Rain McGowan awoke to a light pit pattering outside; she knew by the sound that it was raining. “Well, we definitely ain’t sellin’ today, but I don’t need to tell dem dat, we can just go out,” she thought. She heard a light snoring underneath her, which she knew meant that her best friend, Sorrow Silbur, was still asleep. Rain had wavy, blonde hair that came down to her mid-shoulder blades, which she usually kept in two braids underneath her gray hat, and bright blue eyes, and Sorrow had short brown hair that came down to her shoulders, and hazel eyes. She looked around the room; all of the girls were still asleep. After Rain, Sorrow, and a few other girls had a run-in with Sorrow’s long-lost uncle, they had been staying in the lodging house in the Bronx that had belonged to him before he died in late May that very same year. Rain peeked at Sorrow’s pocket watch. “I bettah be getting’ ‘em up soon,” she thought. For Rain, life had been perfect since they met Sorrow’s uncle, until he died, that left Sorrow and Slick kind of heartbroken. He had been sick, and when he died, it turned out that he had left everything to Sorrow and her little brother, Dylan, who was now known as Slick.
Slick and Rain’s little cousin, AJ, who was now known as Kicker, Kicks for short, were the same age, and best friends. Rain heard a groan, and she looked around to see Twiz Downy arising from her sleep. Twiz had short, dark brown hair that came about a centimeter past her shoulders, and brown eyes. All of the people in the lodging house had something in particular that they could do. Sorrow and Rain were like two partners in crime, they were an inseparable team, and their friends helped a lot. Sorrow could pick locks, and Rain could pick pockets. It’s what they had grown up doing, but the one thing that they both could do, was drink and play poker. Actually, a lot of the people in the lodging house could drink, but that was beside the point. Twiz was named for, well, she was kind of just named Twiz for no reason, but her gift was distracting people when her friends wanted to do something, and she was witty too. Another two partners in crime were Kicks and Slick. Kicks and Slick were pretty much just known for getting in trouble. Their ears never decieved them, and they were good at eavesdropping. They usually just used that gift on the girls, though.
“Mornin’, Twiz,” Rain greeted her quietly. Twiz sauntered over to Rain’s bunk.
“Who do ya wanna wake up, da boys or da goils?” Twiz asked.
“I’ll take da boys, dey ain’t as easy as da goils,” Rain slipped off of her bunk, and Twiz started to wake up the girls. Rain opened the door to the boys’ bunkroom.
“WAKE UP YA LAZY BUMS, YA GOT PAPES TA SELL, GET UP ‘FORE I HAFTA BEATCHA WIT A BROOM!” Rain screamed. As a reply, she got a pillow in the face. She walked over to Shox Turner. She knew he was the one that had thrown the pillow at her.
“Turnah!” she screamed in his ear. Shox turned over and glared at her.
“Five more minutes,” he pleaded. Rain hit him in the head with the pillow. Shox arose, and walked to the washroom slowly. The rest of the boys were easy to wake, but Shox didn’t much like mornings, and always had a new way to greet Rain when she woke him. Shox had dirty blonde, almost light brown hair, and pale blue eyes. He wasn’t the tallest person in the world, but he was fast, and pretty strong. Shox was best friends with Ice Fuller. Ice was walking with Shox to the washroom. He didn’t like mornings much either, but he wasn’t as bad as Shox. Shox and Ice had the same features, same hair and eye color, but unless you didn’t know them, you could tell them apart with no problem. Shox and Ice were known for being loud. They could make a scene, and make a run for it faster than you could say, “what just happened?” Pickle Lant snuck up behind Rain just as she was leaving, and started tickling her. When he finally stopped Rain was out of breath. Pickle was known for his surprise acts, he was quiet, and that made him good for sneak attacks.
“Mornin’, Pickle,” she choked through her heavy breathing. Then Shox ran out of the washroom.
“McGowan, it’s rainin’, we ain’t sellin’ taday!” he hollered.
Rain giggled, “It was da only way I knew to getcha up, ‘sides, just ‘cause it’s rainin’ don’t mean we can’t go out.” With that said, she briskly drifted out of the bunkroom. When Rain got back into the girls’ bunkroom, she walked to the washroom to find all of the girls still getting ready for selling papes.
“Hey goils, it’s rainin’, we’s just goin’ out, ‘cause we definitely ain’t stayin’ cooped up in heah all day, ‘sides, I wanna go out in da rain, and ya can stay heah if ya want,” she shouted to the girls. Chaos Woods approached Rain.
“Hey,” Rain greeted her. Chaos had brown hair with natural blonde highlights, and baby blue eyes. Chaos was known for making a scene, also, but she was a lone act, not like Ice and Shox. Chaos was loud, and could be obnoxious when she tried, but wasn’t good at it when she wasn’t trying.
“Hey,” Chaos replied. “Listen, I gots a question for ya, now you’s like one a me best pals, and I notice stuff ‘bout ya.” She started. “Now, tell me da truth, does it bodda ya dat me an’ Spot are datin’?”
“No, I’m totally ovah him, now we’s just friends, I knew it wasn’t gonna last forevah,” Rain explained.
“Really?” Chaos asked.
“Yeah, really,” Rain answered, and she walked off to a sink. Chaos smiled, if Rain was mad, she didn’t know what she’d do. Chaos finished getting ready, and met Spot, who had decided to spend the night the night before, downstairs. Rain followed her with Sorrow and Hail Chapman, while Spit McGowan, Blush Abby, Jokes Spanelli, and Twiz dragged behind. Rain and Sorrow stuffed their hair into their hats. The rest of the girls came down in a clutter of laughter and talking. Rain smiled, “this is home,” she thought, and she stepped into the street. Spit, Rain’s older sister, had short blonde hair that came down to her shoulders, and the same bright blue eyes as Rain. Hail, one of Rain’s best friends, had wavy red hair that came a little past her chin, and crystal blue eyes. Blush, another one of Rain’s best friends (note: Rain has a lot of best friends), had blondish-brown hair, and light brown eyes. Finally Jokes, yet another one of Rain’s best friends, had dark brown hair, and deep brown eyes. Jokes was known for, well what her name says, making jokes. Hail and Blush were good at starting a fight scene, and they could get away with it. Spit would usually take her charm to the dance floor, while Rain and Sorrow took the stage. Kicks ran up behind Rain, and motioned for the other girls to be quiet, and he put his arms around Rain from behind, and gave he a big hug. Rain laughed, she knew it was Kicks; he always hugged her. She pulled him around to her side, and took his hand. The two walked hand in hand all the way to Molly’s. Squeaks Hill pulled up a seat next to Rain, and started to talk to her about the night before. Squeaks had brown hair that came a little above mid-back, and comforting brown eyes. The night before Rain, Sorrow, and some of the boys decided that they would go for a little visit to Queens. Well, their leader, Striker Donovan, wasn’t Rain’s biggest fan. He wasn’t Sorrow’s biggest fan either. In fact, they’d hated each other since they met. Striker, Rain, and Sorrow had lived at the same orphanage for many years. All of the girls gathered around Rain to hear the story of her night in Queens.
