“ Almost….jist a little bit…” There was skweek noise as Skweekers finished
picking the lock on the window. Action breathed a sigh of relief.
“ Good woyk Skweeks.” She nodded in approval of her best pal.
“ I know , “ Skweeks swung the window open, “ I’m jist gifted like dat. The
window was old and so were the hinges. The whole place was older than dirt and
twice as nasty. There was no way they’d miss the orphanage…..not as long as they
had dice, money and a free hand to pick pockets. The two were good and as a team
they were the best in Chicago, but they had other dreams. They were New York
bound. Suddenly the crash of the window falling down three stories brought instant
panic.
“ Yeah Skweeks,” Action gave her the ‘oy this can’t be happening’ look, “ Real
gifted.”
“ Everyone’s a critic.” Skweeks mumbled stuffing herself out the window. They
heard the dogs barking down below. Shit. If that didn’t wake the entire place up,
nothing would. Skweeks stepped out on the ledge , took one look down and started
to go back in the window, “ Oh no . No no no no no. there aint no way in hell that
I’m goin’ down there!”
“ Skweekers,” Action blocked the window, “ Either you climb or ya go down da hard
way.”
“ Man!” Skweeks hesitated than relucktently climbed down some. Action could hear
Mr. Willis coming with the guards.
“ Shit.” She said looking out the window than at the door. They’d be here any
minute. Action pulled her gold dice, with silver spots on them, out of her pocket.
“ Don’t fail me now.” She whispered as she kissed them and shoved them back in
her pocket. She climbed up on the window seal.
“ What the hell is she doin’?” Skweeks whispered looking up at Action.
Action took a deep breath and jumped.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
THUD! Action hit the ground pretty hard. All Skweeks could see was her back
facing up from the ground.
“ Oh shit,” Action moaned pushing herself up, “ Dat was stupid.” She stood up
pulled her dice out of her pocket and held them up to her face ,” Never done me
wrong.”
“ Hey moron, “ Skweeks yelled , hanging on to the building, “ You okay?”
“ I’m breathin, it hurts , but I’m breathin’!” Action laughed grabbing her ribs.
They still stung from the impact. She heard the dogs being sent out , “ Hey
Skweekers yous gotta jump now! Dere comin’ fer us!”
“ No, huhnt uh . I’ll jist climb down.” Skweeks started to climb down slowly.
“ Dey’ll catch us!” Action screamed.
“ I aint jumpin’"
“ Yes you are”
“ No I’m not”
“ Yes you are "
“ No I’m NOT!”
“ SKWEEKS YOU BETTER JUMP AND YOU BETTER JUMP NOW!”
“ Fine,” Skweeks let go of the wall and fell right on to Action. Action just laid
there moaning , “ Well that went better than I anticipated. “ Skweeks sat up,
brushing herself off.
“ Oh I bet it did ya…” Action saw the dogs coming and jumped to her feet, “Come
on.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“ So where exactly is we runnin’ to?” Skweeks asked as the two darted through
town. They had long since escaped the orphanage and were now enjoying their
present freedom.
“ Anywhere but here.” Action called to Skweeks , dodging yet another merchant.
“ Oh dat narrows it down.” Skweeks mumbled almost tripping over a sleeping bum.
“ Jist trust me on this one Skweeks…have I ever steered ya wrong?”Action laughed.
“ I really shouldn’t answer dat.” Skweeks yelled to her. Chicago was a busy place,
but not busy enough for Action. She always said ‘ Dis place aint big enough not
enough action fer my liking. Now New York….dere’s a place. There’s always sumptin’
goin’ down there. And we’s gonna be apart o’ it Skweeks, alls we gotta do is think
big and get the hell outta here.’ Skweeks liked the idea of leaving Chicago. She’d
picked all the locks on every store on a dare only making the occasional skweeking
sound of the lock opening….that’s how she got the name Skweekers. Everyone in
Chicago called her that. Except Action, she called her Skweeks for short. Before
the orphanage Skweekers could be found picking pockets, stealing food or shooting
dice with Action Monroe. The two had been caught running the biggest baddest crap
game in the history of Craps. They had raked in a ton of money when some tough guy
with a cane had caught Action using loaded dice . Well this caused a huge fight
which eventually lead to the bulls coming. Action and Skweekers ended up in the
orphanage together , cursing and screaming the whole way there. But all that was
in the past. They’d be in New York soon and everything would be perfect…or damn
near close.
