She folded up the paper and put back under her pillow. It had been one year
since her brother's murder. Katherine stared out her bedroom window, and
blinked when a pebble hit it. Groaning she got off her bed and went to the
window. It was Race. She smiled and waved. Then she went down to the door
and opened it, for her friend. "Hey Kay!" The twelve year old Italian
hugged his friend.
"OO- your cold come in the living room and sit down Race." Katherine led him into her house. Since their first meeting a year ago, Race and Katherine had become good friends. Katherine was fascinated with the newsboy, and how free he was. Free to do and live as he wanted, nothing to hold him down. Race on the other hand was fascinated with Katherine, or Kay as she liked to be called. Here was a girl who had wealth and a loving family, yet she was dissatisfied. True she had lost her brother but she still had her mother and father.
After the two friends were seated comfortably on a couch Katherine spoke up.
"Hey, Race." He looked at her. "I've been thinking about what you said the other day."
He quirked an eye-brow and looked at her.
"What did I say?"
"I was talking about how great it must be to be a newsie, and you said, You should try it some time it's not that great."
Race nodded making his cabbie hat fall over his eyes. "Yeah I remember dat. So what?"
"So, I want to become a Newsie."
"Wa- What?!" Race sputtered. "Why would ya want ta do dat?"
Her blue eyes twinkled as she pinched his arm "Because it would be fun silly."
"Ow!" the boy frowned while rubbing is arm.
"Besides," she continued "I think I'd like it better then here. It would be fun to run away for a while. Get away from the gloom that lurks every where in the shadows."
Race's frown deepened and his brown eyes looked at her with concern. "There's supposed ta be gloom in de shadows, yer family was almost killed a year ago."
Kay rolled her eyes, "Yes Race, thank you for the reminder. Not like I've been trying to forget it or anything." Kay sat back snuggling into the couch, and pulled her feet up under her dress. "So, how do I go about becoming a Newsie?" Race knew that she was changing the subject, so he went along with it.
"Well, you know Kay, it's harder den just walkin' inta da Lodging House sayin' 'alright I'se here ta be a newsie!' an' den *poof* be a newsie." "And why can't I do that?"
"Well, fer one you're a rich man's daughter."
"So?"
"An' at least every one'll recognize you."
"Yeah I thought that was why you had nick names and such. I could change my name, not a problem. You guys have people come in all the time that just fit right in."
"Uh-huh. An' two, most of da newsies here know you fer who you are."
"Again, I ask. So?" they both smiled, he was trying to change her mind and she knew it.
"Well dey know dat your Alex McRae's daughter, an' dat you've probably never woiked, really woiked. I mean come on, you've never done a hard day's labor in your life." He smiled at the look on her face.
"I have too!" she sat up.
"Have you ever gotten blisters on your hands?"
"No. Of course not."
Race smiled. "Well dere's your answer, you haven't done de type of labor considered work ta us street kids."
"Well.well, what do blisters have to do with anything?"
Race held his hands out for her to see. "Look at me hands, den look at yours."
She lifted her hands from her lap so they could be seen clearly by both. Her hands were beautiful compared to his. They were pale and dainty looking, with long, smooth, slender fingers and manicured nails. She looked at his hands. They were boy hands of course. He had shorter fingers but they were chapped right now, dirty and ink stained and rough looking. They were the hands of a person who worked and labored all day, rain or shine. She frowned looking at his nails, "You shouldn't bite your nails." He rolled his eyes Girls.
"That's not the point Kay. Do you think your willing to work hard, so hard that you hurt?" She nodded her head. "Why do you want to be a newsie?!" he asked her sighing exasperatedly. Kay who had been looking at the carpet, lifted her eyes to her twelve year old friend. He went on. "I really don't get you Kay. You have everythin'. A family who loves you, an' plenty of money. Why would you want ta leave dat behind for a life on da streets?" "Because, it would be fun. Doing things on my own. Actually doing something that is good and useful. Not like embroidery or sewing or dancing lessons."
"Or singin' lessons." *thwap!*
"Singing isn't stupid." Kay's eyes flashed as she hit on the head.
"Okay! Alright. Your right. But theses are stupid reasons to give up what ya got."
"Well I thought it sounded better then: I'm tired of being rich and respected. I'm hate my family. I'm tired of the looks of sympathy people give me, I miss my brother. I know I should have died and matt should be alive so I wish I were dead. I hate the fact that the night-mares won't go away. I hate the psycho that lived next door and I'm sorry that I'm still alive to tell about him. So, I thought I'd become a newsie to get away from it all." Kay looked at Race, who's mouth was hanging open. "Which excuse do you like better?"
"I, I guess I like which ever ones da truth." She raised an eyebrow,
"They all are."
Race looked at her with a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about look.
"I. It's just, you know I lost something when I lost Matt, and I can't find it. So, I was hoping to find it out on the streets. " Pause, "And any ways it will be fun to go out on my own, and see what I can do by myself."
