A Girl For Crutchy
Disclaimer: Extra! Extra! Read all 'bout it! Author doesn't own da Newies! If you think she owns this, then you are crazier than Snyder! Extra! Extra!
"So, I met dis goil last night..." Mush told his friends, as they sat around eating at Tibby's. They were all joking and laughing, having a great time after hard day of selling papes.
Jack Kelly noticed Crutchy sitting alone. He stopped his laughing and slipped away from his chums to join Crutchy.
"Hey there Crutchy. What's a matta?"
"Huh? Oh, it's just you Jack. Nothing's a matta." He stared at the others, completely despondent.
"Are you sure you're alright Crutchy? You look a little depressed."
Crutchy turned his brown, curly head towards his closest friend. "Well, I was just thinking. You gots Sarah, Mush gots Jolly, Skittery gots Shivers, Race gots Bet, Spot gots Stripes, Blink gots Wink, everybody gots a goil, except me. I just wish that I could find a goil, just for me. A goil that likes me for me, look past my crutch and see me, Crutchy."
They sat there in an uncomfortable silence; neither knowing what to say while the other newsies continued their merrymaking.
"Ah, forget about it. I'm going back to the lodging house." Crutchy dug out change for his barely-touched food and he limped out of Tibby's into the New York night. Jack just sat there, thinking about what Crutchy had told him.
"Hey Jacky-boy, what's a matta with youse?" Blink asked, noticing his comrade sitting alone. The others came over to their faithful leader as well.
"Youse loose a bet or something?" Race asked, putting his cigar in his mouth. The others laughed and Jack couldn't help but smile. They all knew that Race had trouble himself with bets, and always lost more than he won them.
"Nah, it's Cruthcy."
"What's a matta with him?" Skittery asked. "I mean, he's been seeming kinda down lately."
"He says he just wants a goil like us. Who... who likes him for him, and doesn't just see a crip when they look at him." Jack answered, rubbing his forehead.
The others were silent: they had never thought about Crutchy wanting or needing someone like, like, well, a goil. Now that they know he wishes he had one, where would they find one that wouldn't see him as just another crip?
Crutchy slowly began making his way through the night. He didn't pay much attention to his surroundings and was brought back to reality when someone ran smack into him.
Looking to see who it was, Crutchy saw a girl about his age staring back at him on the ground. Her almost straight black hair hung down loosely to her shoulders and was covered partly by her hat. She dressed as a newsie, but he didn't recognize her from these parts. They stared at each other for a while, not knowing what to make of the other person.
"Hey! Wait until we get our hands on you, you piece of scum!" the shouts coming from two bigger figures from the distance brought them back to reality.
The girl looked over at them in horror. Quickly getting to his feet, Crutchy looked at this fellow newsie. "Come on! I know a place where we can loose them." He told her. "Follow me!" he took off as fast as his crutch allowed him into a dark alley.
Looking between the advancing figures, to the unknown territory she had entered, then to the retreating figure of a fellow newsie, the girl quickly made up her mind to follow him.
Turning into the alley, the girl noticed it was a dead end. She watched further down the alleyway to where Crutchy was trying to open a back door, before glancing back to the mouth of the alley where the figures were catching up to them.
Seeing them approach, her mind raced as she spied a couple of boxes and trash cans. Gripping them tightly, she gritted her teeth as she yanked with all her might at the giant tower of boxes until they came crashing down, blocking the pursuers from them. She glanced over at Crutchy and was relieved to see him opening the door.
She dashed over to him, her heart pounding. It didn't stop its rapid pace until they heard the footsteps of the people that followed them die into the distance. Crutchy let out a breath he didn't knew he was holding.
Carefully opening the door, they peered out into the dark night. Seeing the coast was clear, they piled out of the room they were hiding in.
The girl turned to face her 'comrade'. "Thanks, for helping me. They would have creamed me if they found me."
"Don't mention it," Crutchy replied, leaning on his crutch. "Who were those guys and why were they after you?"
"Just some big oafs back at Queens. They think they own the joint back there, but they're really just big bullies. I just got in their way, so they decided to pound me."
"Oh." Crutchy said, watching the goil dust herself off.
