Sadie woke up to the sounds of people in the street. The sun just peeked
over the buildings, but it seemed like the whole city was awake. Since it
was mid-August, she and Mush didn't really need the blanket they were
cuddled up in, especially now that the sun was up. Sadie sat up and rubbed
her eyes. They had spent the night on the rusty fire escape outside Mush's
fourth floor apartment since he had four other roommates inside making it
crowded enough inside. Mush rolled over, grabbed her arm, and pulled her
back down into his embrace.
"Five more minutes," he mumbled.
Sadie couldn't help but smile. "Ya lazy bum. It's no wonder me country rules the world."
Just then something hit the metal fire escape, then something else hit Mush. "Hey!" Another object hit the window. Mush jumped up to see who was throwing things at them. Ophelia stood below them, armed and ready to throw another rock. She dropped her arm when Mush appeared over the edge.
"Hey, is Race up 'ere?" she hollered.
"If you'se wasn't a goirl, I'd soak ya!" Mush replied.
"Oh! Jus' git Race will ya?"
Mush rapped on the window until Race appeared. "You know we gots a fight in two hours," Race said as he opened the window. "I hope she didn't wear you out," he said winking at Sadie. She blushed and looked away.
Mush whacked him on the side of the head. "She's a lady! Now your streetrat goirlfriend wants ya down dere." He pointed down at Ophelia on the street.
Race rolled his eyes. "Opie ain't me goirl. Tell 'er I'll be right down."
Mush and Sadie exchanged looks and giggled.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Peter Gould was by no means going to use his own money in this deal. The idea of tampering with the stock market was a little bit of a challenge. There weren't yet laws in place to control such endeavors, but there was still the possibility of a scandal if he were caught. His father, Jay Gould, was a genius at such experiments, and Peter intended to live up to his father's fortune if not reputation.
He had convinced his unruly brother-in-law to cough up enough money to get things started. Fortunately for him, Jacob Castellane was a fool with money, and naively handed over the funds without so much as a receipt, a witness (other than that governess), or a deal. So Peter had used the money under the name of a third-party, so that if it went well, he could take credit, and if it went badly, Jacob could not.
Either way, Peter Gould would come out with no loss.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At some point the night before, Spot realized that he had accidentally taken on more responsibility than just fixing today's fight for his gang. By taking Sadie to Mush, and not bringing her back to Mid-town where she was supposed to stay with Timmy Michelson's mother, he'd gotten in up to his neck. Somehow he needed to make sure he got Sadie to come back with him tonight. And he had to think of some way to make sure Mush didn't win this fight. His integrity within the Family rode on this.
Spot made his way through the crowd at the fight. It hadn't started yet, and Mush was getting warmed up inside the ropes. Racetrack stood right outside the ropes shouting out orders, that Sadie girl was close by, along with some other dark haired girl.
"If it ain't da infamous Spot Conlon!"
Spot turned around to see Kid Blink from the Manhattan newsies coming towards him. "Hey Kid, how's it goin'? Where's me boy Jack? Ain't seen 'im around."
"Ain't nobody seen Jack Kelly around. Rumor is 'e got a big time job wit' da govaner. No one knows fer sure. We ain't seen Davey eider. Seems like da old crowd jus' broke up." He shook his head, thinking of the good old days when they were young and wild and free. "Ya heared dat Mush is fightin' today?"
"Yeah, dat's why I'm 'ere," Spot answered as they made their way through the crowd. "Racetrack!"
Race turned and saw Spot, he couldn't hide the disappointment from his face. "Mush is gonna win dis time Spot, and I don't give a damn 'bout yer posse in Mid-town, 'cause my boy has been training hard fer dis."
Spot got right up in Race's face. "I don't t'ink you understand me, Racetrack. Mush cain't win dis fight." He cocked his head to the side, which meant he was ready for a fight if need be.
Blink interrupted. "Da fight's already started you'se guys. Shaddup!"
Ophelia scooted herself in between Blink and Race so she could hear the argument. Spot continued, "Make sure Mush goes down today. I don't wanna have ta wage war on me old buddies just 'cause you'se afraid ta lose one fight."
