Title: The Brooklyn Chronicles: The Accused
Chapter: Chapter Three—Discovered
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. "Nurse Cainell" is copyright Cainell. "Ex-girlfriend Hiccups" is copyright Hiccups. "Flirtatious Girl Boston" is copyright Boston. Thanks for letting me use you, guys! It was fun to put you in! ^.^
** * **
Colly woke up early again the next morning with a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. Trying not to wake any of the other newsies, he stepped lightly across the cold, wooden floor to the washroom. Colly brushed his hair quickly and pulled his cap over it, once more checking his appearance in the mirror. After splashing water over his face, he slowly pushed on the door, peeking to see if the caretaker was coming to wake everyone up, trying to avoid the creak it made whenever somebody swung it open.
The moment Colly left the washroom, he saw Spot standing, waiting, stewing in a cloud of his own faux disinterest and tough-guy attitude. Colly slumped, feeling small and, at Spot's thumb jerk towards his door, he shuffled into the sizable bedroom. Staring around at the space Spot had made for himself, Colly felt his eyes go wide. Nobody he knew had this much privacy. He blushed; embarrassed at his childish curiosity.
"Ya know why youh heah." Spot seemed to be standing as tall as he could. Colly imagined that the smaller-than-average boy in front of him was gloating inwardly because he could tower over Colly by a couple inches. "I'se not sayin' ya took da dominos. Youse is just in a... a bad si'chuation, bein' da new kid an' none of us knowin' anythin' 'bout ya characta'. But innocen' 'till proven guilty. I seen dat phrase in da papes an' iffin big guys like da judge believe dat, den I can, too."
"I didn' do it, Spot... sih." Colly stood awkwardly alone in the middle of the room. "I was jus'—" Spot stepped forward and stuck his cane in Colly's face.
"Don't botha' explainin' youhself. It wouldn' make a dif'rence. I'se got-" Spot hesitated, as if he was unsure whether or not he should divulge this information to Colly. "I'se got ways of knowin' t'ings dat go on. Jus' be suah ya know dat." Colly nodded and Spot dismissed him with a slight wave of his hand.
** * **
It could have been that Spot expected the thievery to stop after his little chat with the suspect, but upon arrival at the Lodging House later, two more boys had discovered that something was missing. Each newsboy had cautiously looked through his stuff when getting back; all worried that something might be gone. Somebody Colly didn't know very well was missing an antique watch and Cats-Eye was almost sobbing over the loss of his best marbles.
Boyd sat on the edge of his bed and Colly sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. Boyd was silent, thinking, and Colly motioned to get his attention.
"Ya awake, Boyd?" Colly's voice was low, almost a whisper. Boyd nodded. "Boyd, Spot t'inks I done it. I know lots of da boys do. But dey all listen ta Spot an' dey'll all t'ink I done it befoh' long," Colly paused, and looked at Spot sitting across the room. There were a few boys around him, talking and laughing, but Spot had a serious look on his face. "I ain't close wit' Spot like you, Boyd, but he don't look so happy."
"He's troubled," mused Boyd quietly. "When Spot took ova' Brooklyn, he gave hisself a responsibility ain't no one tried to take on befoh'. He wanted ta watch ova' his boys and keep 'em happy. Somebody messes wit' Spot's newsies, dey're taking on a powa'ful system. Dat's why Brooklyn is usually so togedda', 'cause of Spot.
"An' I suppose dis has made 'im realize he really ain't so togedda', and someone pullin' an inside job on 'im is disruptin' his balance. He's gotta find out da culprit an' set t'ings right befoh' he'll feel ev'ryt'ing is okay again." Boyd stopped there, as if he was revealing too much about his old friend and just noticing. Colly nodded slightly; he understood why Boyd had stopped talking. Boyd glanced at Spot one last time, then turned back to Colly and noticed him wince. "Somet'ing wrong, Col?"
