All right, I loathe this chap, and for all of you who read my story, even tho only Alex and Nicole do, I hate it. Its crap. It must die. Oh well here it is.
My name is Sure-Thing. I've been a Newsie for almost 4 years, coming here at the age of 14. So much time has passed that when I look back on whom I used to be it feels like that person has died and I took her place. I think I was 15 when I changed. It would be too difficult to explain it, so I guess I should just show you.
2 years ago.
Woo! Third person! All right on with the story.
Sure-Thing was sort of an outcast. There's always that group that everyone's in and then there's one person on the side that watches them go on with out her. That was Sure-Thing. Sure-Thing was the kind of person who sat in the corner and read a book while everyone else played. She sold alone. And all though she didn't know that everyone knew it, she had a huge crush on Knight.
And I'd give up forever to touch you, cause I know that you feel me some how.
One day at the distribution center the unexpected happened. Knight walked up to Sure-Thing.
"Shoah-Ting, do you's wanna sell wid me?" He asked nicely.
"Uh... uh... Uhm... Yeah... yeah shoah," She stuttered, looking to the ground. They bought their papes and sold at Knights spot.
"Well dat was awfully nice of Knight to do," Jazz said to Blue as they walked out of the distribution center.
"Yeah, and odd too," Blue added. Mute nodded with both of them.
As Knight and Sure-Thing walked down the sidewalk they talked a little bit.
"Yoah awfully quiet, yanno," Knight told her.
"Yeah, I's know. I's just don't got nuthin to say to anybody, not that they would care if I did have something to say," She explained.
"I's shoah dat dey would care," Knight said giving her a side-ways look.
"Yeah, and I'm gonna become president," Sure-Thing said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Knight laughed a little and Sure-Thing tripped on a crack in the sidewalk, sending some of her papes to the ground. She muttered curse words under her breath as she knelt down to pick them up.
"Uh, heah, lemme help you's," Knight said and knelt down as well. As they reached for the same paper their hands landed on top of each other. Knight felt odd and Sure-Thing thought she was in heaven.
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be and I don't wanna go home right now.
"Uhm, tanks," Sure-Thing said blushing like mad as she stood up, all her papes in hand.
"No problem," Knight said smiling. We began selling, him, hawking the headlines, her, yelling her headlines at the top of her lungs. When she had sold five more papes than him he looked at her questioningly.
"You's may be quiet back at da Lodgin House, but you's are a completely different poisen in da sellin field. You's quite the sellah," Knight smirked at her.
"Tanks," She blushed. They continued selling papes until there were no more to sell.
"I's nevah knew you's were such a good sellah," Knight sighed after they were done. "Maybe I's should considah makin' you's my poimanent partah."
"Yeah?" Sure-Thing's eyes lit up when he said this.
"Yeah," he echoed her.
"Hey, I's hoid dere's a party ovah in Manhattan tahnight, you's wanna come with me and da gang?" Knight asked, counting the change in his pocket. She was astonished. She had never gone to any of the parties with any of the others and here she was being invited to one. Knight, seeing the blank look on her face smiled.
"Used to stayin home on Saturdays, huh?" He said. She blushed a little. In the past she had spent Saturday nights babysitting the younger newsies or sitting in Anderson's drinking a coffee and reading a book.
"C'mon lets get back tah da Lodgin House," Knight said standing. He offered her a hand, which she gladly accepted
And all I can taste is this moment, and all I can breathe is your life.
They walked back to the Lodging House; on the way they talked some more. Sure-Thing never pictured herself talking so much with the guy she liked. They arrived at the Lodging House.
"Uhm, you's go on upstairs, I's gotta an ordeal to take up wit Eye," Sure-Thing said when they walked through the door. Eye, the caretaker of the Lodging House, had been behind the counter and he looked up when he heard his name. Knight nodded and walked upstairs.
"What can I's do foah you's?" Eye asked.
"I's know I haven't been able tah pay dah rent foah da last couple of days, but would ya mind holdin out on me foah jist one moah week? I'm gonna try tah get a job at Anderson's tomorrow to help me pay off my rent," Sure-Thing explained.
