A/N: Scout: my chapter!!! It's a lot longer than I expected, but it's done!
Repeat: Somebody finally got around to it...
Scout: Blame my muses.
Repeat: Well it's not like there are tons of people waiting to read it.. *ahem* maybe if SUM people would review more..
Shoutouts!
Istalksiriusonweekends: that's ok, we'll just think of our own witty remark, won't we Repeats?
Nani at 12 o'clock: sry we didn't give u a shout out sooner.we're glad u like it! thx for the review, and keep sending more, please!
Disclaimer: *sigh* like we said, we do not own newsies, but if anyone is giving them away, we'd be happy to take them off your hands for you! Jess is our creation, so plz ask b4 u take her!
The next morning, Jess awoke from a restless night's sleep. Actually, she never really got to sleep.just stayed up waiting for the sun to peak over the tall skyscrapers. She couldn't get over how those newsies' bodies looked all broken and bloody-sprawled out on the cobblestones. She could remember vividly the color and smell of the blood. Bright red and an irony twinge filled her nose as she thought of the night before.
The redness of the blood had hypnotized her. She could have stared at it all night if it hadn't been for Spot's sharp green eyes that locked with hers. Whenever she had looked at the lifeless body, she couldn't help but see Mush, lying there in his place.
She was jerked from her trance when Oscar burst into her room with a big grin on his face.
"Ey Jess, we'se decided that you'se gonna make a real good Crypt. You just gotta woik on your timin'"
"Yeah, like bein' on time" Morris chipped in.
"Speaking of bein' on time, I gotta run" Jess answered smartly as she pushed her brothers out of her room and shut the door to get changed. When she was all dressed, she ran through the kitchen, grabbed a muffin, and headed out the door. She jogged to Bottle Alley, knowing she was already late. She hoped Mush would wait for her. But then she had an afterthought; what if Mush had heard about those Brooklyn newsies? Would he mention it? If he did, what would she say? Just act like it was a total surprise? She didn't know if she could pull it off.she wasn't very good at lying. On the other hand though, he might not even know yet, since it just happened last night and news travels slow when you gotta walk.
When she arrived at Bottle Alley, Mush was there waiting for her, a stack of papers under each arm. His face lit up when he saw her like it always did. Her face too softened to a smile as she walked up and hugged him. It was good to see him again, even though she had just been with him last night, right before - she shuddered at the thought. Mush picked up on this shudder. He held her a little ways away from his body and looked directly in her eyes. "Whassa matta?"
"Oh nothing, just a chill I guess" Jess's lame excuse didn't fool him, but after trying to decide if she was hiding something, he just decided to let it go. If she had something she wanted to tell him, she would tell him on her own time. They headed out onto the street as Mush told her what some of the headlines were. They sold longer than they normally did because Jess couldn't concentrate enough to make up any good headlines. Every time she read something that contained the words "Brooklyn", "blood", or "beaten" she would go back into that trance. All she could see was that blood and those pleading green eyes all over again. Luckily she was able to snap herself out of this before Mush noticed.
The rest of the day passed by slowly, but at the end of selling they headed to Tibby's like they normally did. Jess didn't talk there either. Mush was now getting frustrated.
"Jess, I know something's wrong. Wouldja just tell me what it is?" Jess looked down as Mush picked up her hand.
"Will ya meet me tonight? We can talk if ya want" Mush -always unknowingly using those eyes to his advantage- raised her chin and looked deep into her own green eyes.
"Will ya?" Jess nodded and Mush leaned in to kiss her.
"Well don't you look snazzy tonight?"
"Thanks Kloppman, is Mush ready yet?" Jess asked the old man.
"Oh, lemme check. Sometimes these boys take longer doing their hair than most girls do" Kloppman mumbled as he climbed the stairs to the bunkroom. Jess waited patiently for Mush to come down. When he finally did, she could only muster a half-hearted smile. She still had the doubt in her mind that that Brooklyn newsie had already told him, and he was just dragging her along out of sheer spite. But that wasn't really Mush-like. He wasn't very good at hiding his emotions.
They headed off to Mama Josephine's diner for dinner hand in hand. Even at the restaurant, Jess wasn't herself. She looked nervous as if someone were looking for her.
"Jess, cummon, I know you're hidin' somethin'. Wouldja just tell me what it is?" Mush pleaded. He really wanted to know and he didn't like feeling shut out from his own girlfriend's feelings.
"I'm fine. Really. I'm just not really feeling like myself is all." Jess told a half-truth. She didn't feel like herself, but she definitely knew why.
