Chapter Four
He Couldn't Believe What He Saw
The boys groaned as Kloppman yelled at them, it was like this every morning. Jack woke up feeling a lot better than he normally did. He still hated mornings but today there was something different.
Everyone got ready for the day, showered, shaved, and got dressed. They were all heading for the DO when Jack heard something unusual. "Youse comin Jack?" asked Boots.
"Ya I's be dere in a sec," said Jack, his mind on what he had heard. He ran down the street and turned the corner and ran down a dark ally. He stopped in his tracks; he couldn't believe what he saw!!!
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Rhythm had gotten up around seven-thirty. She had showered, gotten dressed, and had begun to pack by the time the clock had chimed eight. She was leaving Medda's to find a job and place to live. She was almost done packing when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," said Rhythm. It was Medda.
"Are you sure that you want to leave? I will let you stay for free, as long as you help around this old dump," Medda said with a smile.
"I can't Medda. I's have to find a job"
"You have a job"
"I don't want to spend the rest a me life dancing in front of boiys and watching dere eyes fall out a dere sockets from staring to much" Rhythm said and they both laughed.
"Ok I tried, can't make you change your mind, can I?" Medda asked.
"No Medda youse can't", by this time Rhythm had already finish packing. She hugged Medda and went on her way.
She would start looking for a place to live first, then the job. She turned a corner and found herself standing in front of two boys.
One had a green vest and a bowler hat and the other had a mustache. They looked like they were brothers but the shorter one looked older and looked like he was the brains. The taller one had the mustache and looked like he was the muscle.
"Hey der goily, what ya doin?" the boy with the hat asked Rhythm as he licked his lips.
"Just passin though, now if youse would move you asses out a me way I's will be goin" She replied and laughed in her head at their reactions to her statement, their mouths dropped open and their eyes popped.
"Youse got a fresh mouth, dat can be fixed," and at the sound of his words the he pulled out a knife and the other boy took out a pair of brass knuckles. Rhythm threw her bag in a corner of the ally and rolled up her sleeves.
Rhythm charged at the boy who had spoken and punched him in the nose and then kicked him in the stomach. He swung his knife at her and cut her in the arm, thank god she wasn't wearing anything of value. The other boy grabbed her by the arm (which had the cut in it). Rhythm screamed in pain, then she punched the boy in the jaw and kicked him in between the legs. He punched her in the jaw and in the stomach with the brass knuckles then he dropped and doubled over with pain. A tear rolled down her cheek from the pain. It was the shorter boy's turn to get a little action. He swung his knife at her and missed; she punched him in the stomach once more. He swung again and hit flesh; blood ran down the right side of her stomach. She fell back and saw another boy staring at the scenario, and then he ran up to both boys and started to fight.
With in five minutes he had beaten both of the boys. He yelled after them "And if youse eva come near a goil again and hurt hers I's gonna kill ya!!"
Then he looked at Rhythm and asked "Hey aren't youse dat Rhythm goil from Medda's?"
"Ya and who is youse?" Rhythm asked back.
"Da names Jack Kelly, leada a da Manhattan newsies, but youse can call me's Jack or Cowboiy."
Rhythm was trying to standup, but that wasn't working, that gash on her stomach was very deep and bleeding profusely and she keep on wincing with every move. Jack noticed this and moved to help her. When she was finally on her feet she said, "Thanks for helpin me fioght those two son of bitches."
"No problem, youse were doin fine on youse own."
"Thanks."
"So what were youse doin down heah anyways?" Jack asked as he picked up her bag. Jack was helping Rhythm to walk. She had one hand on her cut arm and the other on her stomach. She was trying to stop the bleeding on both of her injuries but that wasn't working either. Jack saw what she was trying to do. "Come oun lets get youse cleaned up," he said leading her out of the ally and back to The Lodging House (LH).
He Couldn't Believe What He Saw
The boys groaned as Kloppman yelled at them, it was like this every morning. Jack woke up feeling a lot better than he normally did. He still hated mornings but today there was something different.
Everyone got ready for the day, showered, shaved, and got dressed. They were all heading for the DO when Jack heard something unusual. "Youse comin Jack?" asked Boots.
"Ya I's be dere in a sec," said Jack, his mind on what he had heard. He ran down the street and turned the corner and ran down a dark ally. He stopped in his tracks; he couldn't believe what he saw!!!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rhythm had gotten up around seven-thirty. She had showered, gotten dressed, and had begun to pack by the time the clock had chimed eight. She was leaving Medda's to find a job and place to live. She was almost done packing when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," said Rhythm. It was Medda.
"Are you sure that you want to leave? I will let you stay for free, as long as you help around this old dump," Medda said with a smile.
"I can't Medda. I's have to find a job"
"You have a job"
"I don't want to spend the rest a me life dancing in front of boiys and watching dere eyes fall out a dere sockets from staring to much" Rhythm said and they both laughed.
"Ok I tried, can't make you change your mind, can I?" Medda asked.
"No Medda youse can't", by this time Rhythm had already finish packing. She hugged Medda and went on her way.
She would start looking for a place to live first, then the job. She turned a corner and found herself standing in front of two boys.
One had a green vest and a bowler hat and the other had a mustache. They looked like they were brothers but the shorter one looked older and looked like he was the brains. The taller one had the mustache and looked like he was the muscle.
"Hey der goily, what ya doin?" the boy with the hat asked Rhythm as he licked his lips.
"Just passin though, now if youse would move you asses out a me way I's will be goin" She replied and laughed in her head at their reactions to her statement, their mouths dropped open and their eyes popped.
"Youse got a fresh mouth, dat can be fixed," and at the sound of his words the he pulled out a knife and the other boy took out a pair of brass knuckles. Rhythm threw her bag in a corner of the ally and rolled up her sleeves.
Rhythm charged at the boy who had spoken and punched him in the nose and then kicked him in the stomach. He swung his knife at her and cut her in the arm, thank god she wasn't wearing anything of value. The other boy grabbed her by the arm (which had the cut in it). Rhythm screamed in pain, then she punched the boy in the jaw and kicked him in between the legs. He punched her in the jaw and in the stomach with the brass knuckles then he dropped and doubled over with pain. A tear rolled down her cheek from the pain. It was the shorter boy's turn to get a little action. He swung his knife at her and missed; she punched him in the stomach once more. He swung again and hit flesh; blood ran down the right side of her stomach. She fell back and saw another boy staring at the scenario, and then he ran up to both boys and started to fight.
With in five minutes he had beaten both of the boys. He yelled after them "And if youse eva come near a goil again and hurt hers I's gonna kill ya!!"
Then he looked at Rhythm and asked "Hey aren't youse dat Rhythm goil from Medda's?"
"Ya and who is youse?" Rhythm asked back.
"Da names Jack Kelly, leada a da Manhattan newsies, but youse can call me's Jack or Cowboiy."
Rhythm was trying to standup, but that wasn't working, that gash on her stomach was very deep and bleeding profusely and she keep on wincing with every move. Jack noticed this and moved to help her. When she was finally on her feet she said, "Thanks for helpin me fioght those two son of bitches."
"No problem, youse were doin fine on youse own."
"Thanks."
"So what were youse doin down heah anyways?" Jack asked as he picked up her bag. Jack was helping Rhythm to walk. She had one hand on her cut arm and the other on her stomach. She was trying to stop the bleeding on both of her injuries but that wasn't working either. Jack saw what she was trying to do. "Come oun lets get youse cleaned up," he said leading her out of the ally and back to The Lodging House (LH).