Disclaimer: Naw, still not mine. None of it. Newsies belong ta Disney. Redwing belongs to Girls Scouts, and the people belong to themselves, unless they moved to China without telling me and have sold themselves into slavery.

 


Chapter 6: Blink on Caffeine and the Midnight Escapade

Monday Night, Part One


Race and Spot hadn't wanted to walk back to Christy, even though it was the closest Unit to Trail's End, unless you wanted to swim across the creek to get to Orchard. Blink was glad of that because for some strange reason, he always went to Race when he had problems.

"Race?" he called in a whisper from his bed. "Hey, Race, are you awake?"

"I is now, bonehead," Race answered at full volume. Itey rolled over. It scared the shit out of Blink. "Wadda ya want?"

"Keep your voice down dude! I gots a question ta ask yas. How… how'd ja know dat you likes Spot? 'E's such a joirk ta everyone, bein' all tough an' everythin'. Waddja see in 'im?"

"Ah, da mysteries a love," Race said, putting an arm around Spot. (yes, they were both sleeping in one of those camp beds, and yes it is possible, it has been done before) "Ya talkin' bout dat goirl?"

"No!" Blink said indignantly. At least he thought it was in an indignant tone. Race, on the other hand, thought it was whiney and a little offended. "I'se jus' wonderin'"

Race smiled knowingly. "Oh, is dat all?" Well, I gots ta tell yas, dere ain't much difference between love an' hate sometimes. Da tings people do ta annoy yous attracts ya ta dem to. Ya start payin' more attention ta dem. Take me an' Spot for your example. When Spot firs' met me, 'e couldn' stan' ta be in da same room wid me. Almos' everythin' I did bothered 'im. Da way I talk, da way I dance, de fact dat when I bets wid da boys, I don' loose. He started ta hate me. He'd smack me in da head an' trow me 'gainst da wall an' threaten me a lot more dan da odda guys. I didn' notice it den, but I actually liked bein' beat up by Spot, just cuz I liked 'im touchin' me.

"So one time we was playin' cards by ourselves. Everyone else 'ad dropped out or run broke so dey went ta bed. A course we got inta an argument. Spot said I had a card up my sleeve. I said I didn't. I had taken it out earlier actually, so it wasn't up my sleeve any more, now was it? We both stood up, yelling and leaning toward each odda. Ya knows how Spot gets all up in yer face when he's yellin'. I was in da middle a callin' him some name I don't remember when he grabbed da back a me head an' kissed me full on da lips." Blink could hear the smile in Race's voice as he reminisced. It was almost cute. Almost…

"Yeah, I was real surprised, but I didn' realize dat I wanted 'im so bad. Don' try dat wid a goirl dough. You're liable ta get slapped. Some a dese goirls up heah may jus' take off your balls instead. So, what I'm really sayin' is dat sometimes ya don' realize dat ya like someone. Sometimes, it jus' 'appens one day."

"Why does life have to be so complicated?" Blink sighed and rolled onto his stomach thinking.

*************************

Kid got up at around midnight by himself. It was beautifully silent outside. He untangled himself from his blankets and put on some shoes.

The refrigerator in the pack-out room was disappointingly empty. The only thing of any interest was a few cans of Pepsi and some Hershey's chocolate. Blink sat down with a can of pop in one hand and a chocolate bar in the other with his head against the wall thinking of what he really wanted and what he should do now.

An hour later, three empty soda cans lay on the floor and five or six chocolate bar wrappers kept them company. Blink was as jumpy as anything, and to top it off, he was hyper. What do you expect when you have that much caffeine? He was dancing and twirling incessantly in the small room. He kept bumping into things and knocking them over, though he was really trying not to wake anyone up.

Hey, wake anyone up.

Good idea… I'll get me some company!

Blink ran from the flushie building in the general direction of the rest of the Unit.

**************************

Gryffin's eyes snapped open, and she sat up so quickly that she gave herself whiplash.

"Calm down, it's only me," a voice said in the darkness. Gryffin's eyes adjusted to the dim light, and Kid Blink's face came into view. He was dressed in the darkest colors he could find and was kneeling next to her bed, just outside of her tent. She returned her head to her pillow to talk to him so that she wouldn't wake up anyone else.

"What are you doing? It's the middle of the night."

"Yous said dat ya liked ta stay up an' walk 'round. I can' sleep, an' I wanna walk aroun'. Dat, an I still feel bad 'bout oirler. I really wanna make it up ta yous.

Gryffin didn't move.