"Jus' noives, I t'ink. Me stomach's been hoitin' fer da last day an' it's 'cause ev'ryt'ing I do someone's dere watchin' me. Guilt, dat's da woid fer it." Colly's features became defensive. "Even dho' I didn' do nothin'!" Boyd didn't answer. Instead, he turned away from Colly and changed the subject.
"What's unda' youh hat?" Boyd still wasn't looking directly at Colly, but if he had been, he would have seen his friend looking very startled. Collin became very nervous and his hands reached up absently to check his cap.
"Nothin'," Colly said, his voice a little higher pitched than usual. "Don' ask me 'bout it, Boyd!" Suddenly aware of Boyd's steady, determined stare on him, Colly's voice became meek. "We'se all gots ouh secrets afta' all." Boyd just stood up and walked away. He and Spot went into Spot's bedroom leaving Colly alone by his bunk.
"Jealous?" A nasty, sneering voice broke Colly's silence and he looked up to see Red. "Boyd gets ta go inta Spot's room an' ya' want Boyd fer youhself, is dat it?" Colly tried to ignore Red, but his annoying jeers continued. "I knows youse is da one takin' da stuff, Colly. An' I'm gonna' prove it soon, jus' watch me. Den you'll get kicked outta' da Lodgin' 'ouse an' none of us gotta protect ouh stuff from ya no moah." Ready to defend himself, Colly opened his mouth, but somebody else stopped Red first.
"C'mon Red, leave 'im alone. Nobody's got no proof 'bout any o' dis. It coulda' been you fer all we know." Guv'na stood behind Red, his bowler hat perched crookedly atop his head in a cocky manner. "Suah we'se all ready ta blame someone. I meself am almost coitain it was Ties's cat." Guv'na let out a forced laugh, then sternly continued, "But I don't go accusin' nobody unless I knows it was dem." Red scowled and stalked off; he was sick of being reprimanded every time he even looked at Colly. Guv'na gave Colly a wordless, apologetic glance, and followed Red to another part of the room.
** * **
It was an unavoidable routine—every morning, Colly woke up early, tiptoed to the washroom, prepared for his day, and then came back to meet up with Boyd and sell papers. This morning would be no different, and Colly sleepily pushed open the door of the washroom.
Boyd stood there, getting ready, as if that was how he always conducted himself in the early hours of the day. Wide-eyed, Colly nearly backed out of the room. The only thing stopping him was the suspicions Boyd might have about what Colly did in the washroom alone. Colly took a place at the sink next to Boyd, trying to act normally.
"Mornin' Col. I gots a feelin' da sellin'll be good taday. One o' da fact'ries caught fiah last night." Boyd splashed water onto his face, washing off the shaving cream residue. Colly nodded, a slight, nervous smile across his features.
"Ain't nothin' betta' den a good headline," Colly agreed, fiddling with the position of his cap. There was an uncomfortable silence between them. Boyd grinned and tugged on a lock of his own light brown hair.
"What coloh is youh haih, anyway, Col?" Laughing, Boyd tried to look under Colly's cap, but Colly waved him away, blushing.
"I'se told ya not ta ask about dat, Boyd!" Colly turned to leave. He wasn't interested in being teased by one of his best friends. Colly's shyness about whatever was under his hat just made Boyd more curious.
"I ain't gonna' laugh at ya if youse bald or anythin', Colly!" But Boyd was already chuckling. In one swift move, Boyd grabbed Colly's cap off his head. Twirling it on one finger, Boyd ran playfully to the other end of the room.
"Boyd!"
"Come an' get it, Col!" Boyd shoved it down onto his head and turned to look in a mirror. Colly stood, frozen where he was, eyes transfixed on his selling partner.
"Ow! Dere's pokey t'ings in heah!" Inquisitively, Boyd pulled Colly's cap off and stared inside. The inside was lined with various hairpins. "What do ya' need haihpins in youh cap fer...?"
