Chapter 7: Chewy?
I woke up the next morning feeling great. I liked Race alot, but I wouldn't dare admit it to anyone. He was gonna show me the ropes about the town and how to sell papes today.
I walked downstairs to see that Race already had my papes and was holding them out to me.
"Alright, ya gotta know that Headlines dont sell papes, Newsies sell papes."
"ok...wait, TERRIFIED SEA GULLS RUN FROM OIL SPILL what the hell kinda title is that?" Race sighed, I laughed. "Oh, you mean make up the headlines?" He chuckled and stuck with me for about a half hour.
"Can I sell by myself now? please...?" I asked Race, practically begging.
"Look, if anything happened to ya, I'd neva forgive meself, ya dont know the streets too well..." He said, blushing.
"Aww, race..." I said, putting my hand on my heart. "I didnt know you cared!" With that, I walked away to sell by myself, but I could still feel his eyes on me. The people around me were looking at me as though I was crazy, so I just screamed any random headline at the top of my lungs: EXTRA EXTRA PULITZER FOUND SLEEPING WITH 2 MEN AND HIS DAUGHTER! READ ALL ABOUT IT!
Just then the people who were staring at me rushed in to by their papes. Soon enough, they were gone.
I turned around to see Race looking at me in amazement, I guess he hadn't finished selling.
"So, ya wanna go to Tibby's?" I asked him. He shook his head no, and said that he had needed to talk to me.
"Oh, ok" I was slightly disappointed that I couldn't go see the rest of the boys, but curious to see what it was he had to tell me.
As soon as he was done selling his papes, we walked away from the crowds and started to talk. I was amazed at how close we had gotten, and how much we had in common.
"So, uh, ya wanna tell me bout your parents? Why aintcha livin wid dem?" He spoke softly and looked at his feet.
"Well, I could neva really call me parents mom or dad, I jist didnt love 'em, I loved me sistah though..." my voice trailed off and he looked up at me, it was my turn to look at the ground.
"Look at me..." but I couldn't, I didnt want to look into his eyes, they'd make me tell him things I didnt want to. He put his hand under my chin and lifted it up, forcing me to look into his eyes.
"Look, if ya eva need anyone to talk to, I'm here. ok?" I saw so many emotions running through his eyes that it made me gasp. I saw sadness, curiosity, disappointment and a hint of sympathy.
"ok..." I said as i pulled away from him. "Well, like I'se said, me sistah was da only one I loved. So one night, I was on my way back from Santa Fe, and it was rainin. I walked up to my house, on top of da hill, and tried to get inside but me door was locked. So I climbed through me parents window, only to see 'em dead...I hoped that it hadn't happened to me sistah, but It...did." I cleared me throat. I had to pause in order to keep down the tears. "I, um...I took her bracelet. I didnt know where to go, and since I had no family, I went to Brooklyn, but then came here."
"Why didnt ya stay in Brooklyn?"
"Well, I didnt wanna tell anyone bout me past then, an' I thought Spot would have figured it out."
"Oh..."
"Race! Stormy! Thanks god we'se found ya!" Blink yelled as he raced toward us, we hadn't gone that far from Manhattan, so it wasn't a long run.
"What, what is it Blink?" I asked urgently.
"We'se found dis goil, an-an Crutchy told us bout hoir, but we'se dont know what happened to hoir, she looks hoit real bad, ya's gotta come."
We didn't even answer but raced back to the Lodging House. I busted through the bunkroom door and yelled to get out of my way.
"Get outta me way! Lemme get to da goil!" I said as I got nearer to the bunk.
I gasped and stopped abruptly as I saw who it was. I looked around the room, and nobody seemed too worried about her. I think Blink exaggerated at how badly she was hurt because it wasn't too bad, just some bumps and bruises, maybe a knife cut here or there, but they weren't too deep.
"Chewy?!" I said in an unbelieving whisper.
I looked at her again as I heard murmurs of 'Slut' 'whore' and 'hooker' float around the room. If I didnt know the girl I would have agreed. Her shirt was practically torn off, revealing a lean stomach and her shorts were short enough to wear as underwear, they looked like they had been ripped apart. She had long brown hair that was pin straight and a tanned skin color.
"Shut da Hell up!" I yelled to everyone.
"Chewy, Chewy wake up!" I shook her lightly, but nothing happened.
"Ey, you know dis goil?" I heard Race ask.
I laughed. "Do I know this goil?! DO I KNOW HOIR? Of coise (course) I'se know hoir!" I sighed, they wouldn't understand.
"Boys, dis is Chewy, she used ta be me best friend, but one day, left. She always told me bout how she wanted to go to Santa Fe, so I'se went dere pretendin to live wid me Aunt, but was really lookin for hoir."
"You'se been ta Santa Fe?" Jack asked me.
I smiled. "Coise I'se been ta Santa Fe." He looked like he wanted to ask me more about it, but I stopped him.
"So, anyone know what happened to hoir?" I asked as I looked around the room.
Out of a corner came the boy with he crutch, Crutchy.
"I do...I was in da alleyway, and the Delaney's was comin me way. They kicked out me crutch and started soakin me. I guess she was walkin by cuz the next thing I know she starts kickin dere ass. I was down on the ground watchin. But..."
He looked down and stopped.
"C'mon, what happened Crutchy?" I spoke so softly and calmly that it startled me.
"well, she toined (turned) to hand me my crutch, and de got hoir from behind. I tried to hit 'em, I really did, I swear!" He said, looking around nervously "but de got hoir. Next thing I know I'm up and having to take hoir here. She saved me, I really owe hoir one."
"Yea" I sighed "She was one to fight."
She woke up next morning and fell off da bed. I laughed at her, I thought it was funny, I guess seeing me had scared her.
"S-Stormy?" she asked shakily.
"Ey ya Chewy, was goin on?" I asked as if we still saw each other everyday.
"STORMY!!!" She leapt up and pulled me into a hug. "Ow! Shit!" She yelled. She looked down at her torn clothes and remembered the night before.
"Where is he?" she asked excitedly. "Where's who?"
She sighed. "You know," her smile grew "the cute one with the crutch!" she whispered to me, as if someone else was in the room when all the boys were sellin dere papes.
I laughed, really, really hard. "See you haven't changed." I glanced at the clock, it was 1.
"C'mon, lets get you dressed den I'll take ya to meet 'im." She hugged me again and then changed into Newsies clothes.
**********Shout Outs*********
Hey guys, thanks for the reviews, CHEWY, hope you like! lol. You'll meet the 'cute one with the Crutch' next chapter, promise!
Lil Rain Angel*~* you're one of my fav. reviewers, thanks soo much!