After another day of selling, we all came back for a party at the Lodging House. Race, Davey, Les, Specs and I were the first people to come home.
"Let's get some things straight before people get here. We are not putting Henry in charge of the food." Specs says, tidying up a bit. Davey is in the kitchen getting cups and everything else we need for tonight. I'm sweeping and Race is holding the pan we put the dust in.
The door opens as Henry walks in. "What do you mean?"
"I'm sure that people are gonna want more than pastrami on rye with a sour pickle."
"Okay....ham?"
Jack walks through the door before Henry and Specs can continue to bicker. Crutchie hobbled in behind him.
"Hey guys! Ise got some decorations!" Jack holds up a box. He opens the box to reveal some sort of streamers. He also has a picture frame along with one of the newspapers from today.
We made the front page again.
"And look at this!" Crutchie turns, showing us his crutch. There is a banner on it but instead of strike, it says Once and For All.
"Wow." Les says. He has been helping Davey as much as he could with his cast. Before, he tried to sweep but that was a little hard with one arm, so we switched jobs.
"That's great, Crutchie!" Henry remarks. "Hey, Jack...can I be on food duty tonight?"
"Sure!"
We all groan. Guess it's a sandwich night.
"I got the food!" Albert announced as door shut behind him. Henry slumped in disappointment.
"Nice. The deli?" Specs inquires. Albert shakes his head.
"No. A new place called Tibby's down the street." Albert answered.
"I got plates!" Davey yells from the kitchen.
We all snicker. Jojo comes in next followed by Smalls.
"I got huge tips today so I got a bottle of seltzer for the party." Jojo says.
"I will put that and the food in the kitchen!" Davey comes out and takes the seltzer and the food. He disappeared back into the kitchen.
"I'm saving my money." Romeo starts as he walks in. "I got a hundred papes this time and guess how much I made? With the rest I got left over, I'm almost at a dollar!"
"Great!"
"Man, I should start doing that." Race says, lighting another corona.
"Yeah, then you could by back your muddah!" Elmer says. He shuts the door behind him and enters the room with Finch. Mush comes in soon after Finch and Elmer.
Someone knocks at the door.
We are all puzzled. Nobody knocks.
Smalls answers the door.
"Hello. Is Esther Kelly here?"
"Yes she is." Smalls motions me to come.
Standing outside the door is Harvey.
"Hey."
"Hi there. Where's Cole?"
Harvey points. "Over there. He wanted to explore a bit. I wanted to tell you congratulations on the strike. You won. You got me out." He seems close to tears. "Thank you so much."
"Remember when you said you wanted to be a newsie?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I'm inviting you to come to the party tonight. We're getting it ready right now."
He smiles. "I'll get Cole."
I shut the door because there always seems to be a breeze blowing. Even in July, the breeze doesn't quit. I walk back in the Lodging House. "Hey, you guys?" All of them stop to look at me.
"Yeah?" Jack says.
"There's a kid about our age I met at the Refuge. His name is Harvey and he had a little friend named Cole, about the age of Les." Les perks up at this. "When I was in there with Crutchie, he told me he had always wanted to be a newsie. He told me that it wouldn't be possible if he was stuck in the Refuge. Now that's they are out, are you alright with adding another two newsies to the family? They are really great kids and your approval to join us means a lot to them."
"I liked that kid. Harvey was a very positive person." Crutchie says. "Yeah, he'd make a great newsie. Cole would too, he's a lot like Les." Les smiles.
Jack smiles. "I don't mind."
"Me neither." Race told me.
"I'm good with that!" Davey yells, still in the kitchen.
"I think we all agree." says Buttons.
"When did you get here?" Les asks.
"Tommy Boy and me went through the back door." They all turn to see Tommy Boy, who just waves. Les waves back.
A knock at the door again.
"That's them." I say and I answer it.
"Hiya Esther!" Cole says.
"Hi there." I say. "Come on in."
"Thanks." Harvey says. He steps inside and the newsies all start talking to him.
Finally, Romeo drops the question. "Ever think of being a newsie?"
Harvey nods. "Oh yes. I thought about it lots of times. Especially when you guys started the strike." We smile.
"Do ya still want to?" Jack asked.
He nods again.
"Well, you'd need a nickname. So would your friend." Race says and gestured to Cole. Cole had already befriended Les and the two were playing behind us.
