"Blink, why am I in yer bed?" I asked, VERY suspiciously.
"When we was talkin last night I guess we both just fell asleep. C'mon, or we's gonna be late."
I got ready quickly, and as Blink and I walked down to get our papes I noticed something, actually someone, different.
"Hey, who are ya?" Jack Kelly asked a new Newsie standing in line.
"I'm Heather, but you'se can call me Skweeker." The new girl said.
"Ah man, not anudda goyl!" Race said, smiling, and jokingly punched my arm.
"Hey, I'm Kelli. Don't worry, dese boys ain't so bad, once ya get ta know em." Then Blink put his arms around my waist and pulled me in closer, smiling.
"Good, at least I ain't gonna be da only goyl here. Do any of you'se know of a place where I could stay?"
"Hey, we got an extra bed in da Lodgin House, don't we Jack?" Snoddy said, just joining in on the conversation.
"Yah, you can stay at da Lodgin House, if ya want." Race piped in.
"Yah, we's got room." Jack said.
"Dat'd be great. Well I don't got any stuff so I'll just go dere when I'm done sellin me papes."
After we all bought our papes I took Skweeker around, showing her the ropes. She cought on very quickly and sold all 50 of her papes before I got done with my first 50.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
"So, Kelli. Dat one guy, dat was teasin you, short, black hair. What's his name?"
"You mean Racetrack? Why? You got a thing fer him?" I asked, with a sly smile.
"Um, yah, I think dat's him. Kinda, does he have a goylfriend?"
"Not ta me knowledge. You two would look so cute together. I think he might like ya. But I can check."
"Would you? Man, dat'd be great. He's such a cutie. Was dat guy you were wid yer boyfriend? He wasn't too bad lookin' himself!"
"Yah, dat's Blink. He is a doll! I can't believe you seen Race fer like 5 seconds and ya like him already. Love at foist sight, ain't it a wonderful thing!"
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Meanwhile... "Ain't she gorgeous, Blink! Oh man, do ya think she liked me? Do ya think she's got a boyfriend? Do I have a chance wid her?" Race said, still picturing her.
"Woah, Race. I ain't neva seen ya act like dis before! Sure, she was good lookin', and how should I know bout anythin else. But I know someone who would..."
"KELLI! Man, do ya think she'd find out fer me? Could ya talk to her? Or should I?" Race asked, so exited he dropped his papes.
"Man, you gotta calm down. I could talk wid her if ya want, but it would look betta if you did it." Blink said, laughing.
"Kay, I can handle dat. Ya know, da extra bunk jist happens ta be real close ta mine." Race said with a sly smile.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
After Kelli and Skweeker had finished selling their papers they went to Tibby's. Most of the Newsie's were already there.
"Skweeker, let me introduce ya to everybody. Dis is David, Snoddy, ya know Jack, Les, Mush, Blink, and dis here's Race." I said, as I introduced Race I saw both of them smile, and blush a little.
"Hey, Skweeker, you can have my seat, I'll go sit down here." Blink said, freeing up a chair right next to Race.
"Uh, thanks." As she sat down she was mobbed with a million questions. And she was loving it.
"Hey, Kel." Blink said, giving me a little hug and kiss.
We went and sat down on the other end of the table.
"So, ya know I hoid we gotta a little romance blossoming down there. Race sorta has a thing fer Skweekers, but Race is gonna talk to you bout that. So I didn't say nuthin, kay?"
"Really? Skweeks has a huge crush on Race. I can't wait to tell her!" I said, excited for my new found friend.
"No, he may not want her ta know. At least wait till he talks wid ya."
"All right," I said with a sigh. I've been waiting forever to finally have a friend that was a girl so we could share fun secrets like this, and now I couldn't. "I won't say anythin."
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
That night as we were walking back to the Lodging House Race came up. Skweekers kind of smiled and walked back with Mush.
"Um, Kelli, I was wonderin, is dere any way you could find out if Skweeker likes me? I think she's gorgeous and I wanna go out wid her!" Race said, blushing.
"Sure, I could find out. Um, you want her ta know ya like her?" I asked.
"Um, I don't care, just please find out."
"Kay, hang on." I don't think he meant now, but, oh well! As I walked over to Skweeks she got this look on her face like she was gonna puke.
"Hey, Mush, can I talk wid Skweeks alone?" I asked. He just kinda walked away smiling. Does he know too? How many people has Race told!
"Skweeks, I have some fabulous news!"
"What, Oh my God, tell me!" Her nervousness went away and was replaced with sheer excitement.
"Well I was talkin wid Race---"
"I know, I know, tell me what happened, whatt'd he say?"
"If ya interrupt again I aint gonna tell ya. Race said, and I quote, 'Um, Kelli, I was wonderin, is dere any way you could find out if Skweeker likes me? I think she's gorgeous and I wanna go out wid her!' Isn't dat exciting?"
"Are you serious! He likes me! YES!" She practically shouted this at the top of her lungs, and then everyone turned around to see what happened. "Oh my God! They are all staring at me aren't they? Oh, shit!" she asked with her head down, in such a quiet voice I could barely understand her.
"Yah, they are. Just don't look up. You'll be fine. Just ta let ya know, Race is smilin like you wouldn't believe." I said in the same whispered tone back to her.
We walked the rest of the way home in silence, and Skweeks had her head down the whole way. Race, on the other hand, kept turning around giving me that, "Did ya tell her? Whattid she say?" look. It was going to be an interesting night!
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
As we walked into the Lodging House we were the last to get in. Blink and Race were waiting for us.
"Hey goyls," Race said, "um, Kelli can I talk wid you fer a minute?"
"Sure." I said, nudging Skweeks.
"Well, did ya tell her? Whattid she say?" He looked so nervous!