Race shook his head. "So what are you going to do? Run away?"
"No, I'm going to ask permission and they'll say yes."
"Uh-huh. And if they say no?"
Kay smiled sweetly "They won't."
"OO- your cold come in the living room and sit down Race." Katherine led him into her house. Since their first meeting a year ago, Race and Katherine had become good friends. Katherine was fascinated with the newsboy, and how free he was. Free to do and live as he wanted, nothing to hold him down. Race on the other hand was fascinated with Katherine, or Kay as she liked to be called. Here was a girl who had wealth and a loving family, yet she was dissatisfied. True she had lost her brother but she still had her mother and father.
After the two friends were seated comfortably on a couch Katherine spoke up.
"Hey, Race." He looked at her. "I've been thinking about what you said the other day."
He quirked an eye-brow and looked at her.
"What did I say?"
"I was talking about how great it must be to be a newsie, and you said, You should try it some time it's not that great."
Race nodded making his cabbie hat fall over his eyes. "Yeah I remember dat. So what?"
"So, I want to become a Newsie."
"Wa- What?!" Race sputtered. "Why would ya want ta do dat?"
Her blue eyes twinkled as she pinched his arm "Because it would be fun silly."
"Ow!" the boy frowned while rubbing is arm.
"Besides," she continued "I think I'd like it better then here. It would be fun to run away for a while. Get away from the gloom that lurks every where in the shadows."
Race's frown deepened and his brown eyes looked at her with concern. "There's supposed ta be gloom in de shadows, yer family was almost killed a year ago."
Kay rolled her eyes, "Yes Race, thank you for the reminder. Not like I've been trying to forget it or anything." Kay sat back snuggling into the couch, and pulled her feet up under her dress. "So, how do I go about becoming a Newsie?" Race knew that she was changing the subject, so he went along with it.
"Well, you know Kay, it's harder den just walkin' inta da Lodging House sayin' 'alright I'se here ta be a newsie!' an' den *poof* be a newsie." "And why can't I do that?"
"Well, fer one you're a rich man's daughter."
"So?"
"An' at least every one'll recognize you."
"Yeah I thought that was why you had nick names and such. I could change my name, not a problem. You guys have people come in all the time that just fit right in."
"Uh-huh. An' two, most of da newsies here know you fer who you are."
"Again, I ask. So?" they both smiled, he was trying to change her mind and she knew it.
"Well dey know dat your Alex McRae's daughter, an' dat you've probably never woiked, really woiked. I mean come on, you've never done a hard day's labor in your life." He smiled at the look on her face.
"I have too!" she sat up.
"Have you ever gotten blisters on your hands?"
"No. Of course not."
Race smiled. "Well dere's your answer, you haven't done de type of labor considered work ta us street kids."
"Well.well, what do blisters have to do with anything?"
Race held his hands out for her to see. "Look at me hands, den look at yours."
She lifted her hands from her lap so they could be seen clearly by both. Her hands were beautiful compared to his. They were pale and dainty looking, with long, smooth, slender fingers and manicured nails. She looked at his hands. They were boy hands of course. He had shorter fingers but they were chapped right now, dirty and ink stained and rough looking. They were the hands of a person who worked and labored all day, rain or shine. She frowned looking at his nails, "You shouldn't bite your nails." He rolled his eyes Girls.
"That's not the point Kay. Do you think your willing to work hard, so hard that you hurt?" She nodded her head. "Why do you want to be a newsie?!" he asked her sighing exasperatedly. Kay who had been looking at the carpet, lifted her eyes to her twelve year old friend. He went on. "I really don't get you Kay. You have everythin'. A family who loves you, an' plenty of money. Why would you want ta leave dat behind for a life on da streets?" "Because, it would be fun. Doing things on my own. Actually doing something that is good and useful. Not like embroidery or sewing or dancing lessons."
"Or singin' lessons." *thwap!*
"Singing isn't stupid." Kay's eyes flashed as she hit on the head.
"Okay! Alright. Your right. But theses are stupid reasons to give up what ya got."
"Well I thought it sounded better then: I'm tired of being rich and respected. I'm hate my family. I'm tired of the looks of sympathy people give me, I miss my brother. I know I should have died and matt should be alive so I wish I were dead. I hate the fact that the night-mares won't go away. I hate the psycho that lived next door and I'm sorry that I'm still alive to tell about him. So, I thought I'd become a newsie to get away from it all." Kay looked at Race, who's mouth was hanging open. "Which excuse do you like better?"
"I, I guess I like which ever ones da truth." She raised an eyebrow,
"They all are."
Race looked at her with a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about look.
"I. It's just, you know I lost something when I lost Matt, and I can't find it. So, I was hoping to find it out on the streets. " Pause, "And any ways it will be fun to go out on my own, and see what I can do by myself."
Race shook his head. "So what are you going to do? Run away?"
"No, I'm going to ask permission and they'll say yes."
"Uh-huh. And if they say no?"
Kay smiled sweetly "They won't."
