Past Secrets and Present Times
Chapter 5
By Megan
Hotshot woke to find herself in a strange room. Though she hadn't looked around she could tell she wasn't in the bunkroom. There was no sound of other newsies, and she wasn't staring up at the bottom of Specs' bunk. To add to the problems she was sore all over and why she felt that way had not come back to her yet. The light in her eyes was what made her think she needed to get up. There was far too much light for her to still be in bed. She and the others should be up and selling papers by now.
She also felt a slight weight pressing against her side. Turning to see what or who it was reminded her of the steady ach coursing through her body. She found Specs staring down at her from a chair beside her bed. "Specs, what the hell happened?" she asked.
He smiled at her ability to talk, "They're gonna be glad you're awake." He turned to call out the door.
"Get back here," she yelled as loudly as she could at him. "What happened?"
Specs sat back down in his chair and took her hand. "Do you remember lending Les your slingshot?"
She nodded.
"And then that afternoon I was going to help Sarah study and you were going back to the boarding house."
She nodded.
"An' you took the alleys on the way back…"
She nodded again and groaned as the memories filled her head. "How long was I out?"
"It would have been four days tonight." He said, "Everyone was really worried the first day 'cause they didn't know if you were gonna be ok. Spot was-"
"Whoa! Back up! Spot's here!"
"Yeah, Jack sent me down to Brooklyn to get him once we got you back here."
She sighed and closed her eyes.
"You still awake?" Specs asked.
She nodded.
"You wanna try to get out of bed?" He looked at her. Spot, Jack, Kid an' some a the others are gonna be back in about an hour."
She forced herself to sit up he helped her out of bed. There were bandaged wrapped all around her arms where Maurice had hit her with his brass knuckles. There were probably more under her clothes too. Luckily they hadn't done much to her legs. All that happened was a slight pain in her left knee.
Specs helped her downstairs where Kloppman gave her something to eat. Then she and Specs sat down in the lobby. "So you went to Brooklyn by yourself?"
Specs smiled, "I didn't even notice until I got back. Jack told me to get Spot so I ran full speed across the bridge. I ran into that bully that I saw before, the one that beat me up, I hit him once and told him to stay out of my way. He did it too. When I told Spot he didn't say anything. He just started running back with me."
"Exactly."
They both looked up to see Spot standing in the doorway. He came over and hugged her lightly, avoiding the bandages. "It's so good to see you awake," he said, "When your lover boy here came to the pier I thought he was havin' a heart attack or sumthin'. He's been a wreck the past few days."
Hotshot glanced at Specs.
"Oh and everybody knows about us. I kind of overreacted and they figured it out. They were plannin' on settin' us up anyway." Specs smiled as a blush spread across his face.
Just then a few more of them came in. Jack, Race, David and Kid Blink to be exact. Their faces all broke into grins when they saw her awake.
Before any of them said anything Hotshot fired out a question, "Jack when can I go back out?"
David started laughing slightly as the others just stared at her. Spot soon joined him. "I swear she was born a newsie," Spot said.
"The Doc says two weeks," The look on Jack's face was amused but serious. "You, me, an' Spot gots ta talk," he looked around adding, "Alone."
The other three stood and walked upstairs. Specs seemed to want to argue but was silenced when Kid grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him along.
"What?" she asked looking up to see the serious look both their faces had taken. Jack, she knew, was like that only when someone else was hurt, but she hadn't seen Spot look that serious in a long time.
"You was talkin' in your sleep Brooke," Spot used her real name, "Talkin' about sumthin' only I knows about. Everyone in the lodging house heard you at least once an' some a them might be stupid enough to ask you about it."
She groaned at the though of having to tell it all again. She'd told Spot when she was thirteen and hadn't told the story since. Now it looked like she might have to. She put her face in her hands as her headache started to worsen.
Jack seemed to sense how she felt and walked off in the direction of the kitchen. He came back a few minutes later with a glass of water and a pill to ease the pain. She gladly accepted and swallowed the pill. "I know it's hard but I think it might be easier around here if you told us what was going on." Jack said taking the chair that had moments earlier been used by Specs.
Spot took a few steps toward her and she looked up to meet his clear, superior seeming gaze. "I want you to at least tell Jack." He ordered, "He can decide if the rest of them should know."