"One fight?!" Race screamed. "We's in da finals, you son of a bitch. No mother lovin' man would fix a fight in da finals!"
The argument continued well into the fifth round when Spot offered five dollars to Race and Mush if Mush would just lose.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ophelia listened to the two young men fight. When the new guy offered five dollars if Mush would lose, she could think only of that dress she saw at the consignment shop for five dollars. The dress she wanted so badly to wear to the count's party tomorrow evening. Between her desire for that money and her desire to make those two shut up, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
She pushed Spot aside, and got right up to the ropes. "Mush!" she screamed. "Mush! Look!" Mush didn't look up. Of course, he's concentrating. How to break his concentration? She unbuttoned her blouse, and shouted his name again. As soon as he finally looked up, she opened her shirt and flashed her breasts to him, as well as the rest of the crowd.
Mush stood, shocked. His opponent took that chance to give him an uppercut, which laid him out for the knockout. 1…2….3….4…
Ophelia rebuttoned up her shirt. Race and Spot stood frozen. 5….6….
Blink smiled and asked if she needed any help putting everything back into place. Race punched him. 7...8...9…
Ophelia walked right up to Spot. 10…11…12! "KO!"
"Ya owe me five dollars," she explained.
Spot quickly pulled out the money and handed it to her. "Anytime." He winked at her. She sauntered through the crowd which seemed to just part as she came near.
Blink ran after her shamelessly. "Hey, whatcha doin' tonight?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"And I thought I did some slutty t'ings in me time…." Sadie muttered under her breath as she ducked under the ropes to see if Mush was okay. She kneeled down next to him, and wiped the blood from his mouth. As soon as he came to, he quickly jumped up to prove himself a man. Spot brought him some water instead of Race, who was nowhere to be found.
"Sorry 'bout da fight. You'se was doin' aight until dat goirl showed us 'er knockers. Ain't never seen a pair before Mushy-boy?," Spot smirked.
Mush was confused at first, but that quickly transformed into anger. He got up in Spot's face and threatened, "You fuck wit' one more of me fights, and you'll be da one at da butt end of me fist." With that, he grabbed Sadie's hand and stepped out of the match.
"Wait." Spot grabbed her other hand. "She's coming wit' me."
"Five more minutes," he mumbled.
Sadie couldn't help but smile. "Ya lazy bum. It's no wonder me country rules the world."
Just then something hit the metal fire escape, then something else hit Mush. "Hey!" Another object hit the window. Mush jumped up to see who was throwing things at them. Ophelia stood below them, armed and ready to throw another rock. She dropped her arm when Mush appeared over the edge.
"Hey, is Race up 'ere?" she hollered.
"If you'se wasn't a goirl, I'd soak ya!" Mush replied.
"Oh! Jus' git Race will ya?"
Mush rapped on the window until Race appeared. "You know we gots a fight in two hours," Race said as he opened the window. "I hope she didn't wear you out," he said winking at Sadie. She blushed and looked away.
Mush whacked him on the side of the head. "She's a lady! Now your streetrat goirlfriend wants ya down dere." He pointed down at Ophelia on the street.
Race rolled his eyes. "Opie ain't me goirl. Tell 'er I'll be right down."
Mush and Sadie exchanged looks and giggled.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Peter Gould was by no means going to use his own money in this deal. The idea of tampering with the stock market was a little bit of a challenge. There weren't yet laws in place to control such endeavors, but there was still the possibility of a scandal if he were caught. His father, Jay Gould, was a genius at such experiments, and Peter intended to live up to his father's fortune if not reputation.
He had convinced his unruly brother-in-law to cough up enough money to get things started. Fortunately for him, Jacob Castellane was a fool with money, and naively handed over the funds without so much as a receipt, a witness (other than that governess), or a deal. So Peter had used the money under the name of a third-party, so that if it went well, he could take credit, and if it went badly, Jacob could not.
