A/N: Disney owns Newsies, not me!
+Discovered+
A single raindrop fell from the sky. It dropped toward earth, plummeting onto the backside of an outstretched, ink-stained hand. The hand was holding out a single copy of The World, waving it in the faces of those who walked along the street. The voice attached to that hand had been shouting out a continuous stream of headlines to try to coax a sale--until that tiny drop of precipitation fell against her hand.
Tug paused mid-sentence when she felt the droplet; an inspection of the back of her hand confirmed her suspicions--rain. Instinctively, she titled her face skyward, looking up into the mass of gray clouds that loomed overhead. A slight shiver ran down her spine as she finally took notice of the dip in the warm, late August temperatures. As she stood there, a few more raindrops joined the first, finding her face. Tug groaned; rain was a newsie's worst enemy.
Bringing her focus back to earth, she glanced at the corner opposite her. The sprinkling of rain had not distracted Skittery from selling his newspapers; he was still hawking the headlines. Ignoring the little drops of water, Tug lifted a paper over her head and resumed shouting.
She was trading a copy of The World to a young woman pushing a baby carriage when it started to rain harder. Tug smiled and thanked the woman, who immediately hurried off to find shelter. Pocketing the coin, Tug noticed Skittery jogging toward her, looking irritated by the weather's turn. They had only been out for a couple of hours and both had a lot of newspapers left to sell, but if the rain continued that wouldn't be an easy task.
Folding her bundle in half, Tug tucked the roll under one arm. She gave Skittery a hopeful smile as he stopped in front of her. "It can't rain all day, can it?"
"Sure it can. It probably will too, by the looks of it," he replied dryly, thinking about how he needed the money to pay for his bunk at the lodge. His face scrunched up offensively as he glanced toward the sky.
Tug rolled her eyes. "Well, I ain't just gonna stand here all day waiting for it to stop. I'd rather not get drenched; I can't stand wet clothes. Come on."
She pulled him down the street, running toward an awning that hung decoratively over one of the shop windows. It would provide them with some temporary protection from the rain, which was steadily gaining momentum. A few other people had the similar idea, as they too sought shelter under the overhang.
Leaning against the large window pane, Tug swept her fingers around the brim of her cap, pushing away the excess water that had collected. She pulled the wad of newspapers out from under her arm, inspecting it for water damage. The copy on top was completely ruined as it had been the one most exposed to the elements. She made a face; that was one penny down the drain. She glanced at Skittery, who had his arms crossed over his chest--brooding--his newspapers tossed down at his feet.
Rolling her eyes with smirk, she gave him a poke in the side. "Cheer up, Skitts. It ain't all bad. I mean, you've got one thing goin' for ya."
He turned his head to look at her skeptically. "Yeah? What's that?"
"You might've been stuck under here with Blink instead of me," Tug replied with a playful grin, trying to lighten his mood. She was rewarded as he hung his head with a smile, nodding.
"I suppose yer right," he agreed, chuckling softly. "Remind me to thank you for that later."
Tug grinned, delighted by his little proposal. They tried to limit any physical public affection toward one another since--to the innocent bystanders--they didn't look like a traditional couple. It made for a lot of scrutinizing glares, and occasionally a few colorful comments, thrown their way. Of course, this was only when Tug was fronting as a newsie.
"Hey," she breathed quietly, a potential spark of brilliance lighting up her face. "I got an idea."
She pulled a dry edition of the newspaper from her bundle and poked her head around Skittery. Quite a few people where huddling under the awning now that the rain was coming down in heavy sheets just a few inches away.
"Anyone wanna buy a newspaper to pass the time?" she asked loudly, not bothering to give any details in hopes that their boredom might be enough.
"Yeah, kid, I'll take one," called a man not too far from them. He started digging in his pocket for some change.
Tug gave Skittery a nudge and hissed. "You take this one."
He stooped to gather a copy from his pile and edged along to where the man was standing. When he handed the man the paper, a coin was dropped in his hand. Skittery moved his empty hand toward his own pocket to retrieve some change. The man gave a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Keep it, kid."