“Well,” Rain started, “it started off like any udda pokah game, Strikah had won a few hands, so did I, and he was getting’ poity noivous. He got all frustrated when I smarted off to ‘im, dat he flipped da table, and stormed outta da lodgin’ ‘ouse not ta be seen again ‘til I left.”
“I can’t believe ya smarted off to Strikah,” Shorty Trem’s eyes were wide. Shorty was a short brunette whose hair came down to her mid-back, and she had light brown eyes. No one ever smarted off to the leader of Queens. No one, that is, except for Rain and Sorrow. They were the only ones that knew him well enough to smart off. Shorty was known for being speedy, and strong. She may have been small, but she was quick, and her size made her hard to spot in a crowd.
“Well, it wasn’t all me, Sorrow did her own share,” Rain commented. Sorrow laughed. She had smarted off Striker a little bit, but she hadn’t been as bad as Rain.
“Wow, I wondah what it’d be like ta smart off ta Strikah Donovan,” Squeaks was deep in thought. Squeaks was known for being like that. She was a dreamer, but she was smart, and she always found a loophole in something. Next to Squeaks sat String O’Neil. String was good with string, hence her name. She had a little fishhook at the end of a piece of string that she used to swipe stuff from above people.
“Rain, you’s just lucky he didn’t bite ya head off, if you’s was a guy, he woulda soaked ya BIG TIME,” Spot laughed, and so did everyone else, except Rain. She wasn’t exactly in the mood for Spot at the moment, in fact, she wasn’t in the mood for him at all. She got up and walked over to Kicks, who was talking to the other kids his age in another booth. She sat down next to him.
“Hey,” he gritted her with another hug. She hugged him back. His booth consisted of Slick, of course, Copper Smidge, and Shamrock Bole. Copper had copper colored hair; hence his name, and chestnut brown eyes. Shamrock had light brown hair that traveled down her back in little spirals, and brown eyes with flecks of gold in them. Shamrock’s voice had a slight Irish hint to it. Copper’s voice also had a hint to it, but it was Spanish, not Irish. Copper had snuck onto a boat that was leaving Spain with his sister, Sugar Smidge. Then Copper, and Sugar were on their way to New York. Copper, Sugar, and Shamrock were the best at faking being hurt or sick. They would usually do that when they got in a fight, and then when the other person started to lay off, even if it was just a little bit, they would strike, and they were strong.
“So, what brings ya heah?” Slick asked with interest. No matter how dumb everyone thought the younger ones were, she knew they weren’t any dumber than the rest of the newsies.
“Just thought dat I’d come and talk witcha, is dat a’right wit you?” Rain asked Slick. They both laughed. Spot walked over to them.
“You laughin’ at me?” he demanded as he slid into the booth next to Rain. She got an idea. She pushed out of the booth and onto the floor.
“No, but now we are!” she retorted, and the whole table burst out laughing. Spot laughed too, even though he knew she did that out of pure hatred, but he still laughed. Then he got up and slid into the other side. Rain looked at Kicks, he knew she was hurting, so he gave her a little nudge towards the edge of the seat. She looked at him again, and he motioned his eyes towards outside. It was still raining, and then Rain got what he meant.
“I’m gonna go,” she gave Kicks a kiss on his forehead, and got up to go. She hurried to the door, trying not to make it too obvious that she wanted out of there, and fast. When she was outside, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Squeaks and Sorrow standing behind her. She smiled. “I’m glad I have friends,” she thought.
“I’m goin’ for a walk, ya wanna come, I mean, I know it’s rainin’, but it ain’t bad,” Rain offered. They nodded, and walked off. Rain spotted something in an alley as they walked and talked about why Rain had left so fast. She put her arm out in front of the two girls, and scurried into the alley. There she saw a boy, about her age, lying against the wall unconscious. Rain, Sorrow, and Squeaks heaved him up, and dragged him back to the lodging house, which was conveniently waiting right across the street. When they got inside, Rain called for Knuckles O’Connell, the one lodger that hadn’t wanted to leave that day, and told him she needed some wet rags, and a bandage. The laid him down on the couch, and Knuckles came to them with some rags, and a bandage. They each took a rag, and started cleaning the wounds on his face, which seemed to be the only place that was cut aside from his left arm. Rain put the bandage on his arm.
“A’right, you two go back an’ tell everyone dat I ain’t leavin’ da lodgin’ house taday, tell ‘em dat I’s stayin’ home ‘cause I ain’t feelin’ to good, but do NOT tell dem dat we’s got him heah, ‘cause den dey’ll all wanna come an’ see ‘im, so just go back,” Rain ordered, and the two girls left the lodging house. Rain sat down, and decided that she’d play some solitaire, so, she pulled out her deck of cards.
Rain sat there for a couple of hours playing cards, and talking to Knuckles. Finally the boy stirred. Rain turned to look at him. He was now dry; Knuckles had changed the boy into some of his old clothes, which seemed to fit him perfectly. Rain couldn’t help thinking that she’d seen him before, but she just couldn’t place it. Then the boy opened his eyes. He immediately sat up and looked around. He stared at Rain, and Rain stared back innocently, and this time, she really was innocent.
“Hi,” she greeted him. He just kept staring at her.
“Where am I?” he demanded.
“Da Silbur Lodgin’ House,” Knuckles answered for Rain. Rain loved hearing the last name of her best friend as a lodging house.
“Well, what exactly am I doin’ heah?” he asked.
“Well, ya see me and me friends, Sorrow and Squeaks, were walkin’ down da road, and we stopped when I saws ya in da alley, den we’s brought ya heah, an’ we cleaned ya up,” Rain explained. “So, what’s ya name?”
“Snitch, what’s yours?” he asked.
