His curly brown hair was just visible over the top of the wooden crate he was hiding in, but Flash had known he would be there. Pokey always hid in the same place when he was running from the police, and run he had that night. Flash tapped on the outside of the box. "Psst... Pokey. Dey'se gone, youse can come out now," he whispered. The boy peeked his head out of the crate, eyes wide.
"Awww... Flash, ya shoulda seen it. I's neva' run so fast in all 'a me life, an' dey was still gonna catch me!" Pokey climbed out of the crate, and pulled his cap out of his pocket to put it back on his head.
"So how'd ya get away?" Flash finally asked, knowing how his friend loved to tell the story of how he'd gotten into or out of one scrape or another.
"Dis goyl saw me, an' she started screamin' like nobody's business for da cops to come help 'er wit' somethin'. Dey didn't wanna give up da chase, but dat goyl kept shoutin'... she didn't need 'em an' I knew it; she jus' wanted ta help me out. Da police went ta help 'er an' she took off like a shot. I didn't waste no time gettin' hea' ta hide from 'em, 'cause boy were dey mad!" Pokey's eyes were shining as they always did after a narrow escape. Pokey was constantly getting into trouble, and often he took Flash with him.
They'd run away together only a few weeks ago. Pokey's parents were very wealthy, and they'd loved their son dearly. Pokey, however, had been bored with the comfortable life. He'd wanted adventure and fun, not cushions and three course meals. Flash sighed as he thought about their escape. Flash had been Pokey's best friend for as long as he could remember. When Pokey had decided to run away, Flash had decided to go with him for sure. Pokey could make anything sound good, even living on the edge of starvation... and the edge of the law.
Flash had climbed out his bedroom window onto the fire escape, in the dead of night. A storm had been coming on, which just made him shudder to think about. He'd always been intensely fearful of storms. He'd stood outside the window to Pokey's bedroom until suddenly Pokey dropped down next to him, a slightly frightened, excited expression on his face. He pointed to the tree above them. "I climbed," he'd simply stated. Sometimes Flash wished they hadn't run away.
Part Two
The night loomed just off in the distance as the sun set, casting an eerie glow on the two boys as they searched for a place to spend the night. "Gotta find somewhea' shelta'ed, in case it rains or somethin'," Flash observed, discarding the idea of sleeping near a statue in what was known as "Newsies Square".
"We gotta find somewhea' before it gets dark, Flash." Pokey remarked, exasperated, as they turned the corner. "Dere ain't all dat many places, ya know." Pokey shook his head and sighed. This was so difficult. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a boy appeared in front of them. Pokey's eyes widened until they nearly fell out of their sockets when he realized it was a girl, not a boy, he was seeing.
"Youse dat kid, dat was runnin' from da bulls. I saved ya..." The girl said, looking pointedly at Pokey. He just stared blankly in response, and she put her hands on her hips in exasperation. "I's right, ain't I?" Pokey nodded, still shocked. Her blue-grey eyes snapped. "Well, ain't ya gonna thank me?"
"Youse certainly rude." Flash observed, stepping next to Pokey. Both of them were about two inches shorter than the girl, and one or two years younger too.
"Yeah... I s'pose youse right." The girl said, frowning. She spit in her hand and offered to shake, "da pleasha's all mine. Da name's Lynn." Pokey reluctantly took her hand and shook it.
"Yeah, well I's Pokey. An' dis is me friend, Flash."
"Ya new 'round hea'? I ain't seen ya. You ain't newsies, are ya?" Lynn asked, "oh, an' I's sorry 'bout how I treated ya." Her face softened apologetically, "I came out hea' ta cool off; I was gettin' so mad at dat stupid daughter-of-a..." she stopped herself in mid-glare and tossed her head. "But dat's got nothin' ta do wit' youse, does it."
"Yeah, well it's all right, I unda'stands. Who's been givin' ya trouble?" Pokey inquired, leaning back against the side of a building.
"It's dis stupid goyl, 'er name's Clara. Clara... of all da stupid names in da woyld... anyhow, she's got dis thing. I used ta be da only goyl newsie in da Lodgin' House, an' I was havin' a poyfectly fine time wit' it dat way. An' den dis stupid, frickin'... goyl, wit' blond hair like dis-" she broke off and demonstrated by looping her braids up.
"Comes in an' decides she's gonna ruin everythin'. An' run everythin' too. She wants da boys to treat 'er like a 'lady'. She wants da boys to give 'er extra time in da washroom wit'out dem, she wants dem to talk to 'er an' do stuff for 'er an' all dis crap. Well, I's sick of it! An' I don't know why da guys're puttin' up wit' 'er crap eitha'!" Lynn's blue-grey eyes were snapping angrily and she was anxiously twisting one of her brown braids around her finger. Flash put a hand on her shoulder.
