Disclaimer: Newsies and da udda characters cept Enchanted doesn't belong to me.
There was only a slight breeze that night. The wind teased Jack's brown hair as he leaned on his arms against the metal of the fire escape. Too many problems for someone his age. Too many conflicts. He sighed regretfully. Only 18 and as jaded as a 50 year old man. And now he had one more problem to add to the mess.
Jack took one long drag on his cigarette before throwing it near his foot and flattened it with his foot. He kicked it over the edge of the fire escape, and waited for the soft thud that would ensure it had landed safely. When it didn't come, he pondered for one moment, shrugged and exhaled one long trail of gray smoke, watching it trail into the sky.
The Midnight Gang that had been living in Manhattan for so many months now had never bothered them. Never the Manhattan newsies. But Skittery and Snoddy had stupidly stolen one of the girl's selling spots. And the look that their leader had flashed him was enough to set him on edge.
He had known their leader once. But that had been long ago.
Sighing once again, the words that she had promised seem to tease at him.
"Jacky-boy, you've been getting too big for your britches, huh? Get your newsies out of our spot, or I swear to God you'll regret it."
Yes, he had once known their leader. He frowned slightly. When she was mad, there was no point in trying to calm her. Her anger would run its course, inevitably ending in a violent outburst.
"Hey, Jack!" someone shouted, making him jump. He turned his head and recognized Kid Blink's voice.
"Whad is it, Blink?" he questioned.
"Get back in heah," he ordered, sounding like a leader himself.
Jack smiled and nodded agreement, following Blink into the room. Greeting everyone in the room, he made his way to the washroom in the back. SB bumped by him, her arm around Bumlets waist. Smiles were both on their faces; eyes lit up as bright as the street lamps outside. Bumlets swooped down on her cheek, attempting to give her a kiss, but SB flirtatiously pushed him off and dashed away, her black hair waving behind her like a flag.
Blink was soon tackled by Fairy as she screeched and jumped him from behind. Although she was 16, she still acted like she was 11 years old. Naiveté and innocence wasn't that hard for her to slip into, and she still believed that love would always prevail. Always. Through pain and suffering, torment and heartache. Her blue eyes laughed and twinkled as Blink struggled to force her off his back. "OUCH!" she screamed as he succeeded, "What was that for?" She acted bruised, hurt, and stormed off in one corner, even as Blink ran after her to console her.
Jack smiled at his newsies' antics, forgetting the open window behind him. He shuffled off to the washroom to clean his face. Murmuring acknowledgments to everyone else, he finally made it, ready to scrub away a whole day's worth of dirt and ashes. The noise in the Bunk Room grew to a chaotic level as he submerged his face in the chilling water. 'What the hell am I going to do?' he contemplated, as he went over the day's happenings. When he pulled his face, dripping and wet, from the surface of the water, all was silent...
~*~
They slipped in like shadows, barely noticeable among the ruckus and discord. They stood there, arms crossed and leaning against the wall, for a full fifteen seconds, before someone finally became aware of their presence. The room grew dangerously quiet.
"Well, well, Enchanted," Midnight said, obviously very pleased with herself, "Looks like we could break inta dis place and have no one notice."
Enchanted shrugged amiably, and with a slight lilt to her voice agreed. "Ya win dis time," she proclaimed as she flicked a coin from her hand to Midnight's outstretched fingers. "We'se got business wid Cowboy heah," she ordered, facing the nearest newsie, who just happened to be Boots. He stumbled backwards in a fluster, vying to get the message to its owner.
Jack dropped the towel he had been drying his face with, and looked up at an apprehensive Boots. "Cowboy, dey's heah," he said with a slight tremor in his voice, "Da Midnight gang!"
Jack swore inaudibly and touched his rag of a bandanna for reassurance. Squaring his shoulders, he crossed the threshold of the door and into the vast space of the Bunk Room. He had heard so much of them, that even he felt a twinge of fear.
