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Post by Prince on Jan 28, 2008 12:38:08 GMT -5
Prince and Jem exchanged a glance, neither one knew what was up, or what was going through her head. Prince smiled and took her arm from around Mabel's shoulders. "Hey, no problem, happy ta help," she said nodding.
The three of them moved a little farther down the street. "Let's just finish up here, okay?" she asked. Jem nodded and dashed off.
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Post by mabel on Jan 28, 2008 22:36:39 GMT -5
Mabel watched as Jem ran off to sell the last of his papers. Perhaps now would be a good time to clear the air as far as Prince's secret was concerned.
Mabel would need to be tactful. "It's weird, isn't it? How some news boys and girls will pretend to be sick or burst into tears to sell their papers... I mean, have you ever done that? Have you ever pretended to be something you weren't?"
The stress Mabel had placed on "pretend" might have been overkill but Mabel knew nothing of subtlety. It wasn't that she found Prince's disguise distateful- she merely wanted to understand its necessity.
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Post by Prince on Jan 29, 2008 12:17:19 GMT -5
Prince flat out laughed. Wow... the girl wasn't just gonna come out and ask was she? "Yeah, alright, look, I know you know I'm a goil... knew it since last night, when my hat came off." She was talking very quietly, and was still talking in a deep tone to sound like a boy. "I got my reasons. A lotta people respect newsboys bettah den goils. So... I avoid da looks, and pay for it in sales. I mean... yeah, men trust boys, but they like ta look at goils. So... ya getta pick," she said with a slight shrug. "I poisonally got my reasons for doin' what I do. An frankly, dem reasons ain't yours to know. So, miss Mabel, you evah pretend ta be somethin' ya ain't?" she asked with a smirk.
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Post by mabel on Jan 29, 2008 20:31:26 GMT -5
Mabel's face flushed with embarrassment. Prince's response had been unexpected to say the least.
"I didn't mean-," Mabel sighed with aggravation, "Nevermind. Your reasons are your own."
Mabel conceded that the respect thing made sense. After all, Prince was in charge of a lodging house and attaining the respect of the newsies was vital. Sure, Mabel often used her gender to her advantage--for sympathy, for favors, for just about anything material--but respect was something she'd yet to come by.
"So, miss Mabel, you evah pretend ta be somethin' ya ain't?"
Mabel frowned at this. "I don't have to," she replied smugly, "I've always gotten by fine being just who I am..."
No, this wasn't true but it sounded good to Mabel. Had it been the truth she wouldn't be with Prince and Jem in the first place. In fact, Mabel went to bed every night pretending.
"But," Mabel began, glancing at Prince, "I am sorry... your business is none of mine." The apology was stiff but honest. Mabel didn't like to let down her guard at the cost of her pride.
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Post by Prince on Jan 29, 2008 20:53:54 GMT -5
Prince smiled. The girl was proud... she just hoped it didn't turn out to be her downfall. "Alright alright, And dun worry about it, okay? Honest I ain't mad or nothin'. Just, do me a favah, so long as we're in public, help me keep up appearances alright?" she asked with a small smirk.
"And ta letcha know, all the Queens kids know already, Jem too," she smiled again. "And by da way, you really is a good sellah, I dun lie about stuff like dat," she said nodding. She readjusted her hat and looked down the street. "Let's get rid of the last few, what cha say?"
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Post by mabel on Feb 1, 2008 18:19:53 GMT -5
Mabel nodded, glancing at Prince with a slight smile on her face. "Of course. I can't imagine what I'd do if anyone betrayed my trust like that... revealing your secret, I mean." Mabel was careful to keep her voice hushed and every so often would glance at passerbys accusingly, as though they were attempting to eaves drop on a conversation they couldn't care less about.
"Let's get rid of the last few, what cha say?"
"Yes," Mabel agreed, pulling her wool coat tight to her, "And get out of this miserable weather."
The day was unbearably grey and freezing and Mabel wanted no part in it.
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Post by Prince on Feb 2, 2008 0:28:36 GMT -5
"So then, aftah we're done here, interested in lunch? Celebrate ya success?" she asked. "Actually... I'll meet ya here in 10 minutes, take ya ta get the best greek food in all Queens." With that Prince would hear no protests, and went of shouting headlines once more
Jem was nearly done too, so once he had his last few gone he came back to Mabel. "Hey, how ya doin'?" he asked with wide curious eyes, bright and blue as usual.
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Post by mabel on Feb 10, 2008 14:21:45 GMT -5
Mabel nodded vaguely as Prince stalked off to sell the last of her papers. A harsh gust of wind made Mabel flinch and hunch her shoulders. The damn weather would be the death of her...
"Hey, how ya doin'?"
Mabel, wiping the wind-produced tears from her eyes, smiled at Jem. "Well enough, I think- Prince put me straight- gave me a few good pointers. But you," She chuckled, "You've got a real talent for this."
Mabel had watched Jem sell papers and it was a sight to behold. The kid definitley knew what he was doing. "Ever think of taking up on the stage? Or going into business, at that." She quipped playfully.
The newsies ability to manipulate truths was on par with the ability of cut-throat businessmen. The only difference being the newsies needed the money to survive and the business men most certainly did not.
Then again, Mabel's father had been one such businessmen and god knows what good that had done her. Still, Jem was destined for great things.
