Part 1- 2 years before the first chapter (The story is not in order, like I started with the end so this just tells you where it comes in with the time line. Oh and none of the following parts will be from my main characters pov, just the first one)
~Spot's POV~ age-14
I swigged my drink trying to erase the headache being caused by the noise around me. I should have been used to it by now, but I wasn't it. The ache in my head may have been caused by something else though. I'd dropped another girl. They all looked pretty, or had something about them from a distance, and then I'd get close and get bored
They'd started to flock to me more since the rumor had started that I would be leader after Caveman. Cave was an excellent leader, in the sense that if you didn't piss him off he didn't hurt you. I liked that about him, although I had pissed him off a few, ok a lot of times. It's my personality; I piss a lot of people off.
Girls seem to like a man in charge; Cave had shared this with me once at a bar. While he had said this he had had two sluts sitting on his lap. What if I didn't want sluts though? What if I wanted an ugly girl who could beat Smarts at a match of wits? Would the boys respect a Leader who didn't have two hoes on his arm? Did it matter to me though? Did I want to be leader? Yes, yes I wanted to be leader. I wanted to own Brooklyn. Which newsie didn't?
She walked into the bar disrupting my thoughts, her voice soaring over the noise to the ears of everyone as she waved her papers through the air. I felt like my territory had been crossed. I didn't recognize her as a Brooklyn. What was she doing selling in Brooklyn? Cave would soak anyone who was selling here without being under his management.
As a good little Brooklyn boy and I didn't feel like being beat by Cave for not taking care of it, I approached to tell her off. She wasn't a drop dead gorgeous, not very pretty at all. I guessed her to be only 11 or 12, and figured that I shouldn't be trying to get a girl her age anyway. Brooklyn boys have morals too you know.
"'Ey goil, what'chya dink yeh doin'?" I asked with a little slur from my drinking.
"Sellin' papes," she replied confidently.
"Yeah, yeah, I can see dat what'chya doin' sellin' in a Brooklyn tavern? I ain't evah seen ya in Brooklyn befoah."
She seemed a little taken aback by the confrontation I was giving her. Had she been selling her evening addition here long with out anyone knowing? What kind of girl sells by herself in Brooklyn Tavern at only 11, or 12? I swear what an idiot.
"Ain't ya a liddle young ta be sellin' by yehself anyway?" I wasn't trying to play big brother here, it just kind of came out that way.
"I ain't sellin' by meself," she shot back defensively. "Just lost me partner ta one od de fella's ovah dere. It happens from time to time."
I nodded understanding. Her partner was one of the local whores probably. I wondered if she had been with Cave or one of the other guys. This girl was probably going to grow up to be one herself. Or maybe she already was.
"Don't you look at me wid disgust like dat," she snapped. "I ain't like dat, I nevah plan on being eidah, even if I'm dyin' on de streets."
I laughed. She'd pricked my curiosity now. Reading my thoughts through my face was not an easy thing to do. I figured since I had her here I might as well ask a few questions.
"So who ya under?" I wondered.
"Manhattan," she replied glancing around her strawberry light brown hair flipping. Aware, this girl had it together.
"Manhattan?" I laughed. "What ya doin' all de way in Brooklyn den?"
She shrugged and muttered something with the same amount of syllables as 'I don't know'.
"Icy found it wandahing around once, found she could sell a few heah, and den we just started selling heah in de evening."
"Icy yeh partnah?" I figured she was but making sure I had clarification never hurt.
"Yeah, we's always sold togedah"
I realized suddenly that I was off task. It happened from time to time, and I needed to learn how to avoid it. Leaders have to stay right with what they're doing at all times, or so I figured.
"Well ya bettah stop sellin' here oah else some Brooklyn may get ya in trouble."
"What like you?" she replied back. I hadn't expected it at all.
"Maybe," I replied and shot her a smirk. She blushed a light shade of pink and looked down.
"Who's yeh new friend?" asked a knock out walking up. The newcomer was at least 13 or 14 and I suspected that it was Icy. I could tell how she got her name, her eyes were ice cold and her very being radiated a cold nature. She was like an iceberg that was easy on the eyes, but if you got to close could sink you. Her black hair hung around her waist swaying as she walked.
