Disclaimer: Don't…..own… the….. Newsies. Whew that was hard to say. I do own the original characters.
Dinner with Lady Donahue and her niece was absolutely horrible. Lady Donahue was a terrible gossip- it seemed like she was incapable of saying anything nice or good about anyone. She spoke with a nasally voice and when she had seen my scrapped chin she had leaned over to her niece, said something, and then giggled. Eleanor was just as bad as her aunt. And the two would often criticize whoever they were talking about. They were cruel and haughty and arrogant. My grandmother didn't exactly join in on the gossip but she didn't try to stop it either. I found myself wondering, as I sat at the dinner table, why my grandmother was friends with the two twittering witches. I had only said a polite 'hello' and that was it. I was sticking to the whole 'if you have nothing nice to say then don't say anything at all' rule, they're most likely going to have breakfast tomorrow morning with someone they've bad mouthed here and say ' you know Madam Decants granddaughter Madeline? She's a dumb mute with a skin disease' I didn't care though I was toobusy thinking about tomorrow and if I had made the right choice by agreeing to meet Blink and the other newsies.
Luckily the dinner was over quickly and it was time for my grandmother and me to leave. I said goodbye after my grandmother and got into the carriage. It wasn't until I was sitting in the carriage that I realized how tired I really was. It had been a long, painful, humiliating, and disappointing day. And as I remembered everything that happened I dozed off a bit and the next thing I new we were in the apartment.
"You may go up to your room now Madeline." My grandmother said. Oh so glade I have your permission granny.
"Alright. Thank you." I said my voice betraying how sleepy I was. Chloe showed up when I reached my room and got out a nightgown for me and took down my hair. I was grateful but I was just too tried to tell her. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
POV- Blink.
"I don't get what you'se playin' at Blink." Racetrack said as we walked back to the lodging house. "I mean, dat goil wants nothin' to do wit us."
"Aw c'mon race ya know dat ya really want to make up for gettin' her covered in tomatoes." I said to my friend.
"Look she said all I needed to heah. She don't have hard feelin's 'bout it." I smiled, Race just couldn't tell she was lying.
"She didn't seem all dat friendly Blink." I heard Mush say.
"Dat just goes to show dat she hasn't forgiven Race and Jack yet." I tried to explain.
"She don't have to forgive me." Jack said, "I didn't do anythin' to her."
"Ah, I'se sure ya didn't but I'm guessin' dat ya did nothin' to help her right?" Jack shrugged and I took that as a yes. I patted him on the back as we reached the lodging house. A man was coming out of the door, I didn't recognize him but he didn't look like the friendly type. Jack turned to us, a concerned look on his face, "Hey any of ya boys seen dat guy before?"
All of us said we hadn't. Racetrack turned to Jack and said, "He didn't look too happy."
"It's probably nothin'." I reassured.
"Yeah," Mush yawned, "I'm tired and we gotta get up early tomorrow."
"We gotta get up early everyday Mush." Jack said as we walked into the lodging house. We saw Kloppman sitting at his desk rubbing his forehead and looking like he had just been run over buy a train.
"What's happenin'?" Jack asked. The old man looked up and tried to smile.
"Nothin' boys. Better get up to bed." We all knew were going to get nothing out of him. That man knew how to keep things quiet, even from us so we listened to him. As I got ready for bed I couldn't help but think of what would happen tomorrow. I'm not sure what had possessed me to get Maddy to meet us, I just didn't want her firs impressions of the newsies to be bad, and she had looked miserable in Tibby's. Of course that could have been because she had a bloody nose, but something told me that wasn't it. So on an impulse I dragged jack, Race and Mush with me to find Maddy and convince her that the newsies could be real friends. But I still had my doubts about the blue eyed girl. She dressed in fine clothing and had a temper and wasn't exactly the most honest of people. She was able to fool people easily, make them think she was fine or happy when it wasn't the case. I wanted to know what was causing her to hide and I wanted her to be happy. The one thing I couldn't stand was seeing someone unhappy and Madeline was unhappy. Besides, she's funny when she's angry. I drifted off to sleep soon after.
POV- Madeline
When I woke up my nose and knee were feeling much better. Unfortunately my mood was worse. I had to face another day in this horrible city and I had to start it off with walking Brutus then meeting the newsies and, glancing at the clock on the night stand, I'd already missed breakfast. Well this day is turning out amazingly well. And I haven't even gotten out of bed yet. Wonderful. With a sigh I heaved myself out of bed and contemplated what I would wear. I thought about one of the new outfits, no doubt it would be the proper thing but since it was my last day to enjoy the land of the free I opted for a pair of my brothers old dark blue trousers that hung low on my hips even with a belt and lose fitting shirt with a vest over it. My brother had laughed when he had first seen me in the outfit. He said that our father had three sons and that he didn't need a fourth. I smiled at the memory as I walked to the bathroom get cleaned up and dressed. I didn't see Mr. Jones on the way thankfully. I didn't see Chloe on my way downstairs. Her eyes widened as she saw how I was dressed.
