Past Secrets and Present Times
Chapter 27
By Megan
Race searched the rooms upstairs. It was true, Rosa had told him half an hour ago to wake Hotshot up. Maybe he'd ignored the command just a little too long. He ducked through each of the three bedrooms where she could usually be found. She hadn't been in her room so he continued his search through first Specs' then the one he shared with David. She wasn't in any of them. She'd never wandered downstairs, so where was she?
He leaned against the door jam and sighed in frustration.
"Race?" The voice behind him made him jump as he spun around to find the object of his search standing behind him.
"Hotshot, where you been. I'se been lookin' all ova for you?"
"Race, I'se been downstairs for the past ten minutes." She looked at him like he was an idiot, "Now, c'mon, Denton's waiting out front."
Race stared after her open-mouthed and then threw up his hands in frustration. Following her out to the waiting coach.
All the boys at the courthouse were in a large cluster, which Hotshot pushed herself through. Kid Blink was sitting in a wheelchair joking with the guys. Occasionally he'd glance back and flirt with the young nurse who held the back of his chair.
Hotshot stationed herself at the center of the circle and tapped her foot while crossing her arms over her chest. He finally noticed her a few minutes later.
"Hey, Hotshot, how's it rollin'?"
She laughed, unwilling to let loose the comment that had been on the tip of her tongue for the past several minutes. "You're lucky you'se sick or I'd have a comment for you." She spit in her palm and held it out.
Much to the nurse's dismay Kid Blink did the same and shook hands with her. "I see you'se in your typical Brooklynite mood."
"Always, so how are you?"
"Getting out in a week or two and I'se got permission to come to you'se party thing and the rest of the court stuff. Ain't coughed up blood in two days."
"Good."
Denton yelled from the doorway for them to start coming in. To Blinks horror Hotshot took hold of the back of his chair.
"Hotshot!" he complained, "I had a perfectly good opportunity to flirt with her!" He continued to whine until they reached to door and asked so what're me an' Specsie tellin' the judge."
"The truth," she said clearly.
"Hotshot," Specs said, "Some a the stuff we know about you ain't so great. Are you sure about that?"
"Because a wise person once told me the truth is the only thing that will help you out of any situation." Without allowing room for further comment she wheeled Blink into the crowded courtroom.
Both sides of the courtroom seemed tense that morning since those who were testifying could make or break the case. Though Edwards and the Pulitzers maintained their I'm-better-than-you snobbish composure you could read in their faces that they were nervous.
"Who told you that?" Specs asked her as they sat down.
"My mother."
While Pulitzer and the rest of them smirked, thinking they had the case in the bag Hotshot gave a cold glare to the single table on the other side of the room. There were a few comments from the newsies about how 'if looks could kill'. Race even started his own little eulogy as though he was at a funeral. Even as her stepfather looked over at her she locked gazes with him. She didn't have the smirk on her face like she had the day she'd dumped all that water on Spot, instead her mouth was set in a line. It was almost as scary as seeing her when she had a crazy idea, at least as threatening.
Denton was questioning them fist. He wheeled Kid Blinks wheelchair up to the stand and began his questioning.
"You were the first of the boys to meet Miss Lynn, right Kid?"
"Yeah," he said, "I was sick so we played poker and waited for the rest of them to get back."
"So, how well did you get to know her?"
"I'd consider her a good friend. I kissed her once but there was nothing else between us. We hung out at Tibby's and sold together a few times. That's about it."
"So did you trust her?"
"Unless she was sellin' yeah. She made up some pretty believable headlines since she moved here. Almost convinced Jack an' Race to buy papes offa her a few times. The rest of the time she didn't have no reason ta lie to us. Sure, she didn't come out and tell us everything but she'd tell you if you asked her."
"What about respect?"
"Always. I been abused like her. My dad hit me and my little sister and brother so I know how it is. I repect anyone whose been through it. And then all the other crap she's put up with, this whole trial and all."
