Chapter 6: A Night of Entertainment
The carriages pulled up in front of a majestic old inn that had been converted into the restaurant and concert hall. The restaurant, to say the least, was goddamn fancy - to a fault. If a Newsie ever had a reason to feel dirt poor, it was now. The rich who were filing in kept a good ten feet from Medda's group. Oh, they were nice enough to Medda and Denton, but that was because they were like kindred sprits to the rich.
Sarah was fascinated by the dresses that the rich girls were wearing. Lace, ruffles and pearls were all fashionable accessories. As Alyssa watched, she felt cheaper and cheaper standing there in her traditional Irish clothing and hand-me-down coat. She saw a group of whores in a corner and was tempted to run over and join them. At last they would make her feel welcome. Sweet, gentle Mercy just stood with Crutchy, overwhelmed by everything.
After taking a head count to make sure that everyone was still there, Medda motioned for everyone to follow her. Race felt Alyssa glue herself to the spot where she stood. Slipping an arm around her waist, Race brought her forward. To make her feel more comfortable, he brought her to walk beside Mercy and Specs. Apparently, the two girls were having the same problem, because Specs was having trouble bringing Mercy forward.
When they all arrived at the lobby desk, the man behind the desk asked, "Are you lost?"
Calmly, Medda replied, "No, we are not lost. We have reservations for a seven o'clock dinner. Larkson, party of 25."
The man simply said, "After you have checked your coats, you will follow Elizabeth."
Some of the glares that the Newsies got were so menacing that they could have soured milk. For a moment, thing were all right when they entered the coat room and no one was there. This allowed them to vent.
"Do yous see how dese people are lookin' at us?" Boots sputtered.
"Dey's actin' like we's diseased er somethin'." Blink was violently swinging a coat hanger while he spoke and barely missed smacking Mush in the face.
"How can dese people be so cruel?" Crutchy's kind nature was being demolished in this place.
"Well, at least none a yous feel like a cheap whore." Alyssa spoke bitterly, showing how upset she was.
Medda stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Alyssa. "You are not a cheap whore. You are a beautiful, gifted, sweet girl who gets to live with a bunch of people who really care about you. If they can't see that then they are blind." Medda's words were comforting, but Alyssa still was uncomfortable.
Finishing their rant, everyone slowly and fearfully made their way back to the lobby. Alyssa hung back and tried to pull herself together. Race stood in the doorway, patiently waiting for her. When she came out, she was bleary eyed so Race offered her his handkerchief. Alyssa's hands shook too violently to do the job properly, so Race took the handkerchief and wipe her eyes. He turned and to go, but Alyssa said, "I don't wanna go back yet."
Instead, the two wandered around for a while. It seemed that all Alyssa had to do was get used to the place and its atmosphere on her own time. In their wanderings, they found an indoor racetrack. There were races being held so they stayed to watch a few. There were so many people there that no one even noticed that Alyssa and Racetrack were so much poorer than they were. Race did a few bets to suppress his need to gamble and then settled down beside Alyssa in a booth to watch how his bets were doing. Alyssa was laughing again and that was a good sign.
Neither of them noticed that Denton was watching them. Medda had sent him to keep watch and make sure everything was all right.
Race let out a whoop of excitement when one of his bets, 'Irish Delight' brought in a good haul of winnings. Before he went off to collect his winnings, he bent down to kiss Alyssa who was more than willing to oblige. When he came back, Alyssa had to practically drag Race away so he would not blow his good fortune. Besides, she was hungry now.
Laughing at how Race had chosen 'Irish Delight,' "I was reminded a you," Alyssa and Race walked back to the lobby. They stopped short of the doorway leading into the restaurant. Though the table filled with everyone could be clearly seen, but the endless sea of rich faces was overwhelming. Alyssa felt a hand on her back that was not Racetrack's and she jumped.
Whirling around, she saw Denton. "Don' do dat," she hissed.
"Where have you two been?" he questioned, but already knowing the answer. "It wasn't somewhere that you shouldn't have been was it?"
