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It was about lunch time, and Spot and I had sold all of his papers, except for, maybe, five.
"Why don't we'se meet up wit' da guys back at Tibby's," he suggested.
I nodded. "Sure, sounds good, I'm a little hungry. Let's go," I said. I grabbed his arm and linked my arm with his (Jax and I do that all the time; it's a habit). We started back towards Manhattan.
"So, ya havin' fun so far?" he asked as we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. He noticed the happiness on my face.
I looked at him. "Yeah, I guess I am." I paused. "Ya don't know how smart you really are; do ya, Spot?"
He was a little confused by my statement. "Whattah ya mean by dat?" he asked.
I shrugged. "Well, ya know exactly who ta be gentlemanly to 'n' who ta con into buyin' a pape. Ya know who needs a more interestin' headline 'n' who doesn't. Ya really are quite street-smart, Spot," I explained.
He blushed slightly. He tried to hide it, but I noticed it. "Ya really think so?" he asked, glancing back up at me.
"Yup," I said with a smile. I looked at him and saw his blue-gray eyes sparkle with emotion. I was pleased. I looked to where we were walking. "Oh, look, we're here," I said, changing the subject.
Spot looked, too. "Yeah, I guess we'se are," he said, almost dissapointed.
We crossed the square to the restaurant. Spot opened the door for me; I thanked him. We were greeted warmly by the lunching newsies.
"Hey, guys," I returned the greeting. I saw Jax sitting with Jack and Mush. I walked over to their table and sat down next to Jack. Jax and Mush were sitting across the table. "Hey, Jax, guess what happened ta me taday," I said with a wide grin.
Jax decided to sign. You and Spot are sweetharts.
I shook my head and stole a fri from her plate. "Nope," I answered as Spot grabbed a chair and joined up at the table.
You got some sexy shots of Spot.
"Well, yeah, but that's not what yer s'posed ta be guessin'."
Jax laughed a little. Um, you learned how to sell newspapers.
I rolled my eyes. "Jax, yer never gonna guess it. The answer ta that one is yes, but that's still not it. I got myself a job!" I said.
Jax's eyes widened. "Doin' what!?" she asked, a bit surprised.
"A photographer. I'm meetin' the guy tomorrow fer lunch." Jax nodded.
"How'd ja git dis job?" Jack asked.
I explained the story to them. They listened pretty intently for the dull story it was. I found it a bit humorous at the time. But, they all found it quite fascinating.
"So, Jax, if ya want, ya kin come with tomorrow. I told 'im I wanted an assistant, 'n' I knew jist who ta ask," I said after telling the story.
She nodded. "Yeah, sure, okay. Sounds like a plan ta me," she said.
"Okay, then."
"Okay, then."
"Okay, then."
"Okay, then."
The guys all rolled their eyes. We were obviously annoying them. "On a new topic," Spot interrupted.
We all looked at him. He didn't say anything. "Spot, ya can continue now. Ya have our attention," I said.
"Well, seein' as how Medda t'rows a dance ever' Wednesday night, I think we should all go," he suggested.
"Spot, we goes ta dat ever' week," Jack reminded.
"Well, yeah, but, dey don' know dat," he informed, nodding to Jax and me.
The three boys looked at us. "He's right. We didn't know 'bout any dance. Geez, boys, think we know everything," I said and rolled my eyes. Jax laughed a little.
"Awright, you goyls wanna come wit' us ta da dance tahnight?" Mush asked, a bit hopeful.
Jax and I looked at each other. "Sure," she said.
"One question though," I started. The guys looked at me. "Do we need ta wear somethin' real formal?"
"Jist a nice dress, er what'cha got on's good, too," Jack said.
I nodded. "Ahight, and where might one go about getting a dress?" I asked. Jax nodded in agreement. She wanted to know, too.
Both Mush and Spot grinned. "I knows a place where we'se kin get you'se two a dress," Spot said.
I looked at Jax. "We gonna do the same deal we did yesterday?" I asked cynically.
He looked at me, a little annoyed. "Naw, we'se kin do it legit if ya want," he answered.
"Uh-huh," I mumbled. Jax looked at me and kicked me under the table. "Ow!" I yelped and kicked her back, not too hard though.
