Chapter 5-"This day could not get any worse"
“This way.” Boots led the way across the bridge. Next, it went Jack and Dave; Mush and Blink; Specs and Dutchy; and Slingshot and Stage. “Spot’s territory is over this way. And be sure not to mouth off.”
“Yeah, that’s Davey’s job.” Jack said, whacking Dave on the back. Dave grinned.
“So what’s this Spot like?” Slingshot asked boredly, looking around with half-lidded eyes. “Is he worth talking to?”
“Deadly with a slingshot.” Boots said.
“What?!”
“No, a slingshot! Like the actual item…not you.”
“Thank God.” Slingshot murmured. Next to him, Stage snickered. “Shut up, ya bum.”
“We almost there?” Stage asked, smothering a yawn.
“Yes, are you tired?” Dutchy asked.
“No.” He replied sarcastically.
“What do you want me to do? Carry you?” Specs asked, half demanding.
“It’d be nice.” Stage muttered in a barely audible tone. Too bad the others heard him. Dutchy raised his eyebrows at Specs who glared back. Blink stifled a laugh, Mush’s face split into a grin, and Dave rolled his eyes.
“I’ll throw you off the bridge, Dutch.” Specs snarled.
“Yes!” Slingshot exclaimed. Dutchy sent an mock hurt glance over his shoulder at Slingshot.
“That hurts, Sling.”
“Don’t call me ‘Sling’, Blondie.”
“Don’t call me ‘Blondie’.”
“I’ll do whatever I want!”
“Keep moving.” Stage said annoyed, pushing Slingshot along.
“My feet hurt!”
“Now its both of you?” Jack looked ready to scream. “Look, its that pier over there, so move! Understand me?”
“Yeah, we got ya, Jackie-boy. There’s no need to shout.” Stage muttered. The troop trekked down to the pier and threaded their way through the Brooklyn newsies. Spot met them halfway across the pier. He and Jack did the spit handshake.
“Well, these are the new ones.” Jack said, motioning towards Stage and Slingshot. Slingshot’s mouth hung slightly open as he gawked at Spot. Spot raised his eyebrows at him. Stage hit Slingshot across the head.
“Sorry, what?” Slingshot promptly replied. “I drifted off for a second there.”
“Uh huh…drifted, eh? More like swam.” Spot replied. “Immigrants, Jack?”
“Damn straight.” Stage replied.
“My feet hurt.” Slingshot complained, sitting on a pier post. Stage was satisfied to sit on the pier deck.
“Those aren’t very…” Spot began. There was a loud crack and the post started to fall backwards. Slingshot’s eyes resembled saucers and Stage and Spot leaped forward, trying to grab him off it. Stage missed but Spot didn’t. Unfortunately, he went down into the water with Slingshot.
“Oh no…” Stage mumbled. “This is bad, this is very bad!”
“Why? Can't he swim?” Dutchy asked, peering over the edge into the dark waters below.
“Uh, no.” Stage replied, doing a little quick-thinking.
“Don’t worry about it…Spot’s down there. He’ll get him.” Mush assured Stage, patting him on the back.
That’s what I’m afraid of… Stage thought.
After a few seconds, Spot surfaced, his hair plastered in wild directions. There were several large bubbles and Slingshot came up, gasping for air. Spot turned to help him…and gawked. As did the other boys on the pier. Except Stage, who was wincing.
“Holy Sweet Jesus!” Jack sputtered. Slingshot was visibly embarrassed. His cap had floated away and his hair had fallen down. Frankly, it revealed that he was a she. The wet shirt didn’t help much, either. Slingshot was quite glad she had worn a dark green shirt that day.
“Spot, ‘mind bringing her up?” Stage called down. “Spot? SPOT! Don’t make me come down there!”
“What? Sorry.” Spot replied awkwardly. He swam towards the ladder, Slingshot doggy-paddling behind. The two climbed back up onto the pier and Stage gave her a towel he had snatched from another Brooklyn newsie.
