Chapter 4: Specs and Gauche
John came back from selling with his pockets weighed down with coins. He was still feeing guilty about Mush and Blink having to share their breakfast with him that morning, so he insisted that he treat them to lunch. As they had seen how well John had sold, they gladly accepted his offer.
They took John to the diner they had mentioned earlier, Tibby's. "It is the meeting place for all the Newsies from our Lodging House. And sometimes Spot Conlon himself joins us there!" Mush had explained. Both newsies were thoroughly excited about showing off their charge to the other newsies.
They sat in a booth and John could tell that Mush and Blink were waiting for someone to ask how his selling had gone. Across the restaurant, a boy, probably 16 or 17, with glasses rolled his eyes and came over.
He slid into the booth next to John and introduced himself. "They call me Specs. So, you're the new kid? How'd selling go?"
John shrugged. "I did okay, I guess."
Blink jumped into the conversation. "'Okay'? Just 'okay'? Let me tell you'se, Specsy-"
Specs winced. "I wish you wouldn't call me that, Blink."
Blink ignored Specs. "Dis boys a natural! He sold all his papes before me and Mush could sell ours!"
Mush chimed in. "And on his first pape, he got a nickel. What do you think of callin' him Nickel, Specs?"
Specs smiled quietly. "Nickel would certainly fit him. That's quite remarkable, John. And you are quite well spoken to be a newsie. Am I correct in assuming you have had schooling prior to this?"
Blink scratched his head and whispered to Mush, so that Specs wouldn't hear him. "'Ey, Mush? Do you'se know what ol' Specsy's sayin'. He ain't making no sense."
Mush shrugged. "He said something about school."
Specs rolled his eyes. "Ignore them. Those two can be very dense at times. It can be quite frustrating talking with them." Specs adjusted his glasses. "Do you read much?"
John tried to remember his old favorite books. "I've always liked Charles Dickens' stories. Especially 'The Schoolboy's Story'."
Specs raised an eyebrow. "And I thought that only I had heard of it." He murmured, looking pointedly at a blonde glasses-wearing newsie in a near- by booth.
The blonde looked up. "Specsy, are you talking about me again? Just because you'se got an edjucatoin and I'se doesn't."
Specs nodded to him. "That's my best friend, Dutchy. He's real smart, but as he said, he doesn't have an education. He can't read or write, but he can hawk headlines with the best of them." Specs raised his voice a little. "AND HE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO CALLS ME 'SPECSY' AND GET'S AWAY WITH IT!"
Blink glared at him for a moment while John laughed. Specs shared a wink with Dutchy before turning to John.
"John, this might not be the place for you. You are educated. Educated newsies very seldom fit in. You are gauche here."
Specs got up to rejoin Dutchy, but hesitated. "But if you do fit in, keep Gauche in mind as a name. It fits you."
Blink looked suspiciously at John. "What'd Specs tell you? I can't understand a word he says."
John couldn't help smiling at poor, confused Blink. "Specs said I should be called Gauche."
Mush and Blink stared at him blankly. "Huh?"
"It means that I am different than you." John's smile widened as a look of understanding slowly came over their faces. None of the newsies would understand what Gauche meant, but it sounded classy and did set him apart from the others. What to choose?
SHOUT OUTS!
TO ROADTRIP:
Aguachica: Yay! I've always wanted a bunk bed! *eats sweets in new bunk bed*
John!muse: *sniffles* Meanie!
Blink!muse: Hey! Remember, John; the reviewer is always right!
John!muse: Huh?
TO INQUISITIVE INK:
Aguachica: *drinks champagne while eating sweets in new bunk bed* I'm glad you love the story! I like how it's turning out too!
John!muse: *is slightly tipsy and suddenly spots Cookie the Kitty* Aww. . . what a cute kitty! *John gives Cookie a big hug*
Mush!muse: Hey! My kitty! *snatches Cookie the Kitty away*
John!muse: *examines hands* Oooo! Pretty bumps!
TO PIXIE-GAV24601:
Aguachica: Prune juice?
John!muse: Prune juice!?
