'Ponine and Itey: A Romance
Chapter One
Itey looked down at the ground with shame in his expressive brown eyes and dirt in his curly dark brown hair. His arm felt heavy with old newspapers that seemed to linger at his side forever. Being a newsy had always seemed like a great job for the seventeen year old boy. Especially after the strike. It had seemed like the city loved him. His papers weren't enough to feed the news-hungry men and woman who surrounded him each day. He usually had to walk away from the angry mob and allow other area newsies to take care of them.
But now it was all different. It always seemed as if he was always hungry and always tired and near death. His pockets were empty and he hadn't been able to by new papers for the longest time. His papers became his closest companion though they were torn and nearly a month old.
One day, Itey was roaming through the dark city with sorrow in his heart. A man in a long black cape and a top hat approached him. The man's eyes searched Itey's face and body and landed wordlessly on Itey's stack of old papers.
"That today's paper?" asked the man.
Itey shook his head silently. The man smiled a crocked smile which Itey was taken aback by.
"Life as a newsy ain't cuttin' it?" he asked.
Itey looked at the strange man and noticed his gloved hand was covered in rings. The man swished back his long blonde hair and smirked at Itey.
"I'm taking that as a yes, my dear boy. Now, tell me, have you ever thought about turning a trick or two?"
Itey looked at the man, his eyes were wide and surprised at what the stranger had just asked him.
"What's your name?" asked the man.
"Itey."
"Well, Itey, if you haven't already guessed, I am a pimp who's in dier need of male prostitutes and cortisans. I think the girls might like you."
Itey noticed that the man had fire burning in his eyes. Itey thought quickly about the man's offer. It was a job, a job with money. He needed a job more than anything and being a newsy wasn't anywhere in his future. Itey gulped and felt a shiver go down his spine.
"I don't have nothin' better to do." Itey shrugged and smiled weakly at the pimp. His pimp.
The next thing Itey knew he found himself in a colorful building which slightly reminded him of Medda's. There were scantly clad boys clustered all around him. Some stared at him and laughed. Itey looked down to see that the rat-bitten papers were still scrunched up under his arm. Realizing that he must have looked like a fool to those around him he dropped the papers and smiled.
"Who's he?" asked a man dressed only in a leather thong, a cowboy hat and boots with spurs.
Itey squinted.
"Jack?" he asked with disbelief.
The man's eyes widened and he stalked away with embarressment. Itey giggled to himself as the pimp hit him gently on the shoulders.
"We oughta get you into wardrobe," he said. "By the way, the name's Menken."
Menken brought Itey to a large closet filled with assorted thongs and things. In the small room there stood a man who was sorting through some lepord print thongs. Or was it a woman?
"Ortega, get this boy into some more appropriate clothing," the man said to the hermaphidite as he pushed Itey forward.
Ortega turned to look at Itey with his eyes half opened. He searched Itey's clothing.
"Hm....I've never tried dressing some one as a newsy. Might be fun." The man's New York accent was cut off by a voice that seemed incredibly feminine for a man of his age.
Itey wasn't happy to be pushed onto a stage in front of an audience entirely made up of woman but he wasn't happy being broke either. At least his outfit wasn't as bad as Jack's had been.
**********
'Ponine's curly brown hair flopped into her friends' face as she blocked the doorway into the Menken's House of Fun. Her eyes were shut so tightly that it made her eyes water but she knew it was for the best.
"I don't want to see some stupid peep show!" shouted 'Ponine in her stern yet sing-songy voice.
"It isn't some stupid peep show," her friend, Gretch said. "Davey works here."
Gretch and the two other girls pushed 'Ponine but she stood her ground.
"Come on, 'Ponine, maybe you'll get lucky!" Cheese snickered into her friend's ear.
"Don't pretend your doing this for me, Cheese, you know damn well that you only want in because of Skittery and his thong." 'Ponine said, laughing.
Cheese blushed but looked taken a back.
"My darling, 'Ponine, I said nothing of the sort," said Cheese, all too seriously.
"C'mon! Let's just do this!" the other pusher, Moose, told 'Ponine with aggravation.
"Oh, god, Moose! You could want this a little more, ya know. Racetrack does work here, doesn't he?" Gretch said with a sigh.
