My uncle stood in the doorway, looking down his nose at his worn and dirty
surroundings.
I tensed up and ducked out of my chair. Blink and Mush scooted closer together to hide me from my uncle. Even if they didn't know it was my uncle.
But what was he doing here? He made it quite clear I wasn't his nephew anymore.
"I need to speak with Anthony Higgins. Will you please fetch him for me." It wasn't a request.
"There ain't nobody here who goes by that name." Ah, Jack and his 'improving the truth'.
Technically he was right though. No one calls me Anthony Higgins.
My uncle strode into the room stopping when he was face to face with Jack. He had to look up at Jack, but managed to look down his nose at the same time.
Shortness runs in my mom's side of the family.
He looked over in my direction and I scrunched myself up even smaller behind Blink and Mush.
He must have seen me though because he started talking.
"I need to talk to you. Alone." He demanded in Italian
I muttered a few curses and stayed where I was.
"Anthony." He walked around Mush and Blink and was now right in front of me.
He shouldn't be allowed to do that.
I stood up and walked slowly over toward him.
"In English or not at all. And you can say whatever you have to say here."
"But the others-" He still spoke in Italian as he looked distastefully at Jack and the others.
"I trust them. Which is more than I can say for you."
I didn't really want to hear what he had to say. But if I had to hear it, I didn't want to hear it alone.
"You don't mind them hearing?" The room was silent as the boys all turned to look at my uncle.
"No." They all turned their heads so they were looking at me. Discreetly, of course, but they were all watching.
"I have an offer for you." He paused expectantly.
I said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
Silence.
"Well?" So I'm not the most patient person in the world.
"I would like to ask you to return home."
I didn't see that one coming.
"No." Why would I even want to go back? Has he forgotten what he did?
"What do you mean, no?" I guess it didn't occur to him that I would refuse.
"I mean no, I do not want to go back with you."
He looked me over slowly. "I'll give you a week to think about it."
I don't really think I need a week to decide.
"You're aunt misses you." And with that, he was gone.
That was low.
I miss my aunt. She was the one reason I didn't leave after that first Sunday. She was the sweetest lady and was always talking about how wonderful it was to have a child in the house again. She made me cookies.
I feel guilty.
Now that my uncle was gone, I found myself surrounded by people who wanted to know what that was all about. I didn't really want to tell anyone, but I managed to make the best I could of the situation. I resumed the poker game that had been so rudely interrupted.
A week passed. Now it's Sunday afternoon and I'm sitting in the darkest corner of the lobby that I can find trying not to freak out. I'd have to say I'm not quite succeeding.
The door opened and there stood my aunt.
Wait a minute. My aunt?
I'm too nice for my own good. And that's why I'm sitting here in the carriage, wearing the scarf my aunt knitted for me, going back to her house. And my uncle's house.
Why am I so stupid?
Why?
AN: Ok.I've been bad and haven't updated this in what, 2 weeks? But I did post two chapters.
Hmmm.I'm not sure if I handled the time passing part of this chapter so well. If anyone found it confusing or jumpy tell me and I'll try to fix it.
I just watched the audio commentary on the Newsies DVD. HEHE. I'd say it's all worth it for hearing them talking about Max Casella. . .and how he taught the younger kids on set to gamble. . .hurah for corrupting the youth!
Legs: Hehe, Jack will always be a little bit of a dork to me(even if he's good at hiding it sometimes). Mainly because I know a guy who looks kinda like him. It's spooky. He doesn't look like Christian Bale exactly, but he looks like Jack. Like the part when they're on the steps at the distribution center and Jack just said they should go on strike. Then Race says, "Are you outta your mind?!" and Jack says "It's a good idea!" Right there. That's what my friend Forrest looks like. Again, I say it's spooky. Heh. . .sorry for that random story and THANKS! for reviewing!
Funkiechick: I guess Max was 19- on the audio commentary it said he was. But he was born in 1967, which would make him 24/25 when the movie came out. Geh. I'm confuseled. Thanks for the reviews. . .ah, I feel warm and fuzzy inside(
I tensed up and ducked out of my chair. Blink and Mush scooted closer together to hide me from my uncle. Even if they didn't know it was my uncle.
