Alice the Newsie

(29) Your Friends are More Like Family

My mother runs up to me, holding me in a tight hug and kissing me on the cheek. "Oh Alice! My sweet Alice." She holds me for a couple more seconds before letting go of me. "Oh Alice, look at you. You're all dirty and monstrous, and your clothes.  You're not even wearing a dress!" I look down at my trashcan clothes. I guess I haven't been thinking of fashion since I became a newsie. "Alice, we heard about Brearley. You poor thing! They never told us about the fire. No letter or any news at all."

"That's why i'm going to sue them," My father adds in, my eyes widen. Of course, it's like my father to sue them. My mother grabs my hand. "We should start to get ready to go. The train is gonna come any minute." 

"G-go where?"

She smiles, "go back home." I stare at my mother for a moment. Then I say with all my courage, "w-what if I-I don't w-want to go b-back home?" Her smile faints as fast as a light. My father's eyes are like fire. "Why wouldn't you want to go back home Alice? You have all you would want back home." His voice is shaking with anger. My heart is beating like a drum. I put my hands in my pockets, looking at the icy ground. "Father, mother. I-I'm so thankful for e-everything you have g-gave me. I feel s-so lucky to h-have these things. But, you s-send me h-here for better s-schooling, to b-become smarter." I meet their eyes "and I-I have. I h-have made friends with p-people who a-are poor, who a-aren't in the higher c-class like us. They have t-taught me t-that you don't need n-nice things or to b-be pretty for people to like y-you. Because what m-matters to t-them is how you treat t-them, they don't s-show off their nice c-clothes, or wait for you to i-invite them to a p-party. The o-only thing they w-want from you is your f-friendship. You s-send me here for the s-school year so let me stay f-for that time." 

"How have you been staying alive then, Alice?" My mother asks, curious. "I have b-been working as a newsboy, and s-staying in a lodging home. I have been j-just fine mother." I see my father whole body tense with anger, he comes closer to me, pointing his finger at me. "HOW COULD YOU ALICE? AFTER EVERYTHING WE HAVE GAVE YOU. YOU TREAT IT LIKE TRASH! LIKE IT DOESN'T MATTER. THIS IS NOT THE DAUGHTER I RAISED, WHO WAS TAUGHT HOW TO BE A REAL LADY. WHO I WORKED ENDLESS FOR. NOW, YOU'RE ACTING LIKE A LITTLE CHILD. HOW COULD ANY FATHER BE PROUD TO CALL YOU THEIR DAUGHTER!" 

"Frank please!" My mother cries, she pulls him away from me. She faces him toward her and whispers something to him. His face stays the same, he gives me a cold look. Then says. "Don't you remember what I told you Alice?" My mind goes blank, I look at the ground again. "I told you to not let the city change you, to stay my sweet, little girl." He stares at me for while, then says to my mother.  "We're leaving Beth, If our blind daughter wants to she can leave with us too. But i'm guessing she's to prideful to." He starts to walk out of the alley, my mother following behind him, "please write to me Alice!" she calls. I watch them walk out of my sight.

I look back at my friends. All looking either shocked, or sorry for me. "Your dad is a very angry man." Willie remarked, I sightly nod my head. "He's very scary," Rose said hugging Willie. "He thinks Alice is the blind one here." Ruby mumbled. Grace is looking at the sky. I stand with them, nobody saying anything when I remember what I was going to do. "Everyone wait here," I say. I waste no time getting to the small door. I open it up and run down the stairs. I may have almost broke my knees getting down. I touch around the wall until I feel a doorknob. I open it up, feeling around the space. My hand brushes a box. I sit on the cold floor and look though the box. I feel the sack of money. I carefully carry it as I go back into the cold world.

"Took ya long enough Alice. I'm freezing," Ruby complained. I ignore Ruby and walk up to Willie and Rose. "Willie, Grace, Ruby, and Rose." 

"That's my name don't wear it out" Willie jokes, everyone weakly laughs. I brush some curls out of my face. "Y-you have been a-amazing friends, I never t-thought I would have f-friends like you. Y-you have h-helped me in so many ways. From Brearley, to letting me s-stay with you though the blizzard. I-I want to repay you by giving you this." I hand Willie the money, she takes it, staring at it with big eyes. "I-Ivy gave me the money. Kind of like her l-last wish. She wrote to me to p-put it to good use. So I am, by l-letting you guys get away from this city," a smile forms on Willie's face. She looks at me, a look I will never forget. She wraps me in a hug. Everyone else joins the hug. I feel all kinds of different emotions; sadness, happy, love, and scared. All in that one hug, (and day.) Everyone slowly lets go of each other, taking in the moment. "Are you going to come with us Alice?" Rose asks. 

"No Rose, as much as I love you guys. I don't think O-Ohio is really my home anymore. Plus i'm pretty sure the newsies think i'm dead so I should clear that up." 

Rose looks disappointed. Willie picks Rose up, a squeak from Rose breaks her mood.  "Alice, when I get back home I can send letters to you." Willie said while Rose sits on her shoulders. I tell her the address, taking as much time saying it so I don't have to leave. After saying it 50 times. I look at everyone's faces one last time before I start to head to my new home. I heard a chorus of goodbyes as I exit the ally. I wipe tears out of my eyes as their voices become fainter.