“ Alright,” Action stopped at an alley near the train station, “ dis is it
Skweeks.”
“ Yeah so can we hurry it up already? Sooner we get to New York da better. I can’t
stand anudder minute o’ jist hangin’ around here when there’s Craps to be played
out dere.” Skweeks gave a smile and the two headed to the train yard. They slipped
into a boxcar and were soon on their way.
*****
“ So tell me again why we’re doing this?” Wendi asked as she and Lynn
hid behind the corner of the house. If their father saw them, they were
goners for sure.
“ Because….well…we got to.” Renee shrugged. He’d go in the house any
minute now. She could hear Wendi holding her breath in anticipation.
They were finally gonna do it….they were finally gonna leave. They heard
the front door slam and they turned to each other, both smiling. Than
they took off in a mad dash to the street, and they slipped away into
the night, whopping and hollering all the way to Mid town.
***
“ Get out now!” The voice yelled as Lynn tumbled out of the doorway.
“ Yer jist lucky yous gots yer thugs wit ya Oscar or I’d….I’d…aw forget
you!” Lynn sniffled grabbing her left eye. Definitely a bruiser. She
hated him even if he was the richest mobster in New York. Stupid
Capone’s , they think they run this town….well they basically do but
still… She sighed. Things weren’t going so well, than again they had
never been well to begin with. ‘Maybe things could get better, after all
this is New York the city that never sleeps….with the same person every
night’ she thought. Lynn just kept walking, she heard the Bronx was nice
this time of night.
***
“ Okay Skweeks,” Action opened up the side of the boxcar. The ground
was moving rapidly below them , “ We gotta jump now.”
“What is it with you and jumping?” Skweeks asked lying down comfortably
in the boxcar, “ Haven’t you had enough of it fer one day?”
“ Listen smart ass, you wanna go to New York or not?” Action rolled her
eyes at the laziness of Skweekers McCain.
“ I’m comin’ I’m comin’,” Skweeks sat up and walked over to the edge by
Action. She looked down, at Action than down again, “ Yer gonna have ta
throw me cause there aint no way I can jump.”
“What?” Action looked at her like she was insane, “ I am not gonna
throw me pal from the train, you want off ya jump. “
“ I won’t be able to jump unless you throw me.”
“ Yes you are.”
“ No I aint.”
“Yes you are.”
“ No I aint.” She turned as was now facing Action. Skweeks pushed
Action a little.
“ Oh no , “ Action gave a murderous glance at Skweekers, “ See dat was
jist stupid cause now,”
“ Now what?” Skweeks asked.
“ I am gonna throw ya.” With that she threw Skweeks from the train. She
couldn’t help but laugh when she saw the look on her friends face. She
sighed, pulled out her dice, kissed them , and jumped. She rolled for a
little bit , but was okay for the most part. She could see Skweeks
sprawled out in the grass near by. She walked over and stood above her.
“ I can’t believe you threw me.” Skweeks said starring straight a head.
“ You shouldn’t of pushed me.” Action smirked as she held out a hand to
help Skweekers up. Skweeks took a deep breath and excepted the offer, “
Come on, we got some walkin ta do if we’re ever gonna make it to da
Bronx.”
“ Hey Action?” Skweeks asked.
“ What ?”
“ You think we’ll ever run into dat Spot Conlon guy again?”
“ Why do ya care?”
