Title: The Brooklyn Chronicles: The Accused
Chapter: Chapter Two—Da' Newsie Brudda'hood
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Disney owns Newsies and all the characters from Newsies (well, excepting the ones that were real… i.e. Spot and Racetrack). They're all copyright and what not, blah blah blah, you've seen it a billion times. I don't own them, but I do own Colly, Boyd, Blackjack, Cats-Eye, Steelie, Domino, Guv'na, Red, and Ties. If I happen to have a character that's the same name as one of yours (only after I started this did I start seeing the name "Blackjack" pop up once or twice) and you're really very worried about it, I'll change it. But don't do that unless the characters are exactly alike, I do love mine the way they are.
** * **
Chewing thoughtfully on a piece of bread that was more or less stale (a wholesome breakfast), Colly waited behind Boyd in the line for the distribution offices. He had enough money for twenty papers, and that was probably more than he'd need his first day selling. The line moved and Boyd stepped up to the window. He clinked down a fifty-cent piece on the counter.
"Hundred papes," he declared proudly. "An', c'meah, Colly," Collin timidly walked up to Boyd's side. "T'oity papers fer me pahtna'." Collin jerked his head up in surprise, staring at Boyd incredulously.
"What? Don't botha', Boyd, I… I have me own money. I don't need nobody payin' fer me." Boyd slapped down another fifteen cents and handed Colly a stack of papers.
"Youh foist day on da job an' youh tellin' ME what ta do?" Boyd shook his head good-naturedly, pretending to scold Colly. "Ya' take dose papes as a gift an' tomorrer ya' can buy youh own." Boyd jumped off a wooden platform, strolled over to a well-dressed woman and, respectfully taking his cap off, pitched his lines and sold a paper. He looked for his partner and found Colly clear across the street making a business transaction with an elderly gentleman. Tucking a penny into his pocket, Colly glanced up and waved cheerfully at Boyd.
"Sold me foist pape!" he called. Boyd walked across the street with the familiar cry of "Extra, extra!" to join Collin... and perhaps attract a few customers on the way.
** * **
After Boyd had sold all of his papers and Colly had managed most of his, Boyd had the great idea to go swimming. Laughing apprehensively, Collin protested it was too cold and took out the ten-cent piece he'd planned on using for his papers that morning.
"How 'bout I treats ya' ta a drink instead, Boyd? Ta repay ya' fer da papes." Colly stepped into a small restaurant, tugging lightly on Boyd's shirt to get him to follow. Boyd came inside and slid into a booth. Colly ordered two root beers and slouched down in the comfortable seat. "Mmmm… wish dat ouh beds was made of dis."
"So, how old are ya, anyway? Nine? Ten?" Boyd asked, folding a napkin origami-style. "Look! A swan!"
"Fouhteen… Boyd, dat's a napkin crumpled inta a ball. It don't look like a swan." Collin grinned at Boyd's look of surprise. "Well, it don't."
"No, it ain't dat. Youh fouhteen? Ya look 'bout ten, kid." Boyd looked up as the drinks came. "T'anks."
"I'se fouhteen! Jus' small fer me age!" Insulted, Colly frowned and messed with his cap a little. "I sweah."
"Ah, don' worry 'bout it, Col. I believe ya. 'Sides… younga' sells moah papes, rememba'?" Boyd grinned and quickly finished his root beer. "Ya done yet? Let's go." Colly took a last sip and dropped a few pennies on the table to pay for their drinks. The two newsies headed for the door feeling just as refreshed with a cool drink as they would have with a cold swim. Stepping outside, Boyd recognized one of the other newsboys.
"Red! Hey, Red!" Boyd called, and the young redhead shoved his way through the afternoon lunch crowds to meet up with Collin and Boyd. "What's up, kid? Been sellin' good today?"
"Yeah, I guess so." Red narrowed his eyes. "What wheah ya two doin' in dere?"
"Colly bought us some drinks. Ain't dat nice of him?" Boyd clapped Colly on the shoulder. "He's a good fella'." Collin shrank back at Red's glare, feeling small and awkward.
"Yeah, I noticed ya' two gettin' real pal-sy togedda'," Red pointed out bitterly. "So when ya' gettin' hitched?" Boyd started forward at Red, but regained his composure and settled for just glaring at the feisty little carrot-top.
"Deah ain't no call fer dat, Red! Ya leave Colly alone, it ain't gonna change dat me 'n' him are pahtnas. Ya jus' run along and keep youh sick ideas ta youhself." Boyd looked as if he would punch Red if there were any kind of protest. Red glowered at Colly one last time and stalked off.
