Spot had just told Dani what Jack, or Francis, said. She hadn't said as
much as he thought she would. She basically just sat and listened. In the
middle of an awkward silence she had rested her head on his shoulder. He
wasn't quite sure what this meant and he didn't think she did either. They
sat like that for a few minutes. Neither of them knew what to say. Dani
didn't seem to be as mad as she seemed lonely, and forsaken. Spot broke the
silence. "It's gettin' dark we should probably head back to The Lodgin'
House."
"Your probably right." They walked in silence but Spots mind wasn't silent, not in the least. It was cluttered with worries and doubts. He still wasn't sure how Jack was going to handle this. Spot knew how it feels to abandon. He had, had years to cope with this though, and his family didn't leave him everyone died. He was the only child of a lower class family. When they died Spot was eight, and he was already selling newspapers. It was basically just a switch of attention. Now his full attention went to being a newsie instead of being a son. "You're coming with me tomorrow, right?" Dani asked.
"Of course Dan, I wouldn't let ya go alone."
"Thanks Spot," She said as she gave him an admiring look.
point of view change
The rest of the walk back to The Lodging House was silent. It wasn't so much that they were deep in thought, but that neither of them knew what to say. As soon as they reached The Lodging House Dani ran up stair into "the lodging room" leaving Spot to walk in by himself. When she came entered the room she saw people doing what they always did sleeping, playing poker, and sleeping. So Dani did what she usually did at this time, she invited herself to a game of poker with Trixie, Cheat, and handful of other newsies. Right before they were about to deal Dani in when Trixie asked,
"Ya wanna mete in da bathroom wit' da other goils?"
"Umm, sure." Dani said not knowing exactly what this meant. Dani went straight into the girl's bathroom next door, and waited for a few minutes until the rest of the girls pilled in. Kitty and Butter sat in the counter top and Trixie and Dani sat on the floor. Soon Dani realized Blue was missing.
"Where's Blue shouldn't she be here too?" Dani asked. As soon as she said this all the girls looked at Trixie who looked back at Dani.
"We don't talk to Blue much any more." Trixie began. "Ever since she started dating Jack she's seemed ta be a different person."
Dani couldn't believe how weird it felt to hear his name now. He wasn't just some person from Manhattan he was, or at one time was, Francis Sullivan her brother. Trixie kept talking. "She used ta be so fun ta be around and laughed a lot but now she doesn't talk much and keeps basically to herself."
"Don't blame Jack for this,"Butter said in a rather irritated tone "When they first stared going out she was fine. It's just lately; she's been acting funny. Like she won't spend time with us because it's to painful it's almost as if she's hiding something from us."
"Oh," Dani said. Not really knowing how to respond."
"So do you like any of the boys here?" Kitty asked breakin the awkward silence.
"I don't know. Are we aloud to like them? There kinda like Business
partners." Dani stated. All the girls looked a little confused by her question. Butter
was the first to speak.
"What are business partners?" She asked not really looking for answer. "And of course were allowed to like 'um! Were newsies not dead." She said with a smile. All of the girls including Dani laughed at this comment. After the laughter quieted Kitty stared sharing her crush.
"I think Snipeshooter is really cute." All the girls laughed at this statement except Kitty, who sat looking mad.
"It's just cute that's all Kitty. And Snipeshooter lives in Manhattan. That's along ways away" Butter said, still smiling.
"I don't care." Kitty said. Sticking her little nose in the air. "Besides Trixie likes Jack and he also lives in Manhattan, but no one's laughing at her."
Butter was giggling as she said, "Anyway I like Cheat. He's so nice ta everyone, and not ta mention those gorgeous eyes."
"Oh my Gosh." Trixie said throwing the roll of toilet paper, she was playing with, at Butter.
"Ya all just don't appreciate Jacks strong personality and beautiful features." Trixie said closing her eyes, trying to picture him. All the girl laughed at this also. Dani didn't think she'd ever laughed this much in one night before.
"Com'on Dani, ya have ta like someone." Butter said emphasizing 'someone'.
"Umm, I don't know anyone well enough to fancy them." Dani said, hoping that they knew that saying fancy wasn't a Charleston thing, it was more of a Danielle Kelly thing. They stayed in the bathroom for about an hour talking, braiding hair, and taking showers.
Meanwhile
Spot noticed that all girls weren't in the room, so he assumed they were in the bathroom talking. He was glad they accepted Dani with no hesitation but he's noticed lately that Blue hasn't really been in the group. She's been kinda to herself. Not to his surprise he saw her in her bunk staring at the bottom of the bunk above her. So Spot as the leader of the Brooklyn newsies went over to have a talk with her.
"Blue are ya feelin' ok 'cause ya aren't actin' like ya self lately even Jack said somethin' 'bout it. Ya wanna talk?"
