Too tired for shout outs. Brownie's the only one anywho (much luv brownie babe!)
But just one thing...I just got back from Movin' Out and it was sooooooo good...like..i can't even say how good it was...everyone should go see it...now.
Ok yeah...story
Somehow Blink and Lacy were able to get the injured Skittery inside the lodging house and onto his cot.
Lacy, for the first time, got a chance to reflect on what had just happened.
"Who-"
Blink had already known what questions would come.
"Them were the Queens newsies everyone's been talkin' about. Not all of the Queens newsies a course there's plenty more, but....anyway the big one, was fightin' Skits, he's Stretch. He's the leadah of Queens."
"But why-"
"I honestly don't undahstand what the hell they were doin' out there. It don't make no sense ta me. Which is why I sent Swifty for Jack. Jack'll tell us what ta do an' what's goin' on."
As Blink was explaining, Lacy glanced over at Skittery. She felt her face flush. Not to a red color, as if she was embarrassed, but rather flushed of any color in general.
She clenched her fists and turned her now pale face to the door.
She stood up and started to walk, face still pale, wrists still clenched.
Blink looked up.
"Lacy."
She turned to face him for a split second. The look that possessed her eyes caused Blink to stumble, almost like someone had just shouted something at him.
Blink took a deep breath, that look was not an unfamiliar one to him. He had seen it many times on his fellow newsies that sought revenge.
By now Lacy was down the stairs.
Blink ran to catch up with her.
"Lacy. Stop."
She ignored him and started to open the door.
Blink reached his hand over her shoulder and slammed the door shut before Lacy could open it more than three inches.
"Lacy, where are you goin'?" Blink said in a warning voice.
The girl kept her eyes on the doorknob, and spoke quietly, contradicting the anger that showed in her face.
"I'm gonna go find those yellow bastards."
Blink shook his head.
"No. Nuh-uh. Ya can't."
Lacy briefly broke her starring contest with the door and gave him her most intimidating look.
Blink was unaffected.
"I know yore mad, ok, but ya just can't go out there an' do somethin' stupid."
Lacy let her forehead hit the door, and then slid down to sit on the floor. Blink knelt down next to her.
He tilted his head to better see Lacy's eyes, expecting to find her crying silently (it was his experience that girls always cried. Especially in situations like these), But to his surprise, her face was perfectly dry. In fact it hadn't changed from the expression she wore just a few moments earlier, ready to charge out into battle.
"They can't just get away with doin' somethin' like that. I gotta show them-" Lacy struggled for words here, "-somethin'."
She had begun to relax a little, but only slightly. She was obviously angry at her situation.
"Someone just soaked Skittery to a near pulp an' I can't do anythin'. All I can do is sit heah like a lump an' wait for Jack."
She said the last name mockingly, scrunching her nose at the leader's name.
Blink had shifted his position. He was sitting next to Lacy with his eyes facing forward. But his eyes now had shifted. They were starring at Lacy, though his head was still forward, in a suspicious and somehow knowing way.
"Yeah," he started quietly, "Damn 'em for hurtin' Skits."
A small smile crept onto his face, but Lacy didn't notice.
She nodded. Her arm muscles were still tight, and they remained that way until Jack Kelly opened the door.
Or tried to.
The sitting bodies of Lacy and Blink were in the way. But after being shoved once, by the strong wooden door, the pair stood up to face the Manhattan leader.
It wasn't long after Jack and David showed up that the other newsies began to arrive.
Skittery had found his way downstairs. Blink had warned him to stay in bed, but Skittery was not about to miss any plans that were to, inevitably, be formed.
He tiredly took a seat on one of the couches in the lodging house lobby, directly across from the door.
Rob, Abby, and Mush walked in. They found a place to sit to wait for the rest of the newsies; Rob sat on one side of the room, while Mush and Abby moved to the other.
Spot, Race, and Lynnette were among the last to reach the lodging house.
The first thing they saw was Skittery, slumped over on the couch, badly cut and bruised.
Lynnette had never seen anyone in that condition, it put her in a near shock-like state.
She leaned against Spot for support.