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Post by Prince on Feb 10, 2008 23:26:53 GMT -5
He smiled brightly. "Naw, I ain't no good at public speakin'. Prince is though! Maybe she can show ya sometime. You should hear stories of when her and her friend sold once... it was amazin'..." he said shaking his head. "But Thanks Mabel," he said with a bright smile, happy for the compliment on his selling.
"You know, your name still sounds like Maple to me. Can I call you Maple?" he asked. "Or sugar? Maple syrup is sweet like sugar. Or maybe I'll call you Syrup!" Jem seemed to enjoy seeing how many nick names he could give Mabel.
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Post by mabel on Feb 22, 2008 22:25:25 GMT -5
"No good at public speaking?" Mabel exclaimed incredulously. "Oh, none of that, Jem- I've seen you selling. You can definitley rally up a crowd."
Mabel smiled nervously as Jem listed off nicknames. The nickname process, Mabel gathered, was commonplace amongst newsies and Mabel wasn't sure she liked the idea. Forfeiting her named scared her silly. Her name was fast becoming one of her only connections to her other life, her home.
"What? Mabel's not a good enough name, then?" Mabel asked in mock disappointment, adding a most theatrical pout. She couldn't keep the act up for long, though, and soon broke into a smile, "What about 'Jem', then? Is that a nickname?"
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Post by Jem on Feb 24, 2008 2:40:03 GMT -5
"Okay," he said nodding. "If you say so, but I still think I ain't to good at it. I'm better at one person instead of a whole crowed." He shrugged just the same.
"Jem... sorta," he said thinking about it. "Prince gave it to me. Well when she and I first met I was real shy and quiet and stuff? So, she asked me what my name was. I said it was Jim, but it was real loud and she thought I said Jem. So that's what she called me, and so did everyone else. I told her my name was Jim later, and she apologized, though it ain't that important. Everyone still calls me Jem and... yeah," he said. "That's pretty much it."
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Post by mabel on Mar 3, 2008 21:29:31 GMT -5
Mabel smiled at Jem, "Well, I think it suits you quite nicely... an appropriate mistake on Prince's part." Mabel glanced about the selling corner, "Speaking of Prince..." Mabel trailed off, chewing on her lower lip. Where'd Prince run off to?
Mabel was about to ask Jem where Prince might've disappeared to when a large, ruddy-cheeked boy of sixteen or so ran straight into her. Mabel stumbled to the side, propelling herself back to an upright position with her hand.
"Oh!" Mabel screeched, reeling around to face the culprit... the far larger, dirtier and, if his expression signified anything, angrier culprit. Still, an aggravated Mabel had the tendency to run her mouth, "If it wouldn't be too much of a bother I suggest opening your eyes when you lumber about the street!"
Mabel moved towards Jem, unconsciously placing a hand on his shoulder to protect him should the angry large boy get... well, angrier. Then again, Jem probably had a far better chance of fending for himself than Mabel did. The large boy looked displeased, to say the least... 'This would be a very good time for Prince to come back' Mabel thought, subconsciously pleading for her to reappear.
(I dunno- thought I'd try to shake things up a bit XD)
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Post by Jem on Mar 3, 2008 22:28:28 GMT -5
(hey, sounds like a good idea to me! mind if we both control the speech and actions of this guy?)
"yeah you big dumb giant!" Jem said with a glare.
"What do you know kid? bettah watch ya mouth b'fore I break ya head in, and make ya golilfriend wish she'd nevah been born."
"Youse can't talk to my Maple like that!" he had meant to say Mabel, honest, it just came out wrong. Jem ran forward and started beating on the boy's stomach with his little fists.
Prince it seemed had gone for a walk or something, for she was out of ear and eye shot, and no where to be seen.
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Post by mabel on Mar 4, 2008 21:15:09 GMT -5
(Definitley =])
Mabel hardly had time to react when Jem had jumped to her defense. The large stranger was taken by surprise and staggered a few paces backwards as Jem landed punch after punch on the boy's midsection.
Regaining his composure, the larger boy snickered at Jem's feeble attempts and with a grunt flung his fist at Jem's face.
"Jem!" Mabel exclaimed, shocked that the brute would go after the far younger boy. It surprised even Mabel when she felt her own fist catch the sixteen year old across the jaw. The punch was on the weak side and probably did more damage to her own fist than the boy but it was still quite the accomplishment for Mabel. She fancied herself more of a run-and-hide sort of girl than a fighter.
Mabel then made to move towards Jem to make sure he was alright, forgetting the other boy for the moment.
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Post by Prince on Mar 4, 2008 23:36:22 GMT -5
Jem fell over from the blow, and it was when mabel call to Jem that Prince over heard the commotion. She came out of the alley way and saw Mabel and Jem trying to take on a rather rough individual. She ran back towards them as quickly as she thought she could do it without knocking her hat off.
She was rather shocked that Mabel was even able to smack the guy. It was impressive. Prince leapt towards the guy. "Hey jerk," she said as she slugged him in the jaw. Between Mabel and Prince the guy was already hurtin'. Prince turned around. "You guys alright?"
But it only took that long for the guy to take a leap at prince, and tackle them both to the ground. thankfully Prince's hat stayed on her head because she'd wrestled with the boys back at the lodging house and was skilled at managing her hat and her fight skills at the same time.
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(c)Red
