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One year later.
Blue ran down the alleyway towards Brooklyn, angry tears threatening to spill over any minute. She couldn't believe everything that was happening. Things had gone so terribly wrong when they were supposed to be good. It had started with the commemoration for the Newsies rally a few weeks ago. Everything was going smooth, but Bright Eyes had been acting just a little funny. Nothing unusual. Racetrack had confessed to the boys that he just happened to like her and she liked him. That was good news. But then at the actual commemoration, the Delancys and hundreds of other boys soaked them. Majorly soaked them. Her own brother had been injured greatly, Jack's leg had been hurt, and Racetrack's arm had been sliced pretty good, and Spot.
She didn't want to think about Spot. He had been hurt badly and she had in fact gone to see him once. Alright twice. Fine then! Three times.That was only because he had asked her too. But she didn't have to go. But she did. She felt that he was lonely and she also felt that if she wasn't there then he would try to escape the hospital and run back to Brooklyn before he was healed. She smiled somewhat at the memories. They had played cards, he had told her about how things were run in Brooklyn, and she had kept him updated on how Brooklyn was holding out without him. Though she didn't want to admit it, she had actually enjoyed those visits. But she had to push him out of her mind to think of the awful thing that had recently occurred.
Bright Eyes, her best friend, the girl who was almost like her sister, was gone. She had left them. She didn't even know why. Bright Eyes had left a note for the Newsies telling them that if she didn't leave they would get hurt. She had not wanted to take that chance. So she had left. She didn't tell any of them. Just left a simple note. Blue had to see Spot and tell him. She had been elected to do it because Jack and the others were spreading out everywhere else to spread the word to Bright Eyes' numerous friends. She didn't like the idea of telling Spot Conlon that his childhood friend had flown the coop, but at the same time, she'd hate to be responsible for NOT telling him.
She took a deep breath and walked into the Brooklyn Lodging House. She was greeted by a few yelled 'hellos' as she sought out a certain face. She found Fox and walked over to him quickly. Fox grinned half-heartedly as he saw her and waved a greeting.
"Heya Blue. What kin I do fer ya?" He asked.
"I need ta see Spot. Ya know where he is?" Blue asked hesitantly.
Fox paled and looked around as he began to stutter.
"Well, ah, um. I'm not exactly sure where he is, but," He gulped again as Blue looked at him curiously.
"What aren't ya tellin' me Fox?" She asked suspiciously.
"He already knows Blue." Blue turned around to face Red as he walked up to them grimly.
Blue stared at him in shock.
"He knows?" Red nodded.
"Yeah. He kin tell ya about it if you really wanna chance tawkin' to him." He said, shrugging.
"Whaddya mean? 'Chance' tawkin' ta him?" Blue asked hesitantly.
"Well he ain't been hiself lately an' he kinda neva wants ta tawk ta nobody." Fox said uneasily.
Blue scoffed.
"I ain't afraid ta tawk ta Brooklyn. I don't care if he's as mad as da demons in hell. I'm gonna tawk ta him. I ain't afraid of Spot Conlon." She said determindedly as she walked out the door.
Fox and Red looked at each other. "She's spunky ain't she?" Red commented.
"Ya've got no idea." Fox muttered.
Blue started searching for Spot starting from the Lodging House and was determined to search all of Brooklyn if she didn't find him. It was evening and soon darkness was falling fast, making her searching more difficult. She finally came to the docks and sat down on one of the crates near the water. She sighed and looked up, and as she did, a figure illuminated by the moonlight caught her eye. The person was sitting on the very edge of the dock, dangling his feet in the water. His shoulders were hunched and in one hand rested a cane. Blue sighed shakily and stood up, padding silently over to him. When she reached him, she stopped unsure of what to do.
"I know yer dere. So why doncha sit down?" Spot asked quietly.
Blue started but sat down on the edge of the dock, leaving a good foot between them. She slipped off her shoes and thrust her feet into the lukewarm water. There was silence for a few moments till Blue spoke up.
"So, Red told me dat ya knew." She said quietly.
There was no reaction from Spot. His eyes continued to stare off into the water.
"Yeah. I knew. I saw it." Blue was startled.
"Ya saw it? How?" Spot looked at her for the first time and scoffed.
"Yeah I saw it. Saw her walk onta da boat an' leave!" Spot said angrily.
Blue didn't say anything, but merely gazed at him intently.