"It's all right..." he said, trying to calm her down before she did something crazy... like hit someone, namely him.
"But it's not all right! Dat's da problem... I don't know what I's gonna do." Lynn brushed her hand across her eyes and grew very quiet. Flash realized she was fighting back tears, and looked at Pokey, wondering what to do. Pokey just shrugged. Finally, Lynn looked up at them and smiled weakly, "but right now, I's takin' it you'se looking for a place ta sleep... I's right, ain't I?" Flash smiled.
"Dat's right," Pokey acknowledged.
"Well, youse... hey, how long've youse been livin' out hea', in da streets?" Lynn asked.
"Couple 'a weeks," Flash mumbled.
"Hmm... amazin'," Lynn smiled.
"What's amazin'?" Pokey demanded.
"Dat youse ain't dead yet, da way ya seems ta get ya'self into trouble!" Lynn laughed. Flash laughed too. Pokey just smiled to himself. "Anyways, I was thinkin' dat da two 'a youse could be newsies. Ya seems like ya'd be good at it." Lynn said, her eyes bright. Flash could have slapped himself. Of course! They should be newsies. Earn money for food and lodging, and have something productive to do (besides being chased by the cops, of course) all day long! Flash suddenly felt very stupid. Pokey just smiled at the suggestion.
"Dat's a great idea!" He said, slapping Lynn on the back. Lynn just laughed.
"Why didn't we think 'a dat..." Flash murmured.
"C'mon, I's gonna take ya to da Lodgin' House. Youse can meet da guys, get a place ta sleep..." her expression darkened, "meet Clara." She spat the word as if it were evil. Pokey tried to think of something to say, but couldn't.
"Can't wait to be a newsie," he finally said. It was weak and he knew it, but better than nothing.
"It'll be fun. I'll teach ya everythin' youse gotta know." Lynn said, smiling once again.
Part Three
Lynn pushed the door open loudly, "hey guys, guess what I's got." She said, smiling as she held the door open. The two boys walked into the Lodging House, smiling slightly apprehensively. They were about the same height as each other, and about two inches shorter than Lynn. One, Flash had very dark brown, almost black, slightly wavy hair and mostly grey eyes. His eyes and face seemed to be permanently smiling; he had a wonderful smile. The other boy, Pokey, was a little taller. He had curly brown hair and sparkling dark brown eyes. He had a small, round face, and the awkward smile on his face made him look very funny.
"Hey, dese're s'more newsies?" Jack asked. Lynn smiled at him.
"Dey'se gonna be," she said, motioning for the two boys to walk into the room and meet everyone. Flash led the way, and Pokey sort of hung back.
"C'mon Pokey!" Flash whispered loudly; Pokey hurriedly followed Flash into the room. Lynn ducked quickly up to the bunkroom to re-braid her hair, which had come undone and become hopelessly tangled up.
Back in the parlor of the Lodging House, introductions were well under way. "I's Jack, but most people calls me Cowboy. Dis is Race, Blink, Mush, Snipeshoota', Pie Eata', Itey..." he went around the circle of boys sitting in the parlor. "An' who're youse?"
"I's Flash an' dis is me pal, Pokey." Flash said, putting his arm around Pokey when he said his name.
"So, did Lynn force ya to be newsies, or did ya choose to on ya own?" Race asked, smiling.
"Uhh... a litta' 'a both, I guess," Pokey said. Flash laughed.
"Lynn didn't force us to do nothin'!" He said, shaking his head, "we jus'... hadn't thought 'a bein' newsies on oua' own."
"She trained ya well, I see." Race said, raising his eyebrows and smiling. The boys laughed.
"I trained who ta do what? Or are you talkin' 'bout Clara?" Lynn's tone grew sardonic as she said Clara's name. The boys all looked slightly startled except for Flash and Pokey. Maybe these boys hadn't realized how much Lynn disliked Clara, Pokey noticed.
"Dey were talkin' 'bout how ya trained Pokey an' me ta say dat we wan'ed ta be newsies." Flash explained, trying to skirt the issue of Clara. Lynn laughed slightly. The other boys in the room laughed slightly too, but it still didn't cut the tension.
What has gotten into her? Jack thought. Clara's a perfectly nice girl. A little demanding, but still very nice. Similar thoughts were running through the other boys' heads as Lynn sat down and gestured to Flash and Pokey to sit as well. She started up a conversation with them about selling papers. The night wore on, and the newsies forgot about the incident, until sometime later that evening.
