I'd just gotten my papers and started to walk around the area near the Lodging House to sell them when a couple of guys walked out of the alley, laughing cruelly. I wondered what they'd been doing, and waited until they were out of sight before I slowly walked down the alley they'd come out of, scanning the whole thing for anything out of place or wrong. I was so intent on looking around me that I didn't notice the white-clad figure against the wall. When I saw the person, I jumped. "Um, hello?" I said, quietly stepping over to the figure and sitting down on the ground next to them. It was a girl about my age, who had apparently been beaten up rather badly. Probably by those two boys who'd come out. I muttered curses after the boys as I looked at the girl. Her blondish-brown hair was spread on the ground around her, and her forehead was cut and bleeding. She'd been bruised pretty badly on her face, and I assumed she'd probably been beaten in other places too. She was dressed in a long white dress, just above her ankles, and a straw hat with a wide blue ribbon hung around her neck on a cord. What had those two guys been doing beating on a girl?
I knew I couldn't just leave her there. I had to get help, I wasn't sure what to do, but I couldn't just leave her there. I was sure she was unconscious, but she was definitely still alive. I could see her shallow breathing, and her face was warm to the touch. Almost feverishly warm, really. I knew I had to get her back to the Lodging House. There I could clean her cuts and let her rest. Laying in a dim, musty alley is not the best place for someone who's been knocked unconscious, that much I knew for sure. I shook her carefully. "Ya 'wake?" I whispered loudly. I still got no response, so I tried to call for someone to help me. "Guys? It's me Lynn!" I shouted. "I needs some help 'ere!" My voice bounced off the walls of the alley and came back to me several times. I was slightly startled by the sound, but no one came to the alley. I called again, "please, anybody, I needs some help 'ere." Still, no one answered me. I considered my options. I could run to the Lodging House and see if anyone was there, if so I could bring them back to help me. Or, I could just sit there and wait, calling occasionally for people to come help me.
This time, someone peered into the alley. "Oh good," I said. The person appeared to be dressed like a newsie, in the same worn and mismatched pants and a hat like mine. As I drew closer, I suddenly drew in my breath sharply. The newsie was a girl. She was slightly shorter than me, and had short brown braids and turquoise-blue eyes. It was very startling. I hadn't even thought of other girl newsies existing, and I really didn't know what to think. But now was not the time for this. I would talk to her later. Formal introductions could come after we'd taken care of the girl back in the alley.
"So, what's da problem?" The girl asked, her brown braids swinging as she looked past me into the alley.
"Dere's dis goyl... maybe ya can help me." I said, and motioned for her to follow me into the alley. As we approached the white figure I sat down on the ground next to the still unconscious girl. The other girl newsie did the same. She shook the girl as I had earlier, but there was still no sign that the girl was awake.
"Where can we take 'er?" she finally asked, looking out of the alley. I nodded toward the right.
"Da Lodgin' House, whea' I lives. Dat's where I wanted ta take 'er but I can't carry 'er alone, an' maybe we can do it tagetha'." I said, slowly. The girl set down her papers on top of the place I'd set mine. We struggled to position the girl so we could carry her to the Lodging House, but it was very difficult. The girl was not exactly heavy, but she was sort of awkward to carry. I took her hat off and hung it around my own neck, so I could control it better, and not lose it. Finally we got her into a manageable position, and as quickly as we safely could, we started to walk toward the Lodging House.
When we got there, I maneuvered my hand to open the door and we pushed through. We carried the girl up the stairs and laid her on my bunk, which was easiest to access at the moment. The other girl straightened the girl's white dress, which was now rather dirty, and smoothed her hair down.
"Da name's Lynn. What's yours?" I said to the other girl. She took her hat off, pushed her hair back, out of her face, and put her hat back on.
"I's Powda'." She smiled, "an' do ya have a washroom or somethin' 'round hea' so dat we can clean dis goyl up?" I nodded, and she followed me into the washroom.
"I haven't seen ya eva' before." I said, trying to hide my curiosity, "neva' even knew dere were udda goyl newsies in all 'a New Yawk." I widened my eyes for effect.
"Yeah, well I's from Brooklyn." Powder said, and then she stopped rinsing a cloth and said, "No udda goyl newsies?" I stared at her for a moment.
"Dis is da boys' Lodgin' House." I said, gesturing to my surroundings.
