Back in the bunkroom I slid into the empty chair next to Racetrack.
Most of the
newsies were starting to get bored with the craps and poker games and were getting
ready for bed. I saw a frustrated Jack trying to talk a highly intoxicated Bourbon into
giving him the near empty whiskey bottle and going to sleep. Pouting like a little girl she
finally gave in when Mush swept her off of her feet and headed towards the attic stairs.
Racetrack was piling his cards up neatly and he looked at me as I sat down.
"You tired yet?" When I shook my head he put his cigar onto a chipped old
ceramic plate that served as an ashtray and jerked his head upwards.
"It's early yet so some of us might go to Medda's. Not to mention it's Saturday
night."
"Who's going?" I saw Race's jaw muscles clench slightly before his eyes darted
towards Spot who was leaning against a wall shamelessly flirting with Nell. My eyes
followed Racetrack's and Spot happened to look in my direction. Our eyes caught and he
held my gaze as if daring me to break away first. I did so trying to put a nonchalant look
on my face. Pursing my lips in sympathy I patted Racetrack's arm.
"Do you like her?" Racetrack let out a guffaw and grinned at me his eyes
brightening.
"Nah that ain't it Misery. He can have her, I don't care about that."
"It's just that he don't share and once a girl's had Brooklyn nothing else is good
enough for her." Kid Blink slung an arm around Racetrack's shoulders and grumpily
watched Spot work his magic with Nell along with Race and I. I snorted and took a few
puffs off of Race's cigar to which he responded by playfully cuffing me upside the head.
"I don't see how that's possible. You Manhattan boys have lots up on Brooklyn
and I've only just met you guys." Both boys turned their attention to me, their eyes
interested.
"How do you figure?" Blink nudged my butt over and shared the seat of my chair
with me. I took a cigarette from him and tucked my hair behind my ears.
"It's like this. Yeah a lot of girls like the powerful, tough, sarcastic type." I
inclined my head towards Spot and Nell.
"Like Mr. Conlon over there. Now others like guys who are fun and who actually
give a shit about them. You know someone who will help you forget a rough day at the
factory and not pick a damn fight with you." Racetrack's brown eyes met mine and I
couldn't read them.
"What type do you prefer?" Blink's eyes darted between the both of us a faint
smile playing on his lips.
"Er, well actually, I'm not sure yet. All my life I've been around guys like him,"
my derisive tone indicated Spot.
"I guess I don't really have a type. I think it would depend on the person." Just
then a rough voice broke into our little group's conversation.
"If you ladies are done the little kiddies need to sleep so if we're going to
continue we should move to Medda's." I saw Blink and Race bristle at Spot referring to
them as 'ladies' as he moved to the table, his arm around Nell's waist. Shooting Race a
warning look, Blink rose as did the rest of us. I looked around and saw only a few others
who weren't tired and willing to go out. Mush, Skittery, Jack, Pistol, Nell, Spot, Blink,
Race, and I all silently trooped down the stairs and out the door into the warm Manhattan
night. I hadn't seen Spot send his boys back to Brooklyn, but they must have left earlier.
What with my brother's on the prowl I was surprised Spot was staying out as well. But he
seemed to be throwing his cares to the wind as we all sauntered down the sidewalk
mingling with the rest of the people out enjoying the nice evening. Pistol was rather
sauced as well, a fact she displayed by hanging onto Jack's sleeve and hollering
nationalist Irish songs at the top of her lungs. I saw Spot grinning at her in approval and
felt a tug at my own insides. I remembered my father telling me stories about ancient
Ireland and its druids and warriors and singing me songs from the Old Country before he
left.
"Someday Caitlin," he used to say to me when he'd have me on his knee in front
of the little stove in our old kitchen.
"Someday I'll take ye and your brothers away to meet your Granda in Donegal.
It'll be grand, I promise ye." Then when my mother had succumbed to consumption, a
disease she had contracted while still over in Ireland, my father had left me to the mercies
of my two older brothers to raise me. Something that I had learned to hate the father I
used to love for doing. My brothers had always been cruel, even as children. Lashing out
at weaker kids and taking what they wanted from them. They acted like everyone else
was put on this Earth to serve them. It was this dominant trait they both shared that
ultimately had lead to their war with Spot Conlon.
