A/N: Okay, sorry it takes so long for me to update, but like I said, I'm a slow writer. Not to mention that I have volleyball, dance class and school shopping to do as well, but still...
I have some questions for Shooter O'Brien. I just wanted to know if it would be alright if I made some changes in his personality. I know you put down he was loud and bold, but I was wondering if I could make him a little shyer. I will keep those traits, definitely, I just wanted to soften them to people he doesn't know very well. I would prefer it if you would leave a reply in the guestbook on my homepage (see profile), but the review section is fine if you can't get to my site.
And now, without further ado, Chapter 3!!!!
Daylight shone brightly through the windows as the newsies got ready for the day of work ahead. Crutchy yawned as he washed himself, splashing his face to wake himself up. He looked around at the other newsies. They all seemed to be as tired as he was, though Race did seem to look more cheerful than usual. He made his way through the washroom making wisecracks and jokes.
He stopped and sat on the edge of the sink where Crutchy was washing. "Artist is some goil, ain't she?"
Crutchy nodded, still not fully awake.
"She said she might stay fer a couple o' days, seein' as she didn't find her cousin'. She's stayin wit' da goils,now. Gonna do sellin' here fer a while."
That woke him up. "She's sellin' here?" Crutchy asked, partly because of surprise, and partly because he was anxious to see Pinch's reaction.
"Yeah," Racetrack said, with a hint of a smile playing around his face. "Why? Did you want her to stay?" he said, grinning at Crutchy, teasingly.
Crutchy blushed and walked back to his bed to get his cap.
The morning selling went well. Crutchy didn't have a selling partner, so it didn't go by as quick as some of the others' selling, but still, he did alright on his own. He had thought about asking Artist if she needed a partner, seeing as she didn't know the area to well, but she had gone off with one of the girls before he had a chance. He thought whether about asking her again tomorrow, but decided not to because she would probably already have one. Still thinking, he walked along to Tibby's.
He entered to find most of the newsies there already, laughing and talking. He sat down at a table with them, right between Mush and Pinch. Pinch, he noticed, was looking very disgruntled.
"What's wrong wit' you, Pinch?" he asked
Pinch scowled and answered, "Don't ask."
He looked around to see where Racetrack was sitting, thinking about what the other girls had said the previous night.
"Hey, where's Race?" he asked Mush, noticing his absence.
Mush shrugged, uncaringly. "Artist is missin' to. Who knows where they are?" And he returned to his food.
'Dey can't still be sellin' Crutchy thought to himself. 'Da headlines were pretty good. Maybe they went somewhere tagether and...' his thoughts trailed away as his stomach dropped. 'Don't be stupid,' he told himself. 'Race loves Pinch. He'd never do anythin' like dat to her. And Artist... she wouldn't do dat. Would she?' He ate, and his thoughts followed him out the door.
He didn't see Race or Artist the rest of the day, and when he go back to the Lodging House, they weren't there either. Crutchy figured that Race had taken Artist with him to the track that day, and wouldn't be back until late. He decided to ask Race about it tomorrow and changed his clothes, then went to bed.