But what was he doing here? He made it quite clear I wasn't his nephew anymore.
"I need to speak with Anthony Higgins. Will you please fetch him for me." It wasn't a request.
"There ain't nobody here who goes by that name." Ah, Jack and his 'improving the truth'.
Technically he was right though. No one calls me Anthony Higgins.
My uncle strode into the room stopping when he was face to face with Jack. He had to look up at Jack, but managed to look down his nose at the same time.
Shortness runs in my mom's side of the family.
He looked over in my direction and I scrunched myself up even smaller behind Blink and Mush.
He must have seen me though because he started talking.
"I need to talk to you. Alone." He demanded in Italian
I muttered a few curses and stayed where I was.
"Anthony." He walked around Mush and Blink and was now right in front of me.
He shouldn't be allowed to do that.
I stood up and walked slowly over toward him.
"In English or not at all. And you can say whatever you have to say here."
"But the others-" He still spoke in Italian as he looked distastefully at Jack and the others.
"I trust them. Which is more than I can say for you."
I didn't really want to hear what he had to say. But if I had to hear it, I didn't want to hear it alone.
"You don't mind them hearing?" The room was silent as the boys all turned to look at my uncle.
"No." They all turned their heads so they were looking at me. Discreetly, of course, but they were all watching.
"I have an offer for you." He paused expectantly.
I said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
Silence.
"Well?" So I'm not the most patient person in the world.
"I would like to ask you to return home."
I didn't see that one coming.
"No." Why would I even want to go back? Has he forgotten what he did?
"What do you mean, no?" I guess it didn't occur to him that I would refuse.
"I mean no, I do not want to go back with you."
He looked me over slowly. "I'll give you a week to think about it."
I don't really think I need a week to decide.
"You're aunt misses you." And with that, he was gone.
That was low.
I miss my aunt. She was the one reason I didn't leave after that first Sunday. She was the sweetest lady and was always talking about how wonderful it was to have a child in the house again. She made me cookies.
I feel guilty.
Now that my uncle was gone, I found myself surrounded by people who wanted to know what that was all about. I didn't really want to tell anyone, but I managed to make the best I could of the situation. I resumed the poker game that had been so rudely interrupted.
A week passed. Now it's Sunday afternoon and I'm sitting in the darkest corner of the lobby that I can find trying not to freak out. I'd have to say I'm not quite succeeding.
The door opened and there stood my aunt.
Wait a minute. My aunt?
I'm too nice for my own good. And that's why I'm sitting here in the carriage, wearing the scarf my aunt knitted for me, going back to her house. And my uncle's house.
Why am I so stupid?
Why?
AN: Ok.I've been bad and haven't updated this in what, 2 weeks? But I did post two chapters.
Hmmm.I'm not sure if I handled the time passing part of this chapter so well. If anyone found it confusing or jumpy tell me and I'll try to fix it.
I just watched the audio commentary on the Newsies DVD. HEHE. I'd say it's all worth it for hearing them talking about Max Casella. . .and how he taught the younger kids on set to gamble. . .hurah for corrupting the youth!
Legs: Hehe, Jack will always be a little bit of a dork to me(even if he's good at hiding it sometimes). Mainly because I know a guy who looks kinda like him. It's spooky. He doesn't look like Christian Bale exactly, but he looks like Jack. Like the part when they're on the steps at the distribution center and Jack just said they should go on strike. Then Race says, "Are you outta your mind?!" and Jack says "It's a good idea!" Right there. That's what my friend Forrest looks like. Again, I say it's spooky. Heh. . .sorry for that random story and THANKS! for reviewing!
Funkiechick: I guess Max was 19- on the audio commentary it said he was. But he was born in 1967, which would make him 24/25 when the movie came out. Geh. I'm confuseled. Thanks for the reviews. . .ah, I feel warm and fuzzy inside(