"I ain't tellin' it twice Spot. You remember when I told you," she said, "I'll tell everyone at the same time. That is on three conditions."
"What?" Jack looked up confused.
"First, move me back into the bunkroom."
"But you just woke up today. The Doc wants you in your own room for at least another week."
"Would you move back into that room in less than a week?" Her glare and Spot's forced Jack to reveal that he would.
"Second, Spot's gotta stay while I do." She looked at Spot in a pleading way.
He nodded, "I ain't goin' nowhere till after that anyway."
"What's the last one?" Jack asked.
"Let me go back out in a week."
"That's not possible. The Doc was really insistent that you not go out."
She looked at Spot for support in her decision but he shook his head agreeing with Jack. "You may think you's healthy but you should stay here and get back to normal." His eyes were stern and commanding, but at the same time showed concern and fear.
"Alright," she agreed, "Two weeks but not a day more."
They decided that she would tell everyone what had happened the next night. Spot would be leaving the morning after to help Lockpick get the Brooklyn boys back under control.
When the other guys came back downstairs Specs sat down next to her. David's face held a questioning look. "What's on your mind Mouth?" Spot asked.
"Hotshot, would you mind talkin' to Les today or tomorrow? He thinks it's his fault that you got hurt."
She looked up at David, "Yeah, bring him over later today. I wouldn't a been able to hold them off very long wit' it anyway."
True to his word David brought a very upset Les over later that afternoon. It took Hotshot more than ten minutes to convince the younger boy that it had not been his fault that she was hurt and it would have happened either way.
That night she kicked Spot out of the bunk he'd been using, hers of course. He moved his slingshot to one of the other beds and leaned against its frame. She stretched out on her bed and picked up one of the papers that Race had been unable to sell that day. She put on her glasses and scanned a few articles. When she got bored she spoke up.
"So how was you's day at the tracks Race?" she asked.
"Not half as good as my winnings 'round here," Race said, not looking up from the cards he was dealing.
Spot was watching the game of poker going on in the center of the room. It was very amusing to see Racetrack beating all the other newsies, most of whom were older than he was. He'd have to bring Royal up here next time. Barely anyone in Brooklyn could beat him, and a game with him and Race would mean hours of entertainment for everyone watching.
"You up for a game, Spot?" Race asked as he saw the Brooklyn newsie staring.
Spot shook his head, "Nah, maybe tomorrow." He wasn't up to letting everyone see him get whipped. When he glanced over at Hotshot there was a knowing look in her eye. She was laughing at him. He met her gaze and mumbled, "What's so funny?"
She just turned her head back to the newspaper.
The next morning Kloppman came in to wake them. Spot was already stretched out on his bed; ready to go like Hotshot had been when she first arrived. Hotshot on the other hand slept through the entire time it took the guys to get ready and leave.
Specs wanted to stay with her that day but Jack and Spot didn't like the idea. "You ain't sold since she got hoit." Spot said.
"An' you promised you'd go back out when she woke up," Jack said, "Spot'll stay wit' 'er today."
Specs continued to complain a little as Jack led him down the stairs and across the square to the distribution office. He only stopped when Jack jumped onto a barrel and waved for everyone's attention. "Ev'rybody, be sure to get back to the lodgin' house early tonight. We gots ta talk about sumthin' really important and it ain't gonna be repeated." When the boys nodded in understanding he jumped down.
"What's up tonight?" Specs asked buying his papers after Jack and David had gotten theirs.
"Brooke's gonna tell us what happened, why she was sayin' that stuff when she was sleepin'."
"Brooke," Specs looked at him confused, "Who's Brooke?"
Jack smiled and put an arm around his shoulders, "Dat's right, you wasn't there. Hotshot's real name is Brooke. Make more sense now?"
Specs only nodded and shrugged Jack's arm off his shoulders before he started walking away.
* * *
"Hey, En Brooklyn, time ta get up," Spot said in a stern voice.
Hotshot swatted at his face, "Go away, Spot," she mumbled.
"I'll drop you in the harbor again," his voice got louder, "En Brooklyn, get up!!!"
She sat up and pushed him off of her bunk, "Don' call me that."
"It's your name," he smiled, "Manhattan is makin' you lazy."