"Maybe you're sick. Do you wanna go home?" Mush, even though he didn't really want her to leave, decided that letting her be alone was the best thing right now. If he kept prodding, she might get angry with him. But so what? He felt the duty as her boyfriend to make sure everything was okay with her.
"Yeah, maybe I should call it a night" Jess answered, sounding detached and tired.
"I'll walk you home" Mush answered in a quiet voice.
"No." Jess answered as she got up and started to walk out the door.
But then he thought something else. What if he was the problem? What if she didn't love him anymore? What if she was already seeing someone else? Maybe that's where she ran off to the night before.. off to meet some other guy.
"There's someone else isn't there?" Mush asked, a little harsher than his normally soft tone of voice. She stopped in mid step and turned to look at him with a look of shock. She couldn't believe he would think that. But right now she needed to leave. She needed to get home and think of how she was going to get herself out of this mess.
"Just answer me Jess," Mush said, obviously expecting her to say that there was someone else.
"Mush, there is nobody else, I love you and only you but right now I have to leave. And if you're so suspicious about me than I think you need to learn to trust me more." With that, Jess ran out of Mama Josephine's and down the street. Mush watched her run out.
He should have ran after her and talked to her, explained why he
said what he did.
He really should have.
Jess slammed the door to her apartment shut. She leaned her back against the door as she slowly slid down to the floor. She put her head in her arms and started to cry. What was she going to do? This couldn't last forever. Hiding from Mush, feeling as guilty as humanly possible.. she couldn't keep doing this.
All of a sudden she felt a slight push on the door behind her. She scrambled to her feet and quickly wiped her tears away. She knew her face was still blotchy, but she hoped that whoever was coming in wouldn't notice in the dim light. The door swung open and her two brothers walked into the apartment.
"Heya Jess" Oscar said chirpily.
"Heya Oscar. How was ya night?" Jess asked, determined to get the pleasantries over with so they could all just disperse into their own rooms.
"Funny you should mention dat. We'se was just at a little.meetin. We'se been invited to a little.. a little free-for-all tomorrah night. We'se also allowed to bring someone along."
"Someone who won't rat us out" Morris added.
Shit. Shit shit shit. Jess thought. She knew where this conversation was going and that there was no avoid it.
"So, whatta ya say Jess? You comin or not?" Oscar asked. Jess knew that if she said no, they would suspect something.
"Count me in" Jess whispered as she walked as fast as possible without running to her room. She threw herself down on her bed and cried herself to sleep.
Repeat: Somebody finally got around to it...
Scout: Blame my muses.
Repeat: Well it's not like there are tons of people waiting to read it.. *ahem* maybe if SUM people would review more..
Shoutouts!
Istalksiriusonweekends: that's ok, we'll just think of our own witty remark, won't we Repeats?
Nani at 12 o'clock: sry we didn't give u a shout out sooner.we're glad u like it! thx for the review, and keep sending more, please!
Disclaimer: *sigh* like we said, we do not own newsies, but if anyone is giving them away, we'd be happy to take them off your hands for you! Jess is our creation, so plz ask b4 u take her!
The next morning, Jess awoke from a restless night's sleep. Actually, she never really got to sleep.just stayed up waiting for the sun to peak over the tall skyscrapers. She couldn't get over how those newsies' bodies looked all broken and bloody-sprawled out on the cobblestones. She could remember vividly the color and smell of the blood. Bright red and an irony twinge filled her nose as she thought of the night before.
The redness of the blood had hypnotized her. She could have stared at it all night if it hadn't been for Spot's sharp green eyes that locked with hers. Whenever she had looked at the lifeless body, she couldn't help but see Mush, lying there in his place.
She was jerked from her trance when Oscar burst into her room with a big grin on his face.
"Ey Jess, we'se decided that you'se gonna make a real good Crypt. You just gotta woik on your timin'"
"Yeah, like bein' on time" Morris chipped in.
"Speaking of bein' on time, I gotta run" Jess answered smartly as she pushed her brothers out of her room and shut the door to get changed. When she was all dressed, she ran through the kitchen, grabbed a muffin, and headed out the door. She jogged to Bottle Alley, knowing she was already late. She hoped Mush would wait for her. But then she had an afterthought; what if Mush had heard about those Brooklyn newsies? Would he mention it? If he did, what would she say? Just act like it was a total surprise? She didn't know if she could pull it off.she wasn't very good at lying. On the other hand though, he might not even know yet, since it just happened last night and news travels slow when you gotta walk.
When she arrived at Bottle Alley, Mush was there waiting for her, a stack of papers under each arm. His face lit up when he saw her like it always did. Her face too softened to a smile as she walked up and hugged him. It was good to see him again, even though she had just been with him last night, right before - she shuddered at the thought. Mush picked up on this shudder. He held her a little ways away from his body and looked directly in her eyes. "Whassa matta?"