Several things happened at once. Boyd peered into the mirror and let out an inaudible gasp. Spot pushed open the door and strolled in. Only when he saw Colly did he stop and stare. Colly spun around and hissed at Spot, "Shut the door!" It was obvious why, and Spot did as he was told. Only when the door was locked securely did Boyd and Spot face Colly and prepare to ask questions.
Collin Sweeney was a girl. When Boyd had looked into the mirror, he had seen Colly behind him. His eyes were still full of the shocked nature they had taken on when he had seen wavy, brown hair dangling loose past her shoulders. Colly had stood perfectly still until the moment Spot—innocently answering the call of nature—had opened the door.
Boyd wordlessly handed Colly her cap back. Spot seemed to be trying to decide whether to seethe with anger or be amazed that she'd been able to get away with hiding things for so long. He decided, after a long, awkward silence, to ask questions.
"Foist off, how do wese know ya ain't jus' a boy wit' long haih?" Spot leaned towards Colly, inspecting her. Colly opened her mouth, speechless for a minute on how, exactly, to prove she was a girl. Maybe she was trying to decide if she wanted to prove she was a girl. Finally, more embarrassed than when she had first seen all the newsboys nearly naked, she unbuttoned her shirt a few buttons. Bandages were wrapped around her chest, hiding whatever signs of woman-hood she might have had.
"Oh." Spot's tone became more respectful, and he and Boyd turned away courteously. Her face burning with shame, Colly quickly re-buttoned her shirt. The boys looked back at her after they were sure she was fully clothed. "Well, den I'm suah youh name ain't Collin."
"It's Colleen. I tried ta keep it similah ta make suah I would rememba' ta respond ta it." Colly dropped her eyes to the floor. "I'se told ya' befoh... me mum and dad didn' make enough money ta keep me. So, dey gave me boys' clothes an' told me ta find woik ta' suppoht meself. But da fact'ry wasn' hirin' an' who wants ta woik in dose conditions anyway? I didn' have no place ta go until I ran inta you an' Boyd." She glanced up with a grateful smile, but lowered her eyes down again, waiting for Spot to kick her out of the Lodging House... or worse.
"Col, I'm so sorry!" Boyd cried out. "If I'da known youse was a goil...! An' Spot tol' me ta... but..." Boyd—normally so confident and sure of himself—was suddenly the retreating victim of one of Spot's double-barreled glares.
"Now dat Boyd's blamed me fer ev'ryt'ing," Spot intensified his glare and carried on, "I'll explain. Boyd is my, ah... liddle boidee. 'Boydee' finds out what I need ta know and I needed ta know what ya kept undah dat. Does dis mean ya ain't--" Spot was cut off as Colly, startled by the daily wakeup call, jumped. Using a mirror, she fixed her hat and checked to make sure there were no hints that might reveal her little secret, doing it all in a matter of seconds. With pleading eyes, she silently asked Boyd and Spot to keep her identity hidden and, using their own speechless gazes, they promised to.
** * **
Spot unlocked the washroom door and Boyd and Colly took places at the sinks. Col sucked in a breath as her stomach began to hurt again. Boyd, trying to act normal, murmured to her, "Hey, Col, ya' okay?"
"Yeah... yeah, I'll be fine. Jus' me stomach again." She looked into the mirror accusingly, as if it was the cause of her problems. A sudden wave of understanding crossed Colly's face. "I'll... I'll meet ya' at da distra'bution centa', Boyd..." She pushed past the steady stream of boys flowing into the washroom, ignoring their shouts and yells.
"Okay, den...." Boyd called out, his voice trailing off as he realized Colly couldn't hear him. Boyd leaned on the sink, staring at his reflection, feeling ashamed and proud of himself all at the same time. In the mirror he saw Red scowling and Ties pumping the water for Spot. That was nothing out of the ordinary. Blackjack was comforting Domino for about the third time since they woke up, and Steelie was doing the same for Cats-Eye. Guv'na stood alone at one end of a row of sinks, shaving. Boyd knew that with Domino and Blackjack being reserved and quiet all the time, Guv'na didn't have anybody to hang around with. Boyd grabbed his cap and, humming to calm himself, left the Lodging House to go to the distribution center.
