A Song Come True
Adrianna fluttered tiredly to the ground, completely worn out from her recent flight. She glanced around herself, pushing her silvery wings aside for a better view.
/Cement...and stairs...and...heat!/
She pulled her tired body out of the snow and tried frantically to climb the steps. Heat was slowly pouring out from underneath the glass door. She crawled up against it, her body soaking in any warmth it could. Her eyelids trembled, becoming suddenly heavy, and finally closed.
* * *
Mush placed a foot out the front door, preparing to beat his new record of four steps in one leap. He stopped himself at the last second, causing Racetrack to slam into the back of him.
"Ey! What's da hold up Mush?!" He pushed his way past his friend, then stopped next to him, gazing down at Mush's latest discovery. He removed his cigar with two fingers, his eyes popping. "Woah..." He craned his neck to glance behind him. "Ey guys! Can youse come help us?"
The rest of the newsies crowded around Race and Mush. "It's a goil!" Blink looked skyward. "Thank you God!" He mouthed.
"Is she okay?"
"Only one way ta find out..." Mush bent down and felt for a pulse on her slender white neck, a smile ever growing on his face. The pulse was faint, but consistent. "Come on guys, let's get huh inside."
Mush, Race, Blink, and a few other newsies scrambled to lift the small girl from the doorway. Blink got to her first. Boots closed the door behind them as Blink carried her up the stairs and into the bunker.
* * *
Adrianna awoke even warmer than she had fallen asleep. She opened her eyes slowly, not wanting to face the blistering cold again. /I'll have to move from this spot sooner or...later.../ Violet eyes fully open, she sat up quickly and gazed around.
An old man entered through a doorway carrying a steaming bowl. Adrianna's stomach growled, letting her know that it had noticed as well. Forgetting her fear and her unfamiliar surroundings, she lunged at the bowl as soon as the old man came closer.
"Oh! Good, youse is...awake..." He looked at her curiously for a second as she grabbed the bowl of soup from his hands, then gave a hearty laugh. "An' hungry too I'se see."
She nodded, smiling. Her smiled dropped as she tried to remember where she was and realized that she didn't know. "Excuse me sir...but...where am I?" She paused, waiting for an answer. "Oh, and thank you for the broth, it was delightful."
The man grinned widely. "Youse is welcome...it ain't every night we gets a beautiful young lady ta visit us. Youse is at da Newsboy's Lodgin' House. Welcome!" He spread his arms grandly, gesturing around the room.
A memory of the sign above the doorway with the heat suddenly flashed before her eyes. "And how did I..." Her eyes flickered from bed to bed.
"Da boys took ya in...de'll be back in a bit. Dey din't wanna leave ya, but dey had ta. Carryin' da banna and all dat."
Adrianna gazed up at him, a blank look in her eyes.
"You know, sellin' da papes?" No response. He sighed, trying to cut down on his accent. "They...sell...the...newspapers." He said, over enunciating every syllable.
"Oh! Yes, newspapers!" /I've/ heard /of them at least.../
"I'se is Mr. Kloppman...but youse can just calls me Kloppman...no mistah."
"Adrianna..." They shook on it, Kloppman resisting the urge to spit on his palm first, his strong wrinkled hand enveloping her dainty pale one.
* * *
"Youse guys wanna skip Tibby's for now?" Snipeshooter asked, walking backwards in front of the rest of the newsies.
"Yeah!" Race, Blink and Mush said nearly in unison. They glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes.
Jack gazed over his shoulder at the Jacobs. "Heya Davey, Les, youse guys comin'?"
Before David could say no, Les piped up with a loud "Shoa Cowboy!" David glanced down at his brother, wondering how he could pick up an accent so fast.
When they reached the lodging house, all the guys ran upstairs, throwing coats and scarves every which way. They reached the top and halted: Spot was sitting on the bed next to the girl, talking and flirting with a vengeance. He glanced at the doorway and smiled, standing. "Heya fellas. Adrianna, da guys. Guys, dis...is Adrianna."
Jack pushed his way to the front. "Yeah Spot, we know." He lied.
"Oh, well den..." He smirked. He and Jack stood eye to...chest, staring each other down. Adrianna looked frightened.
Jack broke the gaze and clapped Spot on the back, laughing. He waltzed over to the bed next to Adrianna and sat, the remainder of the newsies following suit.
Race spoke up first. "Hiya dere pretty lady, I'se is Racetrack...but /you/ can call me Race." He winked at her, causing her to blush slightly.
"I'se is glad ta see youse is feelin' betta." Mush pushed him out of the way and ran a hand through his hair. "I'se Mush...youse uh...goin' wid anyone?"