“Rain McGowan, pleased ta meetcha, and dis heah if Knuckles O’Connell,” Rain motioned to Knuckles, who was now sitting at the table. Knuckles wanted to go out, Rain knew it, but he had been sick lately, bad case of a cough, and he couldn’t go outside while it was raining because it might make his cough worse.
“So, are you from Manhattan?” Rain asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. It always did.
“Yeah, ya know ya look familliah now dat I think of it,” he studied her.
“Oh, I know!” Rain now remembered. “Jack introduced us in April right aftah me and Sorrow showed up at da lodgin’ house.”
“Oh yeah,” Snitch now remembered, too. Knuckles, who was listening to their conversation, decided now would be the time that he would go up to the bunkroom and play some solitaire. Rain watched Knuckles go. They had been friends for a while, but they weren’t as close as Sorrow and Rain. Rain was close friends with everyone in the building, actually, but her closest friends were the ones that she had met first. Snitch watched Rain’s eyes glimmer as she watched after Knuckles.
“So, what’s da story, why was you in a alley in Brooklyn when ya from Manhattan?” Rain inquired turning back to him.
“Well, I was takin’ a walk across the bridge cause I gots a message for Spot, and den dese guys jumped me and soaked me in dat alley,” Snitch explained.
“Oh, well, Spot ain’t heah right now, but ya can tawk ta him when he gets back, but tell me when he gets back cause I’m goin upstairs and I really ain’t in da mood for tawkin’ wit him at da moment,” Rain clarify.
“Can I come upstairs, too?” Snitch asked hopefully. He really didn’t want to be alone downstairs; he would get bored.
“Shoah,” Rain helped him off of the couch. They made their way up to the boys’ bunkroom, and Rain sat down on a bunk next to Snitch, while Knuckles sat on the one next to them.
“Wanna play some pokah?” Rain suggested.
“A coise!” Snitch and Knuckles exclaimed at once. Knuckles delta and they played a few rounds until they heard everyone coming up the stairs. Rain picked up the cards and shoved them into a box under her bunk. She and Knuckles helped Snitch over to an empty bunk so he could rest. Sorrow practically bounced into the room, her light brown hair bobbing up and down off of her shoulders as she made her way over to Rain, Knuckles, and Snitch.
“So, what’s ya name, kid?” Sorrow asked Snitch when she got over to them.
Rain answered for him, “His name’s Snitch.”
“Oh, well, hi Snitch, I’s Sorrow Silbur,” Sorrow stuck out her hand, and Rain and Snitch both noticed Blink coming up behind her. Blink had apparently come to visit while they were gone, and he held a finger to his lips. Then he crept up behind Sorrow, and started tickling her. Then they walked hand in hand down the stairs. Rain smiled at the sight of a happy couple, that was how her and Spot used to be, before he left her for Chaos. Rain loved Chaos almost as much as her own sister, she’d been faithful and Chaos, Spit, Hail, Sorrow, Rain, Blush, Twiz, and Jess had promised to be friends to the end. Rain couldn’t bring herself to be mad at Chaos, it wasn’t her fault, and Rain had been dumped by guys before, she knew it wasn’t meant to be between her and Spot, but it hurt her a lot to see him look at Chaos the way he used to look at her. Rain was now staring at Spot and Chaos, who were lounging on a bunk. Rain hadn’t even noticed she was staring until Snitch cleared his throat, he knew the whole story about her and Spot, but he couldn’t help noticing this pull towards her. Rain whirled around to see Snitch holding in a laugh. “Oh, God, he saw me starin’ at dem, oh, I hope he don’t say nothin’ ta Spot,” she pleaded in her mind that he wouldn’t say anything to anyone, and he did as she was wishing.
“Sorry,” she apologized.
“That’s a’right, I hoid ‘bout what happened, I don’t blame ya, and I won’t say nuthin’ ‘bout what I just saw, promise,” he crossed his heart. Rain suddenly noticed for the first time that he was pretty cute. Rain thanked him before introducing him to everyone. He already knew most of them, but he didn’t really know Rain, Spit, Slick, Kicks, or Sorrow. They were the ones that hadn’t been to Manhattan too often. Sorrow all of the sudden ran up to her as fast as she could.
“Hey, you seen da kids?” she demanded.
“No, I thought dey's was wit you’s,” Rain answered.
“I thought dey’s was wit you’s,” Sorrow choked. They looked horrified.
“I’ll check down by da docks, you check back at da restaurant, we’ll meet back heah in about twenty minutes, ya got dat?” Rain looked Sorrow straight in the eye. Sorrow nodded, and they ran full speed down the steps, and out the door. Snitch just sat there in awe.
“Spot!” he called through the crowd.
“Heya, Snitch, I didn’t know you’s was heah,” Spot and him spit shook and Snitch’s mind wandered from what he was supposed to tell Spot, to the kids that Rain and Sorrow had been talking about.
“Who are da kids?” Snitch asked.
“Oh, dat’s what Rain and Sorrow call Slick and Kicks, why?” Spot looked at him suspiciously.
“Cause Sorrow and Rain just took off outside ta find dese kids, Rain went ta da docks, and Sorrow went back to da restaurant,” Snitch explained. Spot looked around the room until he laid eyes on Shamrock and Copper.
“Heya, Sham, Coppah, where are Slick and Kicks?” he asked as nicely as possible. Shamrock and Copper both shrugged.
“We ‘aven’t seen ‘em since we left da restaurant,” Shamrock told him.
“Did dey leave wit ya?” Spot demanded. They both nodded, and went back to their card game. Spot grabbed Shox, and whispered something in his ear. Shox nodded, and they both ran out of the lodging house.
“Kicks! Slick!” Rain called as she ran through the wet streets. It had started to drizzle again, and Rain was headed to the docks to find her cousin. Meanwhile, Sorrow was back at the restaurant.
“Heya, mistah, ‘ave you’s seen two little boys ‘bout up to me chin runnin’ ‘round heah causin’ some trouble a some sort?” she asked one of the waiters.
“Not since about an hour ago, they left with some newsies, and I haven’t seen them since,” the man answered. Sorrow thanked him and ran back out into the streets calling their names. She wasn’t watching where she was going, ran right into Shox, and fell to the ground. He helped her up.
“Sorry, ya have any luck?” he asked as she dusted off her pants.
“How’d ya know?” Sorrow demanded.
“Spot said dat Snitch said dat you’s and Rain went out lookin’ for da kids, and Spot told me ta come and help you’s and dat he’d help Rain,” Shox explained.
