"Everyone up!" yelled a loud voice. Jen sat upright quickly and
rubbed her eyes.
"What da.." she looked over at Race who had been sleeping next to her. He was sitting up very slowly.
"'Moinin' sis," said Race instinctively.
"Moinin' Anthony," said Jen. She kissed her brother on his cheek. Race stood up.
"Can ya please cawl me Race like everyone else?" asked Race, looking at Jen with his dark brown pleading eyes. Jen laughed at him, but then she remembered where she was.
"Oh my gawd!" she said. "I gotta get back ta da Moore's!" Jen pulled on her coat and kissed her brother good bye. "I'll visit Race, I promise!" she called out behind her.
Jen ran out of the lodging house almost colliding with Kloppman. "Sorry," she muttered. She ran as fast as she could to the Moore estate and burst through the door, which caused Rosa to drop the plate she was washing.
"Well, ya finally got back," said Rosa smiling. "Did you find him?"
"Yeah," said Jen. She was out of breath but smiling. "Race is my brudder," Rosa didn't seem surprised.
"I thought he looked like your mother from the second he brought you home yesterday." said Rosa. "You better go change your clothes now before the Moore's realize you just got here."
Smiling, Jen ran into her room and slipped on a clean workdress.
"I think Mrs. Moore wants you to go help out in the garden today," said Rosa from the kitchen. "You might wanna wear pants." Still smiling, Jen replaced the dress with overalls.
"Why in da garden?" asked Jen. "It's still February,"
"She wants you to rake up all of the wet leaves." Jen sighed and walked out of her room.
"So how do I look?" asked Jen.
"Striking!" said Rosa dramatically. "Amazing, wonderful, you illuminate the nights and every dark corner with your beauty!" Jen laughed and put on a hat, tucking her hair underneath it. Rosa laughed and pushed her playfully outside.
"It's gonna get warmer taday," said Jen to nobody.
"Yep," said a voice behind her. Jen whirled around to see Mush standing there. Jen felt her heart jump.
"Hi," she said. "I was just goin' ta woik in da yard."
"Mind if I watch?"
"Der's nothin' ta watch," said Jen. She walked over to the shed and pulled out a rake.
"You," said Mush. This caught Jen off guard.
"Lemme rephrase dat. Der's nothin' interestin' ta watch," said Jen. She started raking the yard.
"Der's you," said Mush. Jen stopped raking and looked at Mush.
"I'm not interestin," said Jen with a forced laugh. Mush smiled at her.
"Yeah you'se are,"
"How?" asked Jen. Mush shrugged.
"I dunno, ya just are,"
"Ya know, ya really shouldn't be out here tawlkin' ta me," said Jen looking away from him. She resumed raking. "Lynn won't be too happy if she sees us tagedder,"
"She's dat bad huh?" asked Mush.
"Unbearable," said Jen. "I don't know how you're goin' ta live wid dat goil for da rest of yer life. I'd kill meself foist," Mush laughed.
"I guess I'm da optimistic kind," Mush said. "Look on da bright side of da marriage," Jen thought a moment.
"What could possibly be bright about marryin' Lynn?" she asked.
"Well, der's um." Mush trailed off. "Like...uh..gosh,"
"See?" Jen laughed. "I'se told you'se dat der won't nuttin' good 'bout marryin' her. Look, it may not be any of me business, but why are you'se marryin' 'er?"
"My parents," Mush said with a shrug.
"Yeah, but look at the life ya could 'ave, bein' a newsie wid all of dose guys. I could be wrong but I'd rather live on a dime a day livin' wid me friends, dan be rich an' live wid Lynn,"
"As I said, I'm da optimistic type," said Mush. There was silence for a few minutes.
"Da guys at da lodgin' house seem ta miss ya," Jen said. Mush looked surprised.
"Since when do you'se live der?"
"I don't, me brudder is a newsie, 'member?"
"Aaron!" a high squeaky voice called out. Jen and Mush cringed.
"I guess I have ta go," said Mush. "I'se glad I got ta tawlk wid ya Jen. Will I see you'se at dinnah?"
"Maybe," said Jen. Mush nodded and walked back inside of the Moore estate.
Jen sighed.
"Too bad he's taken," she muttered.
* * * * *
"Ahhhh!" Jen dropped her rake as someone poked her in the sides. She whirled around to see Race, Blink, Jack and Spot behind her.
"Take it easy Jen," said Race.
"Ya scared da shit outta me!" Jen yelled. "What da hell are you'se doin' heah?"
"I came ta see ya," said Race. "Ya left in such a hurry dis moinin' an' all. I brought dese guys along too."