She rolled her eyes, "It ain't you's name for me, it's me brudah's an' what's wrong wit' me stayin' in bed here?"
"If you's ain't getting' up by yousself when you come back ta Brooklyn I'll hafta throw you in the harbor again." His voice was completely serious.
"C'mon Spot," she said, "No one made you get up after you was hoit las' year."
"Dat's 'cause I'se Spot Conlon."
She laughed, "You's mean the Spot Conlon I'se given a black eye before."
He frowned.
"Sorry," she said, "I'll get used to Brooklyn time 'fore I come back, don' worry." She lay back down and rolled over.
Spot poked her with the tip of his slingshot.
She cried out in pain and shot up in bed, "Beat it Conlon." She reached out to slap him, but missed because he ducked away. She rubbed her bruised side and glared at him.
"You ain't getting' up then?" Her glare answered his question, "Alright then I'll be back in an hour." He walked over to the window and climbed down the fire escape.
Hotshot shook her head and rolled over to go back to sleep. Her hopes of peaceful sleeping for a few hours were ruined by the nightmares that plagued her mind. She tossed and turned in her bed as memories came flooding back to her. When she woke again she was relieved to find that Spot wasn't back yet. She jumped out of bed, or at least tried to, and changed into actual clothes. Today all of her muscles were sore from the pressure she'd put on them the day before. She was tempted to sneak out but was sure of her punishment if she did. Instead she picked up a spare paper off of the floor and searched through the pages for something interesting.
Kid Blink was back at the lodging house before Spot. He'd found a group of men walking on a tour of the town and sold all of the papers he had left after the first two hours. He'd gotten into a bit of a fight with an older scabber but had only gotten a small bruise across his cheek. He climbed in through the fire escape forgetting there would be someone in the bunkroom.
"What happened to you?" Hotshot asked laughing.
"Jus' a little fight." He rubbed a hand across his cheek and found blood on it when he pulled away, "Damn."
Hotshot wet a cloth in the sink and pressed it against his cheek, "Hold it there 'til the bleeding stops."
He looked at her as she sat down. From the way she mover you could tell she was still sore and in a good deal of pain, but she also seemed very bored. "Long day?"
"There is nothing to do around here by yourself and I hurt too much to go anywhere outside of this room."
"The docta's comin' at the end of the week," Kid Blink smiled, "What you gonna do then."
"Considerin' I'll still be confined ta this place for another week I'll practice fighting up on the roof an' stuff."
"Practice fighting?"
"In Brooklyn there are fights almost every day. We practice to be prepared. The only reason I couldn't get away from the Delancy brudahs is 'cause I ain't practiced since I got here."
"An' all those bruises prove how badly you need the practice," Spot entered their conversation. He patted her shoulder, "Sleep well?"
"Yeah, no help from you." She smiled at him after the sarcastic remark.
Kid Blink took the cloth away from his face and ran his fingers over the scab as he watched the two banter. 'They has to a been datin' at one time.' He thought to himself. There was a strong relationship between them, but he could also see the stronger one growing between Hotshot and Specs.
The others started arriving back at the lodging hours after six that evening. Jack and David came back not only with Les, but Sarah as well. When Specs came back her still had a few papers under his arm that he had been unable to sell. Hotshot took one off of the pile and read it as everyone else filed in. Race and Crutchy were the last to arrive back. Race came strolling in happier than ever because he'd actually won a race.
"Two to one, Cowboy can beat Race to death 'fore someone can make him shut up!" Hotshot called out.
Replies of, "Bum odds!" echoed from all corners of the room.
Insulted Racetrack shut his mouth with a snap, which sent a round of laughter through the room.
The twenty or so boys settled on beds around the room. Hotshot sat on hers with Spot leaning against the frame and Specs sitting at the other end of the bunk. Jack and Race were seated across from her, with Kid Blink above them, and David's family seated in old chairs. The rest of the group sat on bunks close enough to hear what was going on.
"Well Hotshot," Jack said, "You were going to tell us about what happened in you's past, an' why you's tryin' ta stay away from you's family."
She took a deep breath and looked at Spot who whispered, "Take your time."
