The poker game was already in action when Mush got to the lodging house. By
the looks of it, Race was once again winning. As soon as he entered, he was
bombarded with the usual, "Heya Mush" or "How's it goin?." He walked over
to the table set up in the middle of the bunkroom. Mush sat in an empty
chair by Race. On the other side of Race was his girl, Mary, a pretty girl
with red curls. Next to him was Spot who had his girl there too, Hope,
standing beside him. She was shorter than him by a few inches and had long
golden brown hair that was right above her waist. Jack was by himself next
to Spot and Blink and Skittery were also sitting around the table.
"Did she get home okay, Mush?" Race asked. His eyes were full of concern. "She got messed up pretty bad, dinche? (didn't she)"
Mush nodded. "Ya, she's sumptin," he whispered. His eyes were wandering off into space and he kept thinking of her smile.
"Wouldja look at dis fellas!" Jack laughed. "Mush fell for da goil!" Everyone laughed and Mush glared at him.
"Whad about dat odda goil you'se was wit, Mush?" asked Hope, eyeing him suspiciously. Mush shrugged. He didn't really like Topaz, the girl he was with. He just was with her because she asked him to go with her. She wasn't Mush's girl.
"I don't really like her," he said as the game started over and he looked at his pitiful hand. "'Sides, dat Zoe, she sumtin else." Blink laughed at this and Mush swiped his hat and threw it across the room.
"Yea, well dont go messin wit her heart, ya here?" Race said looking at Mush. "She's betta den dat. Dontcha go floitin wit her den drop her in a second? She's been through a lot."
"I ain't gonna do nuttin to hoit her!" Mush said defensively. "Fold." He said after he settled down.
"Aight, aight!" Spot said happily, gathering his money from the center of the table. "Me and mah Nwsies have got ta be off. Gettin late anyways-awwe Hope, dontcha give me dat look!" He smirked at Hope and when she put on her pout, he stood up and kissed her long and sweet on the lips. Smiling, Hope gathered up Mary and said their good-bye's to everyone.
"Cetcha latah, Jacky-boy," Spot said as his Newsies and him left the lodging house. After the Manhattan Newsies cleaned up the poker mess, Race and Blink approached Mush who was brushing his teeth in the washroom.
"So," Blink said as he too, began brushing his teeth. "Didja kiss 'er?" he asked. This earned him a jab in the elbow from Race, but he too, looked interested.
"If ya did," Race said who now began combing his hair, "Dontcha mess wit her heart!! Or her feelings!!" He ducked out of Mush's swing.
"I already toldja boys. I ain't gonna hoit dat goil. I nevah even did anything to her. And who says I'm gonna have a chance wit her anyways? She's prolly taken." Mush finished brushing his teeth and was now laying down on his bed which was on top of Blink's.
"Oh, she aint taken," Race said, unable to keep from smiling. Blink winked at him and started laughing too, just as Kloppman turned out the lights.
Mush couldn't help but grin as he remembered her face, and the feeling he had got when his lips had brushed hers.
***
Zoe quickly slipped in Irving Hall's front doors. Medda wouldn't mind her coming in late, in fact, Medda barely said anything about Zoe's curfew. She couldn't help but smile as she climbed the back stairs up to her room. Ever since she was ten, Zoe would wait anxiously until the end of the week, when she could she Mush. When she could laugh and talk to Race and Blink. She loved them so much, they meant everything to her. And the same with Mush. If only he knew.
It was a chilly night, and Zoe quickly changed into her silk slip. It was the only really nice thing she owned. Before her mother died, she had given Zoe this slip. It used to be her mother's and just now that she was starting to fill out and she became shapely was she able to fit snug into it. As Zoe remembered her mother, silent tears began to pour from her eyes as she remembered that dreadful night.
**Flash Back**
"Go! Zoe quick! Take your baby sister and LEAVE! Hurry! Through the back door! Quick before they reach the kitchen!" Mrs. Concepcion screamed as she handed baby Mary to a frightened little ten year old Zoe.
"But-but Mama! Where do I go? Please don't leave me!" Zoe shrieked through tears as she was handed the baby. She didn't want to have to be on her own. Not now! Not with those awful men! They had just killed her father only moments before, and were now advancing on her mother.
"But, oh Mama!" Zoe screamed as she pointed towards the kitchen door. Five men in black swung the door open and the biggest man held a pistol out in front of him. He advanced on Mrs. Concepcion ever so slowly, perhaps to increase the horror.
"This is for that good for nothing bastard who didn't pay us!" The man cried as he pulled the trigger. Zoe closed her eyes as she heard her mother fall to the ground beside her.
She had to get out. She couldn't stay here with her baby sister Mary in danger with those men! But before she knew it, something hard met the side of her head and she blacked out.
**End of Flash Back**
Zoe cried herself to sleep that night. If only she would have listened to her mother and ran. Maybe she could have saved herself and her sister. But those men thought they killed Zoe, and left her there unconscious, not knowing she was still alive. But why did they have to take away the life of innocent little Mary?? It wasn't fair. She should be dead, not Mary.
