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| Brooklyn Survival |
| CRASH! The sudden boom woke Angel quickly. She sat up and listened to the thunder continue to roll. The rain was coming down hard, she could here it hit the roof as if a thousand of the Brooklyn marbles were being dropped from the heavens. It was still dark out but every once and a while the lightning lit up the sky like day. She loved storms, she loved just sitting back and watching, and liked the anticipation of when the next crash would come. CRASH. "One, one thousandtwo one thou-" The sky was lit up again. She continued counting each time getting a little farther. "One, one thousand. Two, one thousand. Three, one thousand" She eventually fell back to sleep and woke up later to the sound of Mrs. Butts. True it was one foul name but no one ever told her to her face. For if they did they were guaranteed at least 5 hours in the closet. Ah, the closet. Mrs. Butts closet was full of her cloths and boxes, filled with what no one knew. There was no possible way to sit down and you were certainly not given anything to eat or drink while in there. You didnt have to do much to get put in there. Because of this not even Angel dared to cross her. She was a mannish woman. Tall, muscular and the girls were almost positive she had facial hair. She walked like a man and talked like one too. She used words that would make a sailor blush. That's why Angel was so tough, if she could survive Mrs. Butts then she could survive even the toughest Brooklyn newsie. "Get the hell out of bed you good for nothin bastards!" Mrs. Butts was not a morning person and made sure that no one else was either. "Get up and get to work! The stairs need scrubbing and so do the windows out front!" Angel had gotten back late last night and turned over trying to act like she didnt here her. "Josephine O'Connor!!!! Get out of dat bed you lousey hussy! I'se don't care if you jist got back youse gonna works whether you likes it or not!!" Angel rolled her eyes and slowly got up. The other girls were already pretty much ready. Most of them were younger then her, some were her age and even older. The boarding house was really an orphanage but Angel hated referring to it like that. She'd rather say she lived in a boarding house then an orphanage. The newsies knew exactly what it was but didnt dare say other wise. She got dressed and looked out the window noticing that it was still a little dark out. Dawn was coming soon and the newsies would be out hawking their headlines any minute. She decided to head out early, then perhaps her backside wouldnt be sore the rest of the day. She crept down the stairs past the girls who were busy on their knees scrubbing. The older girls had already left for work. At the 'boarding house' if you were sixteen or older you had to find a job and pay for your room and board. That's the main reason Angel referred to it as a boarding house. The younger girls stayed there for free but Mrs. Butts made them work hard for their food and the roof over their head. She couldn't kick anyone out, she was bound by the law to keep them their until they were eighteen. Angel was able to get her job back at Meddas and she was quite relieved of that. Before she left for Buffalo she was fifteen and didn't need a job but got one anyway so she could get out of that wretched place. Now she was sixteen going on seventeen and had to have one. She used to hitch a ride on the back of the ice caridge to get to Manhattan in the mornings. The driver didn't mind, he was a father and felt for the poor orphan, she reminded him of his little girl. Every once and a while though shed help him with the ice or something, just so it didn't feel like charity. She was hoping the man was still going his normal route. Unfortunately if it was the same it wouldnt start for a while and she wanted to get out of Brooklyn faster then that. True she liked the attention by the guys and she had missed their little ritual every morning, but you can get too much of a 'good thing'. They didn't always use their slingshots sometimes it was just hoot and hollars. She peered out the door and all was silent. The sound of newsies in the distance was not yet heard. Carefully she closed the door and quiet like a cat headed for the Bridge. The streets were wet from the storm that night and the air smelled of dead fish. The morning was warm and the steam came up from the streets as though they were also just waking up. As she got closer to the Bridge the smell of dead fish became greater, but not yet overwhelming. It was still dark out and Angel began to wonder just how early Mrs. Butts had woken her up. She was in Manhattan and the sun began to shower some of its light upon that bald head of the statue. Then she heard the sound she had missed while away. "Aint it a fine life carryin' da bannah tru it allA mighty fine life carryin the bannah tough and tall. Every mornin we goes where we wishes, wees as free as fishes, sure beats washin' dishes...what a fine life life caryin' the bannah tru it all." Ah the sound of the newsies in the morning. Nothing beats hereing their song every sunup morning. Too bad she didnt hear it every morning. She didn't see the Manhattan newies in the morning that much but she liked it when she did. She walked along the side walk watching them singing and dancing. Even Dave was out there with them. There weren't any Nun's out this morning so she new the newsies would be dissapointed. "If I hate the headline I'll make up a headline and I'll say anythin' I hafta. 