Author's Note: I am so sorry I haven't updated in forever!! L I have had so much work, and to tell ya the truth, haven't really thought about writing much lately. But I am trying to change that! And hopefully I will be able to update more and quicker!! This was going to be a longer chapter with more stuff happening in it, but due to demand I decided to update what I had for now, so I hope you enjoy!
Kaylee and Corky: Sorry!! ^_^ I'll try to be faster about updating! Lol.
Sneak: Thanks for the advice ;-) It's definitely been taken into consideration!!
Blink sank down to the floor in despair. "I dunno if I can go back dere Bottlecap… I don know if I can face him. Specially after I ran away! An I took Lissy away from him too! Who knows what he might do when I see him?" Blink hadn't cried in a long time, and he was determined not to right now, although he was finding it quite hard to do. He just couldn't think of a way that he could face his father again, two years was a long time… and to him, time hadn't healed the wounds his father had inflicted. Blink cleared his mind and tried to relax for a moment. "So how am I supposed to do this? Jus go dere an say 'Hi, haven't seen ya in about two yeahs after I ran away and took ya daughter with me, but now that you've found her can I have her back?'"
"Well who knows? It could work." Bottlecap said, forever being a optimist, even when the situation was hopeless. Blink gave him a look like he was crazy and started laughing. "You and I both know that wouldn work in a million yeahs."
"Never know until you try!" he retorted defensively.
~*~*~*~
It felt like days that the girls had been on the boat huddled together, to them it seemed like the boat couldn't move any slower, about the pace the time also seemed to be moving at that moment. Inky sighed. "How long do you think it takes to get to New York?"
"I don't know." Singah replied. "But it can't be much longer. I think swimming might take us there faster!!"
"You're just impatient. You know it's moving faster than a swimmer!" She laughed. "Although it doesn't seem like such a bad idea right now. I was so excited to go on a boat, but it really did get sorta old fast. Land is looking pretty good right now." They were all silent for a few minutes watching the scenery pass them by. "What do you think New York is like? I've heard all sorts of things, but a lot of them seem unbelievable. I can't wait to figure out which ones are true or not."
"Well I know that it's big, with lots and lots of people. And I heard that there are singers and dancer and performers there." Her eyes widened. "Better than in Philly, better than the whole state! The best in all of the United States. Or at least that's what I've heard, I sure hope it's true!"
"I heard that there's lots of people too, way more than in Philly. Can you imagine hoe many papes we could sell there? We can sell a lot in Philly, but if New York has as may people as I've heard, we can sell tons! It would be easier too. Sell fifty papes at just one corner! That would be the life! They have girl newsies there right? I mean, if Philly has em, then New York has to."
"Yea, once there was a guy newsie from New York who passed through Philly, ya remember that? I got to talk to him. He said that there is a district for girls! The whole district! The Lodging House and everything, can you imagine? Then we wouldn't have to be the only girls in a sea of boys!" Lashes giggled.
Singah smiled. "Yea! Wouldn't that be nice! I have to say though, I'm gonna miss the look of shock on the boys faces when we beat em to the DO. They can be fun sometimes, surprisingly." She sighed. "I wonder if New York is going to be anything like Philly. I want to go to New York, but… I'm gonna missy Philly a lot too."
"Yea." Inky agreed. "Too bad New York and Philly aren't closer." The scenery around them has been gradually changing. For the past few hours it had been nothing more than fields and occasional small towns. Now the little towns were becoming more common, and larger. "Do you think we're getting closer?"
"Probably." Lashes responded, those butterflies that had been in her stomach at the beginning of the trip were starting to come back. She was beginning to have some doubts again, about where she would find her brother and how long it would take her. But then she thought, we wouldn't be on this boat right now if it wasn't meant to happen, and smiled.
~*~*~*~
It had taken Blink a while to collect himself, but once he had, all he wanted to do was go to his old apartment and get Lissy, because anger and revenge was starting to replace fear and despair. Mush was starting to see something in his friend's eyes that he had never seen before, and he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. "Well, bettah now than evah." Blink said with a smirk. With that, Mush decided it wasn't a good thing.
"You think maybe we should uhh… eat, or sleep, or take a break foist? Ya know, take a break?" Calm down maybe, he thought to himself.
"No, I don't." Blink said. "Now's a good a time as any. If I don go now, I might nevah go, and dis is something I need ta do." He headed for the door and looked back at the two boys staring at him. "Well you guys comin or not?"
~*~*~*~
"Next stop we're going to be unloading the New York City mail boys! So get ready to unload!" The captain yelled to his crew. They had to unload the New York City-bound mail in Port Jervis because there was no direct river route to the city itself. From Port Jervis the mail would go west by train to New City, where it would unload and get delivered. It was planned that the girls would be traveling with the mail all the way to New City so that they wouldn't have to walk the countless miles left. They were getting closer to their destination, but still had a bit of a trip left to go. Now it seemed the time was going faster than usual, and Lashes found herself wishing they were going slower again, for the nerves in her stomach were remaining disquieted.
~*~*~*~
It had only taken the boys a matter of minutes to arrive at Blink's old apartment at the pace he was setting. They all stopped at the door of the building panting, Bottlecap and Mush exchanging worried glances. Once they had caught their breath Blink straightened up and opened the door. Walking in he looked back, "So you guys comin or not? No use standin around outside waitin for nothing to happen." Bottlecap and Mush followed Blink's suit and went into the building. Once they reached the stairs Blink stopped. "I think maybe I should go by myself. This is one of those things I have to do alone."
"I dunno if dat is such a wise idea Blink." Said Mush. "Maybe we should go with ya. Don want ya doin anything like letting your anger take ovah your judgment." Subtlety wasn't one of Mush's better traits. Blink's face reddened and his fists clenched. Mush was taken aback, Blink was usually pretty levelheaded and never got mad like this.
"Well it's a little late for the anger now isn't it Mush?" Blink retorted as he turned around and started up the stairs. Mush and Bottlecap exchanged a quick worried look before running after him.