Jack rolled his eyes and pushed Mush out of his way. "Ignore him Adri, I'm Cowboy."
The rest of the introductions went around the group in a similar fashion.
"Well, I don't know what to say! I'm overwhelmed..." Adri sighed lightly, flustered.
"Ya could say youse will go out wid me!" Mush yelled, a wide grin on his face.
She smiled. "That's very sweet of you...Mush...but I don't even know you!"
"We could change that." David said, bringing a strange look from the newsies.
He blushed heavily and Adrianna laughed, her voice like tiny bells chiming. "That's very, very kind of you...of all of you: you are all /very/ special to me. After all, you saved my life!" She thought for a minute. "I want to repay you with something." She said decidedly. She shut her eyes tight, then popped them open again. "Done!" She sang out.
Jack blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah...anyway, I t'ink you need some more sleep, okay?"
"Okay," She grinned devilishly and yawned. "I guess I am rather tired still...but I must leave in the morning." She warned.
"But ya jus' got heah!" A sorrowful look went around the group.
"Oh...don't be sad," She said, smiling in a motherly fashion. "Now, you boys need your rest as well...but you might want to eat first, tomorrow will be a big day for you all."
More puzzled looks crossed the faces of the newsies. "Hey...how did she know dat...?"
Race stood. "Well, personally, I'se is sta'vin'. Let's go!"
The newsies filed out of the room and headed to Tibby's.
Mush bent down over Adrianna. "Ya want me ta bring somet'in' back for ya?"
She shook her head. "I'm fine, go."
He paused awkwardly, then kissed her on the cheek. "I'll miss ya, even tho' ya were only hea for a li'l bit." He rushed down the stairs to join his friends.
Spot slowly stood from his place in the shadows. He bowed low, gently taking her hand and kissing it. "'Bye m'lady..." He said, smiling in his charming Brooklyn way.
Adrianna sighed faintly as he walked out the door in his ever-cocky manner. She lay back against her pillow, her dark hair spilling over it in dramatic contrast to it's white surface. Her eyelids demanded to be closed, and so she obeyed, allowing the warm blanket of sleep to cover her once again.
* * *
By the time the boys returned from Tibby's, Adrianna was already fast asleep. They quietly stripped down and got in bed...but only after Racetrack got soundly whipped at Gin Rummy by Itey, again.
Adrianna fluttered tiredly to the ground, completely worn out from her recent flight. She glanced around herself, pushing her silvery wings aside for a better view.
/Cement...and stairs...and...heat!/
She pulled her tired body out of the snow and tried frantically to climb the steps. Heat was slowly pouring out from underneath the glass door. She crawled up against it, her body soaking in any warmth it could. Her eyelids trembled, becoming suddenly heavy, and finally closed.
* * *
Mush placed a foot out the front door, preparing to beat his new record of four steps in one leap. He stopped himself at the last second, causing Racetrack to slam into the back of him.
"Ey! What's da hold up Mush?!" He pushed his way past his friend, then stopped next to him, gazing down at Mush's latest discovery. He removed his cigar with two fingers, his eyes popping. "Woah..." He craned his neck to glance behind him. "Ey guys! Can youse come help us?"
The rest of the newsies crowded around Race and Mush. "It's a goil!" Blink looked skyward. "Thank you God!" He mouthed.
"Is she okay?"
"Only one way ta find out..." Mush bent down and felt for a pulse on her slender white neck, a smile ever growing on his face. The pulse was faint, but consistent. "Come on guys, let's get huh inside."
Mush, Race, Blink, and a few other newsies scrambled to lift the small girl from the doorway. Blink got to her first. Boots closed the door behind them as Blink carried her up the stairs and into the bunker.
* * *
Adrianna awoke even warmer than she had fallen asleep. She opened her eyes slowly, not wanting to face the blistering cold again. /I'll have to move from this spot sooner or...later.../ Violet eyes fully open, she sat up quickly and gazed around.
An old man entered through a doorway carrying a steaming bowl. Adrianna's stomach growled, letting her know that it had noticed as well. Forgetting her fear and her unfamiliar surroundings, she lunged at the bowl as soon as the old man came closer.
"Oh! Good, youse is...awake..." He looked at her curiously for a second as she grabbed the bowl of soup from his hands, then gave a hearty laugh. "An' hungry too I'se see."
She nodded, smiling. Her smiled dropped as she tried to remember where she was and realized that she didn't know. "Excuse me sir...but...where am I?" She paused, waiting for an answer. "Oh, and thank you for the broth, it was delightful."