“ Oh lets see, um , he threw you in a garbage can and rolled
you down main street, he got us both thrown in an orphanage in Chicago,
I just wanted to know what to expect next.”
“ He won’t bother us, he don’t even know we’re here.” Action assured
Skweekers and they continued on their way.
****
“ Extra Extra!” Lynn wasn’t having much luck with her papers. She told
Wendi to try but that wasn’t helping either. The headlines sucked, and
nobody felt like buying.
“ Hey, “ Lynn had been watching the two from across the street in pity,
the two had tried their best , but hadn’t sold any papers so far. She
felt bad and dug out some money, “ Here ya go.”
“ Thanks .” Wendi gave a grateful smile.
“ Lets jist say I know what its like ta be down on yer luck.” Lynn told
her. She knew exactly what it was like. She’d spent the night in an
alley that was so scary she didn’t go to sleep in fear of what might be
gone when she woke up.
“ Thank you so much,” Renee gave her a kind smile, “ We needed a job
and we thought this one would be the easiest. Boy were we wrong.”
“ We?” Wendi turned to her, “ I wanted to be a waitress you said
Newsie. I thought boys you told me to get a clue. Who’s wrong?”
“ Wendi,” Renee rolled her eyes and smiled.
“ So how hard could it be ? “ Lynn asked.
“ Well obviously harder than we thought.” Renee answered.
“ We?” Wendi turned to Renee.
“ Excuse me , harder than I thought.” Renee corrected
herself.
“ Here let me try.” Lynn grabbed some papers and started
yelling out headlines. Again, no response.
*************
“ Oh shit, “ Action and Skweeks were running again. If those boys
caught them, they were goners.
“ Ummm go here.” Skweeks pointed to an Alley that lead to the other
side of the street. They saw three girls up ahead selling papers. Action
got an idea.
“ Skweeks , take some o’ dere papes and start sellin’ real
fast. Get a crowd around ya, den dose boys won’t see us.” Action
ordered. The two grabbed papers from Renee, Lynn and Wendi before they
could be stopped.
“ EXTRA EXTRA!! Corps found under Brooklyn Bridge . Body had been
stabbed ta death EXTRA EXTRA!!” Action soon had a swarm of people around
her.
“ EXTRA EXTRA !!! Mayor caught having an affair wit Hooker from 3rd and
Main EXTRA EXTRA !!!!” There soon was an equal amount of people around
Skweeks. Action hid behind the crowd while selling her papes. She
watched the three boys run by. Suckers , she thought. Soon the crowds
disappeared and the two were left with hand fulls of money and three
shocked girls looking at them.
“ Oy, dat were close,” Action took her hat off and whipped the sweat
from her forehead.
“ Those stories weren’t in there, how did you …” Renee began to
question.
“ What? Ya mean you guys was actually yellin’ out da real headlines?”
Skweeks asked. All three of the girls shook their heads yes. Skweeks
started laughing, “ No wonder you had so many left.”
“ Hey thanks fer givin’ us yer papes,” Action handed all the money she
earned to Lynn. Skweeks did the same, handing hers to Renee, “ See ya
around.” Action and Skweeks started to make their way back to the alley
they had come through.
“ Oh no ya don’t.” Lynn put the money in Wendi’s hand, who just stood
there in shock and she started after them. Renee grabbed Wendi and
pulled her along. They weren’t about to let these pro’s slip away like
this.
****
“ Hey, “ Action turned around when Lynn pushed her , “ We gave you yer
money back so scram.”
“ No,” Lynn pushed her again, “ Not till you tell us why you did that?”
This time when Lynn pushed her again, Action hit something, or rather
somebody.
“ Well well,” Action shot around at the sound of that voice. It was
Julio’s thug Vince, “ Look what I got here boys,” He called to the mass
group of thugs behind him, “Come on Monroe, you and yer pals are
comin wit us.”