"What's his problem? I ain't done nuttin' ta' him," Colly mumbled, "Have I?" Boyd shrugged and started walking down the street that led to the lodging house.
"He's jus' jealous. Me 'n' him sold togedda' fer a while, but he's okay on his own. He'll get ova' it, don' worry, Col. 'Sides..." Boyd smirked and stuck his chest out proudly. "Dere's plenty of me ta go around."
** * **
"Damn. I fold."
"Yeah, me too. Ya win again. How d'ya keep doin' it?"
"Puah luck, boys. An' I'm plannin' on exehcisin' some o' dat luck at a big poka' game tonight. Some hotshots from Queens are comin' inta town and startin' a, ah, quiet liddle game at da local pub."
"Hah! Can't wait ta see ya lose ta' dem."
"So, why don' ya come and play, too?"
"Nah, we'se got betta' t'ings ta do tonight... met a coupla' goils, didn' we, Domino?"
"Ya boys picked up a coupla' dames?" Boyd walked into the bunkhouse, laughing. "How much are ya payin' dem?" he joked. A group of boys sat on the floor, having just finished their poker game. Blackjack put his cards away and Domino popped a peanut into his mouth and rested his back against the wall.
"Hardeeharhar, Boyd. Dey're real goils!" Domino grabbed another handful of peanuts from a bag near him. Collin leaned on the edge of his and Boyd's bunk and watched the other boys.
"As opposed ta what, dose, uh, whaddya' call 'em... manny-quins?" Guv'na teased, and all the boys got loud, shouting and joking around.
When it calmed down, and a few boys had left (dates and poker games were waiting), one of the young newsies that Colly had met that morning walked in. His trademark bowtie, the reason people had given him the nickname "Ties", was mussed, and his arms were cupped around something obviously wet and shivering.
"What's dat, Ties?" Red tried to pry Ties's hands open, but Ties moved away.
"Shove off, Red. Dis is too delicate fer ya." Ties moved one hand away to reveal a tiny gray kitten. "I found 'im in a puddle on da side of da road. He ain't nobody's, or else he wouldn' be so thin!" Boyd carefully took the kitten out of Ties's arms and inspected him.
"Da t'ing seems ta be healt'y, if a liddle wet and hungry. Ties... ya know we'se ain't allowed ta keep pets at da Lodgin' 'ouse." Boyd handed the kitten back to the younger boy, considering his options as the older, more responsible boy. "Ties, I won' tell Spot nor da Lodgin' 'ouse caehtaka' dat youse got a cat heah. But find a home fer it tomorrer." When Ties nodded sadly, Boyd looked around at the others in the room menacingly. "None o' ya' betta' get Ties in trouble 'bout dis."
"We ain't gonna, Boyd." Red crossed his arms. "Unless da' new kid is some kinda rat." Colly jumped up, startled and angered.
"Look here, Red, I ain't done nothin' to ya! You'se been like dis since dis afta'noon, bitta' an' grumpy!" Collin nodded his head fiercely, as if to say "so there!" The other boys, surprised at Colly's sudden outburst, didn't know what to say. Red, determined to get Colly back, opened his mouth. Boyd put a large hand on Red's shoulder and squeezed it threateningly. Red shut his mouth and stormed off to his bed to sulk.
"Ties, I'll find ya a home fer da kit," Colly said, his voice taking an entirely different tone. "Maybe... maybe me folks can take 'em in. Dey ain't got enough money ta' feed me, but how much can a kit eat?"
** * **
Colly woke up before dawn, before any of the other boys, and pulled his large, gray checked shirt over his slightly dirty white undershirt. It had become a habit for Colly to sleep with his cap on; and, sure enough, it was still there on his head when he woke up. Regardless, Colly crept into the washroom and adjusted it carefully in one of the dusty mirrors.
He left the lodging house and silently ran down the cobblestone streets to a five-story apartment building. Climbing the fire escape, Colly stopped at the third floor and peeked into a two room flat. A thin, dreary woman bustled about in the tiny kitchen space and an equally undernourished man was waking up and getting ready for the workday ahead of him.
Colly quietly pushed open the window and swung himself into the room. The woman's mouth opened as if she was going to scream and nothing had invited itself to make noise. At the same moment, she dropped a handful of eating utensils, which caused a startling clatter. The man jumped up and grabbed Colly by the shirt, ready to throw him out. Colly's hat fell off and he raised his arms, surrendering to the man. The man squinted at Collin, and then his eyes widened.
"Hullo Mum, hullo Dad..."
