A couple of weeks later everyone was okay. Bambie and I were out of the hospital and living in Brooklyn. Bambie became really close with Tiger and hung out all the time. Spot and I were making bets on when the two love birds would hook up. It was night time when I had awakened to the sounds and smells of the newsies playing poker and smoking cigars. Two people were on my bed and they were Rocket and Bambie. Rocket is one of my best friends that live in Manhattan.
"What youse doing here Rocket?" I asked.
"Jack and some of da boys wanted to plays poker. What youse doing sleeping?"
"I was tired after selling." I yawned. I stood up and went to the door. "Let's go and watch da guys." Bambie and Rocket followed me into the bunkroom. We walked in and the room was clouded with smoke. Through the smoke I could see four different games being played. At one table I saw Spot, Race, Tiger, Jack, Mush, and Blink. The other tables were filled with newsies like Snipeshooter, Crabs, Faith (another girl, but no one really liked her), and some other newsies. Rocket, Bambie, and I looked at each other.
"Whyse don't wese have an all goils night." Bambie suggested.
"Good thinking." Rocket said and I nodded my head to show them that I had agreed. "But what should wese do?"
"Whyse don't wese go down ta Medda's. And den wese can treat us to dinner at Jon Pier." I said and Rocket and Bambie both agreed. "Should we tell anyones?" Rocket nodded.
"Yeah, or dey might get worrieds." We all giggled. Rocket went over to Jack and whispered in his ear while Bambie and I hung out by the door. We saw Jack nod and Rocket came back over to us. "Everything is settled. Now let's get outs of here before Ise die of air." We walked down the stairs and still giggling. We made our way over to Medda's. We sat up on the balcony and watched about an hour of the show and then we decided to go eat. We left Medda's and went down the street. It was dark out and the only thing that was helping us decide and where we were, were the street lamps. We made our way to the front of the restaurant and sat in the benches in front.
"That show was awesome, Medda was so pretty." I said.
"Yeah, but who cares. Did youse see do'se boys dat was looking at us? Ise tink dey was checking us out." We giggled. "Okay, dats sounded stupid. Ise hungry lets go in." Rocket said standing up. We all went inside and into a booth that they seated us in.
"Do youse guys get da feeling dat we're being followed?"
"Sweetz, Ise tink youse are getting paranoid." I laughed.
"Maybe."
"Ise going to da bathroom, Ise be right back." Rocket said as she left to go to the bathroom. I turned back to Bambie and we started to talk.
"So….what's going on wit youse and Tiger?"
"Nothing." She blushed. "Wese just friends."
"But youse still want ta get wit him, right?"
"Yeah, Ise mean he's nice and all, and sweet, but he's doesn't seem ta be into me."
"Of course he's into youse. Hopefully youse guys gets together soon, so dat wese can all hang out witout da extra tension." We smiled at each other. Our conversation went on forever when we had noticed that Rocket hadn't returned.
"Wheres Rocket?" We looked around the restaurant. "Ise don't see her anywhere's." We both got up and Bambie went to go look in the bathroom, while I went up the front desk.
"May I help you?" A tall thin lady asked me.
"Yeah, did youse see a red head leave?"
"The one that you came in with, right?"
"Yeah."
"Oh yes, she left with a couple of gentlemen." I stared at her in surprise. I quickly ran to the bathrooms when Bambie walked out.
"She's not dere."
"Ise know. She left wit two guys."
"What? Anyone she knows?"
"Ise don't know. Da lady just said dat she left wit a couple of gentlemen." We walked over to the entrance of the restaurant and looked out. We could hear screaming and yelling coming from an alley way. Bambie and I looked at each other and ran for the alley. We could Rockets voice and some other voices that we hadn't recognized.
"Let go of me."
"No, you're coming with me. You belong with me."
"No Ise don't. Ise don't belong to anyone. "
"Well, dat aint what your daddy told me."
"What did he tell you den? Dat you're an asshole. Or maybe he told you dat Ise aint worth shit. Which one is it?"
