"You girls read yet?" Bottlecap yelled at the door to the girls bunkroom.
"We're coming!! Jeez, patience is a virtue!" Singah yelled back. She had just heard that saying the day before, and was using it every chance she got. Lashes giggled. This was her second day, and it was starting much better than her first had.
"Come on Singah! You're ready! We have made him wait long enough."
Singah, who had just been sitting on her bed for about the last two times Bottlecap had asked, laughed. "Ok! Fine."
They both got up and walked down the stairs and into the sitting room, where Bottlecap was slumped over a chair, waiting for them. Hearing their footfalls coming down the stairs, he looked up.
"Finally! How long does it take you two to get ready! I know girls are slow in the getting ready department, but really!"
Singah and Lashes giggled. Rolling his eyes, he added, "We have to head down to the DO, most of the newsies have already left."
"Well, we're ready to go!" Singah piped up. And ran out the door, with Bottlecap and Lashes coming quickly behind.
~*~*~*~
About five minutes later, Hayden had the water in sight. One more minute and he was at the docks. Seeing a ticket booth for the ferry, he walked over to it.
"Hello young man, and how can I be of service to you?" A thin, lean man with sea-washed clothes asked.
Hayden was a little surprised; he had never been addressed so nicely. After all, he was just a poor boy working as a newsie. "Umm, I was just wondering how much it would be for a ticket up the river to Norristown."
"The only boats that go up river are for cargo. Transportation for supply, not people." The man replied. At seeing the disappointed look on Hayden's face, he added. "But, there can always be some…exceptions."
"Really?" Hayden's face lit up. Maybe it will work out after all, he thought.
"Well, there is usually some extra room along with the cargo. I'll see what I can do. Just sit here and watch the booth, while I go and try to pull a few strings." He said, winking.
Hayden watched him walk away.
~*~*~*~
"Strange death of hundreds in the harbor!!" Lashes shouted over the noise of the crowd. It was still her first day of training and she was almost done.
"What did you get that from?" Bottlecap asked, watching her sell three papers from the 'improved' headline, confused but impressed at the same time.
"Ahh, few fish found dead on shore. Didn't say they were people now did I?" She giggled.
"Geez, you are a natural born newsie! I don't think I need to train you all that much."
"Well, I have watched you and…" she paused. "And Hayden."
Out of the blue someone ran into Lashes, making her fall backwards and drop her few remaining papers. "Hey!" She yelled, struggling to get up. Once she did she saw a girl looking about her age with dark hair and eyes looking at her with a frightened face. The girl turned around and started running again, this time with Lashes in tow.
"Lashes!! Where are you going?" Singah yelled after her. Looking the other way, she saw someone coming towards them running after Lashes and the other girl. It was one of the bulls. Bottlecap saw it too, and promptly put his way innocently in the bull's path. As planned, he ran straight into Bottlecap making them both fall to the floor.
"Out of my way kid!" The bull shouted standing up. But too late, the girls were all ready out of sight. "Damn! Watch where you're going next time!"
"Sorry sir, I will." Bottlecap said innocently, backing away as the bull turned and left.
Singah was just watching the whole thing with her mouth hanging half way open. "I can believe you did that to a bull! Are you crazy!"
"Nope, just good."
"Right." She said, rolling her eyes.
"They're coming back." Bottlecap said, on tiptoes looking over the crowds. About a minute later, Lashes was standing in front of them with the dark-haired girl by her side.
"So," said Bottlecap. "What was that all about?"
The dark haired looked at her shoes. "Well, I sorta, umm…"
"Sorta what?"
"Stole some food. It's not like it's that bad! I have to. I have no other food to eat."
"Why not?"
"I kinda ran away…"
"Why?"
The girl gave him one of those I'm-not-gonna-tell-you-so-you-might-as-well-save-your-breath looks.
"Hey uh, Bottlecap?" Lashes said fidgety "Can I talk to you?"
"Yea, of course."
She grabbed him and yanked him down, whispering in his ear. "Well, she doesn't have a home, and we have lots of room in the lodging house, and she is just around Singah's and mine age! Getting where I am going with this?"
"Yea, I get it." He said straightening up. "So kid, you need a place to stay? You will have a roof over your head and food on the table, but you gotta work for it."
"Yea!" She hesitated. "But where is this place? What do I have to do?"
"Be a newsie."
"A newsie?" she repeated, a little surprised.
"Yep!" Singah piped up. "It's great, we have a room all to ourselves, and selling isn't too hard."
"Well I guess so, I have no where else to go."
"Alright then, we should be getting back anyways. So lets go." Bottlecap said starting to the direction of the lodging house, with one more newsie in tow than there was that morning.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry sorry sorry sorry, I haven't updated in such a long time! But I hope that this will keep you guys over for a little bit, and I really will try harder to write more and update sooner! So please hit the little button and review!!