When we arrived back at the lodging house it was late and no one else was
awake. We headed upstairs to Bailey and Jacks' room before anyone said
anything.
"Uh, Doodles I think ye need te tell everyone what made you run hea and exactly how dat man from de Crypts knows ye." Bailey said softly. "Dey have de right te know after what happened t'night."
"Ok.", I dreading it, but Bailey was right.
I told them how the night before last, had it only been 2 days? I had witnessed my mother's death and I was almost killed too. How the murderer whose face I had never clearly seen had told me what he had done to her, what she went through before she died. How I had thought I might be harder to find in the large city of Manhattan. I told them I guess I had been wrong.
When I finished silence filled the room.
"Well at least were all ok," I said. "An thanks fer lettin me stay. I'll be leavin tommorow."
"Wudder ye talkin about?" Angel asked.
"Well now de murderer, Shadow I guess, will know whea I am an I'm not gonna put ye inta danger by leadin him hea."
"You're not goin anywhere." Race said firmly, "were not just gonna let ye go face dat bastard by yeself."
Jack, Spot, Bailey, and Angel nodded in agreement.
"Race is right and its not like we haven't been through stuff like dis before." Angel commented.
"Yeah really Angel," Bailey smiled, "how many times you been stabbed?"
Angel sighed and looked at me, "Shes always insisting I learn how te fight."
"Ye were stabbed?" I said worridly.
"Yea, try te avoid it if ye can."
"I bet Doodles could help me teach ya, she looks like shes got a good punch ta me." Bailey hinted.
"Yea," said Spot agreeing with Baileys observation about my punch, "whered ye loin ta fight?"
"Growin up in Harlem, ye need ta know how." I replied.
Right then I gave a huge yawn and remembered how late it was.
"I think I need ta get some sleep." I said. "G'night."
"Me too." said Angel and we walked to the door together.
"Ok boys," Bailey said looking at Race and Spot, "out."
"Can I stay?" Jack said joking.
"Hmmm, I suppose." Bailey said with a mock sigh of annoyance and gave him a deep kiss. "C'mon Cowboy," Spot said smirking, "We still got things te disscuss before ye start dat." "Ok," Jack said letting go of Bailey and following the rest of us in to the hallway.
Me and Angel said goodnight and walked to our rooms which were right next to each other and yawning said goodnight to each other. Right before we went into our rooms I paused.
"Why is it dat we got oua own rooms?" I wondered since most of the other newsies lived in the big room with all the bunks.
"Connections" Bailey said with a wink. "An lucky fer you, Kloppmans gone on a little vacation."
"Kloppman?" I asked confused.
"Hes da owna of de Lodgin house, and old friend of de newsies." Angel told me. "I'm sure you'll meet him sometime."
Bailey yawned "Night te both of ye" and we all entered our rooms.
I had just taken off my breeches and had put on an oversized shirt to wear to bed when there was a knock on the door and Race entered.
"Whudde ye want?" I asked him curiously.
"Me, Spot an Jack decided someone needed ta be in ur room for ur safety. An Jacks' with Bailey and Spots' with Angel, so that leaves me cause I'm de only one left." He paused with his babbling. "Not te scare ye but its only a matter of time till Shadow knows where ye are and comes lookin. Or fer dat matta until de Delancys' get enough brains in deyre head te think of ye bein hea. Ye gotta be protected."
"I know." I said. "But I'm not scared," not wanting him to get the wrong impression of my courage though I was...to say the least scared. "I'm just mad, and I can't wait till I have my chance ta beat de shit outta him."
Race laughed then sobered.
"Well I guess I'll just hafta be scared for ye."
"Thanks fer carin.", I said feeling kind of dumb but happy at the same time. "At home de only poison who cared was me mudder and two days ago when..."
I stopped talking knowing he knew what I meant and that I didn't have to finish what I had been saying. For the second time that day tears leaked down my cheeks but this time I let them fall. I looked away from Race. He walked to me and hugged me.
"I'm no good at holdin it in..." I said through my tears.
"Hey Doodles," he said, "don't worry we'll take care of ye no matter what."