The man grinned widely. "Youse is welcome...it ain't every night we gets a beautiful young lady ta visit us. Youse is at da Newsboy's Lodgin' House. Welcome!" He spread his arms grandly, gesturing around the room.
A memory of the sign above the doorway with the heat suddenly flashed before her eyes. "And how did I..." Her eyes flickered from bed to bed.
"Da boys took ya in...de'll be back in a bit. Dey din't wanna leave ya, but dey had ta. Carryin' da banna and all dat."
Adrianna gazed up at him, a blank look in her eyes.
"You know, sellin' da papes?" No response. He sighed, trying to cut down on his accent. "They...sell...the...newspapers." He said, over enunciating every syllable.
"Oh! Yes, newspapers!" /I've/ heard /of them at least.../
"I'se is Mr. Kloppman...but youse can just calls me Kloppman...no mistah."
"Adrianna..." They shook on it, Kloppman resisting the urge to spit on his palm first, his strong wrinkled hand enveloping her dainty pale one.
* * *
"Youse guys wanna skip Tibby's for now?" Snipeshooter asked, walking backwards in front of the rest of the newsies.
"Yeah!" Race, Blink and Mush said nearly in unison. They glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes.
Jack gazed over his shoulder at the Jacobs. "Heya Davey, Les, youse guys comin'?"
Before David could say no, Les piped up with a loud "Shoa Cowboy!" David glanced down at his brother, wondering how he could pick up an accent so fast.
When they reached the lodging house, all the guys ran upstairs, throwing coats and scarves every which way. They reached the top and halted: Spot was sitting on the bed next to the girl, talking and flirting with a vengeance. He glanced at the doorway and smiled, standing. "Heya fellas. Adrianna, da guys. Guys, dis...is Adrianna."
Jack pushed his way to the front. "Yeah Spot, we know." He lied.
"Oh, well den..." He smirked. He and Jack stood eye to...chest, staring each other down. Adrianna looked frightened.
Jack broke the gaze and clapped Spot on the back, laughing. He waltzed over to the bed next to Adrianna and sat, the remainder of the newsies following suit.
Race spoke up first. "Hiya dere pretty lady, I'se is Racetrack...but /you/ can call me Race." He winked at her, causing her to blush slightly.
"I'se is glad ta see youse is feelin' betta." Mush pushed him out of the way and ran a hand through his hair. "I'se Mush...youse uh...goin' wid anyone?"
Jack rolled his eyes and pushed Mush out of his way. "Ignore him Adri, I'm Cowboy."
The rest of the introductions went around the group in a similar fashion.
"Well, I don't know what to say! I'm overwhelmed..." Adri sighed lightly, flustered.
"Ya could say youse will go out wid me!" Mush yelled, a wide grin on his face.
She smiled. "That's very sweet of you...Mush...but I don't even know you!"
"We could change that." David said, bringing a strange look from the newsies.
He blushed heavily and Adrianna laughed, her voice like tiny bells chiming. "That's very, very kind of you...of all of you: you are all /very/ special to me. After all, you saved my life!" She thought for a minute. "I want to repay you with something." She said decidedly. She shut her eyes tight, then popped them open again. "Done!" She sang out.
Jack blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah...anyway, I t'ink you need some more sleep, okay?"
"Okay," She grinned devilishly and yawned. "I guess I am rather tired still...but I must leave in the morning." She warned.
"But ya jus' got heah!" A sorrowful look went around the group.
"Oh...don't be sad," She said, smiling in a motherly fashion. "Now, you boys need your rest as well...but you might want to eat first, tomorrow will be a big day for you all."
More puzzled looks crossed the faces of the newsies. "Hey...how did she know dat...?"
Race stood. "Well, personally, I'se is sta'vin'. Let's go!"
The newsies filed out of the room and headed to Tibby's.
Mush bent down over Adrianna. "Ya want me ta bring somet'in' back for ya?"
She shook her head. "I'm fine, go."
He paused awkwardly, then kissed her on the cheek. "I'll miss ya, even tho' ya were only hea for a li'l bit." He rushed down the stairs to join his friends.
Spot slowly stood from his place in the shadows. He bowed low, gently taking her hand and kissing it. "'Bye m'lady..." He said, smiling in his charming Brooklyn way.
Adrianna sighed faintly as he walked out the door in his ever-cocky manner. She lay back against her pillow, her dark hair spilling over it in dramatic contrast to it's white surface. Her eyelids demanded to be closed, and so she obeyed, allowing the warm blanket of sleep to cover her once again.
* * *
By the time the boys returned from Tibby's, Adrianna was already fast asleep. They quietly stripped down and got in bed...but only after Racetrack got soundly whipped at Gin Rummy by Itey, again.