Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies. I don't own camp… but I did hear that Elmo is going to try to come back and run camp in the years to come, so that excites me, though most of you probably do not care. I do not own Top Gun either. Ohhh, Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer. * pant * Okay, all better… lookin' at the Newsies again. I do own myself, my belongings, the basic plot of this story, and Christine, because she sold me her soul. On with the show!
Chapter 17: Blink, Meet MaverickWednesday Morning, Part Two
Blink's morning was not going well. For reasons he did not quite understand, Gryffin was still pissed at him. He walked into the dining hall for breakfast and threw himself into the seat next to Race before the campers came in. Artemis was outside with someone else, torturing the kids by making them sing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. Spot walked over to the table carrying two cups of coffee.
"Move it ya bum. Dat's my seat," Spot said, kicking the bottom of Blink's chair as he set the coffee on the table.
"Ah, shaddup an' go serve some more coffee," Blink said, picking up one of the cups.
"Put dat down an' get outta my seat," Spot said evenly. His cool eyes bored into Blink. "Now." Obviously, Kid Blink was not thinking clearly. He was talking back to Spot Conlon. Something had to be wrong if this stare was not going right through him.
"Screw you, Conlon!" I gotta talk ta Race, an' I'll move when I'm done!"
Barely an instant passed before Spot was in Blink's face, his left hand clenched around the taller boy's collar, his right hand massaging the familiar top of his cane. Blink was too mad to care that Spot could beat him up. He was too mad to listen to reason. He was confused, tired, and emotionally stressed. Spot was not intimidating to him anymore, simply because he did not care if he lived or died.
Blink stared back at Spot, his eye empty. He waited for Spot to throw a single punch, so that Blink could take out his anger. His entire body tensed, his muscles clenched and ready for a fight. Just keep that look going… it never was very hard to piss off Spot… just one touch from the smaller boy and Blink would be all over him…
Race looked between the two of them, trying to decide who would be more rational at the moment. He gave up, and chose to talk to Spot because Spot did have that soft side for Race.
"Spot," he whispered. "Spot, don' worry about it. He'll move soon if ya let 'im talk and get it ovah with."
Neither boy moved.
"Spot! Come on, Spot. Jus' let 'im down sos we can all eat."
Spot let go of Blink's shirt and took a few steps back. He did not stop glaring the icy glare that broke through to freeze every recipient's soul. Normally, it worked. Kid must have really not cared what Spot was going to do to him as he turned back to Race.
"Ya know, I don' know whassa mattah wid you'se, Race," Spot said, looking questioningly at his boyfriend. "You'se used ta love ta see me fight and ta watch me stick up fer yas. Ya tole me it was romantic. I don' get you. I jus' don' get it."
Spot shook his head and stalked off to the other side of the dining hall. Race watched him go silently. He folded his hands and put his head in them with a sigh. "Did ya want somethin', Blink?"
Blink woke up from his daze watching Spot force his way across the crowded room.
"Yeah… yeah I did. Race, I don' undahstan' goirls." Race nodded.
"Yeah, so ya come ta me for answers about goirls?"
"Yeah."
Obviously, Kid wasn't catching Race's drift. He said again, more plainly. "So ya come ta me, a gay guy, for answers about goirls?"
"Yeah," Blink said, looking confused. "Cause you know everythin' Race." Race rolled his eyes and dropped his head into his cupped hands.
"Don' I wish. What happened now?"
Blink continued to tell Race the story of the night before and the events thus far this morning. The conversation drug itself through breakfast. They did not really notice as the campers ate their pancakes.
"Okay, Blink," Race said when he had finished. "Here's what I'll do. I can't promise ya anythin', but I'll go talk ta her later, okay?"
Blink smiled at Race.
"Thank you'se."
Race waved him off.
"Enh… ya're jus' lucky dat I likes you."
After breakfast, Blink found Mush and they headed down to the Haven to relax for a little while. Blink couldn't get Gryffin off his mind.
"Hey, Blink, what movie do ya want ta watch?" Mush asked from his position in front of the numerous movies that were neatly organized alphabetically under the window. Blink remembered that it was one of Gryffin's obsessions to put them back in order. She couldn't stand when they were strewn about the room. Blink sighed. He needed to find something else to think about.
"I don' care, Mush. Jus' pick one. I don' know what any of them are about. I'se nevah seen dem before."
"Okay, how bout dis one? It's 'bout a pilot named Maverick and his flight companion Goose when dey go to a naval air school called Top Gun."
"Shoah, whatevah."
Mush popped in the movie. Some random movie stuff went on… something about a man dying in an accident and another pilot turning in his wings, and these two hooligans getting into the academy. For once, nobody joined them in the staff house. Blink had seen Gryffin, Eeyore and Luthien walk by on the way to Christy earlier, but he decided to leave her alone. Maybe time apart would let her calm down.
Something changed on the little television. The main character was now singing to some chick. Blink got an idea.
"Hey Mush… back dat up. Show dat part again."
Mush looked questioningly at Blink, but he did as his friend asked.