"The second one." We heard a slap. "And don't talk to me in dat language." Bambie and I ran into the alley and we saw a man holding Rocket and the other one in front of her.
"Hey let go of her." Bambie shouted. The guy facing Rocket turned around. "Ise mean it. Let go of her." The guy that was facing Rocket started to charge for us while the other guy held Rocket. The guy tackled both of us down and he rolled over. Bambie started to punch and kick him until he doubled over with pain. Then we both went after the second guy. We circled him and I kicked him in the back which made his grip loosen. We saw Rocket elbow the guy in the stomach and then stepped onto his foot. He went and grabbed his foot and Rocket punched him into the face. He fell over still holding onto his foot. Rocket grabbed both Bambie and my hands and ran. We stopped right in front of the Lodging House so we could catch our breathes. "So, what just happened back dere?" Rocket sat down on the stairs.
"Ise guess Ise have a little bit of explaining to do." She took her hand and wiped off the blood that was coming from her lip. We sat next to her. "Okay, dat was me ex boyfriend and his buddy."
"Oh, well dats all youse need to say." We smiled at each other and walked inside. We went into the bunkroom and noticed that there was only one table being occupied. But we couldn't find any of the people that we wanted to talk to. So we went into the room where Spot and I shared a bedroom. We opened the door and saw that there were people in there.
"Heya goils, have a nice night?" Spot said while he was sitting on his bed playing a card game with Race. Rocket walked in and all the guys stared at her.
"What da hell happened to youse?" Jack stood up and walked over to Rocket.
"Ise fine, just met up wit some people's dat Ise didn't want to see again." Rocket and Jack whispered in each others ears until they saw us staring at them. Jack took Rockets hand and went up to the roof.
"Well, was it me, or was dat a little rude." Everyone looked at me and laughed. "What?" I went over to Spot and sat next to his bed. Bambie went over and pulled up a chair to my bed that was being occupied by Tiger, Mush, and Blink. "So how was your night?" Spot looked at me and smirked.
"Lets just sat dat Ise won enough money so dat Ise don't hafta sell for da next week." I smiled at him. I got up and walked over to my bed. I opened my dresser and got out some cigars. I passed one to each of the guys and then went over to the window. "Where's youse going?"
"Ise going to see what de're doing." Everyone laughed in encouragement. I climbed the fire escape and peeked over the roof. I sat on the top step and listened to Rocket and Jacks conversation.
"Ise just don't know what to do anymore." I heard her cry. I looked over and saw Rocket crying into Jack's shirt. "Ise thought dat Ise could deal wit dis, but, Ise don't know." Jack hugged her tighter.
"So youse telling me dat dis guy Andrew, is stalking you."
"Not really." They let go of each other. "Youse see, Ise break up wit him and den went to me pops. He threw me against da wall and dats when Ise went to Bambie for help."
"What did he do to youse?" Jack said with rage against the guy who had hurt Rocket.
"He always said to me like he owned me. He was kind of possessive over me. He wouldn't let me talk to guys, and den when Ise said dat Ise wanted a night alone, he would fine me. Den one night it just went to far."
"What happened?" Jack said with concern in his eyes.
"One night he came over to my house, and he wanted something dat Ise didn't want to give him. So Ise kicked him and ran for me house." I saw Jack clench his hands.
"If he ever comes near youse again den Ise going ta beat da shit out of him." Rocket smiled and threw her arms over Jacks neck.
"Ise love youse."
"Ise love youse too." Jack bent his head they kissed. I quietly snuck back downstairs with tears in my eyes. I climbed into Spots room and went to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and wiped away my tears. I went back into Spots room and everyone stared. Race had pulled up a chair to Spots bed so that I could sit on Spots bed.
"What happened?" Race asked.
"Ise just hoird da sweetest ting." I smiled and laid on Spots bed so that my head and feet were hanging off the edge.
"Did youse have a good time listening to us?" I looked over and there was Jack and Rocket.
"Hows did youse know?"
"Wese know you. Youse neva misses an opportunity like dat." She turned to jack and whispered, "Ise tired, can youse sleep wit me?" He nodded and they left for the other bunkroom.
