Stand Beside Me

By Ashlyn Alexis

Disclaimer: Umm well I don't only any of the Newsies obviously but I do own Brooklyn's Angel.

The song is Stand Beside Me by Jo Dee Messina

He left me cryin late one Sunday night outside of boulder

He said he had to find himself out on the road

I guess when love goes wrong

You gotta learn to be strong

Brooklyn's Angel also known as BA or even Angel sat on her bed. He knees were pulled up to her chest and her head rested lightly there. She had been like that for two days. Two days ago exactly Spot Conlon said he didn't want to be with her anymore because he wanted a chance to be single. Angel heard her best friend Kicks come in the door and felt as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Angel sweetie come down and eat." Kicks told her expressing her concern for her best friend.

"I'm not hungry." Angel told her simply after lifting her head timidly to say the few words and then she was back to being scrunched up in a ball before Kicks could get a word in other wise. Kicks looked to the doorway where she saw her boyfriend, Kid Blink standing there. Kicks looked him in the eye and shook her head showing that she hadn't made any progress in getting Angel to take care of herself. Kicks knew that her best friend was head over heels for Spot Conlon but whether she liked to admit it or not a good 95 of New York girls were in love with Spot Conlon.

So I worked two jobs

And I moved three times

I ended up south of Memphis

Working down in riverside

I may not be so lucky in love

But the one thing I'm sure of

It was one day that kicks came in from selling her papes to see Angel on her way out the door

"Where ya going Ang?" kicks asked her very confused. This was not the Angel she had come to know over the past few weeks. This was the up and about Angel she used to know.

"I'm going to find another job." Angel told her as she finished tying up the laces of her boots.

"But youse already sell da morning, noon an evening edition of da pape. Why do ya need another job?"

"Because I need the money kicks." and with that last thought she was out the door.

Kicks watched the door absentmindedly for a minute or so thinking that her always perky and weird friend would pop her head back in the door and tell her she had just been joking.

Angel walked down the street quietly looking for any place she could find that needed extra help. it was then that she walked by Tibby's and saw a "help wanted" sign in the window. She went in and the manager knew her already for as much as she came in with the other Newsies. And within a half hour of answering questions she was hired to be a waitress. She smiled at the manager and went on her way after saying a polite thank you.

Aura watched as Angel walked in the door and headed straight to her room.

"I don't think it's a good idea to go up there." aura said quietly.

"Why?" Angel asked her curiously also while eyeing her suspiciously.

"Because spots up there." Aura said quietly before going back to her quiet self.

"Well then I'm gonna go up there and give that boy a piece of my mind."

Angel stormed up the stairs and went right to her private room. There standing in the middle of it was Spot Conlon.

I want a man that stands beside me

Not in front of or behind me

Give me two arms that wanna hold me

Not own me

And I'll give all the love in my heart

"What are ya doing here spot? I thought we agreed it was over. No wait I believe it was you who made it perfectly clear that it was over."

"Well I just came to make sure that you understood it was over."

"Yeah I understood very well Spot Conlon get out and go back to your other girlfriends."

Spot scowled at her and left. Angel watched him leave. Not even tempted to cry again. She had just realized that he just wasn't worth it.

Stand beside me

Be true don't tell lies to me

I'm not lookin for a fantasy

I want a man to stand beside me

A few months later

Angel walked to the distribution center holding hands with jack Kelly. The guy she was in love with before she even hooked up with Spot Conlon. Jack had fallen in love with her the minute he picked her up off of the front steps of the Manhattan Newsies Lodging House. They were together for a while and then he lost her to Spot. God he hated that kid now because of what he did to Angel. Hurting her like that. But he was over it. Angel was too. All that mattered was that they were back together again.

Spot walked to Manhattans Distribution Center looking for Angel. God he missed her. If he could just see her again he would be happy. He was getting closer and closer to the distribution center when he saw Angel walking, holding hands with Jack Kelly.

"I'm gonna get ya foah dis Kelly." Spot said as he walked towards the two with more then just talking to her on his mind. He didn't care if he was small or not he was going to beat the crap out of Jack Kelly.

Later That Day

Angel walked the streets of Manhattan selling her papers and getting rid of them rather quickly today which made her feel good. As she walked down the street she didn't even notice Spot standing on a street corner waiting for her. She walked right past him not even thinking about him or seeing him. She was to lost in her own thoughts and her own world to pay any mind.

I didn't expect to see him, one hot July morning
His hair was longer but his eyes were the same old blue
He said, "I've missed you for so long. Oh baby, what can I do?"

"Angel?" Spot asked her. Angel turned around startled since she hadn't even noticed that he had been standing there.

"Spot." She answered blandly.

"Come home Angel I miss ya, I've tried living without ya and it just don't work…you're my everything please come home." Spot begged her.

I said, "I want a man that stands beside me
not in front of or behind me
Give me two arms that want to hold me, not own me
And I'll give all the love in my heart."

Angel looked at him and stood up straight and looked him in the eye as she held her head proudly.

"no spot Conlon…All I ever asked from you was for you to be by my side in whatever decision I ever chose to make and you never were you were always in front of me not letting me make that choice because you were always to protective or you were be behind me because you didn't care what happened to me. I'm done! I'm with Jack. I love Jack and there's nothing more to say about this." Angel said as she stormed off and Spot watched after her not with a broken heart but a broken ego.

It's hard to
tell him, "No" when I want him so bad
but I've got to be true to my heart
this time

As Angel stormed away thoughts ran through her head. She thought of how great her life used to be when she was Spot Conlon's girl only for the simple fact that he was the leader of Brooklyn and the toughest Newsie in all of New York but she was Jack Kelly's girl once more…at least this time she was being loved and not being used as something to show off or play with.

I'm not lookin for a fantasy

I just want a man that stands beside me