"What the…" Gabi murmured. Her eyes fluttered open to reveal a room
filled with bunk beds. "Where… Ouch!" she gasped, gripping her head. She had
never felt such a painful headache before.
"Evenin' Miss Priss," Bumlets greeted. "How are we feelin'?"
"What are you doing here?" Gabi snorted, regretting her harsh words only because they made her face hurt more.
"Checkin' up on da patient, that's all. May sure gave ya a nice face rearranging. Ya should be more careful who ya upset here. Kloppman said ya can stay here da night at least. He won't charge ya nothin' since May decided the show ya up," Bumlets grinned, recalling the incident. Well, at least I got to hold this strange girl and carry her up the stairs. Not believing he had just thought that, Bumlets shook himself from any thoughts and turned his attention to the glaring girl on the bunk.
"I don't need a lecture, and surely not from you, thief."
"Thief is it? Well then, I'll leave ya to tend for your own nose." Bumlets made sure to set the first aid kit out of her reach, but set a pack of ice by her face before getting up.
Being the stubborn one she was, Gabi kept her mouth shut. Even though her nose hurt beyond belief, she refused to let Bumlets help her. She did, however, grab the ice and gently press it to her throbbing face.
Inwardly sighing, Bumlets should have known she wouldn't give in. That nose of hers needed to be treated, but if she was going to be stubborn about it, so was he. The ice would do for now. "Night then." Bumlets made for the door, hoping she would call him back over, but as he neared the door, he could tell it wasn't going to happen.
"Night, Bum," Gabi laughed slightly, still amused at his name. Once he left the bunkroom she grimaced, the laugh hurting her bruised nose.
Wonder what my parents are up to now, and Viktor too. I shouldn't be here. I should be home. Gabi tried to sit up, but a sharp pain surged through her head, and she lay back down quickly. Tomorrow…tomorrow I can go home. I hope they aren't too mad at me. She started to ponder what it would be like to live as a Newsie. They didn't have parents to answer to, and were quite tough on the outside, as she had already witnessed with Mayhem. Overcome with thoughts of her day, Gabi soon found herself exhausted, and quickly fell fast asleep.
****
The next morning Gabi awoke to the loud voice of an elderly man and the groans of her fellow bunkmates. Rubbing her eyes, Gabi brushed her hand too close to her nose and winced, remembering how Mayhem had fun rearranging it last night. One of these days I'll pay that girl back.
"You must be Gabrielle. My name is Kloppman," the old man stated. "Bumlets told me about ya. The washroom for the girls is over there, and the newsies will all be gone in another twenty minutes or so. I'll be downstairs if you need me."
Quite confused by all the commotion that surrounded her, Gabi nodded to Kloppman and gave a brief 'thanks' before her attention was grabbed by some of the newsgirls sitting down on her bed.
"So, what gave ya da cockamamie idea that ya could talk back the Mayhem of all people?" a girl with long black hair asked. Gabi noticed how pale her skin was, and when she spoke her teeth were rather crooked.
"Why do you care?" Gabi snapped back groggily as she sat up. As far as she was concerned it wasn't any of their business.
Laughing the girl shook her head. "Well, in dis lodgin' house we all have a right the know why a girl like you was followin' Bumlets. I'm Brooky, and that's Slinks, Aurora, Isis, Kitty, Dreamer, Silk, Shamrock, and ovah there in da washroom are Dublina, Raven, Pixie, True, Slick, and ya already met Mayhem," she laughed, and some girls did the same.
"Yeah…Mayhem. She sure was given the right name," Gabi snorted.
"Hey, watch what ya say, alright?" Slinks chimed in. "Unless ya wanna wind up with a few broken ribs while your at it," she laughed.
True lightly jabbed Slinks in the side. "We all know who already ended up with more than a few broken ribs, right girls?" she grinned.
"You think that's funny?" Gabrielle asked, not quite sure why they were laughing at another's misfortune.
"Oh, well, ya had the be there. His name's Morris Delancey. I think he said somethin' about Leadpipe, and she made sure that Morris couldn't walk straight for a long time," True explained.
