WE ARE SO SORRY IT'S TAKEN US THIS LOOOONG!
Detta sat down at the Jacobs' family table, feeling a wee bit nervous. Now, Detta isn't usually a nervous person, but somehow sitting down to dinner with David's parents unsettled her.
"So, Detta," David's mother said, as they all sat down. "David says that you worked in the circus?"
"Yeah," Detta said as David pushed her chair in. "I was an Acrobat."
"Really, how exciting! You must have traveled a lot."
"Not really," Detta said, taking a bite of her soup. "I usually stayed in Coney Island, lots of carnivals and circuses pass through there."
"That sounds interesting, where did you meet David?" Mrs. Jacobs asked.
Both David and Detta froze, they hadn't thought of that.
"Uh…you want to take that one Dave?"
"No," Davy said, shaking his head. "I'll take the next one."
"Um…I was working on the corner of Hudson St. and Barley, I was juggling that day," she said, making up her story as she went. "David was selling and we started talking and the rest was history."
David's parents exchanged looks at the blatant lie, but let it slid.
"She went to our newsie party," Les added, trying to be helpful. "That's where we met her."
"Really?" said Mr. J. raising an eyebrow. "And what happened at this party?" "Your turn!" Detta mouthed to David. David looked panicked for a minute and scrambled to find an answer in the reassesses of his mind… he found nothing that sounded even remotely genuine so true to guy form he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Great dinner mom!" he said way too enthusiastically. "It's just beans and lentils," said his (now very suspicious) mother. "Yes, well...umm…it's really good." He said awkwardly.
Dinner continued with a few minor hitches but mostly just pleasant conversation.
After dinner David went out to the fire escape where Detta was sitting.
"Your mom and dad are nice," Detta said, smiling.
"Yeah," David said sitting down. "I think I'll keep her. You did good in there, how did you come up with that story on the spot like that?"
"Well, mostly I stuck to the truth," Detta answered back. "The day I met you I preformed on the corner of Hudson and Barley and I did juggle that day. Do you think your parents are really suspicious?"
"Meh," David said, shrugging his shoulders. "I think they're just happy I brought home a friend who isn't impolite or dirty."
"Are you saying that I am incapable to be as dirty and/or impolite as any of your other friends?" Detta asked jokingly.
"Oh no," David said, playing along. "I would never say a thing like that."
Detta yawned through a chuckle then stretched.
"Well I don't know about you Davy," she said, yawning once more. "But I'm going to bed or the couch as the case appears to be."
"'Night Detta," David said as the girl climbed back though the window.
"Good night Dave."
David sat outside for another few minutes wondering how he got so close to this girl in such a short matter of time.
"Thanks again, Mrs. J." Detta's voice drifted through the opened window.
David just sighed and got up from his seat, "Things can only look better in the morning", as his father always said.
NEXT MORNING
David woke up before the sun as usual and went about his routine. Wake up, get dressed, get Les up, eat breakfast, force Les to get up again (he always went back to sleep), make sure Les gets dressed and eats. It was after he finished all of this he walked over to the couch and shook Detta's shoulder.
"Mrump," was Detta's only response.
"Come on Detta," he said shaking the girl again. "You got to get up."
"Ugh," Detta said, pushing off the blankets Mrs. Jacobs had given her last night. "You know the best part about being a street performer is you don't have to get up with the birds."
"Come on Detta," Les said, bouncing up and down next to the couch. "We've got papes to sell."
"Ok, ok," she said, standing up. "Let me get dressed and we'll leave."
ONE CHANGING SCENE LATER
Les ran through the crowded streets towards Newsie Square while Davy and Detta trailed behind slightly, talking as they walked.
"So Jack thinks that you should stay with me or him today while we find you someplace more permanent to stay," David explained as they neared the distribution center. "Jack and the others are going to ask around to see if any of their regulars know of any job that you're suitable for."
"M'kay," she said, as they finally caught up to Les.
"Alright," David was saying to Les. "You selling with me today?"
"Yep," Les replied as the group pushed their way through the crowed up to the counter. "Oh by the way Jack said he was going to meet us at the park so we could all go to lunch together."
"Ok," David said as he put his money on the counter to pay for their papes.
Once they bought their papes, David, Detta and Les walked to the park, Les and David began to sell while Detta attracted a crowd. The morning passed by as usual, Detta jumped through hoops, Les pulled his puppy dog face on anyone that stopped and David used his, now greatly improved, truth improving skills. As the morning passed Detta became more and more exhausted (as a street performer she could get up whenever she wanted to and who wants to get up at dawn?).
