When you are young everything is easy. You play, you laugh and you dream
about becoming older. But once you do become older things become more
complicated and the laughter dwindles until you forget how to laugh,
especially at yourself. When you become older you find yourself looking
back on your care-free days as a child and wondering what went wrong to
change everything so horribly. This story is about two people that lose
their childhood relationship, but the difference is they know when it went
bad...on one fate filled night....
(Like that Intro? Yeah there's a reason I'm not a professional writer can ya tell? lol)
~~~~~~~~~********************~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spot smiled at Tinker before her pulled her into a hug. "I'm real glad 'bout dis," he told her.
"Me too," she agreed. "Bein' friends wid ya was nice.but dis is nicer."
Spot smirked. "More perks."
Tinker hit him playfully. "Dat ain't what I meant!"
"But it's true," Spot reminded her, learning into kiss her.
"I gotta agree wid ya der," Tinker murmured before meeting Spot's lip with her own.
Once they had pulled away from each other Tinker began giggling.
Spot quirked and eyebrow. "Dat ain't usually da response I get when I kiss a goil."
"No.I was jest thinkin' 'bout what Jack's gunna look like when we tell him. He's gunna be sooo shocked."
Spot smiled. "Poor Jacky-boy."
"Well, it's not like anythins gunna change dat much," Tinker pointed out. "It'll still be da same. Hell, it's been da same since we were five! Nothin' can break up da three muskahteers!"
"Yeah.but some things are gunna definitely change," he told her, circling his arms around her waist.
"So, we'll go tell him an' den I'm goin' ta Brooklyn?" Tinker asked.
"Yeah," Spot agreed. "But foist." he trailed off, kissing her again.
"Things are gunna be bettah den evah," Tinker thought.
~~~~Three Months Later~~~~
"We gotta get word out ta all da newsies a New Yawk. I need some a dose.whadja call 'em?" Jack asked Davie, using hand movements to illustrate his thoughts.
"Ambassadors?" Davie suggested.
"Yeah, right, you guys, you gotta be am-bastards," he told the entire group of newsies that had gathered around him.
Davie and Tinker exchanged amused glances while the rest of the group burst into laughter.
"Go tell da othahs dat we're on strike," Jack continued.
"Say, Jack, I'll take Harlem," Blink offered.
"Yeah, I got Midtown," Racetrack claimed.
"I got da Battery, Jack," Mush volunteered.
"Hey, I'll take da Bronx," Crutchy told him, grabbing a friend near-by and enlisting him to join in the mission.
Jack, pleased that his newsies were willing to jump into action, started assigning the others, hoping they would be just as willing. "All right. An, Bumlets, an' Specs, an' Skittery, you take Queens."
The assigned boys nodded and started on their way.
Jack, feeling a small rush from ordering people around, continued. "Pie Eatah, Snoddy, East Side," he ordered. "Snipeshootah, you go wid dem."
Those three boys nodded in agreement and departed.
Jack, one to quit when he was ahead, decided to ask who wanted to go to Brooklyn, realizing it would be difficult to force anyone to go.
"So, what 'bout Brooklyn?" he asked. He sighed when he noticed all the boys re-direct their eyes to the ground and try to look inconspicuous.
"WUSSES" he thought. "Come on, Spot Conlon's territory! What'sa mattah? You scared a Brooklyn?"
A small boy courageously stepped forward saying, "Hey! We ain't scared a Brooklyn!" Then, loosing a little of his bravery, he quietly added, "It's Spot Conlon dat makes us a little noivous."
"Yes! A victim.I mean volunteer." Jack thought. Out loud, he said, "Well, he don't make me noivous. So, you an' me Boots, we'll go ta Brooklyn. An' Dave can keep us company.
Tinker let out a relieved sigh that she wouldn't be the one visiting Spot.
"Sure, but Jack, don't ya think Tinker should come too?" Davie asked.
Tinker glared at him coldly. "Damnit Davie!" she exclaimed.
"Well, from the story you and Jack told me about what happened, I doubt Spot'll run to help us out if you're here."