'Cause it's two for a penny if I take too many Weasel just makes me eatum aftah. Look! Their putting up a headline, you call that a headline I get bettah stories from the Copper on the Beats. I was gonna start with twenty but a dozen will be plently..tells me how I'm gonna make end meat. We need a good assassination, we need an earth quake or a war. How 'bout a crooked politician? Hey stupid dat ain't news no more. Up town to grand central station down to city hall, we improves the circulation, walk until we fall!" Suddenly Davey in all the excitement bumps into Angel who pretends to be upset. "Geez I'm really sorry, I guess I just got caught up in the moment." The newsies didn't notice and kept on singing. Angel couldn't even pretend to be mad and smiled and started singing with them. Mush grabbed her by the hand and she started to dance with them too. "Newsies on a mission, kill the competition" They all jokingly put their fists up at Angel. "...celebtrate the mission, what a fine life carryin the bannah. Its a fine life carryin the bannah, its a fine life carryin' the bannah," Mush lifts up Angel on his shoulder."...it's a fine life carryin' the bannah, it's a fine life carryin' the bannah..it's a GO!!" They all fall down and Angel cant help but laugh as she goes down with them. They slowly got back up and head to the distribution office to get their papes. "I..I am sorry about that." David pleaded as he came up from behind Angel. Angel knew he didnt mean it. But it was an entertaining site. Shed never seen a newsie so afraid of her. They all have a pretty healthy respect for her, some might fear her but not like David seemed to. She smiled at him trying to contain her laughter. "It's ok Davey I know you'se didn't mean it. Bettah go git your papes." Dave seemed a little relieved by her comment and trotted over and got in line. She knew she didn't need to get to Medda's till a little later. She could really milk the fact that she had caused her to have to stay in Manhattan the other night. Leaning up against the wall outside the alley she waited for Dave to come back out. He promptly came out with his papes and Angel decided that she needed to teach him a thing or two. "Hey mouth!" Angel loudly stated. David however looked back at her. "Ya?" He seemed to be getting nervous again. "Come heah. I'se gotta talk to yas." He slowly walked over with his head down, glancing over his shoulder once or twice at the taunting boys behind him. "You really are a kitten aren't ya?" David didnt reply. "I'm going ta do ya a favor. Walk wit me." She pushed herself off the wall and began to walk with David close behind. After a few minutes of silence she stopped and looked at him. "I said walk wit me not not to make a livin', get sellin'." David timidly called out headlines and sold a few as they continued to walk. As they got to the Brooklyn Bridge David began to get a little jumpy. As they started across he couldn't keep it in anymore. "Ww...where are we going?" he managed to stutter. "Look Davey I just want you ta know I understand. You've been raised as a good little school boy your whole life. But youre a newsie now right? So youse gotta start acting like one." "Acting like a newsie doesn't mean getting soaked by Broolkyn." David, now shaking a little bit, started to get desperate. Angel smiled as she walked a head of him. "No, but actin' like a newsie means actin' tuffah den you'se actin'. So dat's why wees goin' to Brooklyn. What bettah place to make ya tough, or at least act it." She gave a little chuckle as she thought of all the "tough" Brooklyn newsies. "Look, acting tough is one thing, being tough is another. Kind of like the difference between learning and suicide. If I sell papes in Brooklynthat would be suicide, then what will I learn?" David walked backwards in front of her pleading her not to go forward and trying to slow her down. "You'd learn how ta savive in da process. And dat's what taday's lesson is. Do dey name your different lessons in school Davey? Well if dey do this is tadays lesson: 'Brooklyn Survival'." Angel laughed, David wasn't amused. He knew then that there was no turning back, no way to stop her. He could run but what would she do? How would he look? He thought about it for a while, trying to think about the worst possible outcome of this. Then he tried thinking of the good things. 'Spot kind of listened and trusted me during the strike, but that was only because Jack told him it would be a good idea. He knows Jack is my friend too, maybe he'll be merciful...'