Casey lay staring out the window for what seemed like hours until she heard the door open. "How ya feeling?" Came Oscar's voice. "I'm ok." Casey replied not even turning around. Truth was, Casey missed the Newsies. She couldn't stand thinking about the heart broken looks on their faces when they saw her as a scabber. That was about the biggest thing you could do to hurt your Newsie reputation.
"What's on your mind? I know that you got somethin' or else ya wouldn't be starin' out that window and barely say a word ta me." Oscar said sitting on the bed. "Really Oscar, it's nothin' don't worry about it." Casey said tearing away from the window. She normally could tell Oscar anything but not this how was she supposed to say...
"Oscar, I can't stay here, I'm not like you...and Morris...I'm living a lie here..." Casey blurted out feeling her cheeks burn in embarrassment. "What? You...you want to go back...with them?" Oscar said barely able to find the words. "Oscar, don't make it sound like that. I loved being here with you...and I'm glad you're here for me...but I can't live like this..." Casey said carefully.
"C'mon, you'll get used to it..." Oscar said putting his arm around her. "No, Oscar, it's just not me." She said scooting back to the wall. Oscar scooted back with her and leaned against the wall and put his arm around her again. She put her head on his shoulder. "I love you...but I just can't..." Casey sighed. "Casey, all that matters is I love you, and I'd do anything for you. I just don't think going back to them is the way to go...ya know what I mean?" Oscar said in a pleading way.
"You didn't get to know them like I did. They're not street rats. Underneath all those rags they're sweet. If you think they're street rats...then you might as well say that I'm one too." Casey said sitting back up. "Case, you ain't a street rat..." Oscar said. "Well, if I was still out there and you didn't have feeling for me then would you still think that?" Casey asked looking him in the eye. "And tell the truth." She added.
"You're beautiful...Why would I think of you that way?" Oscar asked. "Say that I didn't look this way and I was just some Newsie you didn't know...what would you think?" She asked. "I may have thought you might have been some kind of a street rat but...." Oscar started but Casey cut him off. "See Oscar? You do think that. I'm one of them. I'm not one of you." She said.
"But you could be!" He said trying to make a last attempt to change her mind. "No, I couldn't." Casey said back. "What makes you think they're going to take you back now after all of this? How do you know if they'll just LET you come back?" Oscar said. "I just know they will...." Casey said. "I hope..."
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"You guys ready to go and get Casey?" Jack yelled over the crowd of Newsboys. "Yeah!" They all yelled. Rinoa remained silent. "Then let's go!" Racetrack yelled. They all ran out the doors except for Rinoa. "Lousy Casey...Everything was better with her gone." Rinoa said falling on her bed.
"There's the place, let's go." Jack whispered. Jack picked Mush, Blink, Racetrack, and Skittery to go up with him. They crept along the wall and each looked through one of the windows. "Not this one." Jack whispered letting go of the window sill. "It ain't this one either." Blink said letting go. "Where can she be?" Racetrack said letting go of his sill.
"You guys! Come here!" Mush called. They walked silently over to Mush's window. They all peered through it. Casey was sitting in bed next to Oscar. He was stroaking her hair with an arm around her and talking There was a little bit of the window open so they could hear what he was saying only very distinctly.
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"Casey, you really don't need those Newsies, really. Me and Morris really know what's best for you, and it's not starving on the street with those street Urchins. Really, Stick with me baby doll. You really deserve better than all of this, You deserve to be treated like royalty. Not Street scum." Oscar said.
"Look Oscar, I can't... I got to go." Casey said standing up and jumping down from the bed she pulled on her boots while she was at it. "Casey! NO!" He yelled. He got up and grabbed her arm and pulled her back toward the bed. "You don't know what you're doing! You're not choosing the right way!" Oscar yelled pushing her back down on the bed flat and embracing her a little harshly and kissing her.
She tore away from the kiss. "Oscar, you just don't understand!" Casey yelled back at him. "You're not going." He argued and pinned her down. "Oscar, you can't make me stay!" She yelled lifting up her feet and kicking his chest and causing him to fall over. She quickly made a run for it. She ran out of the room and out to the front door. She quickly un did the lock and ran out.
"Casey! Over here!" Skittery yelled waving a hand and running over to her. She ran over to them. "Did you see everything?" Casey asked looking from one face to another. When her eyes fell on Mush she tensed up. "Yeah, but let's go." Racetrack said grabbing her hand and running.
"Get back here with my goil Street Rats!" Oscar yelled from the doorway. They just ran until they just couldn't anymore.
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"Casey are you alright?" Mush asked looking her over to make sure Oscar hadn't left any bruises on her. She fell into his arms. "I was scared Mush...really I was...." She whispered. "I know. I was too." Mush said hugging her tight. Don't scare me like that again alright?" He asked holding her shoulders and looking her in the eye.
