Title: "One Thing" (song by Finger Eleven
Author: Sneaks *Isobelle Charlotte
Rating: PG
Summary: Jake is conflicted with the events of a fallout with Spot Conlon
and Graft O'Halloran.
Jake climbed up the fire escape to his normal perch on the roof of the Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House. Up there he was free to think and be lost in a reverie, instead of being confused and lost in the hustle and bustle of the life of a newsboy. He spent most of his evenings up on the roof, reflecting the days that seemed to pass by quickly, melting into months and years. A great majority of this time, however, he spent watching the sunset, daydreaming of the possibilities of tomorrow, instead of the normal nightmares he faced daily. Tonight on the other hand he had scaled up the fire escape in order to ponder on the events that had taken place recently with the girl of his dreams, Sneaks.
Sneaks lived in Brooklyn under the protection of the Brooklyn newsies, and their leader Spot Conlon. Not to mention the fact that she was also the younger sibling of Spot Conlon's right-hand-man, Grafter O'Halloran, mostly called Graft. Protection in Jake's mind was and understatement, especially since the two co-leaders of Brooklyn weren't too fond of him. Jake heaved a sigh as he thought back to the events of that evening. He knew what he had done was stupid, and that probably the only reason he hadn't been soaked to death was because of Jack Kelly. Spot had been pissed, but nothing compared to the enraged expression that had been etched firmly on Graft O'Halloran's face. Thought still even made him nervous. He could still envision Graft's large muscles tensing, his veins boiling over as they began to pulse, rippling out of his skin as though they might actually burst. His face had turned a brilliant shade of crimson, almost the same shade as Spot's had become. Jake thought he had even seen Graft look towards his boot, and it was a well-known fact that Graft kept a blade in his boot. If Jack hadn't told him to go back to Manhattan, Jake would probably still be stagnant on that dock, waiting for the two most feared newsies in all of New York to pounce down on him. Jake watched as the night sky darkened, allowing the stars to shine through. "Restless tonight, because I wasted the light, between both these times, I drew a really thin line," Jake took off his bowler hat, running his hair through his dirty brown hair, then placing his hat back on. "It's nothing I planned, and not that I can, but you should be mine, across that line." He knew there was no way he could go back to Brooklyn. If he even dared to cross the line, it would probably be soaked on the spot. He doubted if Graft or Spot would even allow Sneaks to walk to Irving Hall without one their birds. Jake sighed again, looking down this time to the street below as his two buddies, Pie-Eater and Itey entered the street, heading towards the Lodging House. "Shame what happened ta Jake," Itey shook his head as Jake pulled his legs up to his chest, trying not to be noticeable. "We's tried ta warn 'im secret's like dat aren't kept well from Spot Conlon or Graft." "Yeah," Pie agreed, "Sneaks ain't too happy 'neider. Sounds like Spot an' Graft are gonna put a real tight chain on 'er now. Jake's gotta watch his step," Pie nodded as they entered the building, leaving their works echoing in Jake's ears. His suspicions were correct. There would be no possibility of getting time alone with Sneaks for a long time. "If I traded it all, if I gave it all away for one thing, just one thing. If I sorted it out, if I knew all about this one thing, wouldn't that be something?" Jake knew deep down he needed to figure it out, and find some way to win Spot and Graft over. "I promise I might, not walk on by, maybe next time, but not this time," He knew he had to stay away, give them time to cool down before he would even dream of a life with Sneaks. After all, trying to keep their relationship a secret from them didn't work out. Instead it blew up back in their faces, leaving Jake broken and lonesome. Even though I know, I don't want to know. Yeah I guess I know, I just hate how it sounds." He couldn't stand the thought of having to stay away from Sneaks and not be able to see her for a long time, but he knew it was the only way he could attempt to make things better. If he worked hard enough, saved enough, maybe then Graft and Spot could see that he could hold a stable future for Sneaks. Until then he knew that every day he went without seeing her would be torture, and that every chance he would get to see her would be under the strict eye of those who were watching over her. But he knew one thing; he loved her, and to him, that was something worth fighting for...
