Disclaimer: Someday

Chapter 9

Flora's POV

The second I left Irving Hall, something inside me snapped. Suddenly I was laughing, half doubled over in hysteria, even as I walked. The boys were giving me odd looks but I didn't care. I was free… or at least close to it, as long as Mr. Lloyd thought I was Viola Adler.

"Are you alright?" David sounded a bit nervous. Probably thought I'd gone insane.

"Absolutely!" I gasped. "Never been better in my entire life."

"Okay then," he said. Now he really thought I was insane.

"So…" Jack broke in. "Da name?"

"Oh, Viola Adler?" I grinned. "Give you three guesses." They stared at me blankly for a second, then David clued in.

He smiled admiringly. "Very clever."

I shrugged. "I thought so." I looked over at Jack and Les, still trying to puzzle it out in their heads. "Give up?" They nodded, and I grinned wickedly.

"Viola, after the character in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night who disguises herself as boy to protect herself, and Adler after…"

"Irene Adler, from A Scandal in Bohemia, the only woman smart enough to best Sherlock Holmes!" David finished.

"Spot on," I replied. "So I think that both those names will give me good luck. Sherlock never met Irene again, and Viola was only discovered when her twin brother showed up. She could have gone on being Cesario indefinitely."

"Except that Olivia was in love with her, and she was in love with Orsino, so she probably would have revealed herself at some point." David argued.

"I doubt it. She might have come to court as herself, but not revealed she was also Cesario…"

Jack cut in. "Enough of dat, da both of yous! We need to get ya back to da Lodging House."

We'd come to a cross street. The sky was turning a brilliant tangerine colour, streaked with fuchsia and tiny wisps of grey cloud.

David turned to me. "Les and I should probably get going."

"See you soon then," I felt oddly sad by the thought of his leaving. It was a strange feeling. My happiness hadn't depended on anyone since I was nine years old. I took a stuttered step forward, and then moved a little more assuredly to wrap my arms around him. I felt his arms slip around my waist and for a second, I was back at Irving Hall, wrapped up in his embrace. I stepped back, and smiled warmly, a faint flush creeping onto my cheeks.

He smiled back. "Hope so."

He kept following the street we'd come from, Les by his side. I quickly shook myself out of… whatever it was. This was going to be difficult enough without going completely insane.

"Ey, Flora!" Jack nudged me. "We gots ta be goin'."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," I said, breaking into a stride.

"Ya know, we gots ta come wit somethin' ta call ya otha than Flora, and I's can't see da guys wantin' ta call ya "Viola Adler". Sounds too fancy." He looked at me thoughtfully. "So what do yous want ta be called?"

I thought it over. "Well, every newsie gets a nickname from the other newsies, so it only seems fitting if I ask them to name me."

"Sounds good, but I gots ta tell ya one thing," he warned. "Ya might not like the name deys pick, but you'll be stuck wit it!"

I laughed. "I think I'll be fine. How bad could it possibly be?"

Jack snickered. "You'll see."

I'm not sure what I expected when I walked into the Lodging House. Probably something bustling, full of yelling boys. What I got was something entirely different. The house was deathly silent and completely deserted.

"Jack," I said. "I'm reasonably sure that there are more newsies than you, David and Les. So where are they?"

He ran his hands through his hair. "Yeah, 'bout dat…"

"What?"

"Tonight, guys from all da boroughs have come ovah ta play pokah."

"Poker?" I perked up. "This should be fun! Do I get to play?"

He looked like he was about to kick himself. "No, ya don't get ta play! They'd fleece ya!"

I bristled at that. "Oh please. I'm actually superb at poker."

He held up his hands in defeat. "If you wanna lose all ya money, go right ahead." He led me further into the lodging house, towards a heavy wooden door. He swung it open.

The newsies were all crowded around a small table. Seated at the table were a bunch of boys I didn't know, and Race, one of the newsies I'd met the other day.

"Ey, Jacky boy!" one of them called. "We's been waitin' on ya!"

Jack laughed. "Tanks fellas, but I's ain't gonna be playin' today." He nudged me forward. "She's gonna play though."

The poker players' eyes focused on me. I dropped into a mocking curtsy. "If you'll have me," I paused for effect. Taking their silence as an answer, I made my way through the throng to the table.

Pie Eater hastily pulled out a chair for me. I shot him a charming smile. "Thank you," I removed my hat from my head, and stowed it in my bag. When my gaze returned to the table, I found all the newsies still staring at me. "Are you just going to stare at me all night, or are we going to play some poker?"