"Sorry Mush...it's just...I thought Oscar was something he wasn't. He proeved to me that he cared. But he just snapped at the thought of me going back with you guys. " Casey said walking over to the wall and looking at the floor. "All that matters is your safe here, and away from him. I told you not to trust him." Mush said.
"Mush, could ya do me one thing?" Casey asked. "Yeah, what?" Mush asked. "Spare me the 'I told you so's'." Casey said walking into the bunk room. She walked over to her bed and caught a glimpse of Rinoa. "Well, it it ain't Delancy's little whore huh?" Rinoa said hopping off her bed. "For the love of god Rinoa, just give it a rest!" Racetrack yelled at her.
"I just can't Race, ok?" Rinoa said giving Casey an angry glare. "well maybe it's time you learned that you should!" Race yelled pushing her onto her bed. "Why do you have to be such a bitch? You need to tell this whole room right now why. You used to a little sweet girl until Casey came back. What changed you?!" Race yelled at her.
"RACE! You know damn well what changed me!" Rinoa yelled back. "No! None of us know until you tell us!" Race yelled. "C'mon Race....I just don't like her is all..." Rinoa said softly. "Why is that? She helped you here. Just get over her leaving! ONE damn mistake was all it took for you to hold a grudge? That's bullshit!" Race yelled.
Rinoa was breathing deeply and looked like she was about to cry. "Race come on it's not fair." She said letting a single tear fall down her face. "C'mon Rinoa. Tell us why you hate her." Race said crossing his arms. "It's cuz I missed her ok? She left me here with strangers I didn't even know! What kind of a friend is she if she has to leave someone younger than her behind. I was lost enough as it is!" Rinoa yelled then turned and cried into her hands.
Casey looked over at Race. "Race, ease up a little." She said quietly. Race sighed and tried to cool down. "Race let me handle this." Casey said walking up to Rinoa's bed. She sat next to Rinoa who was on her knees crying into her hands. Casey placed a hand on her head and stroaked her hair and put the other on her shoulder.
"Rinoa, I'm so sorry." As Casey said this The Newsies followed Race downstairs so they could talk alone. "I REALLY didn't mean to leave you. Really I didn't I wish you wouldn't think of me the way you do. I didn't want to leave. I didn't mean to take everything from you. I wish I could just go back and do it all over again because I took the wrong way out and it's not fair what I did to you. I promise I will make up for it. I Really promise." Casey said.
Rinoa looked up from her hands and wiped away the tears. "I don't know what to say. I look like a complete idiot. I look like a little kid again." She said sighing. Casey gave her a smile. It's ok to cry, even if you're 14. Atleast we know you're human." Casey joked punching her softly on the shoulder. "Casey...I don't even see why you're forgiving me. I've been such a bitch to you. You have no reason to just get over it.
"Rinoa, this is a new thing you have to learn about me. I forgive easily. I do have a reason you forgive you. You're my friend. And in a way you're kind of like my sister." Casey said. "Case, you're kind of going all mushy on me. It's scaring me." Rinoa said with a laugh. "Sorry...I got to quit it with the damn perfect shit." Casey laughed.
"Well should we have the guys come back in?" Rinoa asked. "Oh, yeah sure." Casey said getting up and going downstairs. "You guys can come back up now. I never really did ask you to leave." Casey said laughing. "Yeah yeah." The guys said and walked up the stairs. Casey followed behind. "Alright Who's tired? I'm tired, everyone's tired let's go to sleep C'mon!" Casey called out and jumped into her bed.
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"It's a fine life, Carryin' the Banner through it all, A Mighty Fine Life Carryin' the Banner tough and tall......" Casey was singing along with the rest of them on the way to the Distribution Office. It felt good to be singing their anthem again. She missed singing it with them. Once they made it to The Distribution Office they finished their song and walked up the ramp. Jack ofcourse in front, Racetrack behind him, Casey Behind him and Mush behind her.
"The ususal." Jack said putting down money. "Yeah yeah." Weasel said while Oscar slid out 100 papers. Racetrack got his 50 but Mush and Racetrack came up beside her kind of like body guards. They wouldn't let them do any funny stuff. Oscar looked at her with this cross between an angry look and a pleading look.
"100." She said slamming down money. Weasel looked at her with a suprised look. "What are you doing on that side of the window?" Weasel said. "Uh...buying papers...it's my job." She said giving him an annoyed look. "Nah, you work for The World!" Weasel yelled. "Yeah. Selling Newspapers." Casey said putting her hat on.
"No, you don't you belong here." Oscar argued. "Just give me the damn papers, I'm not here to chat with you Oscar, I'm here to do my job got it punk?" She shot at him. He slid out 100. She took them and turned to walk. "But... YOU DON'T BELONG WITH THEM!" Oscar yelled. She turned around sharply and punched him through the bars.
