I walked into the Lodging House very tired that night, but I wasn't going to go to sleep, of course. Anyway, if I'd wanted to I couldn't have, because Jack and Race wouldn't get off it that I'd met Carol. "Hey guys, listen, she's visitin' da Jacobs' an' she's dere cousin, an' I ran inta 'er..." I trailed off, whatever I said they still laughed at me, so I just stopped talking. They were making fun of me. It actually was pretty funny.
I laid down on my bed and laughed to myself, thinking about how funny Carol and I must have looked walking together, she in her lavender lacy dress, I in my pale blue shirt and tannish pants, "street trash", and then there's my hat, which makes many people think I'm a lunatic, well, it's just a funny picture. Jack came over to my bed.
"So Lynn, how was it hangin' wit' dat goyl, Carol?" He sat down on my bed and laughed.
"I weren't hangin' wit' 'er an' youse know dat." I said, "an' besides, she's family of da Jacobs', an' youse friends wit' Davy. What's yer problem anyway?" I slapped him on the shoulder. He just slapped me back, so I slapped him back, and he slapped me back, this went on for a while until finally I decided this was totally stupid and stopped. I laughed and fell backward onto my bed. Jack teased me for a little while longer, and then he got up and left.
I sighed and thought about what I'd been doing for the past three days. I had sixteen cents, which is a lot more then I'd had when I showed up in the Lodging House, only a few days before, and I had totally settled into life here. I also had a lot of friends in the Lodging House, which was very nice.
Jack had been so nice to me, he'd really been helpful when I had first come to the Lodging House, he'd taught me how to make money selling papes, and he'd introduced me to the nicest people in New York, so far as I knew. I had more friends than I'd ever dreamed of having, more of a future than I'd ever dreamed of- wait. I thought for a second about my future. I knew that I would be a newsie for as long as I could, and I didn't know how long that would last. How old could you be to be a newsie? I'd have to ask Jack, but not right now. He was busy talking to a few other boys, and I didn't want to bother him. What was the matter with me, anyway? All the other boys burst in on each others conversations and stuff. Why couldn't I? I guess it's a guy-girl thing, I don't know, it's weird. Anyway, so I sat there on my bed thinking about stuff in general, and how my life had completely changed in just a short time.
I was forever grateful to Jack for having scared me into a muddy mess just three or four days previously, because if he hadn't, I knew where I would still be. Out in the streets of New York sleeping in gutters and alleys with thugs and God-knows-what out there waiting to get me. I thought about how all these boys had gotten to know each other. Had they all been like me at one time? If they had, who had been the one that dragged them into the Lodging House, shaking, to meet all the other guys? Who had dragged Jack in there? I tried to picture that, but failed again. It was pretty hard to imagine him needing help, because he was always the one who gave the help. I couldn't even imagine him as anyone but the Cowboy he thought himself. He was sure the leader of this group of boys, and I was pretty lucky to have found him.
"Hey guys, are dere any udda groups 'a newsies in New Yawk? I mean, it jus' seems like dere's gotta be, but I's neva' seen anyone but youse out dere sellin' da papes."
Most of them nodded, a few laughed, and a few said, "oh yeah," or "you'd betta believe it."
I responded, "Well, can't I meet any of them? I mean, it's great to know all you, an' I hardly even know you guys all yet, an' I only knows a handful of yer names, but it's so much fun to see new people, an' da newsie woyld is a whole new place fer me, ya know?"
Jack laughed, "Sure, hey guys, we should take 'er ta meet Spot tomarra'." I laughed,
"Spot? What kinda 'a name is Spot?" The boys laughed like crazy.
"You think Jack's da leada' 'a us? Well wait 'til you see da way Spot's got all 'a New Yawk unda' 'is thumb." Said one of the guys, I didn't know his name.
"What's yer name?" I asked, pointing to him.
"I's called Jake." Said the boy.
"All right, Jake. So what's it 'bout dis Spot dat's so intimidatin'?" I asked, curious.
"E's terrible mean." Said one of the boys, I think it was umm... Pie Eater, but I can't be sure.