Jake climbed up the fire escape to his normal perch on the roof of the Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House. Up there he was free to think and be lost in a reverie, instead of being confused and lost in the hustle and bustle of the life of a newsboy. He spent most of his evenings up on the roof, reflecting the days that seemed to pass by quickly, melting into months and years. A great majority of this time, however, he spent watching the sunset, daydreaming of the possibilities of tomorrow, instead of the normal nightmares he faced daily. Tonight on the other hand he had scaled up the fire escape in order to ponder on the events that had taken place recently with the girl of his dreams, Sneaks.
Sneaks lived in Brooklyn under the protection of the Brooklyn newsies, and their leader Spot Conlon. Not to mention the fact that she was also the younger sibling of Spot Conlon's right-hand-man, Grafter O'Halloran, mostly called Graft. Protection in Jake's mind was and understatement, especially since the two co-leaders of Brooklyn weren't too fond of him. Jake heaved a sigh as he thought back to the events of that evening. He knew what he had done was stupid, and that probably the only reason he hadn't been soaked to death was because of Jack Kelly. Spot had been pissed, but nothing compared to the enraged expression that had been etched firmly on Graft O'Halloran's face. Thought still even made him nervous. He could still envision Graft's large muscles tensing, his veins boiling over as they began to pulse, rippling out of his skin as though they might actually burst. His face had turned a brilliant shade of crimson, almost the same shade as Spot's had become. Jake thought he had even seen Graft look towards his boot, and it was a well-known fact that Graft kept a blade in his boot. If Jack hadn't told him to go back to Manhattan, Jake would probably still be stagnant on that dock, waiting for the two most feared newsies in all of New York to pounce down on him. Jake watched as the night sky darkened, allowing the stars to shine through. "Restless tonight, because I wasted the light, between both these times, I drew a really thin line," Jake took off his bowler hat, running his hair through his dirty brown hair, then placing his hat back on. "It's nothing I planned, and not that I can, but you should be mine, across that line." He knew there was no way he could go back to Brooklyn. If he even dared to cross the line, it would probably be soaked on the spot. He doubted if Graft or Spot would even allow Sneaks to walk to Irving Hall without one their birds. Jake sighed again, looking down this time to the street below as his two buddies, Pie-Eater and Itey entered the street, heading towards the Lodging House. "Shame what happened ta Jake," Itey shook his head as Jake pulled his legs up to his chest, trying not to be noticeable. "We's tried ta warn 'im secret's like dat aren't kept well from Spot Conlon or Graft." "Yeah," Pie agreed, "Sneaks ain't too happy 'neider. Sounds like Spot an' Graft are gonna put a real tight chain on 'er now. Jake's gotta watch his step," Pie nodded as they entered the building, leaving their works echoing in Jake's ears. His suspicions were correct. There would be no possibility of getting time alone with Sneaks for a long time. "If I traded it all, if I gave it all away for one thing, just one thing. If I sorted it out, if I knew all about this one thing, wouldn't that be something?" Jake knew deep down he needed to figure it out, and find some way to win Spot and Graft over. "I promise I might, not walk on by, maybe next time, but not this time," He knew he had to stay away, give them time to cool down before he would even dream of a life with Sneaks. After all, trying to keep their relationship a secret from them didn't work out. Instead it blew up back in their faces, leaving Jake broken and lonesome. Even though I know, I don't want to know. Yeah I guess I know, I just hate how it sounds." He couldn't stand the thought of having to stay away from Sneaks and not be able to see her for a long time, but he knew it was the only way he could attempt to make things better. If he worked hard enough, saved enough, maybe then Graft and Spot could see that he could hold a stable future for Sneaks. Until then he knew that every day he went without seeing her would be torture, and that every chance he would get to see her would be under the strict eye of those who were watching over her. But he knew one thing; he loved her, and to him, that was something worth fighting for...