"Come on get up. Carry the banner!"
The soundless sleep of the newsies was disturbed by the booming yells of the lodging house owner, Kloppman. His wrinkled face, glasses and stern glare made his seem vile, but the fact was he wouldn't harm a fly. He loved every newsie like a son.
He shook his head disprovingly at the buys still in a deep sleep. His hand slapped a pair of dirty feet that hung over the metal railing of a bed.
"I didn't do it!" the owner of the feet sat up, his short unkempt hair sticking everywhere.
"What do you mean you didn't do it Skittery? When you gotta get up, you gotta get up."
Kloppman left the drowsy boy, shaking his head again, in disaproval.
He continued on his daily rouitne through the small bunk room, waking the snoozing boys. Soon crowds of boys filed into the washroom preparing themselves for another day of selling papers.
"So, whose going to wake the girls up?" Race asked dryly, pulling a comb through his thick hair.
Jack stared at him blankly from his position across the row of sinks, his eyes holding no recollection of the events last night. Race removed the unlit cigar from his mouth, and returned the look.
"You know, the girls from the roof?" He threw his hands in the direction where Blink stood drying his hands. "Blink was all over the blonde one..."
This comment gained Race a back slap to the head.
"I was just being friendly, and you have to admit they are pretty cute."
Race rolled his eyes, and combed down his ruffled hair. Blink always had his mind on some girl.
Jack, finally realizing what Race was talking about, just shrugged. "I don't care who wakes them up. Just let them know as long as they stay here they don't get no special treatment. They get up the same time everyone else does." Jack wiped the remaining shaving cream from his face and left the two friends to discuss it amoung themsleves.
Blink turned towards the shorter boy next to him, a toothy smile replacing his usual smirk. "I guess it's you and me Race."
"You think they're decent?"
Blink stared intensly at the wood door as if some how he could see what was going on behinde it. His shoulders slummped in replie to Race's question. "I don't know. They must be half decent. They had to sleep in their clothes, I didn't give nothing to change into."
Race groaned, and snuck a glance at his pocket watch. "That's the problem, they either slept in there clothes or half naked."
"Well they don't got nothing I ain't seen before." Blink grinned
He elbowed Blink, laughing himself. Lifting a hand he knocked on the door in twov short raps. The two stood in silence while they waited for a response. They never received one. Race's eyes wandered back to his watch. If they didn't leave soon they wouldn't be eatting tonight.
He knocked again, but his actions were again met with silence. He let his head lull back, and a fusturated cry floated to the ceiling. Blink gave his friend a slap on the back before opening the door and walking into the girl's room. Race followed behinde him graitfully.
The room obtaining no windows was completely dark, in exception to the streaks of sunlight flowing threw the opened door. The boys shuffled farther into the room, their eyes never leaving the lumps that lay on the beds. Both girls seemed to be in a deep sleep; Race and Blink didn't have the heart to rouse them.
The room reamined comletely mute while the two stood observing the girls. Race moved to the right bed, breaking the silence with his footsteps. Blink followed his example. He staled at the foot of the bed his brain searching for a name to match the face.
"Nick..." He whispered the name to himself. Deciding that was her name, he grabbed her shoulder and gave her a good shake. Receiving no response he looked over his shoulder, where Blink stood with the other girl. If his memory served him right, her name was Mary.
Mary caught his eyes a discouraging, and annoyed look pouring out of them. She slide an arm around his shoulder. "You want me to wake her up?"
Race grinned at the shy girl, placing a hand around her waist pulling her into a small hug. Blink stood behinde them a hint of jealously sparking in his eyes.
"Naw, you go with Blink and get cleaned up. I think I can handle her."
Mary reluctantly left the room a smirk curling her lips. Race had absolutly no idea what he was getting himself into.
"Hey, wake up! Carry the banner!" Race turned back towadrs her and shook her with more force.
The lump groaned, and threw the blanket to the end of the bed. "What?"
He backed away, barly dodging the flying blanket. Steading himself, his eyes focused on the girl infront of him. He motioned his head upwards thanking god she was fully dressed. His eyes returned to her still body.
"Time to get up. Carry the banner."
Nichole opened her eyes ready to murder the short italian boy nagging her. She grumbled in response. "Whatever the hell that means I ain't doing it."
Race turned towards the empty hallway hoping with all his heart Mary would be standing there to offer her help. An exasperated sigh flowed lighty through his lips as he stared at emptiness. He was going to have to do this the hard way.