“ Oh boy, “ Skweeks said under her breath. The 5 were escorted through
the alley to the Bronx Lodging house, where a very powerful Julio ‘Dice’
DeVinchi waited.
***
“ So soon ta come back Action? I thought the average time spent in an
orphanage was life, “ Julio laughed. Wendi looked around the lodging
house as they stood there. It was huge! Bigger than her house even , and
packed with guys no less. She had no problem dying here.
“ Yeah well what can I say, “ Action shrugged, “ I’m jist gifted like
dat.”
“ You ?” Skweeks turned to her. Action gave the ‘ now is not the time
Skweeks’ look and Skweekers shut up.
“ So Dice,” Action turned her attention back to the matter at hand,
“You gonna let us pass through da Bronx, or are we gonna have trouble?”
Julio gave a long hard look at Action, than at Skweeks.
“ You two are free ta go where ever ya want, jist don’t stay more than
two days. Conlon Finds out I’m even lettin’ ya stay dat long he’ll have
my hide. So scram, “ Julio gave the order for them to go, but when the
other three tried he wasn’t so thrilled, “ Hey, you three stay. I still
gotta problem wit you.” Action stopped dead in her tracks and looked at
Skweeks.
“ We gotta.” Action said quietly.
“ Great time to develop a conscience. “ Skweeks rolled her eys as the
two went back to where they were before.
“ Hey Julio, you aint gonna give my pals trouble are ya?” Action asked.
“ Pals? You know dese clowns?” Julio gave her an untrusting look.
“ Yeah, dey came from Chicago wit us,” Action turned to them, she
pointed at Wendi, “ See dat dere is Baby-doll blue, she’s da youngest,”
She than pointed to Lynn, “ and dat’s Shinner, “ Lynn rubbed her eye.
Action got to Renee and paused a second, “ And dis, dis is , One o’ me
best pals, “ Action gave an uncomfortable laugh and whispered
“ Skweeks help me out here.” Skweeks brain was working fast. Than it
hit her.
“Charger,” She blurted out. Julio looked at her weird. Her voice grew
small, “On account o’ dat she takes Charge.” A sigh of relief was let
out by all of the girls.
“ Okay , In dat case, yer pals were sellin’ wit out permission. So
get da hell outta da Bronx section er I’ll tell Spot yer here.” Julio
was mad….really mad.
****
“ Great ,” Lynn thought as they all sat in a back alley, just outside
the Bronx, “Now what?”
“ Thanks for helping us.” Wendi said quietly.
“ Yeah well yer welcome.” Skweeks was leaning up against the wall
playing with her dice.
“ Well, “Renee, stretched out in the alley, it was getting dark , “ I
guess we’ll be safe here. There are too many of us for anybody to try
anything. Besides this place is pretty nice…..for an Alley anyway.”
“ I can’t believe I left Oscar fer dis.” Lynn sat down with her knees
up against her chest.
“ We could be at home right now, all snug in our beds.” Wendi, laid
down on the ground thinking about home.
“ Yeah well should o’ could o ‘ would o’ right Action?” Skweeks
turned to Action. She was starring off towards the direction they had
just left. She was thinking about something……something big.
“ Action,” Skweeks was almost afraid to ask, “ What are ya thinkin’
bout?” Action turned back to the girls grinning.
“ Hows about a night out on da town ladies?” Action had a plan.
******
“ Okay, now who can hold dere liquor?” Action asked.
“ I can out drink jist about everyone.” Lynn answered.
“ Okay, you bet some big tough guy you can out drink ‘im. Skweeks you
woyk da crowed.” Action was referring to her skills in pick pocketing.
“ Ummmm, Charger,” Action turned to Renee, “ What’s yer gift?”
“ Renee, my name is Renee,” She rolled her eyes, “ I don’t have a
gift.”
“ She can sing.” Wendi piped up. Renee cut her a look.