"Hey Davy," Detta said walking up to the boy and his brother. "Would you mind if I took a break? I'm so tiered."
"Sure Detta, you don't have to ask me," David said, looking at his pocket watch. "It's almost lunch time anyway; there are a few benches over there."
Detta walked over to the benches and sat down. In about ten minutes she had dozed off and was sleeping peacefully (too peacefully).
"Hey Davy," Les said, looking towards Detta. "Who's that guy behind Detta?"
Sadly that guy behind Detta was all too familiar to David.
"Orson," David growled lowly. "Les, stay here."
"But I want to help," Les said, not knowing exactly what he wanted to help with.
"Stay put," David repeated. (Don't make me use my embalming voice! inside joke)
David walked purposefully towards the creeper now standing in front of the completely unaware Detta.
"What are you doing here?" David asked with narrow eyes.
"Well hello David," Orson said, smiling coldly. "I'm just here to pick up Detta."
"She doesn't want anything to do with you," David said, moving closer to the creepy jerk.
"Well you see, it doesn't matter what she wants," Orson said, moving his hand towards Detta's head, which David promptly pushed away.
"You ever even try to touch her again, so help me God I will make sure you regret it!" David threatened.
"I will do more than just touch her David," Orson said, grinning sadistically. "I'm going to-"
Orson was cut off by David or, more princely, David's fist pounding into his face.
The punch quickly escalated to a full fledge fight.
"David?" Les called, eyes big, fighting was not a usual David thing.
"Hey kid," Jack greeting, he hadn't seen the fight yet. "What's up?"
Les merely pointed mutely to the fight.
"Whoa, Davy!" Jack shouted, distracting Davy and, finally, waking Detta up.
David's distraction allowed Orson to gain the upper hand.
Punch
Punch
With one last punch Orson managed to knock David on to the ground, causing our young hero's head to bang into the brick walkway with a loud crack.
At this point several things were happening at once, 1). David was knocked unconscious, 2). Les was screaming, 3). Detta was now freaking out as Orson dragged her down an alley, 4). Jack was running to David.
"Dave, Dave, wake up!" He yelled as he shook his friend. "Come on, man wake up!"
Because he was freaking out so bad, Jack failed to notice Les fallowing Orson down the alley. One of Les's lesser known talents was his amazing ability to track; Spot said that he would make a good Bird one day. Les ran through one alley and into the next. That was what made him such a good tracker; he could run in twenty different and then retrace his steps perfectly. So not only could he follow his target, he could leave his target and then find it again. And that was exactly what he planed on doing.
BACK WITH JACK AND DAVID
Jack had now moved David to the grass and was now looking around for Les.
"Hey Jack," Race called, who was walking back from the Sheepshead races with Spot. "What's wrong?"
"Mush, guys!" Jack called. "I came to the park and David was punching this guy and then the guy knocked Dave on to the ground and I can't get him to wake up and I can't find Les!"
"Alright, calm down," Race said as he and Spot. "Les is a smart kid, he'll be back. Now let's get Davy to Kloppman and make sure he's alright, ok?"
BACK WITH LES
Les crept towards the building that he had seen Orson drag Detta into. It was old and empty, Les took one last look at the address to make sure he would remember it and then began to run back to the park.
AT THE LODGING HOUSE
Kloppman had just finished looking at David and told the other newsies that they could come in.
"He should be ok," he said, cleaning his glasses. "He doesn't have a concussion, so now we just have to wait until he wakes up."
"We don't have a lot of time," Les said as he ran into the room.
"Les, thank God!" Jack said, hugging the boy.
"Jack, we don't have time for this," Les said squirming in Jack grip. "He took Detta!"
"Who?" Blink asked from his seat.
"That guy, Orson!" Les explained.
"Ugh," David groaned from the bed.
"Davy!" everyone in the room shouted.
"Where's Detta?" David asked, rubbing his head as he sat up.
"43, Hanson's St." Les answered immediately. "Orson has her."
"We've got to get to her," David said, standing up and walking towards the door.
"Dave, we can't just rush into this," Mush reasoned. "We need a plan."
"I have a plan," David said as he continued to walk towards the front door of the lodging house.
"What is it?" Jack asked, honestly curious.
"Go to 43 Hanson's St. and beat the living daylights out of Orson Rellan."
