My Ray of Sunshine

Chapter 8

I swallowed hard against the blade against my throat. "Where is Katie?"

"I won't tell!" I spat, spitting toward his shoes.

"Her brother is already gone. She's got no one left."

"She has us!"

"You really think you Newsies are worth something?"

"I-"

Callaway scoffed, "that's what I thought. And you aren't worth more than one of those disgusting sewer rats."

Albert's POV:

I woke up to a sharp scream. The scream I had come to recognize as hers. I shot out of my bed, guessing something was up. Race and Jack met me in the hallway. Jack and Crutchie had started sleeping inside as the nights were getting colder. We exchanged knowing looks and crept downstairs.

"...Disgusting sewer rats," a voice hissed from in front of us.

"I'm not-" Raya choked out before whimpering a bit. I mouthed to Jack and Race that I was going around the back. They both nodded and I took the backup stairs down to the first floor. There I saw a man with a knife pressed up against Sunshine's throat and tears rolling down her face.

Flashback: Raya's POV:

Daddy held a knife to my throat, sliding me up the wall by the collar of my dress. "Don't ever do that again!" He hissed, pressing the blade into my skin.

"It was an accident, Daddy!" I shrieked, tears sliding down my face.

"Yes, you are!" The man behind me hissed.

"No, she ain't!" Albert's voice hissed from the dark before he, Jack and Race stepped into the light.

"What the hell is going on?" Some of the other boys asked, emerging from their slumber and turning the lights on.

"Nothing," Callaway hissed, whipping around as he pulled out a gun. The guy with the knife pushed me forward towards Callaway.

"I's thinkin' otherwise," Jack retorted, crossing his arms.

"None of your business," the man behind me spat, shoving me into a wall.

"Wait!" Albert yelped, face panicked. "What do you want?"

"I want Katie dead and this girl has been a pain in Snyder's behind for years," Callaway explained, words dripping with venom.

"Not gunna happen," Elmer growled.

"Jack, you wouldn't want your sister gone, would you?" Callaway hissed, looking my brother dead in the eye.

"You know I don't," he grumbled, pulling the same face I pull.

"Good, play by the rules and she can go," the dude behind me spat.

"What rules?" Jack bellowed, eyes never leaving me.

"We's goin' to the roof so's I know you won't do anything stupid."

Callaway grabbed me by the back of my neck, shoving me up the stairs to the roof where he pushed me toward the edge.

Albert's POV:

Callaway pushed Ray toward the edge of the roof. Her face was horror-struck, and I didn't know what to do. "Here's my terms," he started, blue eyes crazy beyond help. Elmer elbowed me, nodding his head toward a dumpster that had made its way to the roof.

Katie poked her head out before she got out and hid behind it. She then inched the tin can closer to us.

"Wrong answer, Katie," Callaway hissed before dangling Sunshine over the edge of the Lodging House.

"Stop!" I screamed, hearing a whizzing sound fly by my arm before feeling a burning pain in my arm. The knife that had shot past me landed directly in Callaway's chest. I quickly crossed the roof as both of them fell, only managing to grab Raya's hand.

"Don't let go," she sobbed, noticing the blood sliding down my arm.

"Wouldn't dream of it," I grunted, pulling her up with my bad arm. She collapsed into my chest, burying her face in my shirt.

Jack sent me a look making sure I had her before taking the other Newsies down to check out the damage. The only other person on the roof was the guy who had held the knife to Raya's throat. I decided I'd deal with him later. I twisted a strand of her hair around my finger, ignoring the seering pain in my arm.

"You's needin' help," she said after a while, looking up at me with her brown eyes.

"I'll be fine," I replied. She slid away, pulling my arm and watching intently as I winced.

"That's what I thought." She grumbled, pulling me to my feet. We both headed down to her room.

"Really, I's fine, Sunshine," I grinned.

"Relax, I ain't gonna hurt ya," she grinned, cutting my sleeve off so she could assess the damage. "Oh my dog! Albert, this isn't fine!" She shrieked.

"What?!" I yelped, alarm flooding into my head.

She burst into laughter, "I got you!" We spent about five minutes laughing and joking around. She stopped laughing, her beautiful smile still playing on her face as she just looked at me.

Raya's POV:

I stopped laughing, studying his features. He was fun to be around. And his laugh was so melodic, it made you feel so happy inside.

"What?" He laughed, looking around.

"Wanna go for a walk?" I spit out quickly, feeling my face grow red.

He chuckled, "sure."

He let Jack know we were going for a walk before we headed out. Albert led  me to the park in middle of Newsie Square, the one with the big tree where people often took their dogs. The leaves of the oak tree were starting to turn into the reds and oranges and yellows and browns; and the sun filtered through them creating an almost fairytale like appearance. I sighed, a smile playing on my lips.

"You see happy," the ginger boy grinned, lacing his fingers through mine.

"I am," I said, placing my head on his shoulder.