"Latch, where ya been kid?" Bailey smiled as Elizabeth shut the back door
to Irving Hall shut. She looked around to see a few of the girls sitting
around talking.
" Yeah, we thought ya ran off," Athena smiled as Whispered stood next to her, biting her nails in a nervous manner.
" Easy kid, don't eat your hand," Rain smacked Whispers hand away from her mouth in a caring manner.
" Look, has anyone seen Torn?" Elizabeth questioned as the girl gazed back and forth at each other trying to figure out who knew where she was.
" I do," a sweet voice called out. Elizabeth turned to see bright blue eyes smiling at her. " She's with my aunt right now," Riley reported leaning up against the stage wall. " Why, what's the matter kid? Thinkin' you want to join us for good?" Riley asked raising an eye brown, her brown hair brushed back behind one ear as the other side hung down in front of her chest.
" Maybe, maybe not," Elizabeth shrugged, wishing she could just run and talk to Torn.
" What seems to be going on here? Having a little party that I wasn't invited too?" Jade's voice called from behind Elizabeth. Elizabeth turned to see Jade, cigarette in hand and a trail of smoke now leaving her nostrils.
" Oh, every lady like, Jade," Bailey rolled her eyes as Jade shot Bailey an evil glance.
" Look, I just really need to talk to Torn," Elizabeth begged as the door burst through.
" Where's Medda?" Jack breathed as the girls stood up, flattening out their dresses trying to look more attractive for the teenage boy who had just barge in.
" Meeting," Riley answered with one word as Jack gave a small frown.
" Well can you tell her Jack Kelly stopped by to see her?" he asked as the girls gave a small giggle.
" Look, we know who you are," Riley replied as Jack gave her an odd look.
" Wait, you Medda's niece?" Jack asked as Riley gave a smile.
" Da one an' only," Riley cruised slightly as Jack nodded.
" Right. So, will ya tell her I stopped by?" Jack asked again.
" Look, we get da picture," Jade said moving into view of Jack. " Now, if you don't mind," she smiled, blowing a puff of smoke in his direction. "You might want to get back to your little strike," she winked as Jack headed towards the door.
" Jack, have you seen David?" Elizabeth ran over to him before had left.
" Yeah, why?" Jack replied, wiping his nose on the back of his hand with a sniff.
" Well, I need to talk to him," Elizabeth said as Jack gave a nod.
" Sure kid. I'll tell 'im. Latch right?" he asked as Elizabeth gave a shrug.
" Or Elizabeth," she answered.
" Right. I'll let him know," Jack said, turning on his heal and heading out the door.
" What's the matter?" Bailey asked heading over next to Elizabeth, picking up on her nervousness, which was started to come back worse than before. Elizabeth pulled out the folded piece of paper and handed to Bailey. Bailey looked down at the paper, reading over, as her eyes grew wide.
" What's this, a note?" Jade snatched the paper out of Bailey's hand.
" Hey! Give that back! That's not yours!" Bailey yelled jumping up and attempting to grab the paper back from Jade's grasp.
" What do we have here?" Jade said turning her back towards Bailey and reading over the piece of paper. " Well, dear me girls, it appears that Latch, or should I say, Elizabeth's parent's are looking for her. Oh, and what's this? There is a large reward for her return?" Jade's eyes grew wide.
" What?" Rain asked looking over at Elizabeth. "That's great, right? You're going home, aren't you?" Rain's eagerness showed in voice as it struck a high pitch noise as she blushed, clamping her hand over her mouth.
" This is good right?" Whisper spoke up. " All you've wanted to do was go home. And who could blame you? All those parties, the nice dresses," she sighed rubbing hand over her old tattered one.
" But wait, what about David?" Rain asked suddenly feeling inclined to bring up something that Elizabeth wasn't ready to face yet.
" Wait...David?" Jade asked with a half laugh. " You mean, that blue- eyed boy that has the little kid brother?" she asked as Rain gave a nod. " No way!" she smiled as she draped her arm over Elizabeth's shoulder, allowing Elizabeth to snatch the paper back. But Jade just kept her arm there. " So honey...what's he like?" she winked at Riley who now crossed her arms shaking her head.
" Jade, leave her alone," Riley said, coming over and pulling Jade away from Elizabeth.
