(A/N)- thanks for the reviews!!!! Sorry it's taken so long for me to update again….it's just being caught up in all the school-stuff and ballet's getting really hectic cuz of the Nutcracker. But im here now, so it's all okay!!!
About my character (Cabby) - I am trying as hard as I can to not make her a Mary-sue. If I'm failing utterly, please let me know. She's supposed to be kind of unlucky and very imperfect- and always on the receiving end of the bad situations she stumbles into. And I'm really sorry if Racetrack is coming across as a jerk… I couldn't just have him see her, recognize her and fall in love… that would just kill the plot!! Anyways… he's not really a jerk for no reason; I'm explaining his mean reaction to Cabby in this chapter. Thanks for being patient with the long time between updates and flawed characters!!
*******
Camaderie and Cabby sat in a warm silence, staring at the falling snow against the black sky. At length, Camaderie stood up and nodded toward the door.
"I'll introduce you to the rest of the girls if you'd like"
Cabby smiled and nodded, grateful to have met someone so friendly when she had felt so embarrassed and alone.
Damn that Racetrack. She thought as she followed the newsie through the lobby.
But he'll get his due returns. It was like that 'thing' Shamrock had been talking about… some religion from far away that said if you're mean or anything like that, it would come back and bite you. What's it called? Kooma, Kamo….something like that. I can always ask Shamrock later. Whatever it was, it was gonna get a nice chunk of the stupid kid that crossed me. Cabby smiled softly to herself, remembering his watch in her coat pocket.
Ha… roll that in a cigar and smoke it!
****
Camaderie led Cabby to a small room to the side of the main lodging room, on the second story of the building. In the room, a few female newsies were sprawled across the bunks- obviously relaxing after the day's work. Some looked up to acknowledge the two girls entering the room, and one of them rose to her feet to greet Camaderie. In spite of her entering with Camaderie, each of the girls fixed cold glances on her and shook their heads disapprovingly.
The girl who stood up to talk to Camaderie eyed Cabby suspiciously and whispered into Camaderie's ear.
"What??!! No, Rebel, of course not!!!" Camaderie pulled back, looking incredulous at what 'Miracle' had just told her.
"hey, girls!! Girls!!! GIRLS!!!" Rebel cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted to the room, her voice echoing off the peeling wall-papered walls. The room looked up at her.
"IT'S ALRIGHT!!! SHE"S NOT A PROSTITUTE!!!!" Rebel shouted, pleased to have the attention of the room. Cabby recoiled in embarrassment and shock, attempting to shield herself from the situation she landed herself in.
Rebel turned to Cabby, her eyes dancing as she smiled in a friendly way.
"I'm Rebel! Sorry about that, we don't like when streetwalkers come by here… we gotta look after 'our boys'. And if Skitts ever runs off with one of 'em, you could bet he'd find one of my leftover papers up his-"
"ALRIGHT THEN!!!!" Camaderie yelled, cutting off Rebel's threats. Cabby liked Rebel. She seemed friendly and energetic, the type of person you could get along with easily.
After Rebel's announcement, the atmosphere of the room grew a lot warmer as the girls looked at her in a different way. Camaderie grabbed Cabby's arm, steering her around to the different bunks and introducing her to the newsies that lived there.
"That's Sparks" said Camaderie, acknowledging a girl in the top bunk. Sparks shot up at the sound of her name, her blue eyes looking curiously at Cabby, smoothing her straight blonde hair before extending her hand.
Recognition dawned in Spark's eyes.
"You dance at that theater in Brooklyn huh? With Raven and Fluke?" Cabby nodded, waiting for her to continue.
"Spot took all of us when it first opened up. That must have been about three years ago."
"Was that the night I fell off of the stage?" Asked the performer, reluctant to be acknowledged as 'the clumsy one'.
Sparks laughed a bit.
"No, it was the same night your shoe flew off and hit that bartender. You know…the one that started to cry."
"Good to know." Cabby cringed, remembering when she had first started, plucked off the streets by Raven and barely able to dance. Thankfully, she had improved beyond belief.