My oldest brother Murphy, who was now twenty-one, had been the old leader of
the Brooklyn newsies. My brother Jamie who was now nineteen had obviously been his
second-in-command. They had taken the group over by force and had overcharged the
other boys to stay in the lodging house pocketing the extra money. That was only part of
what they had done. Besides treating the newsboys like scum and making them fend for
themselves. It wasn't until Spot Conlon who was then only a youngster of thirteen but
with his legendary reputation already growing stepped up and made a stand. The
infamous row that followed was the fight I spoke of that happened five years ago. My
brother's beat Spot and his boys to bloody pulps but in the end they managed to kick
them out of the lodging house. The gang my brother's ran now was all old newsboys
from those days who had chosen to try bigger and better things under their leadership,
and had left with my brothers when they were kicked out.
I had grown up listening to my brother's curse Spot Conlon's name. They felt like
they had been cheated out of what had shown itself to be a profitable career, exploiting
the newsboys. I sometimes wondered if they actually thought that the boys would have
taken their abuse forever. So in retaliation they spent the next five years beating up any of
Spot's boys when they came across them and stealing whatever pocket change they had
on them. Murphy would usually rip up any newspapers the unlucky kid had on them too.
There had been many street brawls between the gangs but ultimately my brother's and
their boys were bigger and older. They would usually fend off Spot's boys long enough
to retreat to lick their wounds for another day. Most times the two groups fought it ended
in draws because they would all get exhausted. Murphy and Jamie only left off
terrorizing the Brooklyn newsies when they got wrapped up in a heist or planning a
murder of someone who opposed them or insulted them.
I felt a flash of hatred surge through me. One day someone would put those two
away. It wasn't right how long they had gone on doing what they did. Sure they got
arrested, but they bribed the cops now so that it had been at least a year since one of them
had gotten hauled in. Thoughtfully I tapped a finger on my chin. My brother's in all truth
weren't looking for me exactly. I knew that they could care less if I was living with them
or not. They were looking for me to tell them where I had hidden my diary. Ah, a girl's
diary. The place where she can bare her soul and write her innermost feelings, the place
where she can write down all the names of the dirty cops who had been bribed. Also the
judges, and the locations along with the identities of the bodies her brother's had dumped.
"Jesus Christ you think too much." I almost leapt out of my skin as Racetrack's
voice invaded my thoughts. He pulled me away from the streetlamp I had been about to
smack face-first into with a smirk on his face. Turning red with embarrassment I gave
Race a little smile. I felt someone watching me and almost tripped when I looked over to
see Spot Conlon himself staring at me a thoughtful look in his eyes. I knew he was trying
to figure out where he knew me from and it would only be a matter of time before he did.
Unfortunately for me Spot was one of the smarter ones. As if reading my mind, Spot
swung away from Nell suddenly and swaggered to my side. Nell immediately got a pout
on her face and haughtily sniffed before latching on to Mush.
"So Misery," Spot twirled his cane in-between his dirty fingers and looked at me
arrogantly.
"What part of Brooklyn are you from again?" I felt my mind go blank as I looked
dumbly back at him. I had told Racetrack I was from Green Point, which was the truth.
He didn't know where Spot's adversaries called home and Spot himself didn't know my
brother's exact location. He knew they came from near Long Island but telling him I used
to live in Green Point was too much information. Casting a glance back at Racetrack who
had fallen behind me when Spot came over, I pitched my voice slightly low hoping he
wouldn't hear me lie.
"Uhm I lived near the Navy Yard with my ma and sister." He raised an eyebrow at me.
"Oh yeah? Your dad a sailor?" I shrugged and muttered something noncommittal.
Spot paused in his questioning to light a cigarette before stopping me by holding his cane
in my way. Giving the other newsies a look of pure ice that was meant to keep them
walking, he even deterred Racetrack who stopped when we did then at Spot's look turned
away slowly. Waiting until the others were on their way again towards Medda's he
herded me into a nearby alley and backed me up against a brick wall.
"I think you're a fucking liar," he said his voice even and steady. I hid the fear
that was welling up in my chest and snarled back at him.