" You guys missed it!" a voice yelled from the front of the building as the girls turned to see Lookout heading towards them. "It was wonderful! The look on those scabers faces when Brooklyn showed up!" Lookout was now laughing, grabbing her side as she took a seat next to Taffee.
" Lookout, what are ya talkin' bout?" Taffee asked looking over to see Lookout with a bloody lip. " What happened?" Taffee exclaimed pointing at her lip almost horrified.
" Oh, me lip. From da fight." Lookout shrugged.
" What fight, what about Brooklyn?" Torn's voice called from the stairs as she walked down and stood next to Elizabeth, who was now more concerned with what Lookout was talking about than the piece of wrinkled paper in her hand.
" The strike fight." Lookout said as if everyone should have known. "Brooklyn showed up. Looks like wit Jack gettin' Sneaks out of da refuge it help persuade Brooklyn to join. Plus, with the small braw they had yesterday, Brooklyn was a little impressed. Right when it looked bad foah Manhattan, Brooklyn showed up. Dis real nice reported guy snapped a picture of a few o' da newsies. Sadly, I's couldn't get in da picture in time," Lookout frowned. "Got one scabbah 'round da neck still," she shrugged. "But I's think it's a real turning point foah da strike." she smiled crossing her arms. "Who knows, da boys might come by later ta celebrate!" She winked as a few of the girls threw glances at each other in excitement.
" Where are they now?" Elizabeth asked, wishing that they would actually walk in any minute.
" I dunno. I think they went back ta da Lodging House foah a rest. Some o' da boys got banged up a bit, so I's think dey's taking a breather." Lookout replied. " Anyway, I's should get word out ta da Bronx an' Harlem. If ya need me, just send a Brooklyn boid out," Lookout winked as she headed out of Irving Hall leaving the girls chatting quietly amongst themselves.
" Goils," Torn spoke up as Riley walked over next to her. "I's think dat Riley'll agree wit me here. I's think we's should get ta work." Riley gave a nod as the girls got up and headed out onto the stage as Gin walked out, starting to sing. Elizabeth stood there, lost in a mass confusion of thought. The strike. The newspaper. Mr. Jacobs....David. She sighed and flopped down on the floor in a ball, leaning against a truck and fell asleep.
" Yeah, we thought ya ran off," Athena smiled as Whispered stood next to her, biting her nails in a nervous manner.
" Easy kid, don't eat your hand," Rain smacked Whispers hand away from her mouth in a caring manner.
" Look, has anyone seen Torn?" Elizabeth questioned as the girl gazed back and forth at each other trying to figure out who knew where she was.
" I do," a sweet voice called out. Elizabeth turned to see bright blue eyes smiling at her. " She's with my aunt right now," Riley reported leaning up against the stage wall. " Why, what's the matter kid? Thinkin' you want to join us for good?" Riley asked raising an eye brown, her brown hair brushed back behind one ear as the other side hung down in front of her chest.
" Maybe, maybe not," Elizabeth shrugged, wishing she could just run and talk to Torn.
" What seems to be going on here? Having a little party that I wasn't invited too?" Jade's voice called from behind Elizabeth. Elizabeth turned to see Jade, cigarette in hand and a trail of smoke now leaving her nostrils.
" Oh, every lady like, Jade," Bailey rolled her eyes as Jade shot Bailey an evil glance.
" Look, I just really need to talk to Torn," Elizabeth begged as the door burst through.
" Where's Medda?" Jack breathed as the girls stood up, flattening out their dresses trying to look more attractive for the teenage boy who had just barge in.
" Meeting," Riley answered with one word as Jack gave a small frown.
" Well can you tell her Jack Kelly stopped by to see her?" he asked as the girls gave a small giggle.
" Look, we know who you are," Riley replied as Jack gave her an odd look.
" Wait, you Medda's niece?" Jack asked as Riley gave a smile.
" Da one an' only," Riley cruised slightly as Jack nodded.
" Right. So, will ya tell her I stopped by?" Jack asked again.
" Look, we get da picture," Jade said moving into view of Jack. " Now, if you don't mind," she smiled, blowing a puff of smoke in his direction. "You might want to get back to your little strike," she winked as Jack headed towards the door.
" Jack, have you seen David?" Elizabeth ran over to him before had left.