"Spot's got a slingshot dat'll hit anythin' you can put at any distance. All 'a Brooklyn's like dat though, 'e teaches 'em things like dat." Said a boy, I think it was Mush.
"Great, I can't wait ta meet 'im. Who's gonna come wit' me? I don't know how ta get dere." Jack smiled at me.
"I'll go. Though I don't know what 'e's gonna say 'bout me lettin' a goyl inta da ranks 'a me newsies. Don't worry 'bout it though, Lynn, 'e won't do anythin' to youse, 'e's not like dat, ya know." I laughed.
"Spot. What a funny name, you'd think it was a dog's name or somethin', ya know? Like one 'a dem spotted ones?" The boys laughed.
"I woul'n't say dat ta 'im, 'e might get mad." Pie Eater explained extremely unnecessarily. Did he think I was stupid or something?
"So Jack, I s'pose youse ain't doin' what dis 'ere guy says ta youse ta do." I said, almost sarcastically.
Jack laughed, "I's not doin' what 'e says, 'zactly, I's jus' doin' my own thing, but not gettin' in 'is way. Still, I think 'e should meetcha, den if 'e's eva' ova' 'ere 'e won't get mad wit' ya or nuttin." I smiled, thinking about how there was this menacing guy that was named Spot of all things. Still, he didn't sound like such a nice guy, if even Jack sort of avoided him. I imagined Spot to be tall, like Jack, maybe even taller. Almost clear, blue eyes and a terrible glare made Spot the guy who kept everyone under control. He had the power.
I couldn't wait to meet him, even though I was just a little bit scared of him.
The next day after I'd woken up at the same time as the boys, washed up with the boys and done my hair while they were shaving, all us newsies tramped down to the newspaper place. I could afford to buy thirty-two papes, but only chose to buy fifteen, because I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to sell twenty.
"Hey Jack, youse got any ideas 'bout how I can use da fact dat I's a goyl to sell more papes, 'stead 'a less?" He laughed, and told me to try to look like I hated being a newsie, and I had to because I was a lone orphan who was so forlorn, and to try to sell on people's sympathy for the poor girl who has to be a newsboy. I still hated that term and much preferred 'newsie' to anything else. Say it a few times, "newsie, newsie, newsie..." it sort of rolls off your tongue, and it's fun. Sorry... so anyhow, I went off and sold my papes for the first part of the day, and after I'd finally sold my last one (yes, Jack's technique was a huge help) I went to find Jack, and actually somehow I did find Jack, which was a nice thing.
Jack said, "hey, youse ready ta go? I's only got a few more papes ta sell, stay right hea'!" He ran off down a few streets and came back a few moments later, panting. "It's so much easia' for da smalla' people ta sell papes den taller people like me. I wish I's more like yer height, Lynn." I smiled at him, but I knew he was right. He looked like a grown man, or a nearly grown man, whereas all my time in the streets had only made me into a smaller, skinnier, mousy little girl, which I knew helped me and hurt Jack. For some reason that made me very angry, that anything or anyone would hurt Jack. I knew I shouldn't even think about it but I did. Augh! How his wavy blondish-brown hair was so cute. He was such an adorable person. You just want to hug him. He looks like he needs a hug. Augh!
I was so mad at myself for letting myself think that, that I hit myself. "What was dat, Lynn?" Jack asked, laughing at me and looking at me. I looked right back into his eyes. Whoa. His eyes were a hazel-green and he was so sincere looking into my eyes. I felt totally strange, and wanted to break away my eyes but found I simply couldn't. I stood there, looking up at him and into his eyes until someone walking down the sidewalk rudely crashed into me. I didn't know whether to be angry or grateful.
"Hey, watch i-" I stopped in midsentance. A girl about my age was sitting on the ground after she'd hit me. I figured she'd been running from someone to hit me at that speed, although in the time I was thinking, Jack had already helped her up from the ground and was talking to her, a whole lot. No. That was wrong. No one else could talk to Jack. I was arguing with myself, and actually continued to periodically hit myself in hopes that I'd knock my sense back into me. The girl was already on her way. She was about my height, but dressed like Carol dressed, except this girl was in a navy skirt and a white blouse. Her hair was about shoulder length and very dark, almost black. I turned back to Jack, but didn't look him in the eyes.
