:) one chapter left after this one! This chapter is my personal favorite, so enjoy, and review please(:
Violet Eyes Chapter 4
Hope's P.O.V.
It was about Christmas Eve when Spot had finally come to terms with me giving him money. He swore he would pay me back even though I didn't want anything in return. They had done so much for me, it was the least I could do. Plus, it was the most romantic thing I had ever heard, considering it was Christmas and all. The only problem in my plan so far was…well getting the money.
I had managed to escape from the lodging house at seven in the morning. It was one of the days that no one sold and they all decided to sleep in. It was cold out and the roads were lined with dirty snow. It was quiet my entire walk to Queens and very long. Not that I didn't mind, I liked being alone and I was rather used to it.
Once I entered Queens something felt different, less safe. No one was on the streets except for a few shop owners and homeless people. I pulled my collar up on the jacket Caroline had given me and held it closer to my body. I kept walking until I reached a tall brick building. I looked up to the top floor and like I had expected, there was a candle lit in the window. I took a deep breath and entered the building.
It was filthy, dust covered all of the furniture in the great room. I didn't spend much time in there, because I needed to get home to Manhattan. So I quickly climbed the flights of stairs that seemed so familiar. It didn't even hurt my legs any more, I had walked it so many times. Once I reached the top, the hallway was pitch black. I put my hand against the wall and felt my way down. One, two, three, when I finally reached the fourth door, I knocked.
"Whadda want?" I heard a yell coming from the other side of the door. It sounded all too familiar, and it stung. Without even entering the room, I could tell the man was drunk and the house was a mess. "I said what you want!"
"To talk to you." I squeaked out. There was silence and the sound of a person scrambling to his feet. He was next to the door when I heard the dead bolt being turned and the door squeaked open.
"Hope?" he said in a small voice.
"Hey Dad."
Spot's P.O.V.
Where is she? I told her to wake me up when she was going to Queens! I was pacing back and forth in the hallway outside of Caroline's room. How am I going to explain this to Caroline? I brushed my hair back and fell back down on to the couch and groaned.
Hope's P.O.V
"So make yourself comfortable and there is clean sheets on your bed." He cleared bottles off of the couch and the table. He was only wearing pants and a pair of suspenders.
"I'm not staying," I said not leaving my place at the door. He stopped cleaning and looked at me. He looked as if I had just smacked him.
"Why are you here then if you aren't coming and staying home?" he stood straight up and grabbed a half filled bottle. He took a large swig before setting it down back on the table.
"I need money Dad." I crossed my arms, giving him a stern look. He looked at me confused, like he had never word before. "Don't act stupid, I know you have some." This made him laugh so hard he was on the ground within seconds.
Spot's P.O.V.
I arrived in Queens a little after eight, thank the lord she had left me an address on her dresser in Caroline's room. But I had to keep myself hidden, I wasn't welcome here, as was many Manhattan and Brooklyn newsies weren't. There is a long and complicated story behind that, that'll have to be explained another time.
But right now I have to find Hope.
I found the building and made my way up the stairs.
Hope's P.O.V
"You're a seven year old kid? What do you need money for?" he wiped his eyes from tears.
"Um, in case you haven't noticed, I haven't been around lately. I kind of need to eat and do things you never did as a father!" my voice slowly rising, I could feel my anger boiling up.
"Don't you dare talk to your father that way!" he stood up and threw himself at me. He stood just short of pinning me to the wall, instead he ran his finger through my hair. His face softened. "God you look just like your mother."
"Is that why you always hated me? Cause I looked like her." I asked, feeling my eyes sting. His face changed in a millisecond as he slapped me across the face.
"No, I hate you because you killed her." He spat the words out as if they were poison. He turned away from me and my hand went up to my cheek. "She always wanted a baby girl, and when she got one, she died." He turned back towards me, his eyes flaming. "There were so many times I wish you would have died instead of her. So many times I wanted to kill myself and you." He ran towards me and this time he pinned me to the wall. I screamed at the top of my lungs.
"Hey, let her go!" I heard Spot break down the door. He grabbed my dad's shoulders and threw him against the opposite wall. Spot went over and hit him square in the jaw and then in the stomach. Once my dad was almost passed out, Spot walked over to me. I put my hand up to my cheek again but Spot pulled it down. "Youse okay?"
