It's a Cinch

Chapter 38: Crowded Chaos

Davey and I lead the way up the staircase to my apartment followed my a herd of newsies. For some reason unknown to me, everyone wanted to come with Davey and me to see Timothy. It was chaos on those stairs because we were all running hurriedly.

When I said that Morris soaked Timothy, the newsies were mad as the dickens. The guy wasn't even really part of the strike and he got hurt trying to protect me. That didn't sit right with them. Even though these people aren't close to him, they want to see Timothy. Who says newsies are cruel?

The Denton's apartment door was shut, and its almost ten at night. It would seem rude to burst in there with tons of boys who Mr. Ben and Mrs. Harriet didn't know. And my family's apartment door was open so I quickly flicked it open, to see my father, my mother, Mrs. Harriet, Mr. Ben, Ernie and Les gathered around Timothy laying on the couch. So no one was even in their apartment anyway. Timothy sat straight up and saw me, "Rebecca, are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"No no no. Just bruised my arm a little, I'm fine. Are you okay?" I ask and kneel beside the couch to be beside him. He nods and then notices all of the fellas. "Hey guys." The newsies wave back at him, "Hey Tim." "Hiya." "Hey." These are various things that the guys said.

"They wanted to make sure that you are okay." I said and that made him smile wise. "Aw, thanks guys."  My father and Mr. Ben interrupted our moment, by looking at each other then the guys and then at me, before Mr. Ben came out and said it, "Uh, Rebecca who's your friends?"

"Oh, this is Race, Mike, Finch, Albert, Ike, Do' Boy, Romeo, Specs, Elmer, Jojo, Buttons, Mush, and you know Davey." Timothy pushes himself up so he's now sitting and I get up because there no reason for me to be sitting beside the couch anymore. At the sound of Davey, my father went to shake his hand and embarrass me by saying, "How are you son?" My mother, Mrs. Harriet and I all face palm. Why did he have to call him son? Why do fathers have to refer to significant other of their daughter as son? It's highly embarrassing.

Timothy gets the conversation back on the right track, "So what happened at the rally?" At that exact moment every newsie in the room groaned and sighed. Timothy sarcastically said, "That great, huh?"

"Tim, you wouldn't believe it Jack sold us out all to quit the strike. Pulitzer's guys handed him a big wad on the way out." Mush said popping his knuckles like he could even hurt Jack. "Correction!" I loudly said, "Pulitzer threatened Jack to either take the money or break all of our legs and throw us in the Refuge. You guys forget I went to meet the man as well. "

My mother runs over and threw her arms around me, "Poor baby." She's never seen me so angry before. I'm usually just passive aggressive, but nothing to this effect. Her hugging had no effort on me, because I was still angry.  Not at the guys but at this crummy situation that I found myself in.

"So what do we do now?" Ernie asks as he walks over and stands beside Elmer. Everyone looks at him before turning to me slowly. Everyone could tell who I was looking at though, and Davey stared right back at me.

"I don't know." Then I remembered the paper was still stuffed around the belt of my skirt. I whipped it out and held it in the air like I trophy. "Scratch that. I know exactly what we're going to do. Katherine wrote an article about the strike and how children aren't treated fairly as working individuals. I have a persuasive essay right here for people to join cause. I'm sure we could use Jack's drawing abilities to our best efforts. Katherine wants to do publish our own paper." I runs up to me and flings me in the air, "You're incredible." It was spontaneous, and by Davey's standards that's a lot. He's so charming and makes me feel special.  Timothy stands up slowly as to not hurt himself and that's when I realized I never told him about me and Davey.  "Surprise." I say in a monotonic way. 

The band of newsies and the group of parents all said "Oh," at the same time. 

Timothy walks over and shakes Davey's hand, they smile at each other and my heart grew ten sizes. "You're a great guy David, but if you hurt her. I hurt you." I tried to cover up my snort but to my luck it popped out. Timothy gave me a hard glare and I shut up.

It seems every time in my life when there is a sweet moment to be cherished someone or something barges in and takes that away from me. In this case it was Jack and Katherine. I could hear them calling my name from down the hall. "Rebecca! TULSA!"

Mike who was closest to the door swings it open and without missing a beat Katherine and Jack run in.  The hop back a little when they notice that everyone is currently crammed in my family's living room. "Well, I guess there's no use in asking if you want to rally up the guys." The newsboy leader says scratching behind his ear.

"Done and done, Jack." I quickly run up and squeeze him tightly so that he had to catch his breath. "Thanks God, you didn't become a scabber."

"Geez, Tulsa. You's acting like I was died." Jack said. I let go and roll my eyes, come one. Can't we have one sentimental moment? Is that so much to ask for? The again Jack Kelly is not the sensitive type.