"She broke up with Racetrack, remember?" said 'Ponine.
"No, I didn't," said Moose. "I'm just a little upset he decided to go through with his job here."
"No, no, no! You want to see him in his thong! Its good for....er.....business!" said Cheese.
Moose giggled and let her hold on 'Ponine slide. 'Ponine fell backward onto the cold ground.
"Owwww!" 'Ponine whined.
Gretch and Cheese seized the opprotunity to grab 'Ponine's thin arms and with Moose's help they dragged her into Menken's House of Fun. They hauled 'Ponine into a chair and the three girls sat around her just as a boy with a thong which was held up with suspenders was literally pushed onto the stage wearing a cabby hate and carrying a newspaper.
Moose, Gretch and Cheese laughed at the awkard boy but 'Ponine couldn't take his eyes off of him.
"Who is he?" she asked her friends, dreamily.
'Ponine's friends stopped laughing and looked at the girl with stunned expressions.
"You like that wreck of a boy?" asked Gretch, surprised.
'Ponine ignored the surprised, harsh tone in Gretch's voice and nodded with her eyes transfixed onto Itey's. Itey's weren't away from her's either.
*************
"Who was that beautiful girl with the big green eyes and long brown hair?" asked Itey, dreamily, when he came off stage and back to Menken and Ortega.
Menken and Ortega peaked out of the curtain's and searched the audience.
"Do you mean the one with Gretch, Cheese and Moose?" asked Menken.
"Who?" asked Itey.
"Gretch is a bit short with chocolaty brown eyes and straight brown hair. Cheese is the tallest with curly brown hair and brown-green eyes. Moose is the average heighted one with straight red hair and pale green eyes," said Ortega.
Itey peared out into the crowd and his eyes again met the beautiful girl in the back row. He forced his eyes to shift towards the girls who accompanied her and noticed that they were the so described as Gretch, Cheese and Moose. He looked back at Ortega and Menken.
"Yes. Her. Who is she?" asked Itey.
Menken shrugged.
"Not sure. She hasn't come in often," he said.
"But the other girls are involved with some of our guys. You could ask them."
"Who are they?" Itey asked, excitedly.
"David, Skittery and Racetrack," Ortega told him.
Itey flinched at the names of the boys he had known so well as a newsy. He thanked Ortega and Menken and ran to meet up with the three boys who were chatting in a dressing room.
"Hiya," Itey said, shyly.
The boys looked up at him and nodded in recognision.
"Hey, Itey. Jack told us he saw you here," David said.
"You guys know Gretch, Cheese and Moose, right?" asked Itey.
"Of course we know them," said Skittery, dryly. "They are our girlfriends."
"So I've heard. Did any of you know the other girl they were with tonight?" Itey asked.
"Haven't been out there," Racetrack said with a shrug. "But I do think Moosey mentioned something about their friend 'Ponine coming with 'em tonight."
"'Ponine," Itey repeated the name with shear ecstacy ringing through his voice. "She's so beautiful."
"I'd bet that Chewy's her little sister," said Racetrack.
"Who's Chewy?" asked Itey.
"Crutchy's girlfriend. Usually sits with Crutchy in his dressing room while he's too weak to perform," said David.
"Wow, do all the ex-newsies work here?" asked Itey, amazed.
"Most of 'em," said Skittery with a shrug.
Itey turned and left for Crutchy's dressing room with the light of love clouding his eyes.
******************
"Who would know who that guy was?" asked 'Ponine in wonder as she walked dreamily on the coble stone side walk.
Cheese sighed irritated.
"Why did we leave?" asked Cheese. "Why didn't we wait for the boys?"
"Because 'Ponine obviously wouldn't have lasted in that place much longer," said Moose. The irritation in her voice was evident but well hidden.
Gretch laughed and shook 'Ponine's shoulders gently.
"If you really want to know I'll ask Davey tomorrow," said Gretch.
'Ponine smiled at Gretch and then went on, floating home.
*******************
Itey pushed the door open to Crutchy's dressing room, gingerly. He saw a really skinny girl with straight brown hair sitting on Crutchy's good knee and staring longingly into his eyes. Crutchy was just about to suggest to the girl that they moved to the bed when he looked up and noticed Itey.
