Hey There, Lonely Girl
Chapter Four
Gypsy's Story
Yay! Reviews! Thank you soo much guys, that truly made my day. I hope you continue reading and of course, reviewing ;)
This is a little short, busy weekend going on, but I didn't want to leave my loyal readers waiting. So, on with the show!
XXXXX
"You were in love? Already?"
Shannon laughed, "Hardly. Good looking? absolutely, but love? Afraid not. That was Huntress, just being a smart mouth. What a chatter box she was. She knew all the rules, and all the punishments. Did you know we were forbidden to dress as boys? It's true, it was our dresses or risk being arrested."
"How many of you did it anyway?"
"I did a few times, Far easier to sell in the "dangerous" areas as a boy, easier to run away, but as it turns out the dresses worked better. We could go more places and people felt worse for us. They saw us as these innocent little girls forced to work our fingers to the bone."
"Didn't jail scare you?"
"Well, me personally...yes. But you have to understand, for many of us, we would pick jail over anything.. Food, clothes, a roof over your head, and no worries of being kicked out."
More notes were scribbled down in illegible handwriting. "So by now you've been brought to the house, met the boys' leader, and found yourself in the company of the other girls. Then what?"
"We became friends... We had to."
"Had to?"
"Of course. Every single person in that Lodging House's life had changed. The last thing any of us wanted was to spend the rest of our lives by ourselves."
"Nah Huntress," Jack countered, "We'se just.. Just talkin'."
"Some talk! I'se heard the Delancy Brudders be more quiet."
Gypsy's ears perked up. There it was again. The Delancy Brothers and it was what? Less then an hour ago? They must be something to triffle with.. A new, reborn part of her welcomed the challenge.
Huntress opened the door wider and pulled Gypsy in by her sleeve. "She's ours now Cowboy, don'tcha worry."
"I never do." At least never before.
"Now then," Huntress started, "since we jist got rid of the boys, howse about a tour?"
Gypsy nodded. She wasn't sure how to act yet. Should she stay quiet and meek? Or turn loud and illustrious?
"Right then, come on." The two girls walked around the small room. "Well, as youse can see, dis is our bunk room. It's same as the boys, only ders is bigger. More people" she explained. "Kloppman, the older man do'nstairs, wakes us up at about 4:45, den goes to the boys at 5. Something about us goils needin' more time to get ready."
Gypsy nodded again. It made sense. She didn't like to admit it, but it did make sense.
"Does it take youse long to get ready?" Huntress asked, her brown eyes moving over Gypsy.
"No, maybe ten-fifteen minutes at the most. Just wash up and run a brush through my hair. I only have these clothes with me," she gestured to herself.
"Do youse normally wear Black all the time?"
Gypsy's heart sank. Of course she didn't, but then again she had never been old enough to understand mourning a loved one before. You couldn't very well wear Red or Green to a funeral now could you? Although her old nanny had word Red to her wedding. "No I don't. It.. it was all that was clean." she finished, hoping she didn't pause too long to make the lie sound too fake.
"I'se sorry." her companion said with a knowing look in her eyes. It was as if she had heard that same excuse hundreds and hundreds of times before her. In fact, she probably had.
"Not your fault," Gypsy faked a smile and looked around the room. "Um, what are we supposed to do now?"
"Anything. Eat, Tawlk, pick out a book, We'se could try and sell the evening edition, but woird of advice. It's not easy, most people are wantin' to get home and relax."
"Can I try?"
"Shoure, just gotta find someone to take ya out. I'se would, but I'se stopped with the Evening t'ree months ago.. Never got anywhere. Youse just end up losing da money youse worked so hard for."
"You have to pay for your own papers?" Gypsy asked, following Huntress down the hall and to the staircase, as she scanned for someone- anyone who was not occupied. It didn't make any sense to her. These kids worked and did a service for the papers, if they weren't around the public and the publisher would be in big trouble. They couldn't just supply them?
"You'se got a lot to learn, kid" Huntress laughed, "And for that lesson, we'll call on the best. Well, the best in Manhattan anyway," she finished. Gypsy wondered if there was a best anywhere. Who was the 'Original' newsie?
"Did I hear one of you gals call on the best?" Jack questioned, pulling off an old fashioned bow that would have looked ridiculous, had it been anyone else. "Jack Kelly, at youse service."
"Oh no," Gypsy grinned, "Don't you have anyone better then him?"
Jack mocked hurt, pretending the words had pierced his heart and doubled over. Gypsy rolled her eyes, Huntress just smiled.
"Oh yes Jack," she explained, purposly stroking his ego, "you're so good, Brooklyn ain't got nothing on you."
Who was Brooklyn? She'd been to Brooklyn before.
"In fact, you'se so good that Gypsy 'ere was wonderin' if you'd take her out for da evenin' edition."
Gypsy shot a look to the taller girl. She had done no such thing. In reality, Jack's name had never even left her lips. Although don't be so naive to think she wasn't hoping.
"Was she trying to make you exclusively his?"
"Perhaps. It was like she knew me already. She knew whether I liked it or not, he saved me. I, however, was too much of a jelly brain to figure it out. I never had much contact with boys outside my family."
"Aw no, with all that happening in one day, I'm surprised you could put together a single sentence. But wasn't it a long day for you?"
"Terribly. I was worn out three times over. But it was the same routine for the past few days.. If I went to sleep, that made everything real. There were awful dreams. If I stayed up, alert, and busy, the pain wasn't as bad."
"So your first day? Er, night? What was that like- were you nervous?"
"At first. But you know what they say, 'Never let them see you sweat.' After awhile, I began to get the swing of things and I had an absolute whale of a time."