"Don't know his name but he's t'reatening to get us in trouble if we don't stop sellin' heah,"
"Is he now?" Icy said getting up in my face. I got right back up into hers letting her know I wouldn't take that. I'd never hit a girl, but I could her hurt in other ways if she pissed me off enough. She backed down slightly smiling. "I know ya. Yeh Spot, Spot Conlon."
"Dat's right," I smirked and Icy's partner went a light shade of pink again.
"Now dat everyone know's me name I'd like to know yeh's." I said curious of who my light shade of pink friend was.
"Nick," she said with a similar confidence that she had had at the beginning of our conversation.
"Ain't dat a boy's name?" I laughed.
"'Ey, me nickname ain't no boy's name," she barked, giving me a little push.
I stopped and gave her a menacing glare at my full height. People do not touch Spot Conlon with out repercussions. I was only going to give her a warning this time.
"Nah, Nick heah got her name from de time she nicked 2 bits from Varick. He was so pissed when he found out dey was gone right ou' of his pocket." Icy said clearly trying to show off a little bit to me. Whether she was showing off for herself or for Nick was unclear. "I'm Icy." She said smiling her ice cold eyes staring into mine.
I nodded showing no emotion. If she was trying to show off, I wasn't going to let on that I was impressed. I was though. Varick was the Manhattan leader, almost as tough and well known as Caveman but with more of a heart. Varick was the kind of guy who could take down anyone but would rather have a drink with them instead, just the kind of leader for Manhattan.
"Well it's nice ta meet ya Spot," Icy said winking at me. "We got ta go before it gets dark."
"Yeah," Nick agreed.
"Bye," I said as they turned to leave me to drink, but drink I would not. I was going back to the Lodging house for a game of poker or two.
~*~*~*~Several Weeks Later~*~*~*~
Despite my warnings Nick and Icy continued to come to the Tavern and I found I couldn't turn them away. Caveman never came here so they were safe from him and they weren't hurting anyone by selling in the evening to a bunch of drunk who were too drunk to even know they were buying newspapers.
Nick sat on some guy's lap that Icy had set her up with. Every time he looked away she would look over and cringe at me. I smirked at her. He was at least 16 and I wondered why he would agree to have an 11 or 12 year old as his goil. Not really goil I should say because they had never met before and it only lasted the night, and nothing happened between them.
"Isn't he a little ol' fah ya?" I asked later when he was gone.
Nick raised an eyebrow at me but still blushed a light rose. She didn't seem amused my question.
"I'm 13, yeah he's like 16 but ya said it like I was real little." she shot defensively.
"Yeh 13?" I stared amazed yeah maybe 12 but 13?
"Yeah, yeah I know I look young fah me age."
~*~*~*~One Year Later~*~*~*~
The light drizzle fell over me lightly as I stepped briskly through the streets. Recently Caveman had started a war with a local gang that had beaten down a few of our younger newsies. Now anytime we saw a member it was straight into battle mode. One was running past me and I took off after him instantaneously.
I didn't know then that he was headed towards a fight, and if I had I still would have followed. The chase led me to a dock not far, where an unfair battle was being waged. Caveman was leading the few newsies with him and was getting hit bad. I grabbed my sling shot and began to pellet the rivals with my shooters.
My aim was bad then and unsuccessful. Cave finally noticed my unfruitful efforts. I joined him in the raging battle and took quite the beating. I saw Cave's body collapse after a gory blow and fall backwards submerging into the water. Watched in horror as he struggled to the surface for air, my heart stood still.
The autumn cold waters were rushing past him quickly pulling him down stream. His body weak from the fight and fatal blows he had received. Caveman had never always loved the water; I prayed that he wouldn't have to leave us through it. The mighty dragon like water wrapped its vicious claws around him. The rabid grasp pulled him under again then let him back up again, again, teasing us that he might make it to the next day.
The skirmish continued on without me. I had seen men die before, people I'd come to know, but this was different. New responsibilities weighed down upon me like a heavy yoke.
(Note if anyone is willing to Beta this story for me I would be super grateful. I would need someone who gets on fairly often so that when I email it to you, you can send it back with in a day or so. You would get to read it before the others and yeah. I only really need one Beta preferably one who really knows grammar, because I don't.)