"Alright but its more fun with more people. We've got to go and wake up more staff… namely Kitch*Nsynk.

"Who's dat?" Blink looked utterly confused. He had every right to be.

"Never mind. Why don't you go wake up Race and Spot and we'll meet you at the flushie building." (The flushie building is the place where the toilets, which flush, are kept. Hence, flushie building.) Blink turned and headed back to his tent, skipping and dancing the whole way there. Gryffin practically leapt from her bed and across the tent to Kristan's bed.

"Get up Kristan!" She yelled in a whisper, shaking her friend. "Come on… RAIDS!" Gryffin, still moving with some unseen energy, got up quickly and pulled on her darkest jeans, a black long sleeve t shirt, and a black bandanna. Although it was summer, it gets cold when there isn't any concrete or asphalt to retain the heat at night. Kristan sleepily did the same and in no time they had joined the boys who were waiting for them.

Spot was eyeing Blink groggily, but still with enough distaste to stop a freight train. Kid Blink was so ecstatic about playing in the dark around camp that nothing could ruin his mood. Nope, not even Spot Conlon.

"Great," Race said, smacking his lips together in that Racey sort of way that was just so cute. Spot resisted the urge to kiss him. "Now we's all out 'ere in da dark. Lotsa fun. Sos what da we do nex oh so psycho one?"

"I dunno," Blink answered, doing some kind of jig with an imaginary partner. "Why don't you ask someone who's done this before?" Gryffin and Kristan smiled mischievously.



"Now, we go on a Raid," Kristan said, as if she were giving everyone in the vicinity the greatest present they could ask for. She waited expectantly for the silent cheers that usually followed this statement. Why weren't they coming? Oh, damn, they don't know, do they? Better explain then… "First, we gotta go get everyone else. Who do you want to get this time, Gryff?"

"I guess we'll get Eeyore, Willow and Brooke. They always come. Willow always complains about it, but she would leave if she really didn't like it. Hermione has been accompanying us for the past year, so she'll come too. We should make Spartimas (a.k.a. Artemis, the girl who answers to a million names) get off her lazy ass as well. One more I think… someone new since this is the first one of the summer… How about Christine? I don't know if she'll come but it can't hurt to ask, as long as we're quiet about it."

"Hey Gryff, how bout some guys?"

"Don't ask me, I don't know who would be willing to get out of bed in the middle of the night and have fun. Blink, who do you think we should take?" Kid's hyper-ness was blatantly obvious. He had been paying very close attention to a nearby tree. It was apparently telling him a very funny joke, because he laughed loudly and slapped the trunk, doubling over in laughter.

"Who? Me? What? Oh… Newsies… Right. Jack's gotta come. I'd like fer Mush ta come, 'e's my bes' friend, but 'e'd come even if 'e didn' wanna, just cuz I asked 'im. I'd rather let 'im sleep. Skittery and Snitch always make a day fun. Dat's enough. We's gonna take da whole camp wid us if we keeps talkin'. So let's go let's go let's go!!!"

"If you're so hyper knucklehead, go get Skitts up," Spot spat, leaning his head on Race's shoulder.

"Ooooh, good idea," Blink took off toward his tent, doing random leaps in the air as he went.

Gryffin didn't know what to think of Blink's random hyper-ness. It was both hilariously stupid and a bit scary at the same time. It was kind of cute as well… NO NO NO! It was NOT cute. I didn't say that… I wonder what he'll be like tomorrow after a major lack of sleep. Definitely interesting. He's fairly interesting as he is now too. That giddy, boyish, perfect smile refused to leave his face as he clicked his heels together in the air and literally dove into his tent. Judging by the sound of it, he landed right on top of Skittery.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING BLINK?"

"Keep your voice down, we's goin' out for a bit. Get up and get out of dose damn girlie pajamas."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Blink giggled loudly.

"Dude, you look like a girl, all pretty in pink." He collapsed into giggles, and the others could hear his knees hit the floor of the tent. A sharp smack, like a hand connecting with a skull, sounded over the unit. Gryffin was amazed that none of the campers were awake. "OW!"

"Alrighty then. Kristan, you can go to Christy. I'll take someone to Laurel Oaks and then we can all go to Orchard, since it's a long walk. I know that Willow and Eeyore will want to be there anyhow to try to get Christine to get up. A new Kitch*Nsynk member is always an event around here."

"Since Spot and Race live in Christy, they should come with me," Kristan said. "You can take the hyper-active douschbag with you. And Skittery can keep you company."