. Dave consolled himself enough not to start running. Sensing he was genuinly nervous Angel tried to give him hope. "Look, I tell ya what. If Spot still sells papes in the same place then we'll just avoid 'im. Other wise just stick wit me and youll be alright." Dave seemed relieved and they did steer clear of Spot. Other newsies gave them some evil looks but they didn't dare cross Angel. If she was like they remember then theyd be sorry the thought had even crossed their minds. "Just act like ya own the joint Davey." ---------------------------------------------------------- The day dragged on and Dave slowly but steadily sold his papes. The whole time he kept looking over his shoulder to make sure a Brooklyn newsie wasnt about to soak him. It was a little after noon and Angel realized that she had better be heading to Meddas soon. "Davey wees bettah get back, I'se gotta make a livin' to ya know. Medda will be expectin me soon." Angel watched as David acted as though she had just lifted 5 fat drunk men off his shoulders that had been weighing him down all day. They headed for the bridge, David still with some papes in hand. They were about to cross when they noticed some newsies coming across right for them. David got nervous but Angel saw that it was Jack and Boots. Jack did not look happy, Boots even less so having been dragged here. "Heya Cowboy." Angel tried to go by her own advice and acted like she owned the joint. "I hoid you wuz takin' Davey here fer a walk, Brooklyn...that's an aweful long walk." "Ya well the mouth needed a little lesson in sahvival. What bettah place den-" "Brooklyn." Anther voice chimed in. David and Boots suddenly got knots in their stomachs. "Heya Cowboy" Spot spit in his hand and reached out waiting for Jacks. Jack complied and spit shook with Spot. "What ya doin' in dese fine part again? Not planin' another strike, or rally perhaps?" He let his smirk simply beam. "Naw, I'se just pickin' up strays." He glanced at David. "Well, well if it ain't the walkin' mouth." Spots smirk changed into a straight threatning puss, as he too looked over at David. Remembering that Angel was there too he changed the subject. "So what's dis I here about a sahvival lesson in Brooklyn?" "Well I just thought dat Davey here could use a lesson or two on being or at least actin' tough. So I thought where bettah to learn about actin' tough then in Brooklyn." She tried her best not to act smug but failed terribly and smiled triumphantly. "You'se ben away too long Angel, see ya got it all backwards. Manhattan see, dat's where dey try and act all tough, heah we back up the act wit a good soakin'. No offence Jackey boy but ya nevah wouldah gotten no wheres wit da strike witout Brooklyn." Jack rolled his eyes but reluctantly replied in the positive with a shake of his head, then pretended that it was just him fixing his hair. Spot cuckled to himself and looked back at Angel waiting for her next move. "Yes I suppose youre right." Spot looked surprised that she gave up so easily this time, but she wasn't finished. She was fed up with Spot and the whole Brooklyn attitude. "I suppose you're right, I mean being tough and actin' tough are two different things. Kind o' like carin' and not carin', at least those who can act tough can act like they care too." At this Angel turned and headed across the bridge. Spot's smug grin changed and he looked like he was ready to soak the next guy he saw. "See ya 'round Spot." Jack gave him a little fake punch on the shoulder and led Boots and David across the bridge. Spot just stood there and watched them go without a word. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Vell young lady it's about time you decided to show up." Medda didn't look annoyed but tried to act it. If Angel didnt know better she would have thought she was mad. "I was just teain' Davey a thing or two on sahvival." Angel replied sullenly. "Vell, out of all the people who vork here you certainly do have the best excuses." Medda sensed she was in no mood to play around. "Why don't you go sit the people dear." Angel headed off to the front of the theater and put on the best "Welcome to Meddas I do hope you enjoy yourself." face. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back in Brooklyn Spot had gotten over the little scene with Angel. He figured that it was just another one of their little playful quarrels. Plus no one but Jack and David saw him get burned and they'd no better then to speak a word about it to anyone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Back at the Manhatten Newsie Lodging House. Later that night) "and den she made Spot look so bad, I tawght he wuz gonna soak us all!" Boots, with his ever so boastful mouth recounted the happenings at the Brooklyn Bridge from earlier that day. "Come on Boots show a little respect, you know if Spot evah hoid you wuz talkin' about 'im that way he'd soak you so good you wouldn't evah be able to walk again!" Jack teasingly pushed Boots into one of the bunks as he said this. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Angel was back in Brooklyn by now and getting ready for bed. All day long she had been avoiding the newsies, and she couldnt help but feel bad about what she had done to Spot. She constantly had flashes of his face from when she glanced back. It was this deeply hurt expression, yet still tough looking so it came across looking more like anger (only a look Spot could pull off). As she laid in bad trying to get the image out of her mind. Gradually she fell into a deep sleep until she was woken up by the sound of a strange man's whispering voice just outside the door End Part 2 |
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