Chapter 12:
"Fifty papes," Ink said, smacking down a few small coins. The man behind the bars was dressed in a gray tweed suit with a brown tie. The man-boy beside him was in a black suit without a tie, but wore a black bowler.
"Whateva' kid. Jake, give 'im 'is papes," the man said to the man-boy. Jake, I suppose. Jake threw some papes under the grate and Ink took them.
"Ink, I don't got no money," I whispered, and Ink handed my ten papers. "Uh, thanks."
"Sell dem papes and use dat money ta buy some tomorrow."
"Ok, but shouldn't I use some fer food?" The question wasn't answered. Actually, it probably hadn't been heard. All at once the boys started screaming at the top of their lungs. How could I have forgot that part of the movie?
I looked down at the headlines, figuring out which ones would sell naturally and which would need improving. I flipped through to the third page where a headline caught my eye. 'Girls Seen Disappearing on Brooklyn Bridge!' That would sell well, so I'll use it. Who cares if the article is about me?
"Girls vanish from Brooklyn Bridge!" I screamed as loud as I could. I knew that embarrassing year of cheerleading would come in handy someday. Ink grabbed my arm and spun me around.
"What the hell do ya think you's doin'?" I guess he said it in a whisper, because I couldn't hear him. I had to read his lips. His lips *lost in daydream*
"No one knows I's on a dose goils, right?" I said, it felt like I was stating the obvious.
"Goils is always disappearing off dat bridge, it'll neva sell." Oh, so he was worried about the sales. Though, this IS work, not play. "Try dis one:" he shouted out a completely different headline and someone walked up and bought a paper.
I tried it and sold one almost immediately. Then I tried a different one, sold another two. This ain't too hard.
I glanced over at Ink who was standing a few yards away. Three people were walking away with papers. Maybe not so easy. I continued on as I was, switching 'improved' headlines every so often. I sold out quickly, but didn't have much to begin with. I stood with Ink for a bit.
"We should move somewhere else," he said, and I looked at his stack of papers.
"But you don't have that many left," I felt stupid, I was telling the experienced newsie that he only had a few left.
"Not ta sell, ta be alone fer a bit." Again I felt stupid. He sold off his last two papes and we walked off to an unknown destination. I just fallowed, and when I looked up, we were going into a hidden alley.
"Um, Ink? We haven't exactly had great experiences with dark alleys," I said with a slight waver to my words. I was remembering the time when I was going to sell with Spot, with the Delancy brothers. God, that feels like such a long time ago.
"I don't think we'll have any problems dis time," he muttered, gently backing me up against the wall. He put his hands on my hips and came down on me with a deep kiss. He pulled back and looked into my eyes. "Do you mind my doin' dat?"
"Not in da least," I said, reaching up and placing my arms around his neck. We kissed again, and I swear, I thought that when-if-we pulled apart, it would be my time again. When we did pull apart, it was still the same year.
"Now, does dis mean dat you's my goil?" Ink asked cautiously.
"Of course. What do ya think I am, loose?" I was seriously starting to get twitchy about the alley. "Let's go find someplace a little nicer ta do this."
"Sure," Ink said as he grabbed my hand and started out of the alley.
"How many otha goils 'ave you been wit?" I really wanted to take it back after I'd said it.
"Two before you, but they's was nothin'." I believe him. It took me a while to realize that we were heading towards the LH.
"Ink, where are we goin'?" I asked. I was worried that he intended to bring me to one of those empty rooms.
"Da roof. I can't think of a betta place ta go," that's very romantic of him. All my doubts melted. "Where ya gonna stay tonight?" he broke through the silence that had settled around us.
"Well, I'll stay here, if you'll 'ave me," I said, on the verge of giggling. He just smiled and tugged me out a door at the top of the stairs. The scene was truly breath-taking.
"How do ya like it?" he asked me, most likely noting the awe that I knew was written all over my face.
"It's," I lost track of what I was saying.
"Beautiful," Ink cut in.
"Yes, it is," I said breathlessly. The view of the bridge and being there with Ink-alone with Ink-was a bit too much to take.
"No, I meant you." He pulled me to him and we shared yet another tender, long kiss.
"Eh, would ya look at you twos?" Baby said from the door. "Mandy, weren't you always complaining about being alone?"
"Well, yeah, but times change." I looked back at Ink and reluctantly pulled myself away from him. "Where's Spot and Tuck?" I asked, breaking the long pause.
"They're downstairs, entertaining guests," she looked at us with a look in her eyes that I don't know how to identify. It was almost smug. "We saw you's come in and Spot sent me to chase you two. Didn't mean ta interrupt anything."
"Um," I was stumbling over my words, "No, it's-it's fine." I was more embarrassed than anything else. "Should we go down-stairs?"
"Er, yes. I guess we should." Ink was no better with it than me. So we all trailed downstairs to go meet these guests of Spot's.
___________________~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~____________________
OK, another terrible chapter. I'm getting around to putting in the other characters that I mentioned last update. I'm so happy, not one, but TWO people want to be in my fic. I'm just shocked that anyone would even want to continue reading it after the first chapter or two. It's come allot farther than originally expected. The majority of the non-newsie based characters are people that I know from school. Baby Bear is my Newsie obsessed neighbor. Tuck is my short Newsie obsessed friend. Mandy is my Newsie obsessed self (loosely based). Ink is my Newsie hating dude I like. I have two more friends coming in the next chapter and the two new people coming in sooner or later. I love all of your reviews. I regret but one thing, I get no constructive criticism*mock sniff* (that was sarcasm, but some of that would be nice) More reviews. Mandy loves reviews. Good and bad. That's all for the moment, ta.