** * **
Colly pushed his way through a cluster of boys at the distribution offices. Breathless, he motioned to get Ties's attention, and the younger boy, holding the cat in his arms tenderly, walked over with a hopeful, expectant look in his eyes.
"Dey said okay. I can takes 'im ova' anytime taday." Colly gave Ties a brotherly grin and Ties thanked him vigorously.
"I owes ya one, Col, if ya eva' need a fava'... 'S good ta know dat liddle Fluffy'll be taken caeh of!" Ties smiled happily and Colly joined Boyd in line.
"Dat was nice of ya, Col. Bit s'prisin' when I woke up an' ya ain't in youh bed, but dat's okay." Boyd glanced at Colly's face. "Ya okay? Ya look a bit sad."
"Seein' me paren's... well, I'se just missin' dem, is all. Dis mornin' was the foist time I'se seen 'em in a month." Colly looked at the ground. "But it ain't dere fault dat dey can't affohd me." Guv'na stepped into line behind Boyd and Colly.
"Speakin' of not bein' able ta' affoid t'ings..." Guv'na put his arms around Boyd and Colly, grinning in-between them. "Can one of youse lend me two bits fer me papes?" Boyd rolled his eyes and Colly hesitantly handed Guv'na a few coins. "T'anks, fellas. An' Col? We all miss ouh paren's. But we'se gots each oddah. Dat's da' Newsie Brudda'hood!"
As murmurs of agreement traveled through the rest of the line, Guv'na cut in front of Boyd, bought his papers, and tipped his bowler hat at the two. Boyd shouted an amiable protest at Guv'na and shook his head, laughing.
"Well, dat's what ya get when you'se help somebody. A whole lotta' nothin'!"
** * **
After selling their papers and taking in a short vaudeville show, Colly and Boyd arrived at the Newboys' Lodging House almost too late to be allowed in. A few other boys who had seen the show were bubbling with excitement over it. But being hormonal teenage boys, most of the excitement was directed toward how pretty the feature singer had been.
"She was goigeous..." Blackjack sighed and held his hand to his heart. "I t'ink I may be in love!" Domino imitated his best friend dramatically.
"She was gooooooi-gous..." Domino let out a heavy sigh and put one hand on his heart and one to his forehead. His eyes were closed as if the woman were painted on the inside of his eyelids. "I t'ink I may have ta write poems an' send 'er flowas an' becomes a sissy boy ta show me undyin' love!" Domino staggered backwards and opened one eye. "Catch me, fellas, 'fore I faint." Guv'na moved into position as if he was going to catch Domino, and Dom closed his eyes again. He fell backward in an outstanding performance. Or it would have been outstanding, had Guv'na not walked away whistling innocently at the last moment.
"Cut it out, boys," Spot said sharply, but a quick look at his face showed he was as amused as the rest of them. "Some of da' liddle ones is tryin' ta sleep. An' ya should be tryin' ta sleep, too. Wese still gotta' wake up at dawn an' woik." Domino pushed himself up, rubbing his head where he'd hit it on the floor and, still putting an act on, gave a histrionic moan.
"I'm hoit! Oh, I'm dyin'. Hoit and dyin'!" Domino began to wail, but, catching Spot's evil eye, he stopped. "An' by da' way, t'anks, Guv." Dom unbuttoned his shirt.
"No problem, Domino!" Guv'na snickered. "So was da singa' really as 'goigeous' as Black t'inks?"
"Ya mean ya wasn' dere?" Black leaned over the edge of his top bunk to look at Guv'na, who shook his head "no," and Domino, who rolled his eyes and crawled into his bed. "An' she was."
"Heh, ya jus' didn' see her close up. Dey all looks pretty from da' kind of seats we can affoid." Domino put his head down on his pillow and then sat up, puzzled. He reached a hand under it tentatively, trying to find something that had been under there before. Obviously not finding what he was looking for, he grasped around frantically, finally pulling the pillow up.
"What's wrong, Dom?" Blackjack was leaning precariously over the side of the bunk, the blood rushing to his head and making him slightly pink.
"Give 'em back, Black. I know youse got 'em. I was jus' kiddin' about da' love t'ing, but dis ain't funny. I saved a lotta' money ta' buy dose." Seething, Domino got out of bed and started looking around and under his area. Blackjack swung himself down to the ground.
"I sweah I didn' take 'em, Domino." Blackjack picked up Dom's pillow and, finding Domino's claims true, tossed it back on the bed. "I see dat dey ain't dere, but I wouldn' take dose 'cause I knows how much dey means ta ya'!" A few of the boys who were still awake glanced over and mumbled inquiries. Domino's voice rose to a high, frenzied pitch as he went into hysterics over his lost possession. The noise attracted an irritable Spot, who had been hovering about making sure people went to bed.
