When we first met her, we thought she was just like any ordinary
girl. Fifteen years old, green eyes, brown curly hair. She was pretty,
and drew the attention of most of the newsies, even the ones who already
had girls, like Jack. One morning while we were selling our papes we saw
her, and her striking beauty made us stop selling, take off our hats, and
stare. Only Mush had the nerve to go and talk to her. They hit it off,
and started to date. They had been dating for about two weeks when she
announced that she was going to become a newsie. That was when all the
trouble started.
"So where are da two love boids?" Snitch asked, looking up from his hand of cards. It was almost a tradition that every night after selling their papes, the boys of the Manhattan newsboy's lodging house played a game of poker. Racetrack, the designated gambler of the group, and the winner of the nightly poker games every since anyone could remember, glanced up.
"Eh, prolly up on da roof.ya know, jist 'talkin'," Race answered as everyone at the table started laughing. Almost right on cue, who walked through the rooftop door but Mush and his girl Jess. They had hearts in their eyes as they gazed at each other, which almost made the little kids puke.
"Hey guys, guess what! Jess is gonna be a newsie!" Mush declared enthusiastically, beaming from ear to ear. He didn't notice the stunned looks he was getting from the guys. They had never had a girl newsie in Manhattan before, although it wasn't unheard of. They had a few girls over in Brooklyn, and Harlem had a whole lodging house full of them. Mush was sure that after a few days, the guys wouldn't even think twice of Jess being a newsie. She left her house every morning by 8 and spent the entire day with them anyways. What difference would it make if she sold papes with them too?
"Dat's great!" Jack said finally. The others, getting the okay from their leader, started to congratulate Mush and Jess.
"Looks like Mush is gonna get lucky tonight!" Kid Blink cracked.
"Yea, maybe we should set up a curtain or something!" Specs shouted. Mush and Jess blushed. They had never been together like that before, and although the newsies had joked about it, it was still embarrassing.
"Hey guys, come on," Mush said, looking at the floor. "It ain't like dat. She's still sleepin' at her house, same as always. She's just gonna sell papes wid us now." Skittery was about to open his mouth to comment when an old man walked into the room.
"Hey! Come on, what are you kids doin'? Ya gotta get up early tomorrow, gotta sell da papes! Ya can't get up if ya don't go to sleep! Come on, off ta bed with ya. Off to dream land, let's go!" Groans could be heard from all around.
"Kloppman, ya killin' me! I'm about to win all of d'se bummas' cash!" Race protested.
"Ah, whadda ya talkin about?! I was jist about to beat you!" Jack cried. Race rolled his eyes and muttered something about cowboys playing poker. As all of the newsies in the room began to strip down to their pajamas and claim bunks, Mush led Jess out into the hallway.
"Sorry 'bout dat Jess. Ya know how they can get sometimes.." Mush trailed off. Even though they both knew that the other newsies had been kidding around, he still felt the need to apologize. Jess just laughed.
"Aw, it's alright. I know dey'se only kiddin'. Besides, I'm sorta happy dat dey'se comftahble enough ta joke around wit me like dat." Jess replied. Mush grinned, relieved that his girl's feelings weren't hurt.
"So, how 'bout I walk ya home ta'night?" Mush asked hopefully. Even though they had been going steady for two weeks now, Mush had never met Jess's brothers and uncle, whom she lived with in an apartment building downtown. Jess had always been.. guarded about her family, and Mush was hoping that she finally trusted him enough to let him meet them. His hope fell when he saw the look on Jess's face.
"Wa- walk me home?" Jess squeaked, suddenly nervous. Her eyes darted around the hall, looking at anything but him. "No, uh, dat's alright. It's jis' down da street. I'll be fine. Really, you don't gotta walk me." If she saw the defeated look in Mush's eyes, she decided to ignore it.
"Sure. Dat's fine." Mush replied, obviously upset. "Then I'll see you at da distribution centah tomorrah, right?"
"Oh yeah, 'bout dat.. I gotta do some stuff for me uncle before I can sell wit you guys. Here," she shoved her hand in her pocket. " Here's some money. Buy me papes for me, will ya?" She pushed 2 bits into Mush's hand. "Thanks. I'll meet you guys at Bottle Alley." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. "See ya tomorrah." Then she ran down the stairs and out the door.