His first sight was of Enchanted, arms crossed cockily, leaning against the frame of the window. Her long, black hair, streaked with even more brown than he remembered, blew with the slight breeze, and her large, piercing brown eyes moved through the room haughtily.
His second sight was of Midnight herself, cleaning underneath her nails with a switchblade. There was nothing to conceal the slight disdainfulness she felt towards them all. Her brown hair lay on her shoulders, her chestnut brown eyes stayed focused on the dirt that lay beneath her nails.
"Enchanted," he nodded.
Enchanted looked up at him with contempt. "Didn't listen ta me, huh, Cowboy?"
Midnight chose to jump in at this point. Not looking up from her nails she muttered, "Jacky-boy, we'se decided to give ya one more chance. I'se know we don't look like much---" she gestured at Enchanted, "But believe me, we'se got hell of a team."
Jack scoffed loudly, displaying the fact that he didn't believe them at all. He wasn't acting arrogant to make it seem like he was fool hardy; he was only trying to keep the morale of the newsies up. "Goils, all a you'se, dat's what you'se are. Kicked outta Lodging Houses long ago," he declared the truth. "Midnight, you'se was from Queens. And Enchanted, dis is ya home sweet home, ain't it?"
Enchanted smiled coldly, dropping the room temperature about five degrees. "Say what ya like. Our gang has been runnin' around New Yawk fo' a whole two years widout gettin' caught. And if---and dat's only if---one a us does get arrested, we'se bust her out perdy quick."
Midnight clapped the knife closed haphazardly, flipping it into her pocket. "Amen," she summarized, "Da wildest, toughest gang a goils evah ta walk da streets," she bragged.
Racetrack, sitting in one corner, let loose of a loud guffaw. Enchanted shot a glare in his direction to shut him up, but the laugh had its desired effect. The atmosphere in the room had sufficiently calmed down enough for Jack to gain confidence. He had to play it cool...act like nothing was wrong.
"Sorry, goils," he said, keeping his words clipped, "We'se keepin' dat selling spot. Skittery and Snoddy need it. And whad are you'se gonna do about it? Deep down, you'se ain't nothin' but... gimps."
Midnight's head snapped up at this remark, but Enchanted held out a hand warningly. He knew that look. That cold, roiling look of hostility. He cursed himself silently. What was she going to do now?
"A bunch a gimps?" she questioned, keeping her tone as brisk as his.
He nodded, an eyebrow raised.
Enchanted leaned out the window and whistled, two high notes, and one low. After a few moments, a head with light brown, blonde hair and copper brown highlights popped up.
"Yeah?" she snapped irritably.
"Dey say we'se jist goils," Midnight said, cutting in before Enchanted could say it herself. Enchanted may have been the co-leader, but Midnight was the true head of the gang.
Azure smiled, her lips twisting into a smirk. "Dat so?" she asked, planting one leg through the window, and flipping her hair over her shoulder as she did so.
"A bunch a gimps, ta be correct," Enchanted said, with a tiny smile on the corner of her lips. Azure was loyal to a fault, and she would defend her gang whole-heartedly, without hesitation.
Azure impatiently shoved Mush to the side as he stood protectively before Jack, her eyes no longer that warm azure color, but a dangerously cold icy sky blue. She looked Jack over, noting his strong arms, and his chest. "Just a bunch a gimps?" she inquired sultrily, reaching a hand and tracing a finger on his bandanna. "You sure about dat?"
Jack stared at her rigidly, not even his eyelashes flickering.
Before Jack knew what she was doing, she had shoved him onto a nearby bed, pinning him down with her knees. That smile was back as she held him down, driving his arms into the mattress.
Azure smiled at the shocked look on his face. Obviously, he hadn't been expecting something like this. "Would a gimp be able ta hold down an 18 yeah old boy?" she taunted. Already, she could feel his muscles tensing from underneath her solid grip, and she knew that he would attempt to shove her off. Midnight caught her eye, giving a slight nod of her head.