"First of all my real name is Brooke Maria Lynn…"
*~*~*Flashback*~*~*
Chapter 5
By Megan
Hotshot woke to find herself in a strange room. Though she hadn't looked around she could tell she wasn't in the bunkroom. There was no sound of other newsies, and she wasn't staring up at the bottom of Specs' bunk. To add to the problems she was sore all over and why she felt that way had not come back to her yet. The light in her eyes was what made her think she needed to get up. There was far too much light for her to still be in bed. She and the others should be up and selling papers by now.
She also felt a slight weight pressing against her side. Turning to see what or who it was reminded her of the steady ach coursing through her body. She found Specs staring down at her from a chair beside her bed. "Specs, what the hell happened?" she asked.
He smiled at her ability to talk, "They're gonna be glad you're awake." He turned to call out the door.
"Get back here," she yelled as loudly as she could at him. "What happened?"
Specs sat back down in his chair and took her hand. "Do you remember lending Les your slingshot?"
She nodded.
"And then that afternoon I was going to help Sarah study and you were going back to the boarding house."
She nodded.
"An' you took the alleys on the way back…"
She nodded again and groaned as the memories filled her head. "How long was I out?"
"It would have been four days tonight." He said, "Everyone was really worried the first day 'cause they didn't know if you were gonna be ok. Spot was-"
"Whoa! Back up! Spot's here!"
"Yeah, Jack sent me down to Brooklyn to get him once we got you back here."
She sighed and closed her eyes.
"You still awake?" Specs asked.
She nodded.
"You wanna try to get out of bed?" He looked at her. Spot, Jack, Kid an' some a the others are gonna be back in about an hour."
She forced herself to sit up he helped her out of bed. There were bandaged wrapped all around her arms where Maurice had hit her with his brass knuckles. There were probably more under her clothes too. Luckily they hadn't done much to her legs. All that happened was a slight pain in her left knee.
Specs helped her downstairs where Kloppman gave her something to eat. Then she and Specs sat down in the lobby. "So you went to Brooklyn by yourself?"
Specs smiled, "I didn't even notice until I got back. Jack told me to get Spot so I ran full speed across the bridge. I ran into that bully that I saw before, the one that beat me up, I hit him once and told him to stay out of my way. He did it too. When I told Spot he didn't say anything. He just started running back with me."
"Exactly."
They both looked up to see Spot standing in the doorway. He came over and hugged her lightly, avoiding the bandages. "It's so good to see you awake," he said, "When your lover boy here came to the pier I thought he was havin' a heart attack or sumthin'. He's been a wreck the past few days."
Hotshot glanced at Specs.
"Oh and everybody knows about us. I kind of overreacted and they figured it out. They were plannin' on settin' us up anyway." Specs smiled as a blush spread across his face.
Just then a few more of them came in. Jack, Race, David and Kid Blink to be exact. Their faces all broke into grins when they saw her awake.
Before any of them said anything Hotshot fired out a question, "Jack when can I go back out?"
David started laughing slightly as the others just stared at her. Spot soon joined him. "I swear she was born a newsie," Spot said.
"The Doc says two weeks," The look on Jack's face was amused but serious. "You, me, an' Spot gots ta talk," he looked around adding, "Alone."
The other three stood and walked upstairs. Specs seemed to want to argue but was silenced when Kid grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him along.
"What?" she asked looking up to see the serious look both their faces had taken. Jack, she knew, was like that only when someone else was hurt, but she hadn't seen Spot look that serious in a long time.
"You was talkin' in your sleep Brooke," Spot used her real name, "Talkin' about sumthin' only I knows about. Everyone in the lodging house heard you at least once an' some a them might be stupid enough to ask you about it."
She groaned at the though of having to tell it all again. She'd told Spot when she was thirteen and hadn't told the story since. Now it looked like she might have to. She put her face in her hands as her headache started to worsen.
Jack seemed to sense how she felt and walked off in the direction of the kitchen. He came back a few minutes later with a glass of water and a pill to ease the pain. She gladly accepted and swallowed the pill. "I know it's hard but I think it might be easier around here if you told us what was going on." Jack said taking the chair that had moments earlier been used by Specs.
Spot took a few steps toward her and she looked up to meet his clear, superior seeming gaze. "I want you to at least tell Jack." He ordered, "He can decide if the rest of them should know."