Mush stared after her. Why did she always do this? When they were together, they were fine, and he was happier than he had been in a long time. Jess seemed happy too, always laughing and joking with the guys. But whenever anyone brought up her home, or her family, she got dodgy and avoided the subject. All he knew is that she had two older brothers and an uncle, but that was the most he had gotten out of her. "Why doesn't she trust me?" He wondered.
"She tell you what she's hidin' yet?" a voice asked from behind him.
Mush spun around. Jack was there, leaning up against the doorframe. "Eavesdropping Cowboy?" Mush teased, avoiding the subject.
"'Eavesdropping' is such a harsh woid. I like to refer to it as, 'accidentally overhearin'.'" Jack grinned. The Cowboy could always talk his way out of anything. "Now, answer da question." Mush looked down.
"I don't know what ya' talkin' 'bout," Mush said without any enthusiasm. Actually, he knew exactly what Jack was talking about, but that didn't mean he had to admit it.
Jack sighed. "Mush, ya know exactly what I'm talkin' 'bout. Jess is keepin' something from ya. Trust me, I know what people wit a secret look like. Or maybe ya don't rememba', I was one of 'em." Jack was referring to a few months ago, when it was revealed to Mush and the other newsies that their leader was really Francis Sullivan, an escapee from the Refuge.
Mush looked down at the coins in his hand. "So she's embarrassed 'bout her family. Who ain't at some point or anotha?" Mush could tell from the look Jack gave him that his answer wasn't good enough. "Look, she'll tell me when she's ready da tell me. I can't ask more of her dan dat, can I?"
Jack took a step forward and put his hand on Mush's shoulder. "I know, I know. And Jess is great. And all da guys love her, we really do. She's like a little sista'. It's jist- " He paused, trying to think of the right way to say what he was thinking. "Ya know we're ya friends. We don't wanna see ya get hurt."
Mush up at Jack, surprised at the amount of concern in his friend's voice. "I know Jack. I jist.. I can't stay away from her. It's like Race with his gamblin'. I jist can't stop thinkin' about her, even when she's not around."
Jack smiled. "Yeah, dat does sound like Race." As he turned to go back in the bunkroom, he frowned. "Speakin of which, dat boy owes me money. Ya shoulda seen it, I was dat close to beatin him at poker." Jack continued to talk as he walked into the bunkroom. Before he made it all the way in, he turned around and said, "Who does she live wit again?"
"Her uncle 'n two bruddas" Mush answered. Jack just nodded and walked into the bunkroom. Mush started to follow, but paused in the doorway. He looked at the door Jess had run out of. What is your secret? He asked silently, then turned back to join his friends.
"So where are da two love boids?" Snitch asked, looking up from his hand of cards. It was almost a tradition that every night after selling their papes, the boys of the Manhattan newsboy's lodging house played a game of poker. Racetrack, the designated gambler of the group, and the winner of the nightly poker games every since anyone could remember, glanced up.
"Eh, prolly up on da roof.ya know, jist 'talkin'," Race answered as everyone at the table started laughing. Almost right on cue, who walked through the rooftop door but Mush and his girl Jess. They had hearts in their eyes as they gazed at each other, which almost made the little kids puke.
"Hey guys, guess what! Jess is gonna be a newsie!" Mush declared enthusiastically, beaming from ear to ear. He didn't notice the stunned looks he was getting from the guys. They had never had a girl newsie in Manhattan before, although it wasn't unheard of. They had a few girls over in Brooklyn, and Harlem had a whole lodging house full of them. Mush was sure that after a few days, the guys wouldn't even think twice of Jess being a newsie. She left her house every morning by 8 and spent the entire day with them anyways. What difference would it make if she sold papes with them too?
"Dat's great!" Jack said finally. The others, getting the okay from their leader, started to congratulate Mush and Jess.
"Looks like Mush is gonna get lucky tonight!" Kid Blink cracked.
"Yea, maybe we should set up a curtain or something!" Specs shouted. Mush and Jess blushed. They had never been together like that before, and although the newsies had joked about it, it was still embarrassing.
"Hey guys, come on," Mush said, looking at the floor. "It ain't like dat. She's still sleepin' at her house, same as always. She's just gonna sell papes wid us now." Skittery was about to open his mouth to comment when an old man walked into the room.
"Hey! Come on, what are you kids doin'? Ya gotta get up early tomorrow, gotta sell da papes! Ya can't get up if ya don't go to sleep! Come on, off ta bed with ya. Off to dream land, let's go!" Groans could be heard from all around.
"Kloppman, ya killin' me! I'm about to win all of d'se bummas' cash!" Race protested.