"So ya ask if I knew? Yeah I knew. Saw her walk onta dat boat widout her even sayin' goodbye. I mean, I didn't tink dat she was even dat callus! She didn't even say good-bye an' dats what really hoits. She didn't say a woid. I didn't even see it comin'. Now I shoulda seen it comin'. I could see da strike comin' from a mile away but I couldn't even see me best friend slip away from me." As Spot spoke, his tone dropped almost to a whisper.
Blue looked away from him and looked out across the water.
"So whaddya gonna do?" Blue asked quietly.
Spot scoffed and pitched a rock into the water.
"Do? What kin I do? Da only ting I can do is wha I'm doin' right now." He muttered.
"An' what's dat? Go crazy?" Blue asked.
Spot looked at her sternly.
"No. I ain't neva gonna say dat goil's name anymore. She was neva here. She's jest a story, a legend. Dat's all. Dat, dat, GOIL, don't exist no more." Spot said in a ghostly voice.
Blue jumped up from her seat.
"Yer tawkin' crazy tawk Conlon!" She said, staring at him.
He stood up and grasped her by the shoulders.
"I ain't gonna stand fer dat goil ta take advantage of Spot Conlon! I neva cared 'bout her! Ya undastand? Neva! She neva meant anytin' ta me! She was jest some, some, goil! She wasn't important!" He said, shaking her shoulders.
Blue stared at him, watching his eyes. They were tortured, those eyes. In the silver moonlight, they changed colors. From dull gray to a sparkling green, but both burning. They seemed to be on fire with hate and at the same time, the pain of loss.
"Yer tellin' me dis why?" She whispered.
Spot's hands dropped from her shoulders and he looked away.
"I don't know. Maybe ta try an' convince myself." He said softly.
Blue took a step towards him but stopped as his hand shot out.
"Don't. Jest go Blue." He said, looking away.
Blue stood still, not sure what to do.
"Jest go." He whispered, this time looking at her.
Blue's gaze locked in his own and they stared at each other a moment more before Blue spun on her heel and walked off into the darkness. Spot looked after her then turned away. Blue put her hands over her mouth as she felt a sob rising in her throat. It was now where she would have had the perfect opportunity to call Spot Conlon soft. But now she couldn't do it.
One year later.
Blue ran down the alleyway towards Brooklyn, angry tears threatening to spill over any minute. She couldn't believe everything that was happening. Things had gone so terribly wrong when they were supposed to be good. It had started with the commemoration for the Newsies rally a few weeks ago. Everything was going smooth, but Bright Eyes had been acting just a little funny. Nothing unusual. Racetrack had confessed to the boys that he just happened to like her and she liked him. That was good news. But then at the actual commemoration, the Delancys and hundreds of other boys soaked them. Majorly soaked them. Her own brother had been injured greatly, Jack's leg had been hurt, and Racetrack's arm had been sliced pretty good, and Spot.
She didn't want to think about Spot. He had been hurt badly and she had in fact gone to see him once. Alright twice. Fine then! Three times.That was only because he had asked her too. But she didn't have to go. But she did. She felt that he was lonely and she also felt that if she wasn't there then he would try to escape the hospital and run back to Brooklyn before he was healed. She smiled somewhat at the memories. They had played cards, he had told her about how things were run in Brooklyn, and she had kept him updated on how Brooklyn was holding out without him. Though she didn't want to admit it, she had actually enjoyed those visits. But she had to push him out of her mind to think of the awful thing that had recently occurred.
Bright Eyes, her best friend, the girl who was almost like her sister, was gone. She had left them. She didn't even know why. Bright Eyes had left a note for the Newsies telling them that if she didn't leave they would get hurt. She had not wanted to take that chance. So she had left. She didn't tell any of them. Just left a simple note. Blue had to see Spot and tell him. She had been elected to do it because Jack and the others were spreading out everywhere else to spread the word to Bright Eyes' numerous friends. She didn't like the idea of telling Spot Conlon that his childhood friend had flown the coop, but at the same time, she'd hate to be responsible for NOT telling him.
She took a deep breath and walked into the Brooklyn Lodging House. She was greeted by a few yelled 'hellos' as she sought out a certain face. She found Fox and walked over to him quickly. Fox grinned half-heartedly as he saw her and waved a greeting.
"Heya Blue. What kin I do fer ya?" He asked.
"I need ta see Spot. Ya know where he is?" Blue asked hesitantly.