"Thanks.", I said as he let me rid my tears on his shoulder.
"Uh, Doodles I think ye need te tell everyone what made you run hea and exactly how dat man from de Crypts knows ye." Bailey said softly. "Dey have de right te know after what happened t'night."
"Ok.", I dreading it, but Bailey was right.
I told them how the night before last, had it only been 2 days? I had witnessed my mother's death and I was almost killed too. How the murderer whose face I had never clearly seen had told me what he had done to her, what she went through before she died. How I had thought I might be harder to find in the large city of Manhattan. I told them I guess I had been wrong.
When I finished silence filled the room.
"Well at least were all ok," I said. "An thanks fer lettin me stay. I'll be leavin tommorow."
"Wudder ye talkin about?" Angel asked.
"Well now de murderer, Shadow I guess, will know whea I am an I'm not gonna put ye inta danger by leadin him hea."
"You're not goin anywhere." Race said firmly, "were not just gonna let ye go face dat bastard by yeself."
Jack, Spot, Bailey, and Angel nodded in agreement.
"Race is right and its not like we haven't been through stuff like dis before." Angel commented.
"Yeah really Angel," Bailey smiled, "how many times you been stabbed?"
Angel sighed and looked at me, "Shes always insisting I learn how te fight."
"Ye were stabbed?" I said worridly.
"Yea, try te avoid it if ye can."
"I bet Doodles could help me teach ya, she looks like shes got a good punch ta me." Bailey hinted.
"Yea," said Spot agreeing with Baileys observation about my punch, "whered ye loin ta fight?"
"Growin up in Harlem, ye need ta know how." I replied.
Right then I gave a huge yawn and remembered how late it was.
"I think I need ta get some sleep." I said. "G'night."
"Me too." said Angel and we walked to the door together.
"Ok boys," Bailey said looking at Race and Spot, "out."
"Can I stay?" Jack said joking.
"Hmmm, I suppose." Bailey said with a mock sigh of annoyance and gave him a deep kiss. "C'mon Cowboy," Spot said smirking, "We still got things te disscuss before ye start dat." "Ok," Jack said letting go of Bailey and following the rest of us in to the hallway.
Me and Angel said goodnight and walked to our rooms which were right next to each other and yawning said goodnight to each other. Right before we went into our rooms I paused.
"Why is it dat we got oua own rooms?" I wondered since most of the other newsies lived in the big room with all the bunks.
"Connections" Bailey said with a wink. "An lucky fer you, Kloppmans gone on a little vacation."
"Kloppman?" I asked confused.
"Hes da owna of de Lodgin house, and old friend of de newsies." Angel told me. "I'm sure you'll meet him sometime."
Bailey yawned "Night te both of ye" and we all entered our rooms.
I had just taken off my breeches and had put on an oversized shirt to wear to bed when there was a knock on the door and Race entered.
"Whudde ye want?" I asked him curiously.
"Me, Spot an Jack decided someone needed ta be in ur room for ur safety. An Jacks' with Bailey and Spots' with Angel, so that leaves me cause I'm de only one left." He paused with his babbling. "Not te scare ye but its only a matter of time till Shadow knows where ye are and comes lookin. Or fer dat matta until de Delancys' get enough brains in deyre head te think of ye bein hea. Ye gotta be protected."
"I know." I said. "But I'm not scared," not wanting him to get the wrong impression of my courage though I was...to say the least scared. "I'm just mad, and I can't wait till I have my chance ta beat de shit outta him."
Race laughed then sobered.
"Well I guess I'll just hafta be scared for ye."
"Thanks fer carin.", I said feeling kind of dumb but happy at the same time. "At home de only poison who cared was me mudder and two days ago when..."
I stopped talking knowing he knew what I meant and that I didn't have to finish what I had been saying. For the second time that day tears leaked down my cheeks but this time I let them fall. I looked away from Race. He walked to me and hugged me.
"I'm no good at holdin it in..." I said through my tears.
"Hey Doodles," he said, "don't worry we'll take care of ye no matter what."
"Thanks.", I said as he let me rid my tears on his shoulder.