"Leadpipe?" Gabi asked. It certainly was fitting that Mayhem had a friend named that.
"Yeah, Leads, her best friend. He ain't mute, just don't talk, and Morris made the mistake of pokin' fun at him in Mayhem's hearin' range," Kitty answered.
"Damn fool couldn't even get outta bed for a week!" a girl exclaimed as she rushed in the room with two others in tow.
"Yeah, I forgot about that part BC," True remarked. "Gabi, that's Buttercup, or BC as we call her, and behind her are Laces and Hush, the three partners in crime," she smirked.
The three girls grinned and bowed before heading towards the washroom, muttering about their latest caper to the boys' room.
"The papes don't wait for girls ya know!" Kloppman yelled up the stairs.
"Damn look at the time!" Pixie gasped and sat up quickly. "C'mon girls, or we ain't gonna get any papes at all."
Brooky nodded to Gabi, who was still enduring the pain of last night's run in with Mayhem. "I guess ya should stay here. Look, we'll be at Tibby's for lunch, if ya feel up to takin' a stroll by then, or Klopp will fix ya sumptin' the eat here. Den we'll be out sellin' again. Stop by if ya think ya can hack bein' a Newsie," she smirked and stood up. "Let's go girls."
Quickly the room emptied itself, the newsgirls all busy chatting about different things, though the main topic was selling partners and their boyfriends. Sighing, Gabi lay back down, intent on getting a bit more sleep before attempting to get up.
****
"Dietrich where is she?" Kayla asked for the tenth time that morning. Pacing the floor of their kitchen, she jumped at even the slightest sound, thinking the door was about to open and in would run her daughter.
"I don't know dear, I don't know. It'll be alright. We have the police looking for her, and Christopher told me his father would help quicken the efforts of each officer with his stature in the city. We'll find her soon," Dietrich answered soothingly, putting his arms gently around his wife. "It's just a matter of time now." What he neglected to tell his wife was that Christopher and Dietrich had discussed this matter in detail, and in for the safe return of his daughter, Dietrich had accepted Christopher's proposal of marriage to Gabrielle. He's a good boy. He'll do right by her, if we ever find her.
"Evenin' Miss Priss," Bumlets greeted. "How are we feelin'?"
"What are you doing here?" Gabi snorted, regretting her harsh words only because they made her face hurt more.
"Checkin' up on da patient, that's all. May sure gave ya a nice face rearranging. Ya should be more careful who ya upset here. Kloppman said ya can stay here da night at least. He won't charge ya nothin' since May decided the show ya up," Bumlets grinned, recalling the incident. Well, at least I got to hold this strange girl and carry her up the stairs. Not believing he had just thought that, Bumlets shook himself from any thoughts and turned his attention to the glaring girl on the bunk.
"I don't need a lecture, and surely not from you, thief."
"Thief is it? Well then, I'll leave ya to tend for your own nose." Bumlets made sure to set the first aid kit out of her reach, but set a pack of ice by her face before getting up.
Being the stubborn one she was, Gabi kept her mouth shut. Even though her nose hurt beyond belief, she refused to let Bumlets help her. She did, however, grab the ice and gently press it to her throbbing face.
Inwardly sighing, Bumlets should have known she wouldn't give in. That nose of hers needed to be treated, but if she was going to be stubborn about it, so was he. The ice would do for now. "Night then." Bumlets made for the door, hoping she would call him back over, but as he neared the door, he could tell it wasn't going to happen.
"Night, Bum," Gabi laughed slightly, still amused at his name. Once he left the bunkroom she grimaced, the laugh hurting her bruised nose.
Wonder what my parents are up to now, and Viktor too. I shouldn't be here. I should be home. Gabi tried to sit up, but a sharp pain surged through her head, and she lay back down quickly. Tomorrow…tomorrow I can go home. I hope they aren't too mad at me. She started to ponder what it would be like to live as a Newsie. They didn't have parents to answer to, and were quite tough on the outside, as she had already witnessed with Mayhem. Overcome with thoughts of her day, Gabi soon found herself exhausted, and quickly fell fast asleep.