Sorrow shook her head, “Da waitah said dat he ain’t seen ‘em since dey left about a hour ago.”
“Well, come on, we still got soichin’ ta do,” and with that, Shox and Sorrow ran down the streets and called out for Slick and Kicks.
Rain kept running; she was afraid of what might have happened to her cousin. Then she heard someone calling her name form behind her. She whirled around only to come face to face with Spot as he ran up to her.
“What?” she demanded with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
“Snitch said dat you’s and Sorrow ran out lookin’ for da kids, so me and Shox came ta help, Shox went ta help Sorrow,” Spot explained. “Oh, great, just what I need, somethin’ ta make me mad,” Rain thought.
“Fine, but ya shut up the whole time, less ya callin’ out deir names, got it?” Rain was furious, she was so mad at him that she would have soaked him if he hadn’t been here to help. Spot nodded, he wasn’t the one that would always agree, he hated being bossed around, but Rain seemed really mad at the moment, and when she was mad, he didn’t mess with her. She turned and started calling for Slick and Kicks when she heard a moan in an alley, and her name being called by a very weak voice. She turned into the alley and ran to the very end where she saw Slick holding his head in his hands and Kicks unconscious against the brick wall.
“Oh my God, Slick, hon, are you a’right?” she picked him up in her arms, knowing that he couldn’t walk, and handed him to Spot. Then she picked up Kicks, and she and Spot ran back to the lodging house where they met Sorrow and Shox. Kloppman immediately called for a doctor, and Rain and Sorrow sat next o the beds, Rain holding Kicks hand, and Sorrow holding Slick’s. Slick was awake, but his head was hurting. Everyone listened as he told the story of what happened.
“So… we was walkin’ along behind everyone else, ya know we always do dat, and dese guys grabbed us from behind, and shoved us inta dat alley, den one a da guys picked up Kicks and started throwin' him against the wall, he was unconscious by da second throw, and da guy threw ‘im against da wall about five times at da most, and one a da guys started punchin' me in da stomach, da one dat was beatin’ on Kicks den told me ta tell Rain dat dis is what happens when ya smart off to da leadah a da Queens Newsies, den he left leavin’ me stunned and Kicks unconscious, dat’s when you’s showed up,” Slick explained. A tear ran down Rain’s cheek, followed by many more, until she was crying into Sorrow’s shoulder. “I can’t believe I did dis, it’s all my fault,” she thought while her tears soaked into Sorrow’s shirt. Spot sat down next to her and looked at Kicks, he was breathing, thankfully. He turned to Rain, Sorrow gave him a look that meant ‘get her off me so I can hold me brudda, it’s not that Sorrow was trying to be mean to Rain, she just wanted to hold her little brother. Spot nodded, and took Rain into his arms. Chaos didn’t even care; she knew that he was just being a good friend. Spot looked at Chaos with a worried look, he thought that she might get mad because he was holding Rain, but she just smiled approvingly. Spit ran into the room, she had been downstairs with Kloppman waiting for the doctor. A tall man with gray hair, and light blue eyes entered after her. Spit immediately took Rain from Spot. Rain didn’t way much, so, Spit had no problem picking her little sister up into her arms. Snitch watched from the bunk. He wanted to get up and try to comfort Rain, but he could barely even think because his head hurt so badly, let alone stand without falling down. Spit set Rain down on Spot’s bed, and let her sit there and cry on her shoulder, and she ended up crying herself to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~
When Rain awoke that night, she could hear the voices of her friends in the boys’ bunkroom, she sat up and saw that Kicks had awoken, and he was sitting there laughing at a story being told by Story Abalone. Story had light brown hair, and brown eyes. He was slightly taller than Spot, but not much taller. Story was known for his stores. He was like the king of making up stories, and he was good at it. He wasn’t lying, though, he told if the stories were true or not. Slick was now sitting on Sorrow’s lap, he looked like he as enjoying himself. Spit was sitting on the floor next to Kicks. Rain jumped off of her bunk, and everyone looked up at her.
“Hey,” she greeted them. Snitch was sitting on the floor next to Spit, and he scoot over so that Rain could sit between them. Rain sat down, and grabbed her cousin’s hand almost immediately. When Story finally finished his story, Rain and the rest of the newsies went to bed. Spot had decided that he would, yet again, spend the night. The girls reluctantly left the arms of their boyfriends. They walked to the girls’ bunkroom, where most of them fell asleep instantly. Rain couldn’t sleep, however, she just lie there awake, listening to the light snoring beneath her. She was thinking about how it was her fault that her little cousin was beaten up. That night, Rain decided that she was going to pay Queens a little visit tomorrow. Rain thought that by making this decision, that she would be able to sleep, but she was wrong. She silently climbed out of the window, which, like the one in Manhattan, was right next to her bunk. She climbed to the roof, and looked over the city. “Well, I might as well think about what I’s gonna say ta Strikah when I’s get dere,” she thought. She could feel tears coming to her eyes. She remembered the days that she would cry about not having AJ, Kicks’s real name, in her arms, when she would cry on those days, Spot would wipe her tears away with his thumb, and she would feel safe when he took her into his arms. Then, one single tear fell from her cheek, and she wiped it away.
“I ain’t gonna cry, but tomorrow, when I’s go see Strikah, I’s gonna be ready for anythin’, and he should be too, cause dis time, I ain’t lettin’ ‘im go,” Rain whispered. She slid down the wall, and buried her face in her arms.
“Well, don’t dis seem familliah,” a voice said to her. Rain knew this voice; it was Spot.
“What are ya doin’ up heah, Conlon?” she demanded. She never called him by his last name unless she was really aggitated with him.
“What’s da mattah?” he asked, avoiding her question.
“None a ya business,” Rain snapped, and she got up, and walked to the top of the fire escape, but stopped and turned to him. “Ya know, what happened when ya met Chaos is asactly why I didn’t wanna becone ya goil in da foist place, ya ‘membah dat, when I said dat I didn’t wanna be anudda one a dose airheaded losahs dat fell head ovah heels for you, and look what happened, I became ya goil, and ya dumped me, for one a me best pals at dat!” She turned on her heel, and left Spot on the roof, speechless. He did remember overhearing Rain saying that to Twiz and Sorrow last April. Rain had shown up, and they dated for about a month, until Chaos showed up, then Spot dumped Rain, and took Chaos. Rain had been friends with Chaos when she and Sorrow lived in St. Louis. Chaos had managed to stow away on a train that was headed for New York City. She ended up staying with Sorrow and Rain because both of her parents had died of Rheumatic Fever. Spot knwe he had hurt Rain, and that she would probably never forgive him, but deep in his heart he knew that they were meant to be friends, even if they didn’t know it yet. When Rain got back inside, she buried her face into her pillow, and started to cry. Spot had hurt her, but that wasn’t all that she was crying about. She was also crying tears of joy, because she had just realized how lucky she was that Kicks and Spit had lived after that terrible accident where Kicks’ father had almost killed Spit and Kicks, but the bulls came to the rescue, and Rain had found them and brought them to the lodging house. When Rain was finished crying, she fell asleep.
