Newsies 2004
Chapter 3
AN: Thanks for the reviews guys! And speaking of guys. . .we just might get to see them in this chapter. Hehe. Anyway, not much to say except to enjoy chaptah 3!
After work, which went crappy as usual, I drove home while trying to keep my eyes open. I had been up since seven this morning, I was tired, grumpy and I STILL had homework to do.
Don't mess with me.
I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the dark blue Dodge Neon following me. Jordan. That's right! I had completely forgotten! Her and Erin were supposed to come over tonight. The three of us always get together at least twice a week and have a study group. Granted we never really study but we always try.
I pulled into my driveway beside my dad's yellow Ford truck, Jordan pulling up to the curb behind a green Beetle, Erin's car, and I hopped out and met her in the middle of the driveway.
"God, is it just me or did work suck tonight?" Jordan complained, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. I nodded.
"It sucked. Come on, Erin's probably already inside." I said and the two of us walked up the rest of the driveway and through my front door. "Erin! Dad! Anyone? I'm home!" I called, the house echoing. I led Jordan through to the living room where the lights were off. In fact every light in the house was off. That's weird. . .
"What's going on?" I heard Jordan whisper from behind me. I shrugged. Suddenly I heard a creak from my left. I turned sharply and I felt Jordan do the same and felt her tense up.
"Who's there?" I called bravely. I admit it, I was scared shitless. I just didn't want to seem like a total coward in front of my best friend. I mean seriously, what would you do if you came home to find the door unlocked, no one answering to your calls with all the lights in the house off. . .
I turned to the black shadow of Jordan, grabbed her wrist and pulled her along so that we could venture into the kitchen. I tiptoed in front of her and put out my hands and tried to feel for anything so I wouldn't bump into it and Jordan had her hand on my shoulder. The creak came again, this time from in front of us.
"What do you want?" Jordan called out this time. We stood in silence for a moment before we heard it. A low, ragged, slow breathing that sounded like it had a cold. It started soft, but then got louder and louder and Jordan and I realized that it was coming from right behind us. Now it was breathing down our necks. We slowly turned, hands clasped, and saw a tall figure with a mask that resembled the one from the Scream movie and it held a long, shiny knife in one hand and a flashlight that was clicked on in the other.
"What's your favorite scary movie?" The figure with the mask breathed. Jordan and I let out a blood curdling scream that echoed around the house, that was so loud we hoped the neighbors heard us, and we both had the same idea.
To run.
That's just what we did, we both turned and sprinted through the kitchen, still screaming bloody murder, to the front door. I glanced back and saw that the figure was laughing, clutching his stomach and as we reached the doorway, our only escape route, all the lights flicked on. My hand was reaching for the doorknob when an all too familiar hand pushed it away.
"Whoa, whoa, WHOA! GUYS! Calm down, it's okay!" Erin shouted through her laughter.
"Erin, we gotta go! Someone's in the house and going to kill us! Come on!" Jordan shouted desperately.
"No! Jordan, Kayla, seriously stop. No one's going to kill us." Erin said, looking strangely calm. All I wanted to do was strangle her but with my hands shaking I couldn't.
"What the fuck are you talking about! We have to get the hell out of here!" I shouted. Jordan screamed again and pointed over Erin's shoulder at the masked murderer. Erin looked behind her and laughed. The masked murderer laughed again and took off his mask. "DAD!"
"Thanks guys, for helping me with my video project." Erin said, holding up in her hand a video camera. She was beaming.
"What's going on?" Jordan asked angrily. I could tell she was just as pissed off as I was. Either that or her shaking was just because she was coming down from her adrenaline high.
"I got assigned to make a short movie of my own. We had to take a scene from a movie and remake it anyway we want. I, as you have just been shown, have chosen a scene from Scream." Erin explained.
"So-so all this," I said waving my hands around. "was for some dumb little project?" Erin nodded.
"Shit, you could have at least told us what we should have been expecting." Jordan said, walking into the now fully lit living room and plopping down onto the couch. Erin shook her head.
"No way! I wanted it to be as real as possible. I know you can act, Hollywood but Kay can't worth a damn. Mr. Maxwell agreed to help me out, which I thank him for." Erin said, nodding at my Dad. He smiled at her and nodded.