"Race, I kinda knew this since dis mornin, but she likes ya bout as much, or even more, as you like her." I said, he was beaming!
"Oh man! Dat much! WOW! Should I ask her out? Would you and Blink go wid us?"
"One step at a time, foist, she's gotta say yes. Yah, me and Blink would love ta go! How bout Medda's?"
"Hey, one step at a time, foist she's gotta say yes. Blink too!" He said, giving me a playful nudge.
"So, whatta you waiting for? Go fer it!"
We all went up to our bunks but Race stayed back. "Hey, Skweeker, could ya come here a second?"
"Yah," she was beaming!
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
"Uh, Skweeks, I wanted ta know if tamorrow night you might want ta go ta Medda's wid me, Kelli, and Blink?"
"I'd love to!" And then they walked upstairs, arm in arm. Blink and I were outside, gazing at the stars when we heard them come up.
"Hey, ya love boids, I got's meself a hot date fer tamorrow. Are ya two going?" Race yelled through the window.
"Yep. Congratulations Race! We'll see ya in da mornin." Blink said, as he wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head.
When we finally went inside Race and Skweeker were still up talking on her bed.
"Hey you two, we got woik ta do tamorrow. You'se might want ta get ta bed." Blink said, and then walked over to my bed. "Good night, Kelli. I love ya. Sweet dreams. See ya in da mornig." And then he kissed me.
"I love you too!" I said. Every night since we'd been going out I went to bed like that. I always fell asleep right away, and did have sweet dreams.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
The next day we all got our papes, and sold together. I had talked with David that morning and he said that Sara would lend us some dresses. So, after we finished selling our papes we went to Sara, just like I had a couple of months ago, and we washed up and got dressed.
"You two look great! Boy will those boys be surprised!" Mrs. Jacobs said, just coming home from grocery shopping. David was close behind.
"Wow!" David said, his mouth just hung open.
"Thanks!" We both said at the same time.
"C'mon, Skweeks, we better be goin."
We walked to the lodging house and the boys were waiting for us outside. They looked great! You could hardly recognize them.
"Gee, you two sure clean up nice!" Race said, starring at Skweeks.
"Thanks, so do you." Skweeks said to Race.
"You too, Blink." I said smiling.
The four of us headed to Medda's, worry free. Little did we know of the danger that lied ahead....
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
It was dark now, and we were right outside of Medda's when a couple of boys, looking for trouble, came upon us.
"Heya, guys. My don't yer goyls look pretty." The first one said.
"Oh God! Goyls, run!" Blink screamed.
"Yah, pretty goyls, run away. We'll take care of yer guys, and get you two later." The second one said.
"Get Jack and da odders! GO!" Race shouted!
Oh my God! If anything happens to Blink, I'll die! We ran as fast as we could to get Jack, then we came upon Spot. I don't know why he was here and not in Brooklyn, but it didn't matter.
"Spot! Oh my God... you gotta help us... over at Medda's... two guys...Blink...Race!" I stammered. Barley able to get the words out.
"Skweeks, go get Jack. I'm goin with Spot." I screamed.
"No, Kelli. Stay back. I don't want nothin to happen to ya!" Spot shouted back.
"I'm fine. I'm goin with you!" We ran all the way back to Medda's. The guys were there, and I saw one of them on the ground. Oh God! Race was down, and Blink was fighting them all alone. Spot ran up and punched the first guy and he went down, but then they other guy hit Blink and he started bleeding. I think I screamed, I can't remember, all I know is I ran over to him. Race got up. But Blink didn't. Now Jack had come with Mush, Snoddy, and the others. The other guys wished they never would have come.
"Oh, GOD! Blink! Wake up! Please!" I whispered. He didn't move. Then Spot came over.
"Kelli, he'll be all right. Blink's tough. C'mon, Jack'll get him to the Lodgin House. Come wid me." Spot said.
He walked me to the Lodging House, with his arms around me the whole way. He tried to get me to stop crying, but I remembered when my parents died, they were going to dinner and some guys on the street shot them. I couldn't stop thinking what would happen if the only other person I loved like that died. When I got inside I ran to his bed, and looked at Jack for any news.
"Nuthin, Kel, I'm so sorry. I'm sure he'll be fine though. You should get some rest."
"SLEEP! You want me to sleep at a time like this! He could die! He should be in a hospital!" I couldn't hold it back any more. I just bawled. And Jack put his arm around me.
"Kelli, I'm sorry. I know what it feels like to have someone close to you die. I was just tryin ta help. I'm so sorry!" He said, tears welded up in his eyes.
"I'm sorry I screamed Jack, I just am so scared."
"Shh, it'll be ok. Everything will be all right.
During all of this Skweekers had helped Race up, he wasn't hurt that bad, just a black eye and swollen lip. They were out on the fire escape talking. Jack left me alone. And before I knew it I was fast asleep, holding Blink's hand.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
"Oh, my head. Kelli what happened?"
"BLINK! Are you OK? Oh Go, I was SO worried! You got a little roughed up last night. Thank God you're OK!" I was so happy, I cried.
"Kelli, are you OK? I didn't mean to worry ya like that. I'm fine."
"I'm all right now! I just don't know what woulda happened if..."
"Don't talk like that! Is Race OK?" As he said that we both turned to Race's bed. Him and Skweeks had fallen asleep together, his arms snug around her.
"BOOTS! Skittery, Jack, Mush! Wake up!" Kloppman screamed. We all got up and went to get our papes. It would be another day, carryin' the banner. Or would it?
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Race and Skweeks did get to go on their date, and there they fell in love just like Kelli and Blink had three months ago. Both couples grew up and got married. They lived next door to each other, in cozy little houses and remained friends forever.
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