"Shoah, but only one more week," Eye warned.
"Tank you's! Tank you's tank you's tank you's!" She squealed and darted up stairs. She opened the door to the bunkroom slightly but stopped when she heard angry conversation, so she listened.
"Knight I can't believe you's!" a voice that sounded like Blue's said. " You's... you's invited dat... thing to dah party tahnight?! I can't believe you at all!!"
"Blue-"Knight started but he was cut off when Jazz started to speak.
"Do you's even know how she became a Newsie?!" She yelled. Sure-Thing remembered that her parents had been killed in a fire and her Aunt who didn't have enough money to take care of a baby and 5 other children asked Eye if she could stay there, her having been a past girl friend of his.
"Yeah I-"Knight began but Jazz cut him off again.
"Her parents abandoned her," Jazz said snidely. "They didn't want her."
"Yeah, probably because she was too ugly," Blue added.
"An ugly fat baby," Jazz retorted.
"Ain't all that different now, is she?" Blue cackled. Sure-Thing knew she wasn't the prettiest or the skinniest of the girls or the steryotypical blonde with blue eyes and a perfect smile, but when she heard some one else make the snide remarks about it, its stung like a bee and tears welled up in her eyes.
And sooner or later it's over, I just don't wanna miss you tonight.
"You guys!" Knight yelled, silencing them. "She ain't at all as bad as she seems, jist give her a chance for Christ sake!"
"Yanno maybe he's right guys, jist give her a chance," Quarter put in. Sure-Thing heard a crash and she knew that Mute had pushed him over.
"Fine. We'll give her a chance. But only one. JIST the one," Blue said unhappily. Sure thing ran to the girls' bunkroom and dug threw the one drawer that held all of her clothes, unlike Blue, Jazz, and Mute who had three drawers each. She grabbed the nicest pair of pants and the nicest shirt she had, but then thought and got the second nicest shirt she had and ran to change in the bathroom. She walked out to find the three girls doing each other's hair.
"Oh. Hi," Blue said dully, french braiding Mutes hair.
"You need help with your hair?" Jazz said, offering at least the tiniest bit of kindness. Blue kicked her and the kindness faded from Jazzes face.
"No thanks I got it," She said standing in front of a mirror. She took her glasses off and pulled her hair into two braids that hung over her shoulders. Just as she was done Quarter, Knight, and Spot walked in.
"You's guys ready?" Spot asked. The three nodded and she stepped foreword.
"Oh, you're comin?" Spot said surprised. She nodded and followed them out the door. She was basically a follower the whole time they walked over there, walking in the back, staring at the ground.
"Ok, we're heah," Knight tapped her on the shoulder as they approached a building. Her head jerked up to see the sign 'Newsboys Lodging House' above the door. We walked in to the roar of voices, laughing talking, playing poker... In the background you could hear music coming off a record player in the corner, and a crowd of kids up the stairs and on the second floor where dancing. Right away Blue, Jazz, and Mute set off dancing, Jazz pulling a boy from a game of poker to dance with her. Spot took the boys place at the table, Knight went about talking to pretty girls, and Quarter wandered upstairs. She stood leaning on the wall, a wall flower amongst the lively group of kids. A tall-ish boy with curly hair crossed the room and asked her if she wanted to dance. On a whim she said yes, this probably being the only boy who would ask her to dance.
"I'm Mush," he introduced himself. She couldn't see why such a handsome boy would want to dance with a girl like her.
"Shoah-Ting," I nodded. He looked confused.
"What?" He asked.
"My name, it's Shoah-Ting," I repeated. He smiled.
"Oh," He said. After the song was over he left her and she stood by the record player, tapping her head to the fast beat song. Mush hadn't seen her come over here and the table he was sitting at was around the corner, so she could hear what the group he was with said.
"So you's carried out dah dare?" a voice asked.
"Yeah, and man, you's were right, she is ugly!" She heard Mush laugh. She cringed at the comment and didn't stay to listen to anymore. She moved. She found a group of girls playing poker and had herself dealt in.
"Not much of a party goil?" one of the asked her. She shook her head.
