"Well, look who's back!" Ms. McCain was very excited to see Lindsay.
"Lindsay needs a bunk, McCain." Blind Dymond explained.
Lindsay sighed and smiled as she looked around, "It is good to be home."
"Do ya have any money, Linz?" Dymond asked.
Lindsay felt badly about not being able to pay for a bunk. "Oh, no. I left without taking anything."
"As we can plainly see." McCain laughed and gestured toward Lindsay's attire.
"Yeah, let's go git ya changed." Blind Dymond led Lindsay toward the stairs, "Is it alright if she pays ya latah?" Dymond asked McCain.
"Of coise. Welcome home, Linz." McCain smiled her kindly, elderly smile.
Once upstairs, the two girls found the bunkroom empty with the exception of a solemn Tachinya lying on her bunk. "Tachinya!" Tachinya jumped at Lindsay's voice.
"Lindsay?" Tachinya got down off her bunk to embrace her friend. "What are you doing here? I thought I'd never see you again."
"Well, you are going to see plenty of me from now on. I am home for good."
"Well, it's about time." Tachinya and Lindsay laughed and talked while Dymond searched for spare clothing.
"Gee, it's like the whole gang is back together.well, except Ritz. What has she been up to lately? Is she still Racetrack's girl?"
"Well, actually, Ritz is living in Brooklyn these days." Tachinya was not too happy to bring up a sore subject for the Manhattan newsies.
"What is she doing there?" Lindsay asked, looking from Tachinya to Dymond, realizing neither really wanted to talk about the situation.
"She's gonna be getting' married tah one of Spot's boys." Blind Dymond explained.
"Really?" Lindsay was shocked. "What about Racetrack?"
"Apparently she had been cheating on Racetrack with this Brooklyn boy for several months." Tachinya instinctively began braiding Lindsay's hair.
"Who is this boy?" Lindsay asked, very distressed by Ritz's lack of discretion.
"His name's Snail. He's Spot's co-leadah." Dymond claimed.
"Well," Lindsay was going to be supportive of her old friend; "I would like to see Ritz. Is there anyway we can send her a message to meet us in Manhattan."
The other girls were not too thrilled with the idea of being seen with Ritz in Manhattan. Every friend of Racetrack, which was virtually every newsie but Skittery, disowned Ritz when she left Racetrack and broke his heart. Ritz had not been back to Manhattan since she had left. Besides her absence, there was no real way to "send" for a newsie and be able to see her in the same day. "Why don't we just go to Brooklyn and see her?" Tachinya suggested.
"Brooklyn, I don't know. It is so dangerous." Lindsay tried to hide her fear.
"Has it been dat long, Linz?" Dymond asked, "You an' Mush used tah go on dates in Brooklyn all dah time."
"Not ALL dah, er, the time. Just every now and then, and that was a long time ago."
"We'll be perfectly safe, Linz, and Mush can come with us for your protection." Tachinya suggested.
A few moments later, McCain called up the stairs. "Lindsay! Ya jist got heah an' already ya gotta a male caller."
The girls quickly put together an outfit and tromped down the stairs where they found Mush waiting. Lindsay wrapped her arms around Mush's neck. "Oh, Lindsay," he sighed, "You're so beautiful." Lindsay giggled and kissed Mush on the cheek. As elegant as Lindsay always looked in her highbrow apparel, Mush had definitely missed the newsgirl look. The girls had found Lindsay a gray skirt and a peach blouse that fitted very smartly. The two long braids that lay on Lindsay's shoulders were the thing that most reminded Mush of the newsgirl he once knew.
"Mush, can we go to Brooklyn to see Ritz?" Lindsay asked.
Mush thought about the proposal for several moments. He was not too happy with how Ritz had treated his best friend, but on the other hand, Ritz was Lindsay's best friend. Plus, Mush could not bear to disappoint his girl on her first day home. "Okay, but first ya need to get back into the newsie swing of things." Mush handed Lindsay a small stack of papes and smiled.
Lindsay laughed, "Thanks, Mush."
Lindsay and Mush began to sell their afternoon papes, Blind Dymond took a stroll to the DC to purchase any remaining papes, and Tachinya went back to sulking in the bunkroom.
