Chapter Two
Kat stood outside the red brick building staring up at the sign telling her that this was her new home for the summer. She was nervous. She didn't know if she even wanted to go in. All she really wanted to do was turn and run back home to the safety of her attic and her brothers' arms. Impatient with her cowardly thoughts, Kat stomped her foot angrily and pushed the green door open.
Standing at the front desk was a kindly looking gentleman. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Kat walked resolutely up to the desk.
"Excuse me, suh," Her Southern accent made her R's go soft. "I was here about a week ago asking for lodging. Is there still a bed available?"
By now, Kat had the gentleman's full attention. "Why there sure is, little lady. Would you be wanting a room to yourself or with the other newsies?" His gray eyes sparkled at her blush when he mentioned sleeping the same room with the boys.
"I-I'll take the separate room, suh. If it isn't too much trouble for ya." Darn her embarrassment!
"No trouble at all, miss. Now, just so I know exactly who is staying in my spare room, what is your name?"
"Katlin Annabelle James, suh. But everyone just calls me Kat. Please don't tell the other newsies my middle name. I hate it with a passion!" Her pretty face scrunched up in a mock scowl.
The older gentleman just laughed before leading her up a wooded staircase to her room.
They passed by a room full of newsies who, by the sounds of their snores, were still fast asleep. The old gentleman rolled his eyes and sent her a look telling that he had already tried to wake them up. Instantly, Kat's eyes lit up with mischief and her right eyebrow rose in amusement. She would just have to do something about that now wouldn't she?
Once Mr. Kloppman had left her to unpack in the tiny closet of a room he had given her, he went to try once again to wake the newsies. Kat carelessly threw her things in the bureau and rushed back out into the hall where she met a dejected Mr. Kloppman sullenly shutting the newsies' door. She could tell that he had not had any luck waking the newsies. With fun and mischief shining from her eyes and smile, she asked to be allowed to try her hand at waking them up.
Mr. Kloppman was fed up with trying himself so he quickly agreed to allow her the pleasure. Right before she opened the door to walk in, she spun around to face Mr. Kloppman.
"Mr. Kloppman, are they decent?"
His face was blank for a few minutes as he tried to understand what she meant. It took him a few minutes to realize that she was asking if they were clothed enough not to see anything unpleasant. With a chuckle and a nod, he shooed her inside the room. From just outside the door, Mr. Kloppman waited patiently to see what his new charge would do.
Kat stared rather bug-eyed at the many bunk beds that lined the walls of the long room. The lucky duffers even had their own bathroom. Then it hit her that these 'lucky duffers' were all hormonal boys and she was one pretty girl. Suddenly, her mischievous face went blank, then pale, and finally panic filled. There was no way she was going to wake up this crowd, not in million years! She whirled around to open the door and race to freedom when she heard one of the sheet wrapped mummies stir and yawn.
Glancing over her shoulder toward the noise, she saw a blonde haired kid with an eye patch lift his head and give her a sleepy look with his only good bright blue eye. He then slammed his head back into his pillow as if it were to heavy to hold up any longer. Then, realization seemed to hit him. There was a pretty, slender girl in the newsies bedroom. He lifted his head once again to see if he had his mind back from dreaming. Yep, she was still standing there staring at him with a pale look of embarrassed horror written across her face.
He rubbed the sleep out of his eye and shook his head in amazement before checking to see if she was still there. She stood there looking like a kid caught with her hand still in the candy jar. Keeping his eye on the frozen figure at the door, the kid leaned across to the bunk beside him and shook his friend awake.
"Jack! Jack! Wake up!"
All he got for an answer was a wild swing at his head and a muttered curse.
The kid wasn't put off though. He knew that if he could get Jack up to see this then the rest would follow suit. So, he slapped Jack in the face with his pillow.
This woke Jack up. In seconds he shot up, ready to beat the patch kid within an inch of his life. Then the kid was saying something to his sleep muffled brain and pointing toward the door. What? A girl was in their bedroom? That can't be right. There weren't any girls at the bunkhou-.
Jack's disgruntled mind was cut short when the patch kid grabbed his face and turned it toward the door. There stood the prettiest girl he had ever seen! She had a long black braid that hung over her shoulder and bright violet eyes that were full of fear. He saw that she was very nervous about being in the room with a bunch of half clothed boys who were now waking up after hearing the blonde kid's words to Jack.
As more of the boys started to wake up and had their attention directed at her, Kat decided that it was a very bad idea to be in here. So as some of them began to climb out of bed to come 'meet' the girl in their room, she threw open the door, almost ran into a surprised Mr. Kloppman, and raced down the hall to her small bedroom, yelling as she went that the boys were awake. She left a very confused Mr. Kloppman and a group of boys staring after her fleeing figure till she reached her room and slammed the door.