"Dat and I's an eyesore ta everyone who looks at me," Sure-Thing added.
"What?! Nah! You's really pretty!" the other one defended.
"Well you's da foist one ta say dat ta me," She rolled her eyes. "Lessee... Blue, Jazz, Mute- Dey've all called me ugly... and some boy over dere named Mush did too."
"Well dey're losers," The first one said. Sure-Thing thought they were a little too happy cheer-ful and preppy.
"What are you's twos' names'?" She asked
"I'm Deidre," the first one smiled.
"And I'm Leah," The second one laughed. Sure-Thing rolled her eyes.
"Uhm I's bettah be going, I's have ta start home," She said and left them to be happy cheerful and preppy by themselves. She found Knight at another table playing poker.
"Hey Knight, I's gonna start goin' home," She told him. He nodded and started getting up.
"What are you's doing?" She asked, surprised.
"I's walkin you's bak tah Brooklyn," He said like it was obvious. She shook her head.
"I's tink I's need a lil time tah tink, tah be alone," She suggested. He nodded and sat back down.
"Suit yoah self den, I's see you's in a while," He said and she waved good-bye to Spot who was sitting next to him. When she was around Knight she acted like... not herself and she figured that if she didn't get over it than he would never know whom she was and she'd be a lie to everyone in the lodging house. But they didn't know who she was anyway; she was just the broken girl with no feelings.
And I don't want the world to see me, Cause I don't think that they'd understand, when everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.
She made it safely back to the Lodging House and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
That morning as she was following the Newsies down the stairs a thought hit her. 'Had Knights kindness towards her also been a dare? When she was at the door had he known she was there and kept up the act?' it stung Sure-Thing to think that this was true and a lump rose in her throat, but she couldn't cry, after all, she was just the broken girl with no feelings.
And you can't cry the tears that ain't coming...
She didn't buy very many papers that day, just twenty. As she was approaching the gate Knight ran up from behind her.
"You's wanna sell wid me tahday agin?" He asked.
"No tanks, I's got some stuff to do around town aftah I's sell," Sure-Thing told him. It was the truth; she had to get the job at Anderson's. There was disappointment in his eyes but she didn't see it.
"Oh, ok, den," He said and walked back to his group of rowdy friends. Not even seconds later Jazz, her boy friend having been in Manhattan, asked Knight to sell with her. He watched her walk out the gate alone and she turned the corner to her normal selling spot.
'He doesn't like you,' she thought to herself, 'how could he, look at yourself.' She kept telling herself this as she sold her papers. She got the job at Anderson's and worked the lunch shift that day, having started right away. The next few days were the same, Knight kept asking if she wanted to sell with him, and each day she would turn him down, she kept on telling herself he didn't like her and soon it evolved into 'no one likes you. You're fat, you're ugly. You can't do anything right. Why would they like you? You loser.'
She decided not to sell or go to work one day and just stayed in the Lodging House all day. It was then that it really sunk in, the fact that no one liked her, the fact that it was the truth.
Or the moment of truth in your lies.
The box she was carrying got dropped on her foot, and while her foot felt broken, she knew that this was real. She kept hoping her whole life was a dream and she would wake up in her bed at home, still a baby. But it wasn't. She started breathing oddly and backed into a wall, odd thoughts racing through her head. 'So, you found out it's real?' 'IT'S NOT REAL!' 'You'll be alone forever.' 'This can't be happening.' She sank down onto the floor, grabbing her head like she had a massive headache.
"STOP IT!" she screamed. That basically made it worse.
'This is it this is the end. 'DON'T GO INTO THE LIGHT!' 'Time to say hello to you're parents.' 'You're so stupid.' 'Leave it alone.' 'Does it even deserve to be an it?' 'You're dying.'
She started crying she thought her head was going to cave in. The thoughts found a place in her throat and soon she was croaking out the nonsense that was her mind.
When everything feels like the movies, you bleed just to know you're alive.