'Let's give them a lil show, shall we?' She asked herself, as she lowered her face to his, giving him a hearty, thorough kiss.
Enchanted's mouth dropped open as she watched Azure give Jack a long kiss, watched as Jack attempt to snap away, and watched as he finally succeeded.
Jack jerked when he felt her lips on his. Repulsed, yet a part of him was left wanting more, he shoved her off after a few long moments, making her tumble off his body. She landed with enough ease on the floor, and she sat back on her heels haughtily. She balled a hand into a fist, waving it in a circle in the air.
Azure laughed strongly, making her stomach hurt. "Yee-haw!" she shouted, throwing her light brown hair out of her cerulean eyes. "Ride 'em, Cowboy!" she shouted.
Enchanted observed as Jack's hand flew up to his lips and then dropped to his side, as a myriad of feelings flew across his face. Shock. Astonishment at her forwardness. And, just a touch of desire. Enchanted noted that look, thinking it would come in useful in the future.
Midnight grinned and stepped forward. "Dat convince you enough, Cowboy?" she inquired.
"Think about it. Uhm and Rook really need dat spot," Azure said, winking over one shoulder as she was helped up by Midnight. She turned to Enchanted, exiting discreetly through the still open window, she piped, loud enough for the whole Bunk Room to hear, "I'se don't get why people say he's so cute. He ain't a hell of a kissah, dat's fo' shoah!"
Jack stared after her, laying two fingers on his lips, remembering the soft kiss that had resulted out of a hard moment. And then, the blow to his ego sunk in, and the anger started to boil. He knew that his reputation as a leader was blown down for a day or so, before he could get the newsies to even look at him without laughing again. "Midnight!" he snapped, making her turn around. "Dere ain't no way now I'm gonna give you'se dat sellin' spot back."
Midnight only mysteriously smiled, and then disappeared through the window. When Boots and Snipes ran to the sill, hoping to call a few names and insults before they truly left, they only saw a half-flattened cigarette lying on the metal grating of the fire escape.
~*~
There was only a slight breeze that night. The wind teased Jack's brown hair as he leaned on his arms against the metal of the fire escape. Too many problems for someone his age. Too many conflicts. He sighed regretfully. Only 18 and as jaded as a 50 year old man. And now he had one more problem to add to the mess.
Jack took one long drag on his cigarette before throwing it near his foot and flattened it with his foot. He kicked it over the edge of the fire escape, and waited for the soft thud that would ensure it had landed safely. When it didn't come, he pondered for one moment, shrugged and exhaled one long trail of gray smoke, watching it trail into the sky.
The Midnight Gang that had been living in Manhattan for so many months now had never bothered them. Never the Manhattan newsies. But Skittery and Snoddy had stupidly stolen one of the girl's selling spots. And the look that their leader had flashed him was enough to set him on edge.
He had known their leader once. But that had been long ago.
Sighing once again, the words that she had promised seem to tease at him.
"Jacky-boy, you've been getting too big for your britches, huh? Get your newsies out of our spot, or I swear to God you'll regret it."
Yes, he had once known their leader. He frowned slightly. When she was mad, there was no point in trying to calm her. Her anger would run its course, inevitably ending in a violent outburst.
"Hey, Jack!" someone shouted, making him jump. He turned his head and recognized Kid Blink's voice.
"Whad is it, Blink?" he questioned.
"Get back in heah," he ordered, sounding like a leader himself.
Jack smiled and nodded agreement, following Blink into the room. Greeting everyone in the room, he made his way to the washroom in the back. SB bumped by him, her arm around Bumlets waist. Smiles were both on their faces; eyes lit up as bright as the street lamps outside. Bumlets swooped down on her cheek, attempting to give her a kiss, but SB flirtatiously pushed him off and dashed away, her black hair waving behind her like a flag.