"Thank you, sir," Skittery replied appreciatively and then skirted his way back to Tug. He opened his hand to show her the nickel he'd received and gave her a smile. "Thanks, kid."
Tug shrugged it off; she knew that it would help pay for his bunk. She glanced around hopefully. "Anyone else?"
They managed to sell one more, which Tug traded for a penny. She was pocketing the coin when she caught sight of a familiar figure stepping out from a shop just a few feet from where they were standing. Her breath caught in her throat with a horrified gasp, eyes expanding to their limits when she realized the trouble she was in. Without hesitation, she ducked behind Skittery, pulling her cap low over her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Skittery asked, alarmed by her sudden panic. He glanced in the direction that she was discretely pointing toward and groaned. He turned in toward her, further blocking her from view. "I thought ya said she was workin' today?"
Rising up on her toes, Tug peered cautiously over his shoulder. "She's supposed to be. She must be runnin' an errand or something, I dunno." Fidgeting anxiously, she groaned once more. "She can't see me, Skitts. I'm as good as dead if I get caught. You don't think she'll recognize me, do ya? What do I do?"
"Calm down," he ordered, grabbing ahold of her shoulders firmly and looking her square in the eye. He threw a quick look over his shoulder. "Look, she ain't no where near us, alright? She ain't gonna see ya over here."
Tug swallowed hard, nodding. Her stomach was churning with all the guilt and anxiety that usually accompanied the idea of being caught by her mother. Mrs. Connolly still had no idea that Tug spent her mornings as a newsie; she was under the impression that her daughter was caring for twin boys, who lived in the building across from theirs. This deception had been working wonders, up until a couple of weeks ago when Mrs. Connolly went back to work, taking a small job at a clothing shop.
With her mother out of the apartment on a regular basis, it added some complications to Tug's daily routine. It especially made getting out of the apartment in the mornings--dressed as a newsie--more difficult, but Tug was able to work around it.
Rocking up on her toes once more, Tug stole another look over Skittery's shoulder. He was right, her mother wasn't all that close to them--but anywhere within eyesight was too close for Tug. She quickly ducked behind again as her mother turned her head in their direction. Tug shook her head decisively; she couldn't take the suspense any longer.
"I can't stay here," she said, her nerves getting the best of her. "Can we go some place else?"
"I thought ya didn't wanna get all wet?" Skittery replied lightly, but stooping to gather up his newspapers.
"I'll take the rain over an encounter with my mother any day," Tug retorted, bracing herself for the drenching she was about to receive.
It was impossible to avoid the puddles; the streets were quickly collecting the water. Not that it mattered, they were completely saturated after only a few minutes of exposure. Tug felt the water splash against her bare legs as they ran through the waterlogged streets of Manhattan. After a few blocks Skittery stopped; he grabbed Tug's bundle of newspapers, combined them with his, and then chucked them into the nearest trash bin.
"Well, that's the end of that. D'ya wanna go back to the lodge? Some of the other fellas are probably there," he suggested, wiping the water pointlessly from his eyes.
Tug nodded; it wasn't like she had anywhere else to be. Even if the rain stopped they wouldn't have any newspapers to sell; if she went back home it would be empty, so spending some time at the lodging house had its appeal. She just hoped that one of the boys could loan her something dry to wear; it would be most unpleasant to sit around in damp clothes for the rest of the day.
---
Kloppman gave a loud, audible sigh as Skittery and Tug walked through the door. The water dripped from their clothes, leaving a small river on the entrance hall floor as they crossed to the stairs. Grumpily snatching up the mop that was propped against the desk, Kloppman set to work sopping up the water for the fourth time in the past half hour. The two of them could still hear him grumbling as they reached the top of the stairs.
They half expected the bunk room to be flooded with newsies--driven off the streets by the rain--but surprisingly, only a handful had found their way back. A few boys were lying on their bunks, catching up on some much needed sleep. While others were still trying to dry themselves out.