"What do you mean by that?
"Well, she lived in Brooklyn for four years without anyone looking for her and all of a sudden Pulitzer finds this need to find her and bring her home. He made way too big a deal out of it so there's gotta be something in it for him."
Hotshot sat smiling in her seat. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Pulitzer squirming uncomfortably in his seat. That's one of the things she loved about Kid Blink; he said what he felt no matter who it would offend or what kind of panic would follow. Now he was making Pulitzer sweat.
"Then," he went on, "There's the fact that she's gonna be eighteen in six months. The way this trial's been goin' she might be eighteen before it's over."
Thank you, Kid Blink." Denton smiled as he took his seat.
"You seem to get sick an awful lot." Mr. Edwards commented.
"Not really."
"You were sick when she arrived and you had Tuberculosis, I'd say you're sick a lot."
"Well I don't. Mr. Edwards when she got there I was getting over a cold that had gone through the entire lodging house. Everyone else was out for a week while I was out for three days. Only reason Jack gave me an extra day off was because I never get sick so I never take a day off."
"Why then would you say you don't get sick easily?"
"Tolerance. When I was little my day would lock me an' my little siblings out in a closed off fire escape five stories up. Most of the time I gave them my shirt to keep warm. That's why I was sick so much when I was a kid. I guess I built up a tolerance to it over the years. And you can't really say anything about the Tuberculosis. I got it and ignored everythin'. If Hotshot hadn't told 'em what it was I'd probably be dead instead a here talkin' ta you fine people taday."
And a charmer, he was a charmer to. Hotshot had seen him work crowds selling and with the ladies at Tibby's and Irving Hall.
"Have you ever been in trouble with the law, Mr Parker?"
"Not since the strike Sir."
"And before the strike?"
"A few small things on my record but nuthin' big."
"So you'd say you're criminal."
"No, I'd say I'se a kid who has ta work ta keep hisself alive. Every kid here has stolen at least once. It's necessary for survival out there."
"That is all." He waved a hand up and turned back to his seat. An arrogant smirk was on his face again. He looked over at Hotshot's table where she sat there glaring back at him.
"Matthew Edwards." The judge called him up next. Specs gave Hotshot's shoulder a squeeze as he passed her. She glanced at his father on the other side of the room. He was sitting haughtily in his seat.
"Specs, Jack chose you to bring Hotshot around and show her the ropes?"
"Yeah."
"Any idea why?"
"'Cause I'm supposed to be smarter than most of the other guys. Jack put her with me because he knew I was least likely to bring he somewhere where she'd get in trouble or get caught. That and he didn't expect anything to happen between us."
"Did you want to sell with her?"
"Not at first. She was a girl so I thought she'd slow me down. But she kept up and we got to be friends."
"And after that?"
"We dated for a little but it didn't go past kissing."
"I've heard there was a time where you didn't like her?"
"It wasn't that I didn't like her; I just had something against some of the Brooklyn newsies for a long time. Jack never told me she was from Brooklyn, but she saved my butt in a fight. She held off two bullies with a slingshot and an empty threat of a pocket full of ammunition."
"So you respect her?"
"Always. If Spot wasn't leader of Brooklyn, I expect that she'd be. She has all the kinds of qualities that make her stick out and demand respect. I know she ain't gonna tell on anyone an' she'll fight to save some of her own. Just some of the stuff she's done in the time since I met her."
"Do you trust her?"
Specs smiled, "With my life. Seriously, I trust her with anything. She can do anything and I have never heard her lie to anyone."
"What about the detectives and police?"
"She only lied to them to stay away from her uncle. She won't lie to her friends."
Mr. Edwards approached the judge as he stood to start his questioning. I would just like it on the record that this boy is my son; some of his questions may come from his home life." With barely a glance at Specs the judge nodded for him to proceed.
"Matthew," he began, making the name sound repulsive, "Please state for the court how long ago you left your home and why?"