Race placed his cigar in his pockect for safty, before climbing on the bed and stradiling Nichole's body. Feeling the weight on her back, Nichole began to squirm, but was not quick enough to move out of Race's grasp. He pinned her wrist to the bed, pausing a few minutes to allow her to awake.
Nichole struggled very little; allowing Race to drag her body to the floor, through the door and down the hallway. She was still too tired to fight with her full strength. She let her head fall to the right, catching a glance at the boy's bunkroom.
She groaned in somewhat of releife as she was dragged only a few more feet, and her hands were dropped. Race's smirking face appeared above her.
"Morning dollface." He laughed lightly and gave her a nudge with his shoe. "Get cleaned up and meet me outside. We got to get going if we want to sell any papes today."
Nichole lied there until the room turned silent again, Race's final footsteps fading into the air. Proping her small body up on her elbows, her droupy eyes searched around the room. A line of sinks, a few stales, must be a bathroom. She pulled her body off the creaky floor heading towords a sink, and muttering to herself.
Nichole walked out of the lodging house ten minutes later as clean as she was going to get with a washcloth and a tub of warm water. Race stood leaning against the stoop puffing a cigar. He turned hearing her light footsteps advancing towards him.
"You ready?"
He snubbed his cigar and looked her over. She still wore the same clothes, but the dirt and mud that once concealed her skin was gone. Pale freckled skin took its place. His eyes began to move to her face, but the necklace that lay against her chest caught his eye. It was a simple chain; a ring hanging at the end of it. A gift from her parents, or perhaps, a gift from a past boyfriend. He thought.
Nichole impaitently snapped her fingers in his face. Race jumped back surprised by the sudden movement.
"Are you going to just stand there and stare at me all day?"
Race ignored the question. Grasping her hand with his he hurried down the street in a sorry attempt to hide his crimson face. Nichole followed behinde him quietly through the buzzing streets of New York. She still wasn't awake enough to to fight him; she was awake enough, though to notice he was advioding eye contact. Did she make him nervouse? She moved the possibility to the back of her head when she felt her hand drop from his.
She stared at the opened gates, and turned to look at him strangly. "What the hell are we doing here?"
"We're buying papes..."
"Why?"
He stared at her incredlously. "To sell. We streetrats need to make a living somehow." He motioned to a few empty crates near the entrance. To her surprise Mary sat there too, along with Blink. "You wait out here. We don't need you getting in anymore trouble with the Dalanceys."
She obeyed Race's instructions and strolled over to Mary and Blink. She received a friendly hello from both. Taking a seat next to Mary, she leaned against her sleeply. Mary giggled at her friend.
"You still tired, Nick?"
A yawn threathning to escape her mouth, Nichole just nodded. "I haven't slept in a real bed for so long I forgot how good it felt. I haven't gotten a full nights sleep in a long time."
Mary rolled her eyes. "Now all shes going to want to do is sleep." She nudged Blink playfully. "You should have made her sleep on the floor."
Laughing, Blink rubbed the spot where Mary hit him. "You better wake yourself up quick. We got a busy day of selling papers ahead of us." He laughed again when Nichole groaned and fell on her back.
"Them damn Dalanceys. If I ever get them alone I'll soak them."
Nichole sat up and observed a empty handed Race. He didn't look happy at all. " I thought you were getting papers?"
"Well I was, but thanks to you they don't got any left."
"Me! How is this my fault?" Nichole jumped to her feet at the accusion.
"If you woke up when you were suppose too, I would have been here in plenty of time. But No!...you gotta be a pain in the ass and not get up, now I ain't gonna be eatting tonight!" Race ignored the growing anger in her eyes and turned to walk away. No one tried to stop him.
Mary watched the scene with fascination. Maybe it was just her, or the fact that she was still dead tired, but she witnessed a change in Nichole's adittude. Her eyes burned with anger, but Mary saw over that to the little spark of compassion Nichole felt for Race. This is something that barly happened. Anyone Nichole didn't trust, she didn't care what they felt. Mary smiled smuggly. Some intresting changes were going to happen in the near future.
Mary gave her a friendly hug. She turned away from Blinks watchful stare and whispered into Nichole's ear. "You may not want to get too friendly with him Nick, you know boys can't be trusted."
Nichole snorted at Mary's arrogation. "What are you talking about friendly? I wasn't being friendly."
"Yea, and I don't want to jump Blink right now."
Mary smirked and walked over to Blink who waited patiently with his papers. Nichole growled and ran after her. "I was not being friendly!"
