A Girl Newsie

Moving on

"Feister! Up an' at 'em!" she heard Jack yell while banging at the door. Sighing to herself Feister got out of bed. She changed into her clothes and then tucked her hair under her cap before heading out.

"GET BACK HERE ALBERT!" Race yelled as he chased the red head.

"YOU GOTTA CATCH ME FIRST!" Albert yelled back as he ran past Feister's room. She smiled and still wondered why Albert would do this every single day. But it does put a smile on her face. Something that hasn't happened in the past few days.

"Hey Feisty," a small voice said.

She sighed, she knew that voice anywhere. Taking a deep breath she turned around. "Hey," she managed to say quietly.

"Look, bout what's been goin'-"

"I's don't wanna hear it!" she yelled. This was going to hurt more than anything in the world, but it had to be done, even though she didn't want this to happen, there wasn't much of a choice.

"Look, I's gonna make this short an' simple ta get it through yer dumb brain that's full of mush." now, all the boys were staring, but she didn't care.

She made sure she had a straight and dead serious face as she said, "I's don't wanna tawk ta you'se ever again. If ya want someone ta tawk bout yer stupid problems then go find yer goil, I's sure she has a few ways ta help ya forget it.  Which means I's can finally stop hearing' yer annoying voice blaber on bout somethin' that I's don't care about." With that being said she headed to the stairs.

As she walked down she heard him say, "Fine, go get soaked for all I's care! Cause a goil shouldn't have come here in the first place!" Feister knew she had that one coming. She held in her tears as she went out the door. She leaned against the brick building and sighed. Everything had been turned upside down, she wasn't sure what to do or think. But she knew one thing. If Mush was happy with some random girl then that's all that mattered.

All she had to do was step out of the picture. Which is what she just did. She felt like breaking down into a million pieces because she lost yet another person she cared about. And, when he had said about her, and on top of all of that, she was called out for being a girl newsie, which she hates, but she had it coming with everything she just said.

Deep down inside Feister knew she would probably never be a true newsie. Sure, she dressed, talked and acted like one. But there were just some things she couldn't do. Like when they would talk about some pretty girl they met, or other stuff like that.

There was also that burning feeling she had whenever she was around him now. She wanted to ask the boys, but she was pretty sure they didn't know what that meant. She had a girl talk with Medda, who said that the burning feeling inside of her body was jealousy because she likes him and he likes another girl.

Or maybe it was because she's been the only girl in his life for the past seven years, and now he has another girl in his life.. But Medda said it was most likely the first one, which she didn't believe. Feister was soon pulled out of her thoughts when she heard, "Hey Feisty." she looked over and gave him a small smile.

"Hey Blinky," she replied. Now, Kid Blink is really close with Feister. Not Mush close, but still close. Heck, besides Mush, Blink is the other person she trusts with her deep secrets.

"You wanna sell with me?" the older boy asked.

"Sure." she shrugged.

"Ok now onto the real reason why I came out here-"

"Blink, stop," Feister cut off before anything else was said. "I's don't wanna hear it. If he wants ta spend time with anudda goil than fine. I's not gonna be the one ta stop 'im." she took a deep breath to hold back a tear that was forming in her eye.

"That's why you'se said all those things." it was more of a statement than a question. Blink knew for a fact that Feister said a lot of stuff, but she would never in a million years say something like that. It just wasn't like her. But now it made sense.

She was saving herself from a broken heart. Blink knew (just like the others) that Mush and Feister have a bond stronger than anything, but, now that was all going down hill faster than you could say 'papes'.

He felt really bad for the smaller girl since Mush was pretty much the first person she opened up to, so of course she'd have a strong bond with him. But now? Now with Lacey in the picture Feister probably felt like she was being replaced. After all she's known Mush for seven years and Lacey has only known him for a month, so there isn't much wonder why Feister felt the way she did now.

She nodded then hugged him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face in his chest as a tear slid down her cheek, but he didn't know that. "Yer a good friend," Blink said while rubbing her back. "You'se knows that, right?"

Feister sniffed before pulling away from Blink and looked up at him. "Can we's just go already?" she asked quietly. Blink nodded and then they headed to the Distribution Center. They got their papers and went over to the Brooklyn bridge, but they stayed on the Manhattan side.

Race soon came by with his bag full of papers and his cigar in his mouth. He then took it out as he said, "Hey Blinky, an' Feisty?" Race was a little shocked because Feister was never near the Brooklyn bridge, unless it was fourth of July and they headed over, but that wasn't the point.

"Hey Smokey," she replied, and Race rolled his eyes at her nickname for him. How the nickname came up was unknown. But it was probably because she wanted to annoy him since he's never actually smoked.

"Whaddya you'se doin' near the bridge?" he asked with a smirk. "Wanted ta give that bummer a piece of yer mind when you'se done sellin'?"

"No," Feister snapped before walking away to sell her papers.

Race watched Feister storm off and then turned to Blink who said, "Member what she said ta Mush this mornin?" Race nodded. "Fake."

"Whaddya tawkin' bout?" the blonde asked. "She seemed dead serious."

"Long story, but all ya need ta know is that she didn't mean anything she said," Blink explained. Race wasn't sure what to think, in the seven years he's known Feister she'd never say something like that. Sure she yelled, teased and made fun of them, but what she said that morning wasn't like her.

"What makes ya say that?" Race whispered. Blink then explained and said not to say anything to anyone because while the other boys would believe it since they were all on her side in...whatever was going on with the former lovebirds, but Mush was a whole other story.  Race agreed, but said they'd have to tell the others before this gets too deep to fix, even though it's already down in the dumps.

The days soon turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into a month. The August air soon turned into September air. The days started getting shorter and the sun soon felt like it was fading in warmth. Things were changing in the Lodge, and not in the good way.

By the time September came Mush and Feister were pretty much well....they barely even looked at each other anymore. Mush was still mad at what Feister said, and Feister was broken into a billion pieces over this whole mess. Things had changed, and changed fast.