"Nah. Da tracks my good man, da tracks," Race said this while remembering the sweet sensation of winning. He got the feeling that Denton knew exactly where they had been.
Making their way among the tables was something of almost epic proportions. People glared at Alyssa and Racetrack while almost pitying Denton. Alyssa got the feeling that these people thought that she and Race were the poor relatives of Denton. How little they understood. After what seemed like an eternity, they all finally did reach the table. It was unusually quiet; even Blink was not talking. A Newsie's way to fix an awkward situation was to talk and find some common ground among the ramblings.
"Medda, as much as we's all love ya, it almost seem like a mistake bringin' us here." Jack spoke quietly, but he spoke in earnest.
"Yeah," Bumlets said. "It was a great idea an' all. Don' tink dat we's don' appreciate what yous doin' fer us, cuz we's do."
Medda looked slightly saddened. "Why?" was all she could say.
Alyssa was the one to respond. "We's all feel very out a place. Da only time dat we's gotta deal wid da rich is when dey want ta buy a pape. Other dan dat, we never see dem. We's not like you; entertainin' an' all. We don' know how dey live. We just live our lives da way dat we know how, an' dats a far cry from how dey live. Don' yous tink fer one bit dat we don' appreciate dis, we do. We just feel awkward."
In that little speech, Alyssa had summed up what every Newsie there wanted to say. Even Spot who was not a big talker.
After a few moments, Medda spoke. "I see now that it was a mistake, after hearing Alyssa explain it. I'm sorry for making you all feel so out of place. But would you all be willing to stand tall and enjoy the night?"
"Medda, how could we not?" Race said. "We's sittin' here wid a menu in front a us wid more food dan we'll see in a lifetime.' Race thought for a moment and then came up with an analogy. "Is like takin' one a us and makin' 'im one a Pulitzer's kids."
The analogy did the trick. Everyone laughed and they were back to being their normal Newsie selves. The food was something that they would talk about for a long time. The menu had something to fit everyone's taste. Race ordered a huge pasta plate that was well suited to his Italian roots. Most of the guys ordered some form of meat, whether it be beef, chicken, pork or turkey. Mercy, Sarah, and Medda all ate delicately by ordering salads. Alyssa however, ordered the biggest steak that she could find on the menu. For being such a petite person standing only five feet tall, she could sure eat a lot. After finishing her meal, she ate bits and pieces of other people's meals.
"How much can yous eat?" mused Spot. He was not the only one to wonder this. They had all watched her devour her steak and then finish off a good portion of Race's pasta.
Alyssa just laughed and leaned back in her chair. Silently she watched her friends and everyone else. From the rich she heard polite conversation; from the Newsies she heard raucous conversation filled with laughter and joking. When a little comedic act came out to perform, the Newsies greeted it wholeheartedly. A portion of the jokes were so that none of the rich could understand them, but the Newsies understood then full well. After the comedians, a choral group came forward and sang carols. Mush, being the bright spirit that he is, could not help but join in. On certain carols, everyone at the table sang, lending strong voices. Alyssa's clear soprano soared and Mercy and Racetrack nudged her to stand and sing lead. It dismayed the rich people sitting around the Newsies that one of those lowly people could sing so well.
While the last song was being sung, the desserts came out. Rich cakes and pies were placed on the table and every Newsie stared in wonderment. Mrs. Jacobs could not even bake like this.
"Look at all dat food," Specs said. He was leaning so close to a warm pie that his glasses were fogging up.
Skittery pulled Specs away saying, "You keep droolin' in it and we's never gonna be able ta eat it."
Alyssa stood to begin cutting when Race moved behind her and tickled her sides. She feel to the floor hard. Then she proceed to punch Race in the shoulder.
"Don' do dat,' she said menacingly, while brandishing the cake knife. He pouted at her, causing her to shake her head. Alyssa kissed his forehead and said, "Good boy. Now stay." That got Alyssa whistles of appreciation from everyone.
"Dat's right, Alyssa," Jack encouraged. "Put dat little Italian boy back in 'is place."
"I's gonna soak yous fer dat," Race growled.