A shout from the window interrupted the conversation. Rebel stood by the window, a bucket of water poised to throw outside.
"Hey! Miracle! Your boyfriend's here again! I think he has a new song to sing for you!" Rebel snickered evilly as she prepared to toss the water outside, onto the love struck boy's head.
One of the newsies with dark brown hair grudgingly walked to the window, sighing audibly out of frustration. She looked outside.
"Not him AGAIN!!!" She frowned and shook her head. "You would think he'd get the message…."
Sparks grabbed the soap box, as her, Camaderie and Cabby raced to the window, eager to catch a glimpse of the annoying suitor.
"May I?" Asked Rebel of Miracle, gesturing to the water in her hand. Rebel turned to Sparks, who stood readied with the dry soap flakes.
"Ready? On the count of three….. one, two, THREE!!!"
A loud splash of water and an anguished cry interrupted the love song from beneath the window. The soap flakes rained down afterward, covering the young Romeo in white powder. He spoke loudly toward the window, a comical sight in his current state.
"How could the world be so cruel to pull apart two lovers such as us?" The girls upstairs squealed with laughter as Miracle stayed hidden from view.
The hopelessly romantic guy continued, "I love you!!! One day, you'll realize your love for me!!"
Kloppman, hearing the noise outside, appeared around the alley corner, chasing the sonnet-spouting kid away. In peals of laughter, the girls slammed the window shut, falling to the floor laughing.
****
Later on, everybody met together in the backroom of the first story for some cards. The backroom of the lodging house was a pretty large room in the back, a few tables and chairs strategically placed for the newsies.
The newsgirls and Cabby, now all close friends, went downstairs together. When they reached the room, it was already packed with some of the Manhattan newsies.
Ershey and Mush were there, cheeks slightly reddened from the cold outside and being anywhere near each other. Both of them seemed to be having a fit of extreme shyness, because whenever their eyes met, they would quickly look away.
Raven wasn't her usual toughened self around Jack, and all of the performers that lived with her noticed the definite change. She glowed with a contented, joyful smile- a far cry from the exasperated frown she normally wore as she taught and rehearsed the songs and dances for the shows. Jack, usually a strong, independent borough leader, couldn't seem to shake the slightly goofy grin that overcame him everytime he looked at Raven without her knowing.
Fluke and Blink were there also, as was Shamrock and Dutchy. Scanning the room, Cabby saw a few familiar faces, but mostly ones she didn't recognize. The door entrance from the alley shot open, the sharp noise causing everyone in the room to look up to see who it was.
Cabby instinctively knew who it was. Reluctantly turning to look, she saw two figures stumble through the door. A drunk Spot, and a drunk Racetrack- the only two people that could ruin a fun night for her.
All previous thoughts of revenge on Racetrack flooded her head again as the watch in her pocket grew heavy on her mind.
Cabby wasn't a perfect person, as could be expected. But within the past three years with Raven, Shamrock, Ershey, and her best friend Fluke, her world had turned around with a new sort of happiness. Cabby was rarely ever sad or depressed anymore. It was an emotion she had given up when she gave up the search for the boy she barely even knew. To others, the offense taken from racetrack's insults seem completely out of proportion. But the proud part that exists in every woman took over Cabby, and the somewhat drunk guy that stumbled in wasn't just another newsie. He had refused to even know her and hurt her feelings a great deal. For that…. Well, she would put him in his place. Or at least try to.
She never would get the better of him.
She never got the better of anyone.
****
Racetrack saw her from the doorway he and Spot fell through. They and a couple of other newsies had left when it had gotten boring to them. And anyway, Racetrack had to leave. That girl he ran into earlier bothered him. Not just the type of 'bothered' when you're just annoyed with their actions. He was bothered to the core with how she looked so much like someone he used to know… but that girl was gone now. She would never come back. And her memory shouldn't have been tarnished by that prostitute. Why was she here anyway?
