Chapter Summary: The Poker Game- let the good times roll!
Disclaimers: Honestly, I don't own them. (If I DID own them, I would not be here writing stories!) (Don't you hate people who try to make up fun disclaimers?)
Rating: Right now? PG, later PG- 13 and even later probably R (I can't resist it!)
So sorry about the delay!! I'll make this one long to make up for it!
(right where chapter 3 finishes)
Spot headed back down inside, "Hey- you boys ready to go ova to Manhattan and take der money?"
"Ain't we always? Let's go!" replied some newsie from the back.
The boys poured out of the house for the walk to Manhattan. Some of them stayed behind, too exhausted for the long trek over to Manhattan. Most of the boys would probably spend the night and peddle their papes on the way back to Brooklyn the next morning, so the ones that stayed behind had great sales the next morning, all the same, the boys loved a good poker game, not to mention a night out to party.
As they reached the Manhattan house, they were welcomed and quickly settled into tables of different games. The hierarchy of the newsies was clear as they settled into different tables according to their unofficial ranks. Jack, Spot, Race, Ditch, Mush, Kid and some unknown girl were situated at the most prominent table, though it was off in a corner, it was most definitely the center of the action.
As Race leaned over to whisper something in the girl's ear, Spot observed them carefully from across the table. "Heya Jackie- boy, what's the deal with the new goil?"
"I dunno, some homeless goil Race met at the tracks. He brought her home today, but I haven't actually seen him make a move." Jack responded.
Spot regarded them for a minute, watching her carefully listen to what Race was saying, some tip about playing poker Spot guessed by the way she was looking at the cards. He saw Kid watching the girl and figured that this week had its drama cut out for it. Almost every week some new girl was brought in, causing turmoil among a few of the newsies. Race picked up new girls the most frequently, which is why it came as a surprise that he had actually tried to recruit a boy, and ended up with the girl. After a few minutes of watching the exchange happening across from him, he replied, "I dunno Jackie, Kid seems to have his eye out on dis one."
"Yeah, I see whatcha mean, dis'll be interestin, dat's for sure."
"Yep- Ok, I call," Spot said, and shortly after collected the pot for that round.
After downing a few more beers and playing a few more rounds, the scene became much less organized as everybody loosened up and forgot about their troubles outside that night. When Skittery got up on the table and began to sing, all hell broke loose and it started getting wild. About this time, Kid and Kit could be found in the corner where they were originally playing poker. Instead Kit watched bemused as the newsies enjoyed themselves. Ya know, besides da fact dat most of dem come from troubled pasts, dey really do have a fun life right now. What's a family if dey don't love ya anyways? Dese guys'll love ya no matta where ya come from. I think me and Port have found us a new home.
"So how did you twos end up on da streets?" Kid asked, jolting her out of her thoughts and back to reality.
"Oh, ya know, same old story. Our mudda ran off wit another man, and my fadda committed suicide after dat." She quickly spat out, her eyes shifting around to avoid meeting his, "How, uh, did you end up here?"
"Similar story." He replied tacitly. Neither of them seemed very comfortable with this subject, so he changed it to something more light. "Ya think you twos are gonna stay here?"
"Ya, I do," and she rewarded him with a smile. After a moment her face fell and she looked away, "that is if it's okay with you guys."
"Oh yeah! Of course it is," he quickly responded, reassuring her by grabbing her arm.
After a glance between them, they both smiled; he grabbed her hand and said, "C'mon lets go join the fun." They went over to where newsies were dancing, boys and girls, or boys having little competitions with each other or the girls. In general, everybody was just having a good time. The losers from the poker game trying to forget their losses and the winners celebrating their good fortune. After dancing for a little bit she slumped against the wall for a minute to rest. After showing off for another minute, Kid joined her, leaning up next to her.
Kit watched the other newsies with curiosity. "What's da deal with dis Spot guy?" she asked abruptly, as her eyes followed him on the dance floor. He was currently dancing with some girl, whispering something in her ear as she giggled.
