Quipster drug herself into the Newsboys Lodging House on Duane Street before the sun rose. She was supposed to get there early to help the boys set up for their contest. "Aftah taday it’ll all be ovah," she reminded herself. "Hi Quipstah!" Skittery chirped cheerfully. "Why’re you so fuckin’ happy?" Quipster growled, flopping into an armchair in the lobby. Skittery shrugged. "Why not?" "Because it’s fouh o’clock in da fuckin’ mornin! It jest isn’t natural ta be happy wakin’ up dis early." "I didn’t wake up. I haven’t gone ta bed yet," Skittery informed her. "What? Don’t tell me youh DAT excited ‘bout dis damn contest!" "Well, I was excited, but not ‘bout da contest," Skittery revealed, grinning like a fool. "Moah like a contestant, eh, Skitt?" Specs asked, entering the room with Itey snickering beside him. "What?! You screwed a goil last night?!" Quipster questioned, astounded. "What goil would lay you when she knows you were cheatin’ on all dose goils!?" "Hart didn’t seem ta mind," Skittery confided, smiling smugly. "I will nevah evah undahstand all dis. Let’s jest get stahted so we’re ready, all right?" Quipster decided. "Yep, so, wheah do we staht?" Itey queried. "Um, well, you boys staht movin’ chairs ta make room foh a stage an’ audience an’ everythin," Quipster directed. "What’re you gunna do?" Specs inquired. "Supervise…" Quipster stated as if obvious. When all the boys glared at her she added, "I’ll write down da questions Skitts is gunna ask." "Don’t strain youhself," Specs muttered. Quipster threw him a smug smile. "I won’t." The boys all got to work arranging chairs to Quipster’s liking. Quipster remained sitting in her chair happily. "All right, so, what kinda questions do you wanna ask?" Quipster interrogated, pen and paper in hand. Skitter thought about it for a moment as he continued moving everything around. "Well, I guess I gotta ask ‘bout…uh…" "Dey’re personality?" Quipster prompted just as Itey suggested, "How fast dey’ll jump inta bed!" Itey looked at Quipster like she was stupid while Quipster glared at Itey. "Both are good," Skittery decided. "Let’s tell dem ta describe dey’re personality in let’s say…two words." "Two words? You can’t describe youh dog in two woids!" Quipster protested. "Seven." "Fine, five," Skittery compromised. "An’ I’ll jest ask dem how far dey’ll go on a date wid me." "What kinda question is dat?" Specs questioned. "What does it mattah if dey go ta Africa or Brooklyn wid ya when ya don’t got da money ta take dem anywheah?" Quipster hit him upside the head. "He’s talkin’ ‘bout sex, smart ass." Specs glared at her. "Yoh shoah are mean in da mornin!" "Whadja expect? I didn’t get any sleep last night!" "All da othah goils bein’ loud gettin’ ready foh taday?" Itey asked. "Dat," Quipster consented. "An’ da fact dat Jack is damn good at fuckin’." Itey laughed. "Shoulda thought a dat." Specs and Skittery looked somewhat surprised since she had been criticizing Skittery for sleeping around. Then they shrugged figuring it was just another double standard for men and women. Quipster sighed and commented, "I know what youh thinkin’ an’ dsi is not a double standahd foh men an’ women. I was mad at Skittery foh sleepin’ ‘round an’ lettin’ da goils think dey were da only ones he was screwin’. I am perfect open wid da guys I hang out wid." Specs, ignoring most of Quipster’s comment, asked, "Hey how’d you know dat we thought ya had a double standahd?" Quipster smirked. "People should realize by now dat I know everythin’!" "If you know everythin’ den what else am I gunna ask?" Skittery inquired. "Ya really wanna know?" Quipster checked. Skittery nodded wondering what type of girlish questions she would want to ask. "Heah," Quipster stated, handing him the piece of paper she had been writing on. On it had a list of questions. Skittery perused them before commenting, "Hey dese are good!" He sounded very surprised. "Thanks. So, is dat what youh gunna ask, den?" Quipster inquired. "Sounds good ta me. Whad do you boys think?" Skittery questions Itey and Specs who were now reviewing the questions. "Sounds good at me," Itey agreed. "Yeah, sounds ‘bout right," Specs consented. "Good, now dat we got dat finished, lets hurry an’ get dis room set up," Quipster declared. The boys nodded in agreement before all four got to work, finishing the set up of the room for the contest. ~~~~~~ An Hour and a Half Later ~~~~~~ Most of the contestants had arrived by then and the contestants had arrived, except for one girl. As soon as Spin, who was AWOL, arrived they could begin. All four were surprised by the unexpected crowd was gathering in the Lodging House. Newsies from all over New York City had heard of the contest and didn’t want to miss it. "Well, we can get stahted as soon as Spin gets heah," Quipster informed Skittery, Specs and Itey. "How’re da othah goils doin’?" Skittery questioned. Quipster shrugged. "I dunno. Dey’re all up in da washroom gettin’ ready I guess." "Ya left seven goils dat’re all aftah da same guy alone in a confined space?" Itey inquired disbelievingly. Quipster started nodding until she realized his point. "SHIT! I’ll uhh…be right back…" Quipster told them before sprinting up the stairs and into the washroom. Quipster was pleasantly surprised when she was met with a happy, peaceful scene full of girls trying to get their clothes to fit better and putting finishing touches on their hair and makeup. Quipster let out a sigh of relief. "What’s wrong wid you?" Act inquired, noticing the sigh. "Nothin’….well ta tell da turth I was a little worried dat you goils might staht fights up heah. Ya know…get da othahs outta da way…" Quipster confided. "Hey! Good idea!" Delaney yelled, running toward Princess and pulling her long hair. "NO! It wasn’t to give ya ideas!!" Quipster protested. Within seconds all seven girls were included in the fight. "STOP! STOP IT!" Quipster screamed, not knowing what to do. All of the sudden music turned on from someplace in the room and in beat to it Brooklyn boys started popping up around the washroom. "Nevah feah, Brooklyn’s heah!" Spot, the leader of Brooklyn, stated proudly. This proclamation was met with girlish shrieks and screams as the girls that weren’t completely dressed scrambled for clothing. Quipster looked highly amused now. "Spot how long have you been in heah?" Spot smirked mischievously. "We’se all been in heah foh ‘bout an hour." This comment obtained more screams and a couple death threats from some of the girls. Quipster shook her head, trying to stifle her laughter. "You are a bad, bad person!" Spot smiled and nodded in agreement. "Wheah da hell is dat music comin’ from?!" Quipster asked, sidetracked as she looked around the room. Spot smiled sheepishly. "Cut it boys!" he ordered. The music stopped abruptly as one of his boys turned off the record. "Youh not supposed ta notice it, Quip. It’s jest supposed ta add ta da affect." Quipster looked at him oddly. "Allll right den. Maybe you an’ youh boys should wait wid everyone else?" she suggested, indicating the fully clothed contestants that were looking angrier by the moment. "Uh…good idea," Spot agreed, ushering his boys out of the room and down to the alley. Just as Spot was leaving Spin ran in hurriedly. They gave each other cold glares before continuing on their ways. "I’m really sorry everyone I had ta make some last minute arrangements foh me dress," Spin told them. "I’ll be changed in a jiffy." "Hurry up," Quipster told her. "I’m gunna go tell da boys dat Spin is heah. No fights up heah or I’ll getcha disqualified an’ I mean it." The girls all nodded, looking slightly disappointed. ~~~~~~5 Minutes Later ~~~~~~ "All right lets get dis contest stahted," Quipster told the crowd. "We’re gunna staht wid questions an’ den do talent. Soo we’se jest gunna bring out da goils one by one an’ I’ll intraduce dem an’ den Skitt’ll ask da questions, all right? Wait..what am I askin’ you guys foh? I don’t even undah stand why youh heah…" "Ta see da goils make fools a demselves ovah Skitt," Swifty explained to her from his seat in the crowd. "Okaaay…well anyway da foist goil is…" Quipster paused to look up at the stairs and see who was there. "Princess! C’mon down!" Part 3 Back to Fanfiction Page Back to Newsie Page |