The instant the door opened, Lynn turned around. The navy-clad figure stepped into the room, and a glare shot across Lynn's face that could shatter ice. Flash was surprised at how quickly her face had gone from so happy and animated, to so very distraught. The girl was taller than Lynn by several inches. Her hair was light blond, and she also wore it in two braids, except hers were looped around in a very strange fashion, and she had heavy bangs that curled just above her eyes. Her eyes were a vivid green, and she wore a navy and black skirt with a cream colored shirt.
She was the exact opposite of Lynn, and Pokey didn't like her from the moment he saw her. Flash thought she was lovely, but she also looked completely out of place in the worn, comfortable Newsboys' Lodging House. He remembered what Lynn had said, and how Clara'd made her cry, and quickly his ever-present smile left his face. Lynn noticed their expressions and was glad they were on her side, even if all the other guys thought she was completely wrong.
Part Four
The next morning, Lynn found herself wide awake... much too early for her liking. The sun was just slipping above the horizon, and she looked around the room. Of course, Clara couldn't, simply couldn't sleep in the same room with a bunch of guys. "Heaven forbid." Lynn mumbled as she looked at the door to the room Clara slept in. It had once been put to better uses... it had once been a storage closet. Jack had made it into a makeshift bedroom one evening for Angela. Poor Jack... Lynn sighed. He just hadn't been his happy self since Angela had gone to Boston.
Pokey was sleeping peacefully across from Lynn. Lynn looked around for Flash. He was peering over the edge of his bunk down at the room. Lynn looked at him and met his eyes. She smiled a greeting to him. "Hey, why're ya up so early?" She asked him, rolling over in her bed to see him better.
"I jus' woke up. Why're youse up so early?" he asked.
"I dunno, sometimes I wake up early, sometimes I don't," Lynn laughed. "Ya friend looks like 'e could sleep foreva'." She smiled and looked at Pokey, and then laid back on her bed, staring up at the bunk above her. In most cases she would have been happy right now. She'd met two very nice boys, the day was sunny and the weather looked nice. But Clara had to come and mess everything up.
Clara was related to Kloppman, somehow. Like his... great niece or something. Lynn really had no idea what had compelled him to let the little twerp stay in the Lodging House. She refused to have anything to do with anything that wasn't 'up to her standards' and it was driving Lynn crazy. In case the world hadn't noticed, she was female too. And in case the world hadn't noticed, she certainly didn't act that stupid. Why even Angela, with all her money and everything else... she'd treated the newsies with some respect, and hadn't acted as if just being in the same room as newsies was degrading. When she thought about what Clara'd done to she, Pokey and Flash last night, she bit her lip to keep from muttering curses.
"Aww... Jack, you aren't letting more street trash into this... place, are you? Clara whined.
"Dese're Lynn's charges." Jack laughed, "an' dey ain't ya so called 'street trash', dey's poyfectly nice boys. Flash, Pokey, say 'hi' ta Clara."
"Hi Clara," muttered Flash and Pokey in unison.
"Lynn's certainly got rude friends." Clara observed crisply, her eyes shooting daggers in Lynn's direction.
"Shut up! Dey ain't street trash any more den youse, Ms. Clara-stuck-up-little-brat!!!" Lynn shouted, jumping up from her seat and glowering at Clara.
"So very feisty and protective!" Clara said, her laughter cold and silvery. Lynn's eyes snapped sparks. Pokey and Flash gave Clara cold stares. "Huh. Rude street trash... I guess birds of a feather flock together, though. Perfect friends for you, Lynn." Lynn was speechless. Clara had been mean, dumb, done bad things... but to deliberately make fun of poor Pokey and Flash, and Lynn herself? It was too much; that was absolutely the last straw. Lynn no longer wanted to 'exchange words' with Clara. She wanted to soak her so bad she'd never mock anyone again. Lynn balled her hands into fists and took a step towards Clara.
"Let's hea' youse laugh at me an' my friends afta' youse been soaked so bad youse can hardly see straight..." Lynn said menacingly, stepping closer to the tall girl. Despite the fact that Lynn was shorter, everyone in that room knew that if Lynn started to fight Clara, Lynn would most decidedly win. Flash and Pokey exchanged a glance. If Lynn beat up Clara, Kloppman would be, well, extremely displeased - and he'd kick Lynn out of the Lodging House. Clara was terrible, but Pokey knew that Lynn was only going to fight for the sake of him and Flash. Her self-confidence was enough that people could say bad stuff to or about her and she wouldn't be upset, but her weak spot was for her friends.
