Chapter 5 - Trouble in Harlem by Vixen - aka Spot's Fox


I felt the sun's warmth and could sense the brightness. I turned my head in hopes to block out the sun, and buried it into Spot's chest.

I pulled the blankets up over my head, "Ugh!" It was too warm with the blankets on, and kicked them off.

"Ya soire do move a lot," Spot mumbled from awakening unwillingly.

"I'se sawry, but I'se don wanna git up. I'se wanna sleep, but da damn sun's too bright!"

He slid from the bed, and grabbed a bag from below the bed, "I'se be back."

I couldn't figure out where Spot's family was. 'Doesn e have parents? Bruddahs? Sistahs? Anyone?' I pondered those questions as the door opened. In walked a gorgeous young girl. She looked older than me, maybe even older than Spot. She was about his height, skinny, and had beautiful chestnut brown hair.

"Oh, where's Spot?"

"Uh, I'se think e went tah wash up."

"Well, I'se Ramblah(Rambler). "

"Well, Spot calls me Vixen and Chelsea. I'se don know me real name."

"Okay, Vixen, how ya been? I'se hoid bout ya leg from Blunt." I smiled, this girl was really nice.

But I couldn't overcome the jealousy, ' Wha she want wit Spot?'

I continued to smile, "I'se gittin bettah, it still hoits dough. Spot says me side is da woist. But I'se livin."

"Dats good, but I'se gotta go and tawlk wit Spot. Latah." She smiled back and left me to myself.

Spot was done washing up and was about to head back when he was stopped.

"Wha ya want Ramblah?"

She crossed her arms, looking at her cousin as if she was taller and could smoosh him like a bug.

"Benjamin Conlon! Ya may be da leadah round heah but I'se oldah! Even if I'se a goil ya ain gonna treat me like dat!"

He threw his arms in the air out of frustration, "Aight, jist don call me you know what."

She grinned, but soon grew serious, "Deres trouble in Hahlem(Harlem)."

Spot tensed, "Whas appening?"

"Dose Joisey bois ahe(are) tawlkin like de playin on hittin up Hahlems Goil Lodgin House. All da odduhs ahe waitin' fer more news. Blunts aready left fer Manhattan. Watcha gonna do?"

He was practically out the door. They had made their way down the stairs and to the main lobby as they were talking.

"I'se goin tah Hahlem. Send Sprintah tah da Bronx, Manhattan, all over tah let da bois know o da meeting in three houhs(hours). "

He turned and left but quickly turned around, "Oh an' Ram, stay wit me fox, eh? Git her dressed fer da meetin."

He was off again and Rambler headed up the stairs. "Sprintah!! Sprintah!!"

He came running up to her out of nowhere, "Ya want somethin?"

"Spots got ohdehs(orders) fer ya."

He listened intensely to her, "Go an tell all da Newsies o New Yawk, cept Hahlem, dat dere's a meetin tahnight in three houhs. If ya need Spot es out at Hahlems Lodge." He nodded and ran for the door, and sprinted(hence his name) across the Brooklyn Bridge.

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

"C'min(come in)." I didn't know who it was, Spot wouldn't knock and I didn't know anyone else. The girl, Rambler, walked in and I could hear the sound of loud boys stomping down what I guessed were stairs.

"Heya Vixen, Spot had some business tah take care of. I'se gonna hang out witcha tahday."

I smiled, "Aight. Whas goin on? Where Spot go? Is e comin back?"

"Tah Hahlem, e'll be back in a few houhs. I'se gonna help ya git ready."

I puzzled, "Whas happenin tahnight?"

"Well, all da guys ahe comin, youse gotta be dressed if dey ahe all gonna be hehe(here)."

"Bois? Wha bois?"

She smiled, "Da Newsies."

I nodded, 'Hmm.. whats that?' I decided against asking so she didn't think I was that stupid.

She took a seat on the couch, "Ouch!" "Whas da mattah?"

She pulled out a book, it had been stuffed under the cushions. "A book."

She flipped it open, "Wha Spot doin wit a goil's journal? It yers?"

I shook my head, "No."

She read a few lines, "Do ya know a Snooks?"

