A/N: Hey, I'm taking a poll: If, after I finish the story, you would like
me to have an "Author's commentary" chapter to explain some of my thought
processes on certain parts, kinda like the director's commentaries on DVDs
please say so in a review. (Same goes if you don't want me to) I
seriously need to get some of my comments and stuff out, so tell me if ya
wanna hear 'em!!
To lazy to do a disclaimer!! See prior chapters if you really want one!!
Oh yeah, and Davey makes his appearance in this chapter (Yay Davey!!)
---
"Happy boithdaay tooo yooo!"
Bean smiled. The newsies could really sing well, except for when they sang "Happy Birthday." They seemed to enjoy butchering the song.
"Happy boithdaay tooo yooo!"
Bean looked over at Race, who had his arm around Veronica, and her stomach turned over.
"Happy boithdaaay deer Ray-ace!!
A glass sitting on the counter shattered.
"Happy boithdaaay toooooo yoooooooooooooo!"
The diner erupted in laughter at the incredibly horrible singing. Tibby's couldn't fit one more person in the building if they tried. All the newsies from the lodging house, Spot Conlon and some of the Brooklyn newsies, and many of the newsies from various sections of New York had all gathered to wish Race a happy eighteenth birthday. Even Dave was able to come.
"Heya Race!" Dave greeted his friend as they spit-shook.
Bean ran up behind Dave and mussed up his hair. He whipped around. "Bean!" he exclaimed, surprised to see his friend. As they hugged, he picked her up and swung her around. "Howya been, doll?" he asked as he set her down. He kissed her lightly on the forehead.
"I'm alright," she replied, then lowered her voice. "I need tah talk tah ya latah, tho." Bean could always talk to Dave about her problems, but rarely got the opportunity. He was a good listener, and always gave great advice. He looked at Bean quizzically, but before he could ask Bean what it was about, Jack dragged him off.
"Ya gotz tah meet dis goil, you two are poifect fer eachuddah."
---
Later that night, Race pulled Veronica into a corner. "Hey sweetie, we gotz tah talk."
"About what?" Veronica asked, with the dreamy look in her eyes that she always had when she was around Race. At first he thought it was cute and sweet, but lately it had been getting on his nerves.
"Yanno, I dun tink dis relationship's woikin out so good fer me. Maybe we should call it quits. I'd still luv tah be frien." Before Race could finish his sentence, Veronica slammed him against the wall and ran towards the door. "Ronnie! Wait!" he called after her, but it was no use. He slumped against the wall, feeling like a rotten person.
---
Bean giggled as she watched Dave try to chat up the girl Jack had introduced him to. He wasn't very experienced when it came to flirting, but this girl didn't seem to notice. She was hanging onto his every word. Bean's entertainment was interrupted when a sobbing pink and black blur zipped past her.
"Veronica!" Bean called out as she ran after her.
Veronica stopped and turned around. "H-hey Bean." she stammered through her tears.
"What happened?"
"Race broke up with me."
"WHAT?!" Bean's eyes lit up with fire. "Why?"
"I didn't really give him a chance to explain. After I realized what he was saying I kinda shut off," she admitted.
"Look, I gotz sum catchin up tah do wid an ol' friend rite now, but as soon as I get back tah da lodgin' house, I'm gettin sum answers. If he dun give me a good reason fer breakin up wid ya, I'll soak im."
"Thank you." Veronica smiled at Bean. "I'm going to go ahead home, it's getting late."
"Alrite, I'll see ya tamarrah, den." Bean turned around to look for David, but there was no sign of him or the girl he was talking to. Suddenly, Bean felt something wet drop onto her head. "Great, it's raining," she muttered. Her thoughts were proven wrong when she looked up and saw David leaning over the fire escape above her. "You reject!! What's wid da spit- bomb? That is so gross!" she yelled at him playfully. She climbed up the fire escape and punched his arm.
David winced. "Ouch, that actually hurt."
"Yer jus a sissy." Bean teased him.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" he asked.
Bean took a deep breath and began. She told David everything she had been going through in the past few months. She told him about how her and Race has become really good friends and how she thought he liked her, but she didn't know how she felt about him. She told him about her relationship with Skittery, miraculously without crying, but when she started talking about how she thought she was in love with Race, she started bawling. David pulled Bean towards him and wrapped his arms around her. When she finally stopped crying, she looked up at David. "But now that I saw how he treated Veronica, I'm not so sure." David pulled her closer as she started to cry again.
