"She'll let you in her house, If you come, knocking late at night."
Lanie walked back to her apartment later that evening. She needed to pack.
The wind had died down considerably and the snow had stopped leaving a little over an inch covering the streets and sidewalks. Lanie found no reason to rush back home. Though she had thrown the game knowing what the repercussion but she suddenly feared what she would feel when she returned Brooklyn. It had been nearly five years since she had returned there; never even stepping foot onto the Brooklyn Bridge in attempt. Too many memories that she hadn't wanted to resurface were hidden there.
Finally she reached her apartment building and walked up the 6 flights of stairs. It was late, so the normally loud building was quiet with the exception of that man downstairs who had a tendency to be a little to ruff with his wife. Lanie just sighed as she slid her key into the lock and opened the door with a click. She slipped in and threw her shawl over the chair at the kitchen table. She walked down the short hallway to her tiny bedroom and got down onto her knees looking under her bed for her bag. When she found it, she tossed it onto her bed and began searching around her room for different articles of clothing. A few shirts, two skirts, and three pairs of pants went into the bag along with various other necessities. Then, she looked over to her nightstand at the picture of her and her sister. She walked over and picked it up, then sat on the bed staring at it.
This was her favorite picture of the two of them, taken long before they had become newsies. When they still wore pretty dresses and had their hair done for them everyday. Lanie reached out and slid her finger over her sister's face. There wasn't a day that had gone by that she hadn't thought about her at least one hundred times. She missed her more and more everyday instead of less and less. She thought it was because they were twins; one soul in two different bodies.
Lanie stared at the picture for a few more minutes before she was disrupted by a knock at the door. She quickly placed the picture at the top of her bag and snapped it shut before walking down the hallway towards the front door. The knocking came again and Lanie reached for the doorknob flinging the door open.
Spot stood there with a surprised look at her face and his fist in the air as if he was ready to knock again. His arm fell against his leg and she moved aside a little bit to let him in.
He stepped in, catching the first glimpse of her apartment. It was clean he noticed, sparsely decorated, but cozy.
Lanie shut the door behind him. He turned to look at her.
"You ready to go?"
Lanie nodded her head and held up her bag for him to see. He nodded and the pair made their way out the door and outside into the streets.
They had gotten a block away from the building before Lanie stopped short.
"Shit," she proclaimed stomping her foot onto the ground.
Spot stopped and stared at her.
"What?"
"I forgot something, I gotta go back."
Spot nodded and took Lanie's bag from her while she ran back to her building and flew up the stairs back into her apartment. She shut the door behind her and locked it. Then she walked across the kitchen and reached up into the top cabinet pulling down two bottles of whiskey and another large flask. She poured the contents of one of the bottles into the flask and then uncapped the other one taking six or seven swigs before putting the cap back on and placing it back into the cabinet.
She slid the flask into her pocket and then ran from the apartment as the whiskey settled into her stomach.
Whiskey is what made her strong and tough. The only thing that could make her forget Lissy for awhile. The one thing that she knew could conceal her pain… actually; it was the only thing that understood her pain.
When she reached Spot he was lighting a cigarette. She smirked at her as he exhaled and reached into his pocket and grabbed one for her. She lit it, and took her bag out of his hands and the pair headed for Brooklyn.
They walked in silence most of the way before one of them had the nerve to break the silence. Lanie spoke first.
"So who is still there that I know?"
"Slug, Gunther, Cricket. I think those are the only ones. Everyone else will be new to you".
Lanie nodded her head before asking Spot for another cigarette which he quickly lit and handed to her. She wanted nothing more at this point then to reach into her pocket and drink the whole flask. Her nerves were shot. It was now Spots turn to break the silence.
"You like working in the factory?"
"It's alright. I can live off the money I make. Boss is pretty shitty, but I've learned to deal with it."
Spot said nothing and by the time they had reached the bridge the silence in them had actually grown comfortable.
Spot looked at Laine out of the corner of his eye. She had changed a lot. She hadn't grown much, but her body was fuller. Wide hips, skinny waist replaced the once stick figure look. Her hair had gotten lighter and longer, but not by much. Her face had gotten longer and fuller. She was still pretty.
Even her name had changed. Lanie of course, stayed the same. Gem was different. Gemstone instead of Gemini, the sign of the twin. She was the older of the two, and the first to join the newsies. Of course, it had changed now, not by a lot though, they still called her Gem but for a different reason.
Spots train of thought was interrupted when he noticed that she was watching him stare at her. He quickly looked away.
Soon enough they reached the Brooklyn Lodging House. Spot walked right up the stairs before he noticed that Lanie wasn't behind him. He stopped and turned around and caught her staring up at the building.
She hadn't seen the front of the building since that night. The last time she had set foot inside was when she had lost her sister. It scared her a little and she could feel the flask burning a hole into her pocket. She needed it now more then ever.
"You okay Gem?" Spot yelled.
She looked away from the building after a minute. "Yea, I'm alright," she said before proceeding to follow him up the stairs and into the house.
Nothing really changed she noticed once they were inside. The furniture was set up the same way it had been. Spot signed both their names into the book and placed the pen back onto the counter.
"Jameson is gonna be surprised once he sees your name in that book".
Lanie forced a fake smile and watched as he walked through the common room and towards the stairs before stopping and turning waiting for her to follow him.
They walked up the stairs, Spot first and then walked down a long hallway before stopping.
"You gonna be okay sleeping in here. If not I can put you in the bunkroom. Make one of…." But Lanie cut him off.
"I'll be fine in here," she snapped.
Spot just shook his head and opened the door.
It was their room.
Of course Lanie had known that, but to be inside the room she and her sister had once shared gave her chills she wasn't anticipating. She looked around the room and noticed that nothing had changed. Her sister's clothes still were piled in her bed. Both beds remained unmade and a large pile of dust was now collecting on the dressers.
"You could have cleaned it Conlon".
Spot shrugged, "Figured you woulda wanted to do it."
Lanie pushed her way into the room and placed her bag into the floor.
"Why did you bring me here Conlon?" She looked directly at him when she said that, her eyes wide and wondering. He didn't look away.
"You'll see soon enough Gem," was all he said before turning and leaving the room closing the door behind him.
Lanie flopped down onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling contemplating tonight's events. She was still unsure why she had thrown the poker game; she knew she could have easily won. After thinking for a few more minutes she sat up and opened her bag taking the picture of her and her sister out and placing it on the table next to her bed. Then she reached into her pocket and grabbed her flask, she opened and drained the entire contents into her throat then waited for the burning to subside. Then she went to work, cleaning the room. She figured it would be easier facing lost memories if she wasn't going to remember them in the morning.
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews:) I guess I also should have been adding this all along, you know the disclaimer and all of that, I don't own Newsies, Lanie and Lissy are mine along with everyone else you don't recognize. Also I think that I should also say that the quotes in the beginning each chapter are lines from certain songs. Chapter one's is from Brand News- Okay I believe You, But My Tommy Gun Won't. From Chapter 2 it's Brad Paisley ft. Allison Krouse- Whiskey Lullaby, and this one is Secret Garden by Bruce Springstein. They all kind of go with the story. Thanks!