Suddenly, I jolted back with a rush of memories. There was a girl running down a hallway with an old man after her. She threw something to another girl, who passed the object to a young boy. The girl tripped and was tackled by the old man. He picked her up and threw her into another room. The other two were screaming something.

'Wait! Is that me?' I asked myself as I finally got a clearer look at the people running through my head.

"Vixen?"

I tore myself from the memory and looked at the girl, "Can I see dat?"

She handed it to me, and I skimmed through the book, and saw that it stopped. I put it down, and turned my attention back to Rambler, "Can ya help me tah da warshroom?"

"Yeah, oh, dis will be fun!" She exclaimed.

"Why? Wha I miss?"

"Ya gotta git a lil dressed up if all da bois will be hehe. It'll be like havin a baby sister tah take care of! C'mon."

We hurried to the bathroom and giggled at one anther as we joked back and forth.

"Hehe, try dis one,"Rambler called from outside the stall.

"Aight, I'se need ya tah unzippah me." She did so, and was shocked, "Whas dat?"

"Huh? Oh, dats from me cut.. Oh I'se gotta change dat! Spot didn do it tahday. I'se got one on me leg too."

She nodded and decided we'd go do that now. I lied down on a bed, and she came with all the stuff. She fixed my leg, it was nearly healed, and then she went for my side.

She gasped as the bandage was removed, "Whas da mattah? Is it real bad? Spot won tell me."

She looked at me and I saw the concern in her eyes, "I'se cant lie tah ya. Its real bad, it ain infected, but its deep."

She poured the liquid and it burned, a lot more than the day before. The bandage was replaced and the old ones were discarded.

-Spot-
He made his way to Harlem in no time, taking a lot of back ways and watching for Jersey spies. He knew where to find both Plaz and Kix.

He turned into an empty alleyway and entered a side door to a building. There, behind another door, he took the steps. In the basement of the tenement, there was yet another door. He knocked and it was slightly opened, once he was seen they welcomed him in.

"Conlon, I'se glad tah see ya." Plaz and Spot spit shook, and settled at the table in the center.

"Jeah(yeah) I'se hoid ya gots some trouble. Joisey up tah dere no good schemes again. Ya got anythin more?"

Plaz shook his head, "Naw. Aleast Ise dont."

They turned to Kix, Spot was grinning wildly, "Wha ya got?"

She shook with him, "Spot, baby! You'se lookin good. I'se hoid some things. Dey playin fer levin (eleven, 11) tahnight. I hoid dey figured it be good since da guys would be out by den. Gonna rape all da goils den set da place on fihe(fire)."

Spot's grin was gone and his face was stern and his eyes looked to kill. "Watcha got in mind?"

Spot, grew quiet as if they'd get killed if they were heard, "Aight, I'se havin a meetin at da lodge, and if we git all da bois tah 'elp it won be a problem. We'se gotta git a few goils tah help. If dey......"

~Vixen~
"Ya looks good! Damn goil- ya clean up good!"

I smiled at the compliment, but then I thought of something, "Ahe ya goin wit Spot?"

I didn't expect to be so blunt (no pun intended- if u understand), but I wanted to know.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Rambler busted out laughing, thinking of her cousin, "No! Es me cousin!"

I could feel my cheeks turn red, "I'se sawrry! I'se jist figured since ya came in hehe lookin fer im this mornin.." S

he continued to laugh, "Ah God! Wait til Blunt heahs dis one!"

'Blunt.. I know dat name...' I continued to think and suddenly it hit me.

"Oh! Blunt, I'se know 'im."

She smiled at the sound of his name, "Jeah, dats me boi.. fer a whole yeah!"

I smiled, I was happy for them, but even more happy to hear she was Spot's cousin and not his girl. "So how ol' ahe ya?"

"13, two yeahs oldah den Spot. Es 11."

I nodded, and then laughed, "He's 11 an da leadah of dis place? Dey'll listen tah 'im even if es youngah?"

"Yeah, dey do. Hawk passed it down to Spot last yeah when e left fer Arizona wit his wife. E was left in charge, no one evah tought tah question his age, and if dey did.. well, dey paid fer it."

