Chapter 5
"Okay, heah are ya papahs," said Spot handing about 30 newspapers over to Kit. She took them as they both sat down. "Now, befoih I sell, I bruise da merchandise. Yous gonna need help wit dat til I teach yous ta read-"
"Who said I can't read?" interrupted Kit.
Spot looked at her surprised. "But goils can't-"
"My dad taught me," Kit explained as she flipped open the newspaper to skim through the headlines.
"Ya dad seems like a smaht guy. What else did he teach ya?"
"How to survive, where to go, using a slingshot as you know, and stuff like that."
"You got da slingshot wit ya?"
Kit reached into her back pocket and pulled it out showing Spot. "Right here." Kit and Spot continued to skim through the newspaper searching for catchy headlines. After a few minutes, Spot began explaining to her about selling newspapers as he showed her around Brooklyn. He also made sure to show her the best selling spots. Spot had already sold most of his papers by lunchtime, while Kit still had about half of hers remaining.
For lunch, Spot and Kit met up with the other Brooklyn newsies in Tibby's (a/n- let's just say there's one in Brooklyn too). Kit took off her hat, letting her hair hang loose. Spot had told her that it's better for now if people think she's a guy. She met a lot of her fellow newsies and got along well with them. They didn't dare make wisecracks about her looks or the fact that she was a girl, because they figured her and Spot were together. After lunch, Kit put her hair up again before putting her hat on.
"You know, the Brooklyn newsies aren't as tough or mean as people say they are," commented Kit as her and Spot left Tibby's.
"Dat's cuz youse wit me, and dey don't dare dis you. Plus, youse wanna dem now, so dey have to except dat," replied Spot.
"Is that the only reason they were nice to me?"
"No, I could tell dey liked ya." Spot and Kit continued selling newspapers, talking, and joking around, until they were interrupted by a small gang of factory boys.
"Well, if it ain't da great Spot Conlon," said a voice.
Kit and Spot turned around only to see about 8 guys all glaring at them. "Dat's right, ya gots a problem?" replied Spot with confidence.
"As a mattah of fact, I do. Most people may be scahed of ya, but we ain't," the voice said, now more sternly. He appeared to be the leader of this gang. Please don't fight, please don't fight! thought Kit.
"Is dat right? Well, get ya ass ovah heah and I'll make ya scahed!" threatened Spot.
The leader laughed. Spot whispered to Kit, "Don't worry, I'll protect ya, but keep ya slingshot ready." Kit rolled her eyes and nodded. She decided to slowly slip away while Spot and these guys were arguing. Her plan was to shoot marbles and rocks at them to help Spot out. Well, things didn't exactly go as planned.
"Wheh da hell do ya tink yose goin?!" Kit turned around only to see some big guy walking towards her.
"Just walking away, because it's not my fight," she responded.
"Ya ain't getting away dat easily!" The leader motioned to one of his fellow workers to get her. The guy smiled and nodded. He began walking towards her. Here we go, she thought. Spot looked at her nervously, but he began fighting one of the guys. They purposely distracted Spot so he couldn't help Kit. She turned around and suddenly felt a hand on her right shoulder.
"Come-"
The guy was cut off by Kit grabbing his hand with her left hand pinning it down. She then struck his neck with her right hand flat (a/n- it's called a handsword, it's difficult to explain exactly what she did) and then she did a downward punch to his balls. The guy bent over in pain as she twisted his hand that was still on her shoulder and side kicked him in the ribs, forcing him to the ground. This all happened in a matter of a couple seconds. She looked at the other guys. They all had surprised looks on their faces. Spot had seen part of what she did, and he and his opponent stopped what they were doing. Spot's mouth dropped. Silence. Kit shot a quick glance at Spot before running away.
"Soak 'em!" shouted one of the factory boys. All of them except two guys ran after her. Spot finished soaking his current opponent, and looked up at the other guy standing there. A look of fear ran across the guy's face, so he ran off in another direction. Spot picked up his hat before running in the same direction Kit and the other guys ran. He heard fighting noises, and when he turned the corner to see Kit fighting the other guys, he couldn't believe his eyes. The guys couldn't touch her! They were throwing her punches and kicks left and right and each time, she blocked them or ducked. She threw front, side, and back kicks, followed by punches and elbow strikes. After all of them were down except the leader, she realized he was holding a chain.
"Try and stop me now!" he said as he wiped the chain towards her face. Kit caught his wrist, backslapped his face, side kicked him, and as he fell she grabbed the chain from him. He fell back. Kit fancily swung the chain in circles and figure eights before grabbing the bottom of it, ready to strike. The leader looked up at her with his hand on his stomach. "Who da hell are ya?"
"The last person you should mess with!" answered Kit sternly.
The guy slowly stood up and ran off. Kit dropped the chain, feeling exhausted. She looked over at Spot, surprised, because she had no idea he was there. Here it comes, she thought.