Jack's voice got sing-song as he said, "Where have I hoid dat before?"
Medda watched as everyone dug into their dessert while laughing and having a good time. She watched quietly as Mercy and Specs talked. She watched the chemistry unfold between Racetrack and Alyssa, and she watched as Jack and Sarah shared a piece of cake. Medda then noticed that Sarah's attention was not on Jack or the cake in front of her. Sarah was watching a serving girl playing the harlot.
Suddenly, Sarah said, "Ugh, that's disgusting."
Everyone turned and stared at Sarah. "What are you talking about?" David questioned his sister.
"Look at that serving girl over there." Sarah pointed. "She's acting like such a whore. Does she not have any dignity?" Sarah went on like that for several minutes.
While Sarah was ranting, no one noticed how rigid Alyssa had become. She stared at her lap, trying to keep herself from doing anything rash.
"I don't think that I could ever befriend someone like that."
After Sarah said that, Alyssa bolted from the table. She ran off to the bathroom to get away from everything. She splashed her face with cold water while anger built up inside her. How could she say those things? Doesn't she understand that it might be the only way for the girl to get money? In her frustration, Alyssa pounded her fists against the brick walls. Cleaning the blood from her hands, she fled the bathroom. She went back to the racetrack and bought herself a stiff drink. She sunk into a corner and drifted away listening to the sounds of races going on and bets being placed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Back at the table, everyone was getting worried.
"Did I say something?" Sarah asked in complete innocence. She was unsure of why Alyssa had left like she did.
"Apparently." Race's voice was short and harsh. Normally he did not get mad with Sarah, but she had just upset the only girl he had ever loved, so he was annoyed. He got up, about to go look for Alyssa when Medda stopped him.
"I'll go look. There's a few places that she might have gone that you can't get into."
Race hated to admit it, but Medda was right.
When Medda left, the girl that Sarah had been talking about came over. As she began to clear away the dishes, Mercy got a good look at her. Now that she was closer, Mercy saw that she was familiar.
"'Scuse me," Mercy said. "But, have we met before?"
The girl looked up and stared at Mercy. "I think we have. Mercy, ain't it? I think dat dere was a goil wid ya by da name a Alyssa."
Mercy nodded. "Yeah, dat's right. We met near Tibby's. Yore, oh I'm so bad wid names."
"It's alright. Da name's Leila O'Shanlon." Leila was about five feet five inches with shoulder length black hair and grey eyes. Mercy and Leila talked as Leila cleared away the dishes.
Now Sarah felt bad. She was upset that she had slandered one of Alyssa's friends, but that was not going to change Sarah's opinion of how Leila acted.
Medda came back, unsuccessfully finding Alyssa. Reluctantly, they moved off to the concert hall without her. The music was wonderful and everyone did find it enjoyable. There was a hole in their hearts because Alyssa was not seated among them, but they knew that she was around somewhere. During intermission, Race went off to look for Alyssa himself. He checked the track, and sure enough, there was Alyssa. He sat by her and said nothing. After a while, she turned into him and stayed there. Racetrack wrapped his arms around her and stroked her long hair. All Alyssa wanted was someone to hold her without asking why she was upset. She knew that was what Medda would have done. Thus the reason why she had hidden from Medda.
Race stayed with Alyssa for as long as she wanted him there. He eventually managed to convince her that she should come back and hear the rest of the concert. He brought her back, but kept her far away from anyone who would try and ask her questions.
When it was over, everyone went back to the Lodging House with heavy hearts. Sarah, David, and Mercy were going to stay the night because the weather was too awful for them to go home.
The minute they got back, Alyssa flew to her room. After changing into a nightgown, she came back down to the second floor. Everyone was puzzled as to why she had changed so fast, but they knew better than to ask.
Then, before anyone could stop her, Alyssa strode toward Sarah and slapped her hard across the face. "YOU BITCH!" she shrieked. "How dare you criticize Leila for doing her job! First, you criticize my friend, then you go in to bash a way of life that you know nothing about. How dare you talk about thing that you have no idea about. I can't stand it!"