I grinned understanding what she meant, "Well, wha ya gonna wear? Den we can do our hair!"

She giggled, agreeing, and pulled out a cute dress. Once we were done getting her dressed, the light footsteps on the stairs grew louder. In walked yet another girl, she looked a lot like Spot, and I had to make sure I truly was looking at a girl and not seeing Spot in a girls dress with longer hair. It definitely wasn't Spot, her body showing her to be a defiant young woman.

"Heya Sweets!"

I smiled, but was a little shy. "Heya, whos da goil? Lemme guess, anuddah one o' me bruddahs goils."

Rambler slapped her, "Shuddup! Dis is Vixen, er Chelsea accordin tah ya bruddah. She's new hehe and is all torn up so I'se helpin her. Dere's a meetin tahnight."

Sweets nodded, "I'se Sweets Conlon. Spots oldah sistah, makin me 12."

I nodded, "I'se don' know how old I is, but ya bruddah is guessin bout 11 or 12 if not oldah."

I had wondered about that and wished I knew but knew I never would.

"Well, dats a good guess. Youse look like ya bout me age maybe Ramblers. Well, I'se hehe tah talk wit me cousin."

I took the hint, but I couldn't go anywhere on my own, "I'se don mean tah be rude, but I'se cant move."

Sweets looked at me confused, "Wha ya mean?"

"I'se told ya. She's all torn up, shes got cuts on her side and leg."

"Oh, well, dats aight. So Ram, I'se been thinkin. Wha we gonna do bout Spot?"

Ramblers good mood seemed to fade, "I don know. E seems tah be bettah. Es been kinda occupied- ya know wha I mean."

I knew what she meant. Something wasn't right with Spot and I had been taking his mind off of it. What was the matter with him?

"Well, dats good. E needs tah git ovah it. Its been yeahs since e came ehe(here), time tah move on."

"Ya, well, les tawlk bout dat latah and elp git dis foxy chic ehe git ready."

Rambler knew I was concerned and decided to avoid the topic around me. "Aight, time tah fix ya haih(hair)."

By the time the girls were done we all looked great. Even Sweets had changed into a dress which was quite the change from her boy pants, and shirt. Her hair fell to just below her shoulder blade, emphasizing her body. Her blue-greenish eyes stood out with her outfit which was a light blue skirt and a white blouse.

"You'se look so nice Sweets!" I exclaimed getting excited about the nights events. Rambler agreed, who too looked great.

She wore a gray shirt and skirt, that had three-quarter length sleeves, and stopped at her ankles. She had one suspender hooked to the skirt, and the other hung over her shoulder. Her short black hair, which reached below her ears, was sticking out on the sides making it look like wings. It looked cute and when she placed her hat on, it made her look absolutely adorable. My dress was green, which made the tints in my eyes sharp. The gold too stood out in them, making them illuminate like tigers' eyes.

My dress was sleeveless, reaching all the way to the floor. My hair, which was a curly, chestnut brown color with a red tint to it, was pulled back and tied with a green ribbon.

We all smiled at one another, and busted out laughing. "Dis was so much fun!"

We all laughed again, "We gots tah do dis more often!"

Soon, there was a loud bang. The house seemed to shake as people climbed the stairs.

Sweets quickly shut the door, not ready to be seen. There was commotion in the other room as the boys seeped back into the bunkroom. Soon, there was silence.

"Wow, whered dey all go?"

"Dey jist spent dere dey sellin papes. Wit da pahty(party) tahnight, dere proly all jumpin in da rivah(river) tah freshin up."

I nodded, "So, you'se two newsies?"

They nodded, "Wha' else would we be?"

I shrugged, "I jist wonderin. Why didn ya go tahday?"
"I'se slept in," Sweets admitted to us.

"I'se don gotta sell everyday. I'se woik at Medda's too, so I'se make a lot a money."
Rambler was admiring herself in the mirror.

"Medda's??"

She smiled remembering Blunt mentioning that I had amnesia. "Its a place where alotta goils dance, an sing. Perform for da guys."

"Oh, dat sounds like fun. Once Ise bettah, kin I come wit ya?" Rambler nodded, and we all started talking about the nights events.