The somewhat drunken Italian stumbled toward the source of his aggravation. He spoke to her, his words sounding loud over the silence that marked his arrival. He fought the liquor clouding his head and the slur that threatened to engulf his speech.
"Why are you still here? Even we are too good for you." He spat out that last word as if it disgusted him.
Cabby was at a loss for words, fighting the tears of humiliation forming in her eyes.
"I… I… uh…" How would she ever stand up for herself when she sounded like Ershey being tickled?
Raven sensed the helplessness of her friend who was completely unable to argue back. Raven had a duty to the girl beyond friendship. She looked after her, the same way she looked after Ershey, Fluke and Shamrock. And Raven couldn't just sit back and watch Cabby sink lower in degradation in front of the silent newsies. She spoke up from the table she sat at with Jack.
"Cabby's not what you think. She's one of us… you didn't act that way toward the rest of us. Insult her, and you insult me." Raven looked around at the other performers.
"And them, too."
Racetrack made a ridiculous sweeping bow at Cabby
"My mistake, then. Doesn't mean I think any higher of you, though."
Cabby shook her head, trying to convince herself it was the drunken state he was in that caused him to act that way. She knew it wasn't true. After all, he was the same way before he had left. The lively chatter of the room seemed to immediately return as soon as it had gone. Shakily, she lowered herself into a chair at the large poker table beside Fluke. Fluke smiled at her cheerily, trying to make her forget about the incident before.
To Cabby's displeasure, Racetrack sat at the table and began to speedily shuffle and deal cards to the players around the table. She refused to look in his direction as the players picked up their hands.
****
If Raven had the choice, she would have stayed in Manhattan forever with Jack. But she knew she had to take the girls home.
She had to get Spot home to sleep off the liquor he had, and she had to get Cabby home so that the girls could cheer her up. It was an unspoken ritual among them- they stayed awake in the upstairs bedroom of the theater the five of them shared, talking through what bothered them until they all felt better.
Raven rarely ever spoke of what bothered her. She had a terrible habit of keeping her problems hidden from them; after all, she was the one looking after them. Raven put their happiness before her own so much, that even on nights like this, her time spent without them was mottled by thoughts of the four performers she had taken into her care.
"We have to get going now." She said at length, reluctant to speak the words.
She looked around the room at the people she had to take back to Brooklyn.
Spot steadied himself as he rose to his feet from the poker table, shaking off the effects of the drinks from earlier. This was easy for him… he was almost completely sober.
Ershey had fallen asleep, her head resting on Mush's shoulder. He was softly stroking the dark hair, a gesture the normally shy newsie wouldn't have dared to do if she were awake.
Fluke and Blink were calmly playing a card game between themselves, as they talked and enjoyed the time alone. Fluke raised herself to her feet from where she and Blink had been sitting on the floor.
Shamrock had been deep in discussion with Dutchy- probably the only other extremely educated person in the room.
Cabby nearly upturned the poker table as she got up, eager to leave the lodging house and fall asleep at the theater. She said her goodbyes to Camaderie, Rebel, Sparks, and Miracle- the only thing that kept her from wishing the Brooklyn Bridge was a lot longer.
As the Brooklyn group was leaving, Racetrack yelled from behind them.
Cabby turned around, to find Race frantically searching his pockets, cursing loudly in a mixture of Italian and English.
"Where in the hell is my watch?!"
Cabby broke free of the group and stepped forward. The sound of her high heeled shoes clicked on the wooden floor, catching Race's attention. Glaring at her, he crossed his arms and sank lower into his seat, carefully trying to control his extreme anger.
"Where is my watch?" he asked again, locking eyes with Cabby.
For the first time that night, she had the upper hand on somebody. And to her delight, it was Racetrack.
She took another step forward, speaking clearly in Italian. She knew he understood.
"You mean this?" Cabby pulled the watch from her pocket, swinging it like a pendulum in the air. She had never had a chance to look at it before, but now she saw it was slightly misshapen.
The other people in the room looked at each other in confusion, wanting to know what was spoken between the two. The only other person who could translate was listening intently to every word. Ershey, Fluke and Raven looked at Shamrock as if expecting an immediate translation of the conversation.