Blink was soon tackled by Fairy as she screeched and jumped him from behind. Although she was 16, she still acted like she was 11 years old. Naiveté and innocence wasn't that hard for her to slip into, and she still believed that love would always prevail. Always. Through pain and suffering, torment and heartache. Her blue eyes laughed and twinkled as Blink struggled to force her off his back. "OUCH!" she screamed as he succeeded, "What was that for?" She acted bruised, hurt, and stormed off in one corner, even as Blink ran after her to console her.
Jack smiled at his newsies' antics, forgetting the open window behind him. He shuffled off to the washroom to clean his face. Murmuring acknowledgments to everyone else, he finally made it, ready to scrub away a whole day's worth of dirt and ashes. The noise in the Bunk Room grew to a chaotic level as he submerged his face in the chilling water. 'What the hell am I going to do?' he contemplated, as he went over the day's happenings. When he pulled his face, dripping and wet, from the surface of the water, all was silent...
~*~
They slipped in like shadows, barely noticeable among the ruckus and discord. They stood there, arms crossed and leaning against the wall, for a full fifteen seconds, before someone finally became aware of their presence. The room grew dangerously quiet.
"Well, well, Enchanted," Midnight said, obviously very pleased with herself, "Looks like we could break inta dis place and have no one notice."
Enchanted shrugged amiably, and with a slight lilt to her voice agreed. "Ya win dis time," she proclaimed as she flicked a coin from her hand to Midnight's outstretched fingers. "We'se got business wid Cowboy heah," she ordered, facing the nearest newsie, who just happened to be Boots. He stumbled backwards in a fluster, vying to get the message to its owner.
Jack dropped the towel he had been drying his face with, and looked up at an apprehensive Boots. "Cowboy, dey's heah," he said with a slight tremor in his voice, "Da Midnight gang!"
Jack swore inaudibly and touched his rag of a bandanna for reassurance. Squaring his shoulders, he crossed the threshold of the door and into the vast space of the Bunk Room. He had heard so much of them, that even he felt a twinge of fear.
His first sight was of Enchanted, arms crossed cockily, leaning against the frame of the window. Her long, black hair, streaked with even more brown than he remembered, blew with the slight breeze, and her large, piercing brown eyes moved through the room haughtily.
His second sight was of Midnight herself, cleaning underneath her nails with a switchblade. There was nothing to conceal the slight disdainfulness she felt towards them all. Her brown hair lay on her shoulders, her chestnut brown eyes stayed focused on the dirt that lay beneath her nails.
"Enchanted," he nodded.
Enchanted looked up at him with contempt. "Didn't listen ta me, huh, Cowboy?"
Midnight chose to jump in at this point. Not looking up from her nails she muttered, "Jacky-boy, we'se decided to give ya one more chance. I'se know we don't look like much---" she gestured at Enchanted, "But believe me, we'se got hell of a team."
Jack scoffed loudly, displaying the fact that he didn't believe them at all. He wasn't acting arrogant to make it seem like he was fool hardy; he was only trying to keep the morale of the newsies up. "Goils, all a you'se, dat's what you'se are. Kicked outta Lodging Houses long ago," he declared the truth. "Midnight, you'se was from Queens. And Enchanted, dis is ya home sweet home, ain't it?"
Enchanted smiled coldly, dropping the room temperature about five degrees. "Say what ya like. Our gang has been runnin' around New Yawk fo' a whole two years widout gettin' caught. And if---and dat's only if---one a us does get arrested, we'se bust her out perdy quick."
Midnight clapped the knife closed haphazardly, flipping it into her pocket. "Amen," she summarized, "Da wildest, toughest gang a goils evah ta walk da streets," she bragged.
Racetrack, sitting in one corner, let loose of a loud guffaw. Enchanted shot a glare in his direction to shut him up, but the laugh had its desired effect. The atmosphere in the room had sufficiently calmed down enough for Jack to gain confidence. He had to play it cool...act like nothing was wrong.
"Sorry, goils," he said, keeping his words clipped, "We'se keepin' dat selling spot. Skittery and Snoddy need it. And whad are you'se gonna do about it? Deep down, you'se ain't nothin' but... gimps."