"Hiya, Itey! How's it goin'?" said Crutchy, kindly.
Itey smiled at Crutchy familiarity. The prostitution hadn't seemed to change him at all.
"I'm in love," said Itey.
Crutchy looked back at the girl.
"Me too," he said, softly. "Chewy's the greatest. What's 'er name, It?"
"'Ponine." Itey sighed dreamily at the sound of the name as it rolled off his tongue.
"Hey! That's ya sistah, isn't it Chewy?" Crutchy asked the girl.
"Yeah, she is," Chewy said as she kissed Crutchy lightly on his forehead.
"Chewy, do you think you could talk to 'Ponine about me? Ya know, see if she feels the same way," asked Itey.
Chewy shrugged. "No problem." The girl hopped off Crutchy's knee like a child from a playground. "I guess that means I'd better get goin'." She turned to Itey. "I'll have a little chat about you with 'Ponine."
Itey smiled. "Thanks."
Chewy turned back to Crutchy and blew him a kiss as she walked out of his dressing room. Crutchy looked upset that she had left but still acted cheerful, as always.
"Well, it was great seein' ya, Itey, but I've gotta get some shut eye. Chew and I 'ave a date." The last part of what Crutchy said had obviously cheered him up because he smiled with hopes of the next day as he grabbed his crutch and limped to the stripper logging house.
Itey walked out of the dressing room and out of the building itself. He looked up at the stars. He felt wonderful knowing that the sky he was looking at was the exact sky that got to stare at his beloved 'Ponine throughout the whole night. He sighed at the thought and was eager for the morrow.
******************
The four girls reached the house which they shared with many other girls and Moose, Cheese and Gretch went inside without hesitation.
"Aren't you coming, 'Ponine?" Moose asked.
"I'll catch up in a minute," 'Ponine said as she gazed up at the sky.
The three other girls shrugged and walked inside the large brick building. 'Ponine wandered a few feet away from the house with her eyes dreamily looking up at the stars. She wondered about who the lovely boy at the House of Fun had been. She also wondered if at that very moment he was giving the sky the pleasure of looking at his face.
Chapter One
Itey looked down at the ground with shame in his expressive brown eyes and dirt in his curly dark brown hair. His arm felt heavy with old newspapers that seemed to linger at his side forever. Being a newsy had always seemed like a great job for the seventeen year old boy. Especially after the strike. It had seemed like the city loved him. His papers weren't enough to feed the news-hungry men and woman who surrounded him each day. He usually had to walk away from the angry mob and allow other area newsies to take care of them.
But now it was all different. It always seemed as if he was always hungry and always tired and near death. His pockets were empty and he hadn't been able to by new papers for the longest time. His papers became his closest companion though they were torn and nearly a month old.
One day, Itey was roaming through the dark city with sorrow in his heart. A man in a long black cape and a top hat approached him. The man's eyes searched Itey's face and body and landed wordlessly on Itey's stack of old papers.
"That today's paper?" asked the man.
Itey shook his head silently. The man smiled a crocked smile which Itey was taken aback by.
"Life as a newsy ain't cuttin' it?" he asked.
Itey looked at the strange man and noticed his gloved hand was covered in rings. The man swished back his long blonde hair and smirked at Itey.
"I'm taking that as a yes, my dear boy. Now, tell me, have you ever thought about turning a trick or two?"
Itey looked at the man, his eyes were wide and surprised at what the stranger had just asked him.
"What's your name?" asked the man.
"Itey."
"Well, Itey, if you haven't already guessed, I am a pimp who's in dier need of male prostitutes and cortisans. I think the girls might like you."
Itey noticed that the man had fire burning in his eyes. Itey thought quickly about the man's offer. It was a job, a job with money. He needed a job more than anything and being a newsy wasn't anywhere in his future. Itey gulped and felt a shiver go down his spine.
"I don't have nothin' better to do." Itey shrugged and smiled weakly at the pimp. His pimp.
The next thing Itey knew he found himself in a colorful building which slightly reminded him of Medda's. There were scantly clad boys clustered all around him. Some stared at him and laughed. Itey looked down to see that the rat-bitten papers were still scrunched up under his arm. Realizing that he must have looked like a fool to those around him he dropped the papers and smiled.