“Its cold!” Slingshot exclaimed.
“Is that all you have to say for yourself?” Jack demanded.
“Jack, why don’t you go soak your head?” Stage snapped, shoving him into the water. “He can swim, right?” He asked as an afterthought.
“Should be able to.” Spot replied. Sure enough, Jack came up thrashing and pulled himself back up onto the pier. Spot handed him a towel.
“Well, we’d better get back to Manhattan so she can change.” Stage said, heading off. Blink grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back.
“Not until we get an explanation.”
“Yeah, yeah. After we get back, huh? She’ll catch her death of cold.”
“Stage, can I ask you a serious question?” Specs asked.
“Shoot.”
“Do you like boys?”
Stage visibly faltered at the question. Slingshot snickered.
“I’m not gay if that’s what you’re getting at.” He replied after a few moments. “Are we going back to Manhattan or what?”
Stage strode off down the pier, the others and Spot following closely behind.
****
The group reached Manhattan soon after. Slingshot had somehow convinced Spot to carry her for the rest of the trip. Blink and Specs were holding up a practically dead-on-his-feet Stage.
“All right, Stage. Where’s the place you’re stayin’?” Boots asked, looking around at all the buildings.
“It’s that one.” Stage mumbled, covering a yawn with one hand. “Room three, second story.”
"I have to carry this thing up the stairs?!” Spot demanded.
“Who’re you calling ‘this thing’?!” Slingshot shot back.
“Ok, come on. I’ll lead.” Stage said, shrugging off the help of the other two. He climbed up the narrow staircase, Spot following with the rest in the rear in case he toppled over backwards with the extra cargo in his arms.
“You can drop us off at the door.” Stage told them. When they reached the door Spot put down Slingshot and they all said their goodbyes. Stage unlocked the door and staggered in. she threw the keys across the room along with her shoes.
“I’ll be in the bathroom. I’d like to take a bath after that stupid river.” Slingshot said, disappearing into the bathroom.
“Uh huh.” Stage replied. “Ew, gross…oil.” She said looking down at her shirt. Stage decided to soak the shirt and sleep in her undershirt. She dropped the soiled shirt in a basin of water and collapsed on the bed.
This day cannot get any worse. Stage thought as she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 6- "Course it's a good idea"
Boots, Spot, Jack, Dutchy, Mush, Dave, Blink, and Specs sat around at Tibby’s, discussing the days events. It had been an hour since they had dropped Stage and Slingshot off at the place where they were staying.
“Think they feeling better?” Dave asked.
“That Slingshot was rather disgruntled from being wet.” Spot replied calmly as he took a bite of his sandwich. “Stage seemed to be half asleep by the time we got back.”
“Big day, I suppose.” Blink said. “I had to drag Stage up the stairs.”
“’Up the stairs’? ‘Up the stairs’?!” Specs demanded, sending an annoyed glace in Blink’s direction. “Try all the way home.”
“I wonder if they’re together…” Mush mused. All seven dropped their forks with a clatter and fixed him with a weird look.
“Is that all you think about?” Boots asked.
“I answered this question already.”
“Does it matter if they’re together or not?” Jack asked.
“I want to know.” Mush whined. “Lets go!”
“No!” They all groaned.
“Go by yourself.” Dutchy told him.
“Can't. I don’t remember where the place is.” He said with a shrug. The others groaned and dished out payment for their separate pieces of food. A particularly happy Mush led the way out of Tibby’s, soon to be replaced by Spot who remembered the route.
****
“Stage? Slingshot?” Mush asked, knocking on the door. Getting no reply, he tested the knob.
“Mush! We shouldn’t just walk in.” Dave hissed.
“Shouldn’t, but we are.” He replied with a shrug. Mush pushed the door open and walked in, followed closely by the others. “Stage? Slingshot?”
“Hm?” Came a sleepy voice from the bed. Stage sat up and stretched. Upon seeing who had walked in the door, he froze. Stage fell backwards off the bed with a thud. “What are you doing here?!”
