Copyright 1997
My friends and I decided to go visit a friend of ours in New York. We live in Santa Fe and she lived with us at some point, but she moved away. We aren't really sure why, seeing as how all her friends are out here, not to mention her family. Well, we all got on a train for New York and the whole way we were rather bored. We talked most of the way, but it was still pretty boring. We watched the trees pass by the window and we tried to count them, but they whizzed by too quickly.
A girl looked up and hurriedly shut the book she was writing in as a person walked by. Then she thought back about the past few days. She was sitting on a train, going back home. The person had left, so the girl opened her book again and started writting.
We arrived in Manhattan, we weren't really sure where that was, we'd never been to New York, nor had we looked at a map. I guess we should've. Anyway. We hadn't brought much, so we just walked around most of the day until we found our friend. That wasn't as easy as it sounds.
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A few days previous:
"Lilly, do you think we'll ever find her, or do you think she moved away?" Patrick asked.
"Pat, I'm sure she's here. I spoke with her a month ago," Lilly assured him.
"Wait a minute, you spoke with her, and you don't know where she lives!" Anna exclaimed.
"Well, in a letter. But I don't know WHERE in New York she lives. I only know the address, and that doesn't seem to be helping," Lilly said, avoiding the annoyed looks of her friends.
"Why don't we ask that boy over there," Stephen said pointing to a newsie selling papers. "He might know where she is, maybe," he said shrugging his shoulders.
"That's a good thought, I'll ask him," Anna said excitedly as she walked across the street. She tapped the boy on the shoulder and politely said, "Excuse me."
"Aftanoon, Miss," the boy said, turning around and pulling off his hat. "Would'cha like a pape dis aftanoon?" he asked politly.
"No, thank you. I'd like to know if you know where I can find a friend of mine," Anna commented.
"Shoa thing, sweet face," the newsie said. "What'd ya like ta know?"
"I'm looking for my friend, her name's Kathryn Kelly. Do you know where I can find her?" she asked the newsie.
"Yeah, I knows her and I'll show ya where ta find her. Allows me ta intraduce meself. I'se Kid Blink, but me friends jist call me Blink," the newsie said.
"Thank you, my name's Anna, and those are my friends over there." She pointed across the street. "We're all looking for Kathryn. Come on, let me introduce you to them." She led him across the street. "This is Patrick, Lilly, and Stephen. Guys, this is Blink." Blink nodded to each of them as Anna named them.
"Good afternoon, Blink," Lilly said pleasently.
"Aftanoon to ya. Folla me, and I'll show ya ta yer friend." Blink started towards Queens. The four friends followed him.
"Where exactly does she live?" Stephen asked after they had been walking for several minutes.
"She's got a real nice place, you'll like where she lives. Oh, hey, Cowboy," Blink said as they were about to cross the bridge to Queens. "How ya doin' taday?"
"Jist great, Blink. Where ya goin' wit' all dese people?" Cowboy asked when her noticed the group behind Blink.
"Bringin' 'em ta see Boidie. Lemme introduce ya to 'em. Dis here's Anna, dat's Patrick, Stephen, and Lilly. You'se guys, dis is Jack Kelly, betta known round as Cowboy," Blink said.
Jack shook their hands. "You'se goin' ta see Boidie, hmm. I thinks I'll go wit'cha," he said. More quietly to Blink, he said, "I'se'd like ta see dis." They both laughed.
The lot of them continued to walk on into Queens. They passed almost all the newsies in Queens before they got to Birdie's place. Most of them whistled as the girls passed, others just watched intently. They were all very taken with Lilly and Anna; the two of them were quite good looking.
"Well, here we'se are," Blink said as they stood outside Birdie's building.
The bunch of friends looked at it, then at each other. All wondering why Kathryn had left her rich parents in Santa Fe for a place like this. They followed Jack up the stairs anyway. He knocked.
A girl opened a sliding panel on the door. She looked out from the small opening, then closed it after seeing who it was. "Aftanoon, Jack. Who're yer friends?" the girl asked as she opened the door.
"Dey'se all friends a ma sista's. She still in, Vix?" Jack asked the girl.
"Yeah, she's in her room. Go on up."
Jack led everyone up the stairs. Vix was eyeing the group from Santa Fe as they walked past her. They were very nervous; Vix looked very tough. She had light brown tightly curled hair that fell to her shoulders and sapphire blue eyes. Her muscular arms were easily seen under her shirt. Vix nearly terrified the four friends. In the room were eight girls and one boy; all eyesing them carefully. They all looked equally tough as well.
"I'll see ya lata, Cowboy," Blink yelled up the stairs. He tipped his hat to the girls and walked out the door and back to Manhattan.
