Chapter 5
"We'se gonna git dat prick back," Spot said coldly later that day at Tibby's. "He got some a' his punks to break 'im outta jail last nigh'," he said cracking his knuckles.
"Spot." Fire said softly. "Ya gotta think about this,"
"We 'ave!" Jack piped in from his seat next to Spot's.
"One thing Gip was good at was making good connections." Mush explained to Fire. "Newsies from all ova' New Yawk are cuttin' dere ties with da Bronx."
"Dey want results. Griff killed da wrong goil dis time." Spot said with hatred in his eyes.
"But." She protested again.
"But nothin' Fiah!" Spot said harshly, making her jump.
"Ey! Enough" Jack said, elbowing Spot, who mumbled his apology to Fire.
Specs turned away, unable to listen anymore. He sighed and stood up.
"Where ya going?" Spot asked him.
"Fer a walk," he said, finishing his drink and walking out quickly.
"Poor guy." Fire sighed, watching him walk out.
Specs sat on Gip's bunk, staring off into space, thinking of what Spot was going to do with Griff. He could still feel Gip all around him, almost like she still slept there every night. He grabbed her thin pillow and hugged it, resting his chin on it sighing. His noticed a small book that was hiding under her pillow. He picked it up and opened it. She was on chapter twenty-two. Race's missing queen of hearts marked her page. He smiled and flipped through the worn pages; a picture fell out on to his lap. He furrowed his eyebrows, picked it up, and smiled at what he saw.
It was a picture of Specs and Gip dancing at Medda's annual Valentines Day dance. He would remember that night for as long as he lived. He studied her, remembering how her hair fell down her back, tickling his fingertips as he held her waist.
Some of the girls made her wear make-up; he chuckled at the fuss she made over it. The first chance she got she scrubbed her face clean and brushed out her hair. He couldn't take his eyes off of her when she walked towards him bare faced.
He turned the picture over and read what she wrote in neat, nearly perfect handwriting. The kind of handwriting that someone could only get from practicing and going to school.
"Specs and me at a Valentines Day dance. Irving Hall. 1901"
He smiled and closed his eyes, remembering her that night. She was like still frames in his mind. He remembered every move she made.
~o~
Irving Hall was full as Gip and Specs entered. Their hands brushed softly. Specs smiled, wanting to hold her tiny, soft hand. "Want a drink?" he asked. Gip nodded and grabbed his hand as he walked through the crowd.
The night went by so quickly. They danced and laughed until the wee hours of the night.
Denton snuck up with a camera and took their picture, capturing their soft expressions towards each other. He smiled and patted Specs on the back as he walked past, looking for the next unsuspecting pair.
On their way home Specs put an arm around Gip to keep her warm. "I hate February," she pouted. He chuckled at her. "It ain't so bad.lemme walk you up stairs," he said, walking past the boys' bunkroom up to her room.
She turned to him when she got to the door and smiled up at him. "Thanks for being my Valentine," she whispered.
"It was an honor," he smirked. He slowly leaned in and kissed her softly. After a few seconds he pulled away.
"Well." she blushed. "It's about damn time!" she giggled, kissing him again.
~o~
Specs stood up from Gip's bed and sighed at her memories that he couldn't rip himself from.
"Whose bed is dat?" Scam asked, motioning towards Gip's bed.
"That's Gip's bed," Fire said softly, looking away from Specs who still lingered by Gip's cot.
"Where is she?" Scam asked.
"She's gone." Fire said, tears stinging her eyes.
"Gone?" Scam asked.
"She died. that's her boyfriend. She was shot, bout a month ago." Fire explained.
"Oh God," she said softly. "Dat's awful." she said. Specs walked passed them giving them a small smile.
"He isn't getting any better?" Scam asked.
Fire shook her head softly. "No. he says he can't."
"We'se gonna git dat prick back," Spot said coldly later that day at Tibby's. "He got some a' his punks to break 'im outta jail last nigh'," he said cracking his knuckles.
"Spot." Fire said softly. "Ya gotta think about this,"
"We 'ave!" Jack piped in from his seat next to Spot's.
"One thing Gip was good at was making good connections." Mush explained to Fire. "Newsies from all ova' New Yawk are cuttin' dere ties with da Bronx."
"Dey want results. Griff killed da wrong goil dis time." Spot said with hatred in his eyes.
"But." She protested again.
"But nothin' Fiah!" Spot said harshly, making her jump.
"Ey! Enough" Jack said, elbowing Spot, who mumbled his apology to Fire.
Specs turned away, unable to listen anymore. He sighed and stood up.
"Where ya going?" Spot asked him.
"Fer a walk," he said, finishing his drink and walking out quickly.
"Poor guy." Fire sighed, watching him walk out.
Specs sat on Gip's bunk, staring off into space, thinking of what Spot was going to do with Griff. He could still feel Gip all around him, almost like she still slept there every night. He grabbed her thin pillow and hugged it, resting his chin on it sighing. His noticed a small book that was hiding under her pillow. He picked it up and opened it. She was on chapter twenty-two. Race's missing queen of hearts marked her page. He smiled and flipped through the worn pages; a picture fell out on to his lap. He furrowed his eyebrows, picked it up, and smiled at what he saw.
It was a picture of Specs and Gip dancing at Medda's annual Valentines Day dance. He would remember that night for as long as he lived. He studied her, remembering how her hair fell down her back, tickling his fingertips as he held her waist.
Some of the girls made her wear make-up; he chuckled at the fuss she made over it. The first chance she got she scrubbed her face clean and brushed out her hair. He couldn't take his eyes off of her when she walked towards him bare faced.
He turned the picture over and read what she wrote in neat, nearly perfect handwriting. The kind of handwriting that someone could only get from practicing and going to school.
"Specs and me at a Valentines Day dance. Irving Hall. 1901"
He smiled and closed his eyes, remembering her that night. She was like still frames in his mind. He remembered every move she made.
~o~
Irving Hall was full as Gip and Specs entered. Their hands brushed softly. Specs smiled, wanting to hold her tiny, soft hand. "Want a drink?" he asked. Gip nodded and grabbed his hand as he walked through the crowd.
The night went by so quickly. They danced and laughed until the wee hours of the night.
Denton snuck up with a camera and took their picture, capturing their soft expressions towards each other. He smiled and patted Specs on the back as he walked past, looking for the next unsuspecting pair.
On their way home Specs put an arm around Gip to keep her warm. "I hate February," she pouted. He chuckled at her. "It ain't so bad.lemme walk you up stairs," he said, walking past the boys' bunkroom up to her room.
She turned to him when she got to the door and smiled up at him. "Thanks for being my Valentine," she whispered.
"It was an honor," he smirked. He slowly leaned in and kissed her softly. After a few seconds he pulled away.
"Well." she blushed. "It's about damn time!" she giggled, kissing him again.
~o~
Specs stood up from Gip's bed and sighed at her memories that he couldn't rip himself from.
"Whose bed is dat?" Scam asked, motioning towards Gip's bed.
"That's Gip's bed," Fire said softly, looking away from Specs who still lingered by Gip's cot.
"Where is she?" Scam asked.
"She's gone." Fire said, tears stinging her eyes.
"Gone?" Scam asked.
"She died. that's her boyfriend. She was shot, bout a month ago." Fire explained.
"Oh God," she said softly. "Dat's awful." she said. Specs walked passed them giving them a small smile.
"He isn't getting any better?" Scam asked.
Fire shook her head softly. "No. he says he can't."