“Uhhum, did we walk in the wrong room?” Mush stammered. “Spot! I thought you knew the way!”
“I do. This is the right room.” He snapped.
“Get out!” Stage shrieked, pitching a paperweight at the group.
“Ack!”
“Look out!”
“Ouch!”
“Out, out, OUT!” Stage yelled continuing to throw things. The boys fled the room and slammed the door behind them.
“Well, Mush. Get the answer you wanted?” Blink asked.
“More than one.” He said in a sulky tone, rubbing the spot where the paperweight had hit. “What the hell is going on? I thought they said they weren’t gay!”
“They did. Meaning they ‘like boys’, idiot.” Dutchy told him. “Field’s clear for you, eh Specs?”
“Shut up, big mouth.” Specs answered, pushing him roughly. “I’ll send you down the stairs.”
“You just try it!”
“Cut it out, you two.” Jack cut in.
“So…they’re both girls?” Dave asked, quietly. There was a silence as the others looked at him with half-closed eyes.
“Good, Davey.” Blink replied, clapping him on the shoulder.
“Hm, goil Newsies…think of the possibilities, would ya?” Mush said with a freakishly huge grin upon his face.
“If you guys are done…” Snapped a voice from the doorway. The boys turned around to see Slingshot in much dryer clothes.
“Youse gots some explainin’ to do, Slingshot.” Jack said.
“It ain't Slingshot anymore.” She replied. “My real name’s ToT.”
“ToT rhymes with Spot!” Dutchy exclaimed.
“Watch your back in Brooklyn, Dutchy.” Spot growled.
“Back upon the subject…we deserves an explanation.” Jack interrupted, yet again. “Like whys you two told us youse was boys.”
“We didn’t tell you,” Stage replied coming into view, still blushing, and buttoning up the last few buttons on a clean shirt. “You assumed we were because we ‘walked the walk and talked the talk’.”
“But why the cover-up?”
“Why do you think, Jackie-boy?” ToT shot back. “You think we would have gotten a fair deal on papes otherwise? Men tend to think women are gullible.”
“Not that y’all are better paper sellers than us, you understand.” Stage added.
“What's that supposed to mean?” Boots asked. “We’ve been doing this all our lives. Youse just came in.”
“We’ve got secret weapons, you know.” ToT replied. “Like charm, good looks, sweet talk…” She started counting off on her fingers.
“All right, all right. Hows ‘bout this, then?” Jack said, pushing to the front where he towered over the two girls. “A sell-off. We divide into teams and whoever sells the most papes tomorrow is the better seller.”
“You’re on, Jackie-boy.” Stage replied, raising herself to her full height…which still didn’t account for much compared to him. “Me and ToT on one team, you pick another newsie for yours.”
“Fine. Blink, you’re with me. Tomorrow, at the distribution office. One hundred papes, whoever’s done first wins.”
“See you.” ToT announced, slamming the door.
“Jack, you sure this is such a good idea?” Blink asked in a low voice.
“’Course it’s a good idea.” Jack replied without a second thought. “We need plenty of sleep tonight. Lets go.”
Chapter 7-"He's lying"
Jack waited at the distribution office, two stacks of a hundred papers in his arms. Blink waited beside Jack and the others behind him. It was almost time for the competition to begin and no signs of the competitors.
“Think theys chickened out?” Mush asked, elbowing Blink. Blink frowned and shrugged. Whispers passed through the crowd.
“That’s them, ain't it?” Boots asked, pointing out two figures approaching the gates.
“Naw, those two are girls.” Racetrack replied, lighting a cigar. “They must have decided against competing against you, Jack.”
“No, that’s them, Race.” Jack replied, holding up a hand to block the morning sunshine. “Newsies showing their true colors.”
“Heya, fellas.” ToT greeted them, walking up in her feminine outfit. “What ya’ll starin’ at? Never seen a girl before?”
