Author's Note: Wow! I never thought it would get this long! And the ideas
keep coming… Sheesh. Oh well, gotta love the ideas when the writer's block
isn't in the way! And Riley is named after Riley Finn from Buffy: tVS… I'm
addicted and I hate Riley and the way he treats Buffy there and Fast here.
And I don't own Fast or the original newsies… Only Singah, Fidget, and all
the other ones you don't recognize.
PS Special thanks to Fastdancr who keeps getting me through my stupid writer's block that hits once a chapter. And thanks to the wonder-substance sugar. Thank goddess for sugar. I'm done. Read the story.
1 Chapter Sixteen
Jack and Fastdancer sat in companionable silence outside the Lodging House on the fire escape. They were thinking about different things- mostly the person sitting next to them and their previous relationships, Jack about Sarah, Fast about her ex-boyfriend, Riley. Riley had left Fast to join the Army, telling her that he loved her, but he didn't feel like she felt the same way. She had, and it had broken her heart. Soon after, her father had told her that she was going to marry a man she had never met, simply because his drinking and gambling had put them in debt. She ran instead, making her way to New York like her brother had.
Jack's thoughts moved from Sarah to the pretty girl sitting next to him. He wondered why she had come to New York, but the unwritten law was, never ask a newsie why they're a newsie. If they want to tell you, they'll tell you. He really liked her, and they'd only met once. He had felt this way about Sarah, too, but she had left him. He wanted Fast to be different, but there was only one way to see if he even had a chance. He had to ask her out.
"Umm, Fast? I know we just met an' everything, but… I was wondering, do you wanna go to Medda's with me tomorrow, see a show?"
Fast was taken aback. Secretly, though her heart was still broken over Riley, she had been hoping the handsome newsie would ask her. She hesitated.
"Look, I'm sorry if it isn't a good time or whatever, but I really like you…" Jack continued nervously.
"I'd love ta go, Jack." She smiled. "I'd love to."
"Great! Are you gonna stay in Brooklyn wid yer brother or stay here?" He was hoping she'd stay.
"I think I'm gonna stay here. Spot didn't really seem to like me that much."
"Ah, he was just being Spot. Always has to be in control. I think you just shook him up- Brooklyn's never had a girl newsie."
"Well, then, that explains a lot. But what about Singah? Wasn't she a Brooklyn newsie?"
"Not really. She and Spot started seeing each other, and I kinda went over the top about it and kicked her out. See, Spot used to be a womanizer, and Singah's like a little sister to me. I didn't want to see her or Fidget get hurt, so I ordered Spot to stay away from them. Obviously, you see how that went. Anyway, when I kicked her out, Singah stayed over at Brooklyn with Spot, along with all my other newsies, who thought I was being stupid (and they were right!). They ditched me until I apologized. She was never one of Brooklyn, she was ours and they just kinda borrowed her."
"Right. Well, Jack, I gotta go find a bunk and check on Singah… I'll see ya in the mornin', Jack."
"Night, Fast." Jack watched her go inside, and once she was gone, his head filled with thoughts of her face. Spot was right… He did love her. –How do I know that? I just met her!- One side of Jack thought. –But Sarah never made you feel like this! Don't you feel right sitting next to her? Just being near her, not even talking?- The second side of him was right. He did feel right next to Fast. He was in love.
Author's Note(again): Sorry these last couple have been short- I'm lazy, what can I say. Announcements coming in the next chapter. Stay tuned. And thanks to Rae Kelly for beta reading this!
PS Special thanks to Fastdancr who keeps getting me through my stupid writer's block that hits once a chapter. And thanks to the wonder-substance sugar. Thank goddess for sugar. I'm done. Read the story.
1 Chapter Sixteen
Jack and Fastdancer sat in companionable silence outside the Lodging House on the fire escape. They were thinking about different things- mostly the person sitting next to them and their previous relationships, Jack about Sarah, Fast about her ex-boyfriend, Riley. Riley had left Fast to join the Army, telling her that he loved her, but he didn't feel like she felt the same way. She had, and it had broken her heart. Soon after, her father had told her that she was going to marry a man she had never met, simply because his drinking and gambling had put them in debt. She ran instead, making her way to New York like her brother had.
Jack's thoughts moved from Sarah to the pretty girl sitting next to him. He wondered why she had come to New York, but the unwritten law was, never ask a newsie why they're a newsie. If they want to tell you, they'll tell you. He really liked her, and they'd only met once. He had felt this way about Sarah, too, but she had left him. He wanted Fast to be different, but there was only one way to see if he even had a chance. He had to ask her out.
"Umm, Fast? I know we just met an' everything, but… I was wondering, do you wanna go to Medda's with me tomorrow, see a show?"
Fast was taken aback. Secretly, though her heart was still broken over Riley, she had been hoping the handsome newsie would ask her. She hesitated.
"Look, I'm sorry if it isn't a good time or whatever, but I really like you…" Jack continued nervously.
"I'd love ta go, Jack." She smiled. "I'd love to."
"Great! Are you gonna stay in Brooklyn wid yer brother or stay here?" He was hoping she'd stay.
"I think I'm gonna stay here. Spot didn't really seem to like me that much."
"Ah, he was just being Spot. Always has to be in control. I think you just shook him up- Brooklyn's never had a girl newsie."
"Well, then, that explains a lot. But what about Singah? Wasn't she a Brooklyn newsie?"
"Not really. She and Spot started seeing each other, and I kinda went over the top about it and kicked her out. See, Spot used to be a womanizer, and Singah's like a little sister to me. I didn't want to see her or Fidget get hurt, so I ordered Spot to stay away from them. Obviously, you see how that went. Anyway, when I kicked her out, Singah stayed over at Brooklyn with Spot, along with all my other newsies, who thought I was being stupid (and they were right!). They ditched me until I apologized. She was never one of Brooklyn, she was ours and they just kinda borrowed her."
"Right. Well, Jack, I gotta go find a bunk and check on Singah… I'll see ya in the mornin', Jack."
"Night, Fast." Jack watched her go inside, and once she was gone, his head filled with thoughts of her face. Spot was right… He did love her. –How do I know that? I just met her!- One side of Jack thought. –But Sarah never made you feel like this! Don't you feel right sitting next to her? Just being near her, not even talking?- The second side of him was right. He did feel right next to Fast. He was in love.
Author's Note(again): Sorry these last couple have been short- I'm lazy, what can I say. Announcements coming in the next chapter. Stay tuned. And thanks to Rae Kelly for beta reading this!