Drinking Troubles
A half an hour went by and Manhattan and Brooklyn Newsies started to file into the Lodging House rolling in kegs, bringing in extra chairs and folding chairs, and other things for the party. By eight o'clock the small room had been transformed into a circus. The air was thick with smoke and every one was laughing and loud. Trouble felt someone come up behind her and lift her off the ground in a huge hug.
"Trouble I was so worried I thought you'se drowned for shore" She heard Blink's voice behind her as he lifted her off the ground.
"Well I would have if Jack hadn't saved me"
"You'se need to loin how to swim, I can teach ya's if ya want?"
"Sure Blink you'se can teach me"
"Great I'll teach ya tomorrow!"
"Isn't it a little bit cold to go swimming?"
"Nah it's only September, the water is still warm. So I'll teach ya tomorrow"
"Ok Blink if you want to"
Blink released Trouble on the ground and walked away to go mingle and drink with the other Newsies. Crazy and Trouble decided to sit down and watch a poker game between Race, Spot, Jack, Mush, and a Newsie that Trouble had never met before.
"Hey a Trouble how's it rollin" Race asked.
"I'm good how bout yourself"
"I'ma bout ta be real good when I win all these fools money" Race smiled and snickered.
"I'ma go get a drink you want one Trouble" Crazy asked getting up and standing in front of Trouble.
"Yeah, sure. Thanks Crazy"
Crazy left to go get the drinks and was back within twenty seconds. She handed Trouble the beer and sat down and started drinking. Trouble took a sip of her drink and started coughing and making scrunched up faces.
"You'se ok Trouble" Mush asked putting a hand on Troubles back
"Yeah what is this stuff?"
"It's beer what does it look like wata" Race said snickering at the girl's ignorance.
"Well sorry Race but I have neva had beer before" Trouble said trying to sound as snobbish as she could without smiling.
"You'se neva drunk before Trouble" Jack asked not taking his eyes off his cards.
"No" She answered plainly.
"Well there is a foist time for everything ain't there" Spot said smiling mischievously up at Jack. The boy's continued their game and Trouble watched for about an hour, she had finished her beer and started to feel happy and her mind and body seemed to be disconnected. She and Crazy left to go mingle with the other Newsies. She found Blink and Bumlets playing a drinking game.
"Hey a Trouble wanna play" Blink screamed at her. He was obviously already drunk.
"sure how do you play" Trouble asked enthused.
"One person has their hands on top of the otha persons and if the person on the bottom hits the person on top then the person on top has to take a shot of whiskey and then they switch positions, but if the person on the bottom misses then they have to take a shot of whiskey and keep tryin to hit the person on top, for every miss they drink. You'se get it"
"Yeah, lets play"
Trouble put her hands ontop of Blinks and within three seconds he hit her hands.
"Ok Trouble you'se get ta drink" He said handing her the small glass of whiskey. She took a sip and grimaced. "No Trouble you'se have ta drink it real fast like this" he took the shot from her and downed it fast then handed a shot to Trouble and she did the same. It was now Trouble's turn to try and hit Blink. She tried three times and missed and the consequence was three shots of whiskey. She then tried three more times and missed again so she took three more shots of whiskey. Crazy came up to Blink and Trouble;
"Ok new game the first one to drink three pints of Beer wins. You guys in."
"Naw I don't mix me liquor" Blink told her
"What about you" Crazy asked Trouble. Trouble had already had one pint of beer and seven shots of whiskey so she was already pretty drunk. She had lost total control of herself.
