My last chapter didn't get any reviews. I pouted.
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. I got some gel pens so my rough drafts are colorful and sparkly! I thought you should all know that.
Almost everyone had left and gone home, wherever home was. Most went back to the lodging house, others had a family and those who hadn't sold enough today were settling down in a back alley hoping to make it through the night. Jack and Spot were still in the apartment, sprawled out across the living room furniture and Claire was in the kitchen putting the last of the glasses into the cupboards. When she finished she threw the box into a corner already filled with boxes and walked into the other room. She shoved Spot's feet off the couch and plopped herself on the overstuffed cushion where they had been. After a few minutes of silence, Claire said "I'm beat. You guys can spend the night on the couches if you want. I'm going to bed." She stretched her arms, stood up and made her was towards her bedroom.
"G'night." Spot and Jack called towards the bedroom.
"I got dibs on the big sofa!" Spot cried as he jumped to take up as much space as possible on it.
"Dammit Spot, I'm bigger than you." Jack sulked, too tired to put up a fight for the choice "bed." He tried to get comfortable on the love seat but his legs hung off the edge. He grumbled about soaking Spot when he could move again and Spot just smirked into his pillow as he pulled a blanket off the back and onto himself.
The Next Day
Claire woke up before either of the boys, got dressed and took another trip to the store she had been to the day before. She got enough food for the next few days for her and any newsies that might stop by. (She had told them all they could stop by when they felt like it.) When she got back Spot and Jack had hardly moved and slept on. She giggled quietly and walked across the room to the kitchen. She fried a few eggs, two for each of the boys and one for herself and set the table. When breakfast was ready, she was tempted to make as much noise as possible to wake them and instead poked them. "Breakfast boys!" she declared cheerfully.
"Ah." Jack looked disgusted by her peppiness. "Ise thought youse hated moinin's."
"I do," Claire's liveliness wasn't daunted by her brother's disapproval. "But this hardly feels like morning to me. I've been up over an hour."
"Well, Ise think this is proof of the fact that youse are insane." Jack said following her and Spot into the kitchen.
"Get over it, Cowboy. You would have been up by now if you were at the lodging house. Plus, ya wouldn't have a nice breakfast to wake up to." Spot said winking at Claire. She looked down hiding her smile from her brother. Jack was awake enough to whine, but not to catch them silently flirting.
"I guess youse two are so perky because youse gots a good night sleep on your bed and couches. Yeah, well I'm the one how had to sleep with my legs dangling off the edge of the love seat."
"Jack Kelly, you stop complaining this instant. I made you a nice breakfast, much better than the nuns' stale bread, so you had better wake up and cheer up." Clair put her foot down. Of course she would have been taken more seriously if she wasn't smiling. Either way, Jack lightened up and everyone enjoyed their breakfast.
It didn't take them long to finish and Jack left to get an early start. Claire started clearing dishes and stood in front of the sink looking out the window in front of it. Spot came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder. He kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, "Good moinin' sunshine." The smile she gave him was an extremely happy and loving one. She finished and turned around, still in his arms. "Come on, I'll walk you to woik."
"Well, you are going to have to let go of me." she teased. They laughed as he guided her out of the apartment, holding any doors for her. "Vrrr, it's freezing." she said stepping out into the windy street.
"Ain't that New Yoik?"
"This way." she said pointing down the road that the shop was on.
"So, how do youse like the apartment now that its all put togetha?"
"I hate it." She answered with sarcasm drowning her statement. Spot playfully pushed her. He caught her off balance and she almost tripped, laughing hysterically as he caught her arm. "Here's the shop. You'd better get to the distribution center before they sell out."
"Yeah, I guess Ise should go." He turned to walk away, took two steps and turned around. "Wait," he said before she walked into the store, "You wanna go to Tibby's foa dinna tanight?"
"Mmhmm." she nodded, smiling.
"Good, it'll be my treat. See ya later Claire."
"Bye Spot!" she called as she went into the shop. Instead of a warm greeting from Mr. Wringer a stout woman tapped her foot threateningly as she glared at Claire.
"You are late. Three minutes late!" she cried melodramatically. "Those are three minutes of my life I will never get back. Do you think I should have to sit here laboring while you dither about with a filthy newsboy? No, I should think not!" Claire stood gawking at this woman, this lunatic, trying to find an answer to the previous remarks. Who was she and where was her boss?
"Ah, I see you've met my wife." Mr. Wringer said coming down the stairs from the second floor where he and his family lived and pulling on a coat. "I'm teaching some music lessons today so you'll be by yourself for a bit. Betsy, you can leave now. Thank you for standing in and giving the store three minutes of you oh, so valuable time."
The stout woman huffed out of the door only after snarling "Don't be late again." at Claire.
Mr. Wringer shook his head looking embarrassed. He looked back up and told Claire that a very rich client, Mr. Pulitzer, would be stopping by. He was probably going to make a big purchase and was to be treated with the utmost respect. Claire promised he would be as her boss hurried out the door.
Taking a seat behind the counter she thought "I can't believe the owner of the World Newspaper is coming piano shopping. That's bizarre, I never would have guesses old Joe would have been a music man."