So Is You One of Us?

Private Lessons

            

"Alright." I nodded and he picked up the book off the floor and started reading it.

            "I thought I told you we were done for today." I smiled.

            "Private lesson." He said and winked at me. I had no reply so he resumed reading.

            As he read I found myself looking at him and less at the words on the page. How his hair naturally curled and how his eyes flickered from word to word. The way his mouth moved when he spoke and his dimples when he smiled. It might have only been twenty-four hours but it didn't take long to realize Racetrack Higgins was attractive...apart from the cigar and poor grammar.

            "Books?" Race asked looking back at me while waving a hand in front of my face.

            "What sorry?" I said beginning to blush.

            "What does this word mean?" He said pointing at jabberwocky.

            "It's not a real word it's just a fake creature," I answered and he nodded, "hey I'm going to go talk with Crutchie and Jack for a minute." I said getting up leaving him. I climbed the fire escape and went to the roof. I looked around once I was up there and it was just as amazing as I had pictured for Miss Medda.

            "Drinking in the view?" Crutchie laughed.

            "Welcome to my penthouse, high above the stinky streets of New York," Jack said approaching me, "what does ya want?" He asked.

            "I came to talk about your plan tomorrow." I said.

            "Ok and what of it, seems like a good plan to me." Jack defended.

            "I know, I wasn't going to challenge it. You already got that from the reporter. I just want to help tomorrow" I said and he shook his head no, "Why not? I get that I'm a girl but it doesn't mean I should just sit here and do nothing. Like Davey said down at the deli, I'm just as involved as the rest of you. I can hold my own Jack." I said.

            "Yous just as stubborn as Plumber." He muttered.

            "Excuse me, what's that supposed to mean? I just want to help, I don't know what's so terrible about that." I said.

            "Don't worry about it, just go back inside." He said and I just turned on my heels and went back to my bed but Race had taken the book and gone to his bunk. I stretched myself across the flimsy mattress and resumed thinking about what was going to happen tomorrow morning. There had to be a way to convince all the Newsies of New York to stand together and not just once kids were beaten and arrested. I thought I could possibly talk to them. I grabbed my cap and left the lodge. All of the boys were too preoccupied to even notice I had left. I decided that Brooklyn was the best place to start. It was the largest city in New York and if we needed any help it had to be from them. Once I walked into the city I immediately looked for another Newsie, luckily there was one right at the bridge.

            "Hey, can you help me?" I asked.

            "Anything for a pretty girl like you." He said...how lovely.

            "Okay... I'm looking for whatever Newsie runs this place. Like how Manhattan has Jack Kelly." I clarified, I knew Jack had said the kids name but I couldn't remember it for the life of me.

            "Oh you is lookin' for Spot Conlon. Good luck wit that he don't take kindly to others. Check the navy yard." He said and pointed in the general direction. I thanked him and headed that way. When I arrived the number of Newsies present was ridiculous.        

            "Aye sweetheart is you lost or what?" One of them asked and I kept walking.

            "Well what do we have here? A girl newsie? There ain't a girlsie I don't know but I ain't ever seen you round here before; so who is you?" A newsboy asked standing in front of me.

            "I'm looking for Spot Conlon." I said.

            "Looks like you found him so what can I do for ya?" He asked. I mean he wasn't all that intimidating...he was shorter than me. The only thing really terrifying aspect was his army of goon-boys.      

            "I'm not talking unless you tell your boys to scram." I said crossing my arms. He looked at them all and nodded his head. They went separate ways and I was left standing alone with the short leader.

            "So what brings ya to Brooklyn?" He asked.

            "The Newsie strike." I said and he rolled his eyes.

            "Look, I already spoke to the kid Kelly sent earlier. So, you can go back and tell him I'll consider helpin' when I see yous isn't gonna back out." He said turning away.

            "So you're just going to let kids- some of them younger than you- throw themselves into a war with Pulitzer and the cops and Snider. I really don't understand how everyone is so afraid of you when all I see is a coward." I said laughing.

            "Watch ya mouth before I put a fist in it." He said turning back.

            "Real tough, I'll just go back to Manhattan and tell them I spoke to THE Spot Conlon himself and he was damn near shaking at the mention of Snider." I shrugged and began walking, I got a few yards away before he spoke up.

            "Hey sweetheart! I can't be putting my boys in trouble without knowin for sure but I promise afta tomorrow if yous really do try to stop the wagons...my boys and I will be there after to help." He said and I nodded.

"I'll see you then." I said, knowing at least he no longer had to 'consider'. I made my way back to the lodging house as the sky became dark. When I got up there all of the boys nearly killed me with questions as to where I had been.

            "Everyone Stop!" I yelled, "I went to Brooklyn to talk to Spot Conlon." I said. All of them fell silent as though I told them I killed a man.

            "You? You spoke to Spot Conlon...THE Spot Conlon?" Albert asked.

            "Yeah, he promised to help after tomorrow, he won't just consider it." I said and they smiled.

            "So we've got Brooklyn...afta tomorrow." Specs repeated and I nodded.

            "I'll go tell Jack!" Finch yelled running to the fire escape. After that all of the boys dispersed around the room as before.

            "You had us worried sick. Some of us thought the Delancys got to you." Race said walking up to me.

            "They didn't, I'm fine you don't have to panic." I laughed.

            "We promised to protect you and we can't do that if we don't know where ya are." He said.

            "SorryI'll leave a note next time." I said realizing he was being serious. Feelingslightly awkward as he looked down at me I walked over to my bed and got intoit. I could feel him watching me and I just pulled the thin blanket over myhead. More or less to hide my blush because the fact that he cared where I wentmade me smile. Once he stopped I kept the blanket over my head and fell asleep.I again rose to the light in my eyes but when I sat up there was no one in theroom. They all had already left to go stop the wagons. I immediately rushed to the fire escape to see down into Newsie Square. They were all standing a few feet in front of the gates and you could feel the tension looming in the air.It was as though the air had stopped moving throughout all of New York. At thefront of the group stood Jack, Davey, Crutchie and Race. Some of the boys were whistlingin unison, kind of like a battle tune.