"Yesth Crasthy I ma in"
Blink poured six pint glasses filed with beer and put three in front of each girl. "Ok rules are, no spills, no pauses, and no pukin. Ok now when I say 'GO' you'se go" He looked at both girls and then Screamed "Go"
Trouble picked up her glass as fast as she could and drank it down as fast as she could. When she finished she put the glass down and picked up her second and chugged it. Every one in the room cheered and Trouble heard people cheering her name and people cheering Crazy's name. She finished her second and saw that Crazy still had a third left to drink of her second she quickly picked up her third and chugged it as fast as she could. She heard people cheering 'Chug Chug Chug Chug'. Trouble finished her third pint first and quickly put her mug down on the table raised her hands and said excitedly "I win" Crazy stopped drinking. She had only drunk half of her third pint. The Manhattan Newsies all cheered for Trouble. Trouble turned around and hugged Crazy and Crazy hugged Trouble back but they both fell to the ground and burst into a drunken laughter. Blink helped Trouble up off of Crazy and then lifted Crazy to her feet.
Trouble walked away from the crowd of boys and sat down on the stairs. She had begun to feel the ground spinning under her feet and she could not keep her balance any longer. She felt like she had an anchor in the bottom of her stomach. She sat there staring into the party room for about fifteen minutes. She started to cough and she felt like she had a brick on her chest. Her breathing became labored. She stumbled to her feet and stumbled all they way out the front door. She closed the door behind her. She quickly spun around to face the street, a little too quickly. A wave of Nausea
Came over her and she leaned over the railing of the stoop and started to vomit. She felt someone come up behind her and pull her hair back away from her face. The person then started to rub Trouble's back;
"It's alright Trouble you'll be ok" came the soft, caring familiar voice.
Trouble turned around and saw Mush smiling at her.
"Mush" she whined before turning around and throwing up again. After she finished she slid down the wall of the building. Mush sat down beside her;
"You feels betta" He said smiling at her
"I'm never drinking again"
"You'se just need ta loin how much to drink and da rules"
"There is rules to drinking" She said annoyed
"Yeah like not ta mix your liquor and ta know how much you can handle"
She groaned at Mush and then put her head down on his shoulder. "C'mon lets get you'se inside"
"No I can't breath in there cause of the smoke lets just sit out here for a while" She closed her eyes and started to breath normally again. Within a minute Trouble had passed out on Mush. He just sat down and watched the girl sleep. A little while later Spot came out side and saw the two sitting on the ground.
" Hi a Mush. Am I interupin somtin heah" Spot said with a grin on his face as he lifted his eyebrows up and down twice.
"Na Trouble just got sick"
"Well every ones gettin ready ta hit da sack"
" Ok thanks Spot" Mush stood up and then squatted down in front of Trouble " Hey Trouble" He whispered and shook her gently to try to wake her but she didn't budge "Hey Trouble" He said in a regular voice as he shook her a little harder.
"You ain't gonna get that goil up, shes dead ta da woild she is" Spot said laughing.
Mush then moved up to her side. He placed one of her arms around his neck; one of his arms under her knees and the other under her other arm. He pulled her up into him and stood up cradling the small girl in his arms. Spot smiled at the girl in Mush's arms and then opened the door for Mush. Spot lead Mush up into the bunk room. Mush weaved in and out of the Manhattan Newsies asleep on the floor. Jack of course slept in a bunk that Spot kept special for him as Jack did for him in the Manhattan Lodging House;
"You'se can put her in bed wit Crazy"
"She doesn't like to sleep on beds, she only sleeps on da floor. She is more comfortable dere cause she slept on da streets her whole life."
"Well I don't tink dat she really cares right now she is out cold so just put her in bed with Crazy and lets hit da sack" Mush did as he was told and put Trouble down next to Crazy. Trouble turned over on her side facing Mush and curled up into a little ball. Mush starred down at her for a second with a smile on his face.
"You'se like ha" Spot said to him with a smile on his face
"We 're just friends" Mush said looking back at Spot
"It wasn't a question Mush it was a factual statement. You'se can't fool me, I'se know all" Spot smiled at Mush then turned around and went to his bunk. Mush lied down next to Blink on the floor and fell asleep.