"It's a good thing your Grandmother left right after breakfast." She said.
"I know but I figured that tomorrow I start my lessons and…" I trailed of.
"I understand just don't let the Madam see you like this." Chloe warned. "Brutus is waiting by the front door, I've already put him on the leash." I should tell her that I don't want to walk Brutus, that I think he's Satan and that I might do something I'll regret if he bites me one more time.
"Chloe I…" I couldn't say it, "wont be back for lunch."
"Oh that's alright Maddy. Just be back for dinner and you should be in no trouble. Now you should go before Brutus goes to the bathroom in the foyer. His usual walk time is eight and right now it's nine." She shooed me away and went back to whatever chores she needed to do. Downstairs I came face to face with Brutus. He was sitting by the door, ears up, tail wagging, and looking at me like a sweet innocent dog- but I knew better. I grabbed the leash off the floor and followed the eager dog out the door and down the steps. Like the dat before I took him to Central Park only this time a different spot near a pond with lilies and ducks. I let Brutus sniff and stop wherever he wanted to and actually enjoyed my self for a good hour. I was hungry but figured I'd wait until lunch to eat. I only had two hours to burn before I would have to meet the newsies at Tibby's and it would probably take at least half an hour to find the place again since I hadn't paid attention to where it was when I went with Chloe. It was with in a five block radius. But in which direction? So maybe it would take more then half an hour. I walked out of the park to take Brutus back to the apartment so I would have plenty of time finding the restaurant. Everything was going fine until I spotted a familiar newsie walking in my direction and Brutus spotted a cat twice his size across the street. I was so worried about Blink seeing me and the chance that I might have to spend even more time with him that it took me by surprise when Brutus suddenly raced across the street and the leash was ripped from my hands.
"BRUTUS STOP!" I yelled forgetting about Blink. Part of me wanted to let the dog go but the other part told me it wasn't the humane thing to do so listening to the softer side of me I took off after the dog. I was in the middle of the street when my knee gave out on me and I went tumbling to the ground. I should have known that with my luck I would fall in the middle of the street just as a carriage was coming full speed down the street but I guess that's just hindsight. I tried to get out of the way but I wasn't moving fast enough and the carriage was getting closer and the driver hadn't seen me yet.
"Maddy!" I heard someone yell. I didn't look to see who, I was too busy trying to get out of the way.
"MOVE!" WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M TRYING TO DO!? I stood up and promptly fell down- the carriage was almost on top of me. I closed my eyes not wanting to see the hooves of the horse crush my skull. But I didn't feel any pain, I did, however, feel hands grab me around my rib cage and yank me out of the way just in time. I was breathing hard and so was however was still holding my.
"What's wrong wit ya?!" I heard Kid Blinks voice asked. Of course it had to be him to save me. Heaven forbid I get rescued by someone I wasn't trying to avoid.
"Ya almost got killed Maddy!" No really?
"I'm fine." I said as I pushed his hands off of me.
"No I don't think ya are. How's dat knee?"
"It hurts." I'd given up trying to lie to him.
"C'mon I'll help ya up." I didn't want to accept his help but did anyway. He supported some of my weight.
"I need to find Brutus." Blink looked at me like was crazy for a moment but then a smile broke out on his face and he laughed at me.
"What? Why are you laughing?" demanded to know.
"It's just- you'se almost get killed because of dat dog and now you want to go find him. If I was ya I'd let da dog go." WE started walking. I thought about what he said, "You just don't get it." I told him.
"Why don't ya try and explain it den?"
"I want to find that dog so I can strangle it." He laughed again knowing I was only joking. I wanted to find Brutus because I knew I would be in a lot of trouble if I didn't come back with him.
"We'll find da dog. Promise." He smiled and I wanted to smile back but didn't. I don't know why though.
"Are you done selling papers?" It was early but he didn't have any papers with him.
"Na, I dropped dem right… heah." He said holding up a small stack of papers.
"Oh well then I'll leave you to your work. Thank by the way… for you know…?"
"Saving ya life?" He smirked and I wondered if he ever frowned.
"That's it."
"Don't mention it. But ya ain't going anywhere alone."
"Yes I am."
"No ya ain't."
"Yes I am!"
"No ya-"
"Fine! You win."
"Great now lets go find dat dog."
I sighed deeply and scowled at myself. What the hell did I just get myself into?
A/N So there is chapter seven for you. The pace is going to pick up a bit now that the plot is getting set up. And I'm already thinking of a sequel (you can check my profile for some more info). So you know that I like reviews right? Well if you didn't know already you do know so leave me a review! Pretty please?
Thank you so soooooo much to ktkakes, Eruptingfender9, SilverRain1.3, and NarniaRulz for the reviews!!!!!