"Not today Spot" Blue said. It was good to hear her voice again. Spot knew something big was up, but if she didn't want to talk Spot wasn't going to pressure him. And besides she said 'not today' not never, so he could wait till then.
"Your probably right." They walked in silence but Spots mind wasn't silent, not in the least. It was cluttered with worries and doubts. He still wasn't sure how Jack was going to handle this. Spot knew how it feels to abandon. He had, had years to cope with this though, and his family didn't leave him everyone died. He was the only child of a lower class family. When they died Spot was eight, and he was already selling newspapers. It was basically just a switch of attention. Now his full attention went to being a newsie instead of being a son. "You're coming with me tomorrow, right?" Dani asked.
"Of course Dan, I wouldn't let ya go alone."
"Thanks Spot," She said as she gave him an admiring look.
point of view change
The rest of the walk back to The Lodging House was silent. It wasn't so much that they were deep in thought, but that neither of them knew what to say. As soon as they reached The Lodging House Dani ran up stair into "the lodging room" leaving Spot to walk in by himself. When she came entered the room she saw people doing what they always did sleeping, playing poker, and sleeping. So Dani did what she usually did at this time, she invited herself to a game of poker with Trixie, Cheat, and handful of other newsies. Right before they were about to deal Dani in when Trixie asked,
"Ya wanna mete in da bathroom wit' da other goils?"
"Umm, sure." Dani said not knowing exactly what this meant. Dani went straight into the girl's bathroom next door, and waited for a few minutes until the rest of the girls pilled in. Kitty and Butter sat in the counter top and Trixie and Dani sat on the floor. Soon Dani realized Blue was missing.
"Where's Blue shouldn't she be here too?" Dani asked. As soon as she said this all the girls looked at Trixie who looked back at Dani.
"We don't talk to Blue much any more." Trixie began. "Ever since she started dating Jack she's seemed ta be a different person."
Dani couldn't believe how weird it felt to hear his name now. He wasn't just some person from Manhattan he was, or at one time was, Francis Sullivan her brother. Trixie kept talking. "She used ta be so fun ta be around and laughed a lot but now she doesn't talk much and keeps basically to herself."
"Don't blame Jack for this,"Butter said in a rather irritated tone "When they first stared going out she was fine. It's just lately; she's been acting funny. Like she won't spend time with us because it's to painful it's almost as if she's hiding something from us."
"Oh," Dani said. Not really knowing how to respond."
"So do you like any of the boys here?" Kitty asked breakin the awkward silence.
"I don't know. Are we aloud to like them? There kinda like Business
partners." Dani stated. All the girls looked a little confused by her question. Butter
was the first to speak.
"What are business partners?" She asked not really looking for answer. "And of course were allowed to like 'um! Were newsies not dead." She said with a smile. All of the girls including Dani laughed at this comment. After the laughter quieted Kitty stared sharing her crush.
"I think Snipeshooter is really cute." All the girls laughed at this statement except Kitty, who sat looking mad.
"It's just cute that's all Kitty. And Snipeshooter lives in Manhattan. That's along ways away" Butter said, still smiling.
"I don't care." Kitty said. Sticking her little nose in the air. "Besides Trixie likes Jack and he also lives in Manhattan, but no one's laughing at her."
Butter was giggling as she said, "Anyway I like Cheat. He's so nice ta everyone, and not ta mention those gorgeous eyes."
"Oh my Gosh." Trixie said throwing the roll of toilet paper, she was playing with, at Butter.
"Ya all just don't appreciate Jacks strong personality and beautiful features." Trixie said closing her eyes, trying to picture him. All the girl laughed at this also. Dani didn't think she'd ever laughed this much in one night before.
"Com'on Dani, ya have ta like someone." Butter said emphasizing 'someone'.
"Umm, I don't know anyone well enough to fancy them." Dani said, hoping that they knew that saying fancy wasn't a Charleston thing, it was more of a Danielle Kelly thing. They stayed in the bathroom for about an hour talking, braiding hair, and taking showers.
Meanwhile
Spot noticed that all girls weren't in the room, so he assumed they were in the bathroom talking. He was glad they accepted Dani with no hesitation but he's noticed lately that Blue hasn't really been in the group. She's been kinda to herself. Not to his surprise he saw her in her bunk staring at the bottom of the bunk above her. So Spot as the leader of the Brooklyn newsies went over to have a talk with her.
"Blue are ya feelin' ok 'cause ya aren't actin' like ya self lately even Jack said somethin' 'bout it. Ya wanna talk?"
"Not today Spot" Blue said. It was good to hear her voice again. Spot knew something big was up, but if she didn't want to talk Spot wasn't going to pressure him. And besides she said 'not today' not never, so he could wait till then.