"Christmas? What do we do for Christmas, Jack?"
Crutchie limped around the room following Jack back and forth as the older boy lifted up boxes, opening them and grabbed small ornaments out of them. He took a small burnished hook from the table, looping it onto the round glass ball. Jack then hung it on one of the evergreen branches.
"Well," he began, "For Christmas we all decorate a tree. And then we give out presents, and put those under the tree."
"Why?"
"Because…because it's fun, and it makes everyone happy."
"Everyone?"
"Everyone in the Lodgin' House, at least. An' everyone else who celebrates Christmas."
Jack stood on his toes, straining to reach the uppermost branches. "An' since this is your firs' Christmas, we have to make it special."
"Jus' for me?"
"Course."
More boys walked in, carrying newspaper chains that they hung up around the room. Crutchie begged to help, even trying to climb on a ladder to lift up a part of the chain, but Jack quickly set him back on the floor again. Crutchie had never seen so many decorations before, or a tree like that. Race and Specs brought in the packages, and they sat down at the table to start writing labels. Crutchie peered over their shoulders as they wrote everyone's names on small pieces of newspaper. He finally sat down after milling about, watching everyone go about their work. Kloppman even walked in with a few boxes and helped decorate. Presents were stashed under the tree as Henry, Specs and Mush shook them to maybe hear what was inside. Romeo lit the fireplace and hurriedly jumped away as flames licked the air. Snippets of carols hung in the air as the boys tried to remember what they had heard last year. Scrumptious smells drifted through the hustle and bustle, with turkey, gravy and a whole pie. The nuns had been good to them this year. The scraping of chairs on the scuffed wooden floor ensued, and Jack propped the crutch up against the wall where it would be safe. Crutchie's eyes widened at the meager arrangement of food, and a smile perched itself on his face for the rest of the evening. Kloppman fixed all the boys with a slight disapproving glare as they started picking up their forks and knives and food to start digging in. Utensils clattered back onto their respective plates, and everyone clasped their grubby hands together in impatient prayer. Kloppman's feeble, reedy voice rose into the rafters where it was joined by all the other newsies.
"And God bless us…"
"Everyone!" Crutchie finished amid laughter. A while later, feet clambered out of their chairs and pattered over to the other room, sitting down around the Christmas tree. Wind howled outside their safe haven, with snow pelting down against the glass window panes. But the newsies hardly paid attention to that. Presents were passed around, happy shouts appearing as they opened their new surprises. Crutchie grinned as he took newspaper out of his box, revealing a pair of new shoes, from Jack, some clothing from Kloppman and new socks from Race that he had hurriedly tried to clean that morning. The other newsies craned their heads around as Crutchie reached his hand into the box, pulling out the last item.
He frowned. It was a bow.
"I'm not a girl," he said, looking up at all the newsies crowded around him.
"It's for your crutch," Finch said, and most everyone stifled their laughter.
"My crutch? You want me to put it on my crutch?" Crutchie frowned, looking up at everyone around him.
"Or we could take turns wearin' it," Jack suggested. Crutchie smiled mischeviously, and stood up. "Good idea, Jack! You first." He limped over with the bow, and set it on Jack's head. Jack scowled and muttered something about it only being a joke as Crutchie stepped back to admire his handiwork.
"You next, Race!" Jack grinned, snatching the bow and rushing after Race who quickly ran upstairs. "No fair! It was your idea, Specs!"
"But Christmas is for everyone, so everyone has to wear the bow!" Crutchie grinned, following Jack as he tried to catch Race. "Everyone!"