Benches

[firecracker]

“I was just looking for him, I’m not a newsie anymore. It doesn’t matter to me where you’re from. I like Brooklyn just as much as Manhattan.”

Firecracker smiled backat David. " Ya were? Well, I don't think ya would wanna be wanderin' 'round Brooklyn all day, so I guess I could take ya to him." Looking back at Dot, he commented, "Sorry, Dot. If he needs me I gotta help him, plus, I'll take ya ta dinnah latah."

[Fighter Mallory]

Fighter listend to everything Davey had to say without interupting, she knew he wasn't trying to insult her but she couldn't help but be insulted by some of the things that he was saying. After he finished speaking, she carefully drew a cigarette out of her case and lit it before saying a thing. "I understand where your coming from, Davey, but you gotta understand where we're coming from. Selling papes isn't even worth it anymore. We're paying out more than we're making. We're going broker then we could have imagined. And for a time I can help some of the little ones out. We've all taken different jobs to try and help them."

She wasn't trying to disagree with what he was saying but in her opinion they just didn't understand. The kids in Brooklyn had enough other problems to worry about they didn't need the added worry of earning that extra ten cents every day. "You should check the lodging house or the docks. If he isn't there, then you can wait at the lodging house. He'll be back." She figured he'd been trying to find time alone lately. They all had been, thinking about the prospect of trying to keep their younger ones fed. "And by the way Davey, if people are trying to support their families there's better ways to do that then to cross Brooklyn by selling in his territory."

She shrugged, she didn't have anything against any of them, but she believed in what Spot was doing. He wasn't opposed to people getting jobs, he just didn't want them giving into the papers demands that they just deal with raise in prices. She'd heard enough rumors about the Manhattan leader to know that his choice may have been more selfish than some thought. But she wasn't going to pass judgement, that wasn't her place. And she wasn't one to listen to that kind of gossip anyway. "I'm not trying to tell you what you probably know, Davey, after all you are getting a fine education, but be careful what you say. One wrong word and it won't matter how great of a plan you have."

She started to turn away but decided she had one last thing to say, "And Davey, you may think that Spot doesn't have the right to make decisions for every Brooklyn newsie, but we aren't going against his decisions because we trust him." Which was more than she could say about this Manhattan boy. She wouldn't even know who he was if it wasn't for the strike and he certainly wasn't her friend. Spot may not be one of her closest friends but she knew she could depend on him if she needed to. Him, Smalls, Lucky, Joe, and Zeke...she knew that if she were in a bind they'd help her in every way they could. With that thought in mind she turned to Dot, "Wanna come to the boxing ring with me?"

[davidjacobs]

"You should check the lodging house or the docks. If he isn't there, then you can wait at the lodging house. He'll be back."

"Thanks," David said. "I'll do that." He removed his hat and inclined his head politely to Fighter. "I hope you enjoy the boxing ring."

He turned to Dot, shrugging sheepishly. "Sorry we didn't get to talk much, maybe another time."

David pulled his hat back on his head and nodded to Firecracker. "See you, Fire." With that David spun on his heel and set off in search of Spot Conlon.

[rhoda]

Rhoda had been lucky enough to have been given Sundays off for the past few weeks and this week she had decided to visit Milo in Manhattan since she had to cut their conversation so short the day before because of work. He had still been selling and she had followed him around for awhile but it seemed to hurt his sales a bit when people thought he had an older sister to watch over him so she had agreed to meet up with him around one after he had sold the rest of his papes. She figured there was no point in going all the way back to Queens in the meantime just to make the trek down to Manhattan again so soon. So she had been walking around central park for the past few minutes and, after she was done, she planned to go see if they had anywhere she could get a decent breakfast since she had skipped it in order to get down to Manhattan earlier.

As she was walking she saw an older boy, who had previously been selling papes to a small group of people rush over to a bench and vomit behind it before collapsing onto the bench, obviously exhausted. "Are you alright mister?" she asked him as she neared the bench where he was sitting. Without waiting for his answer she put her hand on his forehead to check for a fever. She was almost like a second mother to her sisters and, to some degree, to her friends since they were all younger than her, so it was simply second nature for her to want to make sure that he was alright, despite the fact that she didn't know him from Adam and had never met him before in her life.

[rhoda]

"Well you don't look okay." she countered putting her hands on her hips in an authoritative way. Suddenly realizing what she was doing she dropped her hands and sat down on the bench next to the boy. "Sorry, I guess it's none of my business. It was just force of habit. But, really, ya ought to look in a mirror. You do look awful drawn." she looked down at her feet, kicking them back and forth slightly before looking up and changing the subject "I'm Rhoda, who are you?" she asked, sticking her hand out for the boy to shake.

