| Quipster woke up to the familiar sound of fighting in the Lodging House. She groaned sleepily and rolled out of bed to see what the problem was this time. Unsurprisingly, Tunes and Spin were at it again. "What’s goin’ on heah?" Quipster questioned angrily, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Dis bitch jest got in," Spin commented, furious. "What’s youh point?" Quipster queried. "You don’t always get in by curfew." "She was wid Skittery," Squibble explained. "Ohh…" Quipster mumbled in realization. She resisted exclaiming "Way to go Tunes!" but instead lectured, "You goils should know bettah den to wake people up foh youh personal problems. An’ it’s ridiculous ta fight ovah boys anyway." "No it isn’t. I’m moah den willin’ ta fight foh my man," Tunes pointed out. "He’s wid me an’ always will be." "Well, dis must be a new development ‘cause he was wid me last night," Spin informed her, smuggly. "ARGH! BITCH!" Tunes yelled before slapping her. Spin returned her slap and soon they were in an all out cat fight. Quipster sighed and gave up. The Newsgirls Lodging House was never a quiet place and it’s inhabitants had grown to accept that. Quipster hurried and dressed and prepared herself to sell papers. It was only just before she was going to leave that she noticed one girl was still in bed. Quipster hurried over and pushed the girl impatiently. "Hey, Hart, get up. C’mon youh gunna be late." Hart opened one eye before closing it abruptly. "I’m still tired." "No, seriously, it’s really late. Everyone else is already ready," Quipster informed her, pulling off her light blanket. "’Sides youh missin’ a good fight." "Anothah one?" Hart questioned, not at all surprised. "Yeah, evidently Spin an’ Tunes both like Skittery," Quipster told Hart. Quipster then returned to her bunk to search for her suspenders which she had forgotten. "Wait…Skittery…from Duane Street Lodgin’ House?" Hart inquired cautiously. "Yep dat’s da one. I don’t really get what da big deal is…" "So..dey’re both seein’ him?" Hart interrogated. "Evidently. What’s youh interest in it?" Quipster asked, her curiosity sparked by Hart’s unusual reaction. "I’ll soak him," Hart stated. "Wait, bettah yet I’ll soak dem." "What? What’re you talkin’ about? Oh gawd not you too…" Quipster groaned and wondered if everyone in her Lodging House had gone nuts. Hart raced into the other room to join in the fight. Quipster sighed and figured she better find a way to stop the growing violence in her House. She ran into Jibajabba and Squibble in the hall. Glad to find two girls who weren’t in love with Skittery she decided they would help her. "You guys, quick, tell me who you love," Quipster quizzed. They both looked oddly at her but Jibajabba responsded, "Well, I got a crush on Spot an’ Squibble’s got one on Davie…" Quipster sighed in relief that the craziness had not reached them. "All right. You guys are gunna help me break up dis damn fight." "What’s da point? If we drag ‘em apart now den dey’ll jest be back at it tomorrow night," Jibajabba pointed out. "I guess youh right…den you gotta help me come up wid a plan ta stop da fightin’," Quipster decided. "What kinda plan?" Squibble asked. "I dunno…a plan plan!" Quipster exclaimed. "Oh…thanks foh clearin’ dat up…" Squibble mumbled sarcastically. "Well..da plan dat’ll make dem stop. I dunno…we gotta make Skittery choose one goil!" "Well, make him choose now. He’s right der," Jibajabba informed Quipster and Squibble, pointing through the window to where Skittery was standing on the street. "All right I will," Quipster agreed, running out the door to catch up with Skittery. "Skittery!" she yelled, so he wouldn’t walk away. Skittery turned around and was surprised to find Quipster was the one calling his name. The two had never really talked before. "Yeah?" Skittery repsonded. "You gotta choose," Quipster stated. "Between what?" Skittery asked, confused. "Goils…you gotta choose a goil. Youh makin’ da Lodgin’ House a nightmare!!" "Oh…so did Princess find out ‘bout Tappah? Look I was gunna tell dem…" Quipster looked horrified at how many girls in her house were dating Skittery. "YOU ARE SATAN!" she screamed at him. Skittery looked completely taken aback. "What?" he asked, not believing he had heard her correctly. "SATAN!" Quipster shouted again. "How many are der? In my Lodgin’ House how many goils are you datin’? HONESTLY!" Skittery took a moment to think about it. "Well der’s