When awaken the next morning by a smiling Twiz, Rain immediately ran to the boys’ bunkroom and started waking them. Shox, surprisingly enough, was wide-awake and ready, so, as soon as the door opened, he chucked his pillow at Rain. Rain threw it back at him and walked over to her cousin’s bunk. He was still asleep; he was so cute when he slept. When she got to Spot, however, she made a disgusted face. He had on his smirk that he’d had the first day he kissed her. Rain knew something was up; he was waiting for her. Rain knew him all to well, so, she grabbed a bucket, filled it with water, and dumped it over his head just as he was opening his eyes. He grabbed her arms and pulled them to her back so that she couldn’t move. Everyone was watching, and Rain had the biggest smile on her face. She was happy with her work.
“Wow, you shoah axed for it dis time, McGowan,” Shox said to her as he passed. Rain just stuck her tongue out at him playfully, and let herself be led out of the bunkroom. She was smiling the whole time.
“Ya obviously have no idea what day it is, do ya?” Rain demanded; she was still smiling.
“Hey, hey, hey, you don’t get da honah, Spot, I’s ‘er cousin, I’s should get ta give ‘er her boithday smacks,” Kicks called from behind them.
“16, right McGowan?” Shox appeared next to Kicks.
“Yeah, finally, I’s been waitin’ forevah,” Rain pushed herslef from Spot, and Rain to give Kicks the biggest hug in the world. Sorrow ran out of the bunkroom and handed Rain a box.
“Sorrow, what’s dis?” Rain asked looking at it. It didn’t even cross her mind that it was a present.
“What do look like?” Sorrow rolled her eyes.
“A box, is this a trick question?” Rain replied. Everyone laughed, and then Rain realized what it was. “Oh!” she exclaimed, and she opened the box to find a ring. She looked at Sorrow.
“Sorrow, dis looks like da ring me mom wore ‘fore she died,” she studied it.
“It is,” Sorrow replied simply. “I was told by ya mom, dat when she died, if ya wasn’t 16 yet, den I was sposed ta give it to ya when ya toined 16.” Rain gave her a hug, and slipped the ring onto her finger. Then she followed Sorrow to the girls’ bunkroom to finish getting ready. When she emerged from the room, she was wearing a yellow tank top underneath a light blue button down shirt, that was unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and black cut-offs with her black suspenders hanging at her sides. Sorrow was wearing close to the same except her cut-offs were light blue, her button down shirt was white, and her tank top was light pink. They ran down the stairs and literally jumped into the street. Rain was happier than she’d been in a long time. Then she remembered the night before, and her decision to go and see Striker. She grabbed Sorrow’s arm and pulled her to the side.
“A’right, get da old goils tagedda, it’s gonna be a goils night out, we’s goin back ta our old ways tonight, but ‘fore we go out, we got a bone ta pick wit Strikah,” Rain explained. Sorrow nodded, and went to tell Spit, Spit went to Blush, Blush went to Hail, Hail went to Twiz, Twiz went to Jokes, and Jokes went to Chaos. Sorrow ran back over to Rain.
“Is da old goils gonna be enough, I mean, Strikah ain’t asactly one ta play fair,” she remembered the year before when him and the rest of the boys from the orphanage would gang up on Rain and Sorrow.
Rain nodded, “He’ll only bring da guys from da oiphanage, and I’s know dat for a fact.”
“If ya say so, but if we go back ta our old ways tonight, dat means ya might be tawkin’ ta walls again, membah dat night, dat was one night I’ll nevah forget,” Sorrow and Rain laughed at the memory of the night that Rain got so drunk that she was talking to a wall.
“No, I ain’t gonna get dat drunk, I’s gonna be too busy wit da stage and da gambolin’,” Rain assured her. Sorrow smiled, she hadn’t sung with Rain in a while.
“Hey Rain, I heah we’s goin’ back ta da old ways on a goils night on for ya sixteenth boithday, dat true?” Chaos asked when she reached Rain at the distribution center.
“Whadda ya think, Chaos?” Rain rolled her eyes.
“YES!” Chaos screamed.
“I’, guessin’ ya been waitin’ ta get back ta a bar,” Rain guessed. Chaos nodded, and ran over to tell the rest of the girls.
“Wait, just how old a ways is we tawkin’?” Twiz demanded when she got the news.
“Not dat far back, don’t worry, no pickin’ pockets or locks for me and Sorrow tonight, just da stage and dat big table a dumb boys thinkin’ dat dey can beat me at pokah,” Rain laughed, and all of her friends joined in.
“So, does dat mean I’s get ta dance?” Spit requested hopefully.
“Do boids fly?” was Rain’s reply. Spit jumped up and down. Then she gave her sister a hug, and went to buy her papes.
“Goils night out, somethin’ I ain’t done in a while,” Jokes called to Rain. Then Rain called the girls back over to her.
“Do all a you know what we’s doin’ ‘fore we’s go out?” Rain queried. All of the girls nodded.
“No rumble, not taday, no rumble,” Sorrow clarified. The girls nodded, and walked off to sell their papes. When the girls were finished selling their papes, they met back at the lodging house, and made up a lie about where they were going, well, a half lie that is.
“Wheah ya goin’ goils?” Knuckles asked from the door.