"Alyssa, what.?"
"Oh, and I guess that we can't be friends anymore either."
"Alyssa, what are you talking about?"
"You said that you could never be friends with someone like Leila. Well, I'm someone like Leila. I'll let you know full well that while I was living in Boston, I was in the same situation that Leila is in right now."
The second floor was silent.
"I'm not proud of the way that I lived. You want to know where it led me? It got me attacked twice and raped once." Tears flooded down her face telling everyone that she was telling the truth.
Nobody spoke or moved. Now they knew a piece of Alyssa shadowed past. The Newsies did not really know each other's pasts; there was never a need to. But now, someone had to retell their past to explain their actions.
"Sarah, did you ever stop to think about the company you keep? All of us have hidden pasts. We don't talk about it because there is no need." Alyssa was now explaining a principle that all Newsies followed - strictly. "Even though that you now know a bit of my past, it is still too much. My past contains more pain than you could ever fathom. Has it made me strong - maybe. Has it made me weak - who knows. Has it made me unwilling to trust and love - most certainly."
Alyssa turned on her heels and ran upstairs. She did not run to her room; Sarah and Mercy would be sleeping there that night. She did not want to face them when they came up. They would ask questions, or at least, Sarah would. Instead, she grabbed the extra blanket off Race's bed and hauled herself out of the window. She sat on the fire escape, trembling; not because of the cold, but because of the fact that her life was playing before her.
Nobody went after Alyssa. It was not their place. Instead, everyone filed off to bed. Mercy and Sarah slept in Alyssa's room like they had planned; both feeling very awkward though. Every Newsie knew where Alyssa was. They kept the window unlocked so she could climb back in without being noticed. Race's bed was closest to the window so he slept on the floor so that Alyssa could use his bunk.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Later that night, Alyssa came in cold and tired. She crawled in to Racetrack's bunk, knowing that he would leave it open for her. She did not know that he was on the floor, refusing to sleep until she came in. Alyssa slept fitfully the rest of the night, shadows overtaking her dreams.
The carriages pulled up in front of a majestic old inn that had been converted into the restaurant and concert hall. The restaurant, to say the least, was goddamn fancy - to a fault. If a Newsie ever had a reason to feel dirt poor, it was now. The rich who were filing in kept a good ten feet from Medda's group. Oh, they were nice enough to Medda and Denton, but that was because they were like kindred sprits to the rich.
Sarah was fascinated by the dresses that the rich girls were wearing. Lace, ruffles and pearls were all fashionable accessories. As Alyssa watched, she felt cheaper and cheaper standing there in her traditional Irish clothing and hand-me-down coat. She saw a group of whores in a corner and was tempted to run over and join them. At last they would make her feel welcome. Sweet, gentle Mercy just stood with Crutchy, overwhelmed by everything.
After taking a head count to make sure that everyone was still there, Medda motioned for everyone to follow her. Race felt Alyssa glue herself to the spot where she stood. Slipping an arm around her waist, Race brought her forward. To make her feel more comfortable, he brought her to walk beside Mercy and Specs. Apparently, the two girls were having the same problem, because Specs was having trouble bringing Mercy forward.
When they all arrived at the lobby desk, the man behind the desk asked, "Are you lost?"
Calmly, Medda replied, "No, we are not lost. We have reservations for a seven o'clock dinner. Larkson, party of 25."
The man simply said, "After you have checked your coats, you will follow Elizabeth."
Some of the glares that the Newsies got were so menacing that they could have soured milk. For a moment, thing were all right when they entered the coat room and no one was there. This allowed them to vent.
"Do yous see how dese people are lookin' at us?" Boots sputtered.
"Dey's actin' like we's diseased er somethin'." Blink was violently swinging a coat hanger while he spoke and barely missed smacking Mush in the face.
"How can dese people be so cruel?" Crutchy's kind nature was being demolished in this place.
"Well, at least none a yous feel like a cheap whore." Alyssa spoke bitterly, showing how upset she was.
