As usual, I don't own Newsies. Noise is mine, Eloise is mine, Skylar the name is mine, and the ideas expressed are mine.
Chapter 3- Skylar or Skittery?
Skylar arrived home. The tears finally released themselves and streamed down his soft cheeks. Skylar sat down at the table. Putting his head down, the pink garment finally seemed important. Skylar grabbed it and held it up. Long Underwear? "Odd," Skylar said, refusing to think before saying. He bragged the note and stared numbly at his mother's horrid scrawl.
Unfortunately, for you, this mote means that I am gone. I am out of this world of pain and suffering. If you weren't likely to try and stop me, I would have invited you to come along. Although, I am sure you'll come along with me eventually. Sooner, rather then later. I have sold all of my possession, including the apartment. The only thing that you get to keep is that pink thing. It was your father's, he never wore it… Anyway, if you don't want to go to jail for trespassing, then get out of my house. Now.
Skylar couldn't believe his eyes. Those were the last words that she wanted to share with him? Get out? Feeling the anger well up inside him, Skylar threw the note across the room with an angry scream. He stood quickly, knocking the chair beneath him to the ground. "I can not believe that you just left me," Skylar growled aloud. He snatched up the pink long johns and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him. Fuming down the dark Manhattan Streets, Skylar looked around. He'd been wandering for about an hour and he was now hopelessly lost. Skylar saw a building that had lights and lots of people. The glass door said "Tibby's". Must be a bar, Skylar thought and looked over his shoulder before entering cautiously.
The noise was something that Skylar could never had imagined in his wildest dreams. He sensed around him, Eloise hadn't followed him here. Or she's happy that I'm utterly alone and I'm utterly at the bottom of life, maybe she's content… Skylar decided and continued on the way inside. Everybody was shouting, drinking, or drinking and shouting… The smell of beer wrafted through the building as Skylar paced forward slowly, his face set in a scowl and his eyes red and puffy. He stood stiffly at the bar, people watching. "Whatcha drinking'?" a voice from Skylar's left said. "I'se be buyin' ya anudder." Turning around, Skylar found himself looking face to face with another boy. The boy wasn't too much older then he. And the boy was holding a beer.
"I'll take one of those," Skylar said, looking over his shoulder restlessly. The police could come and arrest him at any moment. The boy smiled and got into a long winded discussion with the bartender before he actually ordered the beverage. The illegal beverage, Skylar found himself thinking. When the bartender slid Skylar the drink, he sipped it at experimentally. Yuck! How do people drink something like this? He wondered and sipped at his drink slowly. Skylar pulled out his cigarette, his only one, and he lit it. Looking around nervously again, Skylar took a long drag.
"So, watcha call yaself?" the boy asked. Skylar was about to answer, when the boy continued. "Whatcha do for a livin? I'se a Newsie, I sell papes. Thoity a day, ya know? I also tawk a ton, an' that be why I'se called Noise," Noise continued on like that for several minutes. Skylar tuned him out and looked over his shoulder several times for signs of anyone that would bring him harm. Skylar didn't know anyone that could talk as much as Noise did. "Ya know what? You'se drinkin' that mighty slow, ya know? Ya ain't never says a word since we'se been tawkin'. Are ya mute?"
"Um, what? No, I'm not, sorry…" Skylar said, paying attention just at the right moment. This guy was talking Skyar's ear off. "It is nice to meet you Noise. I am Skylar, and I, um, just lost my mother, so I'm an orphan. Oh, and I'm homeless on top of all that…." Skylar didn't know why he was talking about all that. It must be the beer that he was sipping on slowly. That's it, for sure, he decided and shut his own mouth with the tail end of his cigarette.
"Ya know what Skylar? I gots a job for ya, ya know?" Noise said, leaning in close, so he could be heard. "Ya can come woik wit' the Newsies, ya know?" Noise was shouting despite the closed gap. Skylar had never heard anyone that asked a question after every sentence practically. "Ya know what else Skylar? Ya'se mighty skittery ya know? All restless and jumpy," Noise said. He seemed deeply intrigued by the thought and Skylar only nodded. He was restless; he'd admit it no problems. His mother just died, his siter was haunting, and now he was all alone. "Yeah, that's good. Ya don't mind if we call ya Skittery do ya? It's a good name ya know? See ya tomorrow! Oh, you don't know how to get to the lodge… Follow me and I'se show ya, ya know?" With that Noise leapt to his feet and rushed out the door.
Wow… Was the only thought that Skylar could think of. He wanted to call him Skittery? That was such an odd name… It made him sound like a mouse or something… And why couldn't the people just call him Skylar? Skylar looked and saw that Noise was almost down the street, so Skylar rushed out of the bar and down the street, trying to catch up. Finally, Noise stopped in front of an old building that was labeled "Newsboy's Lodging House". "Home sweet home, come on Skittery, let's go meet everyone, ya know? I'm sure they want to get to know ya, and ya want to get to know them, ya know?" Noise said and dragged Skylar inside. I'm really going to have to get used to being called Skittery… I don't think I can talk my way out of that one… he thought and decided that if he were to consider himself Skittery, the transition would be easier. "Hey guys! Come an' meet Skittery! He's new ya know? Kloppman? We gots room for one more? Skittery ain't gots anudder place to go, ya know?" When the only adult in the building nodded, and wrote in a book, Noise dragged Skittery up the stairs.
Skittery was thrown into a room full of young boys, some younger, some older, some the same age that he was. "Guess what? This is Skittery, he's know ya know?" Noise said loudly, introducing him to everyone. All these boys had odd names like Noise's. And mine too… he thought and tried to force a smile. Quickly, Skittery gave up and decided that it was no good… The smile wasn't going to work… Someday, I will be able to know them by name, Skittery thought as he settled into the bunk that they said was his now. It was already almost too short. If he grew anymore, then he wouldn't fit anymore. Skittery finally felt home. That's when Eloise returned to him.