Author's Note- Thanks to all of you wonderful people who reviewed the last
chapter. (You each get a piece of my dad's famous chocolate fudge!)
Chapter 7:
Spinz shook Calli's shoulder gently. "C'mon Charm. Ya gotta get up now."
She batted his hands away and rolled over, groaning. Spinz laughed and then leaned down and put his mouth next to her ear, "CALLI!! TIME TA GET UP!"
She jumped and hit her head on the bottom of Sleeve's bunk. "Ow!" She glared at him angrily, "Spinz, if you ever do that to me again, you're going to experience first hand what flying out of a window feels like."
"Sure, sure. Now get dressed." He threw a shirt at her and she caught it as it hit her in the face.
^~*^~*^~*~^*~^*~^
Blink sat in the lobby, waiting for Calli to get back. Kloppman had told him that she went to Brooklyn for the night and would be back about noon. So instead of going to Tibby's with Brooke and Race, Blink headed back to the Lodging House.
He drummed his fingers on the table nervously. Any minute now she would walk in the door and he'd force himself to tell her how he felt. By the time the rest of the newsies came back he'd either have a new girl or would be absolutely heartbroken. He hoped it was the former.
Suddenly Blink heard Calli's voice outside the Lodging House. He stood up slowly, *Dis is it.*
But before he could open his mouth he heard a male voice laugh and reply to her. Blink looked around quickly and ducked behind a table, breathing heavily. He could just barely see the doorway, but it was enough.
Calli walked in and after her came Spinz, a Brooklyn newsie. "Wheah is everyone?"
"Probably at Tibby's for lunch," Calli said, waving her hand carelessly. She glanced up the stairs then turned back to him, "Thanks for walking me back Spinz. It was nice getting to talk."
"My pleasure," he said, mock-bowing. He walked out the door and then poked his head back around the side, grinning. "Anytime you wanna visit Brooklyn, I'd be moah den willin' ta be your escort back home."
"I'll remember that," she said, grinning back at him. He waved and left.
Calli sighed and sank down onto the worn couch slowly, putting her head in her hands. She sat like that for several minutes, then, groaning, raised her head and looked blankly at the wall in front of her.
Blink held his breath, wishing she would leave. It was rather uncomfortable on his hands and knees with his head twisted around to peer through the gap. *C'mon, go.* He shifted slightly, trying to get his blood circulating again. His foot knocked the leg of the table and it rattled against the hard wooden floor. He froze in panic.
Calli's head snapped towards the table and she sat up self- consciously. "Who's there?" A pause followed and she stood up and started to walk around the corner. "Anyone?"
Blink saw her coming towards him and reluctantly got up. His face was bright red with embarrassment when he saw her watching him. "Uh.hey."
"Hey." Calli stared at him in disbelief, waiting for him to go on.
Kid Blink gulped guiltily, "So.so, I see ya went ta Brooklyn last night."
"Uhuh."
"We.uh, wondered where you were."
"Did you now?"
"Yeah. Well, did you have fun?"
"Yes I did."
"Oh, well, ya know, we should um.talk some time.an' sort stuff out."
"Whatever you say."
Blink looked down, hurt. He had thought that she had the same feelings for him that he did for her, but maybe he was wrong. She had seemed a whole lot more friendly to Spinz than him.
"Well, Blink, it's been nice talking to you, but I gotta go put my stuff away."
"Oh. Awright. I'm gonna go ta Tibby's den."
^~*^~*^~*~^*~^*~^
Calli collapsed onto her bed, her face burning with embarrassment. *That was awful! I didn't know what to say!* She rolled over onto her back and felt guilty for being rude. *If he hadn't surprised me like that I wouldn't have been so short with him. Oh.man. I can't believe he was watching me feel sorry for myself. It must have been written across my face that I was thinking about him!*
She stopped and recalled his part of the conversation. *He must have felt guilty for spending time with Brooke. That's probably why he suggested talking some time. Guilt! And I highly doubt he wondered where I was. He probably had just realized it!*
Calli pounded her fists into her thin pillow in frustration. *And now he's gone off to Tibby's to be with Brooke cause I make him nervous! ARGH!!*
^~*^~*^~*~^*~^*~^
Later that night, Brooke climbed the stairs to the girl's bunkroom in determination. Blink had told her that Calli was home alone and Brooke was going to try to straighten things out once and for all.
Brooke knocked on the door and opened it after hearing a muffled "come in".
Calli raised her head and then dropped it again after seeing who it was. "Where's everyone?"
"Dey went to a pokah game in Harlem. Dey'll be back by 11." Calli nodded. Brooke crossed the room and sat down cross-legged on her bed.
"Awright, look. I can't pretend to know why you hate me. I haven't a clue. I haven't done anyt'in' to youse as far as I know, but you still despise me. Why?"