"I noticed dat on da sign ova' da door... but I didn't think..." she trailed off and I looked at her curiously.
"Dere's udda goyl newsies in Brooklyn?" I asked, tilting my head.
"Yup. I's got me goyls. Chaser, Swany, Strawberry, Nickels, Karmel an' Ernie. Dere all da goyl newsies in Brooklyn, s' far's I know." She smiled at me, "an' youse da only goyl..." I nodded, and she took one wet cloth and handed me another. "'Ere, take dis. We'll go see how oua' guest's comin'." I smiled and grabbed the washcloth.
Part Two
Powder
I started cleaning the scrapes on the girl’s face. This wasn’t necessarily going to be an easy job. This girl was pretty beaten up. Lynn had told me about the guys she had seen leaving the alley. I couldn’t think of why in the world a girl like this would have been getting beaten up by two guys in an alley.
"So... what’s it like, bein’ da only goyl ‘ere?" I asked. This could be a long wait, and I figured we could get to know each other better.
"Well... It’s great. The guys are great. I mean... it was kinda hard ta get used to... but now I's been a newsie for two years, an' really, it's like havin' a family." Lynn answered as she worked to clean up the girl.
"I can’t imagine livin’ wit’ da guys in Brooklyn. It’d be we’ahd," I said. Then I realized that she could find that insulting. "I mean... I just... never thought a’ livin’ wit’ da guys before," I said.
Lynn smiled. "I know whatcha mean. It’s not always easy livin’ wit’out any udda’ goyls, but da guys are so kind ta me. Dey treats me just like one a’ da guys. Except Pie Eata’... but dat’s a long story," Lynn said.
"I’m sure we got time ‘ere. Dis goyl’s probably not goin’ ta wake up for a litta’ while, and I’d love ta hear it," I told her.
So Lynn explained the whole Pie Eater situation to me. I was cracking up through the whole thing, and the whole while she was insisting it wasn’t funny, but very awkward for her. Then she suddenly saw the humor in it, and she started laughing, too.
"I can see how it’d be hard ta have a guy you LIVED WIT’ bein’ sweet on ya," I said. "I mean... a relationship wit’ a guy in dis situation could neva’ woyk, ‘cause you’d be togetha’ all day, and den you’d come ‘ere and be wit’ ‘im during da evenin’ and dere would be no way to have some time to ya’self."
"And besides dat, he’s like a brudda ta me! Can ya imagine kissin’ ya’ brudda? If ya had one," Lynn asked.
That set me off laughing again. I decided to tell her about Spot and me. "I... uh... ya eva’ hoyd a’ Spot Conlon?" I asked.
"I’se met ‘im once," she said.
"Really? I’m... uh... kinda ‘is goyl," I told her.
Lynn’s eyes practically popped out of her head. "Ya are?" she asked. "Woah... I neva’ even pictcha’d ‘im ‘avin’ a goyl..." she trailed off. "He’s sorta... intimidatin’."
"You think I dunno dat!" I laughed.
Lynn smiled.
We were startled when we heard a groan and a voice saying, "Where am I?" from the bunk.
"Hey! You’se awake!" Lynn said.
"What is this place?" she asked, trying to sit up.
I gently pushed her shoulders back on the bed. "You’re in the Newsboys’ Lodgin’ House in Manhattan."
"How did I get here?" she asked, putting her hand up to her head. "Oy, I have a headache."
"I’m sure ya do," Lynn said sympathetically. "You’se here ‘cause I found ya in an alley. You was beaten up pretty bad, an’ Powda’ here heard me when I called fo’ help. She helped me carry ya here, and that’s that."
"So that’s Powder, but what’s your name?" she asked.
"I’se Lynn," she said.
"Do ya rememba’ gettin’ beat up?" I asked.
"Ohh. Yes," she groaned.
"Would ya care ta... um... explain it ta us why you was gettin beat up?" I asked.