"What's goin' on? Ain't ya gonna' go ta sleep?" Spot glared down at the pair; they were making a lot of noise and it wasn't pleasing the all-mighty leader. Domino crawled out from under his bed.
"I can't find me dominos, Spot. Me DOMINOS." Spot's expression changed immediately into one of concern.
"Weah dey heah oiliah?" Spot asked, genuine worry in his voice. Everyone knew Domino had spent weeks upon weeks hoarding his pennies to buy the coveted domino set displayed in the window of Burton's General Store. Dom answered the question with a nod and a whimper. "Den maybe dey ain't gone." Spot scowled at the rest of the room. "Maybe somebody t'inks dey can take somebody's propehty an' get away wit' it. I expect ta see Dom's set retoined ta him wit'in t'ree days."
"I bet I knows who took 'em." Every set of eyes turned to see Red standing by the edge of his bed. Domino jumped up anxiously.
"Who? I'se jus' gotta' get 'em back!"
"Da' new kid," Red drawled maliciously. "He's been actin' strangely since he got heah, or haven' ya noticed?" Boyd jumped up to defend his partner, but he couldn't deny that Colly had been acting abnormally. Collin always seemed to be doing something that could be deemed suspicious. Boyd's eyes darted about the room to see how Colly was reacting to being accused, but Colly wasn't there. Boyd sighed inwardly. That would make it considerably harder to prove Colly's innocence.
"Red, we ain't gonna' accuse anyone yet. Dey'se prob'ly pretty scaehed now an' dey ain't gonna' 'fess up right away." Spot turned back to Domino and offered a hand to help him up. "Go ta bed everyone, we'll fig'ah it out tomorrer. Everyone go ta bed... 'cept Boidee. Ya need ta come talk ta me right now."
"Alright, Spot." Spot disappeared into his bedroom and Boyd started to follow. Colly chose that moment to come out of the washroom and Boyd hissed at him.
"Wheah have ya been? Everyone t'inks ya stole Dom's dominos now!" Colly hung his head and shrugged. Boyd furrowed his brow and stepped into Spot's room, unsure of what to think about the whole situation.
Colly felt about half the newsies' eyes on him as he climbed into his bunk. He lay in bed for a long time before falling asleep, and, when he finally did, it was anything but a peaceful slumber.
** * **
Author's Notes: Whew! That took a LONG time. Well, compared to Chapter One. First off, I'd like to apologize for Boyd's homophobic comment. I'm anything but homophobic (I like some slash, some of my best friends are gay, and I'm an active member in the Gay Straight Alliance). Also, I'm absolutely loving Domino and Blackjack. They're my favorite background characters right now. But Guv'na and Red are also very fun to write! Umm... let's see... thanks to everyone who reviewed!
Simon: Happy now? There's plot! And you better be careful when you review, because you know all the ickle secrets.
Sharpsnout: The Brooklyn side is my favorite side, too. ^.^ And where did you hear Newsies on the radio? I'm listening to the wrong stations!
Falco: Ahh, I know who was real and whatnot. And I love Spot, too. Mine! I'll make that icon for you, someday when I have time. And yes, Silly Silly Davey.
Truth-untold: You are orchidee, are you not? Ahh, thanks ever so much for reviewing.
Broadway: I'm updating! Thanks for reviewing and "cute" is a good thing, right?
Rae Ann: Nyah. See you at school.
GLimmer: Wow, thanks. That was the most in-depth review I've gotten so far. Don't worry about wasting space on my review pages... every letter counts for more inspiration for me! In fact, I've already started Chapter Three! I have a whole paragraph!
To My Betas:
Thanks. I mean it. That's from the bottom of my heart. Nobody had to take the time out to help me with my fic, but you did anyway.
And Hiccups, too! You and Sparks were such a great resource (you both have been in the fandom a long time and I'm just entering it).
Erin, you're the one I count on the most. Late night chats are where we've come up with ¾ of the ideas for this fic.
Sparks, thanks a ton. Krelxi, you too. You're both so important, because Erin knows everything that's going on and an outside opinion is almost mandatory. ^.^ I doubt I would have been as proud of this fic without you guys.
Super long Author's Note! Sorry about that. ^.^() Sooo...
Is Colly the thief? Is he just bald? What's up with the little red-headed green-eyed monster? Why wasn't there more Spot?
Answers to come in Chapter Three!