Mush!muse: PRUNE JUICE!!! *Mush gives your Grandma prune juice to distract her while you escape - shhh!*
John came back from selling with his pockets weighed down with coins. He was still feeing guilty about Mush and Blink having to share their breakfast with him that morning, so he insisted that he treat them to lunch. As they had seen how well John had sold, they gladly accepted his offer.
They took John to the diner they had mentioned earlier, Tibby's. "It is the meeting place for all the Newsies from our Lodging House. And sometimes Spot Conlon himself joins us there!" Mush had explained. Both newsies were thoroughly excited about showing off their charge to the other newsies.
They sat in a booth and John could tell that Mush and Blink were waiting for someone to ask how his selling had gone. Across the restaurant, a boy, probably 16 or 17, with glasses rolled his eyes and came over.
He slid into the booth next to John and introduced himself. "They call me Specs. So, you're the new kid? How'd selling go?"
John shrugged. "I did okay, I guess."
Blink jumped into the conversation. "'Okay'? Just 'okay'? Let me tell you'se, Specsy-"
Specs winced. "I wish you wouldn't call me that, Blink."
Blink ignored Specs. "Dis boys a natural! He sold all his papes before me and Mush could sell ours!"
Mush chimed in. "And on his first pape, he got a nickel. What do you think of callin' him Nickel, Specs?"
Specs smiled quietly. "Nickel would certainly fit him. That's quite remarkable, John. And you are quite well spoken to be a newsie. Am I correct in assuming you have had schooling prior to this?"
Blink scratched his head and whispered to Mush, so that Specs wouldn't hear him. "'Ey, Mush? Do you'se know what ol' Specsy's sayin'. He ain't making no sense."
Mush shrugged. "He said something about school."
Specs rolled his eyes. "Ignore them. Those two can be very dense at times. It can be quite frustrating talking with them." Specs adjusted his glasses. "Do you read much?"
John tried to remember his old favorite books. "I've always liked Charles Dickens' stories. Especially 'The Schoolboy's Story'."
Specs raised an eyebrow. "And I thought that only I had heard of it." He murmured, looking pointedly at a blonde glasses-wearing newsie in a near- by booth.
The blonde looked up. "Specsy, are you talking about me again? Just because you'se got an edjucatoin and I'se doesn't."
Specs nodded to him. "That's my best friend, Dutchy. He's real smart, but as he said, he doesn't have an education. He can't read or write, but he can hawk headlines with the best of them." Specs raised his voice a little. "AND HE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO CALLS ME 'SPECSY' AND GET'S AWAY WITH IT!"
Blink glared at him for a moment while John laughed. Specs shared a wink with Dutchy before turning to John.
"John, this might not be the place for you. You are educated. Educated newsies very seldom fit in. You are gauche here."
Specs got up to rejoin Dutchy, but hesitated. "But if you do fit in, keep Gauche in mind as a name. It fits you."
Blink looked suspiciously at John. "What'd Specs tell you? I can't understand a word he says."
John couldn't help smiling at poor, confused Blink. "Specs said I should be called Gauche."
Mush and Blink stared at him blankly. "Huh?"
"It means that I am different than you." John's smile widened as a look of understanding slowly came over their faces. None of the newsies would understand what Gauche meant, but it sounded classy and did set him apart from the others. What to choose?
SHOUT OUTS!
TO ROADTRIP:
Aguachica: Yay! I've always wanted a bunk bed! *eats sweets in new bunk bed*
John!muse: *sniffles* Meanie!
Blink!muse: Hey! Remember, John; the reviewer is always right!
John!muse: Huh?
TO INQUISITIVE INK:
Aguachica: *drinks champagne while eating sweets in new bunk bed* I'm glad you love the story! I like how it's turning out too!
John!muse: *is slightly tipsy and suddenly spots Cookie the Kitty* Aww. . . what a cute kitty! *John gives Cookie a big hug*
Mush!muse: Hey! My kitty! *snatches Cookie the Kitty away*
John!muse: *examines hands* Oooo! Pretty bumps!
TO PIXIE-GAV24601:
Aguachica: Prune juice?
John!muse: Prune juice!?
Mush!muse: PRUNE JUICE!!! *Mush gives your Grandma prune juice to distract her while you escape - shhh!*