"Okay. I might as well start at the beginning. My name is Nicole Wenner. I couldn’t stay at home anymore. My parents fought all the time, and I just couldn’t take it. Every night I would go to bed and try to fall asleep, but who could sleep with all that yelling? I certainly couldn’t. It was driving me NUTS! And they had never cared about me. Mother and Father never wanted a child. I just got in their way. They were always leaving me with terrible nannies and such while they went off overseas, and let me tell you, those women are STRICT! So last night after they stopped fighting, Mother was in her room grumbling, and Father was trying to cool off up on the roof. And I just snuck out! I didn’t have time to pack any extra clothes, or money, or food. I just pulled on this dress and hat, because I couldn’t bear to leave them. They’re my favorites. Aren’t they delicious? Well, I was on the street, and I got terribly hungry. In the morning I found a fruit vendor. I tried to steal an apple, and the next thing I knew, I was being chased by the two goons who beat me up! It must’ve been their parents’ stand or something. Well, so now I need to find a place to live. My parents will go through the motions of trying to find me, but they won’t try too hard. They could care less whether I’m all right or not. Do you know of anywhere I could stay?" the girl said in what seemed like one breath.
Lynn and I smiled at each other. To answer Nicole’s question I said, "Ya got spunk, Nicole. Eva’ thought a’ becomin’ a newsie?"
Part Three
Lynn
The girl, who said her name was Nicole, hardly stopped talking to breathe after she woke up. I could tell, though, that her head hurt, by the way she kept squeezing her eyes shut and moving her hands around. I felt bad for her. I knew what it was like to be beaten up. So much had happened in the last hour or so, and now, I wasn't the only girl sitting in the Lodging House. I looked around, realizing the boys would come back eventually, and what would I tell them? They'd think I was crazy to bring this girl in here. There was hardly enough room in the Lodging House as it was. And then there was Powder. I'd never seen anyone who knew what to say at the right time. The whole idea of Nicole becoming a newsie... of course she'd go to Brooklyn with Powder and stay with all her girls. I just wondered if she could get used to it.
I'd lived my life in the streets before becoming a newsie. To me, the Lodging House, selling papers, making money, be it in ever so small amounts, it was all luxury compared to everything before it. For Nicole? It seemed she'd think of it as a major anticlimax to the way she'd been living. Her world had been huge and full of frivolous things. Yes, her parents had left her alone with her 'strict nannies', but they'd given her whatever she needed and more.
"Um, Lynn? Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" Her voice came through my worries.
"Oh, nothin'. It don't matta'." I said, shrugging my shoulders. What did matter was that the guys were going to be back soon, and I needed an explanation. Fast.
"Jus' tell me anyway, I can help." Powder said, nodding. Nicole craned her neck to watch from her laying down position. Powder kindly pushed her head back on her pillow. "Don't worry 'bout it Nicole. Youse gotta rest. You got beat up pretty bad." Her hand lingered on Nicole's forehead and a glimmer of worry went across her face. She recovered quickly though. I took a deep breath.
"I was jus' thinkin'... what'm I gonna tell da guys? I mean, dere's a couple 'a goyls 'ere in da Lodgin' House who weren't 'ere before, an' dey don't mind me 'cause dey just think 'a me as anudda one 'a dem, an' youse a newsie, 'sides youse Spot Conlon's goyl, so dey prob'ly'll let ya stay too, but dis goyl, da one who's really gotta stay, dey might not take so well." I said, wrinkling my forehead in worry.
"Do ya really think dey'd let a goyl who's been beat up go back out inta da streets 'fore she's betta'?" Powder asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Well, uh, no. Prob'ly not." I said, smiling slightly.
"Is da problem sleepin' room?" She asked, looking around at the bunk beds.
"Well, dere ain't a lot 'a room, but I can sleep on da floor, if I even sleep. I might wanna stay up an' make sure Nicole 'ere's okay." I said, flicking my eyes around the room. "An' youse can do whateva' ya want. If ya pay for ya stay, it's foist come foist soyved's far's bunk beds goes."
"I can sleep on da floor, dis ain't my Lodgin' House even, I's got my own, an' youse got yoa's. Da boys desoyve ta sleep hea' anyhow." Powder said. I nodded.
"Whateva' ya want, Powda'." I shrugged. I heard a door open and shut, and my eyes got wide. "Powda', youse can stay hea' wit' Nicole. I's gonna go talk ta da boys." I raced out of the bunk room and down the wooden stairs to the parlor, where Pie Eater and Mush were sitting, recounting the day's events.
"Ya looks tired, Lynn." Pie Eater observed. I rolled my eyes slightly.
"I didn't sell a thing taday..." I scowled.
"What 'appened?" Mush asked. I flicked my eyes around the room before I stopped, staring out the window.
