A/N: I have fallen in love with the movie Newsies and Spot Conlon, so I've decided to make my own fanfiction with my own character during the time I'm not writing my other story or reading more Newsies fanfiction. C: Reviews would be lovely.
Chapter One
Running for too long can do wonders to your brain, especially when you're trying to calm your thoughts and process exactly what happened, where you are, and where to go next. I took comfort in trees, so it was no surprise that I found myself resting on the highest branch that was both sturdy enough to hold me, and low enough to jump off without breaking myself in half.
I surveyed my surroundings, knowing my destination, but not entirely sure how far off it was. I just knew one thing: I needed to rest. The wind rustled through my hair, blowing the long blonde locks everywhere with currents of pressure. Grabbing onto the end of the lollipop sticking out of my mouth and moving it about, I peered around once more.
I sat there for a few moments more, enjoying the cool breeze and absorbed in my thoughts. Maybe that was why I didn't see anyone approaching my tree, and when they finally spoke I was so surprised that I almost lost my balance on the branch. I caught myself, but my pink lollipop wasn't as lucky. "Who are you?" the voice called again, this time sharper and more pressured.
Peering over the branch, my eyes met with another pair of eyes. Blue eyes, to be exact. He was taller than me from what I could tell on my branch, but that wasn't saying much. I barely reached five feet and three inches. The boy had curly brown hair, a baby face, and a light grey cabby hat covering his head. "Who wants to know?" I called back, getting to my feet carefully as to not lose my balance.
The boy looked hesitant to answer, but eventually did. "David. David Jacobs."
The name struck me as familiar, and after a few moments I knew why. Dave Jacobs. Helped with the strike that happened a few months ago; it was all over the papes! I silently thanked whomever was looking out for me above for my continuous luck this day, and eyed David with a blazing gaze. I jumped from my branch smoothly, and landed on my two feet with cat-like agility. "They call me Lollipop," I said, grabbing another lollipop from my pocket to replace the one that dropped. "Lolli for short."
"Why were you in a tree?" David asked skeptically, eyeing what I clubbed as my tree.
"Why do you want to know?"
He hesitated again, but this time not as long. "You're right next to the Manhattan boarding house," he complied, pointing to a building in the far distance. "Jack told me to see if you were a danger to his newsies."
My insides boiled with excitement and disbelief, how had I been this lucky? Opening my mouth to reply: "I like trees," I stated simply with a shrug. I didn't know I had been so close to my destination, but this was absolutely perfect. I fidgeted with the dark blue dress I was wearing, shivering as I wished silently that it would grow to be longer than my knees. I grimaced. "Could you take me to this Jack kid?" I asked, looking up to meet David's eyes. "I gots some business with him."
David eyed me but didn't oblige, and soon I was following him for ten minutes until we reached the building he had pointed at earlier. It was tall and old, the color that was probably once a vibrant brown now a dull and plain faded color. A sign was hanging from the top of the doors that read "Manhattan Boarding House". David pushed open the doors, and I basically bounced with joy as he led me into the building. The inside was dirty, but it was still shelter. A man sat at a desk in the far back of what I deemed to be the lobby.
"Kloppman," David sounded, and I proudly thought of how his voice was more girly than mine. "Do you know where Jack is?"
Kloppman looked up from whatever he was doing, and eyed me suspiciously before replying, "He should still be up in 'da bunkroom. 'Da rest'a 'da boys haven't returned from sellin' papes yet."
Thanking him before heading up to the bunkroom, David eventually led me up a case of stairs, and stopped in front of a half open door. He pushed it open completely. "Jack!" he yelled, and a tall, brown-eyed, brown-haired boy with a cowboy hat hanging down his back bounded up to us. First staring at David, and then finally setting his eyes on me, I waited for his reaction.
Shock was the first emotion that fled over his face, followed by confusion, and finally settled with excitement and disbelief. "Skye?" Jack, I suppose his new name was, almost yelled. "What are ya doin' here? How did ya find me? Why-"
"Slow down, Cowboy," I snickered. "It's a long story."
"I thought you said your name was Lollipop?" David asked confused, glancing between Jack and I with no clue what was going on and who I was.
"It is, Skye is my real name," I admitted to David, and then settled on a bunk to my right.
"Oh, Davey boy, 'dis is my little sister," Jack explained, waving his hands happily.
I chuckled at the shock on David's face, my lollipop falling out of my mouth and landing on the floor. I left it. "As fun as this, there's a more serious matter at hand."
Jack's grin faded slowly, replaced with uncertainty. "The orphanage I was sent to," I began, laying down to get comfy on the bed. "Ya, it ain't an orphanage. It's what I guess you'se could call a facility. They experiment with kids there. I managed to escape four years aftah I was brought there, and I haven't shown my face 'round you 'cause I'se been good livin' on the streets for a while, but two nights ago they found me. I'm in trouble, Jack, and so are all the street rats 'round here. They're goin' after Brooklyn next, but it's only a matter'a time before they go after you'se guys too."
Jack was solemnly quiet, and it was David who spoke next. "What…what do they do?"
"They experiment, Davey, they experiment like we'se some type'a guinea pigs. They do things, I think they was tryin' to make us into some type of superior bein', but I dunno. I just know that it ain't good."
Jack was still silent for a while, but he finally found his voice after David gave him a stern pat on his back in what I guessed was a sign of comfort. "What did 'dey do to ya?" Jack asked hesitantly, sitting next to my feet on the bunk. "Dat's another story fer another time, Cowboy," I said, brushing my bangs away from my eyes. "Right now we need'a find a way to warn Brooklyn."
David peered over the side of the bunk I was laying on, and his eyes filled with incredulity. "You've got pink eyes?" he asked surprised, getting closer to get a better a look. I gave him an annoyed glance and nodded.
"Tomorrow afternoon we'll go see Spot, but right now ya should get some sleep. You'se look like crap, and I can't imagine your journey 'ere. Also, I'll leave ya some clothes, 'cause you definitively don't wanna go into Brooklyn lookin' like 'dat." I glanced at my blue dress again, eyeing it with displeasure. It had been the only clothing item available on the clothing lines, so I had to settle with it. Jack and David disappeared after a few minutes, but I didn't mind. I figured it was only a matter of time before the rest of the Manhattan newsies returned. And so I slept. And it felt good.
I dreamt of a small white puppy with a brown dot around his eye. I named him Spot.