Racetrack's voice was a deadly calm
"That isn't yours. When did you take that?"
"Oh… so I guess now you're ever so offended?"
"Give it back."
The watch flew from her hand into his, glittering in the lamplight as it flew in the air.
"It's really a messed up watch, you know." Said Cabby, fighting the mad urge to laugh.
"A gift from a friend."
"I don't know who in their right mind would give you anything. They must have felt sorry for you."
Without warning, Racetrack flew from his chair, lunging towards her. She flinched noticeably as he was only a few inches from her face. He matched her in height, but at that moment she could have sworn he was a lot taller.
"If you ever touch this watch again, I swear to every known deity that you will never set foot in Manhattan again."
"Is that a threat?" Cabby asked, a look of amusement playing over her features.
"Yes, that's a threat." He finished, speaking in English. Racetrack backed up, an odd smile pressing on his lips and an odd gleam in his eye.
****
Racetrack sat on the fire escape, watching the snow fall. For the first time in years, he let himself remember.
**
the young Italian boy woke up in his large room. Smoke swirled in from under the door, choking his throat and stinging his eyes.
Fighting off the sleepiness, he groggily struggled to his feet. He latched his small hand onto the brass doorknob, pulling back in pain as the hot metal scorched his palm. Running out onto the balcony he searched for a way to exit the second story room.
The thought of jumping caused his head to swim. He crawled onto the trellises on the side of the balcony, trying to ignore the thorny roses that grew thickly on the lattice. Inhaling sharply each time a thorn pierced his blistered palms, he managed to let go when he was a safe distance from the ground. He could hear the grand chandelier crashing down in the ballroom and the crackling of his home.
Running around the perimeter of the mansion as fast as he could, he saw nobody. He was alone with the burning house. As the top part of the house started to collapsed in, the sickening realization that he was alone took him over and he left.
He left and took off toward the town. after spending the night in a roadside ditch, the boy walked into the town, which was buzzing with the news of the fire. He passed by an elderly lady talking to a policeman.
"…. Everyone in the house dead? How dreadful….."
He never really knew his parents. That barely bothered him. It was the girl. He never really knew her. But he felt an unexplainable sadness about her. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Even though it was the subject of every conversation, the townspeople failed to notice he was there. But that was how he wanted it.
Not being able to hear anymore talk about the fire, he found himself back at his mansion. Or what remained of his mansion. Walking into the wreckage of his house, a glint of gold caught his eye.
Stooping down, he picked it up. It was the watch. The pocket watch that belonged to the orphan servant girl. It was slightly misshapen from the fire, and when he opened it, it no longer worked.
For reasons he couldn't understand at the time, he stuffed the watch into his vest pocket.
Saying a final farewell to the life he lost in the fire, he made his way to the train station to take a train to New York City.
**
Racetrack knew it wasn't characteristic of him to act like that to anybody. He wasn't even like that to real prostitutes. Sure, he disapproved of what they did, but he kept his mouth shut. But Raven's friend…..
Who cares how beautiful she was? She still had the nerve to come in here looking so much like that girl he barely got to know. But she was dead now. And Racetrack didn't want things to remind him of that.
****
Back in Brooklyn, the girls were back at the theater after being dropped off by Spot.
Extremely tired and not feeling like talking, Cabby silently crawled into bed, pulling up the blankets to shield herself from the winter air.
Shamrock caught Cabby just before she fell asleep.
"Cabby?"
"mmm?"
"Why did you never tell me you spoke Italian?"
"I don't know."
Cabby turned over in her bed to face the wall. The rest of the girls took this as a sign she didn't want to talk, so they quietly talked among themselves.
"I think Racetrack got what he deserved." Said Fluke through the darkness of the room.
"Yeah…" said Shamrock sleepily in agreement. "…Karma"
Smiling softly to herself, Cabby fell asleep.
********
REVIEW!!! PLEASE!!!!!
Love,
*~CABBY~*