"He's right," Jack decided. "I know ya don't wanna see him so soon, but you gotta tell him da truth. An' trust me, I don't want him ta know anymoah den you do.but it's time ta tell him."
"No," Tinker stated. "I don't wanna go."
Jack, still on his power trip, told her, "Tough, yoah goin', even if Dave an' I gotta carry ya da whole way der."
Tinker glared. "I shoulda told him da truth from da beginnin' jest so he'd soak yoah cocky ass."
"I love you, too," Jack said sarcastically.
"Look, Tinker," Davie intervened. "We need Spot to help with this strike. We can't do it without Brooklyn. Spot prolly won't do it after what happened last week unless you tell him the whole truth."
Tinker thought about it for a moment. "All right, yoah right Davie. I'll go," she decided.
Davie gave Jack a smug smile. "Ya shoulda jest said dat, Jack," he told him.
Jack glared at Tinker, who was always giving him a hard time even though they were the best of friends.
"Aw.don't be angry Jacky-boy. Jest 'cause Davie's got a way wid women an' you don't doesn't mean ya gotta be jealous," she told him.
"I'm beginnnin' ta wish dat I'd nevah intraduced you two," Jack muttered.
Tinker smirked before running over and throwing her arms around Jack, "Aww.I still love you! Ya know I only give ya a hard time 'cause I care. I wanna make shoah dat yoah head don't get too swollen ta fit in yoah hat!"
Jack looked upset for a few moments before he rolled his eyes and hugged her back. "I don't know how we're still friends when yoah so damn mean ta me all da time."
"Well, we can't all be like Les an' follow ya 'round," Tinker said, pushing Les's hat down playfully.
"Hey! I do not," Les protested, pulling his hat back up. Les smirked and added, "I'se jest usin' him foh his pape sellin' til I know 'nough ta go inta business foh meself."
Tinker burst out laughing. "A kid aftah me own heart," she said, putting an arm around Les.
"So, are we goin'?" Jack asked.
"Sure," Davie answered. "Just as soon as you deliver our demands to Pulitzer."
Jack looked shocked. "Me? To Pulitzer?"
Davie flashed him a fake smile, looking very smug. "Your the leader Jack."
Jack looked uncertain for a moment before regaining his cocky attitude. "Well, maybe da kid'll soften him up," he said, grabbing Les away from Tinker and dragging him into the building.
Tinker and Davie laughed. The newsies that had been there, listening the entire time, began cheering loudly as Jack entered The World building.
"So, Davie, I'm gunna go back ta da Lodgin' House an' write me will," Tinker told him.
"Your will?" Davie asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"Yeah," Tinker answered. She waited until a younger newsie that had shook Davie's hand had left. "It's foh aftah Spot kills me."
Davie started laughing. "Okay, den. We're probably goin' tomorrow right?"
"Yeah, see ya latah," Tinker said, walking off as a cheesily-dressed man approached Davie.
----The Next Day----
Tinker, Jack, Davie and Boots made their way to Brooklyn early in the day. Tinker was her usual, amiable self, joking and talking the entire way, even though she was actually very scared about seeing Spot again so soon. As nervous as Tinker was, Jack was twice as nervous, trying to imagine what Spot would say when Tinker told him the truth. Boots was busily searching for pebbles the entire way, thinking he might be able to bribe his way into Spot's good graces. Davie was just curious about this mysterious Brooklyner that had so many newsies 'nervous'.
"I've never been to Brooklyn, have you?" Davie asked Boots, knowing the other two had.
"I spend a month there one night," Boots answered.
Davie thought about this for a second before laughing.
Jack hit Boots lightly and pointed to the rail of the bridge. Boots nodded and they walked over to the edge.
"You guys don't." Tinker started.
Jack and Boots took deep breaths and leaned over the edge of the bridge and started yelling.
".yell off the bridge, it's embarassin'," Tinker finished, lamely.
"Tradition," Jack told her once he had stopped.
Davie, finally asking the question he had been wondering for a long time, said, "So, is this Spot Conlon really dangerous?"