Pokey stood up and grabbed Lynn's shoulder. "Don't fight 'er Lynn, not now. Please." Lynn looked into Pokey's serious brown eyes. She dropped her glare, her tension, and her willingness to fight. She just felt very tired.
"All right Pokey, I won't fight 'er. Not now." She turned back to Clara, "but if youse eva', eva' insult my friends 'gain, youse gonna be sorry you eva' met me."
"I already am." Clara taunted. Clara wanted Lynn to just try to beat her up. Not only would Lynn come away somewhat beat up herself (she still had the advantage of height), but she'd be kicked out of the Lodging House. Clara didn't like Lynn at all. She felt something must be wrong with a girl who dressed like a boy, acted like a boy, talked like a boy, and allowed herself to be treated like a boy, just for the sake of having guy friends.
Lynn made a motion to retort, but Pokey put his hand on her shoulder and led her up to the bunkroom, where he sat and talked with her for a while. Pokey had been so sweet... Lynn sighed. The rest of the evening she'd avoided Clara, and she intended to do the same all day today.
Part Five
Selling papers was always more interesting with someone else. It was harder to make a profit, because if three people are selling papers rather than one, each person's really only going to make about a third of a normal income, simply because they are in the same area, selling to the same people. This was especially true when working with beginners, as Lynn found out.
At first, Pokey and Flash were mediocre at selling papers. Of course, one couldn't expect them to be good at something they'd never done, but Lynn lacked patience, and therefore was not a great teacher. Still, Pokey and Flash put up with her, and as the morning drew to a close, they grew better and better at hawking headlines.
Flash was a natural at selling papers once he got the hang of it. He probably sold as much as Lynn and Pokey combined. At random intervals, their conversation would be interrupted by Flash taking off in the direction of a potential customer, shouting, "Railway opens in western Wisconsin, much money expected to be made!"
Pokey was slower to catch on to the tactics of making up headlines and pestering people until they bought from you.
"Ok, Pokey, look..." Lynn said, handing him a newspaper, "go sell dis to dat guy ova' dere." Pokey rolled his eyes.
"Why don't you jus' do it?" he asked, shaking his head.
"POKEY!!!" Lynn shouted. He was driving her crazy. "Jus' do it!" Pokey bit his lip to keep from laughing as he took the paper and ran over to the man across the street. Lynn realized that she hollered at poor Pokey a lot more than was really necessary, but she was glad he put up with it well. Lynn recognized that she had very little patience, and was not a great teacher.
"Hey Pokey, Flash, Lynn... how 'bout a game 'a cards?" Jack asked when they walked into the Lodging House later that night.
"Sounds great... count me in," Lynn said, plopping down in a chair. It was nice to sit down after what had seemed to be an endless day.
"Yeah, I's gonna play," Pokey said enthusiastically, taking the deck of cards from Jack and shuffling it on the small table in front of him.
"What're we playin'?" Flash asked, sitting down next to Jack.
"Ah, I dunno... whateva' ya want," Jack said, shrugging his shoulders.
"How 'bout, uh, poker?" Flash finally said.
"Sure, why not? Pokey, wanna deal?" Lynn said, leaning back in her chair.
They played cards until later that afternoon when the rest of the newsies came in, hot and tired after working out in the sun all day. A few of them sat down to join the card game, and others went to go talk about their days or just hang out. There was always this peak flurry of activity, people deciding what to do for the afternoon, swapping stories loudly, and generally doing their part to add to the chaos that always results from a gathering of a lot of boys.
Clara stood by the window of the Lodging House, peering into the room. Lynn was sitting
there, nonchalantly tipped back in her chair, playing cards with her friends. The boys were nice enough
to Clara, although she continually had to remind them that she was female, and they had to treat
her accordingly. It seemed whenever she did that, it only made them like Lynn more, not less as Clara
hoped. And about her new friends, Pokey and Flash? Why would a girl go out into the streets and
pick up random boys off the streets who talked like heathens, just to bring them back to hang out with
more street kids who talked like heathens. It was not right. But still, Clara was eminently jealous of
Lynn. She wanted to have friends the way Lynn did. It didn't make sense? What did Lynn have that she
didn't? Nothing, save wanting friends so badly she'd act like a guy, dress like a guy, and be perfectly
comfortable hanging out with guys, to get them. Clara knew she could never do that to get friends, and
the only thing she was certain of was that Lynn had to get out of her life, if she ever wanted to
have friends at all.
To part
2!