“Just tell everyone dat we’s went out to celebrate Rain’s boithday, we called a goils night out for all a da old gang,” Sorrow explained, and they quickly left the lodging house. They weren’t wearing the same outfits from that morning though. Rain and Sorrow were wearing close to the same, but with different colors. Rain had on a red tank top with a black button down shirt unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and the same black cut-offs from that morning, but no suspenders. Sorrow had on a light blue tank top with a green button-down shirt, and the same cut-offs from that morning. Twiz was wearing an emerald green dress that ended right above her knee. Blush and Hail were wearing what looked like the same as Rain and Sorrow except their pants weren’t cut-offs. Hail’s tank top was maroon and Blush’s was navy, they both had on a white button-down shirt that they had rolled up to their elbows like Rain and Sorrow, and their pants were both black with suspenders hanging at their sides. Spit had on a dress also, and hers was a sleeveless light purple dress that, like Twiz’, ended right above her knee. Finally Chaos came out looking like she was dropped out of a story book. She wasn’t wearing a dress or a skirt, actually, she was wearing her normal clothes, but she looked like a princess in a tank top walking down the stairs, but, being Chaos, she jumped off of the last step, ruining her graceful look, and making her seem like her old self again. She was wearing a black tank top, a gray button-down shirt around her waist, and gray cut-offs.
“Well, goils, ya ready ta go?” Chaos asked when she reached them. They all nodded, but Rain stopped Chaos before they got to the door.
“Chaos, ya might not wanna wear dat shoit around ya waist ‘til we get outside, ya know Spot’s walkin’ home aftah we leave, and ya don’t want ‘im ta get da wrong idea, and knowin’ him, he will,” Rain explained. Chaos nodded, and put on her shirt; she rolled up the sleeves, and followed the rest of the girls out of the door.
“A’right, now I was thinkin’ while I was sellin’, who heah thinks dat Strikah can wait ‘til tamorrow?” Rain demanded. All of the girls shot their hands straight into the air. They all laughed, and followed Rain to the bar in Manhattan.
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, Spot and Snitch were walking to Manhattan. Spot then decided that him and some of the boys from Manhattan should go out that night.
“Snitch, ya feel up for goin’ to a bar tonight wit some a da udda guys?” Spot asked.
“Shoah, we can go ta dat one on 11th Street,” Snitch suggested. Spot agreed and when they got to the lodging house, he asked Race, Blink, Jack, Bumlets, Snake, a new boy, and another new boy named Rate if they wanted to go to a bar that night. They all agreed and headed out for a night they would never forget, they just didn’t know it yet. When they arrived at the bar, there were two new girls on the stage, but not singing yet, a girl on the dance floor, getting ready to dance her heart out, two girls over at the bar drinking out some guy that thought he could out drink one of them, and another two girls over at the card table beating the leaving daylights out of a bunch of sailors at poker, and one girl just sitting at a table watching the two girls on stage. None of the boys recognized them as Rain and Sorrow getting ready to sing, Spit on the dance floor, Hail and Blush at the bar, Jokes and Chaos at the card table, and Twiz at the table watching Rain and Sorrow. Then
Rain and Sorrow asked the man behind them something, and he took out his fiddle. They knew this song called The Devil Went Down to Georgia, but changed the words to make it about two girls instead of two boys.
“Okay, everyone, these two young ladies will be singing a duet called The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” a man with a fiddle announced. The girls started:
Both: Da devil went down to Georgia
She was lookin’ for a soul to steal
She was in a bind
‘Cause she was way behind
And she was willin’ to make a deal
Sawin’ on the fiddle and playin’ it hot
And the devil jumped
Up on a hickory stump
And said
I guess ya didn’t know it
But I’m a fiddle playah too
And if ya care ta take a dare
I’ll make a bet wit you
Now you play poitty good fiddle goil
But give da devil her due
I’ll bet a fiddle a gold against ya soul
‘Cause I think I’m bettah den you
And it might be sin
But I’ll take ya bet
Ya gonna regret
‘Cause I’m da best dere’s evah been
‘Cause hells broke loose in Georgia and da devil deals da cards
And if ya win ya get dis shiny fiddle made a gold
But if ya lose da devil gets ya soul
And she said
Den she pulled da bow across da strings
And it made a evil hiss
And a band a demons joined in and it sounded somethin’ like dis
Just sit down in dat chair right dere
And let me show ya how it’s done
Run, boys, run
Da devil’s in da House a da Risin’ Sun
Chicken in a bread pan pickin’ out dough
Granny does ya dog bite
No, child, no
Because she knew that she’d been beat
And she laid that golden fiddle
On da ground at Dani’s feet
Dani said
If ya evah wanna try again
I done told ya once you son of a bitch
I’m da best dere’s evah been
Run, boys, run
Da devil’s in da House a da Risin’ Sun
Chicken in da bread pan pickin’ out dough
Granny does ya dog bite
No, child, no
Everyone clapped for the Rain, Sorrow, and Spit (who had been dancing to the song) as Rain and Sorrow descended from the stage to join Spit and Twiz at the table.
“I can’t believe we got all a dem ta clap for us,” Rain was gawking at the sight of the huge crowd. Then someone she knew caught her eye. It was Buggy Jones, Striker’s right hand man, was at the door, and he wasn’t alone. Behind Buggy were Handle Phereson, Chill Corder, Cutter Stem, and Forces McGee.
“What are dey doin’ heah?” Twiz whispered in panic.
“I dunno, but I know one thing,” Rain replied.
“What’s dat?” Sorrow asked, her face was pale as paper.
“We gotta get outta heah, and fast,” Rain answered. Sorrow ran for Hail, and helped her carry Blush, who was drunk and out cold, she’d been trying to outdrink a sailor, and she succeeded. Twiz ran and Spit went with Sorrow to help, and Rain went to Jokes and Chaos. Spot and the other boys had just noticed who was at the door, and wondered why these girls were running, but then he saw one of the girls’ faces.
“Chaos, whadda ya doin’ heah?” he called. Chaos turned around slowly, and saw Spot standing at the bar. Buggy and Handle both looked up at the sound of Chaos’s name.
“Oh crap, what now, dey’s seen us, Rain,” Hail was shaking.
“Now, we go ta da door,” Rain pointed straight at the front door. The girls looked at her like she was crazy.
“In case ya haven’t noticed, da doors bein’ guarded by dem Queens zombies,” Sorrow pointed out. Then Rain felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned quickly thinking that it was Buggy, but settled down when she saw that it was Snitch and the other boys.
“Well, I was getting’ ta dat, Sorrow,” Rain pointed at the Manhattan boys, and Sorrow let out a sigh of relief.
“Well, well, well, Rain McGowan, it’s been a while,” Buggy was smirking. Rain despised that smirk.
“Thank God for dat one,” Rain mumbled.
“What was dat?” Buggy grabbed her chin and made her look straight into his eyes. She glared at him. “Don’t give me dat look, McGowan, or I might hafta use ya real name.”
