DISCALIMER: Yada, yada, yada. Newsies belong to Disney. Phoenix, Salsa, and
Clue belong to me, though! Muah ha! Oh, and so does Crow! And Doctor
Reynald too! And Blackjack too!
A.N. Sorry it took a while for me to update. School has been a pooper! Too much homework, this is ri-goshdarn-dicolous! But anywho, here's the next chapter! Enjoy reading it, mmkay? VIOLENCE is in this chapter, just to warn ya.
Sugar and Spice and A Little Bit of Vice
"Heya Clue," Princess said as she sat across from the girl at Tibby's that afternoon. "I thought youse and Jacky was goin out."
Clue tightened her loose ponytail and sighed. "What makes ya bring that up?"
"Well I just saw the bum floitin wid his ex-goil, Sarah. Care tah explain?"
"Not really," Clue replied in a grumpy tone. "But seeing how youse aint gunna let it go until I do, I'll let ya in on a little secret. Me and Jack broke it off."
Princess' eyes widened. "What!? Youse were the cutest couple I'se ever known right beside Spot and Phoenix! Why'd ya break up? This is insanity!" She was saddened by the news so much that she thought she might even cry. "You guys always made me day. I'd see youse holdin his hand or givin him a quick kiss, and I'd think tah myself that everything's okay cause Jack and Clue is together."
"Well sorry tah break it tah youse, but we'se movin on." Clue took a sip of her water and glanced at the front entrance when the door to the restaurant opened wide. It was Jack, and he had Sarah all over him. "Ugh, I'se gunna be sick."
Princess followed her gaze and grimaced at the sight. "I hate that goil! She looks all innocent and soft-spoken, but I saw her one day walkin wid Jack, and one of her high-class friends came up tah her tah talk, and she let go of Jack's hand real quick so that nobody would know they's were goin out. She was embarrassed of him!"
"It doesn't seem like she's embarrassed now. In a few minutes, they's is gunna need a room."
"Nah, Sarah wouldn't do it wid Jack. As much as she tries to act like some badass goil, she'd never go tah bed wid him. She's all talk."
Clue shrugged and tried to ignore Jack, but she could not help but look his way every so often. She noticed that he would occasionally glance at her as well and it made her heart leap. What was he trying to do in bringing Sarah to Tibby's where he very well knew Clue would be eating? Did he want to see her act jealous? She took another sip of her water and considered it. Was it his little way of seeing whether she cared about him still?
"Heya Clue and Princess!" Clue almost jumped from the sudden greeting. She smiled upon seeing that it was Blink and scooted over so that he could sit beside her. "So how is me goils doing today?"
Princess rolled her eyes and turned her attention elsewhere while Clue seized the opportunity. If Jack was going to pain her by being with Sarah, she could do the same thing using Blink. Of course, she would not lead him on. He was a close enough friend to her to act as if they had a thing going on for each other. "Blink, can youse do me a favor?"
"Uh-oh. What is it now?"
Clue giggled. She explained to him the entire ordeal involving Jack and how it made her feel miserable. "Could youse act like we'se is going out or sumthin? Just for today! Please? I'll love youse forever!" She gave him the pleading look she was famous for and he eventually relented.
"All right! But if Jack soaks me, I'se taking it out on youse!" Blink draped an arm around her shoulders and moved closer to her with a broad smile upon his face. He looked at Jack hesitantly before he leaned in to kiss Clue on the cheek.
She blushed fiercely. "That was good," she whispered into his ear. "I think I saw him glare at youse!"
"And that's a good thing?"
"Of coise!" she laughed, kissing him quick on the lips. "This is so weird, youse is more like a brother tah me."
Blink shook his head. "Oh thanks!" When he saw Jack clench his fist, he gulped down hard. "Heya, why don't we'se set off early fer the afternoon edition?" Clue agreed and they both stood up to leave. Princess said she would stay and wait for the rest of the newsies to start filtering in and so the would-be couple strolled on out the door. As she passed by Jack, Clue smiled in the sweetest way and then grabbed Blink's hand in her own. Jack's only reaction was a clear expression of anger.