"How about Shiner?" Davey suggests, finally out of the kitchen. "I mean the nasty bruise on his eye doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon."
"I like that." Harvey says.
"And what did you say your friend's name was?" Tommy Boy asked.
"His name is Cole."
"The little squirt's kinda cute." Albert said looking at them.
"That's it. His nickname can be Squirt."
"Welcome to the group, guys."
《~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~》
We started the party two hours ago ish. Now, Davey opened up the kitchen part to us.
Albert of course, goes straight to the seltzer. There is some bread from the deli and some other stuff from Tibby's.
Henry was happy because Jojo got him a sandwich.
Davey quiets everyone down. We all have a glass of seltzer now.
"I just wanna make a toast. To winning the strike!"
"To winning the strike!" We echo.
"And to Shiner and Squirt, our newest members of the family!" I exclaim. We raise our glasses again. Cole hugs Albert's knees this time.
Because of his mouth, Albert is not normally good around kids. He leans down and hugs him back. Crutchie pats Harvey on the back.
"Ise been saving this for a week or so. For a night like this. Let me get it." Race says. He walks up to his bunk and lays on the ground, searching for something under the bed.
"Must be a king sized pack of coronas." Finch says and we laugh.
Race pulls out a box from under his bed.
When he opens it, we're shocked.
"Race, why in the world would you keep beer under your bed?"
"Cause that's the coldest place I could find." He said. "I got the box when I gambled a week or so before the strike. They paid me two cents and then gave me this."
Albert grabs a bottle and takes a swig. "Pretty good. BOTTOMS UP PEOPLE!" He yells that before drinking more of it, finishing it this time.
Soon everyone but Les and Cole have a bottle in their hand. They tried to sneak one a couple times but Davey always caught them. Les even tried sneaking a drink of Davey's but that didn't work.
After that, we have a poker tournament. Harvey ends up winning.
"You gotta teach me your secrets, Shiner." He said as he handed over the prize...another bottle.
Half the boys were wasted already. I hear a knock on the back door. I slip away unnoticed and answer it.
No one is there but a note lays at my feet.
It says this: Have Esther meet me on the roof, Oscar
I smile as I head up on the ladder. Oscat is sitting there smiling. His smile grows once he sees me.
"Hey there, Kelly."
"Hiya. Did Jack see you?"
"I hope not." He said, looking around.
"You know, I was thinking. The other newsies seem to be fine with us being together. If Jack doesn't like it, he's just gonna have to deal with it."
He laughs. "You forget I have a brother too. Who hates your guts. And your brother hates my guts."
"Why does being seventeen have to be so hard?" I say.
Esther:
Fine we're damaged.
Really Damaged
But that does not make us wise.
We're not special.
We're not different.
We don't choose who lives or dies.
Let's be normal.
See some vaudevilles.
I can get you in for free
Sneak some beers or
Watch the races
Don't you want a life with me?
Can't we be seventeen?
That's all I want to do
If they could let us in
I could be good with you
People hurt us
Oscar:
Or they vanish
Esther:
And you're right it really blows
But we let go
Oscar:
Take a deep breath
Esther:
Summer's coming to a close
Let's go somewhere
Oscar:
Play some Poker
Esther:
And go eat aome chilli fries
Maybe someday
Oscar:
We'll be dancing
Esther:
Don't stop looking in my eyes
Oscar:
Your eyes
Both:
Can't we be seventeen?
Is that so hard to do?
If they could let us in
I could be good with you
Let us be seventeen
If we've still got the right
Esther:
So what's it gonna be?
I wanna be with you
Oscar:
I want to be with you
Esther:
Wanna be with you
Both:
Tonight!
Esther:
Yeah, we're damaged
Oscar:
Badly damaged
Both:
But your love's to good to lose
Esther:
Hold me tighter
Oscar:
Even closer
Esther:
Please stay, you're the one I choose
Oscar:
Can't we be seventeen?
Esther:
If I am what you choose
Oscar:
If we've still got the right
Esther:
Cause you're the one I choose
Oscar:
You're the one I choose
Both:
You're the one I choose
Wow. Longest chapter ever. The song that they sang was my version of Seventeen from Heathers: The Musical. I love the show and song. I had to change some of the words but it worked pretty well. Two chapters to go before this is completed.
Hope you like it!