A Newsie Story

Chapter 2

I can't sleep. I should be able to sleep easily now in an actual bed and nightclothes but the sleep just won't come. Davey and Race are discussing things in the other room. It has to be either about me or our financial state. I would bet on the first one.

I tiptoe over to the door to listen to the conversation. "Well we has ta introduce her to Spot first," it's Race's voice. He has more of the New York accent, but who the hell is Spot?

Race continues matter-of-factly,"Ya know he can protect her mo'e than we can..."

The room gets quite. This Spot must be someone important. Davey speaks quietly in a timid voice,"I don't like Spot, Race. I don trust him either. Sure he can protect 'er but he could also soak 'er jus as easily. She isn't ready for Spot."

Again a silence fills the room as they both get caught up in thought. I have a lot of questions swirling through my mind. Who is Spot? Why would he soak a girl? How could he protect me from the mysterious stranger they were talking about earlier?

Race moves closer to the door now as if he moved closer to Davey. "Davey, Jack isn't here anymo'e. Spot is the only one who could protect 'er like he would a. Ya want her safe don ya?"

I lean against the door too hard and I fall into the room. They both stare at me confused at first but then they realize I was eaves dropping. "Damnit Liv," Race says as he pulls me up. I rub my arm. It hit the doorknob hard. That will be a bruise tomorrow. Davey grabs my arm and inspects it,"It will bruise but it's not broken o nothin'. Why was you listenin to us. You could a just come in an talked to us..."

I look away ashamed. Why didn't I? I wasn't thinking. Race pulls me onto his blanket so I'm sitting basically on his lap. Both his hands are on my thighs. This is meant as a friendly gesture but I feel something more for the first time ever with Race.

Davey coughs a little getting our attention," Howeva important this conversation is, it can wait till morning."

"I can't sleep in that room alone. I just can't do it. In the place under the bridge one of you was always sleeping in the same room as me," I say looking at both of them.

* * *

We all end up sleeping in the little room. At first the boys sleep on the floor but in the middle of the night I screamed because of an awful nightmare. Once I screamed both of them had climbed into the bed with me. I woke up sandwiched between Davey and Race and I truthfully have never been happier.

I just lay there feeling Davey's cool breath on my neck and hearing Race's heartbeat right by my ear. It couldn't be more perfect. The whole world is quiet except the chirping of birds and distant city life. The sun shines through the window and hits the place under the blanket where all six of our feet are tangled together. One of my hands rest against Davey's chest and the other one is wrapped around Race's waist. Both of my legs are twirled with one of there's. One arm of Davey's is under my neck like a pillow. Race's hand rests on my belly.

I'm staring up at the ceiling grinning like an knit wit when Race's hand moves. He must be waking up. He surprisingly doesn't untangle our legs. He moves my arm out from under him though and puts it in his own. I let out a deep contented sigh. Neither of us say a word nor move to look at eachother. We just lay there with our legs intertwined and holding hands.

We just lay there for about fifteen minutes when Davey starts to move around. He grabs my hand that lays on his chest and he squeezes it. The butterfly's in my stomach flutter around frantically. Davey speaks slowly,"We probably need to get ready. It's a big day today and we need to get our papes."

All three of us sit up reluctantly. None of us wants to start this day for different reasons. I feel that the boys are both scared for me while I'm just afraid of not being a good newsie. What if I just don't sell any? I could hurt our financial state more than help it if I can't sell any.