The soundless sleep of the newsies was disturbed by the booming yells of the lodging house owner, Kloppman. His wrinkled face, glasses and stern glare made his seem vile, but the fact was he wouldn't harm a fly. He loved every newsie like a son.
He shook his head disprovingly at the buys still in a deep sleep. His hand slapped a pair of dirty feet that hung over the metal railing of a bed.
"I didn't do it!" the owner of the feet sat up, his short unkempt hair sticking everywhere.
"What do you mean you didn't do it Skittery? When you gotta get up, you gotta get up."
Kloppman left the drowsy boy, shaking his head again, in disaproval.
He continued on his daily rouitne through the small bunk room, waking the snoozing boys. Soon crowds of boys filed into the washroom preparing themselves for another day of selling papers.
"So, whose going to wake the girls up?" Race asked dryly, pulling a comb through his thick hair.
Jack stared at him blankly from his position across the row of sinks, his eyes holding no recollection of the events last night. Race removed the unlit cigar from his mouth, and returned the look.
"You know, the girls from the roof?" He threw his hands in the direction where Blink stood drying his hands. "Blink was all over the blonde one..."
This comment gained Race a back slap to the head.
"I was just being friendly, and you have to admit they are pretty cute."
Race rolled his eyes, and combed down his ruffled hair. Blink always had his mind on some girl.
Jack, finally realizing what Race was talking about, just shrugged. "I don't care who wakes them up. Just let them know as long as they stay here they don't get no special treatment. They get up the same time everyone else does." Jack wiped the remaining shaving cream from his face and left the two friends to discuss it amoung themsleves.
Blink turned towards the shorter boy next to him, a toothy smile replacing his usual smirk. "I guess it's you and me Race."
"You think they're decent?"
Blink stared intensly at the wood door as if some how he could see what was going on behinde it. His shoulders slummped in replie to Race's question. "I don't know. They must be half decent. They had to sleep in their clothes, I didn't give nothing to change into."
Race groaned, and snuck a glance at his pocket watch. "That's the problem, they either slept in there clothes or half naked."
"Well they don't got nothing I ain't seen before." Blink grinned
He elbowed Blink, laughing himself. Lifting a hand he knocked on the door in twov short raps. The two stood in silence while they waited for a response. They never received one. Race's eyes wandered back to his watch. If they didn't leave soon they wouldn't be eatting tonight.
He knocked again, but his actions were again met with silence. He let his head lull back, and a fusturated cry floated to the ceiling. Blink gave his friend a slap on the back before opening the door and walking into the girl's room. Race followed behinde him graitfully.
The room obtaining no windows was completely dark, in exception to the streaks of sunlight flowing threw the opened door. The boys shuffled farther into the room, their eyes never leaving the lumps that lay on the beds. Both girls seemed to be in a deep sleep; Race and Blink didn't have the heart to rouse them.
The room reamined comletely mute while the two stood observing the girls. Race moved to the right bed, breaking the silence with his footsteps. Blink followed his example. He staled at the foot of the bed his brain searching for a name to match the face.
"Nick..." He whispered the name to himself. Deciding that was her name, he grabbed her shoulder and gave her a good shake. Receiving no response he looked over his shoulder, where Blink stood with the other girl. If his memory served him right, her name was Mary.
Mary caught his eyes a discouraging, and annoyed look pouring out of them. She slide an arm around his shoulder. "You want me to wake her up?"
Race grinned at the shy girl, placing a hand around her waist pulling her into a small hug. Blink stood behinde them a hint of jealously sparking in his eyes.
"Naw, you go with Blink and get cleaned up. I think I can handle her."
Mary reluctantly left the room a smirk curling her lips. Race had absolutly no idea what he was getting himself into.
"Hey, wake up! Carry the banner!" Race turned back towadrs her and shook her with more force.
The lump groaned, and threw the blanket to the end of the bed. "What?"
He backed away, barly dodging the flying blanket. Steading himself, his eyes focused on the girl infront of him. He motioned his head upwards thanking god she was fully dressed. His eyes returned to her still body.
"Time to get up. Carry the banner."
Nichole opened her eyes ready to murder the short italian boy nagging her. She grumbled in response. "Whatever the hell that means I ain't doing it."
Race turned towards the empty hallway hoping with all his heart Mary would be standing there to offer her help. An exasperated sigh flowed lighty through his lips as he stared at emptiness. He was going to have to do this the hard way.
