Spot's Milkshake
Chapter Ten: Childhood Memories
Disclaimer: I don't own newsies, nor the characters. I do however own Brandie and other miscellaneous characters that pop up! Enjoy!
(Wow....chapter 10! Amazing....)
Racetrack took me to the Brooklyn lodging house and then left, taking him and the carriage to Manhattan. Most of the boys were filing in now, done with the days work.
"Long day?" Harold asked me, plopping down in a chair next to me, drinking something he got from the pub.
"Not really. Why?" I wondered why this jerk was talking to me. But he was being nice, so I couldn't argue with that.
"It wasn't? We'se all thought ya was wit Spot all day. He claims dat he was goin' ta court or sometink." Harold studied me hard, like he was looking for any trace of a lie in my face.
"Well, Troy was at woik. Anyway, ya tink dere gonna listen to 'im?" I asked.
"I dunno. Spot could convince dem ta listen to 'im. I dunno if dey would or not. He has no proof dat it eva happened. Da window don't count." He looked upset about this. This distressed me as well. Troy could try it again, and might succeed. "Don't pout. Spot will put dat creep in his rightful place. Wit or witout da courts help. Since you ain't got any info, I'll be leavin' ya alone." He stood up and walked away.
My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten in awhile.
"Man am I hungry." I said, hoping someone would hear me. Snicker did, although he didn't offer me food like I thought he would.
"How'd ya like ta play a classic game of bullshit?" He asked me smiling.
"Might as well." I replied, depressed that he wasn't offering food.
"Gotta make a contribution foist missy." Sniff said playfully, holding out his hand, waiting for money. My dress had no pockets, so I conveniently put any money I had in my shoe. Reluctantly I bent down and pulled out two nickels.
"Jackpot!" Pouncher exclaimed as he put a nickel in the pot.
"Ya know all the rules den?" Snicker asked.
"Yep. Jus' deal." I commanded, sitting down next to Harold and Sniff.
"Ace of Spades starts it." Harold stated. A boy a named Squirt had it, and placed it on the table. By the time it got to me, Harold had called bullshit on everyone. I had to lay down a six, but only had a queen, two aces, a three, and 3 twos. Keeping a straight face, I laid down my queen and awaited the words. Nothing. Sniff laid down 3 sevens and Harold cried out bullshit.
"Wow. Hold da phone. Why didn't cha call dat on me?" I asked.
"Goils don't lie. Not even in dis game." He smirked as Squirt laid down an eight. "Bullshit!" Harold yelled.
"Not today." Squirt said, pushing the pile of cards to Harold.
"Well guess wha'? I did lie. Don't underestimate me." I laughed as Pouncher laid down two nines. Harold didn't notice.
"I don't underestimate you, you whore!" He screamed placing down 3 tens.
"Bullshit." I accused, lifting up the cards to reveal a ten, six, and a king. I smiled smugly at him, pushing the pile over to him. For the rest of the game, he didn't really accuse anyone of lying accept me. I ended up losing, Sniff won. I didn't care, I felt like I had put Harold in his place.
"I'm goin' ta bed." I announced, backing away from the table as Pouncher began to deal again.
"See ya in da mornin" Sniff told me, smiling as he looked at his cards.
Silently I walked up the steps to my bed. I don't know how long it took me to fall asleep, but I awoke later that night to someone stroking their hand through my hair. I rolled over and saw Spot sitting behind me.
"It's kinda late fer ya don't cha tink?" I said sarcastically, still half asleep.
"Not tonight it ain't. Go back ta sleep now." He told me. I almost did, but then I remembered what Harold had said.
"Wait. Ya went ta court?" I never knew if Harold was lying to me or not.
"Yeah. Dey was reluctant, but dey said dat dey would send 'im ta da refuge fer 3 months. I told em it wasn't enough time, but dey refused ta do more. Supposedly dey is takin' 'im tonight, or tomorrow morning." He told me, his voice sounding triumphant.
"Dat's good news." I said, laying my head back down on the pillow.
"Are you doin anyting tomorrow?" He whispered in my ear.
"Ich denke so nicht." I responded.
"Wha?" He asked, confused.
"I don't think so."
"Tha's not whatcha said though." He defended.
"Didn't I?" I tried to recall what I did say. "I'm sorry. It's German. I had some very good friends that taught me it. Anyway, when I'm not thinking it jus' slips out. I said quickly.