"Oh nothing, just a chill I guess" Jess's lame excuse didn't fool him, but after trying to decide if she was hiding something, he just decided to let it go. If she had something she wanted to tell him, she would tell him on her own time. They headed out onto the street as Mush told her what some of the headlines were. They sold longer than they normally did because Jess couldn't concentrate enough to make up any good headlines. Every time she read something that contained the words "Brooklyn", "blood", or "beaten" she would go back into that trance. All she could see was that blood and those pleading green eyes all over again. Luckily she was able to snap herself out of this before Mush noticed.
The rest of the day passed by slowly, but at the end of selling they headed to Tibby's like they normally did. Jess didn't talk there either. Mush was now getting frustrated.
"Jess, I know something's wrong. Wouldja just tell me what it is?" Jess looked down as Mush picked up her hand.
"Will ya meet me tonight? We can talk if ya want" Mush -always unknowingly using those eyes to his advantage- raised her chin and looked deep into her own green eyes.
"Will ya?" Jess nodded and Mush leaned in to kiss her.
"Well don't you look snazzy tonight?"
"Thanks Kloppman, is Mush ready yet?" Jess asked the old man.
"Oh, lemme check. Sometimes these boys take longer doing their hair than most girls do" Kloppman mumbled as he climbed the stairs to the bunkroom. Jess waited patiently for Mush to come down. When he finally did, she could only muster a half-hearted smile. She still had the doubt in her mind that that Brooklyn newsie had already told him, and he was just dragging her along out of sheer spite. But that wasn't really Mush-like. He wasn't very good at hiding his emotions.
They headed off to Mama Josephine's diner for dinner hand in hand. Even at the restaurant, Jess wasn't herself. She looked nervous as if someone were looking for her.
"Jess, cummon, I know you're hidin' somethin'. Wouldja just tell me what it is?" Mush pleaded. He really wanted to know and he didn't like feeling shut out from his own girlfriend's feelings.
"I'm fine. Really. I'm just not really feeling like myself is all." Jess told a half-truth. She didn't feel like herself, but she definitely knew why.
"Maybe you're sick. Do you wanna go home?" Mush, even though he didn't really want her to leave, decided that letting her be alone was the best thing right now. If he kept prodding, she might get angry with him. But so what? He felt the duty as her boyfriend to make sure everything was okay with her.
"Yeah, maybe I should call it a night" Jess answered, sounding detached and tired.
"I'll walk you home" Mush answered in a quiet voice.
"No." Jess answered as she got up and started to walk out the door.
But then he thought something else. What if he was the problem? What if she didn't love him anymore? What if she was already seeing someone else? Maybe that's where she ran off to the night before.. off to meet some other guy.
"There's someone else isn't there?" Mush asked, a little harsher than his normally soft tone of voice. She stopped in mid step and turned to look at him with a look of shock. She couldn't believe he would think that. But right now she needed to leave. She needed to get home and think of how she was going to get herself out of this mess.
"Just answer me Jess," Mush said, obviously expecting her to say that there was someone else.
"Mush, there is nobody else, I love you and only you but right now I have to leave. And if you're so suspicious about me than I think you need to learn to trust me more." With that, Jess ran out of Mama Josephine's and down the street. Mush watched her run out.
He should have ran after her and talked to her, explained why he
said what he did.
He really should have.
Jess slammed the door to her apartment shut. She leaned her back against the door as she slowly slid down to the floor. She put her head in her arms and started to cry. What was she going to do? This couldn't last forever. Hiding from Mush, feeling as guilty as humanly possible.. she couldn't keep doing this.
All of a sudden she felt a slight push on the door behind her. She scrambled to her feet and quickly wiped her tears away. She knew her face was still blotchy, but she hoped that whoever was coming in wouldn't notice in the dim light. The door swung open and her two brothers walked into the apartment.
"Heya Jess" Oscar said chirpily.
"Heya Oscar. How was ya night?" Jess asked, determined to get the pleasantries over with so they could all just disperse into their own rooms.
"Funny you should mention dat. We'se was just at a little.meetin. We'se been invited to a little.. a little free-for-all tomorrah night. We'se also allowed to bring someone along."
"Someone who won't rat us out" Morris added.
Shit. Shit shit shit. Jess thought. She knew where this conversation was going and that there was no avoid it.
"So, whatta ya say Jess? You comin or not?" Oscar asked. Jess knew that if she said no, they would suspect something.
"Count me in" Jess whispered as she walked as fast as possible without running to her room. She threw herself down on her bed and cried herself to sleep.