"Yeah, we're going to bed too." said Tiger who was followed by Race, Mush, Blink, and Bambie. Spot and I were the only ones left in the room. For some weird reason my heart sank and I grabbed the key around my neck that Spot had given to me. I sat up and looked around the room.
"What youse looking fer?"
"Ise don't know." Spot crawled over so that he was next to me.
"Youse okay?"
"Yeah, Ise just worried." I turned to see Spots face. I looked into his eyes and I felt safe. We both leaned in and kissed. After a couple of minutes later I pulled away and went over to my dresser and got out a shirt. I quickly put on my shirt and I sat on my bed.
"Youse want to sleep wit me?"
"We haven't slept in da same bed fer like weeks."
"Ise know Ise miss holding youse." I smiled and blushed.
"How in da woild did youse become da leada of Brooklyn?" I walked over to his bed. "Youse don't seem tough to me." He lifted the covers and I slipped into his bed. He started to kiss me when he tried unbuttoning my shirt. I know Spot too well and I knew what he wanted to do. (HINT HINT, CAN YOU GUESS?) "Spot, stop. Ise can't."
"Whyse not?"
"Cause, dis is da reason Ise don't sleep wit youse." I got up and walked back over to my bed. "Youse always trying shit wit mes." I grabbed my pillow and my blanket and went up the fire escape. I found a corner that I could sleep by. I woke up to the sounds of the newsies jumping out of their beds and yelling at each other. I sat up and looked over to see the beautiful morning sky. I went back down into Spots room and he was nowhere to be found. I quickly got dressed and went to go find Bambie and Rocket. I wasn't looking on where I was going because I ran into Race.
"Heya Sweetz."
"Hi, youse going back today?"
"Yeah, but Jack and Rocket are staying here."
"Dats good cause Ise wondering if Ise could stay in Manhattan fer a couple of days?"
"Yeah sure." He smiled at me and left. I went back into my room and put some clothes into a bag.
"Wheres youse going?" I turned around to see Spot.
"Ise going to Manhattan fer a couple of days, or do Ise need permission?" I quickly finished packing and headed towards the door where Spot was standing.
"Wese need ta talk." I backed up and he closed the door. "Ise wants ta say sorry."
"What youse doing here Rocket?" I asked.
"Jack and some of da boys wanted to plays poker. What youse doing sleeping?"
"I was tired after selling." I yawned. I stood up and went to the door. "Let's go and watch da guys." Bambie and Rocket followed me into the bunkroom. We walked in and the room was clouded with smoke. Through the smoke I could see four different games being played. At one table I saw Spot, Race, Tiger, Jack, Mush, and Blink. The other tables were filled with newsies like Snipeshooter, Crabs, Faith (another girl, but no one really liked her), and some other newsies. Rocket, Bambie, and I looked at each other.
"Whyse don't wese have an all goils night." Bambie suggested.
"Good thinking." Rocket said and I nodded my head to show them that I had agreed. "But what should wese do?"
"Whyse don't wese go down ta Medda's. And den wese can treat us to dinner at Jon Pier." I said and Rocket and Bambie both agreed. "Should we tell anyones?" Rocket nodded.
"Yeah, or dey might get worrieds." We all giggled. Rocket went over to Jack and whispered in his ear while Bambie and I hung out by the door. We saw Jack nod and Rocket came back over to us. "Everything is settled. Now let's get outs of here before Ise die of air." We walked down the stairs and still giggling. We made our way over to Medda's. We sat up on the balcony and watched about an hour of the show and then we decided to go eat. We left Medda's and went down the street. It was dark out and the only thing that was helping us decide and where we were, were the street lamps. We made our way to the front of the restaurant and sat in the benches in front.
"That show was awesome, Medda was so pretty." I said.
"Yeah, but who cares. Did youse see do'se boys dat was looking at us? Ise tink dey was checking us out." We giggled. "Okay, dats sounded stupid. Ise hungry lets go in." Rocket said standing up. We all went inside and into a booth that they seated us in.
"Do youse guys get da feeling dat we're being followed?"