The wheels in Kid Blink's head were turning. He knew that Gryffin loved to hear a guy sing. It was something that Artemis had mentioned to him a few days ago. This guy on the television… he was winning the girl with this song… maybe… just maybe…
"Hey Mush," Blink called, his eyes moving slowly from the screen to his best friend. He grinned, a maniacal look in his eye. "Ya remember when ya said dat you'd do anythin' ya could ta help a friend?"
Mush suddenly had a feeling that he was going to regret his words.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Luthien was back in the Trading Post with Specs. The boy was sitting on the floor, helping her to fold t-shirts with little animals on them sitting around a campfire with the headline, "Who Ate the S'mores?" blazing across the top. They had been getting along well over the past few days, and Luthien was ready to take that one step further.
"Specs?" she called innocently. Then again, almost anything that came out of Luthien's mouth sounded innocent. "Could you help me please? I don't know how you learned to fold those so well. I've never been much good at folding shirts so that the fronts can be seen. At least her lie looked true. All of the shirts she had been folding she had folded wrong on purpose. Specs' shirts did not look wonderful, but they did not look as bad as the ones that Luthien faked at least. Specs came over to her to help.
"Shoah. Here, give me your hands," He said, sitting to her left and reaching over to help guide her hands along the fabric. He was very close to her, and Luthien was almost trembling, having never been this close to any guy that was not part of her family before. She let his strong hands hold hers as he folded the shirt for her.
"Thank you," she almost whispered as she turned her face to him. Specs looked almost mesmerized.
"Anytime…" he replied, his voice trailing away as he lost himself in her eyes.
It was now or never. Do or die. Luthien reached up with one hand and put it on Specs' cheek as she leaned in and kissed him swiftly and gently on the lips. When she pulled back, he was smiling and blushing. Eeyore's lessons had paid off.
End Seventeen
A/N: Okay, I know that I might not have gotten a shoutout! to everyone who sent one to me, but that is because I deleted them from my email, and they weren't up yet on fanfiction, so I am exceedingly sorry if I missed you.
I'd also like to apologize for the fact that the chapters are getting shorter, but the events now need to be told from switching viewpoints, and I don't like to switch more than once or twice in a chapter. I promise I'm trying to make them longer again. Okies, good night then to you all!
Shoutouts!
Cassie: Yay for being the first reviewer for this chapter! I am glad that you got the emotion out of the chapter; I did not think that I was doing a very good job with it.
Shot: I did not know you are in college too. What school do you go to, and what year are you in? Yes, I am just full of questions. * smirk * I really like philosophical!Race too. For some reason, I keep using him as my go-to man when something goes wrong. Race always knows what to say in my mind. ^_^
Gryffin: Hey! You'se guys! Blink, Mush, Skitts, Snitch… wouldja let Jack outta that cake back there for me, and put Race in instead?
Blink: Sure Gryff.
Race: What?
Jack: Thanks Mush. I didn' feel like stayin' in dere much longah. It's a bit cramped since I'm so tall.
Snitch: Come here Racey… it ain't dat bad in dere.
Race: No. NO. NO!
Gryffin: * smirk * Don't worry Race, I am sure that you will not be in there for long. Anywho… enjoy your cake! ^_^
Storm: Get outta my mind! Actually, I have all intentions of having Death Storm sometime soon. The question is… when? Bam bum baaaam! And I did not forget about your duct tape… I promise, I am getting there.
Artemis: I hate you… did you know that? Just checking. Sorry that the site would not let you read the story last night. I cannot fix that though. Did you know, there really have been six people staying in that tent at one time over the course of the summer? I was lucky enough to be left out of that though. It was right after Camp CEO when Spider was there for a few days. They made her clean Vash's room * shudder *. Okay, new topic… I have written so many chapters in the past few days, and they are so incredibly out of order. Now, all I have to do is build up to them. I have a great idea for dinner tonight at camp, when other interesting events occur… let's just say that we're having cake for desert. Your 'singing' is in chapter nineteen, as well as the cake and the start of the rain. XD Now I've just got to think up some plot for chapter eighteen and we'll be good.
Maddie: I'm glad you like the mushy gushy fluffy stuffs. It will lighten up, but it also gets heavier before the story is over. I never noticed Blink walking out of dance scenes… have to go watch that now… NO NO NO! I'm writing now… *deep breath* okay…
Kristan: :-D I luv ya hon! I need to find the rest of my Newsies outfit for Halloween. I need to take my brothers trick or treating, and I'm not going if I'm not dressed up. ^_6 Okies… I'm going to take a stack of left over papers from the paper bins before I leave that weekend too. *smirk* Do you want some too? Oh, and I'm really confused about the whole Jack thing. Just so you know.
Christine: I luff you! Of course I'll own you. (see above) I liked the idea of corrupting Luthien, because in all reality… we did! Artemis and I spent the night together one night, and we had mad rabid plot-Guidos, telling us all about the next few chapters and the end of the story. Don't worry hon, I have it all figured out. ^_~