"Well, dere was dis goyl, she was all beat up, an' I found dis udda goyl, an' she helped me get da udda goyl - "
"Wait a second, Lynn. Ya gotta 'splain dis a litta' betta'. Now dere was dis goyl who was all beat up..."
"Yeah, an' 'er name's Nicole." I said, "Nicole was knocked out an' in dis alley, all beat up on. I needed someone ta help me take care 'a 'er, get 'er somewhere betta', an' so dere was dis udda goyl newsie..." I trailed off, waiting for a reaction.
"What's dis about udda goyl newsies?" asked a voice from across the room. I turned around to see Race and Jack. They'd come in while I was talking and I hadn't noticed them.
"To make a long story real short, dere's dese two goyls sittin' in da bunkroom right now, okay?" I said, exasperated at being unable to phrase anything right.
The boys stood there quietly for a few minutes. "Um, why?" Race finally asked.
"Nicole, she's da one dat's in my bed, she got soaked real bad by dese two big guys. Powda's da goyl newsie I was tellin' dese two 'bout. She was helpin' me take care 'a Nicole, 'cause I couldn't get 'er 'ere alone, since she was knocked out." I said, "an' Powda's from Brooklyn where dere's lotsa goyl newsies." I finished.
"So dis goyl, uh, Powda'? She's got brown hair, blueish eyes?" Jack asked, thinking hard.
"Yeah, do ya know 'er?"
"Dat's Spot's goyl, if I rememba' right." Jack said, nodding. I nodded back to him.
"Yeah, she told me dat." I said, "an' so anyhow, I's jus' warnin' ya dat dere's two udda goyls 'ere. Powda' an' I's gonna sleep on da floor... jus' ta take care 'a Nicole." I added. The boys looked only mildly surprised at that, but they didn't object. They were used to me saying stuff like that, and hardly knew Powder. "An' when da udda boys come youse can tell 'em what's goin' on." I turned quickly and dashed back up the stairs to the bunkroom. Powder was talking to Nicole.
"... Swany, Chaser, Nickels and Strawberry." She finished, turning to see me. "Oh hi, Lynn." I smiled at her and knelt down next to my -or Nicole's- bed.
"So, how ya feelin'?" I asked her. Nicole smiled weekly.
"I'm feeling a whole lot better than I was before. Powder has been telling me about being a newsgirl." It was interesting the way she said 'Powder'. The name hadn't seemed odd to me, I was used to people with interesting or strange nicknames. Nicole said 'Powder' as if it were one of the strangest names she could imagine. I wondered how she'd react to meeting Race...
"Don't ya think she'd be a great newsie, Lynn?" Powder asked. I nodded.
"Yeah, she'd be great. I can jus' see 'er hawkin' headlines." I said, laughing slightly. Nicole's blue eyes sparkled.
"Do you really think I could do it? I mean, I haven't ever seen a girl newsie before today." She asked me. I looked back at her.
"Of course ya could. It ain't dat hard. I's da only goyl newsie 'round hea'. In Brooklyn dere'll be plenty 'a udda goyl newsies." I said, smiling at her. I heard a noise at the door and turned. Jack looked in. "Um, hey Jack." I said, as he walked into the room.
"Hey Lynn. Hullo Powda'. An' youse must be Nicole." He said, offering her his hand to shake. She sat up slightly and shook it. "Nicole, dis is Jack, also known as Cowboy." I said, smiling again. The other boys started to walk in. I knew too many introductions and no one remembered anyone, so I introduced only the first few boys to enter. "Dis is Racetrack, Blink, Mush, Pie Eata'..." I stopped as the other boys trickled in. The one's I'd introduced had walked over to Powder and spit shook with her, and then went to say 'hi' or shake hands with Nicole. She was talking quite a lot, and looked very happy. Since she was surrounded by people, if I'd introduced any more she wouldn't have heard me anyway.
As the boys and Nicole fell asleep that night, Powder and I stayed awake. Both she and I had noticed Nicole's slight fever, and we didn't want her to get any sicker. I remembered what Sarah Jacobs had done when I'd had a fever. I quietly crept into the washroom and dipped a washcloth in the cold water left in the basin. I squeezed as much of it out as I could and folded the cloth, setting it on Nicole's forehead. If she woke up I don't know, because she didn't move as if she'd felt anything. Powder nodded and we took turns re-wetting the cloth to keep her head cool.