"Anything for my best friend's daughter." Dad said. I was speechless. I didn't know what to feel right then. Jordan and I just kinda sat in silence for a while.
"Are you guys gonna be okay? I mean I wanted to catch you off guard but I didn't think it would work." Erin said, chuckling.
"Well it did, Erin," Jordan said angrily and then sighed. "How long were you filming us?"
"Since you guys pulled in. As soon as I got here I asked Mr. Maxwell to help me out and we turned the lights off just minutes before you got here. I'm really sorry! It's also kind of a contest and I wanted it to be good. I just didn't know it was going to be that good." Erin said. I nodded absently. Erin wanted to become a director when she got older and she usually carried her video camera everywhere with her. I mean everywhere. I never see her without it. She also wanted to be a ghost hunter on the side. Erin's really into ghosts and mythical creatures and science fiction stuff. She thinks aliens are a joke though. She's convinced that my Mother likes to visit me once in a while. I'll tell you about her later.
"Glad we could help." I muttered.
"We should probably get started. Meet you guys upstairs." Jordan said shortly, stood up with her backpack still slung over her shoulder and headed for the stairs. I stood up as well and Erin and I also headed for the stairs.
"You guys need anything just holler!" Dad called after us. I shouted an okay down the stairs and Erin and I entered my room and closed the door. Jordan was already on my bed, books spread out and didn't look up when we entered. I think she was still a little ticked off about earlier. I would be too, I mean I should be, but I'm just shaken is all. It was all in good fun but Jordan obviously didn't think so. If she was pissed, she didn't mention it for the rest of the night.
A bell rang throughout the city, calling for something, for someone. A dozen boys filed out of a building, running, hopping, jumping or walking slowly toward another building. The sky above them wasn't dark, but it wasn't light. More like dusk and the sun continued to sink lower into the horizon with each passing minute. They walked passed wagons and street vendors and stores, both who were closing up for the evening. Some walked by a few policemen, giving them wary glances as they passed, the policemen returning the glances.
One boy walked cockily and with ease past the policemen, never looking at them or giving them a reason to look at him. Two boys walked on either side of him, all three were talking very animatedly.
"I'm tellin' ya, Mush wes gonna be right famous. You remembah what Race said at Tibby's last week, 'You in tha papes you famous, you famous you get anythin' ya want. And that's what so great about New Yawk' . An' he's right! I mean, why shouldn' we get anythin'? We beat tha most powerful man in New Yawk City," Said one boy heatedly.
"Yeah, I know but come on, Jack. Jus' cuz we won do ya really think 'dey'd give us anythin'?" The boy named Mush asked doubtfully.
"They hafta! It's practically tha law! Well. . .okay maybe not tha law but you get what I mean." The boy, Jack said. The other boy next to Jack laughed.
"Think about it, Mush. You jus' actually might get those new shoes wit matchin' laces youse always dreamin' 'bout." He said. Mush sighed.
"Blink, I jus' don't think-" Mush started.
"That's ya problem, Mush. Youse always thinkin'. Don't foah once, jus'. . .imagine ya have 'em." Jack said. Mush snorted.
"At least I think. You nevah think, Jack." Mush said. Jack laughed sarcastically and Blink laughed. These boys were newsies, just a few of the many newsies all around New York. Just five days ago, the leader Jack Kelly and his band of newsies won the strike against Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. Pulitzer and Hearst had increased the newspapers' price, the World and the Sun as well as other papers, to sixty cents, a tenth of a cent more than what the newsies were originally paying. This had caused a strike against the newspapers, the newsies claiming that they would not sell until they lowered the price. Hard work and dedication paid off when Jack finally convinced Pulitzer to lower it. A while back, during the strike, a fellow Manhattan newsie by the name of Racetrack claimed that they were going to be famous because they were in the papers. Mush, however, had disagreed.
Now the three of them were walking towards the distribution center to claim their papers and sell the evening edition of the World and the Journal. While everyone at the Lodging House agreed that it was hard work, it was a job and the pay kept a roof over their heads. They met up with the other newsies and got in line, Jack casually making his way to the front. He paid for his papers and glided down the steps and waited for his friends.