"We should be goin' on ta Brooklyn!" I said, smiling and sounding as incredibly carefree as I could. Jack laughed.
"Let's go!" He took my hand and we set off on a fairly long walk. We got to a long bridge. Jack said, "c'mon!" He went and leaned way over the bridge. I was afraid he'd fall in the water.
"C'mon Lynn, whatsa matta?"
"No way'm I gonna fall off dat bridge." I said, he laughed.
"You won't fall, I'll hold onta ya. Youse just gotta scream, all right?" I decided to go for it, because if I fell in it would be Jack's fault anyhow. I leaned over the bridge and we both shouted,
"AHHHH!!!" before we went any further. Finally we got to a dock where we stopped and turned.
Jack said, "now when we meet 'im, don't say nothin', all right?" I nodded. Jack didn't look too thrilled to be here, I think that being with me, a girl, wasn't helping matters. I walked past a lot of people but none of them looked like the Spot I'd imagined. Finally Jack stopped and turned to face a boy sitting on one of the posts holding up the dock.
"Hey Spot, how's it rollin'?" He asked. I stood there shocked. Spot... Spot... everyone was afraid of this little boy who was really rather skinny? Spot didn't answer Jack's question, but turned to me.
"Who's dis, Jacky-boy? Why's dere a little goyl walkin' wit' ya in dis area? Dressed up like a newsie too. You ain't gonna tell me dat dis litta' thing's one 'a yer newsies, Jacky-boy, are ya?" I began to see why they were afraid of Spot. He had a really menacing look to his face, and he talked straight at you, and made you feel completely inferior.
I figured I wouldn't talk unless Jack told me to, because I was afraid of screwing something up, so I smiled at Spot, with my nicest smile, hoping he'd listen to Jack. Spot stopped looking at me and turned to Jack, "so who is dis, Jacky-boy? You ain't answerin' me question." Jack breathed in, put on his cowboy hat which always was hanging down his back, and - I realized I had never seen it on him. Actually he looked better without the hat, but he definitely did not look bad in it. I just kept from hitting myself for fear that Spot would think I was not only a girl, but a really messed up girl who hit herself.
"Spot, dis 'ere's Lynn. She's one 'a me newsies, an'... yeah. She's one 'a me newsies." Spot looked a little startled.
"Dis 'ere goyl's a newsie?" He sounded a little surprised. "How'd dis happen Jacky-boy?" He sounded disappointed.
Jack said, "well, I found 'er outside da Lodgin' House one night not too long ago, an' she jus' somehow chahmed me inta bringin' 'er inta da Lodgin' House, or somethin' told me dat she was still like all us guys, an' den I wen' an' talked to da guys, who thought it's be weird ta have a goyl in dere but dey wan'ed ta meet 'er, an' lots 'a stuff happened an' to make it short, she's 'ere now." Spot stared into my eyes, a very different way then Jack had. Spot's eyes were blue-green, very light in color, and almost daring me to look away. I just looked right back at him, not smiling, not frowning, just concentrating on sending a message of trust and camaraderie and, well, newsie-ness through my eyes. I think it worked all right, because after a few minutes Spot turned to Jack.
"Youse all right, Jacky-boy. She's prob'ly a fine newsie." He sort of stared off into space. My eyes met Jack's but didn't lock, and we exchanged a look of relief. So far I'd passed Spot's little test, whatever it was. I looked at Spot. He was standing on the dock now, and was a little bit taller than me. I'd say he was about six or seven inches taller than me, to be more exact. He had longish blond-brown hair, lighter than Jack's, and he was wearing a hat. He had a rather elaborate sort of walking stick in one hand, and was leaning on the dock post with the other. He was really rather cute, mostly this was proving my ideas about needing to be cute to be a newsie, and he had nice eyes, if a little harsh.
