Dear you, Bridget Kathleen [english novels to read txt] 📗

go back, but I'm going to stay here for a while."
"And do what? Look at it? Listen, Evelyn, you just said you wanted to come see it. And now you have seen it, so let's go back."
Evelyn shook her head. "No. Not yet." She started to walk up the steps but Bianca grabbed her wrist. Evelyn didn't even look back; she yanked her hand back and kept walking up the steps until she stood in front of the door. She took in a deep breath and slowly let it out; she placed her hands on the handle and twisted it. The darn thing still squeaked. Evelyn ignored Bianca's words and walked right in. A slight gush of musty air blew into her face. Yep, she thought. It still has its same old smell. She smiled to herself as she stood inside the building. She could hear the family's in their homes.
Bianca then finally opened the door and stood close behind her friend.
"Evelyn…I'm worried that the others will start looking for us. If that happens who knows how much trouble we will be in." she whispered quietly.
"Oh don't be such a worry wart." Evelyn told her. She then started to walk up the next flight of stairs, heading towards her old apartment. When she finally saw it a big smile spread across her face, but soon that smile went away. She wanted to open that door. She wanted to burst into the apartment and say, "Mom I'm home!" but someone else came out yelling instead. It was a woman in her mid-thirties. Evelyn could tell that the woman was Irish just by hearing her yell in her thick accent.
When the woman finally stopped yelling over at the other apartment door and saw Evelyn standing there she said, "You'se goily aint from 'round heah are ye? What ya's doin' heah? Go on now. Git!"
Evelyn was taken aback by the woman's attitude. "I'll have you know, miss, that your apartment used to be mine." She tried to stay calm and collected.
The woman's bright red hair seemed to stick out even more now. "Oh ya? How’s long ago lil missy?"
Evelyn thought for a moment. "Uhm…Not that long ago."
"Ah. Ya really mus' be crazy."
"I beg your pardon?" Evelyn said, feeling even more insulted.
The lady bumped up her chest more and said, "I'se been livin' heah with me family for years now. Don' know what you'se talkin' 'bout."
Evelyn shook her head. "Oh…well then…Never mind."
The woman laughed a little, but it wasn't made out to be a mean laugh. "Hey goily, what's your name?"
"Evelyn Connealy." She said.
The woman shot Evelyn a bright smile. "Ah. So you'se an Irish goil. Ya certainly don' sound like one."
Evelyn shrugged. "I'm not from Ireland, if that's what you're wondering."
"Where ya from den?"
"I'm from here. Brooklyn."
The woman nodded. "Well, miss Evelyn, why such a pretty young goil like ye self doin' in these parts of Brooklyn, besides finding ya old home?" Before Evelyn could answer, Bianca showed up right behind her. "Ah," said the Irish woman. "Dis your friend, Evelyn?"
Evelyn nodded. "Yeah. Her name is Bianca."
The woman nodded back. "Nice to meet you'se both goils. Me name is Mary. Mary Conlon."
For a moment Evelyn's heart stopped. "Did you say Conlon?" she finally spoke.
"I'se sure did missy. Why?"
"Oh…Never mind. It's nothing, really."
Bianca then took hold of Evelyn's hand. "Let's go, Evelyn." She said quietly. Evelyn slowly nodded and started to turn away but then looked back at Mary. "It was nice meeting you, Mary. Goodbye." Mary waved them off and the two girls headed out the building.
Bianca suddenly stopped after hurrying back to the O'Brian's house.
"What's wrong, Bianca?" Evelyn asked.
"Look around you. Does this place seem familiar?" she asked.
Evelyn laughed a little. Of course every place that Evelyn went looked familiar. She had grown up in Brooklyn after all. Bianca sighed. "Train tracks, Evelyn."
Evelyn formed her mouth into a big 'O' and suddenly realized where she was standing. "Over there," Bianca pointed. "Is where the car must have stopped sliding...I think so anyway." The two girls stared where Bianca was pointing. "In the next hundred some years you'll just about kill the both of us." the girls laughed a little, but soon their laughs subsided and went to awkward silence.
"Yeah." said Evelyn. "It feels so strange standing here now, knowing what's to come." Bianca and Evelyn held each other's hands walked the rest of the way back to the O'Brian's in silence.
Chapter 7: Mixed feelings

Please stay shining
Stay and smile here for always

Evelyn jumbled around in her bag, trying to find her Romeo and Juliet book. The darn thing was nowhere. Suddenly she stopped, Bianca stopping a few pases after her. "What is it this time?" She asked.
"My book. I left it in the classroom. We have to go back and get it."
Bianca rolled her eyes. "No you don't just use mine." Evelyn stood there, looking stuborn. "Is your book THAT important to you?" Evelyn nodded. Bianca sighed. "Alright. Let's head back."