"Hey, Jack how's it goin'?" David Jacobs asked, slapping Jack on the back. Jack smiled at David.
"Good, Davey. Hey listen, me and Mush and Blink was talkin' 'bout how we gots ta be in tha papes. Race said wes famous and I agreed wid him, but Mush ain't sure. What do you think?" Jack asked as Mush, Blink and a couple of other boys came down from the platform and they all began to walk out into the streets. Davey shrugged.
"I don't know. I mean I guess we are. Does it matter?" He asked.
"O'course it mattahs, Davey. Wes in tha papes. Tha papes. Tha' should count for somethin'." Bumlets called out.
"What mattahs?" A voice asked from behind the boys. They turned and saw another boy who went by the name of Spot Conlon. The others soon launched in to the whole story again. "Whoa, fellas! What are youse, stupid? Mush is right, even if we did beat that old gezzah, wes still street rats and 'dat ain't gonna change." Most of the boys disagreed with him, while only a couple agreed.
"I know what I'd wan' if I was famous. I'd want a goil who'd be as sweet as strawberry's in tha summah time. She'd be pretty an' smart an' funny an' wouldn't care if I was a street rat." Pie Eater mused.
"Yeah, an' I want a goil who puts out." Skittery said sarcastically.
"I agree wid Pie Eater. I mean we all wan' differen' things. So if wes can' have 'em in real life den we might as well imagine 'dat we do. No harm in 'dat." Specs said.
"Whas tha fun in 'dat, Specs? Everythin' is bettah in real life." Dutchy said. Everyone nodded.
"Well I don' think it mattahs. Personally, I jus' happy now and am ready ta face tha futuah." Said Jinx. He was a new newsie and had joined the day after the strike had ended. Everyone mused for a minute.
"What do ya think tha futuah holds?" Race asked.
"Anythin' good, I hope. Come on, let's sell these befoah it get too late." Jack said. What he and the other boys didn't know as they went about to their spots, was that the future was about to come more quickly than they realized. . .
I looked at the clock on my bedside table that read 12:45. God, we've been "studying" for almost five hours now. When I say "studying" I meant we actually just listened to music and flipped through magazines and just talked. Sure we occasionally paused to do some homework but then we'd go back to doing whatever. I had done everything except for the questions we were assigned for Mr. H. I don't know why I didn't do them at lunch. Oh yeah.
I sighed and wearily reached for my History book and flipped it open. There was my piece of paper I had stuck in there to bookmark it. My pen in my hand I began to title my paper and put my name on it and all that jazz. I looked over at Jordan who was currently flipping through my CD's. I don't know why. She's seen them like a billion times before. I glanced at Erin and was immediately greeted with a video camera in my face.
"Once again, I ask, do you always have to have that thing rolling?" I asked in a deadpan voice. Erin nodded behind the camera.
"Don't mind me, just go on with your business. I'm just a fly on the wall." Erin said, zooming in. I sighed.
"Whatever. Jordan, I love you." I said, loosing the monotone voice and gaining a sweetly sick one.
"What do you want?" Jordan asked taking out a CD and examining it. Damn, she knew me too well.
"Can you help me with H's questions?" I asked. She stopped looking at the CD and looked over at me giving me a 'you've-got-to-be-shitting-me' look.
"Are you serious? I finished those in like ten minutes! In class!" Jordan said.
"Hey, it's one in the morning do you really think I'm awake?" I asked.
"Then you should try something. Its called not procrastinating in class. Also, caffiene helps." Jordan said, getting off my bed anyway and sitting down on the floor next to me.
"One problem, smart one. There's no coffee made." I said. Jordan raised her eyebrow.
"That's why you get off your lazy ass and go make some. You may be an only child but that doesn't mean that you have to be waited on hand and foot."
"Yes it does." I said. Jordan knew I was only teasing because she grinned and grabbed the book from me and rolled her eyes.
"Okay, what do you have so far? Gee, nothing. How did I know?"
"Kay, you're such a lazy whore." Said Erin from behind her camera. I looked up at her.
"Hey, aren't you supposed to be a fly on the wall or something?" I asked and she shut up, but I could hear her giggling.