"Lindsay needs a bunk, McCain." Blind Dymond explained.
Lindsay sighed and smiled as she looked around, "It is good to be home."
"Do ya have any money, Linz?" Dymond asked.
Lindsay felt badly about not being able to pay for a bunk. "Oh, no. I left without taking anything."
"As we can plainly see." McCain laughed and gestured toward Lindsay's attire.
"Yeah, let's go git ya changed." Blind Dymond led Lindsay toward the stairs, "Is it alright if she pays ya latah?" Dymond asked McCain.
"Of coise. Welcome home, Linz." McCain smiled her kindly, elderly smile.
Once upstairs, the two girls found the bunkroom empty with the exception of a solemn Tachinya lying on her bunk. "Tachinya!" Tachinya jumped at Lindsay's voice.
"Lindsay?" Tachinya got down off her bunk to embrace her friend. "What are you doing here? I thought I'd never see you again."
"Well, you are going to see plenty of me from now on. I am home for good."
"Well, it's about time." Tachinya and Lindsay laughed and talked while Dymond searched for spare clothing.
"Gee, it's like the whole gang is back together.well, except Ritz. What has she been up to lately? Is she still Racetrack's girl?"
"Well, actually, Ritz is living in Brooklyn these days." Tachinya was not too happy to bring up a sore subject for the Manhattan newsies.
"What is she doing there?" Lindsay asked, looking from Tachinya to Dymond, realizing neither really wanted to talk about the situation.
"She's gonna be getting' married tah one of Spot's boys." Blind Dymond explained.
"Really?" Lindsay was shocked. "What about Racetrack?"
"Apparently she had been cheating on Racetrack with this Brooklyn boy for several months." Tachinya instinctively began braiding Lindsay's hair.
"Who is this boy?" Lindsay asked, very distressed by Ritz's lack of discretion.
"His name's Snail. He's Spot's co-leadah." Dymond claimed.
"Well," Lindsay was going to be supportive of her old friend; "I would like to see Ritz. Is there anyway we can send her a message to meet us in Manhattan."
The other girls were not too thrilled with the idea of being seen with Ritz in Manhattan. Every friend of Racetrack, which was virtually every newsie but Skittery, disowned Ritz when she left Racetrack and broke his heart. Ritz had not been back to Manhattan since she had left. Besides her absence, there was no real way to "send" for a newsie and be able to see her in the same day. "Why don't we just go to Brooklyn and see her?" Tachinya suggested.
"Brooklyn, I don't know. It is so dangerous." Lindsay tried to hide her fear.
"Has it been dat long, Linz?" Dymond asked, "You an' Mush used tah go on dates in Brooklyn all dah time."
"Not ALL dah, er, the time. Just every now and then, and that was a long time ago."
"We'll be perfectly safe, Linz, and Mush can come with us for your protection." Tachinya suggested.
A few moments later, McCain called up the stairs. "Lindsay! Ya jist got heah an' already ya gotta a male caller."
The girls quickly put together an outfit and tromped down the stairs where they found Mush waiting. Lindsay wrapped her arms around Mush's neck. "Oh, Lindsay," he sighed, "You're so beautiful." Lindsay giggled and kissed Mush on the cheek. As elegant as Lindsay always looked in her highbrow apparel, Mush had definitely missed the newsgirl look. The girls had found Lindsay a gray skirt and a peach blouse that fitted very smartly. The two long braids that lay on Lindsay's shoulders were the thing that most reminded Mush of the newsgirl he once knew.
"Mush, can we go to Brooklyn to see Ritz?" Lindsay asked.
Mush thought about the proposal for several moments. He was not too happy with how Ritz had treated his best friend, but on the other hand, Ritz was Lindsay's best friend. Plus, Mush could not bear to disappoint his girl on her first day home. "Okay, but first ya need to get back into the newsie swing of things." Mush handed Lindsay a small stack of papes and smiled.
Lindsay laughed, "Thanks, Mush."
Lindsay and Mush began to sell their afternoon papes, Blind Dymond took a stroll to the DC to purchase any remaining papes, and Tachinya went back to sulking in the bunkroom.