Race placed his cigar in his pockect for safty, before climbing on the bed and stradiling Nichole's body. Feeling the weight on her back, Nichole began to squirm, but was not quick enough to move out of Race's grasp. He pinned her wrist to the bed, pausing a few minutes to allow her to awake.
Nichole struggled very little; allowing Race to drag her body to the floor, through the door and down the hallway. She was still too tired to fight with her full strength. She let her head fall to the right, catching a glance at the boy's bunkroom.
She groaned in somewhat of releife as she was dragged only a few more feet, and her hands were dropped. Race's smirking face appeared above her.
"Morning dollface." He laughed lightly and gave her a nudge with his shoe. "Get cleaned up and meet me outside. We got to get going if we want to sell any papes today."
Nichole lied there until the room turned silent again, Race's final footsteps fading into the air. Proping her small body up on her elbows, her droupy eyes searched around the room. A line of sinks, a few stales, must be a bathroom. She pulled her body off the creaky floor heading towords a sink, and muttering to herself.
Nichole walked out of the lodging house ten minutes later as clean as she was going to get with a washcloth and a tub of warm water. Race stood leaning against the stoop puffing a cigar. He turned hearing her light footsteps advancing towards him.
"You ready?"
He snubbed his cigar and looked her over. She still wore the same clothes, but the dirt and mud that once concealed her skin was gone. Pale freckled skin took its place. His eyes began to move to her face, but the necklace that lay against her chest caught his eye. It was a simple chain; a ring hanging at the end of it. A gift from her parents, or perhaps, a gift from a past boyfriend. He thought.
Nichole impaitently snapped her fingers in his face. Race jumped back surprised by the sudden movement.
"Are you going to just stand there and stare at me all day?"
Race ignored the question. Grasping her hand with his he hurried down the street in a sorry attempt to hide his crimson face. Nichole followed behinde him quietly through the buzzing streets of New York. She still wasn't awake enough to to fight him; she was awake enough, though to notice he was advioding eye contact. Did she make him nervouse? She moved the possibility to the back of her head when she felt her hand drop from his.
She stared at the opened gates, and turned to look at him strangly. "What the hell are we doing here?"
"We're buying papes..."
"Why?"
He stared at her incredlously. "To sell. We streetrats need to make a living somehow." He motioned to a few empty crates near the entrance. To her surprise Mary sat there too, along with Blink. "You wait out here. We don't need you getting in anymore trouble with the Dalanceys."
She obeyed Race's instructions and strolled over to Mary and Blink. She received a friendly hello from both. Taking a seat next to Mary, she leaned against her sleeply. Mary giggled at her friend.
"You still tired, Nick?"
A yawn threathning to escape her mouth, Nichole just nodded. "I haven't slept in a real bed for so long I forgot how good it felt. I haven't gotten a full nights sleep in a long time."
Mary rolled her eyes. "Now all shes going to want to do is sleep." She nudged Blink playfully. "You should have made her sleep on the floor."
Laughing, Blink rubbed the spot where Mary hit him. "You better wake yourself up quick. We got a busy day of selling papers ahead of us." He laughed again when Nichole groaned and fell on her back.
"Them damn Dalanceys. If I ever get them alone I'll soak them."
Nichole sat up and observed a empty handed Race. He didn't look happy at all. " I thought you were getting papers?"
"Well I was, but thanks to you they don't got any left."
"Me! How is this my fault?" Nichole jumped to her feet at the accusion.
"If you woke up when you were suppose too, I would have been here in plenty of time. But No!...you gotta be a pain in the ass and not get up, now I ain't gonna be eatting tonight!" Race ignored the growing anger in her eyes and turned to walk away. No one tried to stop him.
Mary watched the scene with fascination. Maybe it was just her, or the fact that she was still dead tired, but she witnessed a change in Nichole's adittude. Her eyes burned with anger, but Mary saw over that to the little spark of compassion Nichole felt for Race. This is something that barly happened. Anyone Nichole didn't trust, she didn't care what they felt. Mary smiled smuggly. Some intresting changes were going to happen in the near future.
Mary gave her a friendly hug. She turned away from Blinks watchful stare and whispered into Nichole's ear. "You may not want to get too friendly with him Nick, you know boys can't be trusted."
Nichole snorted at Mary's arrogation. "What are you talking about friendly? I wasn't being friendly."
"Yea, and I don't want to jump Blink right now."
Mary smirked and walked over to Blink who waited patiently with his papers. Nichole growled and ran after her. "I was not being friendly!"