Chapter Twelve: She's Back
Jack Kelly shook his head after he heard the first news that night. It had been from Alleyway, Racetrack's sister, and she'd told him about a fight with some Queens boys and a mysterious strange newsie out in Central Park.
Alleyway gave a laugh at Jack's reaction as she dealed out a new hand of cards to Racetrack, Bumlets, Snoddy and Skittery. "What's da mattah, Cowboy? Sad you'se ain't gotten in on da fightin' action yet?"
Jack shook his head at her and rolled his eyes. "No...It's just...Wells...Strange new newsies? I'se gotta worry 'bout it. What'd ya say 'e looked like again?"
Alleyway rolled her eyes, pretending to be annoyed with him, but her grinned betrayed her. "I'se'd say 'e's 'bout my height, wit' blue-gray-green eyes, an' eiddah brown a blonde haiah. I'se nevah got a good look. An' 'e's real tough. Gots brass knuckles an' everthin'. An' I t'ink 'e had a cane. D'ough, 'e ran away so fast aftah da fight was ovah dat I'se nevah got a good look at 'im."
Jack nodded and turned towards the door as a rather exhausted Specs tumbled through it. He rushed over to their newly arrived friend, and immediately pulled Specs off to talk in a different room. Alleyway just shrugged it off and continued to play cards with Racetrack and Co. before she finally went back to Central Park to sleep.
In the other room, Jack was informed by Specs that Spot's sister had left to come back to New York according to one of her bunkmates, but he didn't know when she'd arrived, or where she'd go after that. Jack was distraught, but it seemed that his wonderings had been confirmed. The fighter in the alley with Alley had been Criss-Cross, the mighty heiress of Brooklyn.
The next morning Alleyway woke in the Central Park Lodging House to more whispers of a new newsie in the lodging house. This time they were questions, and wonderings. Their newest male member, Criss-Cross Watson, who preferred Watson as opposed to his first name had come in after everyone, and was already back out the door as the sun was rising.
At the name Criss-Cross, Alley's ears had perked up. In times now gone, a girl newsie (who was often easily mistaked for a boy) by the name of Criss-Cross Kat Watson had been her best friend and sole conspiritor. The two had shared many a secret, but then Criss-Cross had been forced to run again from whatever it was she was running from. It hadn't been until recently, with the death of Spot Conlon, that Alley had finally understood what.
Wondering if maybe it was the same Criss-Cross, Alleyway quickly threw on a pair of dark green pants with matching dark green suspenders, and a cream colored white shirt that laced in the front. She tied the laces loosly, not worried about propriety. She had men's underwear on underneath anyway. Shoving a charcoal-colored cabby hat onto her and shoving her feet into a pair of dark brown boots, she raised off, pausing only on the steps of the lodging house to tie her laces.
Thinking of the first place she knew she'd find Criss-Cross at this morning, she rushed down the street to the Journal's Central Park distribution office. It was the nearest D.C., and Criss-Cross had never cared what paper she'd sold for. She'd sell anything from the New York World to the Sun.
When Alleyway arrived at the D.C., she was slightly our of breath, but a grin lit her face as she saw a lone newsie lounging against the gates of the not-yet-open distribution office. She was surprised when she realized that it was the same person she had fought with yesterday in the alley. She recognized the kid, even though the stranger was dressed in a different shirt and pants, but the demeanor and expression gave it away.
The bell clanged for the second time that morning, and the gates surged open as the other newsies came rushing down the street, their gossiping causing them to be late.
They were all surprised to see the new newsie named Watson there, and their surprise turned to one of shock as the watched him order his papers.
"Two hun'erd papes" he said, dropping two 50 cent coins into the palm of the distribution worker. A look of shock anda gasp ran through all the Central Park newsies queued up behind him. The worker balked and shook his head to say "no". But Watson only responded in a slightly threatening tone, "You'se should give me da papes I'se paid foah, a else I'se'll go take me business ta da Woild."
The worker immediately complied, not wanting to lose such big business for Hearst. The other newsies gaped as Watson tucked 200 papes into a bag slung over his shoulder, and started towards the gate.
Alleyway hurriedly bought her 100 papers and ran after the newcomer, her grin growing. She cut off Watson at the end of the street, and said in a voice full of glee"Criss-Cross! I'se can' believe it's you! An' don' deny it. It's you'se. An' you'se knowin' it. Foist a fight! Then two hun'erd papes an' a t'reat ta go ta da competition if da woikah didn' comply! It could only be da great Criss-Cross Kat!"
She jumped up and hugged her friend around the neck, her grin growing bigger as her friend hugged her fiercely back.
A/N: Hey all! Wow! That's a lot to take in right now! lol Anyway, first off, I sent a casting call out to the NML (Newsies Mailing List) but thought I'd offer it up to you all here! So if you want to join in on it, fill out the form below and send it to If not, PLEASE REVIEW! (A little note on the form, please fill it out in third person, and include your name in the email as I'd like to be able to acknowledge you as the character owner!)
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Guy/Girl (Wicked, Alley andTrigger are taken, everyone else -including Disney's newsies-is fair game, and please list a the top three you'd prefer): 1.
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