Spot turned back to me. "You ain't woykin' for me so I don't really know why you came down hea'. I want you ta tell me why you really came." I stopped and thought.
"She's-" Jack started, but Spot held up his hand.
"I wanna hea' da goyl talk." I thought about why I'd really wanted to come. I wanted to meet some other newsies, and see how they lived. I wanted to... I wanted to compare them with the newsies that were my friends, but there was no way I'd tell Spot that.
"Goyl, I know you jus' thought 'a da reason, so spit it out." I stared at him in disbelief. Maybe this was why all the other newsies were afraid of him. The boy was so perceptive it was scary.
I just stood there, trying to think of what I should say to Spot. "Spit it out, goyl." I decided talking would use up time.
"Foyst of all, I totally respect you, an' I'd like it if you'd do da same fer me. Da name's Lynn, an' it's been nice ta meetcha." I spit in my hand and stuck it out to shake his. A little startled, but definitely not losing his cool composure, Spot spit in his hand and shook mine. I smiled, relaxing a little. "I came hea' ta see how de udda newsies lived an' stuff. An' ta see, ya know, what it.. I dunno, I's hoyd so much 'bout ya Spot..." I nervously adjusted my hat, and he smiled at my acknowledgment of his widespread fame. I knew I'd hit on something right.
Spot stopped riddling me and was talking to Jack, so I walked around on the dock talking to the other newsies. They were nice, as newsies go, I really liked the guys in the Lodging House more in comparison, but what could you expect from a bunch of people who were surprised and possibly upset by a girl newsie, one like me especially. It was still cool to meet these other people, it was a whole new experience, you know? Jack came over and tapped me on the shoulder.
"Ready ta go?" he asked,
I smiled, "sure!" I said, not able to wait until I could talk to him about what had happened. Spot was nice, and I figured that someone that tough and respected would be a great person to have on your good side, as it seemed I did. Jack and I started to walk back to the Lodging House.
I realized how incredibly much work the newsies did, walking so many places to sell the papes, and I knew why they didn't have much free time, and they slept so well at night. It was really tiring to walk around so much in the hot sun and with those hats on! I know that the hats are totally irrelevant, but I have to wear mine, or at least I try to make myself wear it as much as possible. It's kind of fun to work the market for buyers, pretending to be all sorts of things and making stuff up. Yeah, I knew it was dishonest, but it was still really fun!
"Good idea ta have Spot on yer side, Lynn." Jack observed, a little while after I had thought of the same thing.
"Yeah." I said, "he seems ta have a lot 'a power." I laughed, picturing Spot, not much taller than me, in his tough-guy position issuing orders to anyone, even Jack, who wanted to talk to him at all. He was really a pretty funny guy, Spot was. I was talking to Jack a little bit while we were walking back, and by the time we got to the Lodging House it was actually starting to get dark. I hadn't known Brooklyn was so far away, I mean, it didn't seem like a very long walk.
I couldn't imagine going back to living without these guys. I couldn't really remember what it had been like even, and to think it hadn't even been a week ago. Good things must be really easy to adjust to, whereas if I'd been a newsie all my life and been thrown out in the streets it would have taken months to adjust. We walked into the Lodging House and all sorts of guys were talking to me.
"Hey Lynn, so how did Spot treatcha?"
"Did 'e yell?"
"Did 'e scream?"
"Was 'e there?"
"What'd 'e say ta ya?" I laughed and sat down on my bed and threw my hat on the floor next to me.
"Spot's a real nice guy." I said, laughingly.
"What?" About half the guys in the room said. Most of the others just sat there. Jack laughed.
"Spot took a real likin' to our friend Lynn 'ere, even offered me to let 'er sell in Brooklyn. I didn't say yes, 'a course. Said we liked Lynn right where she was wit' us in da Lodgin' House." I looked at Jack.
"You didn't tell me dat!" He laughed again, "knew what you'd say Lynn." I smiled, because he was right, I did like it here better than there.
"Boy it's hard to stare Spot down." I observed.