Tinker, Jack and Boots all started laughing as if he'd just said something extremely funny.
Davie, unsure if this was affirmation or negation, let it drop.
~~~~~*******~~~~~
The group finally reached the peer that was filled with Brooklyn newsies.
Davie, noticing all the tough looking boys, asked, "Are ya shoah he's gunna be heah?"
"Yup," Tinker answered.
Suddenly a boy pulled himself onto the dock. "Goin' somewheah, Kelly?" he asked.
Jack glared at the boy and walked around him, continuing his trajectory. Davie and Boots followed, glancing at the boy warily.
Tinker however said, "BLUE! Hey!"
The boy looked shocked to see her. "Tinkah!" he exclaimed, hugging her.
"AAAH! GET OFF!" she yelled, squirming around. "WET! WEEET!"
Blue laughed and pulled away quickly. "Ya desoive it foh not tellin' us ya were leavin'. What happened? A couple a da bravah boys asked Conlon but he wouldn't tell us nothin'."
"Spot an' I had a.uhh.small misunderstandin'," Tinker told him.
"Well, if Spot gets dis mad ovah somethin' small I would shoah hate ta be der if ya cheated on him or somethin'," Blue joked.
Tinker raised her eyebrows but said nothing.
Blue stopped laughing abruptly. "Oh no.ya didn't did ya?" he asked, looking worried.
"No.well.no a course not," she answered.
Her whimsical assurance didn't support the diminution of his apprehension. (do you like that sentence? Big words.)
"I bettah go talk ta him," Tinker said, knowing she couldn't put it off much longer.
Blue gave her a half smile. "Jest keep a safe distance, all right? He definitely isn't in one a his best moods."
"Goody for me," Tinker said, sarcastically, walking toward where Spot was.
She walked up just as Davie said, "So, ya gotta join, I mean.well, you gotta!"
Tinker noticed Spot had a highly amused and agreeable _expression. "Davie does got a way wid difficult people," Tinker thought, walking to where Spot could see her.
"You're right, Jacky-boy, brains. But I got a brain too, an' more den jest half a one," he stopped when he noticed Tinker standing there. "What da hell are you doin' heah?" he asked.
(Like that Intro? Yeah there's a reason I'm not a professional writer can ya tell? lol)
~~~~~~~~~********************~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spot smiled at Tinker before her pulled her into a hug. "I'm real glad 'bout dis," he told her.
"Me too," she agreed. "Bein' friends wid ya was nice.but dis is nicer."
Spot smirked. "More perks."
Tinker hit him playfully. "Dat ain't what I meant!"
"But it's true," Spot reminded her, learning into kiss her.
"I gotta agree wid ya der," Tinker murmured before meeting Spot's lip with her own.
Once they had pulled away from each other Tinker began giggling.
Spot quirked and eyebrow. "Dat ain't usually da response I get when I kiss a goil."
"No.I was jest thinkin' 'bout what Jack's gunna look like when we tell him. He's gunna be sooo shocked."
Spot smiled. "Poor Jacky-boy."
"Well, it's not like anythins gunna change dat much," Tinker pointed out. "It'll still be da same. Hell, it's been da same since we were five! Nothin' can break up da three muskahteers!"
"Yeah.but some things are gunna definitely change," he told her, circling his arms around her waist.
"So, we'll go tell him an' den I'm goin' ta Brooklyn?" Tinker asked.
"Yeah," Spot agreed. "But foist." he trailed off, kissing her again.
"Things are gunna be bettah den evah," Tinker thought.
~~~~Three Months Later~~~~
"We gotta get word out ta all da newsies a New Yawk. I need some a dose.whadja call 'em?" Jack asked Davie, using hand movements to illustrate his thoughts.
"Ambassadors?" Davie suggested.
"Yeah, right, you guys, you gotta be am-bastards," he told the entire group of newsies that had gathered around him.
Davie and Tinker exchanged amused glances while the rest of the group burst into laughter.
"Go tell da othahs dat we're on strike," Jack continued.