"I left seven years ago when I was ten. And why? I left because my father beat me."
Edwards didn't even flinch, "And how did you act in that home?"
"Like a normal kid. I got in trouble sometimes but most of the time I was pretty good."
"So you left when you were ten and since then haven't been in contact with your family at all. You must truly hate them if you never even wrote a letter to tell them you were alright."
"You know that's not true. Of course I cared about my family. I still do, but if I had written a letter I would have been dragged home. I'd rather stay in this life than go home to abuse."
"Alright then, away from the topic of you family. How much money do you have saved from being a newsie?"
"I'm not sure exactly. Don't count it that often. Ten, maybe twenty dollars."
"Why do you have so much more that your friends? Steal it maybe?"
"Never. They all spend their money on girls. I've only had a few girlfriends and not much else to spend extra money on."
"Have you ever been in trouble with the law?"
"On a few occasions."
"Do you care to be more specific?"
"The strike, for one. That and a misunderstanding between my friends, Dutchy and Bumlets, and a few police officers. I try to stay out of trouble, but if one of my friends is gonna take a fall for sumthin' he didn't do I'm not gonna let 'em arrest him." Specs' voice rose and his face began to turn red from anger.
"What about Miss Lynn?"
"What about her?" He was suddenly tense.
"The two of you dated correct."
"That's right."
"I know you claim that the two of you did nothing past kissing but Daniel Taylor claims he found you in her bedroom asleep on several occasions." Edwards raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, similar to that Racetrack often used.
"Yeah, I stayed in there," Specs admitted, "but it wasn't for the reason you're suggesting. Daniel had a habit of coming to her room around the time she was going to bed and harassing her. I stayed with her to keep him from coming back because she didn't want to get into a fight with her."
"I'm sure. Will you two be getting together again after the trial is over?"
"It's her decision, not mine."
"I'm done with this witness Your Honor."
Specs walked back to his seat glaring at his father's back. Hotshot turned around as he took his seat behind her. "I'm fine," he said, "Now get up there so we can get as far from this place as possible." He sank back into the bench and seemed to be attacked from Dutchy on one side and Kid Blink on the other.
Hotshot was happy to finally be testifying. She'd been waiting since the beginning of the trial for her turn. It was going to be one of the most terrifying and most enjoyable moments of the trial. Everything she said would be inspected and twisted around to be used against her later. But then, she would be able to finally tell what had really happened when she lived with her stepfather and uncle. She walked up to the stand and sat down. It would be harder to do this in front of people but the fact that she'd had to control over fifty boys in Brooklyn helped a little.
"Miss Lynn," Hotshot winced even though Denton was required to call her that, "How long have you been working as a newsie?"
"First time I ran away was when I was seven. I moved into the Brooklyn lodging house permanently when I was thirteen."
"Why did you become a newsie?"
"To get out of my house. My mother married Mr. Pulitzer after my dad got sent to jail. He loved Aaron and Salina but Andres and I were older and caused trouble because we were smart. Andres always spoke his mind and I spoke Spanish all the time. He'd ground us both and eventually Andres started bringing me when he ran away. Our dad used to tell us stories about the newsies so that's where we went."
"What happened when you were returned to the house?"
"Jonathan would treat us nicely in front of our mother but the minute she was gone he'd beat Andres with the whip. First time I ran away he just slapped my but the punishments got worse and he started whipping me too. People have seen the scars on my back."
Denton had already handed in the pictures of the scars as evidence. "When was the last time he whipped you Miss Lynn?"
"When the court made me visit him a few weeks ago. Being a newsie gave me a smart mouth and I mouthed off to him so he beat me."
"When you lived with his brother was he any better?"
"Joe wouldn't hit me 'cause he knew I could go to the cops on him. He gave me just about as much freedom, which was as little as possible, and grounded me for speaking in Spanish."
"Why would he ground you for that?"