"Okay! To Laurel Oaks then!" Blink said, linking arms with Gryffin and Skittery and skipping down the path. This was hilarious. Gryffin just couldn't take it any more.

"Dude," she said, trying to silence her laughter. "You gotta calm down dude. (yeah, I've been reading Outkasts too much… sue me) Everyone's gonna hear you, and we'll all be screwed."

"Oh. Right." Blink stopped dead in his tracks, his entire body frozen mid-step, except for his eye, which was opened very widely as he looked slowly from side to side, as if nobody could see him if he didn't move.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"Hiding." Blink fell to his left into a flip and off the path. He landed with his feet underneath of him again in the grass. Gryffin joined him, laying a hand on his shoulder. He was very warm, even with the chilly night air.

"Come on then, Mr. Bond."

She moved out in front of him and stayed low to the ground. It was more to play along with Blink than to actually prevent them from being caught. His hyperactivity was like a disease. It spread like a wildfire. Blink followed her, humming spy theme music softly. Skittery walked silently down the middle of the path, his hands jammed in the pockets of his baggy pants.

They were to Laurel Oaks in no time. Gryffin silenced Blink by putting her hand over his mouth. Big mistake. He licked her hand, and when she still didn't move it, he bit her.



"Betta go get dat checked out," Skitts said. "I tink he just may have rabies."

She looked disgustedly at her hand. "You're right," she said, as she wiped it on Blink's shirt. Gryffin made her way to her sisters' tent while Blink and Skittery went to get Jack and Snitch.

"Willow. Willow!" Gryffin called, shaking one of her sisters. "Come on get up… wait… right, left, okay." Gryffin aimed carefully and slapped Willow's right leg hard enough for her hand to sting. It was a well known fact that Willow's left knee was messed up beyond all reason, and it hurt like a bitch if anyone touched it. Gryffin would have been in the hospital if she had done that to the wrong leg. Willow would have beaten her to a bloody pulp with one of her own body parts. Then again… recently she had been wondering if you could strangle someone with their own intestines before they died of bloodshed, so she might just try that too.

"Do you know what Gryffin?"

"Obviously, I don't," she said, smirking. Willow shook her head.

"Obviously. Is there a reason that you're randomly beating me up in the middle of the night? Don't you do it enough in the daytime now or something?"

"Yes, to both."

****Prolonged Silence****

"Care to tell me?"

"Only since you asked so nicely… we're going to stay up with the Newsies tonight. Come on, get out of bed."

"What are you guys doing?" Hermione asked drowsily from the next bed.

"Getting dressed to go play in the woods with some dumb boys," Willow answered.

"Yeah, and you're coming too." Gryffin told her youngest sister.

"Why?"

"Cuz I said so."



"So what."

"So I'm older than you and I can beat you up anyways. Let's go." Hermione swung her feet out of bed as Gryffin hopped out of the back of the tent. She silently made her way over to Artemis's tent. She spied the Golden Bed of Artemis, and a small, catlike figure inside of it. Gryffin walked up and slowly began poking the curled up figure in what she supposed was the ribs.

"Can I help you child?"

"Yeah, we're going to show some of the Newsies around camp. Care to come?"

"Its past curfew. Go to bed guys."

"Snitch is coming."

"Damn you. Okay, I'm coming."


End Six

A/N: Well, there's another chapter.  Just to let you know, this is not actually allowed at camp, and even if it did go on for some reason, Artemis would have no part of it whatsoever.  Just so that's explained…  Yeah so, that's the end for now!! Or is it just the beginning? Lol, this will be a good chapter coming up, once I decide what all is going to happen. Hope you enjoy!! Remember to REVIEW! Please and thank you!!



Moon: YAY! Someone I don't know is reading my stories!! Glad you like, and I'll keep 'em coming as fast as I can. My Blink-muse has been driving me crazy, and it shows.

Kristan: I told you, I threatened his life over that shirt. Jack still sleeps on the couch down here, and Davey is getting sick of sleeping with Blink, so he moved into the closet. *shrug* I dunno, whatever floats his boat.

Arty: Thanx for telling me about the typos, I think I fixed them all. In all honesty, I have no effing clue what happened at your table. I'll figure it out eventually though. I wrote you in here, and if we spend another night hanging around Trail's End (or anywhere really) I'll put you and Snitch there.

Cassie: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Maybe I'll put you and Maddie in it again sometime, but I don't know where yet.

Maddie: Glad to hear that you don't need kidnapped anymore. I can't believe you're ever shy child. *shakes head* I guess anything's possible.