A/N: This is an old story I wrote forever ago (You can probably tell, not the best quality). The chapters were too short so I condensed the whole thing into one, anyway, Go ahead and read.
"Forget it Blink, she's way outta your league." A familiar thick New York accented voice said.
"Uh, what? Oh, yeah…" I sighed at Racetrack who had caught me looking at her again.
'She' happened to be the most beautiful, smart, funny, sixteen year old girl I've ever had the pleasure to meet not to mention her gorgeous smile that made my stomach do summersaults, one drawback: She also happens to be the Mayors only daughter, Rory Elizabeth Scott, as Race had said way outta my league.
"You're right Race, but I ain't able to keep her off my mind." I said without taking my single eye off her.
"Hey Kid I've never quite seen ya so head over heels for a goil before!" Race said arching an eyebrow. I've tried so hard to be able to raise my eyebrow like that but for some Godforsaken reason I can't, Race has a lot of little quirks that I can't imitate.
"Well she's different from any other goil Race." I said getting a little defensive.
"Whoa there big shot now I ain't sayin' she ain't! We's just think ya's a little crazy." Race said patting my shoulder.
"Yeah I know Race, Jack already told me." I said holding back a grin, Race let out a little snort.
"I just wish I had more'n one eye to look at her." I said, mock-wistfully, Race laughed provoking a smile from me. She went into the large library on Granville Street, a place she went almost every day, outside of which has become a regular selling spot for me.
"This ain't the best sellin' spot Blink" Race said almost reading my thoughts
"Yeah" I said absently
"Lets try Central Park." Race said pulling on my arm. I followed him.
Improvin' the truth is easy, lousy headlines ain't ever going to sell any papes, for instance: Race told me that one of the headlines was "SMALL WAVE SCARES INSANE MAN" this wouldn't do so for this I shouted "LIVES THREATENED BY TITAL WAVE" Men and women alike rushed to get papes and soon me'n Race was out.
"I'm goin' to the track 'kay" Race said as we walked away from the grumbling crowds.
"Shoa" I said heading back to the lodging house.
Kloppman greeted me in the usual way.
"Hello Blink how did the selling go?" He said in his gruff, husky voice
"Ah not bad Kloppman, ya feelin' okay t'day?" I asked giving him a penny of my wages that I had earned today.
"Eh ya ya okay" He mumbled
I smiled at him and headed for my bunk still thinking of Rory.
I bumped into Jack on the stairs who looked like he'd just found ten dollars.
"Me'n Sarah broke up!" He stated cheerfully, yup cheerfully.
"Uh, Jack, I'm sorry? Right…?" I asked as we walked up the stairs and got ready for bed; me wanting very much to know why he was bouncing off the walls after a breakup.
"Don't be!" He said without warning. His smile then turned to a frown "The problem wid' Sarah is she's a sissy Kid a real sissy, da Delancey bruddas comes up to us t'day an' she's all 'Jack! Oh Jack save me while I hide in a corna' And dat ain't the first time eitha' " He said scornfully adding a squeaky voice and hand actions to his re-enactment, "Anyway I'm a free man now none a dat maddas no more!"
I shook my head and climbed into the covers of my bunk, Cowboy could be mighty strange sometimes.
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Kloppman's voice rang though the air causing many newsies including myself to shove our heads beneath our pillows which only caused him to shout louder.
"Get up! Get up! You're going to sleep you're life away! There's work to be done!" He shouted at Jack who seemed to be in the middle of a dream as was usual.
I barely ever remember my dreams which makes me envious of Jack when he told me his, maybe it was because I couldn't read, I've always wondered what was hidden in the mystery of written words, my mom used to read me stories when I was younger, I wish I could read myself stories.
"Come on! Come on! The ink is wet! The press's runnin'!" Kloppman said as he pulled my blankets off.
"I just went to sleep old man!" I mumbled as I got up and shoved into my clothes. Then I was headed towards the bathroom before the rush. I got in just as Mush was dunking his head in a bucket of cold water, not noticing me he shook his head really hard getting me covered with drops of water.
"Watch where you're shakin'!" I said wiping the water from my face.
"Sorry 'dere Blink!" He laughed mopping his head with a towel.
I pitched a drenched cloth at him hitting him square in the face he wiped his eyes and hurled it back at me; I ducked just at the right moment causing it to hit Race who had just walked in with Jack.
"Hey!" He shouted and we all started laughing, Race along with us.