dat one and den…dat one night…" he mumbled to himself and started counting on his fingers. "Eight," he finally answered. Quipster stood there shocked for a moment before stepping closer and punching him across the face. "YOU HAVE SERIOUS ISSUES!" When Skittery’s friends, Specs and Itey, saw this they ran over to find out what was going on. "What’s goin’ on?" Specs questioned. "Your friend is SATAN!" Molly exclaimed. Specs shrugged. "Tell me somethin’ I don’t know." Molly looked at him confused. "Huh?" "I’m jest jokin’. How come he’s Satan?" "Do you KNOW how many girls he’s datin’?" "Don’t tell me youh lucky numbah nine," Itey commented. He and Quipster had been good friends for a long time and he thought he might lose all respect for her if she turned out to be a member of the Skittery Fan Club. "Hell no! I’se jest furious because SATAN is makin’ things hell in me Lodgin’ House ‘cause all da goils are findin’ out ‘bout each othah." "I told dem ta keep it a secret," Skittery told her. "So dat makes dis all okay?" Quipster questioned. "No…it’s jest…" "Yeah…shut up! Anyway dis is what we’re gunna do. Foist youh gunna tell me da names a all youh little goilfriends and DEN youh gunna pick from dem an’ let da othahs down nicely," Quipster decided. "Well da foist part is easy. Princess, Tapper, Delaney, Hart, Tunes, Act, Spin an’ who was dat last one…" "You don’t even remembah all of der names?" "Give me a second…it’s….uhh…PISKY!" he answered, victoriously. "Nice job…anyway…pick." "I can’t…" "You WILL" "C’mon Skittery, now dat dey’re findin’ out ‘bout each othah you should prolly tell," Specs agreed. "But…how should I choose?’ Skittery asked. "You pick da one you like da most," Quipster advised. "I can’t decide dat…dey’re all great…" "Den we will help you!" Itey decided. "How are we gunna help him?" Quipster inquired. "We’ll hold a contest!" Itey declared. "A contest foh dem? Doesn’t dat seem a little…I dunno…unfeelin’ an’ mean?" Quipster asked. "Nah, I like it," Specs informed them. "It’ll jest make shoah all da goils get an equal chance. You can even pick what da contest’ll be ‘bout, Quip." "I like dis contest idea…" Skittery commented, glad he wouldn’t have to make the decision himself. Quipster seemed to waver for a moment. "Well…da goils gotta know ‘bout da contest if we have it,"Quipster decided. "But if I get ta make da rules foh da contest and decide what dey do den I’m in." "Great, let’s get ta plannin’," Specs said, ushering Quipster toward the Newsboys Lodging House on Duane Street. ~~~*******~~~~ Soon Itey, Specs, Skittery and Quipster were situated in the bunk room of the Newsboys Lodging House. Quipster had a pen and pad of paper in her lap that she had borrowed for Kloppmann. "So uh…what kinda contests?" Quipster questioned, looking at the blank piece of paper. "Well, we pick talents dat Skittery likes an’ make contests ovah dem," Itey explained. "So whadja look foh in a goil Skitt?" Quipster asked him. "Dat she’s easy…" Specs mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear him. Skittery and Itey both started laughing. Quipster glared at them all. "We’re bein’ serious heah!" "Who says I wasn’t?" Specs inquired. Quipster glanced at Skittery. "Is dat what you look foh in a goil?" "It’s not da foist thing but it’s definitely up der on da list," Skittery informed her. "Okaaay…" Quipster said, writing down "Needs to be: Easy" on her paper. "What else?" Skittery thought for a moment. "Well, she’s gotta be pretty a course." Quipster narrowed her eyes. "I’m beginnin’ ta like you less an’ less. Is dat all you look foh? I pretty an’ fast goil?" Skittery pondered this before nodding his head. "Yep, pretty much." "You are a bad, bad person!" "C’mon dat’s what every guy is lookin’ foh!" "Dat isn’t true…" Quipster stated, looking for Specs and Itey for support. "Uhh…actually…" Specs started. "I don’t!" Itey informed her. "I look foh brains an’ uh…personality an’…uh…stuff." Skittery and Specs stared at him surprised. Itey maintained a serious face for a few more moments before bursting out laughing. "Who am I kiddin’?" Itey asked. "Me ideal goil is a someone pretty, not too annoyin’ an’ she’ll lay me on me foist date." "Ugh…how am I friends wid you guys?" Quipster asked, exasperated. "Let’s jest make dese contests. So, she’s gotta be pretty?" Skittery nodded. "Also, she’s gotta have attitude…ya know what I mean? Can’t be all wishy-washy." "All right…so fast, pretty an’ not