“ Thanks kid, Charger….Renee, whatever yer name is, you go up distract
da crowed wit yer singin’ while Skweeks searches their pockets,” Action
looked sternly at Wendi, she wasn’t but a year younger than the rest of
them, 3 years younger than who Action referred to as Shinner, “ You
shoot dice? Play poker ? Steal? Lie? Cheat?” All of these things she
nodded no to. Action thought long and hard about this one. Than it hit
her, “ You dance?”
“ Yes, why?” Wendi was unsure of why this mattered.
“ Alright, Skweeks teach her how ta pick a pocket while dancing with
someone. Okay, you got an hour ta show New York what yer made of. Meet
me back here den.” Action smiled . This was going to work.
“ What are you going to do ?” Renee asked before departing. Action
pulled out her dice and looked at them.
“ I’m gonna do what I do best.” She smiled and went out looking for
suckers.
*****
“ Come on Jack,” Kid Blink begged, “ We jist gotta go out tonight.”
“ I dunno boys,” Jack sat down on his bunk, “ I aint in the mood.”
“ Jack,” Racetrack said leaning up against the bunk, “ Its been 2
weeks. Sarah aint gonna wait ferever ta date…..why should you ?”
“ Come on Jack, “ Mush begged, “ I just gotta go dancin’. Besides,
you can drink all you want….I know that’ll make you feel better.” Mush
felt a sharp elbow in his side from Blink followed by another one on the
other side by Racetrack.
“ Ignore him,” Race said looking at Mush, “ Just come out with us
…okay?’
“ Okay, “ Jack sighed and got up out of the bunk. He had a feeling if
he said no, it would be a long night. They headed down to the “
Manhattan Pub”.
When they entered the place was packed. Race had his eye one a girl who
had been bumping into everyone. He wondered if she was a klutz or just
in need of a cash flow. He ignored it an directed his attention to the
stage at the bar. There was a new girl going up. She looked nervous. She
was wearing an old skirt and button down the front shirt. Nothing fancy,
but Blink sure looked interested. There was another girl who was on the
other side of the bar at the dance floor. She was good. In fact he’d
only ever seen one person who was better, and that would have to be
Mush. She kept changing partners though, he wondered why. His eyes
drifted to the bar area. They were awful rowdy over something. He saw
some girl out drink a sailor and realized what all the commotion was
about. Than he watched Jack get shoved into the barstool across from
her. He ,too, was now going to try and out drink the girl. Race looked
back at the stage.
“ My love has gone so far away, “ The girl started to sing really
softly. He saw the klutz call her over.
“ Charger, “ Skweeks whispered, “ Yer gonna have ta be a little looser
than that. Sing something very very dirty dat yer parents would kill you
if dey ever heard you sing it, “ Skweeks started to leave than came
back, “ Oh, one more thing,” She broke the two top buttons off Renee’s
shirt, and grabbed her skirt and split it half way up her leg. Renee
just starred at her, “ There, much better. Go get em kid.” Renee turned
to the crowd. She had to do this, for the sake of her and Wendi, she had
to do this. She walked over to the piano player.
“ Play ‘Sinner’ for me please?” The pianist just looked at her and
agreed. The song started and so did she : f
“ Well I like to swing my hips like this, “ Everyone looked, “And I
like to walk like this, “ She had all attention, “ That’s why they call
me a sinner, shakin’ too and fro
a sin—ne—r A sin—ne—r darrin’ to go where desire only knows” She was
working the crowd good….and so was Skweeks. Somebody shouted “ What
about Dancin’?”
Renee turned to them and continued “ Well if dancin’ is a sin
somebody send me where a sinner should be----- cause I’m sure the
devil’d like to dance with someone who’s sinned as much as me. That’s
why they call me a Sin—ne—r , swingin’ too and fro, I’m a sin—ne—r
daring to go where desire only knows.
