Return to New York

Attention, please

Jack paces frantically back and fourth on the floor in front of us. Mush is sitting shirtless in a chair and I am beside him with a bucket of water and a wet rag, cleaning up the large cut on his right arm that he got from earlier in the night.

The younger boys were still sleeping while all the older ones were up and assessing the situation, although most of them looked like they wanted to be back in bed. Blink was the most helpful, gathering clean cloths and water for me. Blink and Mush had always been extremely close and it was clear to me that he was worried about his friend.

"Are you two thick in the head? Why were you walkin' around at night?" Jack demanded, running a hand through his hair.
"Hey! You's the thick headed one! It wasn't dark when we started!" I snapped back at him, accidentally pressing too hard on Mush's arm and he winced.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled to him and dunked the rag in the water, ringing it out. Mush didn't say anything, he hadn't said anything since we got back to the lodging house. He just placed his left hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"It was my fault jack-" Mush began to speak.
"Yeah, no shit it was! I outta Soak ya for puttin' my sista in danger like that!" Jack cut off mush's sentence and was now screaming. I looked behind me and saw some of the younger kids peeking around the corner, hiding when I looked at them. I sighed gently.
"You guys can come out."

Five small boys crept around the corner and looked at us in a circle. Some of them saw Mush's arm and gasped gently. Others looked scared.
"Sit down." I instructed them. They did as I said and jack looked at me confused. "What ar-"

"Shut up." I said sternly. Jack's mouth hung open for a moment before closing. He was not happy.
"Blink, will you get me a clean rag and an old bed sheet?"
Kid Blink nodded and went into the bedrooms to find what I was asking for.

"From now on, nobody goes anywhere without being in at least a pair. And once the sun disappears behind the buildings, you haul your asses back here. Kids under 12 will be paired up with two older kids and we all sell in groups.  You wanna go to the theater? You take a friend, you wanna go to Tibby's, you take a friend. You leave manhattan you better be damn sure you take two friends. Does everybody understand me?"
I looked around the room at everybody and all eyes were on me. Even jack was paying attention through his curtain of hair. There were murmurs if "yes" and "okay" through the group, but mostly nods.

Kid Blink came back and handed me what I needed. "Everybody back to bed." Everybody slowly got up and walked back to the bunk room, until it was just me, Mush, and Jack.

"Way to command attention." Mush smirked gently. I said nothing to him.
"Jack you have to apologize."

"What?"
I used an old knife to cut a strip of the bed sheet off, and then cut another thicker one after that. "Apologize to Mush, then to me."

"What for?"
"For freaking out! You had no reason to do that in front of everybody." As I was lecturing Jack, I tied the smaller piece of fabric around mush's arm and the clean rag to create somewhat of a bandage. I then began to tie the bigger strip into a sling.

Jack was thinking for a long time, running his tongue along the lower inside of his lip.
"Im sorry. I'm sorry to both of ya. I just-" his voice got tighter as he swallowed hard. "I can't loose nobody else.

I frowned softly and got up, walking over to Jack. He wrapped his arms around me and I returned. "You won't lose me. I promise."
Jack sighed and rested his chin on the top of my head.
"I can't."

I pulled back from Jack's hug and smiled up at him.
"Okay everyone, it's time for bed."

•••

"I'm so glad that you've returned! How was your trip?" Medda asked me while applying makeup in the dressing rooms.
I stood behind her as she sat in her beauty chair. I used an iron to curl her gorgeous red hair. I chuckled softly, "glad to be back, Medda."

"I'm real sorry about Racetrack.. I know you know this but me and the kid were close."
I frowned gently as she talked. My chest sank and became heavy. It hadn't occurred to me that now for the rest of my life I would be hearing, "I'm sorry about your friend." Everyone knew we were the closest of anybody from the Manhattan Newsies. The sting was so intense I could feel it in my chest physically. It was actual heartbreak. I didn't know how you could feel heartbreak without your heart actually being hurt at all. It was the worst pain that I had ever been through.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too." I replied, choking on my own tears. Medda seemed to notice because she turned around and hugged me. One of those really tight "I'm sorry for you" hugs. She pulled away from me and sniffled, grabbing my shoulders. Had she started to cry too?

"Well, your English has gotten much better dear." Medda remarked, trying to lighten the mood. I let out a half-hearted chuckle. "Well, A year in England will do that to you."
"Say, let's send your brother there for a while then." And after that, we both shared a genuine laugh.

From backstage I watched Medda preform like the elegant song-angel she is. I smiled as the audience erupted in applause for her performance and found myself longing to be singing on the stage. After that, and the reunion with my boys, I knew that I was meant to be here; meant to stay here.