"Ah, whadda ya talkin about?! I was jist about to beat you!" Jack cried. Race rolled his eyes and muttered something about cowboys playing poker. As all of the newsies in the room began to strip down to their pajamas and claim bunks, Mush led Jess out into the hallway.
"Sorry 'bout dat Jess. Ya know how they can get sometimes.." Mush trailed off. Even though they both knew that the other newsies had been kidding around, he still felt the need to apologize. Jess just laughed.
"Aw, it's alright. I know dey'se only kiddin'. Besides, I'm sorta happy dat dey'se comftahble enough ta joke around wit me like dat." Jess replied. Mush grinned, relieved that his girl's feelings weren't hurt.
"So, how 'bout I walk ya home ta'night?" Mush asked hopefully. Even though they had been going steady for two weeks now, Mush had never met Jess's brothers and uncle, whom she lived with in an apartment building downtown. Jess had always been.. guarded about her family, and Mush was hoping that she finally trusted him enough to let him meet them. His hope fell when he saw the look on Jess's face.
"Wa- walk me home?" Jess squeaked, suddenly nervous. Her eyes darted around the hall, looking at anything but him. "No, uh, dat's alright. It's jis' down da street. I'll be fine. Really, you don't gotta walk me." If she saw the defeated look in Mush's eyes, she decided to ignore it.
"Sure. Dat's fine." Mush replied, obviously upset. "Then I'll see you at da distribution centah tomorrah, right?"
"Oh yeah, 'bout dat.. I gotta do some stuff for me uncle before I can sell wit you guys. Here," she shoved her hand in her pocket. " Here's some money. Buy me papes for me, will ya?" She pushed 2 bits into Mush's hand. "Thanks. I'll meet you guys at Bottle Alley." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. "See ya tomorrah." Then she ran down the stairs and out the door.
Mush stared after her. Why did she always do this? When they were together, they were fine, and he was happier than he had been in a long time. Jess seemed happy too, always laughing and joking with the guys. But whenever anyone brought up her home, or her family, she got dodgy and avoided the subject. All he knew is that she had two older brothers and an uncle, but that was the most he had gotten out of her. "Why doesn't she trust me?" He wondered.
"She tell you what she's hidin' yet?" a voice asked from behind him.
Mush spun around. Jack was there, leaning up against the doorframe. "Eavesdropping Cowboy?" Mush teased, avoiding the subject.
"'Eavesdropping' is such a harsh woid. I like to refer to it as, 'accidentally overhearin'.'" Jack grinned. The Cowboy could always talk his way out of anything. "Now, answer da question." Mush looked down.
"I don't know what ya' talkin' 'bout," Mush said without any enthusiasm. Actually, he knew exactly what Jack was talking about, but that didn't mean he had to admit it.
Jack sighed. "Mush, ya know exactly what I'm talkin' 'bout. Jess is keepin' something from ya. Trust me, I know what people wit a secret look like. Or maybe ya don't rememba', I was one of 'em." Jack was referring to a few months ago, when it was revealed to Mush and the other newsies that their leader was really Francis Sullivan, an escapee from the Refuge.
Mush looked down at the coins in his hand. "So she's embarrassed 'bout her family. Who ain't at some point or anotha?" Mush could tell from the look Jack gave him that his answer wasn't good enough. "Look, she'll tell me when she's ready da tell me. I can't ask more of her dan dat, can I?"
Jack took a step forward and put his hand on Mush's shoulder. "I know, I know. And Jess is great. And all da guys love her, we really do. She's like a little sista'. It's jist- " He paused, trying to think of the right way to say what he was thinking. "Ya know we're ya friends. We don't wanna see ya get hurt."
Mush up at Jack, surprised at the amount of concern in his friend's voice. "I know Jack. I jist.. I can't stay away from her. It's like Race with his gamblin'. I jist can't stop thinkin' about her, even when she's not around."
Jack smiled. "Yeah, dat does sound like Race." As he turned to go back in the bunkroom, he frowned. "Speakin of which, dat boy owes me money. Ya shoulda seen it, I was dat close to beatin him at poker." Jack continued to talk as he walked into the bunkroom. Before he made it all the way in, he turned around and said, "Who does she live wit again?"
"Her uncle 'n two bruddas" Mush answered. Jack just nodded and walked into the bunkroom. Mush started to follow, but paused in the doorway. He looked at the door Jess had run out of. What is your secret? He asked silently, then turned back to join his friends.