**
"Crazy stunts? What kinda crazy stunts?" Racetrack asked, a gleam in his
eye. Bottle Cap burst into hysterical laughter at the question.
"Dat's a wondahful question 'Lise..have ya jumped off da Bridge yet?" she asked between giggles. Annalise laughed.
"Nah..dat's me next task" she said, joining in the laughter that came from around her. Bottle Cap stopped laughing and started concentrating on something outside the window.
"Hey 'Lise.idn't dat ya faddah?" she asked after a moment. Annalise whirled around, just in time to see her father entering Tibbys off the street.
"Hide me!" she squealed frantically. Bottle Cap pushed her under the table and motioned for Skitter and Swifty to stretch their legs out under the booth to hide her.
"Blink.get down there and keep her calm.she seems ta trust ya" she hissed. Blink disappeared under the table and found Annalise huddled in the far corner, next to the wall. He reached forward to touch her and found her shaking with fear. Annalise didn't notice when Blink wrapped his arms around her, but she did notice that she gradually stopped shaking and she smiled weakly at him with gratitude.
"I'm looking for my bitch of a daughter." Her father said, walking over to the middle of the group of newsies.
"What she look like?" Skittery asked plainly.
"She's got horrid red hair.a knife wound on her shoulder from getting in my way.she's real ugly and worthless..you know the type" he sneered, walking over to Bottle Cap. "You look kinda like her girly.you'll do" he said, pulling her out of the booth and swinging her against the wall roughly. Before any of the boys could react, Annalise slipped out from under the table and threw herself in front of her friend.
"Oh Annalise.aren't you tired of being the meddling bitch and getting in the way?" her father asked, the sneer ever present on his face. As he advanced towards her, Snipeshooter slipped back in the restaurant and whispered to Blink that the bulls were outside waiting for the older man.
"Nevah..I took a knife fer Danny and I wouldn't hesitate ta take one fer my friend.leave dem outtah dis" Annalise said with what she hoped was a calm voice.
"Now sir.I suggest ya leave" she continued, pointing outside to where the bulls stood waiting. Her father growled in rage and lashed out with his right arm. Annalise spotted the glittering of the switchblade and ducked to the floor. Blink ran after her father as the man sprinted from Tibbys, he and Skittery watched through the door as he ran down the street.
"'Lise.ya alright?" Bottle Cap asked the fallen girl. Annalise nodded, looking up and holding a hand next to her eye. She had ducked, but obviously not quickly enough. "Lemme see 'Lise." Bottle Cap said firmly, trying to convince her to move her hand.
"Nah..it's just anuddah one fer da collection.I'se gonna go back to da lodgin' house and clean up." Annalise replied, standing up and heading out the door. Once she was gone, Bottle Cap burst into a slight laughter. Blink raised an eyebrow at the girl.
"She's always been like dat.you can follow 'er.you'll prolly have more luck" she said, waving Blink out the door. Once Blink had reached the lodging house and had traveled up the stairs, he opened the door to the bunkroom.
"oh Honahable one.you'se in heah?" he called soflty. A snort came from one of the bunks to his right and he walked across the room to find her curled up and still holding her face. "Honahable one? Is dat me new name or somet'ing?" she said, sitting up and allowing him room to slide on the bunk with her.
"Yeah.Honah.Honah's ya new name" Blink said decidedly. "Now let me see ya face"
"Dat's a wondahful question 'Lise..have ya jumped off da Bridge yet?" she asked between giggles. Annalise laughed.
"Nah..dat's me next task" she said, joining in the laughter that came from around her. Bottle Cap stopped laughing and started concentrating on something outside the window.
"Hey 'Lise.idn't dat ya faddah?" she asked after a moment. Annalise whirled around, just in time to see her father entering Tibbys off the street.
"Hide me!" she squealed frantically. Bottle Cap pushed her under the table and motioned for Skitter and Swifty to stretch their legs out under the booth to hide her.
"Blink.get down there and keep her calm.she seems ta trust ya" she hissed. Blink disappeared under the table and found Annalise huddled in the far corner, next to the wall. He reached forward to touch her and found her shaking with fear. Annalise didn't notice when Blink wrapped his arms around her, but she did notice that she gradually stopped shaking and she smiled weakly at him with gratitude.
"I'm looking for my bitch of a daughter." Her father said, walking over to the middle of the group of newsies.
"What she look like?" Skittery asked plainly.
"She's got horrid red hair.a knife wound on her shoulder from getting in my way.she's real ugly and worthless..you know the type" he sneered, walking over to Bottle Cap. "You look kinda like her girly.you'll do" he said, pulling her out of the booth and swinging her against the wall roughly. Before any of the boys could react, Annalise slipped out from under the table and threw herself in front of her friend.
"Oh Annalise.aren't you tired of being the meddling bitch and getting in the way?" her father asked, the sneer ever present on his face. As he advanced towards her, Snipeshooter slipped back in the restaurant and whispered to Blink that the bulls were outside waiting for the older man.
"Nevah..I took a knife fer Danny and I wouldn't hesitate ta take one fer my friend.leave dem outtah dis" Annalise said with what she hoped was a calm voice.
"Now sir.I suggest ya leave" she continued, pointing outside to where the bulls stood waiting. Her father growled in rage and lashed out with his right arm. Annalise spotted the glittering of the switchblade and ducked to the floor. Blink ran after her father as the man sprinted from Tibbys, he and Skittery watched through the door as he ran down the street.
"'Lise.ya alright?" Bottle Cap asked the fallen girl. Annalise nodded, looking up and holding a hand next to her eye. She had ducked, but obviously not quickly enough. "Lemme see 'Lise." Bottle Cap said firmly, trying to convince her to move her hand.
"Nah..it's just anuddah one fer da collection.I'se gonna go back to da lodgin' house and clean up." Annalise replied, standing up and heading out the door. Once she was gone, Bottle Cap burst into a slight laughter. Blink raised an eyebrow at the girl.
"She's always been like dat.you can follow 'er.you'll prolly have more luck" she said, waving Blink out the door. Once Blink had reached the lodging house and had traveled up the stairs, he opened the door to the bunkroom.
"oh Honahable one.you'se in heah?" he called soflty. A snort came from one of the bunks to his right and he walked across the room to find her curled up and still holding her face. "Honahable one? Is dat me new name or somet'ing?" she said, sitting up and allowing him room to slide on the bunk with her.
"Yeah.Honah.Honah's ya new name" Blink said decidedly. "Now let me see ya face"