Post by Les Jacobs on Jul 7, 2010 23:37:10 GMT -5
Yawning, Skittery opened his brown eyes. His day off! I've been waiting for this day forever, he thought and got out of bed. He looked around. Only the other Newsies with the day off remained. It had to be around 9 in the morning. Everyone else has been awake for several hours. Skittery looked out the window. Figures... The one day that he has off in forever and it rains... The water fell from the sky and bounced off the roof and the road below. Well, if this isn't Karma, I don't know what is... he thought and remembered the time that he'd laughed at Race because his day off had a huge ice storm.
Skittery shrugged and pulled his suspenders over her pink long johns and plopped his hat on his head. He walked to the door to find Racetrack standing there. He was holding Skittery's cane and tapping off his shoe. "Come on Race, give it 'ere," Skittery said.
"It's rainin' out dere, ya sure ya wanna go out?" Racetrack jeered. Skittery laughed and pushed Race into the wall and snatched his cane. He whacked Racetrack with the cane lightly. "I ain't wastin' my day off sittin' 'ere. I don't get 'em often enough," Skittery said with a shrug and pulled out a cigarette. Out of the corner of his eye, Skittery saw Racetrack do likewise. He struck a match and lit his cigarette and lit Race's as well. "How many papes d'ya sell taday?" Skittery asked, exhaling smoke. Racetrack shrugged. "59, took 60, had ta eat one," he said and Skittery winced. Eating papers was the worst... They were all papery and inky and gross... Racetrack pretended to puke and slapped Skittery on the back. "I'm off ta the track," he said and flicked his cigarette butt to the ground. "See ya lata," Skitter said and smoked the last dregs of his own cigarette.
Skittery headed out the door after his friend. Skittery didn't know where he was headed. Maybe he'd head down to Irving Hall. He might run into David or something. He didn't mind David. The boy was smart and Skittery had to respect that. Skittery walked toward Irving Hall. Yeah it was morning, but Medda would welcome him. He was a Newsie after all. As he neared the Hall he saw a familiar blue shirt walking towards him with a little Jack-look-alike at his side. That could be none other then David and Les. Joy... Skittery thought with sarcasm. He could tolerate them, but Les just tried to act like Cowboy far too hard... He was even wearing Jack's signature rope belt... Well, it was newspaper string, but anyway. He's even tied a string to his hat and had it hanging off his back...
"Hey Skittery, what brings you around here?" David asked politely. Skittery shrugged and leaned on his cane. "Just bummin' 'round," he said. The three boys had taken shelter from the beating rain in Medda's backstage. Les nodded like he was something special with one hand in his pocket and the other at his side. And, shockingly, that's how Jack stands, Skittery thought and lit another cigarette. He rolled his eyes and took off his hat. It was soaking wet. "Figures..." he grumbled to himself. He hung his hat off the door knob and hoped that it would dry. "Day off?" David asked. It was clear he was trying to make conversation. Skittery wasn't too sure about having one with the little faker around. "Yea, if only it weren't rainin'..." he said, his usual pessimism clear as the water on his hat.
"Think of it this way, at least the rain will cool down the hot temperature," David said. He was trying to shed light on Skittery's outlook. Unfortunately, it wasn't working. Skittery didn't care what happened with the temperature. It was raining now. When it stopped tomorrow, Skittery would be working. He wanted the nice weather while he was on his day off, but no. It had to rain. "It's still rainin' now, I'm off now, and it rainin' in force." Skittery narrowed his eyes slightly as Les took one of the licorice and pretended it was a cigarette. Skittery looked at his own that was only half smoked cigarette and dropped it to the ground and stamped out the light flame. Skittery hoped that David noticed how annoyed he was. Normally, he would have just said something, but Skittery figured if he did then Les would cry and David would get angry. It just wouldn't be a good scene. Not that it ever was...
Luckily, David picked up on that hint. "Well, we'd better get going," he said. Les started to pout, but David dragged his little brother to the door. "See you tomorrow?" Skittery shrugged. He would probably try to avoid them tomorrow, but it was a bit inevitable. They worked at the same place. "Yeah..." Skittery said. He didn't really care if he did or not, but he was being polite. He watched the brothers walk out of the Hall and turn toward their home. When the door shut, Skittery felt his body go cold. His hat was gone! He opened the door to find Les and David walked toward the their still. That wasn't what angered him. Les was twirling Skittery's hat off his finger. That little snot, he thought. "David! You's gotta a thief for a brudder!" he shouted and ran after them. He snatched his hat from the little boy. "If ya's gonna borrow ma hat, then ya betta be askin' in the future," he growled at the little boy. "Sorry," Les squeaked.
Skittery put the sopping wet hat on his head and turned to leave. "You know, you didn't have to be so rude," he heard David say. He didn't, Skittery thought and narrowed his eyes. So much for David being smart. Skittery turned on his heel, water splashing out from his foot. "If dere weren't no thief, I's wouldn't be so rude," he countered. Skittery poked David squarely in the chest with his cane. "If you's didn't know, thievery is ruder then speakin' 'arshly." Skittery turned again and walked toward the Hall. No matter what David said next, Skittery was going to ignore him. Skittery went back in the back door and hung his hat again on the door knob. He shook his wet hair and started up the stairs.
When he reached the top, he was met was a burly man. Dear God, what next? "No body is allowed in here while Medda is rehearsing," he said in a deep voice. Skittery crossed his foot over the other and leaned into his cane. "Nah, I know's Medda. Just tell her, I's a Newsie," he said. If Medda knew he were here, she'd let him in. The big man just shook his head. "Nobody is allowed." He gave Skittery a hearty shove and the poor boy tumbled backward down the stairs. He landed with a thud. "Damn it... As if the day couldn't get any worse," he grumbled to himself and gathered himself up, grabbed his hat, and went in search of Racetrack.
Word Count;; 1360
Muse;; OMFG!!