Medda stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Alyssa. "You are not a cheap whore. You are a beautiful, gifted, sweet girl who gets to live with a bunch of people who really care about you. If they can't see that then they are blind." Medda's words were comforting, but Alyssa still was uncomfortable.
Finishing their rant, everyone slowly and fearfully made their way back to the lobby. Alyssa hung back and tried to pull herself together. Race stood in the doorway, patiently waiting for her. When she came out, she was bleary eyed so Race offered her his handkerchief. Alyssa's hands shook too violently to do the job properly, so Race took the handkerchief and wipe her eyes. He turned and to go, but Alyssa said, "I don't wanna go back yet."
Instead, the two wandered around for a while. It seemed that all Alyssa had to do was get used to the place and its atmosphere on her own time. In their wanderings, they found an indoor racetrack. There were races being held so they stayed to watch a few. There were so many people there that no one even noticed that Alyssa and Racetrack were so much poorer than they were. Race did a few bets to suppress his need to gamble and then settled down beside Alyssa in a booth to watch how his bets were doing. Alyssa was laughing again and that was a good sign.
Neither of them noticed that Denton was watching them. Medda had sent him to keep watch and make sure everything was all right.
Race let out a whoop of excitement when one of his bets, 'Irish Delight' brought in a good haul of winnings. Before he went off to collect his winnings, he bent down to kiss Alyssa who was more than willing to oblige. When he came back, Alyssa had to practically drag Race away so he would not blow his good fortune. Besides, she was hungry now.
Laughing at how Race had chosen 'Irish Delight,' "I was reminded a you," Alyssa and Race walked back to the lobby. They stopped short of the doorway leading into the restaurant. Though the table filled with everyone could be clearly seen, but the endless sea of rich faces was overwhelming. Alyssa felt a hand on her back that was not Racetrack's and she jumped.
Whirling around, she saw Denton. "Don' do dat," she hissed.
"Where have you two been?" he questioned, but already knowing the answer. "It wasn't somewhere that you shouldn't have been was it?"
"Nah. Da tracks my good man, da tracks," Race said this while remembering the sweet sensation of winning. He got the feeling that Denton knew exactly where they had been.
Making their way among the tables was something of almost epic proportions. People glared at Alyssa and Racetrack while almost pitying Denton. Alyssa got the feeling that these people thought that she and Race were the poor relatives of Denton. How little they understood. After what seemed like an eternity, they all finally did reach the table. It was unusually quiet; even Blink was not talking. A Newsie's way to fix an awkward situation was to talk and find some common ground among the ramblings.
"Medda, as much as we's all love ya, it almost seem like a mistake bringin' us here." Jack spoke quietly, but he spoke in earnest.
"Yeah," Bumlets said. "It was a great idea an' all. Don' tink dat we's don' appreciate what yous doin' fer us, cuz we's do."
Medda looked slightly saddened. "Why?" was all she could say.
Alyssa was the one to respond. "We's all feel very out a place. Da only time dat we's gotta deal wid da rich is when dey want ta buy a pape. Other dan dat, we never see dem. We's not like you; entertainin' an' all. We don' know how dey live. We just live our lives da way dat we know how, an' dats a far cry from how dey live. Don' yous tink fer one bit dat we don' appreciate dis, we do. We just feel awkward."
In that little speech, Alyssa had summed up what every Newsie there wanted to say. Even Spot who was not a big talker.
After a few moments, Medda spoke. "I see now that it was a mistake, after hearing Alyssa explain it. I'm sorry for making you all feel so out of place. But would you all be willing to stand tall and enjoy the night?"
"Medda, how could we not?" Race said. "We's sittin' here wid a menu in front a us wid more food dan we'll see in a lifetime.' Race thought for a moment and then came up with an analogy. "Is like takin' one a us and makin' 'im one a Pulitzer's kids."