"Yeah well I think you're a fucking asshole," I spat. Spot smiled mirthlessly and
exhaled a cloud of smoke into my face. I didn't flinch, just glared back at him. Growing
up with my brother's and his goons had taught me one useful thing. How to deal with
them and others like them.
"Oh yeah? Is that so?" He bent and angled his head so that he was in my face his
eyes burning with contempt. I pushed at his chest and he laughed deep in his throat. Just
then we heard shouts and looked up towards the mouth of the alley. Two cops were
chasing a raggedly dressed man. Spot swore and grabbing my shoulder yanked me deeper
into the alley and threw me up against a doorway leading into a tenement.
"Work with me," he growled warningly. Confused I opened my mouth to ask him
what the Hell he was talking about when suddenly he wrapped his arms around me and
kissed me, turning his back to the rest of the alley and the three men rapidly heading
towards us. My mind was absolutely frozen as I felt his mouth moving against mine and I
squeezed my eyes shut in embarrassment. He smelled like the East River and tasted like
cigarettes. I heard the thundering footsteps of the men pass us by and opened my eyes
when Spot finally pulled away. Straightening his cap he slid his cane into a belt loop so
that it hung from his waist and lit another cigarette. He started to walk away then turned
around to look at me. I must have had a look of utter confusion on my face because he
stifled a laugh .
"Coppers are looking for me around here. Say I stole some food from that fat fuck
who sells baked goods near the Square. Are you coming? I don't want to hang out in this
alleyway all night." Silently I nodded and followed him out onto the street where he
handed me a cigarette from a little sack he wore around his neck. Now I was really lost.
"Why the hell are you being nice to me?" Spot looked at me incredulously and
then chuckled.
"You got balls kiddo, that's why. Not many people talk back to Brooklyn." I
rolled my eyes at the conceited way he referred to himself as his borough. Blowing
smoke out of my nostrils I stalked alongside him.
"Don't forget I'm Brooklyn too y'know," I shot back.
"One second I'm a liar and then the next you're giving me cigarettes. I don't get
you Conlon." Spot shrugged and casually draped an arm around my shoulder.
"Not many people do dollface. So are you going to stay attached to Racetrack's
side or are you gonna get to know some of the real men?" Looking at him in disgust I
threw his arm off of me.
"Racetrack has been nothing but nice to me which is more than I can say for
others. I didn't see you jumping into the river to fish me out when your goon dropped me
in. Besides I thought you liked him." Spot flicked his cigarette onto the cobblestones and
nodded his head.
"I do like him he's my pal." I threw my hands up and cried out in frustration.
Quickening my pace I left Spot behind but not for long. He caught up to me easily, his
face alight with laughter. It was amazing the change that happened to his features when
he smiled or laughed. He looked almost human instead of the stone-cold mask he wore
most often. We started to slow down our fast pace as we reached Irving Hall where the
others were loitering outside waiting for us. Spot leaned down to whisper in my ear as we
approached.
"Don't think 'cuz we're starting to get on friendlier terms that I still believe you.
I'm still going to find out what you're all about." With that he winked at me and strode
ahead joining the other newsies. I shook my head and glared at his back before throwing
my cigarette down onto the ground and stomping on it angrily. This was going to be a
long night.
Irish Fury - Thank you so much! I hope you keep reading.
Maybe I Don't Wanna Go - Hmm we'll see what happens. Personally I think you may be right but there could be someone else she ends up with. Gee I wonder who, lol ; ) Thanks for your review!!
Tiger And Libs - I agreed with you and tried to put some more background into this chapter. I hope it makes sense. Thanks for your review.
Cabby1 -- *claps hands* I'm glad you're happy!! I'm sorry Meesh wasn't in this chapter but she'll be in the next one. Thank you for the character and the review!!
Brooke Lyn - Thank you! Such kind words. (
WeBuiltThisCityOnRockAndRoll - Hey I'm up for doing anything to make the story easier to read for the people who read it! I felt so bad for Race when he got slapped in Analyze This. Mean mobsters. Hehehe.Yes Race is going to be very protective of Misery. I love Racetrack too he's one of my favorites. He's such a smartass it's great. I hope that my story will stay making sense. LEMME KNOW IF IT DOESN'T!!