"I will be," I felt tears rolling over my eye lids. He wrapped me up in his arms and held me like that until I stopped shaking.
"Don't youse dare ever and I mean EVER go anywhere without me or Caroline. Okay?" he rocked me back and forth as I nodded my head. "Let's go home before Caroline sends out the bulls to find us."
"Wait the money."
"It's not worth it, all I'm worried about is getting youse home." He stood up with me still in his arms, carrying me bridal style.
"Hey buddy, she is home." Spot turned around to see my father standing behind. He punched Spot in the jaw causing him to drop me on the hard floor. Spot fell to the ground with a thud. I saw my father stepping towards him with a broken bottle in his hand, ready to stab him. Suddenly my instincts kicked in.
"Daddy don't!" he turned around to face me. "Please, don't hurt him." I cried out. "What would mommy say if you hurt him? She would be upset…" Once again my dad's face softened. At any mention of my mother, he would change. "Please, she wouldn't like you like this."
He fell to his knees and for the first time in my life, I saw my father cry. "I miss her so much Hope." I nodded my head as I let my own tears fall over my cheeks. "I miss her so much. I feel so lonely." Spots eyes opened and he brought his hand to his jaw, it was turning purple. I quickly turned back to my father. I knelt down beside him and put my hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay." I held him the same way Spot held me in the dress store. We sat there for a few moments as my father and I cried. Spot just sat there and stared, still holding his cheek. After five minutes or so, my dad stopped.
"I'm so sorry Hope," he looked at me. He ran his fingers through my hair. "Just come back and visit sometime okay? I understand if you don't want to but…"
"Dad, I will." We stood up and he hugged me. He had never hugged me in my entire life. He was warm and built, like Spot. My head shot over to him, he was smirking and trying to stand up. I pulled out of my dad's arms and went over and helped him up.
"Before you two leave." He went into the kitchen and pulled out a metal box out of one of the cupboards. "Take this." He handed us a handful of money.
"Dad, there is like three hundred dollars here." I said taking the money.
"I know," he looked at Spot. "It's also an apology for hitting you. You were just taking care of my little girl, something I have never been good at." He looked at me with a smile in his eyes. I hugged my dad one last time and Spot and I headed for the jewelry store.
"That was the weirdest experience I have ever had…" Spot said. I looked at him and smirked.
Caroline's P.O.V.
"Have any of you seen Spot and Hope?" I askeda group of newsies sitting in the bunk room. They all shook their heads no. Good, time to set my plan into motion. "Alright everyone up, time to start plan Holiday!" The boys all smiled and hopped off of their beds. Let the holiday fun to begin.
Spot's P.O.V.
"You sure she is gonna say yes?" I asked Hope for the hundredth time since we left the jewelry store.
"YES!" she groaned as she rolled her eyes. I put my hand in my pocket and felt the velvet box again. It sent chills down my spine knowing what it contained. Inside was a silver ring with a diamond in the middle, surrounded by sapphires. It only cost a hundred dollars.
When we reached the steps of the lodging house, my stomach felt like a butterfly gave birth to fifty million babies in my stomach. I gulped, Hope giggled as she grabbed my hand and squeezed it. I looked down at her and smiled as she winked at me.
As we stepped through the door, we were greeted with a smell of sugar cookies and cinnamon. Caroline was cooking again. That wasn't what shocked us though. It was that there were decorations everywhere, on the railway, everything. There was even a tree with ornaments and presents underneath.
"Hello my darlings." Caroline said walking out of the kitchen with an apron on. She kissed my cheek and hugged Hope. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" Hope and I exchanged glances and looked at the clock in the corner. It was one o'clock. "Time to start getting ready for dinner."
"It's early, isn't it?" Hope said, confusing dancing on her face.
"No, we eat an early dinner. And it is formal, that's why I had Spot go get you something nice to wear." She looked at me and her smile fell. "What happened? Why is your jaw line bruised?" she came up and put her hand on my cheek. I flinched away.
"I'm fine, I'll go put some snow on it and you two go get ready." She gave me a glare but I shooed her and Hope away. "Oh and Hope, might wanna give her, her gift now." She smiled and I winked at her.