The next morning Gabi awoke to the loud voice of an elderly man and the groans of her fellow bunkmates. Rubbing her eyes, Gabi brushed her hand too close to her nose and winced, remembering how Mayhem had fun rearranging it last night. One of these days I'll pay that girl back.
"You must be Gabrielle. My name is Kloppman," the old man stated. "Bumlets told me about ya. The washroom for the girls is over there, and the newsies will all be gone in another twenty minutes or so. I'll be downstairs if you need me."
Quite confused by all the commotion that surrounded her, Gabi nodded to Kloppman and gave a brief 'thanks' before her attention was grabbed by some of the newsgirls sitting down on her bed.
"So, what gave ya da cockamamie idea that ya could talk back the Mayhem of all people?" a girl with long black hair asked. Gabi noticed how pale her skin was, and when she spoke her teeth were rather crooked.
"Why do you care?" Gabi snapped back groggily as she sat up. As far as she was concerned it wasn't any of their business.
Laughing the girl shook her head. "Well, in dis lodgin' house we all have a right the know why a girl like you was followin' Bumlets. I'm Brooky, and that's Slinks, Aurora, Isis, Kitty, Dreamer, Silk, Shamrock, and ovah there in da washroom are Dublina, Raven, Pixie, True, Slick, and ya already met Mayhem," she laughed, and some girls did the same.
"Yeah…Mayhem. She sure was given the right name," Gabi snorted.
"Hey, watch what ya say, alright?" Slinks chimed in. "Unless ya wanna wind up with a few broken ribs while your at it," she laughed.
True lightly jabbed Slinks in the side. "We all know who already ended up with more than a few broken ribs, right girls?" she grinned.
"You think that's funny?" Gabrielle asked, not quite sure why they were laughing at another's misfortune.
"Oh, well, ya had the be there. His name's Morris Delancey. I think he said somethin' about Leadpipe, and she made sure that Morris couldn't walk straight for a long time," True explained.
"Leadpipe?" Gabi asked. It certainly was fitting that Mayhem had a friend named that.
"Yeah, Leads, her best friend. He ain't mute, just don't talk, and Morris made the mistake of pokin' fun at him in Mayhem's hearin' range," Kitty answered.
"Damn fool couldn't even get outta bed for a week!" a girl exclaimed as she rushed in the room with two others in tow.
"Yeah, I forgot about that part BC," True remarked. "Gabi, that's Buttercup, or BC as we call her, and behind her are Laces and Hush, the three partners in crime," she smirked.
The three girls grinned and bowed before heading towards the washroom, muttering about their latest caper to the boys' room.
"The papes don't wait for girls ya know!" Kloppman yelled up the stairs.
"Damn look at the time!" Pixie gasped and sat up quickly. "C'mon girls, or we ain't gonna get any papes at all."
Brooky nodded to Gabi, who was still enduring the pain of last night's run in with Mayhem. "I guess ya should stay here. Look, we'll be at Tibby's for lunch, if ya feel up to takin' a stroll by then, or Klopp will fix ya sumptin' the eat here. Den we'll be out sellin' again. Stop by if ya think ya can hack bein' a Newsie," she smirked and stood up. "Let's go girls."
Quickly the room emptied itself, the newsgirls all busy chatting about different things, though the main topic was selling partners and their boyfriends. Sighing, Gabi lay back down, intent on getting a bit more sleep before attempting to get up.
"Dietrich where is she?" Kayla asked for the tenth time that morning. Pacing the floor of their kitchen, she jumped at even the slightest sound, thinking the door was about to open and in would run her daughter.
"I don't know dear, I don't know. It'll be alright. We have the police looking for her, and Christopher told me his father would help quicken the efforts of each officer with his stature in the city. We'll find her soon," Dietrich answered soothingly, putting his arms gently around his wife. "It's just a matter of time now." What he neglected to tell his wife was that Christopher and Dietrich had discussed this matter in detail, and in for the safe return of his daughter, Dietrich had accepted Christopher's proposal of marriage to Gabrielle. He's a good boy. He'll do right by her, if we ever find her.