"You didn't though, didja?" Jake asked.
"Well, sort 'a, we both jus' stopped lookin' at each otha'. It seems Spot didn't wanna fight a goyl too much. It took me a while to get 'im ta stop callin' me 'dat goyl' or 'goyl' or 'you goyl', but afta' I did everythin' seemed ta be all right wit' 'im an' me, right Jack?"
Jack turned to the boys, "Lynn was real good with Spot. She seems to have 'im in shock. 'E neva' did think goyls were worth nuttin'. Ta tell da truth I neva' did eitha', until Lynn 'ere showed me dat goyls could sell papes da same as we newsie guys."
I smiled and laughed, and said, "well, when I met you, Jack, outside 'ere, I thought you were da police, comin' ta put me in jail fer somethin'. I didn't know what but I hid."
I smiled, Jack smiled too, "dat's why you were hidin' in dat corna'!" He exclaimed. I laughed and the rest of the boys laughed too.
"You guys neva' did tell me dat newsies woyked so hard. Walkin' all ova' da woyld, I swea'..." I trailed off, letting them decide what I swore on their own. I was tired, and figure maybe if I talked about working hard the boys would want to go to bed, or they'd keep me awake more, I of course hoped for the first one.
"Walkin' all ova' wit' 'Da Woyld', Lynn." Laughed someone who thought they were funny.
"I don't know who ya are but you ain't funny." I said, smiling.
"I know dat, but hey, I tried... an' da name's Snoddy." Said that newsie. I burst out laughing.
"Where do you guys get dese names?" I asked, still laughing. "It's hilarious! And also, Jack, how come people call you Jack and Cowboy, but none 'a dese udda newsies have, um, real names or somethin'?" Jack laughed and replied,
"Well, Jake 'as a 'real name', an' den dere's Davy an' Les, but dey don't really count 'cause dey's got families an' such."
I thought about that, "Jake, how come youse got a normal name an' no one else 'ere does?" I asked.
"How come youse got a normal name youself?" He asked back.
"Foyst of all, me name is Lynn, so I don't see what's wrong wit' youse callin' me dat. Second of all, I don't know what me 'newsie name' would be... dey's jus' too weird." I laid back and laughed, and then sat back up and looked at the guys. "I do want da stories behind some 'a dese names, 'ere, boys." I said, trying to sound funnily tough. The guys just laughed. "Ummm... who should we start wit'?" I said, looking at them all. Most of them just laughed at me. "How 'bout you, Cowboy?" I asked, laughing at how silly the nickname actually did sound.
He smiled, "Well, ya see dis hat?" I nodded. "It's me cowboy hat, 'cause I always wan'ed ta be a cowboy, an' I still's goin' ta, so dat's all dere is to it." He nodded.
"So's ya wanna be a real cowboy, dat's why you calls yerself Cowboy?" I asked.
"Yeah, dat's right." He replied.
"Well at least it's logical..." I said. "How 'bout you, umm.. Racetrack?" I said next, looking around the room.
"I thinks it's pretty obvious." Race said, and the boys laughed.
"Yeah, I guess dat was a dumb question ta ask." I said, laughing at myself. I racked my brain for more names. I could think of some, like Mush, which I didn't really want to know. I thought of one.
"Snoddy! What on oyth's dat s'posed ta mean?" I asked loudly.
"I don't really know, Lynn!" Snoddy said to me, laughing. I was thoroughly confused.
"I bet lotsa ya don't know, huh?" I said, figuring most of them just didn't want to tell me. I guessed it wasn't a huge deal though.
"Dis is crazy you guys. I don't even wanna know 'bout things loike Mush an'
Bumlets, an' a lot of dem are awfully obvious, like Specs an' Race, an' den dere's Dutchy,
who... well, I guess I don't know where dat came from, but he looks kinda loike 'e might
be Dutch so I's figurin' dat's why 'e's called dat." I smiled at him and most of them just
laughed. I soon laid back and fell asleep. Being a newsie was really hard work, and made
you really tired.
To part
5!