"He had a Spanish maid. He said it made me sound like an uneducated servant, which I always took as an insult. My mother moved here from Spain and made sure I learned the language."
"Did Mr. Pulitzer do anything else?"
"He arranged a marriage. He knew for a fact that I hated Daniel Taylor but didn't care because the Taylor's family business would make him richer than he already is and let me live the 'fine' life."
"You still don't want to marry Daniel Taylor?"
"Or anyone else in higher society right now. My dad had the same job as I did when he was my age and he was one of the most successful lawyers in New York by the time he was twenty-four. Then he owned the firm when he was twenty-eight and expanded it."
"So you'd rather stay as a newsie until you're older and decide to get a real job?"
"Yes."
"What about your friends in Brooklyn and Manhattan?"
"They're the best friends any one could ever ask for."
"So you trust them? Even the ones who have been arrested?"
"These are newsies we're talking about. The cops don't care whether they did anything or not. They throw them in the Refuge if they suspect they did something. And as far as trust goes I trust every single newsie in here. None of them told the cops where I was when I was hiding and they all helped out during the case. Only time I ever tune what they say out is when we're selling or playing Poker."
"What exactly are your plans if you get emancipation?"
"I'll keep workin' as a newsie as honestly as possible and get a job when I get too old to do this anymore."
"Thank you Brooke," Denton nodded to her and sat down.
"How many times have you been in the Refuge?" Edwards began his interview with a potentially damaging question.
"None." She grinned.
"Well most of your other friends seem to claim that they were there during the strike."
"Sir, I stayed in Brooklyn during the strike. It was too close to Pulitzer and Spot and I agreed it would be better if I stayed home with the younger boys. The only day I went was the day it ended and there was too big a crowd to pick anyone out then."
"Is it true that you've fought with and injured some of the other newsies?"
"I'm the only girl Mr. Edwards. If girls don't show the guys they can fight they'll get taken advantage of."
"How many newsies did you date during the time you lived with them?"
"Only two. I dated Spot for a few years in Brooklyn and Specs for a while when I came up to Manhattan. Both are in the past."
"I'm sure. So would you mind explaining why Matthew was in your room at the mansion every night?"
"He was in my room because Daniel thought it was his right to come harass me with his stories about my parents in the middle of the night. Specs kept me from killing him and kept him from coming back."
"Many of the boys who testified said that you were passed around among the boys?"
"Well I wasn't. The boys who said that lie."
"Have you ever stolen anything?"
"Not other than food, and only when I haven't eaten for more than two days."
"What about fights? You look pretty beat up, what happened in the last fight you were in? Who was the other guy?"
"I was in a fight against James Mitchell Friday," she stated plainly and without emotion, "He tried to kill my friends and I."
"And where is this young man now."
"He's dead Mr. Edwards and this really has nothing to do with my trial so I'd appreciate it if you'd get back to that."
Edwards seemed too shocked to answer but quickly came up with another question, "How can you prove that your stepfather hit you?"
"The scars on me and my brother's backs and four newsies who helped clean me up."
"Would you run away again if you were not granted emancipation?"
She thought for a moment, "In a heartbeat."
"Thank you Miss Lynn, please step down."
Edwards looked tired as he sank back into his chair and began to put together his closing statement. He spent ten minutes going on about her having no proof and how each of the newsies was a nuisance to society and worthless.
Denton stood proudly on his side of the room with a sheet of paper in his hand.
"Your Honor Brooke Lynn was raised on her father's stories about his days as a Brooklyn newsie. After his arrest her mother married a man who refused to let her speak a tongue that her mother had taught her at a young age. There is also proof that this man beat her between the ages of seven and twelve. This man locked her brother in the attic of a house for five years and sought revenge on her by beating her in the middle of this trial. Another man promised a young businessman her hand in marriage when she was thirteen. Not only does Miss Lynn not want to marry him but she also does not know him.