Fox paled and looked around as he began to stutter.
"Well, ah, um. I'm not exactly sure where he is, but," He gulped again as Blue looked at him curiously.
"What aren't ya tellin' me Fox?" She asked suspiciously.
"He already knows Blue." Blue turned around to face Red as he walked up to them grimly.
Blue stared at him in shock.
"He knows?" Red nodded.
"Yeah. He kin tell ya about it if you really wanna chance tawkin' to him." He said, shrugging.
"Whaddya mean? 'Chance' tawkin' ta him?" Blue asked hesitantly.
"Well he ain't been hiself lately an' he kinda neva wants ta tawk ta nobody." Fox said uneasily.
Blue scoffed.
"I ain't afraid ta tawk ta Brooklyn. I don't care if he's as mad as da demons in hell. I'm gonna tawk ta him. I ain't afraid of Spot Conlon." She said determindedly as she walked out the door.
Fox and Red looked at each other. "She's spunky ain't she?" Red commented.
"Ya've got no idea." Fox muttered.
Blue started searching for Spot starting from the Lodging House and was determined to search all of Brooklyn if she didn't find him. It was evening and soon darkness was falling fast, making her searching more difficult. She finally came to the docks and sat down on one of the crates near the water. She sighed and looked up, and as she did, a figure illuminated by the moonlight caught her eye. The person was sitting on the very edge of the dock, dangling his feet in the water. His shoulders were hunched and in one hand rested a cane. Blue sighed shakily and stood up, padding silently over to him. When she reached him, she stopped unsure of what to do.
"I know yer dere. So why doncha sit down?" Spot asked quietly.
Blue started but sat down on the edge of the dock, leaving a good foot between them. She slipped off her shoes and thrust her feet into the lukewarm water. There was silence for a few moments till Blue spoke up.
"So, Red told me dat ya knew." She said quietly.
There was no reaction from Spot. His eyes continued to stare off into the water.
"Yeah. I knew. I saw it." Blue was startled.
"Ya saw it? How?" Spot looked at her for the first time and scoffed.
"Yeah I saw it. Saw her walk onta da boat an' leave!" Spot said angrily.
Blue didn't say anything, but merely gazed at him intently.
"So ya ask if I knew? Yeah I knew. Saw her walk onta dat boat widout her even sayin' goodbye. I mean, I didn't tink dat she was even dat callus! She didn't even say good-bye an' dats what really hoits. She didn't say a woid. I didn't even see it comin'. Now I shoulda seen it comin'. I could see da strike comin' from a mile away but I couldn't even see me best friend slip away from me." As Spot spoke, his tone dropped almost to a whisper.
Blue looked away from him and looked out across the water.
"So whaddya gonna do?" Blue asked quietly.
Spot scoffed and pitched a rock into the water.
"Do? What kin I do? Da only ting I can do is wha I'm doin' right now." He muttered.
"An' what's dat? Go crazy?" Blue asked.
Spot looked at her sternly.
"No. I ain't neva gonna say dat goil's name anymore. She was neva here. She's jest a story, a legend. Dat's all. Dat, dat, GOIL, don't exist no more." Spot said in a ghostly voice.
Blue jumped up from her seat.
"Yer tawkin' crazy tawk Conlon!" She said, staring at him.
He stood up and grasped her by the shoulders.
"I ain't gonna stand fer dat goil ta take advantage of Spot Conlon! I neva cared 'bout her! Ya undastand? Neva! She neva meant anytin' ta me! She was jest some, some, goil! She wasn't important!" He said, shaking her shoulders.
Blue stared at him, watching his eyes. They were tortured, those eyes. In the silver moonlight, they changed colors. From dull gray to a sparkling green, but both burning. They seemed to be on fire with hate and at the same time, the pain of loss.
"Yer tellin' me dis why?" She whispered.
Spot's hands dropped from her shoulders and he looked away.
"I don't know. Maybe ta try an' convince myself." He said softly.
Blue took a step towards him but stopped as his hand shot out.
"Don't. Jest go Blue." He said, looking away.
Blue stood still, not sure what to do.
"Jest go." He whispered, this time looking at her.
Blue's gaze locked in his own and they stared at each other a moment more before Blue spun on her heel and walked off into the darkness. Spot looked after her then turned away. Blue put her hands over her mouth as she felt a sob rising in her throat. It was now where she would have had the perfect opportunity to call Spot Conlon soft. But now she couldn't do it.