Chapter 10
Emily sat down in the chair in the kitchen as Teddy drew out a pair of scissors.
"Now, are you sure this is what you want?" he asked.
"Yes, daddy. Just cut," she said. He chopped her hair off up to the middle of her ear. Then he cut her bangs up, too, and pulled away.
"You look like a boy…except for the clothes," he said. Emily nodded, and jogged up the steps. She pulled out a pair of black slacks, and a gray/white plaid shirt, and put them on. Then she rummaged through her drawers, and pulled out a blue vest with white lines on it, and slid that on over the shirt. She found a black newsie hat different from the one brown she usually wore, and stared at herself in the mirror. She reminded herself of her brother. Smiling, she ran down the steps, and stood in front of her father.
"Wow…now, you just have to change your voice and name," he said. Emily nodded. Clearing her throat, she began to speak like a boy, without any problem.
"Wow…your good. What about a name?" he asked. Emily paced back and forth as she thought.
"I know!"
"What?"
"What about Alex? Alex Banley?" she asked. Teddy smiled.
"Alex" took a deep breath, and walked outside with a little money in his pockets. He headed to the lodging house, and pulled open the door. Jack and Race looked up from the steps, where they sat playing cards, and raised an eyebrow. Jack stood up, and walked over.
"Hey, who are you?" he asked. Alex smiled, and said, "The name's Banley. Alex Banley. Who are you?"
"Jack Kelly. What're you doin here?" he asked.
"Need a job. Ran away from home," he said. Jack nodded, and said, "This is the place. Can ya run fast?"
"Yep."
"Can ya sell tings?"
"Like what?"
"Like papes."
"Yea. Why?"
"You gotta job. Youse a newsie. You sell papes every day they got em. You live here, wit us uddah newsies. You aight wit dat?" he asked. Alex nodded, and said, "I need ta talk to ya, dough." Jack, although confused, followed Alex outside.
"What?"
"You don' recognize me?"
"No…"
"Da names Emily."
"Emmy? What happened to you?"
"Me faddah wanted me to get a job…"
"So you chose to be a newsie?" he asked.
"Yep. You gotta problem wit dat?" she asked.
"No, but…"
"But what?"
"But you're a girl, Emily."
"So? You know dat, I know dat, but dey don' know dat," she said.
"They'll find out…"
"Not if you keep ya mouth shut," she said. He shook his head, and said, "Iunno if I can let you do dat, Emmy."
"Jack, trust me. Why would I do something unless I knew I could do it?" she asked.
"You gotta point…Alright, fine. I won' tell no one," he said.
"So, you just hired a goil newsie tinkin she was a guy?" a voice asked. Emily spun around. There stood Crutchy.
"You cannot tell a soul, Crutchy. Promise," she said. Smiling he nodded.
"I won' tell nobody. I have no reason ta hoit ya," he said. Emily smiled, and said, "Tanks, Crutchy."
Alex and Jack walked back inside, and sat down with Race at the steps. Derek came inside the lodging house just then.
"Heya, Blink. Dis here is Alex, our newest newsie," Race said.
"Hiya, Alex. I'm Blink," he said, reaching out for his hand. Alex stuck out his hand, and shook Blinks.
"Whatcha got dere, Blink?" Jack asked.
"A letter from me sistah." Alex's breath caught in his throat as Blink read through it again and smiled.
"I miss her a lot, but dad doesn' know where she went," he said, sitting down.
"Lemme see," Race said. Blink handed it to him, and they passed it around. Alex only skimmed it, then handed it to Jack.
Jack looked at the room that the newsies slept in, and sighed.
"Looks like dere aren't enough bunks, Alex…you'll hafta share wit someone…"
"Who?" he asked. Jack looked around, and said, "Well, if you don' mind sleepin on a top bunk, you can share wit me," he said, smiling. Alex laughed, and said, "Aight. Why not?" Jack turned back towards the door, and said, "Come on, let's go get sometin ta eat." Alex and Jack headed outside and to Tibby's for some dinner.
Alex sat across from Jack as they ordered their food, and waited.
"So, Jack, why did you become a newsie?" she asked. Jack sighed, and said, "You know how I've told people dat me parents are away somewhere looking for a place to live, and that they keep moving around cause dey can't find any place?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Dere aren't. Me muddahs dead, me faddahs in da penitentiary. Me real name ain't Jack Kelly. Its Francis Sullivan…I never told no one cause I wanted ta forget me past…"
"So whydja tell me?"
"Cause ya asked. And youse me pal," he said, smiling. Alex smiled back as their food was set down in front of them.
"Well, I'm glad you could tell me dat, Jack Kelly," he said, smiling. Jack smiled back, and said, "I'm glad I told someone."
Alex and Jack sat on the roof, looking out at the city as everyone headed in for bed.
"So, Emma, whydja become a newsie?" he asked. Emily looked over at him, and said, "Because I figured it was somethin' I could do wit'out havin ta worry about gettin' home before dark, ya know?" Jack nodded, and said, "Yeah, I guess so."