"Hey fellas," said Jen. "Welcome ta my place," Jen gestured to the house. "Actually it's da Moore's place, but I woik heah."
"Gawd, I forgot how big dis place was," said Race.
"You guys hungry?" asked Jen. "Come on in, I'll have Rosa fix ya some lunch." Jen led them to the back door of the Moore house. "Rosa?"
"Yes?" Rosa walked down the stairs. "Race, how good to see you again,"
"Rosa, dis is Jack, Blink and Spot. Spot's from Brooklyn. Could ya fix us some lunch?" asked Jen.
"Sure, but don't let them be seen by Lynn," said Rosa. "It might take her mind off of Aaron,"
"Who's Aaron?" asked Spot.
"She's engaged ta him."
"And she's how old?" Race asked.
"Fourteen, me age," the newsies seemed shocked. Jen laughed.
"Dey ain't gettin' married for another couple a years!" Jen said. The newsies looked relieved.
"Are sandwiches okay?" asked Rosa from the kitchen.
"Dey're fine," Jen said. She led the boys to a table.
"So, how're ya doin'?" asked Race, referring to their mother's death.
"I'm okay I guess. Tawlkin' ta Mush helps."
"When did you meet Mush?" asked Blink.
"Oh, he.nevahmoind, it's a long story." said Jen.
* * * * *
A few hours later, Jen was more aquainted with each newsie. She knew that they would become fast friends.
"Jen?" a familiar voice called out.
"Oh shit! It's Lynn, you guys gotta leave!" Jen said.
"But I didn't finish my sandwich yet," Blink complained. Jen picked up the remainder of the sandwich and shoved it in his mouth.
"Der," she ushered them to the door. "I'll see you guys latah," she kissed Race on the cheek and slammed the door behind them as Lynn came into the kitchen.
"Who were you talking to?" asked Lynn.
"Meself," said Jen. She walked over to the tables and started cleaning up the mess.
"What were you doing?" asked Lyyn.
"Eatin' lunch,"
"At five different places?" asked Lynn suspiciously.
"Yes!" said Jen. "Do you'se got a problem wid dat?" Lynn shook her head. "What d'ya want?" But as Lynn started babbling, Jen tuned completely out and didn't listen to a word that Lynn said.
* * * * *
A/N: You know what I've just realized...I have absolutely no detail...well, there's nothing I can do about it now...I'm too involved in other stories to fix this story...and that's very sad. Oh well. review!
"What da.." she looked over at Race who had been sleeping next to her. He was sitting up very slowly.
"'Moinin' sis," said Race instinctively.
"Moinin' Anthony," said Jen. She kissed her brother on his cheek. Race stood up.
"Can ya please cawl me Race like everyone else?" asked Race, looking at Jen with his dark brown pleading eyes. Jen laughed at him, but then she remembered where she was.
"Oh my gawd!" she said. "I gotta get back ta da Moore's!" Jen pulled on her coat and kissed her brother good bye. "I'll visit Race, I promise!" she called out behind her.
Jen ran out of the lodging house almost colliding with Kloppman. "Sorry," she muttered. She ran as fast as she could to the Moore estate and burst through the door, which caused Rosa to drop the plate she was washing.
"Well, ya finally got back," said Rosa smiling. "Did you find him?"
"Yeah," said Jen. She was out of breath but smiling. "Race is my brudder," Rosa didn't seem surprised.
"I thought he looked like your mother from the second he brought you home yesterday." said Rosa. "You better go change your clothes now before the Moore's realize you just got here."
Smiling, Jen ran into her room and slipped on a clean workdress.
"I think Mrs. Moore wants you to go help out in the garden today," said Rosa from the kitchen. "You might wanna wear pants." Still smiling, Jen replaced the dress with overalls.
"Why in da garden?" asked Jen. "It's still February,"
"She wants you to rake up all of the wet leaves." Jen sighed and walked out of her room.
"So how do I look?" asked Jen.
"Striking!" said Rosa dramatically. "Amazing, wonderful, you illuminate the nights and every dark corner with your beauty!" Jen laughed and put on a hat, tucking her hair underneath it. Rosa laughed and pushed her playfully outside.
"It's gonna get warmer taday," said Jen to nobody.
"Yep," said a voice behind her. Jen whirled around to see Mush standing there. Jen felt her heart jump.
"Hi," she said. "I was just goin' ta woik in da yard."
"Mind if I watch?"
"Der's nothin' ta watch," said Jen. She walked over to the shed and pulled out a rake.
"You," said Mush. This caught Jen off guard.
"Lemme rephrase dat. Der's nothin' interestin' ta watch," said Jen. She started raking the yard.
"Der's you," said Mush. Jen stopped raking and looked at Mush.