"Who's he?" asked a man dressed only in a leather thong, a cowboy hat and boots with spurs.
Itey squinted.
"Jack?" he asked with disbelief.
The man's eyes widened and he stalked away with embarressment. Itey giggled to himself as the pimp hit him gently on the shoulders.
"We oughta get you into wardrobe," he said. "By the way, the name's Menken."
Menken brought Itey to a large closet filled with assorted thongs and things. In the small room there stood a man who was sorting through some lepord print thongs. Or was it a woman?
"Ortega, get this boy into some more appropriate clothing," the man said to the hermaphidite as he pushed Itey forward.
Ortega turned to look at Itey with his eyes half opened. He searched Itey's clothing.
"Hm....I've never tried dressing some one as a newsy. Might be fun." The man's New York accent was cut off by a voice that seemed incredibly feminine for a man of his age.
Itey wasn't happy to be pushed onto a stage in front of an audience entirely made up of woman but he wasn't happy being broke either. At least his outfit wasn't as bad as Jack's had been.
**********
'Ponine's curly brown hair flopped into her friends' face as she blocked the doorway into the Menken's House of Fun. Her eyes were shut so tightly that it made her eyes water but she knew it was for the best.
"I don't want to see some stupid peep show!" shouted 'Ponine in her stern yet sing-songy voice.
"It isn't some stupid peep show," her friend, Gretch said. "Davey works here."
Gretch and the two other girls pushed 'Ponine but she stood her ground.
"Come on, 'Ponine, maybe you'll get lucky!" Cheese snickered into her friend's ear.
"Don't pretend your doing this for me, Cheese, you know damn well that you only want in because of Skittery and his thong." 'Ponine said, laughing.
Cheese blushed but looked taken a back.
"My darling, 'Ponine, I said nothing of the sort," said Cheese, all too seriously.
"C'mon! Let's just do this!" the other pusher, Moose, told 'Ponine with aggravation.
"Oh, god, Moose! You could want this a little more, ya know. Racetrack does work here, doesn't he?" Gretch said with a sigh.
"She broke up with Racetrack, remember?" said 'Ponine.
"No, I didn't," said Moose. "I'm just a little upset he decided to go through with his job here."
"No, no, no! You want to see him in his thong! Its good for....er.....business!" said Cheese.
Moose giggled and let her hold on 'Ponine slide. 'Ponine fell backward onto the cold ground.
"Owwww!" 'Ponine whined.
Gretch and Cheese seized the opprotunity to grab 'Ponine's thin arms and with Moose's help they dragged her into Menken's House of Fun. They hauled 'Ponine into a chair and the three girls sat around her just as a boy with a thong which was held up with suspenders was literally pushed onto the stage wearing a cabby hate and carrying a newspaper.
Moose, Gretch and Cheese laughed at the awkard boy but 'Ponine couldn't take his eyes off of him.
"Who is he?" she asked her friends, dreamily.
'Ponine's friends stopped laughing and looked at the girl with stunned expressions.
"You like that wreck of a boy?" asked Gretch, surprised.
'Ponine ignored the surprised, harsh tone in Gretch's voice and nodded with her eyes transfixed onto Itey's. Itey's weren't away from her's either.
*************
"Who was that beautiful girl with the big green eyes and long brown hair?" asked Itey, dreamily, when he came off stage and back to Menken and Ortega.
Menken and Ortega peaked out of the curtain's and searched the audience.
"Do you mean the one with Gretch, Cheese and Moose?" asked Menken.
"Who?" asked Itey.
"Gretch is a bit short with chocolaty brown eyes and straight brown hair. Cheese is the tallest with curly brown hair and brown-green eyes. Moose is the average heighted one with straight red hair and pale green eyes," said Ortega.
Itey peared out into the crowd and his eyes again met the beautiful girl in the back row. He forced his eyes to shift towards the girls who accompanied her and noticed that they were the so described as Gretch, Cheese and Moose. He looked back at Ortega and Menken.
"Yes. Her. Who is she?" asked Itey.
Menken shrugged.
"Not sure. She hasn't come in often," he said.
"But the other girls are involved with some of our guys. You could ask them."
