Disclaimer: I don't own the Newsies.
Opening Comments: Here we are! The sequel to "Immigrants"!
Title: Convicts
Authors: Stage and ToT
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ToT tore into the bunkroom, slamming the door behind her. Breathing hard, she held it shut for a few moments before turning around. ToT face-faulted when she saw the numerous newsies watching her with interest. She cleared her throat, fixed her hair and newsie cap, straightened her clothes, and casually strolled over to the bunk that Spot was sitting on.
"Hiya boys." ToT greeted them as though she had not ran through the door.
"Where's your oddah half?" Spot asked.
"Sitting on the bed."
"Cute." Specs said, leaning down from the bunk above them. ToT jumped. "Where's Stage?"
"Oh, don't worry about her…she's in j—uh…that place…that store that starts with the 'J'. The grocery store! Oh, what am I thinking? That doesn't start with a 'J'." ToT forced a smile and tried to ignore their doubtful looks. "She'll be back soon."
Thankfully, as if on cue, Stage walked through the door a second after ToT's declaration. She walked over to the bed where the other three were.
"Where's da groceries?" Spot asked.
Stage blinked. "What d'you need groceries for? Doesn't Kloppman do that?"
"The groceries, Stage! THE GROCERIES! You know! The ones that you went to the store that starts with a 'J' that's called the grocery store?"
"OH!" Stage's face showed understanding. "Right! The groceries. Uh, I was robbed."
"By who?" Specs asked.
"Uhm…I didn't catch his name."
"You don't ask somebody's name when you're being robbed!" ToT laughed, quite forcedly. "Not that I would know! I mean, come on!"
"We'd never rob people!"
"What kind of job is that?"
"Uh, um…Guess who I saw at the grocery store?!"
"Who? Do tell!"
"Sparkles!"
"Really! I haven't seen her since…the last time we were at the grocery store…in Santa Fe!"
"Youse was in Santa Fe?" Spot asked slowly.
"Oh, yeah! Grocery shopping!"
"But you two hate shoppin'." Specs pointed out.
"Oh no! Grocery shopping's fun! Better!"
"Oh, yeah. You can…um, uh—" Stage scrambled to assemble a sentence in her head.
"Check out the produce!" ToT saved. "Yeah, its always fresh!"
"But you have to be careful about which ones you pick, because some are rotten."
"And others are dangerous…diseased, you know."
"Then there's the ones that are just dirty."
"They fell on the floor."
"Yeah."
"So…what about Sparkles?"
"Why don't we go find her?"
"Sounds good! See ya later boys!" ToT exclaimed, seizing Stage by her arm and yanking.
"OW!"
"What? What I'd do?!"
"I, uh…scraped myself." Stage told her, looking at Spot and Specs. "On the guy who robbed me's knife…"
"Let me see dat." Specs said, hopping down from the bunk.
"NO!" Stage exclaimed, jumping back and holding her arm protectively against her stomach. "It's uh…its fine!"
She grabbed ToT's arm and ripped a strip of fabric off the sleeve.
"Yes, you can use my shirt. Go right ahead!" ToT said. "Shirt for all."
"Really?" Spot raised an eyebrow.
"See? Its all nice and wrapped up. Aaalll taken care of! Nice and clean! Look, it isn't even bleeding through the bandage!"
"Alright, come on!" ToT took Stage by her "good" arm and pulled her from the room. "You just dug yourself into a deeper hole, Stage." She hissed as they left the room.
"What was I supposed to say?!"
"Anything but what you did."
"This is what happens when you plan without me!"
"You got taken to jail! What the hell was I supposed to do?"
"Come after me."
"Yeah, right. You don't need my help to get out of that place."
"True."
"Where's Sparkles?"
"Cell 12 in block A."
****
Specs stared at the door where the over-bubbly immigrants had disappeared through. He blinked rapidly several times and pointed at the door. Specs looked over at Spot who was equally as puzzled.
"Was dat…was dat who I t'ought it was?" He asked, carefully.
"Which one?"
****
Closing Comments: Don't let the first chapter fool you, this *will* be angst. The plot line just has to pick up…in about the third or fourth chapter, I think.