---
Bean was nowhere to be found. Race had looked everywhere for her. He needed to tell her how he felt before he lost his nerve. He walked down the alley by Tibby's, still looking around. He heard a noise coming from the fire escape and looked up. David was standing there with his arms around a girl. 'Way tah go, Davey!' Race thought. Just then, the girl turned her head slightly, enabling Race to see who she was. Wait, what was David doing with BEAN? His eyes filled with tears, Race turned around and rushed out of the alley.
---
Bean stormed up the steps into the bunkroom. Her talk with David had made her feel better, especially when he gave her advice on what to do about Tom and her flashbacks, but she was still angry with Race over what he did to Veronica.
"Race!" she screamed as she entered the bunkroom. "I gotz tah have a lil tawk wit you!"
Race rolled his eyes and stood up. "Whaddya want?"
"How dare ya do dat tah Veronica? She's such a sweetheart!"
"I jus didn't want 'er as a goilfriend. I jus tink o' er as a friend now."
Normally, this would have been an acceptable answer, but looking into his eyes, Bean knew there had to be something more to it. "Dat can't be de only reason, Race. Dere's sumthin else, I can tell."
Race's eyes darted around the room, looking at the other newsies. He knew he needed to tell Bean the truth, but he didn't want an audience. He made eye contact with Kid Blink and cleared his throat. Kid Blink took the hint and started to clear everyone out of the bunkroom.
Once the room was empty, Bean asked him again, "C'mon Race, what's up wit you? You know you can tell me anythin."
Race closed his eyes and took a second to gather up his courage. "I. I. I love you Bean. I always have. But apparently you dun return da feeling, coz I saw you wit Davey earlier." Race turned around and ran down the stairs.
Bean heard the front door of the lodging house slam shut. She walked over to the window and looked down into the street below. Race was sitting against the wall with his face buried in his hands.
Bean felt awful. Race must have seen David hugging her when she was crying. She contemplated going down there and trying to explain everything to him, but decided it wouldn't help anything. Exhausted, Bean crawled into her bunk and fell asleep.
---
Anna was lost. where did her mommy and daddy go, and where was she? After the scary men took her mommy, she ran until she couldn't anymore, and now she didn't know where she was. She tugged on a man's pant leg. "Misser, I can't find my mommy an' daddy."
To lazy to do a disclaimer!! See prior chapters if you really want one!!
Oh yeah, and Davey makes his appearance in this chapter (Yay Davey!!)
---
"Happy boithdaay tooo yooo!"
Bean smiled. The newsies could really sing well, except for when they sang "Happy Birthday." They seemed to enjoy butchering the song.
"Happy boithdaay tooo yooo!"
Bean looked over at Race, who had his arm around Veronica, and her stomach turned over.
"Happy boithdaaay deer Ray-ace!!
A glass sitting on the counter shattered.
"Happy boithdaaay toooooo yoooooooooooooo!"
The diner erupted in laughter at the incredibly horrible singing. Tibby's couldn't fit one more person in the building if they tried. All the newsies from the lodging house, Spot Conlon and some of the Brooklyn newsies, and many of the newsies from various sections of New York had all gathered to wish Race a happy eighteenth birthday. Even Dave was able to come.
"Heya Race!" Dave greeted his friend as they spit-shook.
Bean ran up behind Dave and mussed up his hair. He whipped around. "Bean!" he exclaimed, surprised to see his friend. As they hugged, he picked her up and swung her around. "Howya been, doll?" he asked as he set her down. He kissed her lightly on the forehead.
"I'm alright," she replied, then lowered her voice. "I need tah talk tah ya latah, tho." Bean could always talk to Dave about her problems, but rarely got the opportunity. He was a good listener, and always gave great advice. He looked at Bean quizzically, but before he could ask Bean what it was about, Jack dragged him off.
"Ya gotz tah meet dis goil, you two are poifect fer eachuddah."
---
Later that night, Race pulled Veronica into a corner. "Hey sweetie, we gotz tah talk."
"About what?" Veronica asked, with the dreamy look in her eyes that she always had when she was around Race. At first he thought it was cute and sweet, but lately it had been getting on his nerves.