"Who are they?" Itey asked, excitedly.
"David, Skittery and Racetrack," Ortega told him.
Itey flinched at the names of the boys he had known so well as a newsy. He thanked Ortega and Menken and ran to meet up with the three boys who were chatting in a dressing room.
"Hiya," Itey said, shyly.
The boys looked up at him and nodded in recognision.
"Hey, Itey. Jack told us he saw you here," David said.
"You guys know Gretch, Cheese and Moose, right?" asked Itey.
"Of course we know them," said Skittery, dryly. "They are our girlfriends."
"So I've heard. Did any of you know the other girl they were with tonight?" Itey asked.
"Haven't been out there," Racetrack said with a shrug. "But I do think Moosey mentioned something about their friend 'Ponine coming with 'em tonight."
"'Ponine," Itey repeated the name with shear ecstacy ringing through his voice. "She's so beautiful."
"I'd bet that Chewy's her little sister," said Racetrack.
"Who's Chewy?" asked Itey.
"Crutchy's girlfriend. Usually sits with Crutchy in his dressing room while he's too weak to perform," said David.
"Wow, do all the ex-newsies work here?" asked Itey, amazed.
"Most of 'em," said Skittery with a shrug.
Itey turned and left for Crutchy's dressing room with the light of love clouding his eyes.
******************
"Who would know who that guy was?" asked 'Ponine in wonder as she walked dreamily on the coble stone side walk.
Cheese sighed irritated.
"Why did we leave?" asked Cheese. "Why didn't we wait for the boys?"
"Because 'Ponine obviously wouldn't have lasted in that place much longer," said Moose. The irritation in her voice was evident but well hidden.
Gretch laughed and shook 'Ponine's shoulders gently.
"If you really want to know I'll ask Davey tomorrow," said Gretch.
'Ponine smiled at Gretch and then went on, floating home.
*******************
Itey pushed the door open to Crutchy's dressing room, gingerly. He saw a really skinny girl with straight brown hair sitting on Crutchy's good knee and staring longingly into his eyes. Crutchy was just about to suggest to the girl that they moved to the bed when he looked up and noticed Itey.
"Hiya, Itey! How's it goin'?" said Crutchy, kindly.
Itey smiled at Crutchy familiarity. The prostitution hadn't seemed to change him at all.
"I'm in love," said Itey.
Crutchy looked back at the girl.
"Me too," he said, softly. "Chewy's the greatest. What's 'er name, It?"
"'Ponine." Itey sighed dreamily at the sound of the name as it rolled off his tongue.
"Hey! That's ya sistah, isn't it Chewy?" Crutchy asked the girl.
"Yeah, she is," Chewy said as she kissed Crutchy lightly on his forehead.
"Chewy, do you think you could talk to 'Ponine about me? Ya know, see if she feels the same way," asked Itey.
Chewy shrugged. "No problem." The girl hopped off Crutchy's knee like a child from a playground. "I guess that means I'd better get goin'." She turned to Itey. "I'll have a little chat about you with 'Ponine."
Itey smiled. "Thanks."
Chewy turned back to Crutchy and blew him a kiss as she walked out of his dressing room. Crutchy looked upset that she had left but still acted cheerful, as always.
"Well, it was great seein' ya, Itey, but I've gotta get some shut eye. Chew and I 'ave a date." The last part of what Crutchy said had obviously cheered him up because he smiled with hopes of the next day as he grabbed his crutch and limped to the stripper logging house.
Itey walked out of the dressing room and out of the building itself. He looked up at the stars. He felt wonderful knowing that the sky he was looking at was the exact sky that got to stare at his beloved 'Ponine throughout the whole night. He sighed at the thought and was eager for the morrow.
******************
The four girls reached the house which they shared with many other girls and Moose, Cheese and Gretch went inside without hesitation.
"Aren't you coming, 'Ponine?" Moose asked.
"I'll catch up in a minute," 'Ponine said as she gazed up at the sky.
The three other girls shrugged and walked inside the large brick building. 'Ponine wandered a few feet away from the house with her eyes dreamily looking up at the stars. She wondered about who the lovely boy at the House of Fun had been. She also wondered if at that very moment he was giving the sky the pleasure of looking at his face.