"Would'ju not antagonize him," she said. I looked at her, an annoyed look on my face. She signed the rest to me. From what you told me at home, he can get really mean and dangerous when he's angry.
I rolled my eyes. Jax, he has the potential, but he doesn't have the confidance yet. He wouldn't do anything to us, especially not to me.
"Uh-huh," she said.
"What, ya haven't seen it?"
"Was I s'posed to?"
I rolled my eyes. "Anyways," I said, changing the subject.
We talked until the end of lunch. Spot and I had switched seats so that he and Jack could talk privately. Jax, Mush, and I conversed amongst ourselves. After we had finished eating, the five of us moved out to the square and assembled around the statue. Blink had ventured over and Spot had whispered something to him. Blink nodded and ran off.
"What was that all about?" I asked, walking over to Spot and Jack.
Spot looked terrified to speak to me. Jack intervened on his behalf. "Blink's jist goin' ta git somethin' from a friend a his," he said.
I was putting the puzzle together in my head. I nodded. "Ah, that's nice," I said, a little facetiously. I walked across the square and began again with my pictures. I wanted to finish the roll. I wanted to have a really good doctumentation of Jax and my trip back in time.
"Hey! Hey, Birdie!" Jax called from the statue. I looked at her. She waved me over.
"Comin'," I called. I capped the lens and scurried over to her. "Yeah, whattah ya want?" I asked, walking up to her.
She began signing to me. Guess what!
What?
Guess.
I don't want to guess, I signed. She wasn't going to tell me anything. I decided to humor her. Okay, okay, Mush asked you to the dance.
Jax looked at me, quite surprised. "How'd ju know?" she asked, her eyes wide and confused.
I smiled. "Like I've said many, many times, I jist know things. Besides, have ya seen the way he looks at you?" I asked with a smile.
Jax looked over her shoulder. Mush was sitting atop the statue, watching us. Jax waved to Mush. Mush jumped and looked away. I could see him blushing from where we stood. Jax barely noticed.
"He does not," she said.
I rolled my eyes. "Okay, fine, you see it yer way; I see it mine." Before I could say anything further, Jack called us over.
"Yeah, Jack?" Jax asked when we got closer to him.
"Jack, where's Spot?" I asked.
"He went back ta Brooklyn. Here's da deal fer tahnight. Da dance at Medda's stawts at seven. We gots a sahprise fer you'se two back at da Lodgin' House. We leaves at six-thoity. Be down in da lobby a da Lodgin' House by den. Be back dere at whatevah time ya needs ta git ready. Ya got dat?" he explained.
We nodded. "Sure, we'll be there by then. Don't worry 'bout it, Jack." I turned to Jax. "Come on," I said, grabbing her arm and pulling her down the street.
"Where we goin'?" she asked as she began walking without me holding onto her.
"Spot showed me this great place under the Brooklyn Bridge. It's the perfect place ta take pictures. Ya know all those shots that show the skyline of Manhattan, under the bridge? Well, I found it, except without the skyscrapers."
A grin began to grow on Jax's face. "Ya found the famous spot fer photographers 'n' painters?!" she asked.
I nodded. "Yup, I found it. Well, Spot showed it ta me, but that's not the point. Anyways, it's there, in Brooklyn, and I wanna show ya what my shots'll look like once they're developed."
"Uh-huh. And how do ya propose ta develop them in 1898!" she asked, her voice raising to a shout at the end.
I stopped walking. "Jax, we're gonna get home eventually. I jist gotta figure out how we got here in the first place. Once I figure that out, I can figure how ta git home. But, fer now, jist live in the moment; would'ja, please?"
Jax nodded. "It's jist that I miss everyone back home. You fit in here better than I do. Ya know all 'bout this time 'n' everyone in it."
"Jax, Jax, Jax," I interrupted, "I only know so much because I'm obsessed with them. That's the only reason I know. Besides, you fit in better back home. You and those annoying friends a yers." I started down the street again.
"Hey! Carolyn's not annoying! No matter what you say!" she yelled after me.
"Whatever," I yelled over my shoulder.
I showed Jax the place under the bridge. We decided that this was our place. We would meet there for total privacy discussions. And to discuss things about back home. I knew that I'd always come here to think. The view was beautiful, and it was in Brooklyn.
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