“No, no one knows me real name, and I intend on keepin’ it dat way for a long time,” Rain stood her ground.
“Not if I’s can help it,” Buggy shot back. Then Rain remembered something that Buggy’s brother, the nice one in his family, Pencil, had told Rain something about Buggy, when she and Buggy were going out, that Buggy didn’t want anyone else to know.
“Be careful, Buggy, or I might use your real name,” Rain warned.
Buggy dropped her chin, “Ya don’t even know me real name.”
“I got a little info from Pencil when me and you was goin’ out, ya wanna try me?” she challenged. Buggy turned away from her, and walked to the door before turning back ot her, “Dis ain’t ovah McGowan, just ‘cause I ain’t gonna fight ya don’t mean dat Strikah won’t when he gets a hold a ya, you’re a little whore just like ya mom.”
Rain lunged for him, “MY MOM IS NOT A WHORE!”
Snitch grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back. He stroked her hair trying to calm her. She leaned back on his chest, looked over at the other girls. Blush had woken up at this time, and was now talking to the wall next to her. Everyone laughed.
“Hey, goils, dis time it wasn’t me,” Rain pointed out, and everyone laughed again.
“Stop laughin’, ya makin’ me head hoit,” Blush put her head in her hands and turned around. She took one look at all of them and fell back wards right into Snake’s arms.
“Whoa, why da hell are dere like twenty a you’s guys?!” Blush hollered. Snake picked her up, and let her lean her head against his chest, where she fell asleep.
“Are you’s gonna go home tonight, or are ya stayin’ in Manhattan?” Jack asked Twiz.
Twiz shrugged and turned to Rain, “Do ya think we should stay heah?”
“I think dat would be a very wise idea,” Rain answered, and they all headed to the Newsboys’ Lodging House.
“Kloppman, long time, no see,” Rain walked over to the old man behind the desk.
“Let me guess, Blush is drunk again?” he guessed looking at Blush, who was talking to yet another wall. Rain and Sorrow nodded in unison.
“Well, I guess I’ll let you girls stay heah for free tonight, since apparently Blush is way to drunk to walk, come on, the girls have missed you,” Kloppman led them up a flight of stairs to the girls’ bunkroom, where the new Manhattan Newsgirls slept. Manhattan had just gotten Newsgirls’ that year, and had made the extra bunkroom theirs.
“Rain McGowan, I ain’t seen you’s in a while, how ya been?” a girl with dirty blonde hair, and brown eyes asked Rain. Rain knew this girl; her name was Volley Holdridge.
“Heya, Volley, oh ya know same ol’ same ol’, what’s been goin’ on witchoo?” Rain asked as she and Volley sat down on one of the bunks.
“Nuttin’s really been goin’ on heah,” Ears McCoy answered for Volley. Ears had short strawberry blonde hair, and dark blue eyes.
“Yeah, it’s all poitty much da same,” Tallie Molloy confirmed. Tallie had really short brown hair that came right above her shoulders, and light brown eyes.
“Well, Tallie, I been heahin’ dat you and Ice been seein’ each udda, do we need ta call a gossip session?” Rain asked. Blush started to protest, but was too late, because at that moment Ears called out ‘GOSSIP SESSION’ and all of the girls came running from where they were.
Blush hed her head, “Thanks a bunch, guys, real helpful!”
“Sorry,” they all apologized in unison, and Blush lied down on her bunk to listen to what the girls were talking about.
“A’right, a’ready, enough!” Tallie hollered through the anxious girls’ questions about her and Ice. “Thank you, now, me and Ice are… are…” She couldn’t find the words, so Rain helped her out.
“Dey’s a item!” she called. The whole girls’ bunkroom erupted in a fit of giggles.
“Thanks so much, Rain, ya know I couldn’t a done dat meself, I was tryin’ ta do it so dat dey wouldn’t get da wrong idea,” Tallie whined.
Rain laughed, “Ya know dese goils, dey woulda gotten da wrong idea eidda way,” Rain told her, and Tallie bounced on her bed.
“Goils, I’d hate ta interupt tanight’s gossip session, but lights out in five minutes,” Jack called through the giggles. Spot was standing behind him, shocked at the sight of so many girls, well, not at so many, more at such a big group in one little area. Actually, there were only about eight Manhattan Newsgirls, but at this moment there were eight from Manhattan and eight from the Bronx all cluttered around this one bunk.
“Aww, come on Jack, just ten more minutes, please?” Twiz put on her puppy dog pout, and Jack was about to give in when Kloppman appeared.
“Jack’s right girls, sorry, but lights out in five minutes,” he called.
“A’right,” the girls agreed, and the boys left as they got changed. After sitting on their beds exchanging small talk, Kloppman came in to turn out the lights; they each called out ‘goodnights’ to everyone, and went to sleep. Rain was almost asleep when she got an idea. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness.
“Goils,” she called out in a whisper. The girls each sat up ready for action, as they always were when Rain was there.
“What’s ya idea dis time?” Sorrow asked.
“Da big man’s slingshot,” Rain answered. There were many ‘ooh’s and ‘ahh’s, and finally she was joined at her bunk by girls ready for action.
“A’right, who’s standin’ guard?” Rain asked.
“I’ll do it,” Jokes volunteered quietly.
“Who’s helpin’ me get it?” Rain looked around at all of the girls when a hand shot up.
“A’right, it looks like Chaos wants ta do dis, da rest a ya, stay heah and don’t make a sound, we’s goin’ in,” Rain and Chaos got up followed by Jokes, and crept to the boys’ bunkroom door. Rain opened the door, and she and Chaos tiptoed inside while Jokes stood watching them and making sure none of the boys saw anything. Rain and Chaos found Spot’s bunk quickly, and searched for the slingshot. Finally Chaos found it in his hand. She pulled it out and he grabbed her wrist. She was about to yelp when Rain put her hand over her mouth.
“Just a reflex,” Rain whispered as quietly as possible. She pulled a book from Race’s nightstand, and replaced it as the slingshot. Then they tiptoed out of the room. As soon as they left, Snitch opened his eyes, he knew exactly what they had done, but wasn’t going to tell Spot that. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.
“We got it,” Rain whispered when she got through the door.
“Great, now where ta hide it,” Rolie Adden looked around the bunkroom. Rolie had dirty blonde hair that came right above her shoulders, and sparkling blue eyes.