"I ain't tellin' it twice Spot. You remember when I told you," she said, "I'll tell everyone at the same time. That is on three conditions."
"What?" Jack looked up confused.
"First, move me back into the bunkroom."
"But you just woke up today. The Doc wants you in your own room for at least another week."
"Would you move back into that room in less than a week?" Her glare and Spot's forced Jack to reveal that he would.
"Second, Spot's gotta stay while I do." She looked at Spot in a pleading way.
He nodded, "I ain't goin' nowhere till after that anyway."
"What's the last one?" Jack asked.
"Let me go back out in a week."
"That's not possible. The Doc was really insistent that you not go out."
She looked at Spot for support in her decision but he shook his head agreeing with Jack. "You may think you's healthy but you should stay here and get back to normal." His eyes were stern and commanding, but at the same time showed concern and fear.
"Alright," she agreed, "Two weeks but not a day more."
They decided that she would tell everyone what had happened the next night. Spot would be leaving the morning after to help Lockpick get the Brooklyn boys back under control.
When the other guys came back downstairs Specs sat down next to her. David's face held a questioning look. "What's on your mind Mouth?" Spot asked.
"Hotshot, would you mind talkin' to Les today or tomorrow? He thinks it's his fault that you got hurt."
She looked up at David, "Yeah, bring him over later today. I wouldn't a been able to hold them off very long wit' it anyway."
True to his word David brought a very upset Les over later that afternoon. It took Hotshot more than ten minutes to convince the younger boy that it had not been his fault that she was hurt and it would have happened either way.
That night she kicked Spot out of the bunk he'd been using, hers of course. He moved his slingshot to one of the other beds and leaned against its frame. She stretched out on her bed and picked up one of the papers that Race had been unable to sell that day. She put on her glasses and scanned a few articles. When she got bored she spoke up.
"So how was you's day at the tracks Race?" she asked.
"Not half as good as my winnings 'round here," Race said, not looking up from the cards he was dealing.
Spot was watching the game of poker going on in the center of the room. It was very amusing to see Racetrack beating all the other newsies, most of whom were older than he was. He'd have to bring Royal up here next time. Barely anyone in Brooklyn could beat him, and a game with him and Race would mean hours of entertainment for everyone watching.
"You up for a game, Spot?" Race asked as he saw the Brooklyn newsie staring.
Spot shook his head, "Nah, maybe tomorrow." He wasn't up to letting everyone see him get whipped. When he glanced over at Hotshot there was a knowing look in her eye. She was laughing at him. He met her gaze and mumbled, "What's so funny?"
She just turned her head back to the newspaper.
The next morning Kloppman came in to wake them. Spot was already stretched out on his bed; ready to go like Hotshot had been when she first arrived. Hotshot on the other hand slept through the entire time it took the guys to get ready and leave.
Specs wanted to stay with her that day but Jack and Spot didn't like the idea. "You ain't sold since she got hoit." Spot said.
"An' you promised you'd go back out when she woke up," Jack said, "Spot'll stay wit' 'er today."
Specs continued to complain a little as Jack led him down the stairs and across the square to the distribution office. He only stopped when Jack jumped onto a barrel and waved for everyone's attention. "Ev'rybody, be sure to get back to the lodgin' house early tonight. We gots ta talk about sumthin' really important and it ain't gonna be repeated." When the boys nodded in understanding he jumped down.
"What's up tonight?" Specs asked buying his papers after Jack and David had gotten theirs.
"Brooke's gonna tell us what happened, why she was sayin' that stuff when she was sleepin'."
"Brooke," Specs looked at him confused, "Who's Brooke?"
Jack smiled and put an arm around his shoulders, "Dat's right, you wasn't there. Hotshot's real name is Brooke. Make more sense now?"
Specs only nodded and shrugged Jack's arm off his shoulders before he started walking away.
* * *
"Hey, En Brooklyn, time ta get up," Spot said in a stern voice.
Hotshot swatted at his face, "Go away, Spot," she mumbled.
"I'll drop you in the harbor again," his voice got louder, "En Brooklyn, get up!!!"
She sat up and pushed him off of her bunk, "Don' call me that."
"It's your name," he smiled, "Manhattan is makin' you lazy."
