Stryker made her way through the streets of the city selling her papers.
By late afternoon she had sold out, and headed to Tibby's to get something
to eat.
The bell over the door jingled as she pushed it open. She saw a bunch of the Manhatten newsies, and Spot of course, already there. She saw an empty seat at a table where Jack, Chesapeake, Race, Spot, Stripes, Mush, and Hades were sitting and made her way toward them.
"Heya Strykah." Stripes called out to her friend as she took her seat.
"Howdja sell today, Stryk?" Jack asked, lighting up a cigarette.
"Sold em' all. After all, it ain't da healine it's da newsie, right?" Stryker asked jokingly.
She ordered some food and had a good time chatting with the newsies.
"Well boys...whaddya say we's all head to Brooklyn and go fer a swim?" Spot asked, leaning back in his chair, an arm around Stripes.
After a chorus of yes and alrights, the gang headed for the docks.
Stryker rolled up her pant legs, and splashed her feet around in the water. The late afternoon sun was hot and she soon began to sweat from sitting in the heat. As she began unbuttoning her shirt cat calls errupted from all over the docks.
"Whoo-hoo! Take it off Strykah!" Blink cried just before Chesapeake and Revolution jumped on his back, dunking him underwater.
"Strykah! C'mon! What are ya stopping for?" Jack cried.
"Settle down boys...I'se got me undahshirt on." She slipped out of the plaid flannel and instantly felt better as the breeze hit her bare skin. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and brethed in deeply. Her dreamlike state kept her from hearing the whispers and footsteps behind her until it was too late.
"Agh!" She cried as a bucket of chilly ocean water was dumped over her head. "What da hell!" She screeched, jumping up in time to see Jack running down the docks. Looking down, she noticed that the water had soaked her undershirt, leaving little to the imagination. "I'll soak ya, Cowboy!" She let out a screech and took off after him, her long hair flying out behind her. She could easily run faster and it wasn't long before she had caught up to the culprit. She balled her hand into a fist that quickly connected with Jack's eye.
"Ahhh...easy goil!" Jack yelled as the impact from the blow caused him to stumble backwards. He put a hand over his eye, looking at her through his good eye, it widend when he saw that in her fury she had left her flannel shirt behind.
Stryker noticed his glance, and quickly covering her chest with her arms she turned her head away. "You ain't got no decency, do ya Cowboy?"
He came toward her, holding out a hand. "Please...Strykah I'm sorry..." She smacked his hand away and faced the wall.
"Git away from me ya doity rodden fink!"
"Jist lemme....here." He slipped out of his own wet undershirt and let fall over her head. Stryker tugged it on, covering up what she could. "I'll walk ya back to da docks" He said, placing a protective arm over her shoulder" She bristled at his touch, but softened once she realized that he was trying to help. As they slowly made their way back she began to giggle.
"Whatcha laughin' bout?" Jack asked, still squinting his already bruising eye.
"Jist...." She couldn't control it anymore and her whole body shook with laughter. "Da look on ya face when I threw ya one!"
Jack smiled. "I wish ya woulda seen dis humor before." He said, rubbing his eye.
As they made their way back to the docks, they got some commentary from the newsies who were drying off.
"Ooh...Strykah you and Cowboy gettin' friendly?" Hades asked, nudging Mush in their direction.
"Is love in da air?" Chesapeake put a hand to her heart and sighed deeply.
Stripes just raised her eyebrows and tossed Stryker her shirt. "Heah...I thought you might be needin' dis." She gave her friend an intense look meaning, We'll talk later.
Stryker caught the shirt with one hand and had it on and buttoned before anymore comments concerning the size of her chest could be uttered.
"C'mon goilies...let's head back." Chesapeake said, wringing out a fistful of her thick black hair.
She and Stryker stood chatting with the boys while Stripes cuddled with spot, saying her goodnights.
"Ahem." Stryker cleared her throat. "Ok...that'll do. You'll see eachother soon enough." She grabbed Stripes by the back of the shirt and pulled her away from Spot.
"Hey..." Stripes turned and blew Spot on final kiss before Stryker began dragging her down the street.