* * * * *
Runner tried to keep up with the quick pace Phoenix was setting, but he found it rather difficult. He could tell she was frustrated with Spot and that any minute she would break if he said the wrong word. "Uhm, Phoenix?"
"What?" she snapped, not even looking in his direction.
"I'se really sorry that I had tah interrupt youse and Spot. If it wasn't sumthin as important as the Queens taking over the Bronx, I wouldn't have done it. I know youse haven't been able tah spend alotta time wid him lately."
Phoenix stopped in her tracks. "How'd ya know that?"
"Well, Spot told me. He said that he feels really bad that he can't be wid youse all the time. He even thought about givin up his position as leadah of Brooklyn just so that he could be an average guy and spend his whole days wid ya." Runner relaxed when he saw the girl grin. They continued walking in silence thereafter in better moods.
"Ya know, he was tellin me how much he loves me today," she said suddenly with a dazed look clouding her face. "It was as if he was about tah propose, but I doubt that."
"Why?"
Phoenix shrugged. "I don't think he's ready tah commit yet. I mean he says he loves me and he shows me that he does in a number of ways, but there's still sumthin missing. It's kinda like the secure bond that marriage forms. I don't feel that." She looked at Runner for a comment but he had none for her. He was only thirteen and knew nothing of love, nor did he care to learn anytime soon.
"Hey Runner!" The young boy turned his head to see a few newsies flagging him down with their hands. They motioned for him to approach them, but he was uncertain whether he should. He did not recognize any of them, but then remembering how Bronx was in trouble, he figured it was important. "Be right back," he said to Phoenix. As he ran towards the boys, they backed into an alley until they could not be seen, and soon enough, Runner had disappeared around the corner too.
Phoenix waited for him to reappear with much impatience. She hugged herself and looked at her surroundings, finding no comfort in what she saw. She hated Midtown. When she was younger, it was like a hell to her and she wished to have no association with it. Groaning in annoyance, she started off to see what had become of Runner. Had he forgotten about her? She stepped up to the side of the wall that stretched out a few feet before breaking off into an alley and listened for a noise. All she could hear was unusual muffling sounds. She peeked around the corner slowly.
Before she could scream, a hand clamped over her mouth and yanked her forward roughly. "Why hello there, sweetheart. So we'se meet again." The boy who spoke kissed her neck and let his free hand caress her body. Phoenix's heart was pumping uncontrollably and she could hear its rapid beat pound in her ears. She kicked back, bit the boy's hand, and jumped away from him when he released her.
"You bitch!" he yelled.
Phoenix gasped when she saw the boy's face. Blackjack! The one Spot had practically beaten to death recently. He sneered when he saw her look of realization and neared her with dirty intentions in his eyes. "Stay away from me!" she screamt, but when she backed away, she only found herself in the arms of another boy, this one taller and broader.
"Why don't youse just calm down or else we'll kill yer little friend heah?" The second boy grabbed her arms and turned her around so that she could see Runner pushed up against a wall with a cloth tied around his mouth.
Phoenix glared at Blackjack. "What do youse want?"
"Oh, c'mon, doll face," he said, now a foot away from her. "Aint it obvious? I want youse."
"Go tah a whorehouse, I aint into that business." She spat in his face and tried to struggle out of the other boy's arm, but her efforts were in vain. "HELP!!!" She began screaming as loud as her vocal cords permitted, her shouts being silenced with one swift slap across her face.
"Shut up, ya skank." Blackjack jerked her towards him and threw her to the ground. Kicking her once in the side, he threatened her. "Shut yer damn mouth or we'll kill ya!" He pulled her up by her hair and crushed her lips with his own. She brought her fingers to his cheeks, and scratched deep into his face with her nails. "I had it wid youse! If youse is gunna be a bitch, then yer friends will pay." He tackled her to the ground where he straddled her and then nodded to his friend. "Soak the kid."