I got my regular 90 papes and was off to the Granville Library after Jack told me what the headlines were. I sold about forty on the way down, pretty good today I didn't even need to make up any headlines; the front page was already good:
"MAN FOUND RUNNING NUDE OUT OF BURNING BUILDING"
This sold another 20 slowly at the library the other ten I sold at around noon down the street; I was free for the whole afternoon! The fastest I've ever sold. I should have gotten more papes this morning, maybe it was fate I didn't. Right now I had nothing to do so instead of going back to the lodging house I decided to go in the library having seen Miss Scott go in earlier. It would be my first time actually inside the building, so, needless to say I was quite nervous, and I almost chickened out, but then I'd never be able to live with myself.
As soon as I came in everyone just stared at me real hard, I felt so out of place in my ragged clothes and crooked hat, I looked at Rory she was wearing ragged boys' clothes too which caused me to stare at her for a bit, I don't see many goils wearing boys clothes this day and age. She just smiled sweetly at me; I just about tripped on my own feet, while standing still. I ducked in behind a book shelf and looked at the books on it not being able to read I took one out that looked like it would have pictures, I went and sat at the same table as her, a little way off.
The book I had chosen had no pictures at all, I looked at the words on the page, I recognized a few letters and numbers but other then that, nothing. I can add and subtract fine I know how to count and all, I just can't read. I grimaced; some people thought I was stupid because of it.
"What are you reading for you to make such a face?" Rory asked me. She was talking to me!
"Oh, uh nothing." Was all I could manage to say as I slammed the book closed causing a few people close by to grumble at me.
She had he face twisted in a funny way, holding back laughter, I couldn't help but grin through my nervousness.
"What's your name?" She asked me. I should be able to answer this hopefully.
"Blink, uh, Kid Blink." I managed to say. Her eyes are this fathomless blue color and whenever I look in them I get stuck there so I had to avoid them. She tucked her glossy ebony hair behind her ear and sat down right next to me.
"Where'd you get that name?" She asked as if it were the most normal name in the world, which of course it isn't.
"Well its not me real name, they just call me that 'cause I only have one eye and I don't like me real name so much. Most newsies have a nickname." I replied
"I'm sure you know my name, seeing as I'm the mayor's daughter." She frowned.
"Of course Miss Scott." I little confused at why she frowned, I have a terrible time hiding my confusion I guess I make a funny face or something because everyone always knows when I'm confused, she of course noticed too.
"Don't "Miss Scott" me it's just Rory plain and simple!" She warned then continued "I hate being his daughter. I don't ever see him and this is the only place I'm allowed to go to alone." She gestured to the library around us.
"You could sell papes with me." I blurted out suddenly and then instantly regretted it why the heck would she want to go somewhere with me I mean I'm just a street rat right?
I looked back at her eyes were shining like stars and she was grinning from ear to ear.
"You would let me come with you? We barely know each other!" She said excitedly
"Yeah, sure." I said automatically. In spite of the fact that she's the mayor's daughter and needless to say extremely beautiful she's so easy to talk to I mean look at me I'm just blabbing my mouth off.
She looked at her watch and frowned.
"I've got to get home otherwise I be late and father will worry, and then I wont be able to come back here. So see you here tomorrow?" She asked expectantly a pleading look on her face.
"Yeah, be here at seven-thoity sharp." I said grinning like an idiot.
"Yessir!" She said giving me a military salute and ran out the door leaving me dazzled and breathless and wondering if it was all a dream.
The rest of the night I spent in a daze and more nervous then I'd ever been, I could barely sleep and I guess Race noticed because he confronted me when I got up before Kloppman. Race stood right in the doorway to the bathroom, blocking my way.
"Are you high or something, 'cause if y'are I'll soak ya." He said in mock-seriousness and he had me for a moment, the kid should be an actor I swear!
"Oh, yeah I was out boozin' with some guy yesterday." I said sarcastically, he looked like he'd seen a ghost; maybe I should be an actor.
"I'm jokin' a course!" I said seeing his look.
"I know Kid, me too!" He said, definitely the actor, and we both laughed and walked into the bathroom.
"Why are ya so tense?" He asked me as we nibbled on bread given to us by the sisters as they sung their hymns. So finally I broke down and told him all about when I was inside the library. He whistled.
"Well ain't that interestin' Blink, I mean she's pretty, smart, funny, she's a poor taste in men but who's poifect deese days eh?" He said thoughtfully, grinning like a fool, I slapped him on the side of the head; he's such a goof sometimes.