"Sweetz, Ise tink youse are getting paranoid." I laughed.
"Maybe."
"Ise going to da bathroom, Ise be right back." Rocket said as she left to go to the bathroom. I turned back to Bambie and we started to talk.
"So….what's going on wit youse and Tiger?"
"Nothing." She blushed. "Wese just friends."
"But youse still want ta get wit him, right?"
"Yeah, Ise mean he's nice and all, and sweet, but he's doesn't seem ta be into me."
"Of course he's into youse. Hopefully youse guys gets together soon, so dat wese can all hang out witout da extra tension." We smiled at each other. Our conversation went on forever when we had noticed that Rocket hadn't returned.
"Wheres Rocket?" We looked around the restaurant. "Ise don't see her anywhere's." We both got up and Bambie went to go look in the bathroom, while I went up the front desk.
"May I help you?" A tall thin lady asked me.
"Yeah, did youse see a red head leave?"
"The one that you came in with, right?"
"Yeah."
"Oh yes, she left with a couple of gentlemen." I stared at her in surprise. I quickly ran to the bathrooms when Bambie walked out.
"She's not dere."
"Ise know. She left wit two guys."
"What? Anyone she knows?"
"Ise don't know. Da lady just said dat she left wit a couple of gentlemen." We walked over to the entrance of the restaurant and looked out. We could hear screaming and yelling coming from an alley way. Bambie and I looked at each other and ran for the alley. We could Rockets voice and some other voices that we hadn't recognized.
"Let go of me."
"No, you're coming with me. You belong with me."
"No Ise don't. Ise don't belong to anyone. "
"Well, dat aint what your daddy told me."
"What did he tell you den? Dat you're an asshole. Or maybe he told you dat Ise aint worth shit. Which one is it?"
"The second one." We heard a slap. "And don't talk to me in dat language." Bambie and I ran into the alley and we saw a man holding Rocket and the other one in front of her.
"Hey let go of her." Bambie shouted. The guy facing Rocket turned around. "Ise mean it. Let go of her." The guy that was facing Rocket started to charge for us while the other guy held Rocket. The guy tackled both of us down and he rolled over. Bambie started to punch and kick him until he doubled over with pain. Then we both went after the second guy. We circled him and I kicked him in the back which made his grip loosen. We saw Rocket elbow the guy in the stomach and then stepped onto his foot. He went and grabbed his foot and Rocket punched him into the face. He fell over still holding onto his foot. Rocket grabbed both Bambie and my hands and ran. We stopped right in front of the Lodging House so we could catch our breathes. "So, what just happened back dere?" Rocket sat down on the stairs.
"Ise guess Ise have a little bit of explaining to do." She took her hand and wiped off the blood that was coming from her lip. We sat next to her. "Okay, dat was me ex boyfriend and his buddy."
"Oh, well dats all youse need to say." We smiled at each other and walked inside. We went into the bunkroom and noticed that there was only one table being occupied. But we couldn't find any of the people that we wanted to talk to. So we went into the room where Spot and I shared a bedroom. We opened the door and saw that there were people in there.
"Heya goils, have a nice night?" Spot said while he was sitting on his bed playing a card game with Race. Rocket walked in and all the guys stared at her.
"What da hell happened to youse?" Jack stood up and walked over to Rocket.
"Ise fine, just met up wit some people's dat Ise didn't want to see again." Rocket and Jack whispered in each others ears until they saw us staring at them. Jack took Rockets hand and went up to the roof.
"Well, was it me, or was dat a little rude." Everyone looked at me and laughed. "What?" I went over to Spot and sat next to his bed. Bambie went over and pulled up a chair to my bed that was being occupied by Tiger, Mush, and Blink. "So how was your night?" Spot looked at me and smirked.
"Lets just sat dat Ise won enough money so dat Ise don't hafta sell for da next week." I smiled at him. I got up and walked over to my bed. I opened my dresser and got out some cigars. I passed one to each of the guys and then went over to the window. "Where's youse going?"