The analogy did the trick. Everyone laughed and they were back to being their normal Newsie selves. The food was something that they would talk about for a long time. The menu had something to fit everyone's taste. Race ordered a huge pasta plate that was well suited to his Italian roots. Most of the guys ordered some form of meat, whether it be beef, chicken, pork or turkey. Mercy, Sarah, and Medda all ate delicately by ordering salads. Alyssa however, ordered the biggest steak that she could find on the menu. For being such a petite person standing only five feet tall, she could sure eat a lot. After finishing her meal, she ate bits and pieces of other people's meals.
"How much can yous eat?" mused Spot. He was not the only one to wonder this. They had all watched her devour her steak and then finish off a good portion of Race's pasta.
Alyssa just laughed and leaned back in her chair. Silently she watched her friends and everyone else. From the rich she heard polite conversation; from the Newsies she heard raucous conversation filled with laughter and joking. When a little comedic act came out to perform, the Newsies greeted it wholeheartedly. A portion of the jokes were so that none of the rich could understand them, but the Newsies understood then full well. After the comedians, a choral group came forward and sang carols. Mush, being the bright spirit that he is, could not help but join in. On certain carols, everyone at the table sang, lending strong voices. Alyssa's clear soprano soared and Mercy and Racetrack nudged her to stand and sing lead. It dismayed the rich people sitting around the Newsies that one of those lowly people could sing so well.
While the last song was being sung, the desserts came out. Rich cakes and pies were placed on the table and every Newsie stared in wonderment. Mrs. Jacobs could not even bake like this.
"Look at all dat food," Specs said. He was leaning so close to a warm pie that his glasses were fogging up.
Skittery pulled Specs away saying, "You keep droolin' in it and we's never gonna be able ta eat it."
Alyssa stood to begin cutting when Race moved behind her and tickled her sides. She feel to the floor hard. Then she proceed to punch Race in the shoulder.
"Don' do dat,' she said menacingly, while brandishing the cake knife. He pouted at her, causing her to shake her head. Alyssa kissed his forehead and said, "Good boy. Now stay." That got Alyssa whistles of appreciation from everyone.
"Dat's right, Alyssa," Jack encouraged. "Put dat little Italian boy back in 'is place."
"I's gonna soak yous fer dat," Race growled.
Jack's voice got sing-song as he said, "Where have I hoid dat before?"
Medda watched as everyone dug into their dessert while laughing and having a good time. She watched quietly as Mercy and Specs talked. She watched the chemistry unfold between Racetrack and Alyssa, and she watched as Jack and Sarah shared a piece of cake. Medda then noticed that Sarah's attention was not on Jack or the cake in front of her. Sarah was watching a serving girl playing the harlot.
Suddenly, Sarah said, "Ugh, that's disgusting."
Everyone turned and stared at Sarah. "What are you talking about?" David questioned his sister.
"Look at that serving girl over there." Sarah pointed. "She's acting like such a whore. Does she not have any dignity?" Sarah went on like that for several minutes.
While Sarah was ranting, no one noticed how rigid Alyssa had become. She stared at her lap, trying to keep herself from doing anything rash.
"I don't think that I could ever befriend someone like that."
After Sarah said that, Alyssa bolted from the table. She ran off to the bathroom to get away from everything. She splashed her face with cold water while anger built up inside her. How could she say those things? Doesn't she understand that it might be the only way for the girl to get money? In her frustration, Alyssa pounded her fists against the brick walls. Cleaning the blood from her hands, she fled the bathroom. She went back to the racetrack and bought herself a stiff drink. She sunk into a corner and drifted away listening to the sounds of races going on and bets being placed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Back at the table, everyone was getting worried.
"Did I say something?" Sarah asked in complete innocence. She was unsure of why Alyssa had left like she did.
"Apparently." Race's voice was short and harsh. Normally he did not get mad with Sarah, but she had just upset the only girl he had ever loved, so he was annoyed. He got up, about to go look for Alyssa when Medda stopped him.
"I'll go look. There's a few places that she might have gone that you can't get into."
Race hated to admit it, but Medda was right.
When Medda left, the girl that Sarah had been talking about came over. As she began to clear away the dishes, Mercy got a good look at her. Now that she was closer, Mercy saw that she was familiar.
"'Scuse me," Mercy said. "But, have we met before?"