The night wore on, and I became very, very tired. My eyes would barely stay open, and my eyelids felt sore from not having a rest all day. I sat down and leaned against the wall near Nicole's bunk. Powder came and sat next to me.
"I can barely keep my eyes open..." I murmured sleepily. Powder nodded.
"I know, I's tired too." She said, "an' cold." Of course she was right. The Lodging House had cooled down quite a lot as it grew darker, and the moonlight was not warming it up any. I shivered slightly, and finally we both fell asleep despite our best intentions, still sitting there against the wall.
Part Four
Powder
I woke up to the sounds of the guys getting washed up. I looked over at Lynn. She was waking up, too. I pulled myself to my feet, and looked at Nicole. She was sleeping rather peacefully. I was glad. The longer she slept, the less time she would have to be bored. Lynn and I had already missed one day of selling, and we absolutely couldn’t afford to miss another.
Lynn came to stand beside me. "Good. She’s asleep. We’re goin’ ta hafta sell today, an’ da soona’ she wakes up, da soona’ she’ll be bored," Lynn said.
I must have looked somewhat startled, because she asked, "What?"
"It’s jus’ dat you jus’ said what I was jus’ thinkin’," I told her.
"Weird," she said.
"Yeah," I agreed. Then we left Nicole’s bed to go wash up. I took out my short braids, and ran my fingers through my hair. I rebraided it quickly, put on my hat, and walked back into the bunkroom. Lynn was right behind me.
"We can come check on ‘er a few times durin’ da day," she said.
"Uh-huh. An’ we can bring ‘er lunch, too. Or if she’s feelin’ up ta it, we can take ‘er whereva’ ya usually eat aroun’ ‘ere," I said. "Somethin’ tells me she’d like da change a’ scenery, an’ da company a’ da guys." I smiled.
Lynn smiled back, and we walked down the stairs and out the door, into the bright morning sun. We were the last ones out of the Lodging House, so we hurried up and bought our papes. We immediately started hawking headlines, selling our papes as fast as we could. We would be sort of rushed that day, having to go check on Nicole all the time.
"This afternoon I’m goin’ ta hafta go back an’ let me goyls know I’m okay," I told Lynn.
"Yeah, I sorta figured dat," she responded.
"If ya want, ya could come wit’ me, an’ meet da goyls," I told her.
She smiled at me. "I’d like dat," she said.
I smiled back, and then we continued selling.
We checked on Nicole a couple times that morning. The first time we checked, she was still asleep, so we left quietly after making sure that her fever was gone. The second time, she was awake. "Hi, girls," she said, smiling at us. "Boy, am I glad to see you. I’ve been bored out of my mind!"
We smiled at her. "I know how boring it is around here with no one to talk to all day," Lynn said, sympathetically.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
"I’m so sore!" she said. "I’ve got bruises all over, and my muscles have felt better. It’s like every single muscle in my body is tied up in a knot! You can’t imagine what it feels like! It’s terrible!"
Lynn and I exchanged a glance.
"Are ya feelin’ up ta goin’ ta lunch?" Lynn asked.
"Well, I know I can walk. I’ve been up walking around a little. I couldn’t just SIT here the whole morning!" she said.
"Tibby’s is jus’ a few blocks from here. Think ya can make dat?" Lynn asked.
"I think so," Nicole said. "Say, are those guys going to be there? Especially that Mush guy! Isn’t he a DOLL?"
Lynn and I both chuckled, and Nicole smiled. "Yeah, he’ll prob’ly be dere," Lynn told her.
"Then I can definitely make it!" she said.
"Okay, den," I told her.
"Oh! I simply CAN’T go out looking like THIS! I’m a MESS!" she said.
She really did look like a mess. Her dress was all dirty and rumpled, and her hat was sort of lopsided and crushed.
"Um...ya want some clean clothes?" Lynn asked. "I’ve got some that should prob’ly fit ya, if ya want."
Nicole looked down at herself. "Yeah, I think that would be a good idea," she said.
Lynn got out some clothes for her. She took them into the washroom, and came out looking quite different.
"Thanks, Lynn. These are really comfy," she said.
The three of us headed out the door. Nicole was limping slightly, but it didn’t phase her any.
She chattered a mile a minute the whole way to Tibby’s.
To part
2!