To the person who emailed me with the addy of PokeyD730 - I tried to email you back but it wouldn't let me send it through. Just send me your character's info it you still want me to use it. Thanks!!
newsies were starting to get bored with the craps and poker games and were getting
ready for bed. I saw a frustrated Jack trying to talk a highly intoxicated Bourbon into
giving him the near empty whiskey bottle and going to sleep. Pouting like a little girl she
finally gave in when Mush swept her off of her feet and headed towards the attic stairs.
Racetrack was piling his cards up neatly and he looked at me as I sat down.
"You tired yet?" When I shook my head he put his cigar onto a chipped old
ceramic plate that served as an ashtray and jerked his head upwards.
"It's early yet so some of us might go to Medda's. Not to mention it's Saturday
night."
"Who's going?" I saw Race's jaw muscles clench slightly before his eyes darted
towards Spot who was leaning against a wall shamelessly flirting with Nell. My eyes
followed Racetrack's and Spot happened to look in my direction. Our eyes caught and he
held my gaze as if daring me to break away first. I did so trying to put a nonchalant look
on my face. Pursing my lips in sympathy I patted Racetrack's arm.
"Do you like her?" Racetrack let out a guffaw and grinned at me his eyes
brightening.
"Nah that ain't it Misery. He can have her, I don't care about that."
"It's just that he don't share and once a girl's had Brooklyn nothing else is good
enough for her." Kid Blink slung an arm around Racetrack's shoulders and grumpily
watched Spot work his magic with Nell along with Race and I. I snorted and took a few
puffs off of Race's cigar to which he responded by playfully cuffing me upside the head.
"I don't see how that's possible. You Manhattan boys have lots up on Brooklyn
and I've only just met you guys." Both boys turned their attention to me, their eyes
interested.
"How do you figure?" Blink nudged my butt over and shared the seat of my chair
with me. I took a cigarette from him and tucked my hair behind my ears.
"It's like this. Yeah a lot of girls like the powerful, tough, sarcastic type." I
inclined my head towards Spot and Nell.
"Like Mr. Conlon over there. Now others like guys who are fun and who actually
give a shit about them. You know someone who will help you forget a rough day at the
factory and not pick a damn fight with you." Racetrack's brown eyes met mine and I
couldn't read them.
"What type do you prefer?" Blink's eyes darted between the both of us a faint
smile playing on his lips.
"Er, well actually, I'm not sure yet. All my life I've been around guys like him,"
my derisive tone indicated Spot.
"I guess I don't really have a type. I think it would depend on the person." Just
then a rough voice broke into our little group's conversation.
"If you ladies are done the little kiddies need to sleep so if we're going to
continue we should move to Medda's." I saw Blink and Race bristle at Spot referring to
them as 'ladies' as he moved to the table, his arm around Nell's waist. Shooting Race a
warning look, Blink rose as did the rest of us. I looked around and saw only a few others
who weren't tired and willing to go out. Mush, Skittery, Jack, Pistol, Nell, Spot, Blink,
Race, and I all silently trooped down the stairs and out the door into the warm Manhattan
night. I hadn't seen Spot send his boys back to Brooklyn, but they must have left earlier.
What with my brother's on the prowl I was surprised Spot was staying out as well. But he
seemed to be throwing his cares to the wind as we all sauntered down the sidewalk
mingling with the rest of the people out enjoying the nice evening. Pistol was rather
sauced as well, a fact she displayed by hanging onto Jack's sleeve and hollering
nationalist Irish songs at the top of her lungs. I saw Spot grinning at her in approval and
felt a tug at my own insides. I remembered my father telling me stories about ancient
Ireland and its druids and warriors and singing me songs from the Old Country before he
left.
"Someday Caitlin," he used to say to me when he'd have me on his knee in front
of the little stove in our old kitchen.
"Someday I'll take ye and your brothers away to meet your Granda in Donegal.
It'll be grand, I promise ye." Then when my mother had succumbed to consumption, a
disease she had contracted while still over in Ireland, my father had left me to the mercies
of my two older brothers to raise me. Something that I had learned to hate the father I
used to love for doing. My brothers had always been cruel, even as children. Lashing out
at weaker kids and taking what they wanted from them. They acted like everyone else
was put on this Earth to serve them. It was this dominant trait they both shared that
ultimately had lead to their war with Spot Conlon.