"Pay attention, Kay. All right, question one." Jordan started. Erin got up from her place on the floor and angled her camera so that the lens was right over the picture in the book.
"Hey, they're pretty cute! I wonder who's the one in the red bandanna." Erin said, hitting the zoom button again. Erin may have a thing for ghosts and believe in witchcraft but that doesn't stop her from noticing a hot guy. Jordan pushed Erin away slightly to read the name.
"It says his name is Jack Kelly. Oh, he was the leader of the strike." Jordan said matter-of-factly.
"I get dibs on Jack!" Erin said.
"Dude, he's not alive anymore." I said flatly. Erin pulled the camera up and looked at me.
"I know. I'm just saying that if they ever mysteriously show up in the future I get dibs on Jack," Erin said. Jordan and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. "What!"
"Erin, we know you have. . .uhm. . .unique tastes, but that's just gone way too far. Time travel is impossible." Jordan said. Erin and her camera rounded on Jordan.
"Ever seen Back to the Future?" She asked.
"Erin, honey, that's a movie. Meaning it's fiction. Meaning it's not real." Jordan said slowly as if she were explaining this to a small child. Erin shrugged.
"You never know. A flying DeLorean may just pop out of the sky at any moment. Or we may end up having an earthquake and all the boys could just fall right through a hole and come into our world." Erin said.
"Wow, you really need to stop eating the Cheetos. I think all that cheese in one day is going to your head." I said, tapping my finger on my temple.
"Think what you like, girls, but I think it can happen. In fact I know it can. There have been books written about it." Erin stated proudly.
"There have been books written about flying DeLoreans?" I asked stupidly, but knowing it wasn't true.
"What? No way. We would have seen them." Jordan said, ignoring my stupid comment and gesturing to herself and me.
"Yeah, but not at Borders or Barnes and Noble. I know some sites that only a select few have the privilege of knowing about. You'd be amazed what's on the net these days." Erin said mysteriously. Jordan and I looked at each other. We knew Erin was. . .strange in her own ways, but we hoped she wasn't doing anything illegal.
"And what's that?" I asked.
"Books, thousands upon thousands of them. Some explaining the days of when witchcraft was considered evil and going into full detail about the burnings and hangings, some having their own theories of evolution, and one book that I thought to be particularly entertaining. The author explains about how there's a time rip in the space-time continuum and that one day someone will find it and distort it and change history. Well that would be bad of course and I completely agree with her." Erin said and I felt my jaw drop open. No wonder why she has a folder full of papers talking about stuff like that. Yeah, I accidentally stumbled upon it while looking for gum.
"Erin, that sounds-" Jordan started.
"Crazy? Yeah, I thought so at first but then I said "what the hell?" and bought it and started to read it. I couldn't put it down, Hollywood. I'm serious, I really think the author's on to something." By this time Erin had put down her video camera and turned it off.
"Oh would you look at that? It's getting so late. I think you guys should just stay here tonight, I know your dad's wouldn't mind." I said, changing the subject immediately. I wasn't like Erin. I couldn't talk about that stuff as easily as she could. I didn't believe in half of it anyway. Jordan and Erin reluctantly agreed and they began to gather up books and papers and stuffed them into their backpacks. Just as I zipped my bag closed, the ground started to shake. It started to grow and become more violent and there was only one answer.
"EARTHQUAKE!" The three of us shouted and we immediately hit the floor and flung our arms over our heads. Bits of debris started to fall from my ceiling, objects began to fall from my bookshelf and dresser and pictures fell from my wall. I could hear Jordan and Erin screaming as a chunk of ceiling fell around them and missed them by inches. I, however, wasn't so lucky. A very hard something fell from above me and came crashing down on my head. Then, everything went black.
AN: So? PLEASE REVIEW! Yay! I told you guys you would get to see the boys in this chapter. Oh yeah, by the way I DO NOT own the movie Scream and I actually don't really even know if that happened in it. I've never seen any of the movies. But I know the mask was in there and the favorite scary movie line I got from the movie Scary Movie so. . . oh and I don't own that…Or Back to the Future. Anyway, please tell me what you thought. My other story, The Saturday Night He'll Never Forget, the next chapter should be coming out pretty soon. So look out for that. Thanks guys!
DreamlessMermaid