The next day most of the people slept in. They started to wake up around ten in the morning. By ten thirty the bunk room was completely empty except for Trouble who was still sleeping. At around noon Blink came up stairs to finally wake her up. He silently walked up the stairs and into the bunk room. He walked over to the bed that Trouble was sleeping and starred down at her with a cherisher cat grin on his face. He knelt down beside the bed and gently started to shake her awake;
"rise and shine sleeping beauty it's time for you'se swimin lesson" Trouble just turned away from him and pulled the blanket over her head. Blink smiled "C'mon you'se said that I'se could teach ya"
Trouble then groaned; " Go away"
Blink then stood up and walked to the end of the bed. He reached down and grabbed the end of the blanket and pulled it toward him fast and hard. Trouble just groaned again. Blink let out a frustrated sigh. He went back over to Trouble's bed side "I'se guess that we'se just got ta do this da hard way then" he bent down and lifted the half asleep girl into his arms. He then walked out of the bunk room, down the stairs, and out of the Lodging house and into the Brooklyn streets. Trouble gave a small cry when the sunlight hit her eyes and quickly buried her face into Blink's chest.
"Can't we do this tomorrow I don't feel to good Blink"
"We can't do this tomorrow cause we'se leavin in a coupla hours, and you'se not feelin good is your fault. It's called a hang ova and you'se get it when you'se drink to much"
"Well I didn't know that Blink I've neva drank before I didn't know about getting drunk, I don't even remember getin drunk, ...What happened last night?"
"Well you's drank like four beers wit Crazy and seven shots a whiskey wit me, but thats only cause you lost the game that we was playin. Then you'se fell and then you went ta go sit down for a while, and den you went out side and puked." Blink said with a smile on his face.
Trouble lifted her face out of his chest and squealed; "I PUKED!!"
"Twice" Blink said smiling. Trouble buried her face back into Blink's chest but this time from embarrassment.
"Don't worry only Mush saw you'se" when Trouble heard this she got even more embarrassed and moaned into Blink's chest. He laughed and said "Then you'se passed out and he and Spot bought you'se ta bed". After Blink had told Trouble of the events that had taken place the night before he had arrived at the dock with Trouble still in his arms. He put her down and she instantly shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight. He lead her down the dock and stopped at the end. All the Newsies both Manhattan and Brooklyn were at the docks either swimming or just sitting around playing marbles, talking, play fighting, or shooting bottles with sling shots. The two had made it to the end of the dock. Blink sat down and took of his knee high socks and shoes. Then he stood up and took off his shirt and pants. At that moment Crazy had run up to Trouble and gave her a big hug.
"Hi Trouble how you feelin"
"Like I have been hit in the head with a rock a couple a times, speaking of rocks and getting hit in the head how is your head?"
"It's alright I've got a nice bump, bruise, and cut but it will heal. You gonna go swimming?"
"Actually Blink here is gonna teach me how ta swim."
"I wanna help"
Within seconds Crazy had taken of her clothes. She was now only in her corset with the tank top underneath and her boy under wear, then she turned Trouble around and unbuttoned and untied her dress and soon Trouble was left in nothing more then her corset with the tank top under it and her borrowed boys under wear from snipe shooter. Crazy then looked back at Trouble;
"you ready" she smiled and then jumped in " come on in" Crazy screamed from the water. Trouble went to the very edge and looked into the water. She gulped hard and then turned around to look at Blink;
"You comin in" he asked her
"I . . . um"
But before she could answer Blink picked her up from under her armpits and held her up from under her butt like one would a small child. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist as he jumped into the water. Trouble screamed and when she and Blink hit the water she swallowed a lot of it. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. When they emerged she started to cough up all the water that she had swallowed.
"That's why you'se keep your mouth closed when you'se unda wata, and you'se hold ya breathe."
Crazy started laughing at Trouble. Blink smiled and then started his lesson;
"Ok you'se gotta let go of me so we'se don't drown" Trouble then looked at him wide eyed " Don't worry I won't let go of you'se, but you'se gotta let go of me" Trouble did as Blink instructed. He then put one arm under her knees and the other behind her shoulders. "Ok just relax into my arms, just relax," Trouble was breathing really rapidly and was very stiff. "Trouble you'se gotta calm down, breath in and breathe out." Trouble did as Blink told her and when her breathing was steady he then said; "Ok you need ta relax let me and the wata carry you'se" Trouble did as Blink told her to and she felt like she was weightless. Blink slowly started to let go of Trouble and within a minute she was floating on her own. Blink then separated himself about six inches from Trouble's floating body. "Look you'se doin it all by you'se self" Blink said lifting his hands out of the water to show Trouble that she was indeed floating on her own. Trouble looked at Blink and then down at herself;
"I am I'm floating! Look crazy I'm floating!"