“Ovah heah,” Prancer Howden whispered. Prancer had light blonde hair, and deep blue eyes. She motioned to the huge crack under the window that was covered up by a brick, which is why no one slept there, in case the brick fell out. Rain nodded and slipped it in, it was a really huge crack, and the slingshot fit perfectly.
Only the girls knew about this hiding place, and it was going to remain that way. Each of the girls climbed back into bed. One of the girls, however, approached Rain. Her name was Ems Auprey. She had red hair that cascaded down her back to her waist in little spirals, and piercing emerald green eyes.
“Yeah, Ems?” Rain asked. Ems was only 8, and was afraid that Rain might want to sleep.
“Well, what do I do if da boys keep pickin’ on me?” Ems asked cautiously.
“Well, depends, who’s pickin’ on ya?” Rain picked up the little girl and set her in her lap.
“Spiral, but I think it’s ‘cause he’s got dat crush on Brick,” Ems admitted. Brick Manet walked over after she heard that statement. Brick had lond light brown hair, and light brown eyes.
“Spiral’s got a crush on me?” Brick asked, a grin playing at the corners of her mouth.
“Yeah, but I wasn’t ‘sposed ta tell ya ‘cause he know’s I like Tumbler,” Ems whined at her stupidity, but Rain stroked her hair in comfort. Brick walked away.
“Don’t worry, I bet da guy dat you’s like would be dyin’ right now if he knew dat you’s liked ‘im, you’s are pretty ya know,” Rain comforted. “I’ll make ya a deal, since I know who you like, I’ll tell ya who I like.”
“Okay,” Ems agreed.
“A’right, I like Snitch,” Rain whispered in the little girl’s ear.
“Okay, I won’t tell, I promise, g’night” Ems hopped off of her bed, and climbed into her own. Rain lye back down, and fell asleep.
~*~*~*~*~
All of the girls awoke to the ranting and raving of Spot in the boys’ bunkroom.
Rain laughed, “A’right goils, act natural.” All of the girls nodded, and arose for another day of selling.
“A’right, I know one a ya took it, so, wheah is it?!” Spot demanded as he stormed through the door. Every girl jumped underneath her covers, Spot was oblivious to the fact that none of them were dressed.
“Spot, get out! We’s ain’t even dressed, we’s can tawk about whatevah ya lost when we’s actually wearin’ clothes,” Sorrow barked. Spot turned on his heel, and stormed out of the bunkroom. Rain broke down in laughter. All of the girls did the same, it was funny seeing Spot that mad, and they all knew where his slingshot was, and he didn’t.
“A’right, goils, get dressed, we’s gonna hafta deal wit Spot soonah or latah, and I wish it was more latah den soonah, but it’s soonah, so, lets get ready,” Chaos hollered to the girls. When they were finished getting dressed, they descended from the bunkroom.
“A’right, who took it, I know it was one a you’s, so fork it ovah,” Spot ordered.
“Spot, what the hell are you’s tawkin’ ‘bout, da goils didn’t take nuttin’,” Rain admitted, and she was right, the girls didn’t take anything, she and Chaos took something, the rest of them just helped hide it.
“Whatevah, but if I find out dat one a you’s took it, I will hunt you down,” Spot threatened.
“Is dat a threat Mr. Conlon?” Rain took a step closer.
“Do it sound like one, McGowan?” Spot retorted, and he stormed out of the lodging house to go back to Brooklyn. Snitch walked up behind Rain, and motioned for the other girls to be quiet. They did as motioned to do, and went outside.
Before Sorrow left, she told Rain that she’d meet her at the distribution center, and left. Then Snitch started tickling Rain. When he finally stopped, Rain collapsed into his arms. She was laughing uncontrollably.
“Whoa, I didn’t think you’s start laughin’ dat much,” he said.
“Sorry, I just ain’t used ta bein’ tickled like dat, and it was funny,” Rain explained. Snitch laughed, and they set off to sell.
“Heya Rain, come on, you’s sellin’ wit me taday,” Sorrow told Rain after they bought their papes.
“Okay,” Rain agreed, and they set off to Central Park.
“So, what happened?” Sorrow asked when they got to a bench and started calling out headlines.
“He tickled me, is all,” Rain told her.
“And dat’s it?”
“Yep.”
~*~*~*~*~
“So, when do we go back ta da Bronx?” Sorrow asked a few hours later.
“I dunno, now dat I met Snitch, I kinda wanna stay heah, I mean, wanna go back ta see Kicks and Slick and everyone else, but dis fits too,” Rain debated.
“As much as I wanna stay heah and be wit Blink, we need ta go home, we’s da leadahs, dey can’t go wit’out us,” Sorrow pointed out.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Rain agreed.
“Come on,” said Sorrow when they finished selling their papes.
“WAIT!” Rain hollered.
“What?” Sorrow asked.
“What are we gonna do ‘bout da slingshot, he’ll find it if we leave, and I don’t wanna leave dem goils wit somethin’ dat dey didn’t do.”
“Yeah, I nevah thought a dat, maybe we could take it back wit us, or give it back.”
“Well, we definetely ain’t givin’ it back, so I guess we’s takin’ it home, he’ll nevah find it in my hidin’ spot.”
Sorrow laughed, “Yeah, I guess we could take it wit us.”
“Good, ‘cause we are.”
“Let’s go back ta da lodgin’ house.”
“I couldn’t a said at bettah meself.”
Sorrow laughed, “Of course ya couldn’t.”
Rain playfully smacked her in the back of the head with her hat, and they finished selling their papes. They walked back to the lodging house and up the stairs to the girls’ bunkroom.
When they came back down, Rain turned to Kloppman, “Tell da goils dat me an’ Sorrow left and took da little gift from last night so’s dey wouldn’t get in trouble, and tell everyone dat we said bye.”
“Okay, good-bye girls,” Kloppman called.
“Bye,” they replied, and with that, they headed back to the Bronx.
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Both: When she came across this young girl
Sorrow: Girl let me tell ya what
Both: Da goil said
Rain: My names name’s Dani
Both: Dani rosin up ya bow and play ya fiddle hard
Both: Da devil opened up her case
Sorrow: I’ll start dis show
Both: And fire blew from her fingah tips as she rosined up her bow
[instrumental break]
Both: When da devil finished Dani said
Rain: Well ya pretty good old goil
Both: She played Fire on da Mountain
[instrumental break]
Both: The devil bowed her head
Rain: Devil just come on back
Both: And she played Fire on da Mountain
[instrumental break until the end]
Chapter 4