Calli sat up angrily, "You haven't done anything to me? What do you call stealing all my friends and ignoring me?"
"I haven't stolen all yer friends. You jist t'ink I have. Yer gonna have ta accept dat your not da only goil newsies no more."
"Oh, that's easy for you to say. You've got Blink and Race hanging on your every word so you don't have to worry about being forgotten!"
"You ain't been forgotten! Is dat what you're so mad about? Yer worried about bein' left out?"
"Ye.no! But how can you say I'm not forgotten, when you three are always leaving me behind and never notice when I'm in Brooklyn?"
"We notice! Heck, Blink talks about you all day, how could we even for an instant forget you ain't wit' us?"
Calli glared at her stubbornly, "Liar. Blink does not talk about me."
Brooke shook her head and started to laugh. "Dat's really what dis is all about, isn't it? You're worried dat I'm stealin' your guy."
Calli opened her mouth to deny it but somehow knew it was useless. She was tired of fighting it.
Brooke looked at her smiling, "Well, you don't have ta worry. I have no romantic interest in Blink at all." She grinned, and leaned forward as if sharing a great secret. "I'd much rather t'ink of Race dat way."
Calli laughed loudly, not realizing she was starting to open up to the enemy. Then she sobered, "Do you honestly like Race and not Blink?"
Brooke nodded seriously, "Yeah I do. An' admit it, you like Blink."
Calli sighed and nodded reluctantly.
"Den what are we'se fightin' about?" Brooke asked, throwing her hands in the air and laughing.
Calli shrugged and looked up at her, "But you have to try and get the boys to hang out with me some too. They never seem to care about me anymore."
"Awright. But no more disappearin' ta Brooklyn!"
Calli was silent. Despite Brooke's reassurances, the issue with Blink wasn't close to being over. No matter how good of friends the two girls became, if Blink seemed too distant or uncaring, Calli knew she'd run to Brooklyn. "We'll see about that."
A.N.- Ok, heah's the deal. I leave next Friday for 6 whole weeks. I will have absolutely no access to the computer at all until about the end of January. I'm trying to decide whether I should just stop here and leave you hanging (the easy way) or try to finish it in record time and then you'll have to wait for 6 weeks for the next story in the timeline. If I do that, I have the feeling you all will forget about me before I get back and then my story will get no reviews. I don't know! Please, can you just write a quick review telling me what you think? The more reviews, the more I'll wanna write anyways. (
Chapter 7:
Spinz shook Calli's shoulder gently. "C'mon Charm. Ya gotta get up now."
She batted his hands away and rolled over, groaning. Spinz laughed and then leaned down and put his mouth next to her ear, "CALLI!! TIME TA GET UP!"
She jumped and hit her head on the bottom of Sleeve's bunk. "Ow!" She glared at him angrily, "Spinz, if you ever do that to me again, you're going to experience first hand what flying out of a window feels like."
"Sure, sure. Now get dressed." He threw a shirt at her and she caught it as it hit her in the face.
^~*^~*^~*~^*~^*~^
Blink sat in the lobby, waiting for Calli to get back. Kloppman had told him that she went to Brooklyn for the night and would be back about noon. So instead of going to Tibby's with Brooke and Race, Blink headed back to the Lodging House.
He drummed his fingers on the table nervously. Any minute now she would walk in the door and he'd force himself to tell her how he felt. By the time the rest of the newsies came back he'd either have a new girl or would be absolutely heartbroken. He hoped it was the former.
Suddenly Blink heard Calli's voice outside the Lodging House. He stood up slowly, *Dis is it.*
But before he could open his mouth he heard a male voice laugh and reply to her. Blink looked around quickly and ducked behind a table, breathing heavily. He could just barely see the doorway, but it was enough.
Calli walked in and after her came Spinz, a Brooklyn newsie. "Wheah is everyone?"
"Probably at Tibby's for lunch," Calli said, waving her hand carelessly. She glanced up the stairs then turned back to him, "Thanks for walking me back Spinz. It was nice getting to talk."
"My pleasure," he said, mock-bowing. He walked out the door and then poked his head back around the side, grinning. "Anytime you wanna visit Brooklyn, I'd be moah den willin' ta be your escort back home."
"I'll remember that," she said, grinning back at him. He waved and left.
Calli sighed and sank down onto the worn couch slowly, putting her head in her hands. She sat like that for several minutes, then, groaning, raised her head and looked blankly at the wall in front of her.
Blink held his breath, wishing she would leave. It was rather uncomfortable on his hands and knees with his head twisted around to peer through the gap. *C'mon, go.* He shifted slightly, trying to get his blood circulating again. His foot knocked the leg of the table and it rattled against the hard wooden floor. He froze in panic.