"Yes you sure is" said Crazy through her smile
"Now'se you gonna loin how to swim" Blink then grabbed Trouble around the waist. "Ok put you'se feet on top of mine but face the same way's I am" Trouble, with Blink's help, positioned herself on Blink's feet and faced out in the same direction as Blink was so that her back was too him. "Now I want you to feel how I am swimming and copy" So Blink started to swim in place. Blink then put his arms under Troubles arms so he could show her and so she could feel how to swim with her arms. After a few minutes Blink moved away from Trouble and swam up in front of her.
"You'se doin it Trouble look you'se swimming!"
"OH MY GOD I AM SWIMMING!" She said in a high pitched and excited tone.
"Now float on your belly and hold your head up and swim"
Trouble did as Blink instructed and pretty soon she was swimming in circles around Blink and crazy. "Look Crazy I'm swimming!"
"I see ya Trouble, you is doin great!"
Crazy told her. After Trouble had gotten the hang of swimming Blink taught her how to front stroke and then he showed her how to go under water. The three Newsies swam for about a half an hour before Trouble had gotten really tired and fatigued so they all climbed out of the water and unto the dock. They all sat down and waited to dry off. Mush came over to the little circle and sat down next to Trouble.
"Hey Guys, Trouble how is you feelin?" He asked with a kind smile on his face.
"I have a terrible head ache and I feel dizzy. But other then that I'm good. Blink just taught me how to swim"
"Yeah that's cool"
"So what have you been up to ta day?" Trouble asked Mush
"Well some of da Brooklyn boy's taught me how to use a sling shot, I'm pretty good"
The four Newsies talked for about an hour, then Jack screamed down to all the Manhattan Newsies that they were leaving in a half an hour and to go get ready. Trouble, Blink, and Crazy all got dressed into their almost dry clothes and then started to walk towards the street. When they reached the other end of the dock Trouble looked down at her bare feet and then up at the three other Newsies;
"A guys I don't have shoes cause of this genius ova here" she said pointing towards a grinning Blink.
Mush smiled and rolled his eyes before bending down "Come on" he said. Trouble smiled and hopped onto Mush's back.
When Trouble got back to the Lodging house she changed into her regular boy clothes which consisted of; a tight fitting white button downed man tailored shirt, a tight fitting black pinstriped vest that ended at her mid torso, a pair of dark gray faded boys pants that ended just below the knee, black knee high socks, a black Newsie hat, and a pair of old worn out black leather shoes. She hung the white dress that Crazy had given her over her shoulder's and around her neck, then went down stairs to the lobby to say good bye to her new friends. She hugged Crazy tightly;
"Promise you'll come visit me soon?"
"I promise!" Trouble said to Crazy
The two girls had become very close not to mention Trouble had saved Crazy's life. They were probably the only two female Newsies in all of New York and it almost seemed like friendship between the two of them was inevitable. After Trouble had said good bye to Crazy she walked over to the front door. Standing in front of her was none other then the Brooklyn King himself. Trouble smiled at him;
"See ya Trouble" Spot spit in his hand and held it out for Trouble to shake. Trouble grinned at Spot and then pushed his hand aside and gave him a big hug. Spot stood stiff for a moment before slowly returning the embrace. "You be good and stay outa trouble ya heah. I'se don't want anything bad happenin to one a me goils." He said with a smile on his face, Trouble then said;
"Me get inta trouble, neva" And with that she let go of Spot and followed the other Manhattan Newsies out the front door onto the Brooklyn streets and back home to Manhattan.