She pulled at her hair as the voices ensued, growing louder. When she thought she was as alone as she could be, Knight walked in the door. He heard Sure-Thing from down the hall and came to see what she was doing, what with the screaming and yelling, it was quite loud and distracting. When he saw her like she was he walked over to her and asked her:
"Sure-Thing, you's ok?" He said kneeling down. As he had come closer the voices had slowly retreated so she could talk with out any other words getting in the way.
"Please go away," She whispered. "You's don't care. No one cares. Not really. Does I even care? It's all an act, I's just da only one who doesn't know about it."
"What are you's talkin bout?" He said, getting a little concerned.
"You's don't know me... who I's am... it's not the poisen dat sold wid you's," She yelled.
"Who are you'd den?!" He asked, becoming anxious.
"I's don't know alright?" She said, covering her tear-streaked face.
And I don't want the world to see me, Cause I don't think that they'd understand, when everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.
"Who do you's tink you's are?" he asked oddly.
"You's don't care no one cares I's all alone I's will be till da day I's die because no one cares about me I's so stupid and ugly no one cares no one cares no one cares-"she kept going on but he cut her off.
"I's do," He whispered.
"What?" She said looking up slightly, a confused and odd look on her face. Her eyes were bloodshot and the tears left a clean trail down her dirty face.
"I's care... about you," he said hesitantly, struggling with the words. She looked down and grabbed her head again.
"Knight... I's a very gullible poisen, please don't try to trick me intah believing that when I know you's don't-," She said but he cut her off.
"I's do mean it," He said sternly. She looked back up at him and saw his face was serious. She covered her eyes and started shaking her head.
"No," She said simply.
"Why don't you's believe me?" He asked.
"Because no one's cared befoah, so why should you's?" She asked.
"No one probably cared because they didn't know you's," He explained.
"You's don't know me eithah," She pointed out.
"I's know you bettah den dah rest," He had a point.
And I don't want the world to see me, Cause I don't think that they'd understand, when everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.
At that moment Blue, Jazz, and Mute walked in the room. They saw the pair in the corner and quickly walked over.
"Awww, is da poah baby cryin?" Blue taunted. Jazz laughed openly and Mute chuckled a little bit.
"She sorta had a mental breakdown Blue, I's don't tink dis is da time ta tease her," Knight explained.
"Mental break-down?" She said and sighed a little bit. "Oh, well, happens ta da best of us. Shoah-Ting, get yoahself cleaned up and we'll all go out foah ice cream. Nothing like a good ice-cream aftah a mental break-down tah calm it down... or freeze it... ow," She said, walking away, scratching her head.
"Dey can't be serious, dey only gave me da one chance I's thought I's blew it when I's left early dat one night," Sure-Thing looked up at Knight.
"Ohhh, you's heard about dat? I suppose dat Blue and Jazz owe you's an apology den," Knight shrugged. So they went out for ice-cream. They weren't used to having Sure-Thing around, but it turns out she made them laugh a lot. They slowly found out who she was, as did she herself.
And I don't want the world to see me, Cause I don't think that they'd understand, when everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.
Present Day (1899)
First person again! Yippee!!
I sat on the roof of the Lodging House thinking. I heard steps beside me and looked up to see Knight who sat down next to me. I smiled at his arrival.
"Dah roof is a dangerous place," I warned him.
"But heah we are all dah same," Knight smirked at me.
"Do you's remembah dat day, weah I's went a lil crazy and you's told me how you's felt?" I asked him. He looked up in thought and then nodded.
"Yeah, I's remembah," He said.
"Well, tahday Blue told me you's nevah officialy asked me tah be yoah goil," I said shoving him playfully. He looked up thoughtfully again.
"Hm. Well I's guess yoah right. Shoah-Ting, will you's be me goil?" He asked.
"Of coise," She said laughing.
I just want you to know who I am.
The sun went behind some clouds and the city turned gray.
"So Knight, have ya figured out who I's is yet?" She asked, leaning on his shoulder.
"Yeah, I's suppose I's have," He nodded.
"Who is me?" She asked.
"You's me goil.
I just want you to know who I am.
"Well I's flattahed," I said laughing once more.
Lordy what a gay chapter! Feel free to flame it, for they are welcomed. --;;;