"When she was a young girl, yes, she did run away from home countless time to stay with a large group of older boys that may be the kind that will ruin a young woman of society. But it happened and there is no way to reverse what she has learned from them. From these boys Miss Lynn has learned more than she would have learned in the censored environment that her uncle's home provided. Over the past ten years she has had the kind of relationships that young women of higher social rank won't have. She has worked with them, had romantic interests with some of them, and faced terrible battles with others.
"While most families of her father's rank would not approve of the way Miss Lynn dresses or talks she knows that when she is older she will go back to that way of life and has done so as far as speaking goes for this session in court. They may not like the occupation she chose for her first job but what can we expect. This girl was raised on the stories of Brooklyn newsies; her own father was the leader for several years. She has learned more about hard work, trust and friendship than lawyers of her father's standard will learn in a lifetime. I truly believe that if you keep her housed with the Pulitzers you will not only ultimately kill her, but deprive this city of one of it's best lawyers, or writers, teachers, or God knows what. I know I wouldn't want to be the person that had to bear that on my shoulders. Thank you for your time Judge Monahan."
The judge closed his file; "This court will take a long recess while I deliberate the outcome and sentences. We will reconvene at noon on Friday."
"I'll pick you up at the lodging house at six Wednesday," her father told her, "Go out and have fun with your friends."
Racetrack and Andres had spread news of the 'ball' her father was having on Thursday. All of the boys were invited and now babbling about it.
"So who're you inviting for girls?" Kid Blink asked. The nurse was helping him into a carriage to go back to the hospital but he'd been promised he could go.
"Sarah's friends and a bunch of newsgoils she knows. Specs' mother and sisters, Rosa and some of them, Medda's crew is coming to entertain, and my dad's business friends and their families."
"Rich kids. Fun!" Spot was tapping his hands together with a smirk; similar to Hotshot's on his face.
"Bye Kid," they called as his carriage rolled off. Then they all clustered around.
"What do you wanna do taday Hots?" Jack stole Spots nickname, "It's up to you."
"Please! Tibby's. Then the afternoon at Irving or the lodging house."
That was enough of a plan for the newsies. The large group set off to Tibby's and spent the afternoon in downtown Manhattan.
Hotshot was exhausted when they got back to the lodging house that night. She threw Spot's stuff off her bunk and climbed in. She opened one eye to see most of the other newsies were doing the same. Fixing Spot with a glare she spoke, "Any water, you die." He held up his hands in defeat as he, Lockpick, and Royal moved their stuff and everyone squished into bunks.
Hotshot rolled over as Race started a Poker game with those who didn't want to sleep. Tomorrow should be fun. Tomorrow she was meeting the people Sarah called 'the goils.' 'Should be lots of fun she thought' before going to sleep, 'A dozen versions of Spot, just with PMS.'
(A/N:) I know I haven't updated in forever but my computer deleted this just when I got it typed the first time and right now I have pneumonia so I've barely been able to do anything for a while. This all got typed basically today and yesterday because I couldn't take another movie.
I know the ending of this chapter was iffy but it was the best I could do. I promise I'm trying, and the next few chapters are going to be great. Maybe not fast seeing as make up work is a killer but they're coming.
No offense to those who reviewed but I got crap for reviews last time and I would love more this time. Also go read anything by Stage, Shade of Temair, and misprint who are absolutely awesome. Shade was wicked cool and put poor dysfunctional Hotshot and Specs in one of her stories.
Last note: Last call for girlfriends. Jack, Spot, Dave, Race, Mush, Kid Blink, Specs, Dutchy, Snoddy, Jake, and Skittery are taken. Tiger, I'm sorry but you didn't send me the required info and lost your holdings on the guys you wanted. Send me the info and a new guy if you want, and Glare I need a guy for you. Anyone else I would especially love a girl for Pie Eater, Bumlets, and Crutchy.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter and got the name change. Leave you reviews. Thanks!!!
~Hotshot~~~