Once they reached the boys lodging house everyone stopped to say goodnight.
"Heya Stryk...I'se truly sorry bout before." Jack came up behind her and whispered in her ear. "Wll ya forgive me?" He smiled at her innocently.
Stryker rolled her eyes and pushed his face away. "All's forgiven Cowboy." She smiled back and held a finger up. "But not forgotten....C'mon Chesa, Stripes, let's go!"
"Wait...what about Hades and Rev?" Chesapeake asked, pointing a finger towards two figures embracing in the shadows.
"Oi vey!" Stryker groaned. "She'll catch up...Mush and Itey'll walk 'em back. I ain't waitin'."
The girls continued on to their lodging house. Stryker began the climb up to her bunk when A hand grabbed her suspenders and pulled her back down.
"Don't think you'se getting off so easily, Strykah." Stripes quietly shook a finger in Stryker's face.
"What?" Stryker asked, innocently, her eyes widening. "I'm jist goin' to bed like always."
"Not without givin' me the full scoop first. Now sit." Stripes demmanded, pushing Stryker onto her bunk.
"What happened between you and Cowboy tonight? You two looked pretty cozy when ya walked up all huddled together." Stripes whispered, so as not to disturb the girls who were already in bed.
"Please Stripes. I've known da boy for years." Stryker said simply. "He was keepin' me covered, dats all. My undahshirt don't exactly keep it all hidden when it's soaked da whole a t'rough, ya know." She answered, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.
"You lyin' ta me?" Stripes asked, looking directly into the big pale green eyes, trying to uncover the truth. "I mean, he gave ya da shirt off his own back."
"Nope. It was nuttin'. Now leave me alone I'm tired." And with that, she climbed up to her bunk and left Stripes to wonder in the darkness below her.
Stryker didn't have any dreams for a few weeks. As the years after her arrival in Manhatten passed, they grew few and far between. The dream of her father's death was always the worst. It was so vivid and real. The dream of her brother's death was beginning to fade...something that Stryker was more happy than sad about. She never had dreams about her mother's death, but the memories she'd held close to her were also growing dim.
The bell over the door jingled as she pushed it open. She saw a bunch of the Manhatten newsies, and Spot of course, already there. She saw an empty seat at a table where Jack, Chesapeake, Race, Spot, Stripes, Mush, and Hades were sitting and made her way toward them.
"Heya Strykah." Stripes called out to her friend as she took her seat.
"Howdja sell today, Stryk?" Jack asked, lighting up a cigarette.
"Sold em' all. After all, it ain't da healine it's da newsie, right?" Stryker asked jokingly.
She ordered some food and had a good time chatting with the newsies.
"Well boys...whaddya say we's all head to Brooklyn and go fer a swim?" Spot asked, leaning back in his chair, an arm around Stripes.
After a chorus of yes and alrights, the gang headed for the docks.
Stryker rolled up her pant legs, and splashed her feet around in the water. The late afternoon sun was hot and she soon began to sweat from sitting in the heat. As she began unbuttoning her shirt cat calls errupted from all over the docks.
"Whoo-hoo! Take it off Strykah!" Blink cried just before Chesapeake and Revolution jumped on his back, dunking him underwater.
"Strykah! C'mon! What are ya stopping for?" Jack cried.
"Settle down boys...I'se got me undahshirt on." She slipped out of the plaid flannel and instantly felt better as the breeze hit her bare skin. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and brethed in deeply. Her dreamlike state kept her from hearing the whispers and footsteps behind her until it was too late.
"Agh!" She cried as a bucket of chilly ocean water was dumped over her head. "What da hell!" She screeched, jumping up in time to see Jack running down the docks. Looking down, she noticed that the water had soaked her undershirt, leaving little to the imagination. "I'll soak ya, Cowboy!" She let out a screech and took off after him, her long hair flying out behind her. She could easily run faster and it wasn't long before she had caught up to the culprit. She balled her hand into a fist that quickly connected with Jack's eye.