Phoenix watched in dread as Runner was hoisted to his feet. One of the larger boys grabbed the messenger newsie's head and slammed it violently back into the brick wall indifferently. Then he twisted Runner's arm so that the young boy begged for mercy, all Brooklyn toughness cast aside. He wept like a small child, but the one holding his arm did not feel pity. Instead, he twisted it more and more until a loud pop sounded. Runner cried out in pain and rolled into ball, his arm hanging limp beside him.
Blackjack looked at Phoenix and combed his fingers through her hair. "Now, I don't want tah have tah do that tah a pretty goil like youse. Why don't we'se just have some fun, and then youse can go back home."
"Okay," Phoenix said weakly. "But could youse possibly get off of me? I'se prefer the top." She smiled mischievously at him and he arched an eyebrow in surprise that she was agreeing to his request. He stood to his feet and then held out a hand to help her arise. She took it gently, but then pulled on it hard so that he fell face forward to the ground. When two of the other boys came after her, she took off the lid of a nearby trashcan and flung it at one of them, successfully smacking one's forehead.
"Youse in fer it now, skank," Blackjack said as he recovered from his fall and blocked the girl from doing any other tricks. She tried to run pas him, but he tripped her and then shoved her into one of the corners of the alley. Rummaging through a trashcan, he found a beer bottle and broke it in half. When Phoenix made one last attempt to run away, he struck her with the glass object, making her collapse. He jumped atop her and punched her in the jaw several times until she cried softly and gave up resistance. "Now that's a good whore."
Phoenix blinked her eyes, but the blood trickling down her face caused her to only see red. She felt pain all over her body and Blackjack's weight did not help any. A sudden chill came upon her. She felt exposed and degraded. She tried to call out for Spot, but her throat contracted and closed on her. Her head was shaking from side to side and her hearing died down.
And then she was lost in a black void of nothingness.
More to Come! PLEASE REVIEW!!! I know this chapter did not have any mushy stuff in it, but it's important for the drama part of the story. Don't let that keep you from REVIEWING!!! I am obsessed with REVIEWS! Please click the little, cute button down there and SUBMIT a REVIEW! Please? Love ya all!
A.N. Sorry it took a while for me to update. School has been a pooper! Too much homework, this is ri-goshdarn-dicolous! But anywho, here's the next chapter! Enjoy reading it, mmkay? VIOLENCE is in this chapter, just to warn ya.
Sugar and Spice and A Little Bit of Vice
"Heya Clue," Princess said as she sat across from the girl at Tibby's that afternoon. "I thought youse and Jacky was goin out."
Clue tightened her loose ponytail and sighed. "What makes ya bring that up?"
"Well I just saw the bum floitin wid his ex-goil, Sarah. Care tah explain?"
"Not really," Clue replied in a grumpy tone. "But seeing how youse aint gunna let it go until I do, I'll let ya in on a little secret. Me and Jack broke it off."
Princess' eyes widened. "What!? Youse were the cutest couple I'se ever known right beside Spot and Phoenix! Why'd ya break up? This is insanity!" She was saddened by the news so much that she thought she might even cry. "You guys always made me day. I'd see youse holdin his hand or givin him a quick kiss, and I'd think tah myself that everything's okay cause Jack and Clue is together."
"Well sorry tah break it tah youse, but we'se movin on." Clue took a sip of her water and glanced at the front entrance when the door to the restaurant opened wide. It was Jack, and he had Sarah all over him. "Ugh, I'se gunna be sick."
Princess followed her gaze and grimaced at the sight. "I hate that goil! She looks all innocent and soft-spoken, but I saw her one day walkin wid Jack, and one of her high-class friends came up tah her tah talk, and she let go of Jack's hand real quick so that nobody would know they's were goin out. She was embarrassed of him!"
"It doesn't seem like she's embarrassed now. In a few minutes, they's is gunna need a room."
"Nah, Sarah wouldn't do it wid Jack. As much as she tries to act like some badass goil, she'd never go tah bed wid him. She's all talk."