My oldest brother Murphy, who was now twenty-one, had been the old leader of
the Brooklyn newsies. My brother Jamie who was now nineteen had obviously been his
second-in-command. They had taken the group over by force and had overcharged the
other boys to stay in the lodging house pocketing the extra money. That was only part of
what they had done. Besides treating the newsboys like scum and making them fend for
themselves. It wasn't until Spot Conlon who was then only a youngster of thirteen but
with his legendary reputation already growing stepped up and made a stand. The
infamous row that followed was the fight I spoke of that happened five years ago. My
brother's beat Spot and his boys to bloody pulps but in the end they managed to kick
them out of the lodging house. The gang my brother's ran now was all old newsboys
from those days who had chosen to try bigger and better things under their leadership,
and had left with my brothers when they were kicked out.
I had grown up listening to my brother's curse Spot Conlon's name. They felt like
they had been cheated out of what had shown itself to be a profitable career, exploiting
the newsboys. I sometimes wondered if they actually thought that the boys would have
taken their abuse forever. So in retaliation they spent the next five years beating up any of
Spot's boys when they came across them and stealing whatever pocket change they had
on them. Murphy would usually rip up any newspapers the unlucky kid had on them too.
There had been many street brawls between the gangs but ultimately my brother's and
their boys were bigger and older. They would usually fend off Spot's boys long enough
to retreat to lick their wounds for another day. Most times the two groups fought it ended
in draws because they would all get exhausted. Murphy and Jamie only left off
terrorizing the Brooklyn newsies when they got wrapped up in a heist or planning a
murder of someone who opposed them or insulted them.
I felt a flash of hatred surge through me. One day someone would put those two
away. It wasn't right how long they had gone on doing what they did. Sure they got
arrested, but they bribed the cops now so that it had been at least a year since one of them
had gotten hauled in. Thoughtfully I tapped a finger on my chin. My brother's in all truth
weren't looking for me exactly. I knew that they could care less if I was living with them
or not. They were looking for me to tell them where I had hidden my diary. Ah, a girl's
diary. The place where she can bare her soul and write her innermost feelings, the place
where she can write down all the names of the dirty cops who had been bribed. Also the
judges, and the locations along with the identities of the bodies her brother's had dumped.
"Jesus Christ you think too much." I almost leapt out of my skin as Racetrack's
voice invaded my thoughts. He pulled me away from the streetlamp I had been about to
smack face-first into with a smirk on his face. Turning red with embarrassment I gave
Race a little smile. I felt someone watching me and almost tripped when I looked over to
see Spot Conlon himself staring at me a thoughtful look in his eyes. I knew he was trying
to figure out where he knew me from and it would only be a matter of time before he did.
Unfortunately for me Spot was one of the smarter ones. As if reading my mind, Spot
swung away from Nell suddenly and swaggered to my side. Nell immediately got a pout
on her face and haughtily sniffed before latching on to Mush.
"So Misery," Spot twirled his cane in-between his dirty fingers and looked at me
arrogantly.
"What part of Brooklyn are you from again?" I felt my mind go blank as I looked
dumbly back at him. I had told Racetrack I was from Green Point, which was the truth.
He didn't know where Spot's adversaries called home and Spot himself didn't know my
brother's exact location. He knew they came from near Long Island but telling him I used
to live in Green Point was too much information. Casting a glance back at Racetrack who
had fallen behind me when Spot came over, I pitched my voice slightly low hoping he
wouldn't hear me lie.
"Uhm I lived near the Navy Yard with my ma and sister." He raised an eyebrow at me.
"Oh yeah? Your dad a sailor?" I shrugged and muttered something noncommittal.
Spot paused in his questioning to light a cigarette before stopping me by holding his cane
in my way. Giving the other newsies a look of pure ice that was meant to keep them
walking, he even deterred Racetrack who stopped when we did then at Spot's look turned
away slowly. Waiting until the others were on their way again towards Medda's he
herded me into a nearby alley and backed me up against a brick wall.
"I think you're a fucking liar," he said his voice even and steady. I hid the fear
that was welling up in my chest and snarled back at him.
"Yeah well I think you're a fucking asshole," I spat. Spot smiled mirthlessly and
exhaled a cloud of smoke into my face. I didn't flinch, just glared back at him. Growing
up with my brother's and his goons had taught me one useful thing. How to deal with
them and others like them.