"Yanno, I dun tink dis relationship's woikin out so good fer me. Maybe we should call it quits. I'd still luv tah be frien." Before Race could finish his sentence, Veronica slammed him against the wall and ran towards the door. "Ronnie! Wait!" he called after her, but it was no use. He slumped against the wall, feeling like a rotten person.
---
Bean giggled as she watched Dave try to chat up the girl Jack had introduced him to. He wasn't very experienced when it came to flirting, but this girl didn't seem to notice. She was hanging onto his every word. Bean's entertainment was interrupted when a sobbing pink and black blur zipped past her.
"Veronica!" Bean called out as she ran after her.
Veronica stopped and turned around. "H-hey Bean." she stammered through her tears.
"What happened?"
"Race broke up with me."
"WHAT?!" Bean's eyes lit up with fire. "Why?"
"I didn't really give him a chance to explain. After I realized what he was saying I kinda shut off," she admitted.
"Look, I gotz sum catchin up tah do wid an ol' friend rite now, but as soon as I get back tah da lodgin' house, I'm gettin sum answers. If he dun give me a good reason fer breakin up wid ya, I'll soak im."
"Thank you." Veronica smiled at Bean. "I'm going to go ahead home, it's getting late."
"Alrite, I'll see ya tamarrah, den." Bean turned around to look for David, but there was no sign of him or the girl he was talking to. Suddenly, Bean felt something wet drop onto her head. "Great, it's raining," she muttered. Her thoughts were proven wrong when she looked up and saw David leaning over the fire escape above her. "You reject!! What's wid da spit- bomb? That is so gross!" she yelled at him playfully. She climbed up the fire escape and punched his arm.
David winced. "Ouch, that actually hurt."
"Yer jus a sissy." Bean teased him.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" he asked.
Bean took a deep breath and began. She told David everything she had been going through in the past few months. She told him about how her and Race has become really good friends and how she thought he liked her, but she didn't know how she felt about him. She told him about her relationship with Skittery, miraculously without crying, but when she started talking about how she thought she was in love with Race, she started bawling. David pulled Bean towards him and wrapped his arms around her. When she finally stopped crying, she looked up at David. "But now that I saw how he treated Veronica, I'm not so sure." David pulled her closer as she started to cry again.
---
Bean was nowhere to be found. Race had looked everywhere for her. He needed to tell her how he felt before he lost his nerve. He walked down the alley by Tibby's, still looking around. He heard a noise coming from the fire escape and looked up. David was standing there with his arms around a girl. 'Way tah go, Davey!' Race thought. Just then, the girl turned her head slightly, enabling Race to see who she was. Wait, what was David doing with BEAN? His eyes filled with tears, Race turned around and rushed out of the alley.
---
Bean stormed up the steps into the bunkroom. Her talk with David had made her feel better, especially when he gave her advice on what to do about Tom and her flashbacks, but she was still angry with Race over what he did to Veronica.
"Race!" she screamed as she entered the bunkroom. "I gotz tah have a lil tawk wit you!"
Race rolled his eyes and stood up. "Whaddya want?"
"How dare ya do dat tah Veronica? She's such a sweetheart!"
"I jus didn't want 'er as a goilfriend. I jus tink o' er as a friend now."
Normally, this would have been an acceptable answer, but looking into his eyes, Bean knew there had to be something more to it. "Dat can't be de only reason, Race. Dere's sumthin else, I can tell."
Race's eyes darted around the room, looking at the other newsies. He knew he needed to tell Bean the truth, but he didn't want an audience. He made eye contact with Kid Blink and cleared his throat. Kid Blink took the hint and started to clear everyone out of the bunkroom.
Once the room was empty, Bean asked him again, "C'mon Race, what's up wit you? You know you can tell me anythin."
Race closed his eyes and took a second to gather up his courage. "I. I. I love you Bean. I always have. But apparently you dun return da feeling, coz I saw you wit Davey earlier." Race turned around and ran down the stairs.
Bean heard the front door of the lodging house slam shut. She walked over to the window and looked down into the street below. Race was sitting against the wall with his face buried in his hands.
Bean felt awful. Race must have seen David hugging her when she was crying. She contemplated going down there and trying to explain everything to him, but decided it wouldn't help anything. Exhausted, Bean crawled into her bunk and fell asleep.
---
Anna was lost. where did her mommy and daddy go, and where was she? After the scary men took her mommy, she ran until she couldn't anymore, and now she didn't know where she was. She tugged on a man's pant leg. "Misser, I can't find my mommy an' daddy."