"Ise going to see what de're doing." Everyone laughed in encouragement. I climbed the fire escape and peeked over the roof. I sat on the top step and listened to Rocket and Jacks conversation.
"Ise just don't know what to do anymore." I heard her cry. I looked over and saw Rocket crying into Jack's shirt. "Ise thought dat Ise could deal wit dis, but, Ise don't know." Jack hugged her tighter.
"So youse telling me dat dis guy Andrew, is stalking you."
"Not really." They let go of each other. "Youse see, Ise break up wit him and den went to me pops. He threw me against da wall and dats when Ise went to Bambie for help."
"What did he do to youse?" Jack said with rage against the guy who had hurt Rocket.
"He always said to me like he owned me. He was kind of possessive over me. He wouldn't let me talk to guys, and den when Ise said dat Ise wanted a night alone, he would fine me. Den one night it just went to far."
"What happened?" Jack said with concern in his eyes.
"One night he came over to my house, and he wanted something dat Ise didn't want to give him. So Ise kicked him and ran for me house." I saw Jack clench his hands.
"If he ever comes near youse again den Ise going ta beat da shit out of him." Rocket smiled and threw her arms over Jacks neck.
"Ise love youse."
"Ise love youse too." Jack bent his head they kissed. I quietly snuck back downstairs with tears in my eyes. I climbed into Spots room and went to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and wiped away my tears. I went back into Spots room and everyone stared. Race had pulled up a chair to Spots bed so that I could sit on Spots bed.
"What happened?" Race asked.
"Ise just hoird da sweetest ting." I smiled and laid on Spots bed so that my head and feet were hanging off the edge.
"Did youse have a good time listening to us?" I looked over and there was Jack and Rocket.
"Hows did youse know?"
"Wese know you. Youse neva misses an opportunity like dat." She turned to jack and whispered, "Ise tired, can youse sleep wit me?" He nodded and they left for the other bunkroom.
"Yeah, we're going to bed too." said Tiger who was followed by Race, Mush, Blink, and Bambie. Spot and I were the only ones left in the room. For some weird reason my heart sank and I grabbed the key around my neck that Spot had given to me. I sat up and looked around the room.
"What youse looking fer?"
"Ise don't know." Spot crawled over so that he was next to me.
"Youse okay?"
"Yeah, Ise just worried." I turned to see Spots face. I looked into his eyes and I felt safe. We both leaned in and kissed. After a couple of minutes later I pulled away and went over to my dresser and got out a shirt. I quickly put on my shirt and I sat on my bed.
"Youse want to sleep wit me?"
"We haven't slept in da same bed fer like weeks."
"Ise know Ise miss holding youse." I smiled and blushed.
"How in da woild did youse become da leada of Brooklyn?" I walked over to his bed. "Youse don't seem tough to me." He lifted the covers and I slipped into his bed. He started to kiss me when he tried unbuttoning my shirt. I know Spot too well and I knew what he wanted to do. (HINT HINT, CAN YOU GUESS?) "Spot, stop. Ise can't."
"Whyse not?"
"Cause, dis is da reason Ise don't sleep wit youse." I got up and walked back over to my bed. "Youse always trying shit wit mes." I grabbed my pillow and my blanket and went up the fire escape. I found a corner that I could sleep by. I woke up to the sounds of the newsies jumping out of their beds and yelling at each other. I sat up and looked over to see the beautiful morning sky. I went back down into Spots room and he was nowhere to be found. I quickly got dressed and went to go find Bambie and Rocket. I wasn't looking on where I was going because I ran into Race.
"Heya Sweetz."
"Hi, youse going back today?"
"Yeah, but Jack and Rocket are staying here."
"Dats good cause Ise wondering if Ise could stay in Manhattan fer a couple of days?"
"Yeah sure." He smiled at me and left. I went back into my room and put some clothes into a bag.
"Wheres youse going?" I turned around to see Spot.
"Ise going to Manhattan fer a couple of days, or do Ise need permission?" I quickly finished packing and headed towards the door where Spot was standing.
"Wese need ta talk." I backed up and he closed the door. "Ise wants ta say sorry."