"Yes, I do." She said rubbing her fist on her shirt and walking away. "I'll get her back just wait." Oscar said from the floor.
"What's on your mind? I know that you got somethin' or else ya wouldn't be starin' out that window and barely say a word ta me." Oscar said sitting on the bed. "Really Oscar, it's nothin' don't worry about it." Casey said tearing away from the window. She normally could tell Oscar anything but not this how was she supposed to say...
"Oscar, I can't stay here, I'm not like you...and Morris...I'm living a lie here..." Casey blurted out feeling her cheeks burn in embarrassment. "What? You...you want to go back...with them?" Oscar said barely able to find the words. "Oscar, don't make it sound like that. I loved being here with you...and I'm glad you're here for me...but I can't live like this..." Casey said carefully.
"C'mon, you'll get used to it..." Oscar said putting his arm around her. "No, Oscar, it's just not me." She said scooting back to the wall. Oscar scooted back with her and leaned against the wall and put his arm around her again. She put her head on his shoulder. "I love you...but I just can't..." Casey sighed. "Casey, all that matters is I love you, and I'd do anything for you. I just don't think going back to them is the way to go...ya know what I mean?" Oscar said in a pleading way.
"You didn't get to know them like I did. They're not street rats. Underneath all those rags they're sweet. If you think they're street rats...then you might as well say that I'm one too." Casey said sitting back up. "Case, you ain't a street rat..." Oscar said. "Well, if I was still out there and you didn't have feeling for me then would you still think that?" Casey asked looking him in the eye. "And tell the truth." She added.
"You're beautiful...Why would I think of you that way?" Oscar asked. "Say that I didn't look this way and I was just some Newsie you didn't know...what would you think?" She asked. "I may have thought you might have been some kind of a street rat but...." Oscar started but Casey cut him off. "See Oscar? You do think that. I'm one of them. I'm not one of you." She said.
"But you could be!" He said trying to make a last attempt to change her mind. "No, I couldn't." Casey said back. "What makes you think they're going to take you back now after all of this? How do you know if they'll just LET you come back?" Oscar said. "I just know they will...." Casey said. "I hope..."
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"You guys ready to go and get Casey?" Jack yelled over the crowd of Newsboys. "Yeah!" They all yelled. Rinoa remained silent. "Then let's go!" Racetrack yelled. They all ran out the doors except for Rinoa. "Lousy Casey...Everything was better with her gone." Rinoa said falling on her bed.
"There's the place, let's go." Jack whispered. Jack picked Mush, Blink, Racetrack, and Skittery to go up with him. They crept along the wall and each looked through one of the windows. "Not this one." Jack whispered letting go of the window sill. "It ain't this one either." Blink said letting go. "Where can she be?" Racetrack said letting go of his sill.
"You guys! Come here!" Mush called. They walked silently over to Mush's window. They all peered through it. Casey was sitting in bed next to Oscar. He was stroaking her hair with an arm around her and talking There was a little bit of the window open so they could hear what he was saying only very distinctly.
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"Casey, you really don't need those Newsies, really. Me and Morris really know what's best for you, and it's not starving on the street with those street Urchins. Really, Stick with me baby doll. You really deserve better than all of this, You deserve to be treated like royalty. Not Street scum." Oscar said.
"Look Oscar, I can't... I got to go." Casey said standing up and jumping down from the bed she pulled on her boots while she was at it. "Casey! NO!" He yelled. He got up and grabbed her arm and pulled her back toward the bed. "You don't know what you're doing! You're not choosing the right way!" Oscar yelled pushing her back down on the bed flat and embracing her a little harshly and kissing her.
She tore away from the kiss. "Oscar, you just don't understand!" Casey yelled back at him. "You're not going." He argued and pinned her down. "Oscar, you can't make me stay!" She yelled lifting up her feet and kicking his chest and causing him to fall over. She quickly made a run for it. She ran out of the room and out to the front door. She quickly un did the lock and ran out.
"Casey! Over here!" Skittery yelled waving a hand and running over to her. She ran over to them. "Did you see everything?" Casey asked looking from one face to another. When her eyes fell on Mush she tensed up. "Yeah, but let's go." Racetrack said grabbing her hand and running.
"Get back here with my goil Street Rats!" Oscar yelled from the doorway. They just ran until they just couldn't anymore.
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"Casey are you alright?" Mush asked looking her over to make sure Oscar hadn't left any bruises on her. She fell into his arms. "I was scared Mush...really I was...." She whispered. "I know. I was too." Mush said hugging her tight. Don't scare me like that again alright?" He asked holding her shoulders and looking her in the eye.
"Sorry Mush...it's just...I thought Oscar was something he wasn't. He proeved to me that he cared. But he just snapped at the thought of me going back with you guys. " Casey said walking over to the wall and looking at the floor. "All that matters is your safe here, and away from him. I told you not to trust him." Mush said.