"S'ok. Anyway da Cowboy wants me an' you down at Tibby's tomorrow." He smiled to himself, hoping I wouldn't see.
"Why?" I asked, now fully awake.
"He didn't say. Not dat it mattahs. Fer once in me life, I actually wanna leave Brooklyn." With that he got up and went up to the top bunk, which he had claimed was his ever since Troy had tried to kill him. I had been denying it ever since that night, but deep down I knew that the mighty Spot Conlon was fearing for his own life.
***
"What an unusually pleasant mornin!" Harold announced, jolting me out of a blissful sleep.
"Leave it fer lata." I heard Pouncher mutter as he rolled over in his bed.
"I don't tink so pretty boy." Harold laughed, slapping Pouncher over the head.
"How was it?" Spot asked him, patting him on the back. Harold regarded him.
"Fine. But dat doesn't make dis an usually pleasant mornin." He smiled satisfyingly.
"Wha does?" Pouncher asked, rising from his bed with no pants on.
"I'm poisoned!" I cried sarcastically.
"Not yet ya ain't." Harold challenged, undoing his own pants.
"Whoa. Not in front of me goil heah." Spot stood in between me and Harold. "Wha' does make dis mornin' so wonderful?"
"I hoid dat a certain Troy was taken ta da refuge las' night."
"Was he really? I thought dat da judge was jus' feedin' me bull." Spot looked even more triumphant than last night.
"Fer 'ow long? Do ya know?" Pouncher asked, pants now on.
"Dey told me 3 months." Spot shrugged his shoulders. I silently took a change of clothes and walked to the bathroom.
"Come back out heah Milky! Don't be shy." Harold called out to me. I smiled to myself, but continued walking to the bathroom. Maybe another day. I thought to myself.
After I had finished changing, I followed the boys down to the streets outside. They all walked over to some nuns who were giving out food. It looked that the nuns were only giving out their food to newsies. I pretended that I too was a girl newsie like Smalls was. They fell for it. They put a small piece of bread in my outstretched hand, and gave me a small glass half full of water. I quickly guzzled down that water, and scarfed down the bread. I doubted that it was enough for the entire day, but I would just have to make due.
"Troy ain't comin ta woik no more!" Johnny told Sniff and I happily, as we walked into the distribution center. Sniff smiled over at me as the gates opened, letting the newsies pour in.
"50 papes!" Randy yelled. I hated when he did that, but knew that I would be hearing it for a long time.
"Sniff, do ya tink I could do wha ya do? Ya know do dis, den go out an' sell like dem?" I pointed to the newsies buying their papes.
"Sure." He shrugged. "I mean, I don't tink ya gotta do anyting ta be a newsie, but really I dunno." He said, taking the papers over to Randy.
"Do ya know why Troy ain't heah?" Johnny continued the conversation he had tried to start earlier.
"No. An' I doubt ya do?" I asked him.
"Nope. I was jus' hopin' someone does." He seemed disappointed.
"Nah. He was just a bad kid." I laughed half-heartedly. The words 'bad kid' stuck in my head. I tried to push the on-coming memory out of my head, but couldn't.
~Flashback~
It was just 3 weeks after my mothers death and my fathers disappearance. I was wandering the streets as I had been doing for 5 days, then I had lost track. A girl about my age approached me. She told me she had seen me and had been watching me for some time. She told me she had food and if I wanted some I could have some. She instructed me to follow her. I did. She led me down a dark alley and took me to a makeshift hut. She walked inside, I followed.
"My name is Annalise." She told me, lighting a match that lit the small room. She had light, blonde hair that hung to her shoulders. I noticed a small boy sitting next to her. He seemed taken down by life even though he was only 5 years old. "This is my brother Archie. He's a year younger than me. Say hello Archie." She instructed him.
"Hallo." I heard him mutter.
"That's hello in German." She explained quickly. "For real Arch. The English way." She prompted him.
"Hello." He said, even quieter than the first time. "Was ist ihr Name?" I heard him whisper to her.
"He wants to know your name?" She translated.
"Brandie Foster." I said meekly, still looking at the food she had promised. Annalise followed my gaze.
"I'll give ya da food if ya watch 'im." She turned to Archie. "I needs ta get out dere and get sometink. Speak English fer Brandie." She told him, handing me a stale piece of bread, then walked out of the tiny hut.