[henry]

((New Day))

There was no real reason for Henry to leave the house. He had an exquisite chef whose cooking was divine should he ever grow hungry -- a superb library should he want to read or study, and a tennis court and swimming pool for when he wanted to exercise -- but there was one thing his mansion could not provide that Central Park could and that was fresh air, something he was in desperate need of. He needed to clear his head of the recent misfortune that had fallen upon his family. First Robert and now Catherine, choosing the same road Robert had. And look where Robert was now. Henry shook his head in disgust thinking about his younger siblings. It seemed to be the only one with a clear head on his shoulders.

[Alexandreia Halliway]

Lexi hurried forward, glancing over her shoulder every now and again. She couldn't get rid of the feeling that someone had been watching her these last few days. Of course no one in Jersey City knew where she was even if they were looking for her so she knew it just had to be her imagination. Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear she stumbled into someone. She opened her mouth to apologize when she took in their clothing, although she hadn't seen the gentlemans face she knew he was of wealth by the clothes he wore. Oh god, could her day get any worse.

"I'm so sorry, sir, I wasn't watching where I was going and I just bumped right into you. Of course, you know that seeing as you were the one who got the worse of it." Lexi couldn't stop the nervous babble from coming out of her mouth and she bent to scoop up her fallen papers. She'd begun drawing again and had taken to carrying her sketches around with her.

[henry]

Henry looked to the girl before him distastefully as she uttered the useless drivel that came with her apology. How like someone of her stature to not look where they were going. His brow rose as he watched her retrieve the fallen artwork, speaking a bored:

"Quite. Be careful as not to do it again."

[Alexandreia Halliway]

Lexi blanched slightly when she heard his haughty tone. Jesus was everyone with a little money this much of a prick? Lexi quickly gathered the rest of her belongings before standing. "Oh I wouldn't worry your pretty little head about me doing it again." Lexi flashed a smirk unsure where the condescending attitude was coming from she was just sick of these rich New York people who thought they were better than everyone. He didn't even know who she was and yet here he was looking down his nose at her and he couldn't be any older than her even if he was the same age.

[henry]

Henry scoffed at the girls impertinent response. He didn't have to know her, they were all the same -- lazy, uneducated, thriftless savages ruining the good name of America. It made him sick. And this one, speaking to him in such a way. She knew not to whom she spoke. It was time she learned her lot in life. Still, he said nothing, thinking her not worthy enough to have his response.

[Alexandreia Halliway]

Lexi brushed her skirt off and continued in the direction she'd been heading. All day she'd been looking forward to the hour she had to herself and she wasn't going to let some self-righteous snob take that away from her. She forced herself to forget the incident and sat down on the bench that was shaded by a large tree. The past week had been so hectic that she'd really been yearning for this time alone. It helped her collect her thoughts and soothe her nerves.

[Catherine Woodruff]

((New))

Catherine was silent the entire time they walked. She just held his hand and tried to swallow the lump developing in her throat. She stared forward as they walked until they reached the park benches. She sat down, thinking she would fall if she stood any longer, and looked straight ahead.

"Seth..." she started. She couldn't get it out. The words were on her lips, but they wouldn't pass. "I came to say goodbye. They...they're sending me away."

[reeves]

"Seth..I came to say goodbye. They...they're sending me away."

Reeves listened to her and when she finally got it out, he didn't say anything. He didn't really react for what seemed like ages. He just sat there, the words echoing in his head. Then the realization finally hit him. He still didn't know quite what to say. He just felt numb all over, and the pain in his chest just wouldn't go away.

"What? They can't! You can't go away! Just cuz a' me?" He felt terrible, it was all his fault. All his fault. No, it was the world's fault. It was the stupid class system's fault.

[Catherine Woodruff]

She stood there for what seemed like forever until he finally replied. She bit her lip as tears threatened to fall, determined to keep them back.

"To a boarding school in Connecticut."

[reeves]

"To a boarding school in Connecticut."

Connecticut? That was halfway across the country! Reeves was heartbroken. Danny had told him he would never find a girl, Reeves had been so proud that he was going to prove him wrong. Catherine was everything. She couldn't leave. Reeves pushed away from the bench, he always paced if he was upset or anxious.

"They can't take you away from me, they can't, they can't. I love you. I love you. I love you. Why can't they understand? I'm just a kid. You're just a kid. We ain't that different. Heck if I had one decent shirt and cleaned my face more often and lived in a bigger house, I'd be okay, it ain't me fault my family ain't got the money. I never wanted anything to happen to you Catherine. It's all my fault. You ain't gonna be happy in Conneticut, I know you won't be. You'll be away from your family, and away from Coney Island, and away from everything you want, just cuz a' me. It ain't fair. I would do anything for you. I wouldn't care if they took my job away, I wouldn't care if they took my pride away. I wouldn't care if they called me a dirty streetrat, cuz I know you're proud of me and that's all I need. I know you think I'm more than that. You ain't sposed to just sit there like a doll and wear fancy dresses and speak the way they want you to. You're much more than that Catherine!"

Reeves was just talking on and on, tears streaming down his face as he did. He didn't care. He loved Catherine and they were going to take her away from him.