"Ahhh...easy goil!" Jack yelled as the impact from the blow caused him to stumble backwards. He put a hand over his eye, looking at her through his good eye, it widend when he saw that in her fury she had left her flannel shirt behind.
Stryker noticed his glance, and quickly covering her chest with her arms she turned her head away. "You ain't got no decency, do ya Cowboy?"
He came toward her, holding out a hand. "Please...Strykah I'm sorry..." She smacked his hand away and faced the wall.
"Git away from me ya doity rodden fink!"
"Jist lemme....here." He slipped out of his own wet undershirt and let fall over her head. Stryker tugged it on, covering up what she could. "I'll walk ya back to da docks" He said, placing a protective arm over her shoulder" She bristled at his touch, but softened once she realized that he was trying to help. As they slowly made their way back she began to giggle.
"Whatcha laughin' bout?" Jack asked, still squinting his already bruising eye.
"Jist...." She couldn't control it anymore and her whole body shook with laughter. "Da look on ya face when I threw ya one!"
Jack smiled. "I wish ya woulda seen dis humor before." He said, rubbing his eye.
As they made their way back to the docks, they got some commentary from the newsies who were drying off.
"Ooh...Strykah you and Cowboy gettin' friendly?" Hades asked, nudging Mush in their direction.
"Is love in da air?" Chesapeake put a hand to her heart and sighed deeply.
Stripes just raised her eyebrows and tossed Stryker her shirt. "Heah...I thought you might be needin' dis." She gave her friend an intense look meaning, We'll talk later.
Stryker caught the shirt with one hand and had it on and buttoned before anymore comments concerning the size of her chest could be uttered.
"C'mon goilies...let's head back." Chesapeake said, wringing out a fistful of her thick black hair.
She and Stryker stood chatting with the boys while Stripes cuddled with spot, saying her goodnights.
"Ahem." Stryker cleared her throat. "Ok...that'll do. You'll see eachother soon enough." She grabbed Stripes by the back of the shirt and pulled her away from Spot.
"Hey..." Stripes turned and blew Spot on final kiss before Stryker began dragging her down the street.
Once they reached the boys lodging house everyone stopped to say goodnight.
"Heya Stryk...I'se truly sorry bout before." Jack came up behind her and whispered in her ear. "Wll ya forgive me?" He smiled at her innocently.
Stryker rolled her eyes and pushed his face away. "All's forgiven Cowboy." She smiled back and held a finger up. "But not forgotten....C'mon Chesa, Stripes, let's go!"
"Wait...what about Hades and Rev?" Chesapeake asked, pointing a finger towards two figures embracing in the shadows.
"Oi vey!" Stryker groaned. "She'll catch up...Mush and Itey'll walk 'em back. I ain't waitin'."
The girls continued on to their lodging house. Stryker began the climb up to her bunk when A hand grabbed her suspenders and pulled her back down.
"Don't think you'se getting off so easily, Strykah." Stripes quietly shook a finger in Stryker's face.
"What?" Stryker asked, innocently, her eyes widening. "I'm jist goin' to bed like always."
"Not without givin' me the full scoop first. Now sit." Stripes demmanded, pushing Stryker onto her bunk.
"What happened between you and Cowboy tonight? You two looked pretty cozy when ya walked up all huddled together." Stripes whispered, so as not to disturb the girls who were already in bed.
"Please Stripes. I've known da boy for years." Stryker said simply. "He was keepin' me covered, dats all. My undahshirt don't exactly keep it all hidden when it's soaked da whole a t'rough, ya know." She answered, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.
"You lyin' ta me?" Stripes asked, looking directly into the big pale green eyes, trying to uncover the truth. "I mean, he gave ya da shirt off his own back."
"Nope. It was nuttin'. Now leave me alone I'm tired." And with that, she climbed up to her bunk and left Stripes to wonder in the darkness below her.
Stryker didn't have any dreams for a few weeks. As the years after her arrival in Manhatten passed, they grew few and far between. The dream of her father's death was always the worst. It was so vivid and real. The dream of her brother's death was beginning to fade...something that Stryker was more happy than sad about. She never had dreams about her mother's death, but the memories she'd held close to her were also growing dim.