Clue shrugged and tried to ignore Jack, but she could not help but look his way every so often. She noticed that he would occasionally glance at her as well and it made her heart leap. What was he trying to do in bringing Sarah to Tibby's where he very well knew Clue would be eating? Did he want to see her act jealous? She took another sip of her water and considered it. Was it his little way of seeing whether she cared about him still?
"Heya Clue and Princess!" Clue almost jumped from the sudden greeting. She smiled upon seeing that it was Blink and scooted over so that he could sit beside her. "So how is me goils doing today?"
Princess rolled her eyes and turned her attention elsewhere while Clue seized the opportunity. If Jack was going to pain her by being with Sarah, she could do the same thing using Blink. Of course, she would not lead him on. He was a close enough friend to her to act as if they had a thing going on for each other. "Blink, can youse do me a favor?"
"Uh-oh. What is it now?"
Clue giggled. She explained to him the entire ordeal involving Jack and how it made her feel miserable. "Could youse act like we'se is going out or sumthin? Just for today! Please? I'll love youse forever!" She gave him the pleading look she was famous for and he eventually relented.
"All right! But if Jack soaks me, I'se taking it out on youse!" Blink draped an arm around her shoulders and moved closer to her with a broad smile upon his face. He looked at Jack hesitantly before he leaned in to kiss Clue on the cheek.
She blushed fiercely. "That was good," she whispered into his ear. "I think I saw him glare at youse!"
"And that's a good thing?"
"Of coise!" she laughed, kissing him quick on the lips. "This is so weird, youse is more like a brother tah me."
Blink shook his head. "Oh thanks!" When he saw Jack clench his fist, he gulped down hard. "Heya, why don't we'se set off early fer the afternoon edition?" Clue agreed and they both stood up to leave. Princess said she would stay and wait for the rest of the newsies to start filtering in and so the would-be couple strolled on out the door. As she passed by Jack, Clue smiled in the sweetest way and then grabbed Blink's hand in her own. Jack's only reaction was a clear expression of anger.
* * * * *
Runner tried to keep up with the quick pace Phoenix was setting, but he found it rather difficult. He could tell she was frustrated with Spot and that any minute she would break if he said the wrong word. "Uhm, Phoenix?"
"What?" she snapped, not even looking in his direction.
"I'se really sorry that I had tah interrupt youse and Spot. If it wasn't sumthin as important as the Queens taking over the Bronx, I wouldn't have done it. I know youse haven't been able tah spend alotta time wid him lately."
Phoenix stopped in her tracks. "How'd ya know that?"
"Well, Spot told me. He said that he feels really bad that he can't be wid youse all the time. He even thought about givin up his position as leadah of Brooklyn just so that he could be an average guy and spend his whole days wid ya." Runner relaxed when he saw the girl grin. They continued walking in silence thereafter in better moods.
"Ya know, he was tellin me how much he loves me today," she said suddenly with a dazed look clouding her face. "It was as if he was about tah propose, but I doubt that."
"Why?"
Phoenix shrugged. "I don't think he's ready tah commit yet. I mean he says he loves me and he shows me that he does in a number of ways, but there's still sumthin missing. It's kinda like the secure bond that marriage forms. I don't feel that." She looked at Runner for a comment but he had none for her. He was only thirteen and knew nothing of love, nor did he care to learn anytime soon.
"Hey Runner!" The young boy turned his head to see a few newsies flagging him down with their hands. They motioned for him to approach them, but he was uncertain whether he should. He did not recognize any of them, but then remembering how Bronx was in trouble, he figured it was important. "Be right back," he said to Phoenix. As he ran towards the boys, they backed into an alley until they could not be seen, and soon enough, Runner had disappeared around the corner too.
Phoenix waited for him to reappear with much impatience. She hugged herself and looked at her surroundings, finding no comfort in what she saw. She hated Midtown. When she was younger, it was like a hell to her and she wished to have no association with it. Groaning in annoyance, she started off to see what had become of Runner. Had he forgotten about her? She stepped up to the side of the wall that stretched out a few feet before breaking off into an alley and listened for a noise. All she could hear was unusual muffling sounds. She peeked around the corner slowly.
