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Post by nellie on May 27, 2008 8:37:19 GMT -5
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry about that."
She gave a slight shrug. It wasn't so much of a big deal. She had a few people she could talk to, and some of her friends in school would have her over their house sometimes (Nellie sold the afternoon edition most of the time, and so she came into contact with a few of the newsies but her school friends as well). Her school friends couldn't believe she sold papers. Her newsie friends couldn't believe she went to school. She could never be a newsie...but because she sold, she couldn't be a schoolgirl, either.
"It doesn't bother me so much. If I wanted to I could stop going to school, even." She knew she couldn't do that, because she wanted to go to school for the few years that she could before it was denied to her. But she couldn't stop selling papers...her mother's meager wages were hardly enough to support them. They needed something else, and they had no one else.
"No problem."
She smiled. He had some kind of odd way about him, something that always made her feel better about herself. She liked it a lot, and was glad she had someone like him to make her feel better. It was almost an assurance, really, that even though they called her a scabber it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. And even if they did call her a scabber, maybe someone would accept her.
Someone already had.
"If ya want, I can walk you home."
Nellie grinned at the thought. "Not just yet," she said. "I don't have to be home very soon..." She didn't know how to measure the sunset, but she would rather span out her time with Mush as much as possible.
There was movement in an alleyway.
Nellie didn't see it.
((I'm so sorry. Absolute garbage...))
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Post by Mush on May 27, 2008 15:08:28 GMT -5
"It doesn't bother me so much. If I wanted to I could stop going to school, even."
Mush's eyes widened in surprise, he didn't know she went to school. "You go to school?" He asked. Before his parents died he went to school, and if they couldn't afford it, his mother would bring out some of her old school books. She was a teacher before she married his father, and she was a good one too. She taught Mush and his brother the best she could. His parents were amazing people, and he missed them dearly.
"Not just yet, I don't have to be home very soon..."
He grinned, happy that he could spend more time with Nellie. Every second was precious and he didn't want to waste it. His happiness was short-lived when he heard something in an alleyway, he looked over in that direction. "Did you hear that?" He asked, hoping it was nothing and that they could continue on their way.
Unfortunately, that was not the case. Whatever it was in an alley was coming closer, Mush could see its shadow. It wasn't something small, like he hoped it would be.
((No, its fine, mine wasn't anything to write home about.))
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Post by nellie on May 30, 2008 10:08:01 GMT -5
"You go to school?"
Nellie looked down, averting her eyes. Mush had a similar reaction as some of the other newsies she talked to. They couldn't believe she was going to school, when some of them didn't even know how to read. They would sometimes demand she read out a paper to them, or in the case of those who could read, do arithmatic. They were partly impressed, but mostly they were slightly upset. They didn't like the fact that she could read and do arithmatic, or that she had a mother, something that many of them didn't have. She was called a scab not because she was mean or against them, but because she wasn't a full-blown newsie. "Yeah," she said quietly. "I go to school in the morning and sell in the afternoon." She wouldn't go to school for much longer, though. She would graduate soon and fall into her own life.
"Did you hear that?"
Nellie stopped. "What?" she said, turning to where he was looking. A silence followed, and Nellie could see a shadow lurking in the alleyway. She took Mush's arm and stood close to him, her eyes locked on the mouth of the alley. Slowly a figure began to emerge from the shadows and into the dim evening light. No, not a figure. Two. And then three more. Enormous, hulking men, with hard eyes and harsh smirks. But Nellie's eyes darted to their hands: they held clubs and chains, and then fumbled with them in a menacing manner. Nellie gasped a little when she realized the men's eyes were on them.
She had heard several times that there would be groups of men that would steal your money and beat you on the street, just because they could. She had heard, as well, they often targeted newsies: helpless children who would undoubtedly have money. Nellie thought of the pennies she carried in her own pocket and those that were undoubtedly in Mush's, and was instantly worried. As the men came forward, leering, Nellie held Mush's arm tighter. She was at a loss as to what to do. Should they run? Stand their ground? Play it cool, ignore them? She caught Mush's eye, begging him silently for a plan, something they could do...
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Post by Mush on Jun 1, 2008 14:17:19 GMT -5
"I go to school in the morning and sell in the afternoon."
