snapped at Rover, as if he needed an ego boost.
"So what if we'se in da pape? What's so great bout dat huh?" Scat inquired.
"Shut up Scat! You'se been all glum all day," I replied. No need to rain on our parade.
"What's dat matta wid you'se" Cards asked as he smacked Scat upside the head. "When you'se in da papes you'se famous!"
"Dat's right," I mumbled.
"We'se famous!" Cyclops shouted. "We'se all in dere too!"
Several of the newsies got up on tables and began dancing around. This was the biggest thing that had ever happen to any of us. It was even bigger than my Dad coming home. I scanned the article, it told about our life and about our parents. Best article I've ever read if I do say so myself. Mr. Higgins came over with my dad and the others.
"Who wrote da story?" Mr. Higgins asked as he pulled a cigar outta his vest pocket.
"Uhhh…some guy from da Sun. So dis is what Dave's been workin' on." Made sense now, why he wouldn't tell us what he was up too in his office building.
"Who wrote it Kelly?" My dad asked again. His voice had a stern edge to it. I guess he didn't like the fact I didn't answer Mr. Higgins question right off. I sent a glare at my dad then searched the article.
"Same guy who wrote da covea story," I replied. "Ummm…Denton."
"Denton!?" Mr. Blink exclaimed surprised. He dove for the pape but my dad got to it first.
"Yeah, Denton! I didn't know he still worked for the Sun still." I sat there and grinned at Eric; this was better than Christmas!
"Yeah, I'se thought Denton was an old man by now," Mr. Higgins mused to himself.
"Look in the mirror Race, you're an old man yourself," Retorted some man with grey hair from behind Spot.
"Denton!" Mr. Higgins exclaimed a bit nervously. "Uhhh…how you'se doin?"
"Fine…So these are the newsies now? Dave just told me about them and got me to do the story, haven't met them yet."
The rest of the afternoon was spent with all of us 'mini-newsies' meeting Denton and learning things from the 'old newsies'. It was really interesting for awhile but eventually Eric and I go bored and sunk out to do our own things.
We walked down the streets of New York holding hands and people watching. The sun was beginning to set and was casting the city in pink light.
"Eric," I said, breaking the silence. "What are you'se gonna do aftea you'se finish school?"
"I donno," Eric replied shrugging. "Haven't really thought about it. Maybe I'll go out West and work on a ranch or something. I've been talking to your Dad about ranch work and it sounds pretty good. What about you Kelly, what are you gonna do with your life?"
"Neva thought bout it really," I answered. "I'se gonna stay a newsie as long as I'se can. I'se love New York. Neva thought about leavin' it but neva thought about not bein' a newsie either. It's gonna be hard when I grow up."
"Kelly, you have grown up. You've grown up in the past two weeks; you handle things better now and think things through, yeah you're not so…so…young anymore."
I looked over at Eric shocked. Had I really grown up? It was a scary thought. True, I now knew more than I had a few weeks ago I didn't want to grow up yet, I still wanted to be a kid. I gave Eric a smile, the smile that Cards had labeled my lets-go-have-fun-doin'-somthin'-stupid smile. Eric's eyes grew wide and he took a step away from me.
"What? Why are you smiling like that?" He asked nervously.
"Let's go somewhere, like…" I scanned my brain for anything, for something that'd be fun. "Let's go outta New York."
"Like outta New York City?"
I shook my head slowly and my smile grew wider. "Let's go get drunk!" I shouted. "In Boston!" I jumped around and began to rattle off plans.
"Yeah we'se can go ta da train yards and hop a train den we'se can stay dere for a night or two and come back…what'd you'se say?"
"Are you'se crazy?" Eric exclaimed. "Wait, no, don't answer that. Look we can do that; we'll get in so much trouble."
"If we'se get caught. Come on Eric! Look if you'se don't wanna go I'se knows Jed'll go." Eric sent me a glare. Oh yeah, do I know what buttons to push or what?
"Fine I'll go, and I take back all that I said about you being grown up."
"Thank you…you'se scared me dere for a minute. Anyways me Uncle Les lives in Boston so we'se can stay wid him." I gave Eric a hug and kissed him on the cheek. "I'se promise it'll be fun."
"It's not da fun I'm worried about, it's the trouble," Eric mumbled before he smiled at me.
I gave Eric another huge grin and we made plans to meet at the train yards later. This was gonna be great. I loved New York with all my heart, it was my home and I never wanted to leave it, but I still wanted to go to Boston. I ran the entire way back to the lodging house and ran up the stairs to the bunkroom. No one was there so I grabbed my small, white bag and tossed some money and my extra pair of clothes into the bag. I then headed to the door but stopped. Cards voice was floating up the stair way along with another voice. It was my Dad's voice.
Ok…BAD! Not good that Dad was here. He would never let me go to Boston. Slowly I backed away from the door and opened the window and climbed out. I then deftly climbed down the fire-escape and hopped off to the ground. Nothing was standing between me and my free weekend in Boston with Eric.
"And where do you think you're going?" Ok, so there was one thing.
"No wheres." I replied to Matt, who stood in front of me with his arms folded across his chest.
"Yeah right!" He scoffed. "So come on, where are you going?"
"Ta visit me Uncle," I answered as I tried to get past Matt. It didn't work.
"I don't believe you. Come on Kelly! You're like my best friend! Well here in New York you ARE my best friend! So come on, tell me. Where are you going?"
"Boston! Dere, you'se happy?" I answered sighing. Matt's eyes grew wide and a grin spread across his face. It wasn't a happy kind-a grin but a sly one. "Ahhh…so is Rusty going too?" Matt wiggled his eyebrows at me and his grin grew wider.
I rolled my eyes at him and pushed my way past him. "Don't tell Jack aright?" I shouted over my shoulder.
"Why would Jack care? I mean he's like what? One?" Matt asked me and I stopped dead in my tracks. I glared at him.
"Not da baby you bonehead! Me dad!"
"Oh right! Ok well have fun! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Matt shouted after me and I flashed him a smile.
"Oh don't worry, I'se will." Thus began my weekend in Boston.
((AN:// Hey! Ok so here's another chapter…a bit longer than the last one so yey for me! Ok Lizzy, I know I told you about what happens so…ummm yeah please don't put anything I told you in a review…don't want anyone else to know. *grins* Ok so yeah, review please! Hopefully I can add more soon but I'm not promising much. Ok well till next time!! Oh yeah and PS I hope you like the reenactment of the King Of New York thingy…I liked it. Ok yeah BYE!!!))