"My name's Crutchy." He said, offering his hand.
"Sling, nice to meet you, Crutchy." She shook his hand back: her smile never leaving her face. She looked up at the sky, then back down the alley towards the street. She bit her lip. "It's getting late. I should head back before they send out a search party for me back at Queens. Thanks again for helping me." Sling turned to leave.
Crutchy watched her go, fighting with himself. Finally making up his mind, he shouted back to her. "Wait!"
Sling turned around, her hair whipping back across her face, matching her near-black eyes. "Yes?" she waited for him to catch up to her.
Gathering his courage, he spoke again. "Would-would you like to hang out sometime? Like, maybe tomorrow? After selling papes?" he felt his heart stop as he waited her reply.
She smiled again, bigger than before. "Sure, I'd like that."
"Meet me at Tibby's after you finish selling at Queens." Crutchy couldn't believe she said yes!
"Alright. I'll see you then, Crutchy," Sling replied, beaming. She turned back and started making the long journey back to Queens, her hands in her pockets.
"See you then," Crutchy whispered to her retreating form, before heading back to the lodging house.
It had been a good day of selling papes again today, and the gang had already gathered at Tibby's to eat. Cruthcy sat alone at the table he had occupied yesterday. Jack and the other newsies eyed each other. Last night they had discussed what to do to make Crutchy feel better: they knew they couldn't find a goil for him, so they decided to distract him from that and have fun.
Race came over to his table, followed by Jack, Skittery, Blink, and Mush. "Heya Crutchy." Race said, taking a seat next to his friend.
"Oh, hey guys." Crutchy replied, tearing his eyes form the window he had been staring at to look at his friends. "What's up?"
"Well, wese was wondering, if you would like to hang with us tonight," Blink began, Crutchy had taken to starting out the window, and the others gave each other odd looks while he wasn't looking.
Blink took a breath and was about to finish what he was saying when Crutchy's face brightened and interrupted him. "Nah, it's alright fellas, I got plans tonight."
He pushed himself up off from the chair, and started limping to the door. The other newsies stared at each other as their friend departed from them. They saw another newsies-a goil- waiting outside, looking around kind of nervous until she saw Crutchy approaching. Her face broke out into a smile, as the others watched them walk away together, hand in hand.
The other newsies just stared at the retreating forms in awe.
"Did-didja see that?" Skittery asked, mouth hanging, breaking the silence.
"Well I'll be..." Mush trailed off.
Blink smiled and clapped a hand on Jack's shoulder, "Looks like Crutchy found himself a goil!"
Spying Racetrack's shocked face, Blink pointed and laughed at him. He did look funny, his cigar had fallen out of his mouth form how wide it had become, his eyes were wider than ever thought possible, and just stood there dumbfounded.
Blink turned to see what Jack would say, but he was staring at the goil and Crutchy's retreating forms, deep in thought.
"What is it Jack?" Blink asked, concerned. He seemed to have not even heard him.
Without moving his eyes, Jack spoke what was on his mind, "Did you see her arm?"
"What?" the others chorused, they didn't understand what their leader was talking about.
"Her arm, didja see it?"
"NO," was their reply.
Turning his head back to face them, Jack finished what he was trying to say, "She was missing part of her left arm, just a little below the elbow."
Blink, Mush, Skittery and Racetrack stared at him for a while, before all crowding around the window trying to catch a glimpse of the goil's arm, leaving Jack alone at the table.
One by one, after seeing for themselves the one-armed goil, they slowing walked back over to Jack. They sat down at the table, not knowing what to say. Jack sat there too, but thinking about all of this. Finally making sense of the situation, he leaned back in his chair and smile. Crutchy found himself a goil.
Also: I own Sling (name cuz she used to need a sling for an arm, now she doesn't, she holds papes with that arm by tuckign it close to her body, and the 'stub' below her elbos is bent so the papes won't fall.) any questions about her i will add antoehr chapter and answer them. And that IS possible for someone to do cuz i knew a girl who did yoga who was missing part of her arm. and i also own Jolly, Shivers, Wink, Stripes,and Bet. They will be featured in otehr stories. Ask if u wnat to use them.
Thanks,
Lulu belle