Before she could scream, a hand clamped over her mouth and yanked her forward roughly. "Why hello there, sweetheart. So we'se meet again." The boy who spoke kissed her neck and let his free hand caress her body. Phoenix's heart was pumping uncontrollably and she could hear its rapid beat pound in her ears. She kicked back, bit the boy's hand, and jumped away from him when he released her.
"You bitch!" he yelled.
Phoenix gasped when she saw the boy's face. Blackjack! The one Spot had practically beaten to death recently. He sneered when he saw her look of realization and neared her with dirty intentions in his eyes. "Stay away from me!" she screamt, but when she backed away, she only found herself in the arms of another boy, this one taller and broader.
"Why don't youse just calm down or else we'll kill yer little friend heah?" The second boy grabbed her arms and turned her around so that she could see Runner pushed up against a wall with a cloth tied around his mouth.
Phoenix glared at Blackjack. "What do youse want?"
"Oh, c'mon, doll face," he said, now a foot away from her. "Aint it obvious? I want youse."
"Go tah a whorehouse, I aint into that business." She spat in his face and tried to struggle out of the other boy's arm, but her efforts were in vain. "HELP!!!" She began screaming as loud as her vocal cords permitted, her shouts being silenced with one swift slap across her face.
"Shut up, ya skank." Blackjack jerked her towards him and threw her to the ground. Kicking her once in the side, he threatened her. "Shut yer damn mouth or we'll kill ya!" He pulled her up by her hair and crushed her lips with his own. She brought her fingers to his cheeks, and scratched deep into his face with her nails. "I had it wid youse! If youse is gunna be a bitch, then yer friends will pay." He tackled her to the ground where he straddled her and then nodded to his friend. "Soak the kid."
Phoenix watched in dread as Runner was hoisted to his feet. One of the larger boys grabbed the messenger newsie's head and slammed it violently back into the brick wall indifferently. Then he twisted Runner's arm so that the young boy begged for mercy, all Brooklyn toughness cast aside. He wept like a small child, but the one holding his arm did not feel pity. Instead, he twisted it more and more until a loud pop sounded. Runner cried out in pain and rolled into ball, his arm hanging limp beside him.
Blackjack looked at Phoenix and combed his fingers through her hair. "Now, I don't want tah have tah do that tah a pretty goil like youse. Why don't we'se just have some fun, and then youse can go back home."
"Okay," Phoenix said weakly. "But could youse possibly get off of me? I'se prefer the top." She smiled mischievously at him and he arched an eyebrow in surprise that she was agreeing to his request. He stood to his feet and then held out a hand to help her arise. She took it gently, but then pulled on it hard so that he fell face forward to the ground. When two of the other boys came after her, she took off the lid of a nearby trashcan and flung it at one of them, successfully smacking one's forehead.
"Youse in fer it now, skank," Blackjack said as he recovered from his fall and blocked the girl from doing any other tricks. She tried to run pas him, but he tripped her and then shoved her into one of the corners of the alley. Rummaging through a trashcan, he found a beer bottle and broke it in half. When Phoenix made one last attempt to run away, he struck her with the glass object, making her collapse. He jumped atop her and punched her in the jaw several times until she cried softly and gave up resistance. "Now that's a good whore."
Phoenix blinked her eyes, but the blood trickling down her face caused her to only see red. She felt pain all over her body and Blackjack's weight did not help any. A sudden chill came upon her. She felt exposed and degraded. She tried to call out for Spot, but her throat contracted and closed on her. Her head was shaking from side to side and her hearing died down.
And then she was lost in a black void of nothingness.
More to Come! PLEASE REVIEW!!! I know this chapter did not have any mushy stuff in it, but it's important for the drama part of the story. Don't let that keep you from REVIEWING!!! I am obsessed with REVIEWS! Please click the little, cute button down there and SUBMIT a REVIEW! Please? Love ya all!