"Fifty papes," Ink said, smacking down a few small coins. The man behind the bars was dressed in a gray tweed suit with a brown tie. The man-boy beside him was in a black suit without a tie, but wore a black bowler.
"Whateva' kid. Jake, give 'im 'is papes," the man said to the man-boy. Jake, I suppose. Jake threw some papes under the grate and Ink took them.
"Ink, I don't got no money," I whispered, and Ink handed my ten papers. "Uh, thanks."
"Sell dem papes and use dat money ta buy some tomorrow."
"Ok, but shouldn't I use some fer food?" The question wasn't answered. Actually, it probably hadn't been heard. All at once the boys started screaming at the top of their lungs. How could I have forgot that part of the movie?
I looked down at the headlines, figuring out which ones would sell naturally and which would need improving. I flipped through to the third page where a headline caught my eye. 'Girls Seen Disappearing on Brooklyn Bridge!' That would sell well, so I'll use it. Who cares if the article is about me?
"Girls vanish from Brooklyn Bridge!" I screamed as loud as I could. I knew that embarrassing year of cheerleading would come in handy someday. Ink grabbed my arm and spun me around.
"What the hell do ya think you's doin'?" I guess he said it in a whisper, because I couldn't hear him. I had to read his lips. His lips *lost in daydream*
"No one knows I's on a dose goils, right?" I said, it felt like I was stating the obvious.
"Goils is always disappearing off dat bridge, it'll neva sell." Oh, so he was worried about the sales. Though, this IS work, not play. "Try dis one:" he shouted out a completely different headline and someone walked up and bought a paper.
I tried it and sold one almost immediately. Then I tried a different one, sold another two. This ain't too hard.
I glanced over at Ink who was standing a few yards away. Three people were walking away with papers. Maybe not so easy. I continued on as I was, switching 'improved' headlines every so often. I sold out quickly, but didn't have much to begin with. I stood with Ink for a bit.
"We should move somewhere else," he said, and I looked at his stack of papers.
"But you don't have that many left," I felt stupid, I was telling the experienced newsie that he only had a few left.
"Not ta sell, ta be alone fer a bit." Again I felt stupid. He sold off his last two papes and we walked off to an unknown destination. I just fallowed, and when I looked up, we were going into a hidden alley.
"Um, Ink? We haven't exactly had great experiences with dark alleys," I said with a slight waver to my words. I was remembering the time when I was going to sell with Spot, with the Delancy brothers. God, that feels like such a long time ago.
"I don't think we'll have any problems dis time," he muttered, gently backing me up against the wall. He put his hands on my hips and came down on me with a deep kiss. He pulled back and looked into my eyes. "Do you mind my doin' dat?"
"Not in da least," I said, reaching up and placing my arms around his neck. We kissed again, and I swear, I thought that when-if-we pulled apart, it would be my time again. When we did pull apart, it was still the same year.
"Now, does dis mean dat you's my goil?" Ink asked cautiously.
"Of course. What do ya think I am, loose?" I was seriously starting to get twitchy about the alley. "Let's go find someplace a little nicer ta do this."
"Sure," Ink said as he grabbed my hand and started out of the alley.
"How many otha goils 'ave you been wit?" I really wanted to take it back after I'd said it.
"Two before you, but they's was nothin'." I believe him. It took me a while to realize that we were heading towards the LH.
"Ink, where are we goin'?" I asked. I was worried that he intended to bring me to one of those empty rooms.
"Da roof. I can't think of a betta place ta go," that's very romantic of him. All my doubts melted. "Where ya gonna stay tonight?" he broke through the silence that had settled around us.
"Well, I'll stay here, if you'll 'ave me," I said, on the verge of giggling. He just smiled and tugged me out a door at the top of the stairs. The scene was truly breath-taking.
"How do ya like it?" he asked me, most likely noting the awe that I knew was written all over my face.
"It's," I lost track of what I was saying.
"Beautiful," Ink cut in.
"Yes, it is," I said breathlessly. The view of the bridge and being there with Ink-alone with Ink-was a bit too much to take.
"No, I meant you." He pulled me to him and we shared yet another tender, long kiss.
"Eh, would ya look at you twos?" Baby said from the door. "Mandy, weren't you always complaining about being alone?"
"Well, yeah, but times change." I looked back at Ink and reluctantly pulled myself away from him. "Where's Spot and Tuck?" I asked, breaking the long pause.
"They're downstairs, entertaining guests," she looked at us with a look in her eyes that I don't know how to identify. It was almost smug. "We saw you's come in and Spot sent me to chase you two. Didn't mean ta interrupt anything."
"Um," I was stumbling over my words, "No, it's-it's fine." I was more embarrassed than anything else. "Should we go down-stairs?"
"Er, yes. I guess we should." Ink was no better with it than me. So we all trailed downstairs to go meet these guests of Spot's.
___________________~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~____________________
OK, another terrible chapter. I'm getting around to putting in the other characters that I mentioned last update. I'm so happy, not one, but TWO people want to be in my fic. I'm just shocked that anyone would even want to continue reading it after the first chapter or two. It's come allot farther than originally expected. The majority of the non-newsie based characters are people that I know from school. Baby Bear is my Newsie obsessed neighbor. Tuck is my short Newsie obsessed friend. Mandy is my Newsie obsessed self (loosely based). Ink is my Newsie hating dude I like. I have two more friends coming in the next chapter and the two new people coming in sooner or later. I love all of your reviews. I regret but one thing, I get no constructive criticism*mock sniff* (that was sarcasm, but some of that would be nice) More reviews. Mandy loves reviews. Good and bad. That's all for the moment, ta.