** * **
The Brooklyn newsies didn't like to spend their whole day selling papers. They preferred to do better things with their time. Sometimes they went to the racetracks and sometimes they played games on the street. But what they really loved to do was swim. No matter how cold it was, the Brooklyn newsboys would strip to their clean, white underclothes and dive in.
Of course, Colly couldn't strip down to her clean, white underclothes. So, when all the newsies decided to run to the docks and jump in, what was she supposed to do? Boyd walked her there and scratched his head, looking at the water, then at Colly, then back at the water.
"I'll stay heah wit' ya, if ya want..." Boyd said, trying not to look eagerly out at the rest of the boys splashing around. "Did youh stomach stop hoitin'...?"
"Nah, but I knows why now. It's a cut or somet'ing down..." Colly blushed and left it at that. Boyd restlessly twiddled his thumbs and neither he nor Colly said anything for a while.
"Ah, go ahead an' swim, Boyd," said a voice behind them, relieving Boyd of his respectful duty. Spot stood to the rear of them; cane tucked jauntily in his suspender loop and slingshot hanging out of his pocket. Boyd yelled a thank-you and tore down the dock, shedding clothes until he could spring off the wood into the waters below it.
Colly sat on a crate and Spot hoisted himself up to perch on a low post. There were a few awkward, silent moments, and Spot began to shoot marbles at various things.
"Youh good at dat," Colly said truthfully, admiring a particular marble that had been lodged into middle of an "O" on a splintering wooden sign that, in chipped, white paint, said "BOATS AND BAITS."
"Da boys an' I have a lotta' contests. I'm da best in Brooklyn... da whole woild!" Spot puffed up, his expression haughty and his manner closest resembling a peacock. Colly started laughing and Spot, with a feigned look of hurt on his face, made her laugh harder. Unfortunately, laughing caused Colly to clutch her stomach in pain. "Col?"
"Stomach ache." Colly blushed without meaning to. Spot's mouth rounded into an "o" shape and he nodded.
"Me last goilfriend, Hiccups, had dat once. Man, was she eva' complainin' 'bout dose stomach aches!" Spot laughed, but stopped when he saw Colly's puzzled look. "Oh. Oh! It must be youh foist... ah..." Now Spot was the one blushing. He could barely get the words out, but when Colly tilted her head, utterly confused, he blurted, "Youh 'mont'ly.' Ya know? Goils... bleed... fer a few days an' dat means dey can have babies. Dey bleed," his voice lowered as he continued, "Down dere." Now Colly was the one with her mouth in an "o" shape.
"What do I do?" Colly moaned and put her head in her hands, ashamed that her body could do such a thing. "Maybe I can talk ta youh friend Hiccups 'bout it?" Spot looked ticked off at the memory of her.
"Nah, she nevah wants ta see me again. Had ta stop seein' her on account o' dis heavenly new goil ovah at da vaudeville theatah." Spot smirked. "But back ta youh... damn, dis is awkwa'd. Damn! Didn' mean ta cuss in fronna' ya! Da- nevah mind. Maybe ya should see da doctah an' noise down by da tenements."
"Da poah peoples' doctah?! I ain't gonna' go dere!" Colly exclaimed, thoroughly unhappy and uncomfortable with this whole situation. "It's cleanah ta take caeh o' youhself!" Spot shook his head.
"Ya ain't gonna have ta get shots, ya know. Jus'... dey'll explain everyt'ing. I don' know what ta tell ya', 'cept dat youse is growin' up." Spot shrugged. Colly winced as the pain became worse.
"Let's go, den, Spot." Colly jumped up, ready to be rid of the problem as soon as she could. Spot stayed where he was.