Zoe felt so guilty. She tried to shake the memory out of her head, but it was no use. Though she had Medda, and Race and Blink, and hopefully Jack, Spot and Mush, Zoe couldn't help but feel all alone in this awful, awful world.
"Did she get home okay, Mush?" Race asked. His eyes were full of concern. "She got messed up pretty bad, dinche? (didn't she)"
Mush nodded. "Ya, she's sumptin," he whispered. His eyes were wandering off into space and he kept thinking of her smile.
"Wouldja look at dis fellas!" Jack laughed. "Mush fell for da goil!" Everyone laughed and Mush glared at him.
"Whad about dat odda goil you'se was wit, Mush?" asked Hope, eyeing him suspiciously. Mush shrugged. He didn't really like Topaz, the girl he was with. He just was with her because she asked him to go with her. She wasn't Mush's girl.
"I don't really like her," he said as the game started over and he looked at his pitiful hand. "'Sides, dat Zoe, she sumtin else." Blink laughed at this and Mush swiped his hat and threw it across the room.
"Yea, well dont go messin wit her heart, ya here?" Race said looking at Mush. "She's betta den dat. Dontcha go floitin wit her den drop her in a second? She's been through a lot."
"I ain't gonna do nuttin to hoit her!" Mush said defensively. "Fold." He said after he settled down.
"Aight, aight!" Spot said happily, gathering his money from the center of the table. "Me and mah Nwsies have got ta be off. Gettin late anyways-awwe Hope, dontcha give me dat look!" He smirked at Hope and when she put on her pout, he stood up and kissed her long and sweet on the lips. Smiling, Hope gathered up Mary and said their good-bye's to everyone.
"Cetcha latah, Jacky-boy," Spot said as his Newsies and him left the lodging house. After the Manhattan Newsies cleaned up the poker mess, Race and Blink approached Mush who was brushing his teeth in the washroom.
"So," Blink said as he too, began brushing his teeth. "Didja kiss 'er?" he asked. This earned him a jab in the elbow from Race, but he too, looked interested.
"If ya did," Race said who now began combing his hair, "Dontcha mess wit her heart!! Or her feelings!!" He ducked out of Mush's swing.
"I already toldja boys. I ain't gonna hoit dat goil. I nevah even did anything to her. And who says I'm gonna have a chance wit her anyways? She's prolly taken." Mush finished brushing his teeth and was now laying down on his bed which was on top of Blink's.
"Oh, she aint taken," Race said, unable to keep from smiling. Blink winked at him and started laughing too, just as Kloppman turned out the lights.
Mush couldn't help but grin as he remembered her face, and the feeling he had got when his lips had brushed hers.
***
Zoe quickly slipped in Irving Hall's front doors. Medda wouldn't mind her coming in late, in fact, Medda barely said anything about Zoe's curfew. She couldn't help but smile as she climbed the back stairs up to her room. Ever since she was ten, Zoe would wait anxiously until the end of the week, when she could she Mush. When she could laugh and talk to Race and Blink. She loved them so much, they meant everything to her. And the same with Mush. If only he knew.
It was a chilly night, and Zoe quickly changed into her silk slip. It was the only really nice thing she owned. Before her mother died, she had given Zoe this slip. It used to be her mother's and just now that she was starting to fill out and she became shapely was she able to fit snug into it. As Zoe remembered her mother, silent tears began to pour from her eyes as she remembered that dreadful night.
**Flash Back**
"Go! Zoe quick! Take your baby sister and LEAVE! Hurry! Through the back door! Quick before they reach the kitchen!" Mrs. Concepcion screamed as she handed baby Mary to a frightened little ten year old Zoe.
"But-but Mama! Where do I go? Please don't leave me!" Zoe shrieked through tears as she was handed the baby. She didn't want to have to be on her own. Not now! Not with those awful men! They had just killed her father only moments before, and were now advancing on her mother.
"But, oh Mama!" Zoe screamed as she pointed towards the kitchen door. Five men in black swung the door open and the biggest man held a pistol out in front of him. He advanced on Mrs. Concepcion ever so slowly, perhaps to increase the horror.
"This is for that good for nothing bastard who didn't pay us!" The man cried as he pulled the trigger. Zoe closed her eyes as she heard her mother fall to the ground beside her.
She had to get out. She couldn't stay here with her baby sister Mary in danger with those men! But before she knew it, something hard met the side of her head and she blacked out.
**End of Flash Back**
Zoe cried herself to sleep that night. If only she would have listened to her mother and ran. Maybe she could have saved herself and her sister. But those men thought they killed Zoe, and left her there unconscious, not knowing she was still alive. But why did they have to take away the life of innocent little Mary?? It wasn't fair. She should be dead, not Mary.
Zoe felt so guilty. She tried to shake the memory out of her head, but it was no use. Though she had Medda, and Race and Blink, and hopefully Jack, Spot and Mush, Zoe couldn't help but feel all alone in this awful, awful world.