Spot looked around the room and began to fallow David.
"My kind of plan, Mouth."
WITH DETTA AND ORSON
Detta watched as Orson paced back and forth by the front door of the abandoned building that he had dragged her into.
"You know Davy is going to be here soon," she said as Orson took a drink out of a glass bottle.
"Ha, your friend may not even be breathing, I highly doubt that he's going to come barging in any time soon."
Detta's eyes flashed with fear and Orson began to mutter to himself while he paced.
"Why are you doing this," Detta asked. "You barely know me!"
"I don't need to know you," Orson said, eye twitching. "I've done worse to people I've known longer than you."
"You're a psychopath!" Detta yelled.
"Yes I suppose I am," Orson said as he chuckled. "But I hope we can still be friends."
Orson put his hand on Detta's cheek and took another swig from his bottle.
"Hey!" a voice yelled from out side the building. "Orson! You slimy son of a bilge rat, you better get out here before I have to come in and drag your worthless body out meself!"
Orson's face contorted into the ugliest look Detta had ever seen then smashed the bottle into the table next to Detta.
"Who are you?" Orson yelled out the window.
"I'm Spot Conlon, leader of Brooklyn and I'm here to give you one last warning: Send Detta out, unharmed, or suffer the wrath of one David William Jacobs."
"Stay away, I have a weapon and I'm not afraid to hurt her," Orson said, putting the broken bottle to Detta's throat.
"Orson," this voice belonged to Jack. "There's a lot of us out here. If you dare hurt Detta, we'll beat the Tar out of ya!"
"Well looks like your friends really did come through for you," Orson whispered to Detta. "Too bad you'll never live to thank them."
"David!" Detta yelled, tears welling up in her eyes.
And then in through the side came David, shooting into the room like a bullet, tackling Orson to the ground, knocking the bottle out of the creepy jerk's hand. David then began to pound Orson's face and stomach. At some point Spot, Jack and some others ran into the room and untied Detta. They all watched with great interest as David continued to beat the snot out of Orson, who was now a bloody mess.
"Davy," Detta said, touching David's shoulder as he continued to punch Orson. "Davy stop."
David stopped and looked at Detta.
"He almost…he could have-," David looked down at his bloody hands. "I want to kill him," David whispered.
Detta smiled bitterly, "He's not worth killing."
David stood up and wiped his hands off on the back of his pants, he then hugged Detta tightly and buried his face in her bright red hair.
"Alright," Spot yell into the crowd. "We've saved her, *cheers* this calls for a celebration!"
"He's right," Jack said, slapping David on the back. "Every one, let's go to Medda's!"
*Cheers*
AT MEDDA'S
David smiled as he watched Les talk to Spot about a position as a Brooklyn Bird. He was a little worried about his younger brother spending all that time about Spot Conlon, but hey, he wasn't that bad once you got use to him.
Detta was off talking to Medda, she said she wanted to come clean about hiding in the attic. For the first half of the party David had refused to leave Detta's side, it wasn't until after she threatened to tie his up and hand him over the stage did David allow her to walk around by herself. She was now jumping up and down next to Medda in an excited manner. She then hugged Medda, who hugged her back, she (Detta) then ran over to David, bursting with excitement.
"Davy," Detta said with bright eyes. "Medda Says I can stay in the attic and guess what else? She gave me a job! Jack told her that I was a performer so I showed her what I and she said I could open for her on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday!"
"That's great," David said, hugging the girl. "So…maybe after one of your shows we could, um, go out sometime?"
"Sure Davy," Detta said, blushing slightly.
"You will?" David asked, shocked.
"Well duh," Detta said, smacking the side of David's head lightly. "I've liked you since the day we met."
"You have, who'd a thunk it?"
"Everyone besides you," Jack said from behind the pair, rolling his eyes.
Detta then stood up on her tiptoes and kissed David's cheek lightly.
"Hey everyone!" Jack yelled once he spotted Davy kissing Detta. "Look at our love birds…finally!"
"Davy and Detta sitting in a tree…"
(N): "That's it." (K): "We've admittedly lost our Newsie muse, so we're done." (N): "You may be thinking "Well what happens with them?" or "Does it end tragically? Does it end with them getting married and living out their golden years together? Does it end with a time traveling sequel?" " (K): "And the answer is who knows? We sure don't." We love you all and we hope you enjoy it. REVIEW!!!!
Bravo Yankee Echo, Katrinka and Nori.