Rudy managed to drag me all the way to the steps of a dirty tall building. I took a deep breath right before Rudy tugged my arm up the steps. Panic took me over as Rudy reached for the door handle.
“Rudy Wait!! Please!! I’m sure Spot doesn’t want to see me dat bad. Besides um it’s a boys lodging house and if you’ve forgotten I am most certainly a girl”
“Trust me I haven’t forgotten but I also haven’t forgotten the beating I got last time I didn’t follow Spot’s order. So move your self into that door” he said and gave me a hard push. I turned to run right back out but instead I slammed right into Rudy’s chest. I felt like I had run into a wall. He was a wall. He grabbed my arms and turned me back around. He pushed me down a hallway with me dragging my feet all the way. We can to a staircase. He and I both knew he couldn’t drag me up all those stair. It was a light. He couldn’t get me up those stairs Spot would have to come down here and I wouldn’t have to face 50 newsies all at once. My joy was short lived. Rudy grabbed my legs and with one motion he placed half my body over his shoulder. This was not good. If I had to face the Brooklyn newsies I was not going to be carried to my death.
“Rudy OK, OK you win put me down I can use my own two legs” I said calmly.
“OK but if I see you take one step to dat door back up ya go. Now move,” he said.
I slowly climbed the rest of the stairs with Rudy right behind me. We can to a white door with the paint pealing off and dirt stains. I knocked on the door very quietly hoping that no one would hear. Rudy made sure someone did. He reached over me and banged on the door before opening it himself.
After a small push from Rudy I entered the Room. I was large with about 20 sets of bunk beds. The walls use to be white but now were covered with dirt and dents. I surveyed the room taking in the boys. They were all looking right back at me, and finally realizing I was a girl. Some hats were removed from head and shirts were placed on bodies. Sleeping boys were woken up and Spot was called out from his room. I began to shake lightly when Spot emerged from his room. ‘I have courage and confidence, I have courage and confidence, I think I’m going to throw up’ I thought to my self.
Spot had a very serious and very unnerving look on his face. It immediately said ‘I am upset’ and it’s never a good thing when Spot’s upset. It’s even worse when he is upset at you.
“ Freckles about time” said Spot
“Come here I’s got a bone ta pick wid you’s” Said Spot walking back into his room, expecting me to follow. Which I did, after a shove from Rudy. I entered Spot’s room, which was small, Dark and musty. The door closed behind me making me jump and sending the room into complete darkness.
“Spot?” I asked the pitch-black room.
“Just a sec.” He said.
‘OK I’ll just stand here, in the dark, with Spot Conlon. HELP!!’ I thought to myself. This is bad this is very bad I knew I should have never come here. But did I listen to myself no, I had to be the regular, stupid, can’t find a clue, Freckles McLean. Wait I had no choice that Ape of a boy out there dragged me here. My blood is on his hands. Note to self after Spot kills me haunt Rudy. Candlelight suddenly filled the room. The room was smaller than I previously thought. A broken in mattress laided on the dirty scratch filled floor. The walls held no decoration, not even paint. Just the plain wood it was made out of. Spot pointed me over to a chair in the corner of the room. I noticed it was the farthest point possible from Spot and gladly excepted the seat. Spot leaned against the opposite wall. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked me over. I was dying by now to leave but curiosity held me there along with Spot’s eyes watching my every move. Finally he spoke.
“ You Miss. McLean are in big trouble” he said. Screw curiosity all I wanted to do now is run as far from this room as possible.
“ Ya well um what else is new” I said. I was amazed that my mouth still worked. The rest of me had shut down as soon as my butt hit the chair.
“I’ll tell ya whats knew. Rocks is in Brooklyn,” said Spot
“Oh. Well dat is new ”I said. Shock filled my body. Rocks is here, and he’s here to kick my ass. Rocks had always been tolerant of me and had been my defender in my fight to become a newsie, but I new it was different now. Something was wrong. So wrong that it would bring Rocks back into the newsie world to search me out. I started shaking at that thought. What did he want with me? More importantly, what did he want to do to me?
“What do you want me to do Spot?” I asked. I knew he could hear the fear in my voice.
“I don’t want you to do anything. Except watch your back and tell your girls to do da same. Leave Rocks to my boys and me. We’ll get dem out a Brooklyn. But Freckles you’re a smart girl you know who he’s gona be looking for.” He said looking me straight in the eye.
“Ya I know” I said. I knew he would be looking for me. We had an old game going. A game which I had always lost, and didn’t want to lose again.