"An' make da boys wondah wheah we'se is goin'? Nuh uh!" Spot narrowed his eyes. "Got enough rumahs goin' around already ta last a mont'. We'll go tomorrer, promise."
** * **
At first, the nurse needed some convincing before she would explain anything to Colly. It was her belief that young boys didn't need to know about women until they were married. Of course, finding out Colly was a girl changed everything, but she still shooed Spot out of the room.
"You're a very brave girl. Most boys aren't so nice as Mr. Conlon," Nurse Cainell said in her cheerful melodic tones, after she'd made sure Colly knew what was going on. She was young and pretty with light brown hair pulled back into a bun. Colly, slightly amused, wondered just how many of the Brooklyn women Spot had been with.
"T'anks, ma'am. 'Preciate it an' all." Colly took out a nickel and offered it to the nurse. "Heah."
"No, you keep it. You need it more than I do. And if you ever need someone to talk to besides those rowdy boys, I'm usually here." Nurse Cainell smiled. "I won't tell anybody in case it gets around to them." Colly murmured her thanks and went outside to meet up with Spot. He was leaning smugly against a brick wall, talking to an attractive factory girl on her break. Spot looked up to see Colly and began his farewell to the flirtatious laborer.
"See ya tanight, den, Boston?" He pecked her on the check and she giggled.
"Aw, I gotta get back ta woik, anyway, Spotty. Meet ya' at da docks?" The girl stole a glance at Colly, her eyes twinkling. "An' bring youh friend, 'e's cute!" She let out a bubbly laugh and Spot shook his head nervously.
"Jus' me, sweetcake," Spot said. Another laugh and "Boston" blew a kiss and bounced off. Spot jammed his cap back onto his head and twirled his cane.
"Youh always so..." Colly faltered, looking for the right word. "Well, youse got goils in ev'ry part o' town!"
Spot smirked. "In some parts, I'se got two."
Colly rolled her eyes.
** * **
Nothing was missing from anyone else when they arrived back at the Lodging House. Colly tried to ignore the comments of the boys and go to sleep. Still, she caught one last remark before her slumber took over;
"Of cou'se, nothin's gone. He wasn' heah, was he?"
The words rang in her ears even after she woke up. She was certain who had said it. She had honestly thought Guv'na was on her side.
** * **
Author's Note: *celebrates* Aren't we glad that's over with? Chapter Three took me a whole lot longer than Chapter Two. Of course, that's partly because I forgot to work on it a lot and I've also been working on Twisted *curses FF.net* and A Day at the Tracks. But you, in turn, receive 455+ more words than last time!
This is where I really need some feedback. This chapter makes or breaks the story, don't you think? And I have to know if it made it. Some people had already guessed, I know. That's not really a big deal. There were enough hints in there for those that hadn't already guessed, just look back.
Yeah! So! There are obviously girls in this chapter (four of them, lol. I can't believe I gave Spot three girlfriends within a page). Tons more Spot, hee! Still don't know much about the thief, yet (well, I know, but I'm not going to tell you!).
Thanks, reviewers. I might have to put your little comment at the top of the story, but then I have no guarantee you'll read to the bottom to find it!
Broadway: *cheers for cute!* As for Red setting up Colly, there wasn't much thievery-plot in this chapter, but I assure you that in the next chapter there will be some.
GLimmer: Paragraph = chapter now! Yay! And I don't think I've ever been called a "dinkis" before. ^.^ Domino is one of my favorites, too, I feel so bad about making his stuff go bye-bye. By the way, there are chicks in this chapter. ^.^
Heh, less reviews than last time. Make Rosie feel better and review! Author's note was a bit long, wasn't it?
Erin and Sparks, beloved betas: Thanks so much, guys! I love you to no end! Love love love love love! I'll just smother you in love!
Will Colly stay with all those gosh-durn rowdy boys? Did Spot and Boston's date go well? Who is taking the boys' stuff?!
Hold onto your hats and wait for... Chapter Four!