Stopping short just inside the door, Tug quickly clapped a hand over her eyes when she caught sight of some bare skin across the room. It hadn't even crossed her mind that some of them might be changing out of their wet clothes; she had just waltzed right in without a second thought.
"Yer in the clear, Tug. Everyone's got slacks on," said Blink as he walked by, on his way to the washroom.
She peered cautiously between her fingers before letting her hand slide completely away. Chuckling, she apologized. "Sorry, fellas. I wasn't thinkin'."
"Here. Catch," Skittery said, flinging a towel at her.
Her attempt to catch the towel failed and instead, it hit her in the face. Everyone who had been watching laughed, including Tug. Pulling her cap from her head, she dried off her face first. Then, she furiously rubbed the towel over her hair to dry it out. She could tell by the smirk on Skittery's face when he looked over at her, that her hair was probably all askew--sticking straight out in all directions. Rolling her eyes, she flung the towel back at him, which he caught neatly in one hand.
"You got any extra clothes?" she asked, running her fingers through her hair, taming the wildness.
"Um," Skittery said, looking inside his locker. "Not really. Unless ya wanna wear my long-johns." He held up the crumpled pair of pink long-johns, which looked like they hadn't been washed in weeks.
Tug crinkled her nose, revolted by the offer. "They're disgusting! I ain't wearin' them!"
Skittery gave them a sniff. "They ain't that bad."
Rolling her eyes, Tug snorted. "Maybe not for you, but I can smell 'em from here!" She pulled a face before turning to the others in the room. "Anyone got something I can borrow?"
With her request up in the air, a few of the others rummaged through their things and--being the cheeky little boys they are--pelted her with the articles of clothing they had unearthed.
When the shower of clothes ended, Tug surveyed the possibilities. Selecting the most practical pieces, she hurried to the washroom to change.
After hanging her own clothes over one of the sinks to dry, she padded--bare foot--back to Skittery's bunk, nearly wiping out on the slippery floor. She caught herself against the frame and then carefully climbed up, wrapping herself in his blanket. Just then a few more boys came stomping into the room, looking like drown rats.
"I ain't never gonna be properly dry again!" grumbled Racetrack, throwing his hat angrily on the floor beside his bed. Unhooking his suspenders, he looked about ready to strip off his clothes.
Tug cleared her throat loudly and smirked as all the newcomers whirled around. "I think you'll find there is a lady present. So, you may wanna choose yer next move wisely, Racetrack."
"Lady?" Racetrack replied, eyes darting dramatically around the room. "I don't see no lady here."
"Shut up, Race," Skittery said, giving him a shove as he walked by. He looked up at Tug. "Let's go downstairs, alright?"
Glad to get away from the others, Tug slid from the bunk, still clutching the blanket around her shoulders. Together, she and Skittery walked down to the common room and settled onto the sofa, wrapped up in the blanket.
"This sure beats standin' out in the rain," Tug said with a smile as Skittery leaned in toward her, nodding.
After a bit they broke apart and he said with a smile, "Thanks for sellin' with me today."
Their lips were just about to meet again when the sound of heavy footsteps came pounding down the hallway and was soon followed by small body vaulting over the back of the sofa and tumbling between them.
"Tumbler!" Skittery shouted when the boy fell mostly into his lap. He gave him a shove, moving over to make room for the intruder.
"Guess what, Skittery? Guess what, Tug?" Tumbler said excitedly, looking between the two older newsies with his twinkling brown eyes.
Skittery groaned; he wouldn't be quick to forgive the kid for his bad timing. Tug, on the other hand, looked at Skittery over Tumbler's head and gave a shrug, smiling warmly at the little boy as he nestled into the sofa.
"What's up, Tumbler?" she asked.
"So, I was sellin' me papes like I always do, right? And well, ya knows how it started to rain? Well..." He launched into his tale of how he escaped the rain, much like everyone else had, by seeking shelter. There was really no point to the story, other than wanting to share his adventure with the person he looked up to--Skittery, who was rolling his eyes and making faces behind the kid's back throughout the tale.