"Okay, heah are ya papahs," said Spot handing about 30 newspapers over to Kit. She took them as they both sat down. "Now, befoih I sell, I bruise da merchandise. Yous gonna need help wit dat til I teach yous ta read-"
"Who said I can't read?" interrupted Kit.
Spot looked at her surprised. "But goils can't-"
"My dad taught me," Kit explained as she flipped open the newspaper to skim through the headlines.
"Ya dad seems like a smaht guy. What else did he teach ya?"
"How to survive, where to go, using a slingshot as you know, and stuff like that."
"You got da slingshot wit ya?"
Kit reached into her back pocket and pulled it out showing Spot. "Right here." Kit and Spot continued to skim through the newspaper searching for catchy headlines. After a few minutes, Spot began explaining to her about selling newspapers as he showed her around Brooklyn. He also made sure to show her the best selling spots. Spot had already sold most of his papers by lunchtime, while Kit still had about half of hers remaining.
For lunch, Spot and Kit met up with the other Brooklyn newsies in Tibby's (a/n- let's just say there's one in Brooklyn too). Kit took off her hat, letting her hair hang loose. Spot had told her that it's better for now if people think she's a guy. She met a lot of her fellow newsies and got along well with them. They didn't dare make wisecracks about her looks or the fact that she was a girl, because they figured her and Spot were together. After lunch, Kit put her hair up again before putting her hat on.
"You know, the Brooklyn newsies aren't as tough or mean as people say they are," commented Kit as her and Spot left Tibby's.
"Dat's cuz youse wit me, and dey don't dare dis you. Plus, youse wanna dem now, so dey have to except dat," replied Spot.
"Is that the only reason they were nice to me?"
"No, I could tell dey liked ya." Spot and Kit continued selling newspapers, talking, and joking around, until they were interrupted by a small gang of factory boys.
"Well, if it ain't da great Spot Conlon," said a voice.
Kit and Spot turned around only to see about 8 guys all glaring at them. "Dat's right, ya gots a problem?" replied Spot with confidence.
"As a mattah of fact, I do. Most people may be scahed of ya, but we ain't," the voice said, now more sternly. He appeared to be the leader of this gang. Please don't fight, please don't fight! thought Kit.
"Is dat right? Well, get ya ass ovah heah and I'll make ya scahed!" threatened Spot.
The leader laughed. Spot whispered to Kit, "Don't worry, I'll protect ya, but keep ya slingshot ready." Kit rolled her eyes and nodded. She decided to slowly slip away while Spot and these guys were arguing. Her plan was to shoot marbles and rocks at them to help Spot out. Well, things didn't exactly go as planned.
"Wheh da hell do ya tink yose goin?!" Kit turned around only to see some big guy walking towards her.
"Just walking away, because it's not my fight," she responded.
"Ya ain't getting away dat easily!" The leader motioned to one of his fellow workers to get her. The guy smiled and nodded. He began walking towards her. Here we go, she thought. Spot looked at her nervously, but he began fighting one of the guys. They purposely distracted Spot so he couldn't help Kit. She turned around and suddenly felt a hand on her right shoulder.
"Come-"
The guy was cut off by Kit grabbing his hand with her left hand pinning it down. She then struck his neck with her right hand flat (a/n- it's called a handsword, it's difficult to explain exactly what she did) and then she did a downward punch to his balls. The guy bent over in pain as she twisted his hand that was still on her shoulder and side kicked him in the ribs, forcing him to the ground. This all happened in a matter of a couple seconds. She looked at the other guys. They all had surprised looks on their faces. Spot had seen part of what she did, and he and his opponent stopped what they were doing. Spot's mouth dropped. Silence. Kit shot a quick glance at Spot before running away.
"Soak 'em!" shouted one of the factory boys. All of them except two guys ran after her. Spot finished soaking his current opponent, and looked up at the other guy standing there. A look of fear ran across the guy's face, so he ran off in another direction. Spot picked up his hat before running in the same direction Kit and the other guys ran. He heard fighting noises, and when he turned the corner to see Kit fighting the other guys, he couldn't believe his eyes. The guys couldn't touch her! They were throwing her punches and kicks left and right and each time, she blocked them or ducked. She threw front, side, and back kicks, followed by punches and elbow strikes. After all of them were down except the leader, she realized he was holding a chain.
"Try and stop me now!" he said as he wiped the chain towards her face. Kit caught his wrist, backslapped his face, side kicked him, and as he fell she grabbed the chain from him. He fell back. Kit fancily swung the chain in circles and figure eights before grabbing the bottom of it, ready to strike. The leader looked up at her with his hand on his stomach. "Who da hell are ya?"
"The last person you should mess with!" answered Kit sternly.
The guy slowly stood up and ran off. Kit dropped the chain, feeling exhausted. She looked over at Spot, surprised, because she had no idea he was there. Here it comes, she thought.