“OK, a few new rules. One, sell your papers quicker or buy less paps cause you can’t be getting home dis late with out risking your neck. Two make your girl sign in with the time they are getting home and give me the sign in sheet. I want to know what kind of hours you girls keep. Last just be careful. Not only do you have Rocks to worry about but don’t forget Dallas. Well, dats it. I’ll get Rudy to walk you,” said Spot. He called Rudy in and whispered something in his ear. I didn’t pay much attention to what they were saying, I was to busy trying to keep my knees from knocking. Here I thought Spot was going to kill me, then I thought Dallas was, but no, Rocks would be the one to end my life. Who knew? You really learn something knew everyday.
@~@~@~@~@~@~@
The next day I informed my girls about Rocks and to say the least they were shaken up. I told them all to watch their backs but they didn’t need any warnings. They never thought Rocks would be a threat. He had always been on our side. But he was a man now and no one knew what was going on in his head but everyone did know it was something hostile.
The next morning no one seamed to want to get out of bed. They all felt a shadow over their heads. They all knew something bad was going to happen.
“POCKETS!!!!!!!”
“WHAT!!” a previously sleeping pockets yelled in fright.
“Get up what do you think we run here a charity!!” yelled Captain. “Move it! You want you dinner then you get ta work” Captain grabbed Pockets by the ear and lead her to the bathroom where she shoved her harshly through the door. Captain surveyed the rest of the room, which was filled with sleeping girls, and wrinkled sheets.
“ Hey did Mayor Roosevelt declare dis a national newsie holiday? NO! So what do you’s think your doing!” Yelled Captain as she ruffly shook every newsie she walked by. “Come on, you think those paps sell dem selves. Get da lead out a your pants and move it” she yelled
“CAPTIN!!” I screamed. My voice telling her I was fed up.
“What” she said in a much softer tone.
“Deys awake” I said
“No dey’s not look at shortcake she still drooling” said Captain. I got up and stood next to shortcake’s bed.
“She’s…”I let my hand swiftly smack her face “awake”.
@~@~@~@
“ EXTRA!!! EXTRA!!!! HURST CAUGHT WITH MISTRESS WIFE LEFT IN TEARS,” I yelled. It was no where near the actual story but there was a picture of Hurst and his wife on the front page. She had been pictured sneezing and was holding a handkerchief to her face. Close enough. That line sold me 5 papers.
“I lie through my teeth and I still can’t get a role going. Dats it, I deserve a lunch break” I said to my self. I started making my way towards the 8th ST. street carts.
‘ OK Freckles you gotta think and act smart. Dallas doesn’t know exactly where you are and neither does Rocks, unless one of the Brooklyn boys tells him. Don’t think about dat Frecs, but maybe you should be a little nicer ta Rudy. He does know exactly where you live and if you eva got on his bad side…. Freckles your already on his bad side. OK maybe I should be very nice ta Rudy cause if I eva got on his nerves…Frecs my dear every minute you are together your on his nerves.’
“Maybe dis thinking thing is over rated” I said out loud to myself. I heard a giggle behind me. From the tone I could tell it was male and from the volume the giggle was trying to be suppressed. Before I could turn around I was pulled into a near by alley way.
“Attacked in a dark alley way dats original” I said out loud remembering to lower my voice to try and pass off as a boy. When I finally saw my attacker I knew it would make no difference.
“Hey Freckles you haven’t forgotten your old pal Marco have ya,” said a boy the size of a trolley car. He was 6’3 with one blue eye and one green. He was one of Rock’s best.
“Hey mista I don’t know what your tawkin about” I answered jumping into a Brooklyn accent.
“ Don’t play with me Frecs I’d know you any where. You can’t hide from someone who knows you so well,” He said
“ You beta let me down I’m one a Spot Conlon’s newsies and no one messes wid Spot Conlon’s newsies” I answered. ‘Think like a Brooklyn newsie, think like a Brooklyn newsie’. I struggled against his hold even though I knew I couldn’t free myself but a Brooklyn newsie would never appear weak.
“ I don’t know who you tink you’s are but I’s neva laided eyes on ya before. So if ya let go a me right now I might let ya go ta sleep tanight wid some teeth left in ya mouth,” I said.
“ You can’t lie ta me Freckles I know you inside and out. Literally.” Marco replied. My eyes widen and millions of horrifying memories came flying back to my mind. He read my thought before I could blank my expression. His mouth turned up in a victorious smile. A voice broke through my shocked thoughts filling my mind and body with fear.
“Long time no see Freckles”
It was all over for the girls and me. Rocks had come to South Brooklyn and was standing five feet away from me.
To be continued