Midnight's head snapped up at this remark, but Enchanted held out a hand warningly. He knew that look. That cold, roiling look of hostility. He cursed himself silently. What was she going to do now?
"A bunch a gimps?" she questioned, keeping her tone as brisk as his.
He nodded, an eyebrow raised.
Enchanted leaned out the window and whistled, two high notes, and one low. After a few moments, a head with light brown, blonde hair and copper brown highlights popped up.
"Yeah?" she snapped irritably.
"Dey say we'se jist goils," Midnight said, cutting in before Enchanted could say it herself. Enchanted may have been the co-leader, but Midnight was the true head of the gang.
Azure smiled, her lips twisting into a smirk. "Dat so?" she asked, planting one leg through the window, and flipping her hair over her shoulder as she did so.
"A bunch a gimps, ta be correct," Enchanted said, with a tiny smile on the corner of her lips. Azure was loyal to a fault, and she would defend her gang whole-heartedly, without hesitation.
Azure impatiently shoved Mush to the side as he stood protectively before Jack, her eyes no longer that warm azure color, but a dangerously cold icy sky blue. She looked Jack over, noting his strong arms, and his chest. "Just a bunch a gimps?" she inquired sultrily, reaching a hand and tracing a finger on his bandanna. "You sure about dat?"
Jack stared at her rigidly, not even his eyelashes flickering.
Before Jack knew what she was doing, she had shoved him onto a nearby bed, pinning him down with her knees. That smile was back as she held him down, driving his arms into the mattress.
Azure smiled at the shocked look on his face. Obviously, he hadn't been expecting something like this. "Would a gimp be able ta hold down an 18 yeah old boy?" she taunted. Already, she could feel his muscles tensing from underneath her solid grip, and she knew that he would attempt to shove her off. Midnight caught her eye, giving a slight nod of her head.
'Let's give them a lil show, shall we?' She asked herself, as she lowered her face to his, giving him a hearty, thorough kiss.
Enchanted's mouth dropped open as she watched Azure give Jack a long kiss, watched as Jack attempt to snap away, and watched as he finally succeeded.
Jack jerked when he felt her lips on his. Repulsed, yet a part of him was left wanting more, he shoved her off after a few long moments, making her tumble off his body. She landed with enough ease on the floor, and she sat back on her heels haughtily. She balled a hand into a fist, waving it in a circle in the air.
Azure laughed strongly, making her stomach hurt. "Yee-haw!" she shouted, throwing her light brown hair out of her cerulean eyes. "Ride 'em, Cowboy!" she shouted.
Enchanted observed as Jack's hand flew up to his lips and then dropped to his side, as a myriad of feelings flew across his face. Shock. Astonishment at her forwardness. And, just a touch of desire. Enchanted noted that look, thinking it would come in useful in the future.
Midnight grinned and stepped forward. "Dat convince you enough, Cowboy?" she inquired.
"Think about it. Uhm and Rook really need dat spot," Azure said, winking over one shoulder as she was helped up by Midnight. She turned to Enchanted, exiting discreetly through the still open window, she piped, loud enough for the whole Bunk Room to hear, "I'se don't get why people say he's so cute. He ain't a hell of a kissah, dat's fo' shoah!"
Jack stared after her, laying two fingers on his lips, remembering the soft kiss that had resulted out of a hard moment. And then, the blow to his ego sunk in, and the anger started to boil. He knew that his reputation as a leader was blown down for a day or so, before he could get the newsies to even look at him without laughing again. "Midnight!" he snapped, making her turn around. "Dere ain't no way now I'm gonna give you'se dat sellin' spot back."
Midnight only mysteriously smiled, and then disappeared through the window. When Boots and Snipes ran to the sill, hoping to call a few names and insults before they truly left, they only saw a half-flattened cigarette lying on the metal grating of the fire escape.
~*~