Mush smiled, he respected girls who went to school and were newsies. They got a lot of heat for not dedicating their lives to selling papers. He didn't mind kids going to school, he thought it was a privilege and that it was a special gift. If his parents were still alive, he would've wanted to be a newsie and go to school. "Hey," he said with a grin, "I think that's really neat."
"What?"
He looked around, hoping nothing would jump out at them. Well he was wrong, two figures with dark eyes and weapons. Oh boy, this was going to be a field day for them. Two kids who just got done selling, and had some sort of money with them were going to get mugged. Older men who picked on little kids were the lowest of the low. Mush felt his stomach churn, he wasn't the best fighter out there.
He caught Nellie's eye and noticed how scared they looked. He didn't know what to do. Should they run and risk their lives? Or should they stay put and get beaten? He decided to go for the first, at least if they died they died trying. These men were big, so they wouldn't be able to run as fast as Nellie and Mush. He caught her eye again and mouthed, "Run." Hoping she saw, and obeyed. He backed away slowly, looking behind him to make sure they didn't run into a wall or anything. It was a clear street, hopefully this would work.
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Post by nellie on Jun 5, 2008 7:45:43 GMT -5
"Hey," he said with a grin, "I think that's really neat."
At the sight of his smile, Nellie couldn't help but to smile back. "Thanks," she said. She figured that some newsies were too bitter at the fact that they never got a chance to go to school to take kindly to someone who got the best of both worlds. But did she really? Yes, she went to school, but that meant lost freedom, something that the newsies couldn't get enough of. They always did what they wanted without any thought as to who was watching or what they were doing, carefree and...well, just plain independent. Nellie sometimes felt that she desired that.
And then she got to sell and earn money as well, but that didn't get her much. It got her the pennies, about thirty-five or forty a day, but she could see how close the other newsies were to one another and couldn't comprehend being that close to any of them. Together they ate and sold and slept, and Nellie was often reminded she wasn't a part of that. She turned to Mush and asked, "What's it like? Being a real newsie?"
"Run."
Mush only mouthed the word, but Nellie understood right away. He began to back away, and she resolved to follow him in whatever he did. She kept her hand in his, but felt their fingers begin to slip. She wanted to make sure he was with her before she ran off like the powerless girl she felt she could be...
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Post by Mush on Jun 7, 2008 15:53:55 GMT -5
"What's it like? Being a real newsie?"
Mush frowned, what did she mean by a real newsie? He considered anyone that sold papers a newsie. So what did she mean by real newsie? "What do you mean?" He asked, feeling confused. Then suddenly he got it. She meant someone who dedicated their young lives selling papers, living together, and carrying the banner.
He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Its the same really, just living with the other newsies. It can get tiresome because you see the same people day in and day out. But we're like a family, you know?" He said. As long as you sold papers you were a newsie. At least that's how he saw it in his eyes.
Mush gulped, he never had been in this situation so he didn't know what to do. He let go of Nellie's hand slowly, as he backed up a bit more. He backed up once more before he began to run, praying that Nellie was following him and that neither one of them would get hurt.
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Post by nellie on Jun 8, 2008 9:25:29 GMT -5
"Its the same really, just living with the other newsies. It can get tiresome because you see the same people day in and day out. But we're like a family, you know?"
Nellie could understand, but she wished she could feel the same about her family. Nellie's mother wasn't always the best company, and Nellie found herself missing the company of her older brothers. She wished the other newsies would accept her, even if she didn't sleep in the lodging house, went to school and sold the afternoon edition. She felt like a bit of an outcast, and she didn't want to burden Mush with her problems anymore. She knew he didn't want to hear it, just like she didn't want to talk about it. "I'm sorry for asking you that," she said. "I guess I'm kind of wishing I could feel the same way. A family..." Nellie knew that she could sell papers all she wanted. But if she didn't carry the banner, she could never be a true newsie.
The men from the alley advanced further, their eyes bespoken with greed and violence. There were four in all, and Nellie thought she could see more staying hidden in the alleyway. Nellie followed Mush in another step back, before she felt his hand slide out of hers and heard him bolting down the street. Nellie wasted no time in following, grabbing a fistful of her skirts to lift it to her shins and keeping close to Mush, only hoping that she could run fast enough and that they wouldn't be caught.