The girls headed back to the school and Bianca stopped at the front door.
"What are you doing?" asked Evelyn.
"It's a decent day out so I think I'll wait out here for you." Evelyn shrugged her shoulders as in "Oh well." and headed inside. The school was so quiet it was almost creepy. It was a good thing the school had lots of windows so light could come in otherwise it would look haunted. Evelyn pushed opened the door to her class room and stopped for she saw a teary-eyed Miss. Thorn suddenly stand up and walk over to her board. "Forget something?" she said in her snooty voice.
Evelyn cleared her throat and walked over to her desk. There she saw her book sitting right on top of her desk. She picked it up and placed it in her bag. Evelyn looked up at her teacher and saw that she was still facing the black board. She felt like she should say something, but couldn't find the right words so she headed right to the door way and stopped. She looked back again, seeing that Miss. Thorn was still writing on the black board. Evelyn turned around and headed out to the hallway.

As Bianca waited for Evelyn to return, she looked up at the sky. It was still it grey merky color and the city was still bustling with people. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds, pretending she was back in her own time. Back at home. Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of a boys voice. Bianca shot her eyes open and looked down at the bottom of the steps. There she saw Thomas Higgins or better known as Racetrack.
She smiled. "Hey Thomas!"
Racetrack smirked. "Please miss. Call me Racetrack...or Race. Thomas is what my ol' granny calls me." Bianca chuckled and nodded. Racetrack then stuffed his papes under his right pit and stuffed his hands in his pocket. "So why ya jus' standin' 'round heah for?" he asked.
Before Bianca could reply, Evelyn came walking out the door. "Oh! Hi, Thomas."
"Call me Racetrack."
"Or Race," said Bianca. Racetrack grinned at her comment. "You ready to head back now?" Bianca asked. Evelyn nodded.
"Ya two min' if I'se come walkin' 'round with ya's. I'se could sells my papes on the way." The two girls looked at each other and then nodded at Racetrack.

On their way back, Racetrack shouted out headlines. Mainly false once or ones that only spoke half the truth. As they walked closer to the O'Brains house the ever distant sounds of boys shouting became louder.
"What's that sound? Is there a fight going on?" Bianca asked. And just as they turned the corner, there they saw a bunch of Newsies piled together in a big heeping mess of a fight.
"Plug Uglies..." Racetrack gulped.
"Plug what?" said Evelyn.
"Plug Uglies. They be oldeh boys or old time newsie boys comin' to soak us younger newsie boys. They steal our money and take our papes. Happened to me few days ago. Got fourteen cents taken from me."
"Is that all you made?" Bianca asked.
Racetrack shook his head. "Nah. My sis, Abby. She 'em get me and ran oveh to help me out." The two girls thought then. It now made sense to them as to why Abigale was gone the day she was. Must have gotten beat up by the Plug Uglies herself while trying to protect her little brother.
"Did they stop when she came over?" Asked Evelyn.
Racetrack shook his head again. "They got her too. They only stop cause a cop came by and yelled at 'em. Which was surprising. Mos' cops wont do a damn thing 'bout nothin'."

Suddenly the crowd of Newises and Plug Uglies started to disapate as the whistle of a cop came strolling by. The fight was probably stopped because there were so many fighting, not that they cared about anyone getting hurt. When just a few were left standing there, rooting for the boys fighting on the ground, Evelyn, Bianca and even Racetrack walked a little bit closer to get a better look at the two fighters in the ground. The person on top was throwing punch after punch at what looked like an older boy. A Plug Ugly perhaps? But then again the boy on top of him, soaking his very brains out with a single fist while the other held his shirt, looked like an older boy too. When he finished his final blow, the Plug Ugly fell flat and still on the dirty street. The older boy who had won the fight stood up and spat on the Plug Ugly. The newsie boys cheered him on while the Plug Uglies draged their friend away.

There was something very odd though about this fellow as Evelyn continued to stare at his back. His dirty blonde hair messy from the fight. His hat stuffed in his back pocket and pink suspenders. He turned around and walked up to a young newsie boy, maybe ten years old, and plopped what seemed to be change in his hand and patted the little head. The little boy smiled up at his and placed his newsie hat back on top of his head.
"Is that..." Bianca started.
"Spot Conlon!" shouted Racetrack. Spot looked up and saw Racetrack and waved. His face smudged with dirt and a few blood splatters on his shirt. Probably from the Plug Ugly. Evelyn grew disgusted and turned away. Of course he was only helping out the newsies, but the sight of him beating that Plug Ugly up...just the way he took him down...It scared her.
"E-Evelyn? Where are you going?" Bianca called out to her friend. "Sorry, Race. Gotta go!" she gave Racetrack a small peck on the cheek and headed after her friend.

"Evelyn? What's wrong?" Bianca placed a hand on Evelyn shoulder and turned her around. They stood just outside the O'Brians house.
"Did you not see him? That fight?" said Evelyn.
"You mean...the way Spot beat the ever living crap outa that Plug...Plug-whatever-you-call-them?" Evelyn nodded. Bianca rolled her eyes. "Oh please! This is New York City, Evelyn! 1899 New York City! This is not the New York City you used to know and love."
Evelyn hung her head. "I know...I just...It scared me when I saw