“They look like a bunch of dead fish.” Stage said with a giggle. “Close your mouths, boys. You’ll catch flies that way.”
“Youse ready to go?” Jack asked. When the two nodded, he shoved their papers at them. “Good.”
“Aw, awfully nice of you to buy our papes for us.” ToT sneered.
“Whatever, just sell them. Racetrack’s stayin’ back here to wait for the winner.” Jack told them. “Of course, we all know who’ll it be.”
A few Newsies snickered at Jack’s comment. ToT and Stage scowled at him. Each boosted the newspapers to their shoulders and glared at the opposing competition.
“All right, sell!” Racetrack yelled, waving his arm. Blink and Jack took off. ToT and Stage watched the two boys running furiously to claim the best selling spots.
“Wow, lookit ‘em go.” Stage said, putting up a hand to block the sunlight from shining in her eyes.
“Too bad this ain't a race.”
“Then we wouldn’t have worn skirts, eh?”
“No, this is my best skirt.”
“That’s your only skirt.”
“Yeah, so it’s my best skirt. By default.” ToT said with a shrug. Grinning, the two girls turned to the large crowd of Newsies.
“Who wants a pape?” ToT asked without her usual sarcasm. She strolled up to Mush. “Want one, Mush?”
“Uh…” Mush faltered. “But—its going against Jack and Blink. I dunno…”
“Please?”
“Yeah, all right.” Mush gave in and paid her for the paper. Stage ducked her head to hide her laugh. She then approached Specs. He looked up nervously at her from his spot on the steps. Dutchy—who was sitting on his right—grinned.
“How ‘bout you?” Stage asked, fluttering her eyelashes.
“I don’t want a papah.” He replied.
“Yes, you do.” Dutchy said, elbowing him sharply.
“No, I don’t.”
“He’s lying.”
“Shut up, Dutchy.” Specs hissed.
ToT came up behind Stage and whispered something in her ear. Stage set her papers down on Specs’s left and frowned to keep a smile from spreading across her face. ToT walked away, smothering a snicker. Stage walked up a few of the steps and sat down on Specs’s lap. He turned an interesting shade of bright red. Specs grew even redder when Dutchy howled with laughter and fell off the steps, drawing everyone else’s attention. [1]
“You sure you don’t want a paper, Specs?” Stage asked, putting her arms around his neck. Several wolf-whistles came from the other newsies. ToT and Mush were leaning on each other, ready to collapse from laughter.
“Fine, I’ll buy a paper.” Specs mumbled—his face a vivid scarlet—, pulling out the appropriate coin. Stage took it and handed him a paper from the stack. Dutchy had composed himself (finally) and gave Specs a whack on the back.
“That ain't the way to treat a lady, Specsie.” He said as Stage stood up and smoothed the wrinkles in his skirt. “I’ll take a pape, too.”
Stage handed Dutchy a paper after he flipped her the penny. She stuck in her skirt pocket and turned to ToT who was making similar process through the crowd. Stage bit back a snicker as ToT sidled up next to Racetrack, her charming skills on.
“Hey, ToT…maybe we should actually go out there and make this a little more interesting, hm?” She asked, pulling a piece of lint off her long skirt. “I mean, those two are at a default, not having certain things…”
“Too bad Jackie-boy doesn’t have those things, huh?” Mush replied. The roar of laughter was deafening after Mush’s comment. After it had died down, ToT replied to Stage’s question.
“Why not, let’s plunge into that crowd over there.” ToT said, pointing over to a small crowd in the town square
Chapter 8-"Is that what they're calling it these days?"
Stage and ToT shoved their way through the crowd, yelling the headlines at the top of their lungs.
"I don’t think they're going to hear us!" ToT yelled.
"What?!" Stage yelled back. "I can't hear a damned thing over here!"
"Come on." ToT grabbed Stage by an arm and they both found a slightly quieter spot. "They aren't going to hear us when we're in there."
"Apparently not." Stage replied, frowning at the crowd. "Stupid people!" She yelled shaking a fist.