Calli's head snapped towards the table and she sat up self- consciously. "Who's there?" A pause followed and she stood up and started to walk around the corner. "Anyone?"
Blink saw her coming towards him and reluctantly got up. His face was bright red with embarrassment when he saw her watching him. "Uh.hey."
"Hey." Calli stared at him in disbelief, waiting for him to go on.
Kid Blink gulped guiltily, "So.so, I see ya went ta Brooklyn last night."
"Uhuh."
"We.uh, wondered where you were."
"Did you now?"
"Yeah. Well, did you have fun?"
"Yes I did."
"Oh, well, ya know, we should um.talk some time.an' sort stuff out."
"Whatever you say."
Blink looked down, hurt. He had thought that she had the same feelings for him that he did for her, but maybe he was wrong. She had seemed a whole lot more friendly to Spinz than him.
"Well, Blink, it's been nice talking to you, but I gotta go put my stuff away."
"Oh. Awright. I'm gonna go ta Tibby's den."
^~*^~*^~*~^*~^*~^
Calli collapsed onto her bed, her face burning with embarrassment. *That was awful! I didn't know what to say!* She rolled over onto her back and felt guilty for being rude. *If he hadn't surprised me like that I wouldn't have been so short with him. Oh.man. I can't believe he was watching me feel sorry for myself. It must have been written across my face that I was thinking about him!*
She stopped and recalled his part of the conversation. *He must have felt guilty for spending time with Brooke. That's probably why he suggested talking some time. Guilt! And I highly doubt he wondered where I was. He probably had just realized it!*
Calli pounded her fists into her thin pillow in frustration. *And now he's gone off to Tibby's to be with Brooke cause I make him nervous! ARGH!!*
^~*^~*^~*~^*~^*~^
Later that night, Brooke climbed the stairs to the girl's bunkroom in determination. Blink had told her that Calli was home alone and Brooke was going to try to straighten things out once and for all.
Brooke knocked on the door and opened it after hearing a muffled "come in".
Calli raised her head and then dropped it again after seeing who it was. "Where's everyone?"
"Dey went to a pokah game in Harlem. Dey'll be back by 11." Calli nodded. Brooke crossed the room and sat down cross-legged on her bed.
"Awright, look. I can't pretend to know why you hate me. I haven't a clue. I haven't done anyt'in' to youse as far as I know, but you still despise me. Why?"
Calli sat up angrily, "You haven't done anything to me? What do you call stealing all my friends and ignoring me?"
"I haven't stolen all yer friends. You jist t'ink I have. Yer gonna have ta accept dat your not da only goil newsies no more."
"Oh, that's easy for you to say. You've got Blink and Race hanging on your every word so you don't have to worry about being forgotten!"
"You ain't been forgotten! Is dat what you're so mad about? Yer worried about bein' left out?"
"Ye.no! But how can you say I'm not forgotten, when you three are always leaving me behind and never notice when I'm in Brooklyn?"
"We notice! Heck, Blink talks about you all day, how could we even for an instant forget you ain't wit' us?"
Calli glared at her stubbornly, "Liar. Blink does not talk about me."
Brooke shook her head and started to laugh. "Dat's really what dis is all about, isn't it? You're worried dat I'm stealin' your guy."
Calli opened her mouth to deny it but somehow knew it was useless. She was tired of fighting it.
Brooke looked at her smiling, "Well, you don't have ta worry. I have no romantic interest in Blink at all." She grinned, and leaned forward as if sharing a great secret. "I'd much rather t'ink of Race dat way."
Calli laughed loudly, not realizing she was starting to open up to the enemy. Then she sobered, "Do you honestly like Race and not Blink?"
Brooke nodded seriously, "Yeah I do. An' admit it, you like Blink."
Calli sighed and nodded reluctantly.
"Den what are we'se fightin' about?" Brooke asked, throwing her hands in the air and laughing.
Calli shrugged and looked up at her, "But you have to try and get the boys to hang out with me some too. They never seem to care about me anymore."
"Awright. But no more disappearin' ta Brooklyn!"
Calli was silent. Despite Brooke's reassurances, the issue with Blink wasn't close to being over. No matter how good of friends the two girls became, if Blink seemed too distant or uncaring, Calli knew she'd run to Brooklyn. "We'll see about that."
A.N.- Ok, heah's the deal. I leave next Friday for 6 whole weeks. I will have absolutely no access to the computer at all until about the end of January. I'm trying to decide whether I should just stop here and leave you hanging (the easy way) or try to finish it in record time and then you'll have to wait for 6 weeks for the next story in the timeline. If I do that, I have the feeling you all will forget about me before I get back and then my story will get no reviews. I don't know! Please, can you just write a quick review telling me what you think? The more reviews, the more I'll wanna write anyways. (