At the top of the stairs, Jack made sure they were all still with him. It was a long climb (six flights of stairs, a real long climb). He didn't want to lose anybody on the trek up. Jack started down the hallway at the top of the building. He stopped in front of the last door in the hallway and knocked.
"It's open," called a voice from within.
Jack opened the door and walked in, he ushered the others in as well. They inched inside, not knowing what to expect. "Hey ya, sis. I'se got some friends a yers out here," he called.
A girl walked into the room with long loosely curled auburn and emerald green eyes, with little specs of gold. She took one look at them and smiled. "I didn't think ya guys'd eva come out ta see me. " She gave each one a hug and continued. "I see ya found me all right," she said, looking over at Jack.
"Actually, a very nice boy, Blink was his name, took us out here," Lilly said.
"Well, you'll need a place ta stay. Anna, you'se and Lilly kin stay on da thoid floa, Abby'll show ya where. And Stephen, you'se an Pat kin eidda take a room wit' Jack in Manhattan, Spot in Brooklyn, or one here in Queens wit' me boyz. Take yer pick," she said.
"Why can't we just stay here? I saw a boy downstairs," Patrick asked.
"Ya don't wanna be stayin' wit' him," Birdie replied. She looked at Jack, who was trying to stifle his laughter.
"Why not?" Stephen said, bewildered.
"Well, he lives here in da buildin. But like I said befoa, ya don't wanna be stayin' wit' him," Birdie said, smiling at Jack. Jack laughed and looked at the boys, who were still bewildered.
"Um, I think we'll just stay with the girls," Stephen said, inching closer to Lilly and Anna.
"Okay, we'se kin arrange two rooms. Jist a minute." She walked to the stairwell. "Hey, Abby, come on up here," she yelled down the stairs.
"So how d'ya know Kathryn?" Lilly asked Jack.
"She's me sista," Jack replied matter-of-factly.
"That's impossible, she doesn't have any siblings," Patrick said.
"What'cha tawkin' 'bout?" Birdie asked as she walked back into the room.
"Well, Kathryn, Jack here says that he's your brother, but you don't have any family, well, besides your parents," Lilly said.
"Jack's da only famly I'se got," Birdie said coldly.
Just then, Abby walked in the door. "Yeah, Boidie, what'cha want?"
"Dese guys is gonna stay wit' us fer a couple days. Would'cha go fix up da last two rooms on da thoid floa for 'em, please, thanks," Birdie directed Abby.
"Yeah, shoa, be glad ta. Here, lemme take yer bags," she picked up the four bags and carried them to the stairs.
"Here, Abby, lemme help." Jack ran out to help Abby carry the bags.
"Thanks, Jack," Abby said with a smile on her face. Birdie watched the two of them act stupidly. They tried to hide their feelings, but she knew how they both felt. Both of them walked down the stairs each carrying half the bags.
"So, how long you'se guys gonna visit fer?" Birdie asked.
"Just a little while. We have to be back in time for school next week. We can stay for four or five days. Or until you get sick of us," Stephen joked.
"Ya kin stay as long as ya want," Birdie reassured them. "Come on, we'll git'cha settled in." Birdie walked out to the stairs and the group followed her. They all walked down the stairs to the third floor. They all walked into the open rooms as Abby and Jack were leaving. "Pick which one ya guys want. Two rules dough, foist: girls in one room, guys in da odda. Second: always knock ta git inta da buildin'. Dat's all ya gotta know," Birdie explained.
"Boidie, Spot's here. I'll send him on up," Vix said as she peered in the room.
"Good," Birdie said, grinning.
"Who's Spot?" the four friends all asked simultaneously.
"You'll see," Birdie said mysteriously. The four of them looked at each other with a what? look on their faces. Birdie smiled and said, "Ya git settled, and come down when yer ready."
Spot walked into the room. "Hey ya, Boidie. How ya doin'?" he asked, walking over to her.
"Aftanoon," Birdie said as she kissed him on the cheek. "Dese'er me friends, from out west. Dis is Anna, Lilly, Patrick, and Stephen. Guys, dis is Spot Conlon, of Brooklyn."
"Good afternoon," Patrick and Stephen greeted.
"How do you do?" Anna, Lilly both said.
"Aftanoon to ya. Fine, thanks," Spot said very politely as he nodded to them.
"Come on, Spot. Let's let em git settled," she said. She took Spot's hand and pulled him out the door. After they had left the view of the room, Spot pulled Birdie up to him and kissed her passionatly.
"Aftanoon," he said as he let her go.
"I love da way dat ya say hello ta me, I really do. We'd betta be gittin' downstairs, ta pull Jack and Abby apart." They both laughed and walked down to the lobby.
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