" Yeah, why?" Jack replied, wiping his nose on the back of his hand with a sniff.
" Well, I need to talk to him," Elizabeth said as Jack gave a nod.
" Sure kid. I'll tell 'im. Latch right?" he asked as Elizabeth gave a shrug.
" Or Elizabeth," she answered.
" Right. I'll let him know," Jack said, turning on his heal and heading out the door.
" What's the matter?" Bailey asked heading over next to Elizabeth, picking up on her nervousness, which was started to come back worse than before. Elizabeth pulled out the folded piece of paper and handed to Bailey. Bailey looked down at the paper, reading over, as her eyes grew wide.
" What's this, a note?" Jade snatched the paper out of Bailey's hand.
" Hey! Give that back! That's not yours!" Bailey yelled jumping up and attempting to grab the paper back from Jade's grasp.
" What do we have here?" Jade said turning her back towards Bailey and reading over the piece of paper. " Well, dear me girls, it appears that Latch, or should I say, Elizabeth's parent's are looking for her. Oh, and what's this? There is a large reward for her return?" Jade's eyes grew wide.
" What?" Rain asked looking over at Elizabeth. "That's great, right? You're going home, aren't you?" Rain's eagerness showed in voice as it struck a high pitch noise as she blushed, clamping her hand over her mouth.
" This is good right?" Whisper spoke up. " All you've wanted to do was go home. And who could blame you? All those parties, the nice dresses," she sighed rubbing hand over her old tattered one.
" But wait, what about David?" Rain asked suddenly feeling inclined to bring up something that Elizabeth wasn't ready to face yet.
" Wait...David?" Jade asked with a half laugh. " You mean, that blue- eyed boy that has the little kid brother?" she asked as Rain gave a nod. " No way!" she smiled as she draped her arm over Elizabeth's shoulder, allowing Elizabeth to snatch the paper back. But Jade just kept her arm there. " So honey...what's he like?" she winked at Riley who now crossed her arms shaking her head.
" Jade, leave her alone," Riley said, coming over and pulling Jade away from Elizabeth.
" You guys missed it!" a voice yelled from the front of the building as the girls turned to see Lookout heading towards them. "It was wonderful! The look on those scabers faces when Brooklyn showed up!" Lookout was now laughing, grabbing her side as she took a seat next to Taffee.
" Lookout, what are ya talkin' bout?" Taffee asked looking over to see Lookout with a bloody lip. " What happened?" Taffee exclaimed pointing at her lip almost horrified.
" Oh, me lip. From da fight." Lookout shrugged.
" What fight, what about Brooklyn?" Torn's voice called from the stairs as she walked down and stood next to Elizabeth, who was now more concerned with what Lookout was talking about than the piece of wrinkled paper in her hand.
" The strike fight." Lookout said as if everyone should have known. "Brooklyn showed up. Looks like wit Jack gettin' Sneaks out of da refuge it help persuade Brooklyn to join. Plus, with the small braw they had yesterday, Brooklyn was a little impressed. Right when it looked bad foah Manhattan, Brooklyn showed up. Dis real nice reported guy snapped a picture of a few o' da newsies. Sadly, I's couldn't get in da picture in time," Lookout frowned. "Got one scabbah 'round da neck still," she shrugged. "But I's think it's a real turning point foah da strike." she smiled crossing her arms. "Who knows, da boys might come by later ta celebrate!" She winked as a few of the girls threw glances at each other in excitement.
" Where are they now?" Elizabeth asked, wishing that they would actually walk in any minute.
" I dunno. I think they went back ta da Lodging House foah a rest. Some o' da boys got banged up a bit, so I's think dey's taking a breather." Lookout replied. " Anyway, I's should get word out ta da Bronx an' Harlem. If ya need me, just send a Brooklyn boid out," Lookout winked as she headed out of Irving Hall leaving the girls chatting quietly amongst themselves.
" Goils," Torn spoke up as Riley walked over next to her. "I's think dat Riley'll agree wit me here. I's think we's should get ta work." Riley gave a nod as the girls got up and headed out onto the stage as Gin walked out, starting to sing. Elizabeth stood there, lost in a mass confusion of thought. The strike. The newspaper. Mr. Jacobs....David. She sighed and flopped down on the floor in a ball, leaning against a truck and fell asleep.