"I'm not interestin," said Jen with a forced laugh. Mush smiled at her.
"Yeah you'se are,"
"How?" asked Jen. Mush shrugged.
"I dunno, ya just are,"
"Ya know, ya really shouldn't be out here tawlkin' ta me," said Jen looking away from him. She resumed raking. "Lynn won't be too happy if she sees us tagedder,"
"She's dat bad huh?" asked Mush.
"Unbearable," said Jen. "I don't know how you're goin' ta live wid dat goil for da rest of yer life. I'd kill meself foist," Mush laughed.
"I guess I'm da optimistic kind," Mush said. "Look on da bright side of da marriage," Jen thought a moment.
"What could possibly be bright about marryin' Lynn?" she asked.
"Well, der's um." Mush trailed off. "Like...uh..gosh,"
"See?" Jen laughed. "I'se told you'se dat der won't nuttin' good 'bout marryin' her. Look, it may not be any of me business, but why are you'se marryin' 'er?"
"My parents," Mush said with a shrug.
"Yeah, but look at the life ya could 'ave, bein' a newsie wid all of dose guys. I could be wrong but I'd rather live on a dime a day livin' wid me friends, dan be rich an' live wid Lynn,"
"As I said, I'm da optimistic type," said Mush. There was silence for a few minutes.
"Da guys at da lodgin' house seem ta miss ya," Jen said. Mush looked surprised.
"Since when do you'se live der?"
"I don't, me brudder is a newsie, 'member?"
"Aaron!" a high squeaky voice called out. Jen and Mush cringed.
"I guess I have ta go," said Mush. "I'se glad I got ta tawlk wid ya Jen. Will I see you'se at dinnah?"
"Maybe," said Jen. Mush nodded and walked back inside of the Moore estate.
Jen sighed.
"Too bad he's taken," she muttered.
* * * * *
"Ahhhh!" Jen dropped her rake as someone poked her in the sides. She whirled around to see Race, Blink, Jack and Spot behind her.
"Take it easy Jen," said Race.
"Ya scared da shit outta me!" Jen yelled. "What da hell are you'se doin' heah?"
"I came ta see ya," said Race. "Ya left in such a hurry dis moinin' an' all. I brought dese guys along too."
"Hey fellas," said Jen. "Welcome ta my place," Jen gestured to the house. "Actually it's da Moore's place, but I woik heah."
"Gawd, I forgot how big dis place was," said Race.
"You guys hungry?" asked Jen. "Come on in, I'll have Rosa fix ya some lunch." Jen led them to the back door of the Moore house. "Rosa?"
"Yes?" Rosa walked down the stairs. "Race, how good to see you again,"
"Rosa, dis is Jack, Blink and Spot. Spot's from Brooklyn. Could ya fix us some lunch?" asked Jen.
"Sure, but don't let them be seen by Lynn," said Rosa. "It might take her mind off of Aaron,"
"Who's Aaron?" asked Spot.
"She's engaged ta him."
"And she's how old?" Race asked.
"Fourteen, me age," the newsies seemed shocked. Jen laughed.
"Dey ain't gettin' married for another couple a years!" Jen said. The newsies looked relieved.
"Are sandwiches okay?" asked Rosa from the kitchen.
"Dey're fine," Jen said. She led the boys to a table.
"So, how're ya doin'?" asked Race, referring to their mother's death.
"I'm okay I guess. Tawlkin' ta Mush helps."
"When did you meet Mush?" asked Blink.
"Oh, he.nevahmoind, it's a long story." said Jen.
* * * * *
A few hours later, Jen was more aquainted with each newsie. She knew that they would become fast friends.
"Jen?" a familiar voice called out.
"Oh shit! It's Lynn, you guys gotta leave!" Jen said.
"But I didn't finish my sandwich yet," Blink complained. Jen picked up the remainder of the sandwich and shoved it in his mouth.
"Der," she ushered them to the door. "I'll see you guys latah," she kissed Race on the cheek and slammed the door behind them as Lynn came into the kitchen.
"Who were you talking to?" asked Lynn.
"Meself," said Jen. She walked over to the tables and started cleaning up the mess.
"What were you doing?" asked Lyyn.
"Eatin' lunch,"
"At five different places?" asked Lynn suspiciously.
"Yes!" said Jen. "Do you'se got a problem wid dat?" Lynn shook her head. "What d'ya want?" But as Lynn started babbling, Jen tuned completely out and didn't listen to a word that Lynn said.
* * * * *
A/N: You know what I've just realized...I have absolutely no detail...well, there's nothing I can do about it now...I'm too involved in other stories to fix this story...and that's very sad. Oh well. review!