The room exploded with laughter, and the cards were dealt out. I examined my hand. I lucked out, I had a royal flush! I tried to keep my face neutral.

"So, is ya name as pretty as ya face?" One of them asked. He was shorter than the other newsies, but exuded power in a way the others didn't. At his side, I could see a black cane, tipped with gold. I gave him a look that clearly said 'really?'. He matched it, staring at me with one eyebrow cocked.

"I think it is," I responded, and turned my attention back to my cards. To stay, I needed to earn their respect. Of all the ways to do that, poker was the safest.

The boy next to me raised a dollar. I retrieved my bag, and dug out my change purse. "I'll raise two." I added two dollars to the pile of money accumulating on the table.

"I'll be da judge a dat," the boy with the cane responded, adding two more dollars to the jackpot. I rolled my eyes, and didn't bother giving him a response.

The game had come down to its last two players. There was me, still holding out, and the boy with the cane, who by then I'd learned was called Spot Conlon. We both had substantial amounts of money in front of us, earned from hand after hand of bluffs.

"All in," he said, pushing all his winnings towards the center. A loud 'ooh' rose from the assembled newsies. Interiorly, I cursed. I didn't have as much as he did, and I needed to match his bet. "What's da problem sweethaht?" He had taken to calling me patronizing nicknames as I hadn't given up my name. "Want ta fold?"

"Not on your life," I was hit by a sudden inspiration. I reached up to my hair, and pulled the hair pins out of my bun. I tossed them on the table. They were both silver, with red rubies set in the shape of a rose on each. Easily worth twice as much as the money he had bet.

"Yous is bettin' ya hairpins?" he ridiculed. "What da hell would I want wit ya hairpins?"

"Real silver, real rubies," I smirked. I was back in control of the situation. "One's worth at least as much as you've staked." He drummed his fingers on his cane. "Nervous, sweetheart?"

He gave me a death glare. "Not at all." He threw his cards down on the table. I looked at his cards. A straight flush. He picked up my hairpins, and examined them. "Tough break sweethaht."

I rolled my eyes. "Tough break yourself," I slapped my cards down on the table. A royal flush. Unbeatable. "I'd like my hairpins back please."

The newsies started whooping, practically going insane. Spot looked utterly shocked; horrified by the idea that some girl had beaten and taken his money. Calm and collected, I plucked the hairpins out of his hands, and swept my hair back into a bun, popping the pins back in. I reached out and pulled all the money towards me, putting in its rightful place: my purse.

"What da hell do dey teach yous at dat school a yours?" Kid Blink yelled, clapping me on the shoulder.

"Ain't it obvious?" Race answers for me. "Proper dame stuff, like dancin', French, an' a coise, pokah!"

I laugh. "That's about right." I rise from my chair, scooping my bag up. "Now, who do I talk to about staying here?"

"Ya need ta talk ta Kloppman 'bout dat," Kid Blink told me, his sole eye blinking thoughtfully. "I'll take ya to him if ya like."

"That is an excellent idea!" I exclaimed. "Lead on!"

"So you want to live here?" Kloppman sounded completely disbelieving. Not that I blamed him. If two weeks ago, someone had told me I'd be trying to move in with newsies, I'd probably have taken them to get their head checked.

"Only for three months," I hastened to add. "And I can pay rent, or cook, or clean, or really anything to earn my keep."

"And you really don't have anywhere else to go?" Briefly, David's offer flashed into my head. But that wasn't an option, not really. I shook my head. "Fine then," he said resignedly. "You can stay…" I squealed delightedly. "On the condition you do something to earn your keep."

I could have hugged him. "Absolutely sir!"

"And," he continued. "You can't sleep in the same room as the boys."

"Where can I sleep?"

"Tomorrow I'll clean out one of the storage rooms we don't use for you, and set up a cot."

I frowned, working his logic through. "Doesn't that mean I'll have to sleep with them tonight? Since my room isn't ready?"

"Well… yes… but no funny business!"

"I am utterly shocked you would suspect such a thing of me!" I drew myself up to my full height (which, at five foot nothing, wasn't all that impressive) in joking indignity.

He threw up his hands in exasperation. "I've got enough snarky newsies to deal with, never mind you too!"

I laughed, and practically bounced out the door of his office.

The newsies were all clustered around the door. The minute I stepped out, I got peppered with questions.

"I can't possibly answer all of you at once!" I squeaked.

Crutchy stepped forward. "So is yous gonna stay?"

I paused for effect before answering. "I'm so sorry about this…" Their faces fell. "But you'll all be stuck with me for three months!"