Kid tensed up, "Oh, well, he's da leada of da Brooklyn newsies. He's wit a different goil every week, it's pretty hard to keep his interest, just uses goils and throws dem off for some new goil," he forced out casually with a defensive edge.
She looked at him for a minute then burst out laughing. "Hey look goil, I don't see what's so funny," he said visibly upset.
"Relax, I ain't interested in him, not my type, I'se just wonderin. Everybody seems to know him and even be afraid of him besides you, Jack, Race an Mush. Oh ya, an Ditch too. But he don't seem so tough to me, what's the big deal about him?" She rambled on, watching Spot again, failing to notice the twinkling in Kid's eye that replaced the distress the moment she started talking. After she finished, she looked over wondering why he was silent. She looked at him, puzzled at the mischievous smirk now grinning back at her.
"So tell me, if Spot ain't ya type, who is?" he wryly said as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh shut up, you are so unbearable!" She exclaimed as she grabbed his hand and lead him back out to the dance floor. She was visibly more relaxed and less defensive than she had been that afternoon after she realized that the newsies actually had good intentions.
From across the room Race grinned as he watched the whole exchange. (A/N: Kind of a creepy fic huh? Seems like someone is always watching…o.o)
The party continued well into the night until the newsies crashed wherever they could, on chairs, sharing beds, any spot that might be considered a place to sleep, even the floor for the late nighters (or the people who passed out in those spots).
The next morning the newsies rose to the cheerful joking of Kloppman. "C'mon you lazy bummas, get up! Not only do you all gots ta carry da banner, you gots to clean today!" The newsies groaned more than usual on their way to the bathroom to get started for the day. Clothes lay in random locations around the lodging house. Kid stumbled downstairs in his underwear, searching around for a shirt that was finally discovered on a light hanging from the ceiling. Plucking it from the light, he struggled into it, moaning over to a sink where he started drinking from the faucet.
All the newsies behaved in similar manners, finding articles of clothing randomly strewn all over the house, and getting ready for any day, only with hangovers to boot. They were such a pathetic group stumbling towards the distribution center that Jack didn't even have enough trouble to start a fight with the Delanceys and the boys took their needling without protest.
As the day wore on and Spot made his way back towards Brooklyn, he regretted that he never got a chance to talk with the new girl, she seemed nice and not one to walk all over- especially if she had spent a whole day with Race and Kid and neither had succeeded in making her their new girl. He wandered back to Brooklyn wondering what the next week, or even day would bring.
Yeah- I know that ending was just pure crap, but it's 12:30 and it's really time to start wrapping this thing up- still gotta spell check and edit. I AM SOOOO SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE FOR SO LONG!! I had a really busy week between sports and choir and mock trial and big storms and rain and homework and tests with a minor (but nonetheless very real) family crisis thrown in there, and it just got all crazy on me for a little bit. SO- I tried to make this chapter longer (and I did), so… go me? No, that can't be the point I was trying to make with all this. Right- I'm SORRY! (I got it now) So please KEEP READING AND REVIEWING- I appreciate anything you can give me!
Kaylee- yeah, I meant give me some details about whatever you want your character to be like, And anyone else who wants a character too! You know, a few specs, physical and/or otherwise.
And yeah Falco- I don't see any reason why Spot shouldn't be happy, they seem mighty happy in the movie. There's all that angsty business and what not with Santa Fe, but you know, Jack got his mack on with Dave's sister and I think he got over that whole Santa Fe stuff pretty quick after that. Broadway- I think we all love spot! Hehe
THANK YOU GUYS FOR REVIEWING! Since winter break just started, hopefully I will be able to update lots these next two weeks! HOWEVER, I'm having some computer difficulties (ie on my real computer I can either have word open, or other programs open, and sometimes not even that. On lappy (my laptop), I turn it on, work for a few mins and it turns off, which used to happen after a couple hours of use and now happens after a few minutes- so I'm gonna look into these things, cause honestly they're just not making me happy!) BUT hell and high water shan't keep my from me writing! OK- it's my bedtime now for sure!