I don't know why, and I don't know how, but that was the beginning of a great friendship. I stayed with them for the next couple months, which proved I was going to stay there forever. They taught me how to speak German fluently, even for their ages they knew what they were doing. We played together for the next two years, becoming closer friends by the minute.
Over those two years, Anna's and Arch's parents found them and me. Apparently they had been in Germany settling some money affairs. They took me in with them, and considered me part of their family, though they never adopted me.
One night, their father never came home. He told Annalise where he was going, but she wasn't listening. Instead she was listening to Arch talk about something that had happened earlier that day. That night when their mother came home, she demanded to know where her husband was. Of course Anna did not remember the vital information her father had given her.
At that time, I was outside with Arch. We had been outside all day, and were about to go in when we heard the screaming and yelling. In fear, we ran to the side of the house and huddled close together, trying to find out what the problem was. We soon discovered it.
"Why can't you ever listen to anything you stupid stupid girl!"
"Stop mama stop!" Anna cried out. After that we heard her cries for help and pain. Through the thin walls we heard the sounds of her mother hitting Anna's fragile body. By the time she had stopped, it was too late. I begged Arch to move but he wouldn't. I even yelled at him in German. It only turned his head to reveal tears in his eyes. I cried too. But not before their mother stormed out of the house.
"Where is your father?" She walked right past me and looked at Archie. I took this opportunity to go inside the house. I wish I hadn't. What I saw there reminded me of my mother. Annalise was lying dead on the floor, beaten to death. I listened in fear to hear if Arch was receiving the same fate. He wasn't. In a matter of minutes the murderer stomped back in.
"Get out there and follow him! And don't you ever come back!" She yelled at me, pointing out the door. I quickly obeyed, not once looking back at my best friend.
"Archie! Archie!" I yelled for him. He wasn't by the side of the house where I had left him. After searching for hours, I found him crying beside an old dumpster.
"Is she d-d-dead?" He managed. I nodded my response, trying to hide my tears. That night, we made a pact. Never would we leave each other for anything. We would always be the best of friends, forever.
~End flashback~
That had been true for many years, until just last year actually. He grew up to be a sex-crazed fool, raping me twice. He was put in jail for that and countless of other things. That was the real reason I had moved to New York. That and the fact I had nothing going for me in New Jersey.
"C'mon Brandie! Get outta dreamland and help heah." Sniff teased.
"Oh, I wasn't in dreamland." I laughed.
"100 more papes!" Randy called out. "C'mon I asked bout 2 minutes ago let's go." I took them to him. Randy slid them out to Spot. I hadn't even noticed it was him. He smiled and then walked away.
"Better go catch 'im before he goes ta Tibby's without cha." Harold winked at me. I rolled my eyes and walked back to Sniff.
"Yeah. Get outta heah an' go." He shooed me to the door.
"I would. But don't cha tink Randy will get jus' a little mad." I hinted to him.
"Nah. Not if he don't know dat your gone." He winked and opened the door for me. I quietly crept out, feeling slightly guilty. I walked off to find Spot.
~A/N~ Well hello again! I finally got this chapter done! I had a brain block for awhile, but then I got the inspiration to do that whole flashback thing! I hope you all liked it. I would have liked to explore Annalise's character more, but she died. LoL. Anyway it was only a flashback so yeah. Please review, and thanks to my reviewers who did review!
Tiggerbaby2430: Thanks much for your review! Yes, Race is acting strange, and I am kinda regretting doing that. I like when he is all happy and what not. Yeah, I was trying to hint that he likes her. Hehe! Which actually might show more in the next chapter! LoL Hope you liked this one!
Pyro: Yeah more interesting. Maybe not this one or the next, but I promise that it will be. I have BIG plans for this story, big ones! Yeah, I wanna go to the racetrack with him! Thanks for coming back and reviewing! Hope you enjoy this one. Did it make you cry? Hehe!
Leila3: YAY! A new reviewer! You get the cookie for this chapter! Hehe! I'm glad you like it. I really like your story too! No, I LOVE it! Thanks for reviewing, I hope you liked this chapter!
The next one should be up soon, or so I hope! Check out the account, SmallsandMilkshake —that is my joint account with Vinnie Monfredo (who forgot to review last time!!) We are planning on posting our first chapter soon! Very soon actually! Check us out. We co-write stories on that account! Thanks again!