I'd gotten a hundred and twenty papes today, the prospect of having Rory with me made me optimistic. I sold nine while waiting for her, she wasn't late I was early. She suddenly came running out of an ally dressed again in her worn clothes which I guessed to be her brother's. Rory was singing her heart out, and she sounded really good, better then even Medda.
She finished her song just as she came up to me, tipping her hat and bowing excessively like a concert singer,
"If you can sell papes as well as you can sing then by the end of the day we'll be rich!" I laughed as my nervousness melted into nothing; she's too crazy and fun to be nervous around.
Rory just smiled and grabbed half of my papes reading the headlines and skimming through one.
"What makes a headline good? When people are interested in it?" She asked not looking up.
"Yeah, Headlines is good when they's got woids like: love-nest, nude, corpse, scandal, dead, ya know." I answered
"Oh!" She said, her face twisted in the cute and funny way that she held back laughter with.
I smiled at her and taught her how to hawk headlines.
"What kind of a dress is that?' Rory inquired after we got back from Medda's; wrinkling her face up and grinning.
"I don't know; a pink and sparkly one?" I replied grinning back at her.
"It would be horribly uncomfortable! Those scratchy tights and fluffy skirts, not to mention the corset! I would simply die in that thing!" She said dramatically waving her hands in the air and then started giggling uncontrollably I laughed with her still marveling at the fact she was with me! Just a Newsie, a street rat as we was called by most.
"Can we go to the lodging house? I'd love to meet the rest of the Newsies." She asked pleadingly.
I'd told her everything from since I could remember, I'd never opened up that much with someone, I told her everything, about the boys, my abusive father, everything, and she actually listened, she cared what I had to say, after I finished telling about my life she'd told me about hers, and all about being a high class citizen and personally it didn't sound as nice as it was cut out to be. I felt like I'd known her forever.
"'Kay but it ain't much." I warned her hoping the boys wouldn't tease too much.
We entered the house, most of the boys were playing poker, and Racetrack was winning as usual. Race noticed us and whistled.
"Well if it ain't the maya's daudda in our humble abode!" He said. I felt twenty pairs of eyes lock on to me and Rory, it was...uncomfortable. Rory, being who she was, started talking right away.
"I may be the mayor's daughter, but I'm not a bad poker player. Deal me in!" She challenged narrowing her eyes.
"Bring it on!" Race said as he shuffled the cards. That broke the ice.
Now me I'm a terrible poker player so naturally I sat aside and watched, I mean no use in being humiliated in front of Rory. I sat down beside her and watched the game and was soon lost, I really got to get Race to teach me how to play some time. Suddenly my knee touched Rory's and my heart sped up, I'm sure they could hear it beating from Brooklyn. I looked up at her and our eyes locked, God that blue is intoxicating. Race must've noticed our little exchange because when I finally freed myself he had this funny grin on his face, whatever it was it scared me and I could tell that my face was a nice shade of red right now.
It was dark out now, how'd it gotten so late so fast? Me'n the boys had just finished telling stories about how we all got our names when Rory looked at her watch, her eyes widened.
"Holy Cow! My dad's gonna have a fit!" She exclaimed. I could tell she'd picked up some slang while she was here because she'd been saying 'ain't' for a while now.
"I'll walk you home." I volunteered not wanting her to get hurt, there're a lot of predators out there for a young girl at night. I was worried about her.
"Thanks" she said warmly as we walked out the door.
"My pleasure." I replied and in fact it was, very much so.
We talked about nothing in particular on the walk to her house we both avoided the subject of poker though because with it brought memories of our little "moment"
When we got to her house, which was actually a mansion, we just kinda stopped talking and there was this uncomfortable silence that seemed to stretch on forever. She broke it.
"Thanks, for walking me home...for everything really..." She trailed off. I wanted to say you're welcome but the words stuck in my throat. There were shivers going up and down my spine like you would not believe. Suddenly I moved my face closer to hers bending down a bit because of her being two inches shorter, and just ended up with my hands on her waist, I kissed her then, right on her doorstep, without thinking, it was like pure instinct. Rory wrapped her arms around my neck. She was kissing me back. It felt better than anything in the world, and, for a moment, I was The King of New York.
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading this; by the way to avoid any legal problems (My parent's lawyer is annoying) I don't own any of the Newsies though I certainly do wish I did! (I'm sure many of the female Newsies fans out there can agree!) Anyway have a great rest of life and have fun reading more Newsies stories!
Gewher
P.S. Make sure you review! I need to know what the public thinks of my work!