wishy washy. What kinda contest are we gunna have foh dis?" "Easy," Specs said. "We line ‘em up an’ Skitttery can look ‘em ovah an’ decide which is da prettiest. Den he can ask ‘em questions ‘bout how far dey’d go wid him an’ der attitude an’ stuff." "Isn’t dis sorta jest like a beauty pageant?" "That’s it!" Itey exclaimed. "Dat’s what we’ll have foh him. What else do we need in da pageant?" "Wait…I didn’t agree ta a beauty pageant…dey’re demeanin’ an’…bad…" Quipster protested. "Do ya want peace in youh lodgin’ house?" Specs queried. "Well…yeah…but…"`` "A beauty pageant it is den," Itey interrupted. "Shouldn’t we have a talent part?" Skittery asked. "Even if it doesn’t affect me decision it’ll be fun ta watch." "Argh dis is not a good thing!" Quipster exclaimed. "Quipstah get ovah it. We’re doin’ it. You can help or not," Specs told her. Quipster thought about it for awhile. "Well…okay…So who’s gunna judge dis contest? Jest Skittery?" "I think dat we should get ta help," Itey decided. "I think so, too," Specs agreed. "Fine den I wanna be a judge too!" Quipster decided. "But…you can’t…youh a goil!" Skittery argued. "What does dat mattah?" Quipster asked. "No goils allowed," Skittery stated. "Only male judges…What if you jest run it?" "But…I wanna judge…" Quipster complained. "It wouldn’t be fair ‘cause you’re friends wid dem," Itey pointed out. "Oh…fine I’ll run it," Quipster agreed, appeased. "Let’s finish up plannin’ so we can tell da goils latah tanight." ~~~~~****~~~~ ----Later that Night---- "Hey, goils, c’mere foh a minute," Quipster yelled out in the lobby, standing on a chair. The girls all gathered around quickly, curious to hear what the announcement from their leader could be. "Now, goils, it’s come ta me attention dat a large numbah a you are in love or have some sorta relationship wid Skittery." Many of the girls in the crowd blushed or averted their eyes to the floor. "It’s also come ta me attention dat you all datin’ da same guy has caused a lotta problems an’ severely affected me sleep. So, I had a talk wid out dear Skittery an’ he has agreed dat it’s time dat he picked one goil." There were many alarmed looks in the crowd due to this announcement. "But," Quipster continued. "He didn’t know how ta pick one so he’s decided ta have a contest a sorts ta figuah out which goil he wants ta date ta make shoah he makes da right choice. Now, I know a lotta you may find dis demaanin’ an’ if you don’t want ta be in it den I will undahstand…" Quipster was interrupted by Pisky. "What kinda contest? When does it start?" Quipster looked around and found that instead of the disgusted expressions she had expected to hear at this announcement everyone actually looked excited by the idea. "Wait…youh all okay wid dis?" Quipster questioned. "Yeah, shoah, why wouldn’t we be?" Princess asked. "Do we gotta skip sellin’ tamarrow ta do it?" "What do we gotta do?" Delaney queried. "Umm…well…all da goils dat dated Skittery are gunna hafta skip sellin’ tamorrow ‘cause da contest’ll take all day. An’ I guess ya jest gotta parade ‘round in youh nicest clothes, den answer some questions an’ ya gotta do some kinda talent dat you think Skitt’ll like." "Dat don’t sound too hard," Tapper commented. "Okay...den…I’ll tell Skittery everyone is okay wid it an’ let you guys start ta get prepared…" Quipster decided, still looking astonished the girls would sink to such lows to capture the attention of Skittery. The girls all hurried off to begin preparations for the contest. The girls that weren’t interested in Skittery were dragged off by their friends to help them. ~~~~*****~~~~ "So whad dey say?" Skittery asked, as Quipster exited the lodging house. "Dey’re all excited," Quipster informed him, disgusted. "YES! Dis is gunna be great!" Skittery exclaimed. "Dis depresses me thoroughly…" Quipster commented. Skittery laughed, mistaking Quipster for joking. "Well, I’ll see ya tamorrow, Quip. Dis was a great idea." "WAIT! Dis was NOT my idea," Quipster protested. "Aww don’t be modest. If you hadn’t told me ta pick den none a dis woulda happened. I’ll see ya latah. Bye! An’ thanks!" Skittery told her, before running off in the direction of his own lodging house. Quipster sighed. "What have I gotten meself into?" she asked herself before walking back into her lodging house, dreading the coming morning. Part 2 Back to Fanfiction Page Back to Newsie Page |
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