The girl looked up and stared at Mercy. "I think we have. Mercy, ain't it? I think dat dere was a goil wid ya by da name a Alyssa."
Mercy nodded. "Yeah, dat's right. We met near Tibby's. Yore, oh I'm so bad wid names."
"It's alright. Da name's Leila O'Shanlon." Leila was about five feet five inches with shoulder length black hair and grey eyes. Mercy and Leila talked as Leila cleared away the dishes.
Now Sarah felt bad. She was upset that she had slandered one of Alyssa's friends, but that was not going to change Sarah's opinion of how Leila acted.
Medda came back, unsuccessfully finding Alyssa. Reluctantly, they moved off to the concert hall without her. The music was wonderful and everyone did find it enjoyable. There was a hole in their hearts because Alyssa was not seated among them, but they knew that she was around somewhere. During intermission, Race went off to look for Alyssa himself. He checked the track, and sure enough, there was Alyssa. He sat by her and said nothing. After a while, she turned into him and stayed there. Racetrack wrapped his arms around her and stroked her long hair. All Alyssa wanted was someone to hold her without asking why she was upset. She knew that was what Medda would have done. Thus the reason why she had hidden from Medda.
Race stayed with Alyssa for as long as she wanted him there. He eventually managed to convince her that she should come back and hear the rest of the concert. He brought her back, but kept her far away from anyone who would try and ask her questions.
When it was over, everyone went back to the Lodging House with heavy hearts. Sarah, David, and Mercy were going to stay the night because the weather was too awful for them to go home.
The minute they got back, Alyssa flew to her room. After changing into a nightgown, she came back down to the second floor. Everyone was puzzled as to why she had changed so fast, but they knew better than to ask.
Then, before anyone could stop her, Alyssa strode toward Sarah and slapped her hard across the face. "YOU BITCH!" she shrieked. "How dare you criticize Leila for doing her job! First, you criticize my friend, then you go in to bash a way of life that you know nothing about. How dare you talk about thing that you have no idea about. I can't stand it!"
"Alyssa, what.?"
"Oh, and I guess that we can't be friends anymore either."
"Alyssa, what are you talking about?"
"You said that you could never be friends with someone like Leila. Well, I'm someone like Leila. I'll let you know full well that while I was living in Boston, I was in the same situation that Leila is in right now."
The second floor was silent.
"I'm not proud of the way that I lived. You want to know where it led me? It got me attacked twice and raped once." Tears flooded down her face telling everyone that she was telling the truth.
Nobody spoke or moved. Now they knew a piece of Alyssa shadowed past. The Newsies did not really know each other's pasts; there was never a need to. But now, someone had to retell their past to explain their actions.
"Sarah, did you ever stop to think about the company you keep? All of us have hidden pasts. We don't talk about it because there is no need." Alyssa was now explaining a principle that all Newsies followed - strictly. "Even though that you now know a bit of my past, it is still too much. My past contains more pain than you could ever fathom. Has it made me strong - maybe. Has it made me weak - who knows. Has it made me unwilling to trust and love - most certainly."
Alyssa turned on her heels and ran upstairs. She did not run to her room; Sarah and Mercy would be sleeping there that night. She did not want to face them when they came up. They would ask questions, or at least, Sarah would. Instead, she grabbed the extra blanket off Race's bed and hauled herself out of the window. She sat on the fire escape, trembling; not because of the cold, but because of the fact that her life was playing before her.
Nobody went after Alyssa. It was not their place. Instead, everyone filed off to bed. Mercy and Sarah slept in Alyssa's room like they had planned; both feeling very awkward though. Every Newsie knew where Alyssa was. They kept the window unlocked so she could climb back in without being noticed. Race's bed was closest to the window so he slept on the floor so that Alyssa could use his bunk.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Later that night, Alyssa came in cold and tired. She crawled in to Racetrack's bunk, knowing that he would leave it open for her. She did not know that he was on the floor, refusing to sleep until she came in. Alyssa slept fitfully the rest of the night, shadows overtaking her dreams.