Angry shouts started behind them, and Nellie didn't hazard a glance over her shoulder, knowing it might slow her down. She gasped, and her breathing grew labored quickly, for she didn't run often. She would only follow Mush and see where he would lead her. By what she could hear, the men were gaining...
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Post by Mush on Jun 13, 2008 15:13:47 GMT -5
"I'm sorry for asking you that, I guess I'm kind of wishing I could feel the same way. A family..."
Mush understood what she meant. It must be rough not being accepted by people you were supposed to be friends with. "No, don't be sorry. Ask me anythin', I'm open." He didn't want her to feel left out or judged around him. That's one of the good things of Manhattan, you weren't judged for things like having a family. If you were going to be excluded for something, it would be if you betrayed the newsies or something.
He hated this. He hated this situation, he hated the feeling of fear, and he hated knowing if him or Nellie died tonight it was his fault. Mush silently prayed that they both would be safe and that they could escape this quickly and remain alive. Oh what a story this would be to tell to his friends when he got back. That is, if he got back.
Mush heard them gaining on them, and it scared him. He ran faster, although he knew out running them would be unlikely. He glanced around at what was in front of him, they needed to go someplace that was shelter or something. An alleyway wouldn't work, because that was their own death sentence right there. He looked around frantically, he could almost hear his clock that held his time on Earth ticking down.
They continued to run as Mush saw a small opening that looked like it could fit two people at the most. It was in the shadows, and looked as if it would be the perfect place for them to go to. Mush tried to make eye contact with Nellie, and he gestured over to the opening with his head, trying to be suttle. Hopefully she would see, and they wouldn't get caught...
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Post by nellie on Jun 14, 2008 18:44:41 GMT -5
Mush picked up his speed, and Nellie struggled to match him. She was never a strong runner, and it was times like these she truly wished she was. She was breathing heavily, and could feel the beginnings of a stitch in her side. She could hear the thugs gaining, and a thousand possibilities pounded through her head. Would they beat her and Mush? Rob them, for sure, but if they handed their money over, would they be beaten? If not, killed? Fear gripped her like an iron fist, and she forced herself to go faster.
Mush glanced over at her, and did an odd gesture: he nodded toward a narrow opening. Nellie didn't comprehend at first, but then realized that he was trying to tell her to escape into there. Nellie gave a short nod, and quickly ran over. She pressed herself in: the opening was narrow, and she struggled to get herself in quick enough and far enough so that Mush would have the opportunity to enter in as well. She turned her head to one side and looked at Mush, pleading him come in.
She didn't want to think about what would happen if they were caught. If the thugs saw them, there would be nowhere for them to run. They were completely trapped, and Nellie's heart beat faster. She clenched her fists in apprehension, and prayed they wouldn't be caught. Her breath caught, and she closed her eyes, her head spinning with blinding fear.
((Sorry. Short.))
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Post by Mush on Jul 11, 2008 13:08:15 GMT -5
Running was not Mush's forte, he could run, but he didn't enjoy it. He preferred walking much more. This was a life and death situation, he couldn't just stop running and say, "Oh, sorry, I need to walk." That wouldn't do, it would cost him his life, and probably Nellie's too. Mush tried to ignore the throbbing pain in his legs and feet, and continued to run. Nothing this bad ever happened to him, it all happened to Skittery. Why did this have to happen now? Why not later?
Mush quietly slipped into the narrow opening, praying that they wouldn't be noticed. How would he explain that to Nellie's family? Oh wait, he couldn't. He would be dead as well. He closed his eyes, and tried not to breathe. His heart pounded, and he was surprised the thugs didn't notice it. Maybe they would get lucky, and just tell them to give over money or something. Mush didn't have much, a few nickels, and a dime or two. Sure, it was what he had to live on, but he preferred his life over his money.
The feeling he was feeling now was horrible. He felt like he was anticipating his death, and he felt like he was going to pass out. Hopefully the thugs would ignore them, and run by. Why wasn't there a class on how to escape from thugs? You would think there would be one seeing as many of the newsies had a story that involved them and thugs. Mush held his breath as he watched them run by...that's it? They just ran by? Was it over? He exhaled slowly, still trying not to make a lot of noise. Hopefully they were gone...
((ACK! So sorry it took me so long to reply, and its not very good. I'm sorry.))
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