"Er, I don’t think that'll help."
"Hey, do we know them?" Stage asked, pointing at two boys approaching in fedoras.
"Are they newsies?"
"That’s basically what I just asked you."
"Eh, sorry." ToT looked up towards the sun. "Its almost noon…how many papes we got left?"
"A dozen."
"Hello there, goils." The shorter one said.
"Hey, ya wanna buy a pape?" ToT asked, doing a personality 180.
"I don’t know, what'll you do for me?"
"…Give you your paper?" ToT replied after a short pause.
"Dat ain't good enough, sweet t'ing." He replied. ToT glared up at him.
Thwack! He stumbled back, a large red patch on his left cheek. ToT lowered her hand and shook it out.
"Ow…"
"You'll be sorry foi dat! No one crosses the Delancy brudders!"
"I think she just did." Stage replied. "So you two are the Delancy 'brudders'?"
"Yeah. I'm Oscar and dis is Morris." Oscar replied. "Rememba th name. Youse will wanna know who killed ya."
"Oh, yeah. I'm trembling!" ToT said, doing a fake shudder. "You don’t have the balls to hit a girl." Oscar turned a crimson hue, from anger or embarrassment—it was hard to tell which.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Yous gonna be sorry you said dat!"
"Hm. Why does that sound so familiar? Oh, that’s right! You already used that threat, smart one."
"Extra, extra." Stage said, walking between the two. "Local hit man and immigrant get into fight, disrupts neighborhood!"
"Thank you, Stage." ToT said flatly.
"We can go now." Stage said, bopping ToT on the head with a rolled up paper. "I've sold all the papes."
"What about that one?"
"Hm. Guess I missed one. So I'll sell it on the way home." Stage replied. "Come on, lets go. We'll get a free meal at Tibby's if we win."
"I didn’t hear about that."
"I'm sure we can flirt our way into it."
"Good point."
"Youse ain't goin' nowhere!" Morris snarled. The two girls looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"Watch us."
"What do youse two tink yer doin'?" Jack demanded from behind them. Blink stood next to him, chewing on his cheek with five papers in his hand. "Cheese it." The Delancy's sulked away.
"You're on, ToT." Stage said, giving her the last paper. ToT did a sort of a salute with the rolled up paper. She then sauntered over to Blink, smiling sweetly. He looked down at her with wary eyes.
"Buy me last pape?" ToT asked, leaning into him. Blink looked to Jack, wide eyed. Jack sent him a look that distinctly said "No!"
"Uh…er…I don’t think…"
"Come on, please?"
"Blink, don’t do it."
"I already have papes…"
"Not one like this."
"Kid…" Jack said in a warning tone. ToT looked back at Stage.
"Oh!" Stage exclaimed. She walked up to Jack, grabbed his bandana, and pulled him away. "Come on, Jack…I have to…uh, talk to you."
"Is that what they call it these days?" ToT called after them.
"Just because you got the good one…" Stage started, pointing. Jack and Blink looked at each other, utterly bewildered. Stage started walking again, Jack in tow.
"Please buy the paper?"
"Er…"
"Please Blinkie?"
"But Jack…"
****
"You don’t want to buy us dinner at Tibby's?" Stage asked innocently.
"No." Jack replied firmly. Stage, thoroughly fed up with Jack's stubbornness, tugged sharply on his bandana. "Ow! What was dat fer?"
"You want me to tell Sarah you weren’t a good sport?"
"Dat's a low blow, Stage."
"Agreed then?"
"Yeah, fine. Not a word of dis to Sarah." Jack started back, but Stage pulled him back again.
"Not yet. I'll tell you when you can go."
****
"Well, uh…um…"
Oh just buy the damn paper! ToT screamed in her mind. Stupid stubborn men!
"…Ok…" Blink replied, great hesitance in his voice.
"Great!" ToT gave him the paper in an exchange for his penny.
****
"Ok, we can go now." Stage said, starting towards ToT and Blink.