"Ain't that great, Skitts? And I done it all by myself too!" he said proudly, a wide grin stretched across his face.
Skittery forced a smile, ruffling Tumbler's hair. "Yeah! Real great, Tumbler."
Finished with his tale, Tumbler scrambled from the sofa and joined some of the other boys who had made their way into the room. Skittery looked around and shook his head sadly. So much for some alone time.
---
Late in the afternoon Tug decided that it was time to go home. She had about an hour and a half before her mother would be home from work, giving her plenty of time to figure out what to do with her wet clothes. Skittery and Tug stood in the entrance hall, looking out through the window at the steady drizzle of rain, not giving up its attack on the city.
"Let me walk ya home," Skittery insisted.
Tug shook her head, looking him square in the eye. "Skittery, I'll be fine. There ain't no sense in you goin' out in the rain again. I'll just see ya tomorrow, alright?"
"Yeah, fine," he muttered grumpily, stooping to deliver a quick kiss. "Sell with me tomorrow, will ya? If it ain't still raining."
Tug grinned. "I'll think about it."
With that, she skipped out the door and ran down the street. The weather, being like is, made the journey slightly easier; the streets weren't crowded with people to dart between. In what seemed like no time at all, Tug found her way back to her apartment complex. It was a relief to know that waiting inside was a nice dry pair of clothes that actually fit her.
Climbing the stairs two at a time and leaving puddles of water where she stepped, Tug made the three story climb to her apartment door. Jiggling the handle, she was slightly alarmed to find it already unlocked. Perhaps her mother had forgotten to lock it on her way out this morning; throwing her shoulder into the door, she pushed her way inside.
What she found waiting for her inside made her want to run right back out again; knowing that her impulse was impossible, Tug closed the door behind her, not taking her eyes off her mother's furious expression. Frozen, Tug stood in front of the door with the water running from her clothes into a small puddle at her feet. She scarcely even breathed, waiting for her mother to speak first.
"You've got some explaining to do young lady," her mother said through clenched teeth, nostrils flaring threateningly as she eyed up her daughter's outfit. She whipped a pointed finger at the bedroom. "March yerself in there, put on some dry clothes, and then you'll tell me why--when I went over to the Garrett's--Mrs. Garrett said ya ain't been over there since May. However, I see the reason is quite clear. Now get!"
Tug hurtled into the bedroom like she had been electrocuted. She stripped off all of her clothes, dried with a towel, and then pulled on the first dress she grabbed from the wardrobe. It was all so fast that she really didn't have time to dwell on the conversation that she was about to have. Before she stepped back into the living room, Tug took a few deep breaths to suppress the nerves that were beginning to surface. Bracing herself, she pulled open the door.
"Sit," Mrs. Connolly ordered, pointing a finger at the sofa. She gave her a pointed look, indicating that the explanation could begin at any time.
Tug swallowed, looking up at her mother's narrowed expression. Biting her lip and wringing her hands in her lap, she search for the words to explain her recent behavior. It pained her to see her mother so upset.; not since her father died had her mother seemed so overwhelmed with emotion. Tug knew this secret could not stay hidden forever, no matter how hard she tried; her mother's reaction was not far off from how she'd pictured it in her mind. However, Tug was not prepared for the tidal wave of emotion that she was suddenly hit with.
Sitting there, looking at disappointment in her mother's eyes, Tug couldn't think of anything other than all the lies and deceit that surrounded her life. And as much as she had been dreading this conversation with her mother, Tug knew that it would be a relief to finally end this rebellious chapter in her life. She would have to find a way to get her mother to see the reason behind her decisions. It was the disappointment, more so than the anger that brought the tears rolling down her cheek. Wiping away the streams, Tug said the only thing she could bear at the moment,
"I'm really sorry, Ma."
Her mind reeled with a thousand different ways of explaining herself, but the words seemed unable to leave her head. Taking in a few shaky breaths, she watched her mother's reaction carefully. Her mother stood, leaning against the table with her arms folded across her chest, studying her daughter from the distance. She shook her head in sheer disbelief as she felt it was time to help the conversation along.