Either way, Peter Gould would come out with no loss.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At some point the night before, Spot realized that he had accidentally taken on more responsibility than just fixing today's fight for his gang. By taking Sadie to Mush, and not bringing her back to Mid-town where she was supposed to stay with Timmy Michelson's mother, he'd gotten in up to his neck. Somehow he needed to make sure he got Sadie to come back with him tonight. And he had to think of some way to make sure Mush didn't win this fight. His integrity within the Family rode on this.
Spot made his way through the crowd at the fight. It hadn't started yet, and Mush was getting warmed up inside the ropes. Racetrack stood right outside the ropes shouting out orders, that Sadie girl was close by, along with some other dark haired girl.
"If it ain't da infamous Spot Conlon!"
Spot turned around to see Kid Blink from the Manhattan newsies coming towards him. "Hey Kid, how's it goin'? Where's me boy Jack? Ain't seen 'im around."
"Ain't nobody seen Jack Kelly around. Rumor is 'e got a big time job wit' da govaner. No one knows fer sure. We ain't seen Davey eider. Seems like da old crowd jus' broke up." He shook his head, thinking of the good old days when they were young and wild and free. "Ya heared dat Mush is fightin' today?"
"Yeah, dat's why I'm 'ere," Spot answered as they made their way through the crowd. "Racetrack!"
Race turned and saw Spot, he couldn't hide the disappointment from his face. "Mush is gonna win dis time Spot, and I don't give a damn 'bout yer posse in Mid-town, 'cause my boy has been training hard fer dis."
Spot got right up in Race's face. "I don't t'ink you understand me, Racetrack. Mush cain't win dis fight." He cocked his head to the side, which meant he was ready for a fight if need be.
Blink interrupted. "Da fight's already started you'se guys. Shaddup!"
Ophelia scooted herself in between Blink and Race so she could hear the argument. Spot continued, "Make sure Mush goes down today. I don't wanna have ta wage war on me old buddies just 'cause you'se afraid ta lose one fight."
"One fight?!" Race screamed. "We's in da finals, you son of a bitch. No mother lovin' man would fix a fight in da finals!"
The argument continued well into the fifth round when Spot offered five dollars to Race and Mush if Mush would just lose.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ophelia listened to the two young men fight. When the new guy offered five dollars if Mush would lose, she could think only of that dress she saw at the consignment shop for five dollars. The dress she wanted so badly to wear to the count's party tomorrow evening. Between her desire for that money and her desire to make those two shut up, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
She pushed Spot aside, and got right up to the ropes. "Mush!" she screamed. "Mush! Look!" Mush didn't look up. Of course, he's concentrating. How to break his concentration? She unbuttoned her blouse, and shouted his name again. As soon as he finally looked up, she opened her shirt and flashed her breasts to him, as well as the rest of the crowd.
Mush stood, shocked. His opponent took that chance to give him an uppercut, which laid him out for the knockout. 1…2….3….4…
Ophelia rebuttoned up her shirt. Race and Spot stood frozen. 5….6….
Blink smiled and asked if she needed any help putting everything back into place. Race punched him. 7...8...9…
Ophelia walked right up to Spot. 10…11…12! "KO!"
"Ya owe me five dollars," she explained.
Spot quickly pulled out the money and handed it to her. "Anytime." He winked at her. She sauntered through the crowd which seemed to just part as she came near.
Blink ran after her shamelessly. "Hey, whatcha doin' tonight?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"And I thought I did some slutty t'ings in me time…." Sadie muttered under her breath as she ducked under the ropes to see if Mush was okay. She kneeled down next to him, and wiped the blood from his mouth. As soon as he came to, he quickly jumped up to prove himself a man. Spot brought him some water instead of Race, who was nowhere to be found.
"Sorry 'bout da fight. You'se was doin' aight until dat goirl showed us 'er knockers. Ain't never seen a pair before Mushy-boy?," Spot smirked.
Mush was confused at first, but that quickly transformed into anger. He got up in Spot's face and threatened, "You fuck wit' one more of me fights, and you'll be da one at da butt end of me fist." With that, he grabbed Sadie's hand and stepped out of the match.
"Wait." Spot grabbed her other hand. "She's coming wit' me."