Such a heathan am I , just look at the way I bat my eyes. A sin—ne—r
‘ Cause a sinner like me wears the top of her dress too low and the
bottom too hig—h” Blink was drewlling over her big time. She walked over
to him and sang, “ So darlin’ won’t ya come and sin with me.” With that
the crowd went wild. Skweeks wanted one last pocket. The boy was rather
good looking and Italian. She walked over, slid her hand in his pocket
and-
“Hey,” Race grabbed her hand and she was forced to look him in the eye.
They just stood there. Looking at each other. Skweeks shook her head and
whistled loudly for every one.
Wendi had just been dipped by Mush, Lynn almost passed out, and Renee
was hanging over Blink. Everyone of them scrambled to get out. Except
Lynn, she just sat there holding her money. Jack lay on the bar table
out cold.
“ Charger, Baby,” Skweeks ordered, “Get Shinner and come on.” She broke
free of Races grip and headed out as fast as she could, the others drug
Lynn out as fast as they could without stumbling over her drunken feet.
*****
“ Looks like I win again boys.” Action smiled picking up her money.
Specs and Skittery just looked at each other. They lost….to a girl no
less. That’s pretty bad.
“ Action!” Skweeks called down the alley.
“ Comin’! “ Action called back, “ Well I gotta be goin’ now. I’ll see
you boys around.” Specs and Skittery stood up and walked away
dumbfounded.
“ So how’d everybody do?” Action asked as they all sat down in the
alley. They began to unload their pockets. Well, someone had to empty
Lynn’s for her, due to the fact she was talking to the walls she was so
faced, “ Wow,” Action finished counting it, “Looks like we got enough.”
“ Enough for what?” Renee asked.
“ You like dat lodgin’ house back in da Bronx?” Action asked picking up
all the money, everyone agreed it was the biggest they had ever seen,
Lynn kind of groaned, but they took it as her agreeing, “ Well, I’m
gonna go get it.” Action started to walk off.
“ How are you going to do that?” Wendi asked.
“ Dice didn’t get dat name fer nothin’. I’ll roll him for it. You stay
here incase something goes wrong.” Action was almost gone when she heard
Renee asked Skweekers something,
“ Can we trust her ?”Renee had said it quietly.
“ She’s never steered me wrong, “ Skweeks shrugged. Action smiled and
continued on her way.
****
“ You wanna roll me fer da lodgin house?” Julio looked at her like she
was crazy.
“ Yep.” Action replied fiddling with her dice.
“ No dice kid. Too risky. How do I know you won’t cheat?” Julio asked.
“ I bet my gold dice I won’t,” She laid them in the center of all the
money the girls had brought in, “ how do I know you won’t?”
“ You got my word kid, which is as good as yer gold.” He spit on his
hand and held it out. She thought long and hard about this….did she
really want to touch his hand after he did that? Reluctantly she did the
same and they shook. Action said a short prayer under breath and the
crap game began.
*****
“ Well Julio,” Action held her hand out to him, “ Yer a man o’ yer
word.”
“ Jist treat dis place wit a little respect huh, Monroe?” He shook her
hand as the last of his boys headed out. When they had disappeared
Action shouted in triumph. This was it. She was gonna make it, who knows
the others might too. It was almost sun up, she’d been playing all
night.
“ LOOK AT ME . I’M THE QUEEN O’ DA BRONX!!!” She didn’t know where that
came from but she just felt like singing it….and loud, as she headed for
the Alley.
“ SUDDENLY , I’M RESPECTABLE STARRIN’ RIGHT AT CHA WIT MY DICE YER
MONEY I’LL SNATCH UP I’M DA QUEEN O’ DA BRONX”
*****
“ Yep, any minute and Action will come back, “ Skweeks sat there with
her knees tucked into her chest, “ Cause she’s know’s I’d role her down
main street my self if she left me here…in an alley….with three other
people….two of which are sober.”