"What happened?"
"We just won the sell-off, Jackie-boy. When you're finished selling those five papes, come by. We'll be waiting at Tibby's for ya."
Chapter 9-Official seats
The newsies headed into Tibby's, taking seats at tables all in the same vicinity. Stage and ToT walked in, joking and laughing. The boys couldn’t quite understand what they found so funny since they both had been around each long to enough to have nothing to talk about.
"Where are we going to sit?" ToT asked, looking around at all the tables. Stage frowned and looked around. Stage was about to say something when she was tugged away by her wrist. ToT blinked at the absence of her friend.
Dutchy continued to pull Stage along. She blinked and stumbled along behind him. He flung her into a booth and she landed on something besides the booth seat. Stage blinked and swiveled her head around to look at a crimson-faced Specs.
"Is this just my official seat now?" Stage asked, turning back to look at Dutchy.
"If I have anything to say 'bout it." Dutchy said, sitting down on Specs right. ToT slid in on the left.
"Which you don’t!" Specs sputtered.
"Yes I do. I'm your best friend and I's gots a say in what you do in yer life." Dutchy said with a malicious smile. "And I says its 'bout time you got yerself a goil!"
"You don’t have one!"
"At the moment, no. 'Least I's try."
"I hate you, Dutchy."
"Aw, Specs. You know you love me. 'Sides," He said with a wink. "You'll t'ank me latah."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Stage demanded, turning a little pink at the comment. ToT snickered in her seat and received two full-fledged glares. The door to Tibby's opened and in stepped the head of Brooklyn.
"Spot!" ToT exclaimed, jumping up and running over to him. "Save me!" She added, hiding behind him. Spot looked back to where she had been sitting to see a hysterical Dutchy and two very embarrassed newsies. Spot grinned and walked back over to the table.
"Where'd you get the lap ornament, Specs?" Spot asked. Dutchy plunged into another fit of laughter.
"Shut up!" He snapped.
"Notice he makes no attempt to push her off." ToT whispered just loud enough for the others to hear.
"Stage, get off."
"No. There’s no place else to sit."
"Fine."
"Ah, got him wrapped already? Youse a fast woikah, Stage." Dutchy said, grinning.
"Just like a pretty present with a bow!" ToT said. Everyone turned and looked at her funny. "Heh, sorry…"
While this conversation was going on, Specs continued to change hues of red. He was now a deep maroon color. Stage patted him on the shoulder in what she hoped was a comforting manner.
Spot sat down in ToT's old seat and she turned to look for another. Stage and Specs both reached out, grabbed the back of her shirt, and pulled. ToT fell backwards on to Spot's lap.
"Nicely done." Stage said to Specs.
"Not bad yerself." He replied. "Nice lap ornament, Spot."
"I t'ink so too." Spot answered. ToT went as red—if not redder—as Specs had been.
"I'm leaving," ToT whined as she stood up.
"No, you're not," Spot said, pulling her back. Specs, Stage, and Dutchy snickered.
"What a playah!" Blink said, jokingly.
"Hey," Mush whined. "How come the ones with the 'S' names get lucky?"
Snaps, Skittery, and Snipeshooter all looked at each other, huge grins upon their faces. They strolled over to the table.
"So…" Snipeshooter said.
"Can we help you?" Stage asked.
"I don’t know, you tell me." Snaps replied.
"Depends on what you want help with…" ToT replied. Skittery leaned forward on the table, propping his chin up on an elbow. Stage and ToT leaned backwards. Stage leaned too far and fell off Specs's lap, onto the floor with a thud.
"Uhm…" Specs looked down at Stage who was lying on her back with her eyes closed tightly.
"Ow! Youse got a bony butt, ToT." Spot exclaimed with a wince.
"Likewise, Stage." Specs mumbled, helping her back up.
"That a no?" Skittery asked with a frown.
"Theys spoken fer." Spot replied.
"Sorry boys." ToT and Stage chorused with smirks.
THE END