Shout Outs~
Ann: Thank you for the review…and of *course* things'll be patched up—this is us!
Vinyl: o.O; Enthusiastic. Thanks for reviewing.
::THROWS ROTTEN FRUIT AT OTHERS::
REVIEW NOW!
****
Specs trudged down the dimly-lit street, his hands crammed down in his pockets. His head was bowed and his lips bent down in a grimace. Unwittingly, Specs had made his way to the side of this foul town that he was from. Prostitutes whistled and beckoned to him as he walked by. But he kept his head down and walked.
Specs hated it. He absolutely loathed anything to do with women selling themselves on the street corner. It was disgusting, immoral, degrading, and so on. How could people just overlook that? There was a reason that there were so many orphans in this city. Illegitimate children whose mothers were whores who couldn't take proper care of a child—in the unlikely event that they wanted it—and whose fathers sought after anything but living proof of the sin that they had committed.
There were so many of the children begging and struggling to make their own sort of living at ages as young as five. The little girls, if they were attractive enough, took after their mothers in the business. Also at devastatingly young ages. These kids, they had no where to turn, no one to turn to.
Specs should know…since he was one.
****
It was the next morning when Specs found himself at the Distribution Office gates, walking back into the crowd of the Manhattan newsies. He weaved his way through and came up next to Dutchy. Specs tapped him on the shoulder.
"Specs! Where ya been? Geez, you look loike you ain't even slept none." Dutchy exclaimed. He grabbed Specs' arm and pulled him closer. "Ehy, d'you know dat Stage's been cryin' all noight? She couldn't even roll outta bed dis mornin'. And Specs, ya should see how red Stage's eyes are. I didn't t'ink dey could toirn dat kinda colah."
"What is she crying for?" Specs hissed. Dutchy looked taken aback.
"You don't care?" asked a female voice.
Specs spun to face the girl. "Who're you?"
"Oh, dis is Dottie, Specs." Dutchy filled in. "We ran inta hoir last noight…"
"Why should I care 'bout Stage?"
" 'Cause she's your goil!"
"She ain't me goil."
"Whadd'ya talkin' 'bout? You love hoir! You told me dat last week!"
"Maybe dat was befoir I found out what a whore she really is undaneath all dat supahficial stuff."
"That doesn't change love." Dottie retorted in a hiss.
"It changes everyt'ing!"
"Not if ya love hoir!"
"I don't!"
"Specs—"
"Drop it, Dutchy." Specs snapped, moving ahead in the line to get his papers. Dutchy frowned deeply at his back…this wasn't good. He glanced over at Dottie who looked just as upset. This wasn't good at all.
****
"You guys shouldn't be staying here." Stage mumbled, not facing her friends.
"We aren't leaving you here to kill yourself, Sylvia." ToT replied. The three friends never used each others' real names unless they were dead serious about whatever it was they were talking about.
"I won't kill myself."
"Bullshit."
"You need to pay your rent for tonight."
"Kloppman said he'd let us slide for the night." Sparkles piped up.
"Why does he hate me?" Stage asked to no one in particular. "Is it really that bad?"
"Kloppman doesn't hate you." Sparkles said slowly.
"I think she may mean Specs." ToT told her.
"He doesn't hate you. It's probably…just a shock."
"He'll be back any minute now. Just you wait."
"He called me a whore." Stage mumbled again.
"That's what you were, isn't it?" ToT blinked. Sparkles elbowed her sharply and sent a warning look in her direction. "I mean…um…"
"Forget it." Stage cut her off, pulling the blanket over her head.
"I should give that boy a piece of my mind."
"If you can find him," said Sparkles.
"Shh," ToT hissed, elbowing her short friend. "I'll find him—if I have to search all of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Harlem, Queens...hell! All of New York!" She turned and strode from the room. Sparkles blinked at her dramatic exit. And yawned.
"Jack keep you up late last night, Sparkles?" Stage asked in a bitterly sardonic tone. " 'Cause you sound pretty tired."
"No…just a dream woke me up. I had trouble getting back to sleep, that's all."
"Hm."
"I'll be—" Yawn. "—Fine."
"…" Stage said nothing.
****
Sparkles opened her eyes and stretched her arms. She turned over on her side, much happier after her nap. Sparkles' eyes fell on the bunk across from her, on her right. It was Stage's bunk…
…and it was empty.
****
Stage: ::beats reviewers with rolled up newspapers::
ToT: *blinks* Why are you doing this to our poor reviewers?
Stage: Because they aren't reviewing!
ToT: Ooh. ::gets out gun.::
Stage: o_O; That's not going to help our situation.
ToT: ::ponders this:: Hm. Guess not.