“ Skweeks!!!” Action came running over. Skweeks jumped up in haste,
Action got to her and smiled real big, “ I did it!!! I won!!! It’s All
OURS !!!” Skweeks and Action jumped around ecstatic for about a minute.
“ Shut up!” Lynn cried holding her head, “ Do you have any idea how
loud you is? Do you have any idea that there are 4 of you?” Lynn laid
back down, pointing at the doubles of Action and Skweeks. Needless to
say, this was a pretty bad hangover.
“ Did we get it?” Wendi sat up rubbing her eyes.
“ You bet yer ass we did!” Action said helping her up. Renee just sat
there watching how incredibly happy everyone was….well except Lynn, but
she was happy last night so she didn’t count right now.
“ So when do we move in?” Renee finally asked.
“ Right now!” Action grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet.
“ Oh, “ Skweeks stopped, “ Charger got a new nick name. Sinner.”
“ I leave you alone fer one night, and yer worthy of the nick name
sinner?” Action laughed. They all headed for the Bronx. Action Carried
Lynn with the help of Skweeks.
When they reached the bunk house they all had this feeling that this
was meant to happen. That their meeting was not just a bizarre twist of
fate.
****
“ GET UP EVERYBODY!!! Sell da Papers !!! Come on!” Kloppman went around
the room waking everyone up. Cowboy just held his head and buried
himself in his covers. Kid Blink sat on his bunk feeling stupid along
side of Mush. Racetrack was just thinking about that girl from last
night.
“ Oh dis is pitiful.” Spot said walking in. His arrival was far from
expected. Blink shot up from where he was he was so startled.
“ Hey Spot,” Jack said holding his head , “ how ya been?”
“ Obviously a lot better den you boys.” Spot took a seat on a top bunk.
“ Hey we were used and abused last night,” Mush protested, “ But boy
could she dance.”
“ And sing, “ Blink said calmed down and looking straight a head. They
were talking, of course, about two different people.
“ And drink.” Jack added. He than let his face fall back into his
pillow.
“ So Race,” Spot turned to him, the only sane one, in Spots opinion,
left in the room, “ I take it you didn’t meet nobody?”
“ She jist kind o’ bumped into people every so often and now I know
why,” Race just kind of starred off into space, remembering her.
“ All o’ you is crazy.” Spot rolled his eyes and headed outside again.
He didn’t believe in love. It just made you look stupid. He didn’t come
the whole way from Brooklyn just to leave because he 4 best pals were
either hung over or heart broken.
He had things to do…..maybe he’d visit Julio in the Bronx.
*****
“ Okay, Now we gotta get jobs ta stay here.” Action said lying on one
of the top bunks.
“ We should all stay real quiet until I’m over dis hangover. “ Everyone
turned and looked at Lynn, who was now being referred to as Shinner.
Wendi decided she liked Baby doll blue better and Renee figured Sinner
was better than her father finding her.
“ Go sleep in da other bunk room Shinner, its probably quieter there.”
Skweeks suggested and Shinner held her head as she took off to the bunk
room. Shinner was halfway there when she heard a knock on the door. She
debated on whether to get it or not. Shinner figured why not and went to
the door. Spot was surprised to see a girl at the door of a Newsie
lodging house, much less as hung over as she looked.
“ Hey , excuse me but I was lookin’ fer da leader. I’m from Brooklyn.
Da names Conlon, Spot Conlon.” He expected for something to click in her
head as to who he was.
“ Hold on, “ She slammed the door shut and walked back in the bunk room
where all the others were, “Some guy named Spot wants ta see one o’ us.”
She trudged back toward the other room ,not caring that the leader of
Brooklyn was waiting at the door.
“ Oh shit, “ Action rolled off the bunk and started looking for a place
to hide, “ He finds me and we’re all dead.”
“ You stay here, I’ll go talk wit him.” Skweeks headed for the door.
She opened it half way.
“ You aint Julio, “ Spot said looking at her weird, “ I asked ta see
him.” More...