"Say, Jack, I'll take Harlem," Blink offered.
"Yeah, I got Midtown," Racetrack claimed.
"I got da Battery, Jack," Mush volunteered.
"Hey, I'll take da Bronx," Crutchy told him, grabbing a friend near-by and enlisting him to join in the mission.
Jack, pleased that his newsies were willing to jump into action, started assigning the others, hoping they would be just as willing. "All right. An, Bumlets, an' Specs, an' Skittery, you take Queens."
The assigned boys nodded and started on their way.
Jack, feeling a small rush from ordering people around, continued. "Pie Eatah, Snoddy, East Side," he ordered. "Snipeshootah, you go wid dem."
Those three boys nodded in agreement and departed.
Jack, one to quit when he was ahead, decided to ask who wanted to go to Brooklyn, realizing it would be difficult to force anyone to go.
"So, what 'bout Brooklyn?" he asked. He sighed when he noticed all the boys re-direct their eyes to the ground and try to look inconspicuous.
"WUSSES" he thought. "Come on, Spot Conlon's territory! What'sa mattah? You scared a Brooklyn?"
A small boy courageously stepped forward saying, "Hey! We ain't scared a Brooklyn!" Then, loosing a little of his bravery, he quietly added, "It's Spot Conlon dat makes us a little noivous."
"Yes! A victim.I mean volunteer." Jack thought. Out loud, he said, "Well, he don't make me noivous. So, you an' me Boots, we'll go ta Brooklyn. An' Dave can keep us company.
Tinker let out a relieved sigh that she wouldn't be the one visiting Spot.
"Sure, but Jack, don't ya think Tinker should come too?" Davie asked.
Tinker glared at him coldly. "Damnit Davie!" she exclaimed.
"Well, from the story you and Jack told me about what happened, I doubt Spot'll run to help us out if you're here."
"He's right," Jack decided. "I know ya don't wanna see him so soon, but you gotta tell him da truth. An' trust me, I don't want him ta know anymoah den you do.but it's time ta tell him."
"No," Tinker stated. "I don't wanna go."
Jack, still on his power trip, told her, "Tough, yoah goin', even if Dave an' I gotta carry ya da whole way der."
Tinker glared. "I shoulda told him da truth from da beginnin' jest so he'd soak yoah cocky ass."
"I love you, too," Jack said sarcastically.
"Look, Tinker," Davie intervened. "We need Spot to help with this strike. We can't do it without Brooklyn. Spot prolly won't do it after what happened last week unless you tell him the whole truth."
Tinker thought about it for a moment. "All right, yoah right Davie. I'll go," she decided.
Davie gave Jack a smug smile. "Ya shoulda jest said dat, Jack," he told him.
Jack glared at Tinker, who was always giving him a hard time even though they were the best of friends.
"Aw.don't be angry Jacky-boy. Jest 'cause Davie's got a way wid women an' you don't doesn't mean ya gotta be jealous," she told him.
"I'm beginnnin' ta wish dat I'd nevah intraduced you two," Jack muttered.
Tinker smirked before running over and throwing her arms around Jack, "Aww.I still love you! Ya know I only give ya a hard time 'cause I care. I wanna make shoah dat yoah head don't get too swollen ta fit in yoah hat!"
Jack looked upset for a few moments before he rolled his eyes and hugged her back. "I don't know how we're still friends when yoah so damn mean ta me all da time."
"Well, we can't all be like Les an' follow ya 'round," Tinker said, pushing Les's hat down playfully.
"Hey! I do not," Les protested, pulling his hat back up. Les smirked and added, "I'se jest usin' him foh his pape sellin' til I know 'nough ta go inta business foh meself."
Tinker burst out laughing. "A kid aftah me own heart," she said, putting an arm around Les.
"So, are we goin'?" Jack asked.
"Sure," Davie answered. "Just as soon as you deliver our demands to Pulitzer."
Jack looked shocked. "Me? To Pulitzer?"
Davie flashed him a fake smile, looking very smug. "Your the leader Jack."