She rolled her eyes, "It ain't you's name for me, it's me brudah's an' what's wrong wit' me stayin' in bed here?"
"If you's ain't getting' up by yousself when you come back ta Brooklyn I'll hafta throw you in the harbor again." His voice was completely serious.
"C'mon Spot," she said, "No one made you get up after you was hoit las' year."
"Dat's 'cause I'se Spot Conlon."
She laughed, "You's mean the Spot Conlon I'se given a black eye before."
He frowned.
"Sorry," she said, "I'll get used to Brooklyn time 'fore I come back, don' worry." She lay back down and rolled over.
Spot poked her with the tip of his slingshot.
She cried out in pain and shot up in bed, "Beat it Conlon." She reached out to slap him, but missed because he ducked away. She rubbed her bruised side and glared at him.
"You ain't getting' up then?" Her glare answered his question, "Alright then I'll be back in an hour." He walked over to the window and climbed down the fire escape.
Hotshot shook her head and rolled over to go back to sleep. Her hopes of peaceful sleeping for a few hours were ruined by the nightmares that plagued her mind. She tossed and turned in her bed as memories came flooding back to her. When she woke again she was relieved to find that Spot wasn't back yet. She jumped out of bed, or at least tried to, and changed into actual clothes. Today all of her muscles were sore from the pressure she'd put on them the day before. She was tempted to sneak out but was sure of her punishment if she did. Instead she picked up a spare paper off of the floor and searched through the pages for something interesting.
Kid Blink was back at the lodging house before Spot. He'd found a group of men walking on a tour of the town and sold all of the papers he had left after the first two hours. He'd gotten into a bit of a fight with an older scabber but had only gotten a small bruise across his cheek. He climbed in through the fire escape forgetting there would be someone in the bunkroom.
"What happened to you?" Hotshot asked laughing.
"Jus' a little fight." He rubbed a hand across his cheek and found blood on it when he pulled away, "Damn."
Hotshot wet a cloth in the sink and pressed it against his cheek, "Hold it there 'til the bleeding stops."
He looked at her as she sat down. From the way she mover you could tell she was still sore and in a good deal of pain, but she also seemed very bored. "Long day?"
"There is nothing to do around here by yourself and I hurt too much to go anywhere outside of this room."
"The docta's comin' at the end of the week," Kid Blink smiled, "What you gonna do then."
"Considerin' I'll still be confined ta this place for another week I'll practice fighting up on the roof an' stuff."
"Practice fighting?"
"In Brooklyn there are fights almost every day. We practice to be prepared. The only reason I couldn't get away from the Delancy brudahs is 'cause I ain't practiced since I got here."
"An' all those bruises prove how badly you need the practice," Spot entered their conversation. He patted her shoulder, "Sleep well?"
"Yeah, no help from you." She smiled at him after the sarcastic remark.
Kid Blink took the cloth away from his face and ran his fingers over the scab as he watched the two banter. 'They has to a been datin' at one time.' He thought to himself. There was a strong relationship between them, but he could also see the stronger one growing between Hotshot and Specs.
The others started arriving back at the lodging hours after six that evening. Jack and David came back not only with Les, but Sarah as well. When Specs came back her still had a few papers under his arm that he had been unable to sell. Hotshot took one off of the pile and read it as everyone else filed in. Race and Crutchy were the last to arrive back. Race came strolling in happier than ever because he'd actually won a race.
"Two to one, Cowboy can beat Race to death 'fore someone can make him shut up!" Hotshot called out.
Replies of, "Bum odds!" echoed from all corners of the room.
Insulted Racetrack shut his mouth with a snap, which sent a round of laughter through the room.
The twenty or so boys settled on beds around the room. Hotshot sat on hers with Spot leaning against the frame and Specs sitting at the other end of the bunk. Jack and Race were seated across from her, with Kid Blink above them, and David's family seated in old chairs. The rest of the group sat on bunks close enough to hear what was going on.
"Well Hotshot," Jack said, "You were going to tell us about what happened in you's past, an' why you's tryin' ta stay away from you's family."
She took a deep breath and looked at Spot who whispered, "Take your time."
"First of all my real name is Brooke Maria Lynn…"
*~*~*Flashback*~*~*