Chapter 14
Sadly, their time at
"Really?" Jason nodded as he walked with them to the palace gates.
"Yes really. You're a natural with them. Have you spent any time previously with horses?" Race took one final look at the palace before answering, then turned his eyes back to the young king.
"Not really. I go ta the Sheepshead, um, horse races, practically every day. At least when Ise in
"Well, you should see if they have any positions open for working with the horses there." Race's face glowed in pride,
"Thanks, Jason. If only I could tell them that I got the recommendation of a king." Jason chuckled,
"If it's any consolation, you do have my recommendation." He stopped as the newsies plus Herc and Iolaus reached the gates. Jason waved to them as they departed. "Great to see you two again! Come back and visit me soon! And it was a pleasure meeting the rest of you! I wish you luck in all that you do!" Iolaus laughed as he waved back. Once he was out of earshot, he commented,
"I think all that training is really paying off. He's even starting to sound like a king." The others groaned as they yelled at Iolaus, making their way through the bustling marketplace to the city gates.
***
It took about a day to reach Alcmene's house from Cornith. Seeing as how they left the city early that morning, they reached Hercules' mother's home by dusk. Alcmene was tending to her garden when she saw her sons (one natural and one "adopted") coming down the path with a group of youth behind them. She straightened, smiled, and waved as they approached. "Hercules!" she exclaimed as her son reached the garden and embraced her.
"Hi mother," Hercules replied. Iolaus made a motion to tuck a stray curl behind his ear, then realized that there were none hanging to tuck.
"Hello, Alcmene." Alcmene turned to her surrogate son,
"Iolaus! Come here and give me a hug. You're as much as my son as Hercules." Iolaus did as he was told. Then Alcmene looked around her. "Well, you certainly have made a lot of new friends. And they all look like wonderful people. Now, what are you waiting for? Introduce me!"
The newsies
loved Alcmene. They raved about her
cooking—the best homemade that they'd ever had—and didn't mind having to sleep
outside or in the barn. For them, it was
a totally new and enjoyable experience. What did they do with their time, you ask? Well, Spot and Scamp avoided each other as
much as possible and spent most of their time wandering the woods/countryside
around Alcmene's house or relaxing. The others were constantly in conspiracy with
each other. For the newsies had one
final goal for themselves before they left
One morning, Scamp and Spot were innocently walking along when they were both grabbed and thrown into a room, Hercules' room to be precise. Eyes smoldering, Scamp bolted to the window as Spot sat down on the edge of Hercules' bed. As Scamp furiously threw the curtain aside she heard Hercules and Iolaus' voices outside.
Herc! Iolaus!" Scamp hollered at the top of her lungs furiously. " What....Why....You!" She was so mad she couldn't even finish one sentence.
"Yes you are locked in Hercules room; because you and Spot need to make up and yes we did it," Iolaus said grinning. Hercules wore a grin that matched his friend's perfectly.
" Oh i hate you two," Scamp said glaring at the two and flinging the curtain back over the window. She turned and glared at Spot who was turning his slingshot over and over in his hands. "Looks like we're stuck in here for awhile." Scamp
said sighing. Spot
looked up at her and shrugged his shoulders. " What aren't
you gonna say anything?" Scamp asked after a few
minutes of silence from the
"I thought you'se wanted me ta leave you alone and ta not talk to you'se,"
Spot said evenly.
"Well...I do," Scamp snapped as she crossed the room and turned her back to
Spot.
"You'se know you'se lost your accent again," Spot muttered under his breath.
"UH!" Scamp grunted as she crossed her arms over her chest.
*MANY hours later*
Scamp hadn't budged at all while Spot had explored Hercules' room looking at pictures that Hercules must have drawn when he was really young. Finally Spot sat back down on the bed and looked over at Scamp. It was tearing him up inside....he didn't know if he hated her or was just plain head-over-heels for her.
"You'se know we ain't gonna get outta here anything soon unless we'se talk," Spot said, hoping for some response.
"Why would i want to talk to some moron with a huge ego?" Scamp spat at Spot from over her shoulder.
This hit a nerve in the brooklyn newsie. "You'se know i was just tryin' ta get us outta here sonner and you'se ain't makin' it any eaiser! What, do you enjoy being stuck in here with me? Because frankly I'm not having the time of MY life!" Spot shouted at the girl sitting on the floor. "And i just lost my accent!" Spot cried out in frustration as he sat back down on the bed.
"Oh yeah Spot i love staring at the wall," Scamp said sarcastically. "Yeah this isn't a bed of roses for me either."
Spot began muttering something under his breath and Scamp looked up at him.
"What are you saying?" She asked venomously.
"Nothing, and why do you care?" Spot retorted at Scamp.
"Well if it has anything to do with me I'd like to know," Scamp said standing up and putting her hands on her hips as she looked at her once best friend.
Spot stood up from the bed letting out a sigh of expiration. "What if I told you that what I was saying was that I was madly in love with you?" Spot asked approaching Scamp with out a trace of seriousness in his voice but knowing deep down he was.
"I'd say you needed mental help," Scamp said looking at Spot.
Then just for a moment they're eyes locked and Spot slowly leaned towards Scamp and gave her a soft kiss upon her lips. "Well, the truth is…I do," Spot said looking her in the eyes. "But ummm…that is…I…." Spot said nervously scared that now Scamp was going to scratch his eyes out or worse for what he'd just done.
Scamp was shocked at what had just told her; he liked her. And not just 'oh yeah you're my best friend' kind-a like but 'oh I'm totally head-over-heels for you' kind-a like. Coming out of her state of shock she noticed that Spot was stuttering and turning very red. Scamp then slipped one of her hands behind Spot's neck and pulled his mouth back down to hers and gave him a deep kiss. When she broke the kiss Spot looked at her puzzled.
"I thought you hated me, what was that for?" He inquired.
"Ta shut you'se up," Scamp said grinning. "And ta let you'se know da I'se head-over-heels for you'se too."
"But…then…what was da purpose of us hatin' each other for da past…. Da past….who knows how long?" Spot asked Scamp smiling back at her.
"What was da purpose? The purpose was so our friends would get sick of us fightin' or more or less on talkin' to each other and lockin' us in a bed room to figure our true fealin's out," Scamp answered smiling.
"Yeah I'se guess so," Spot said thoughtfully. "Wait, did you'se say bed
room?"
Scamp rolled her eyes and drug Spot over to the window to let their friends
know they didn't hate each other any more.