Jack looked uncertain for a moment before regaining his cocky attitude. "Well, maybe da kid'll soften him up," he said, grabbing Les away from Tinker and dragging him into the building.
Tinker and Davie laughed. The newsies that had been there, listening the entire time, began cheering loudly as Jack entered The World building.
"So, Davie, I'm gunna go back ta da Lodgin' House an' write me will," Tinker told him.
"Your will?" Davie asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"Yeah," Tinker answered. She waited until a younger newsie that had shook Davie's hand had left. "It's foh aftah Spot kills me."
Davie started laughing. "Okay, den. We're probably goin' tomorrow right?"
"Yeah, see ya latah," Tinker said, walking off as a cheesily-dressed man approached Davie.
----The Next Day----
Tinker, Jack, Davie and Boots made their way to Brooklyn early in the day. Tinker was her usual, amiable self, joking and talking the entire way, even though she was actually very scared about seeing Spot again so soon. As nervous as Tinker was, Jack was twice as nervous, trying to imagine what Spot would say when Tinker told him the truth. Boots was busily searching for pebbles the entire way, thinking he might be able to bribe his way into Spot's good graces. Davie was just curious about this mysterious Brooklyner that had so many newsies 'nervous'.
"I've never been to Brooklyn, have you?" Davie asked Boots, knowing the other two had.
"I spend a month there one night," Boots answered.
Davie thought about this for a second before laughing.
Jack hit Boots lightly and pointed to the rail of the bridge. Boots nodded and they walked over to the edge.
"You guys don't." Tinker started.
Jack and Boots took deep breaths and leaned over the edge of the bridge and started yelling.
".yell off the bridge, it's embarassin'," Tinker finished, lamely.
"Tradition," Jack told her once he had stopped.
Davie, finally asking the question he had been wondering for a long time, said, "So, is this Spot Conlon really dangerous?"
Tinker, Jack and Boots all started laughing as if he'd just said something extremely funny.
Davie, unsure if this was affirmation or negation, let it drop.
~~~~~*******~~~~~
The group finally reached the peer that was filled with Brooklyn newsies.
Davie, noticing all the tough looking boys, asked, "Are ya shoah he's gunna be heah?"
"Yup," Tinker answered.
Suddenly a boy pulled himself onto the dock. "Goin' somewheah, Kelly?" he asked.
Jack glared at the boy and walked around him, continuing his trajectory. Davie and Boots followed, glancing at the boy warily.
Tinker however said, "BLUE! Hey!"
The boy looked shocked to see her. "Tinkah!" he exclaimed, hugging her.
"AAAH! GET OFF!" she yelled, squirming around. "WET! WEEET!"
Blue laughed and pulled away quickly. "Ya desoive it foh not tellin' us ya were leavin'. What happened? A couple a da bravah boys asked Conlon but he wouldn't tell us nothin'."
"Spot an' I had a.uhh.small misunderstandin'," Tinker told him.
"Well, if Spot gets dis mad ovah somethin' small I would shoah hate ta be der if ya cheated on him or somethin'," Blue joked.
Tinker raised her eyebrows but said nothing.
Blue stopped laughing abruptly. "Oh no.ya didn't did ya?" he asked, looking worried.
"No.well.no a course not," she answered.
Her whimsical assurance didn't support the diminution of his apprehension. (do you like that sentence? Big words.)
"I bettah go talk ta him," Tinker said, knowing she couldn't put it off much longer.
Blue gave her a half smile. "Jest keep a safe distance, all right? He definitely isn't in one a his best moods."
"Goody for me," Tinker said, sarcastically, walking toward where Spot was.
She walked up just as Davie said, "So, ya gotta join, I mean.well, you gotta!"
Tinker noticed Spot had a highly amused and agreeable _expression. "Davie does got a way wid difficult people," Tinker thought, walking to where Spot could see her.
"You're right, Jacky-boy, brains. But I got a brain too, an' more den jest half a one," he stopped when he noticed Tinker standing there. "What da hell are you doin' heah?" he asked.