The next morning I got up earlier that usual. I got ready then woke Kevin since I was up about an hour early. I went down stairs to see if anyone was awake. Scott came down right after me.
"Whudd ye do last night?" he asked.
"Nuttin really. We went te Harlem and Spot, Jack, an Race played poka. Den I fell asleep. Dats all dat happened." I told him. I could tell he didn't believe me from the look on his face. I could tell his expression meant that he didn't like the fact that me and Kevin liked Spot. "Whudds so wrong bout Spot?" I asked furiously.
"I just don't like de guy dats all." He said expressionless.
"Good cuz de guy don't really like you eida." Spot snapped coming down the stairs.
Scott stared at him coldly. "Don't start now." I heard Jack say as he followed Spot down the stairs. "So Scott, ye bein a newsie er whudd?"
"Yea I am." Scott replied still starring at Spot.
"Well den if ye are ye shouldn't be fightin each odda, so try te get along."
"Mornin." Kevin yelled running down the stairs.
"Slow down kiddo." Race laughed coming down after him.
"Looks like everyone's up." Jack noticed. "Well we betta get goin if we're gonna sell papes. Gotta get derre while dey still got some." He said as we left.
"Heya Cowboy! Where've ye been?" Blink asked as we got to the Distribution Center.
"We got stuck at Medda's last night afta de game." Blink was told.
"Hey Race, we still goin ta de tracks lata?" Bumlets asked.
"Yea I gotta hot tip on a horse." Race remarked.
"Ye surre bout dis one?"
"Oh yea, won't be like last time." Race lit a cigar he stole the day before.
"C'mon lets get our papes." Scott said pulling Kevin with him.
"Alright." I followed.
While we were getting in line for our papes I noticed the Delancey brothers. They were handing out the papes.
"Hey, ain't dat de Delancey broddas?" I questioned Crutchy who was in front of us.
"Yea. Dey woik hea fer Mr. Pulitza." Crutchy answered.
"Scott whudd er we gonna do?" Kevin whispered.
"C'mon we're leavin." Scott pulled me out of the line.
"Wait we can't just leave!" I protested.
"Yea we can!"
"Are we gonna keep runnin every time we see em?" I asked. Maybe was all he could say. "You might wanna but I'm getting mah papes." I said ripping my arm from his grip.
"Whudd er ye doin? Yer gonna get soaked!" Scott shrieked at me.
"I'm getting mah papes an dats dat!"
"Mebe I didn't tell ye, but de Delancey broddas gots connections wit de Crypts."
"Dey don't scare me."
"Yea well dey should." Scott looked at Oscar and Morris.
"Ye don't think dey would actually get de Crypts te try an soak us do ye?"
"Yea I do."
We left the Distribution Center and went to Medda's instead. I couldn't believe we lost a day selling just because the Delancey brothers work there. The next day I got in line and Scott tried to get me to leave with him and Kevin
"We can't just stop runnin our lives just cuz de Delancey's are hea!" I said as I took Kevin's arm. "I don't whucha do, but we're sellin our papes!"
"Look if dey see ye dey might soak ye." Scott said in a calm voice.
"Leave if yer leavin but we ain't runnin cuz yer afraid of em!"
"I ain't afraid of em. I'm afraid ye might get hoit!" Scott said storming off.
"Ye made im really made dis time." Kevin said looking up at me.
"Don't worry bout it. He'll eventually get ova it."
"Well lookie hea. It's Kevin an Angel!" Morris snarled as we got to the desk.
"How many papes?" the man standing beside Morris asked.
"Fifty!" I said as I put the money down on the counter and Morris handed me fifty papes. (I know because I counted)
"Have fun sellin yer papes!" Morris and Oscar yelled.
By noon we had sold all of our papers. We went to Tibby's and eat afterward. When we got there most of the other newsies were there. Kevin went to sit with Les so I sat at a booth by myself. I didn't notice Jack came over until he sat down.
"So I see Scott's not wit ye."
"Yea we had an argument."
"So he just left two te sell by yerselves?"
"Whudd's de problem? I thought ye didn't like im." I shot back.
"No, dats Spot. Its dangerous leavin ye two alone."
"Well as ye can see we're poifectly fine widdout his help"
"Still whudd woulda happened if something did happen?"
"It doesn't matta cuz nuttin happened an nuttin will happen?"
"Ye sound pretty surre of yerself."
"Yea well I am. Well I gotta go." I told him, got Kevin and left.
We walked around town till it got dark. On the way to Medda's we ran into Oscar. "Well if it ain't me favorite goil in de woild." He called out to me.
"Whudd ye want?" Kevin asked.
"I want whucha took back from us back."
"I don't know whucher talkin bout so just leave us alone!" I said walking past calmly past him.
"Well mebe if I introduced ye te some friends ye might rememba." A few guys walked out of an alley next to us.
"Dis knives an Crane. Ye know it just happens derre in de Crypts." Oscar now smiling.
"So ye got some new friends. It don't mean nuttin te me."
"Where dye think yer goin?" the guy named Knives asked grabbing my arm.
"Let go! I'm goin far away from you!" I turned to him.
He spun me around to face him and he slapped me across the face. He hit me so hard I fell to the ground. "Don't get smart wit me!" He yelled. Crane grabbed Kevin when he tried to hit Knives so Kevin wouldn't interfere. Oscar and Knives were standing over me. "She ain't so tough anymoa is she?" Knives asked Oscar.
"Mebe cuz she's out numbered!" Someone called out from an alley.
"Who's derre?" Crane shouted trying to keep Kevin still.
"Who dye think?" it was Jack with Blink and Race.
"Not te mention ye fightin a goil!" Blink added.
"Dis ain't got nuttin te do wit you punks so scram!" Oscar yelled.
"Well actually it does. See Angel hea is a newsie an we can't just let ye fight her."
"Specially since she's a goil." Race mentioned.
I got up and pushed Oscar out of my way. Knives grabbed my arm while I tried to get by.
"Why you lil punk!" Oscar got up and slapped my face.
"Hey ye betta watch it. If ye keep hittin her we're gonna soak ye. Let em go!" Jack ordered.
"Whudd ye mean... like dis?" Oscar slapped me again.
I tried to get away from Knives, but his grip was too strong. "You can have de shrimp back. We don't need im." Crane pushed Kevin into Blink.
"Let go you pig!" I yelled at Knives. "You guys leave, dis ain't got nuttin te do wit ye."
"Why don't ye shut yer mouth? So whudd happened ye guys can't fight us afta all? Oscar why don'tcha give her a lil token fer mouthin off?" Knives asked Oscar starring at Jack.
"She should get one shouldn't she?" Oscar said as he punched me hard in the stomach. Knives let go of me possibly knowing I really couldn't move. I fell to my knees clutching where Oscar hit me gasping for air.
"Dats where ye cross de line." Someone else said from behind us.