"Oh yeah? Is that so?" He bent and angled his head so that he was in my face his
eyes burning with contempt. I pushed at his chest and he laughed deep in his throat. Just
then we heard shouts and looked up towards the mouth of the alley. Two cops were
chasing a raggedly dressed man. Spot swore and grabbing my shoulder yanked me deeper
into the alley and threw me up against a doorway leading into a tenement.
"Work with me," he growled warningly. Confused I opened my mouth to ask him
what the Hell he was talking about when suddenly he wrapped his arms around me and
kissed me, turning his back to the rest of the alley and the three men rapidly heading
towards us. My mind was absolutely frozen as I felt his mouth moving against mine and I
squeezed my eyes shut in embarrassment. He smelled like the East River and tasted like
cigarettes. I heard the thundering footsteps of the men pass us by and opened my eyes
when Spot finally pulled away. Straightening his cap he slid his cane into a belt loop so
that it hung from his waist and lit another cigarette. He started to walk away then turned
around to look at me. I must have had a look of utter confusion on my face because he
stifled a laugh .
"Coppers are looking for me around here. Say I stole some food from that fat fuck
who sells baked goods near the Square. Are you coming? I don't want to hang out in this
alleyway all night." Silently I nodded and followed him out onto the street where he
handed me a cigarette from a little sack he wore around his neck. Now I was really lost.
"Why the hell are you being nice to me?" Spot looked at me incredulously and
then chuckled.
"You got balls kiddo, that's why. Not many people talk back to Brooklyn." I
rolled my eyes at the conceited way he referred to himself as his borough. Blowing
smoke out of my nostrils I stalked alongside him.
"Don't forget I'm Brooklyn too y'know," I shot back.
"One second I'm a liar and then the next you're giving me cigarettes. I don't get
you Conlon." Spot shrugged and casually draped an arm around my shoulder.
"Not many people do dollface. So are you going to stay attached to Racetrack's
side or are you gonna get to know some of the real men?" Looking at him in disgust I
threw his arm off of me.
"Racetrack has been nothing but nice to me which is more than I can say for
others. I didn't see you jumping into the river to fish me out when your goon dropped me
in. Besides I thought you liked him." Spot flicked his cigarette onto the cobblestones and
nodded his head.
"I do like him he's my pal." I threw my hands up and cried out in frustration.
Quickening my pace I left Spot behind but not for long. He caught up to me easily, his
face alight with laughter. It was amazing the change that happened to his features when
he smiled or laughed. He looked almost human instead of the stone-cold mask he wore
most often. We started to slow down our fast pace as we reached Irving Hall where the
others were loitering outside waiting for us. Spot leaned down to whisper in my ear as we
approached.
"Don't think 'cuz we're starting to get on friendlier terms that I still believe you.
I'm still going to find out what you're all about." With that he winked at me and strode
ahead joining the other newsies. I shook my head and glared at his back before throwing
my cigarette down onto the ground and stomping on it angrily. This was going to be a
long night.
Irish Fury - Thank you so much! I hope you keep reading.
Maybe I Don't Wanna Go - Hmm we'll see what happens. Personally I think you may be right but there could be someone else she ends up with. Gee I wonder who, lol ; ) Thanks for your review!!
Tiger And Libs - I agreed with you and tried to put some more background into this chapter. I hope it makes sense. Thanks for your review.
Cabby1 -- *claps hands* I'm glad you're happy!! I'm sorry Meesh wasn't in this chapter but she'll be in the next one. Thank you for the character and the review!!
Brooke Lyn - Thank you! Such kind words. (
WeBuiltThisCityOnRockAndRoll - Hey I'm up for doing anything to make the story easier to read for the people who read it! I felt so bad for Race when he got slapped in Analyze This. Mean mobsters. Hehehe.Yes Race is going to be very protective of Misery. I love Racetrack too he's one of my favorites. He's such a smartass it's great. I hope that my story will stay making sense. LEMME KNOW IF IT DOESN'T!!
To the person who emailed me with the addy of PokeyD730 - I tried to email you back but it wouldn't let me send it through. Just send me your character's info it you still want me to use it. Thanks!!