"Mush, could ya do me one thing?" Casey asked. "Yeah, what?" Mush asked. "Spare me the 'I told you so's'." Casey said walking into the bunk room. She walked over to her bed and caught a glimpse of Rinoa. "Well, it it ain't Delancy's little whore huh?" Rinoa said hopping off her bed. "For the love of god Rinoa, just give it a rest!" Racetrack yelled at her.
"I just can't Race, ok?" Rinoa said giving Casey an angry glare. "well maybe it's time you learned that you should!" Race yelled pushing her onto her bed. "Why do you have to be such a bitch? You need to tell this whole room right now why. You used to a little sweet girl until Casey came back. What changed you?!" Race yelled at her.
"RACE! You know damn well what changed me!" Rinoa yelled back. "No! None of us know until you tell us!" Race yelled. "C'mon Race....I just don't like her is all..." Rinoa said softly. "Why is that? She helped you here. Just get over her leaving! ONE damn mistake was all it took for you to hold a grudge? That's bullshit!" Race yelled.
Rinoa was breathing deeply and looked like she was about to cry. "Race come on it's not fair." She said letting a single tear fall down her face. "C'mon Rinoa. Tell us why you hate her." Race said crossing his arms. "It's cuz I missed her ok? She left me here with strangers I didn't even know! What kind of a friend is she if she has to leave someone younger than her behind. I was lost enough as it is!" Rinoa yelled then turned and cried into her hands.
Casey looked over at Race. "Race, ease up a little." She said quietly. Race sighed and tried to cool down. "Race let me handle this." Casey said walking up to Rinoa's bed. She sat next to Rinoa who was on her knees crying into her hands. Casey placed a hand on her head and stroaked her hair and put the other on her shoulder.
"Rinoa, I'm so sorry." As Casey said this The Newsies followed Race downstairs so they could talk alone. "I REALLY didn't mean to leave you. Really I didn't I wish you wouldn't think of me the way you do. I didn't want to leave. I didn't mean to take everything from you. I wish I could just go back and do it all over again because I took the wrong way out and it's not fair what I did to you. I promise I will make up for it. I Really promise." Casey said.
Rinoa looked up from her hands and wiped away the tears. "I don't know what to say. I look like a complete idiot. I look like a little kid again." She said sighing. Casey gave her a smile. It's ok to cry, even if you're 14. Atleast we know you're human." Casey joked punching her softly on the shoulder. "Casey...I don't even see why you're forgiving me. I've been such a bitch to you. You have no reason to just get over it.
"Rinoa, this is a new thing you have to learn about me. I forgive easily. I do have a reason you forgive you. You're my friend. And in a way you're kind of like my sister." Casey said. "Case, you're kind of going all mushy on me. It's scaring me." Rinoa said with a laugh. "Sorry...I got to quit it with the damn perfect shit." Casey laughed.
"Well should we have the guys come back in?" Rinoa asked. "Oh, yeah sure." Casey said getting up and going downstairs. "You guys can come back up now. I never really did ask you to leave." Casey said laughing. "Yeah yeah." The guys said and walked up the stairs. Casey followed behind. "Alright Who's tired? I'm tired, everyone's tired let's go to sleep C'mon!" Casey called out and jumped into her bed.
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"It's a fine life, Carryin' the Banner through it all, A Mighty Fine Life Carryin' the Banner tough and tall......" Casey was singing along with the rest of them on the way to the Distribution Office. It felt good to be singing their anthem again. She missed singing it with them. Once they made it to The Distribution Office they finished their song and walked up the ramp. Jack ofcourse in front, Racetrack behind him, Casey Behind him and Mush behind her.
"The ususal." Jack said putting down money. "Yeah yeah." Weasel said while Oscar slid out 100 papers. Racetrack got his 50 but Mush and Racetrack came up beside her kind of like body guards. They wouldn't let them do any funny stuff. Oscar looked at her with this cross between an angry look and a pleading look.
"100." She said slamming down money. Weasel looked at her with a suprised look. "What are you doing on that side of the window?" Weasel said. "Uh...buying papers...it's my job." She said giving him an annoyed look. "Nah, you work for The World!" Weasel yelled. "Yeah. Selling Newspapers." Casey said putting her hat on.
"No, you don't you belong here." Oscar argued. "Just give me the damn papers, I'm not here to chat with you Oscar, I'm here to do my job got it punk?" She shot at him. He slid out 100. She took them and turned to walk. "But... YOU DON'T BELONG WITH THEM!" Oscar yelled. She turned around sharply and punched him through the bars.
"Yes, I do." She said rubbing her fist on her shirt and walking away. "I'll get her back just wait." Oscar said from the floor.