"It ain't difficult to figure out what you've been doing with yer days. What I'd really like to know is why. I ain't like you to do something like this, Claire, especially when you know how I feel about it. So, I have to know why."
Tug took a deep breath and let the words spill.
"I tried, honestly I did. I tried to stay away from the newsies when ya asked me too, but I couldn't. I put so much into that new part of my life that I wasn't ready to give it up when you asked me to--even though I tried. I couldn't give up bein' a newsies because I had made some friends, friends who actually cared when I didn't show up for three days. I think that is the biggest reason for why I'm still doin' it. I just like bein' out on the streets. I like sellin' newspapers; I'm good at it."
Her mother sighed, rubbing her temples with the tips of her fingers, attempting to understand her daughter's motives.
"I know it was wrong to lie to ya, but I knew ya wasn't gonna change yer mind." Tug sniffed, wiping her eyes again. "I'm sorry."
Pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers, Mrs. Connolly gave her head a frustrated shake. She let slip a dark chuckle, looking across the room at her daughter. "I've lost my little girl, haven't I?" Tears glistened in her eyes she spoke with a quiet harshness. "I wish you would've just went to work at the shop like I asked. Now, because of all this newsie nonsense, you've been lying, sneaking around, and doing God knows what else! All I want is to know that yer safe. How can I know that yer safe when yer walkin' around Manhattan all day long--with a group of boys?"
"You ain't gotta worry about me, honest. I ain't stupid; I haven't sold alone since the first week I started. And, I'm usually dressed like a boy, so nobody thinks nothing about it."
Mrs. Connolly wasn't ready to give in that easily; she had plenty of concerns to work with. "Well, what if one of 'em realize yer a girl, huh? They're a bunch of boy who've been living on the streets most their lives; they ain't had a proper upbringing. What d'ya think their gonna do to an unsuspecting girl? It pains me to think about it, Claire."
Tug actually laughed. She didn't mean to, but it couldn't be helped; what her mother had said was absolutely absurd, in her opinion. Sure the boys were a little rough around the edges, but most of them weren't the kind to go around attacking girls in dark alleys. The laughter was mostly because her mind immediately lept to an image of Mush beating on some poor, defenseless girl--something that would never happen.
As for a proper upbringing--since when did that determine the quality of a person? Tug had known plenty of people with 'proper' upbringings; they were the type of people that she certainly would not want to associate herself with. Aside from her mother's comment being humorous, she was also a little offended by her quick judgement.
"I'd like to think I'm a better judge of character. I ain't just gonna be friends with the first person that comes along." It was beside the point that this was actually true; Racetrack had been one of the first people she met. "Them boys ain't all bad. I mean, the boys I'm friends with know I'm a girl--they have for a while now--and ain't nothing like that happened after they found out, alright?" Tug sighed loudly. "If anything they got more protective. Anyone who tries to mess with me is gonna in for it, 'cause them boys ain't gonna take too kindly to it."
There was silence as Mrs. Connolly seemed to be contemplating her decision on the matter, considering everything Tug had told her. Tug watched her carefully, trying to read an expressionless face. Nodding to herself, Mrs. Connolly moved from her spot and sat down next to Tug. She wrapped an arm around her daughter, looking at her with a loving firmness.
"I'm still upset that you've been lying to me, and there will be consequences, but I think I understand why this happened the way it did. Perhaps it could have been avoided if I had listened to you in the first place." She paused a moment to take a breath. "Promise me that you will never do something like this again. I always want to know what's goin' on in yer life. Yer all I have, Claire."
Tug closed her eyes, leaning against her mother. "I promise."
In the back of her mind, Tug's thoughts drifted to Skittery. One thing at a time, she told herself while her mother hugged her tightly. She wasn't exactly lying to her mother by not telling her about Skittery; she was just overlooking the truth. That particular detail of her life could be saved for another rainy day.