Needless to say, he was more than happy to oblige. He glanced, slightly smirking, over at Race, who rolled his eyes and turned away to find somewhere to sit down, still upset at Lynnette's ignorance.
As more and more newsies walked in, the noise in the lodging house increased. Conversations were starting all over the room.
Rob panned the room. His eyes fell on Mush and Abby.
Mush was saying something to Abby. She laughed. Then he said something else, and she laughed again.
Rob would have given anything to hear what they were saying.
Abby laughed again. Watch it Mush...
Rob knew his telepathic warning would make no difference. He looked away, determined to find something else to concentrate on.
It's enough to make ya sick.
He finally found some newsies who were having a decently interesting conversation, and joined in, though in the back of his mind, he was still thinking about Abby and Mush.
Blink waited until almost all of the Manhattan newsies were in the lobby of the lodging house to explain what happened.
Every single newsie from Manhattan, plus Spot was there. With the exception of Swifty. No one seemed to notice, so Blink continued to explain.
His story left Jack and the other newsies thoroughly confused.
"It don't make no sense." Wondered Jack.
There were murmurs of agreement everywhere.
Jack would have continued to brainstorm possible reasons for Stretch's attack when Swifty finally walked in the door.
"Lookie what I found." Said Swifty, smiling.
He stepped aside to reveal, fifteen, or so, Brooklyn newsies.
Spot stood up, though not exactly eager to see the newsies that had abandoned him.
The Brooklynites kept their heads down, afraid to look at their leader.
Spot was the first one to say something.
"Weah ya been?"
His tone was flat. Somewhat nonchalant but it didn't take a genius to realize how angry Spot was right now.
No one, it seemed, was willing to answer. Spot decided to pick someone, rather than depend on a volunteer.
"Stubs?"
Stubby jumped at his name.
Stubs was, well, short, and stubby. He was easily intimidated and had always been one of the most loyal to Spot.
"Well, youse know we ran. So um, after that a bunch of us sorta, spread out. Everyone but the group youse sees heah."
Stubs swallowed a lump that had been developing in his throat, and wiped away nervous perspiration that was forming at his brow.
"We started ta feel guilty, 'bout leavin' you an' all, so we decided we bettah do somethin' good, ya know, ta make you like us again."
He paused and chanced a glance up at Spot.
Spot's face was not the most friendly one, and Stubby immediately shifted his gaze.
Spot was getting impatient.
"Are you gonna tell me what ya done that was so goddam great?"
Stubs nodded.
"We went ova to Queens." Stubby saw Spot's expression shift from bad to worse.
"No, now Spot, just lemme explain. We was spyin', ya know, foolin'. So's we could get information that might help ya."
Stubs smiled nervously and looked around the room. Every newsie in the place had moved to the edge of their seat. If they were standing, they were leaning forward. If they were sitting, they were now more upright.
Spot motioned to some empty space on Kloppman's counter, where he kept the logbook.
"Have a seat bois. IF yore willin' to spill."
Stubs and his crew eagerly sat down and told Spot, along with the other newsies in the room, what they knew.
because I am so desperate...not to mention bored I shall throw in peanut butter M&M's
that's right, both green AND peanut butter M&M's for reviewers!
But just one thing...I just got back from Movin' Out and it was sooooooo good...like..i can't even say how good it was...everyone should go see it...now.
Ok yeah...story
Somehow Blink and Lacy were able to get the injured Skittery inside the lodging house and onto his cot.
Lacy, for the first time, got a chance to reflect on what had just happened.
"Who-"
Blink had already known what questions would come.
"Them were the Queens newsies everyone's been talkin' about. Not all of the Queens newsies a course there's plenty more, but....anyway the big one, was fightin' Skits, he's Stretch. He's the leadah of Queens."
"But why-"
"I honestly don't undahstand what the hell they were doin' out there. It don't make no sense ta me. Which is why I sent Swifty for Jack. Jack'll tell us what ta do an' what's goin' on."
As Blink was explaining, Lacy glanced over at Skittery. She felt her face flush. Not to a red color, as if she was embarrassed, but rather flushed of any color in general.
She clenched her fists and turned her now pale face to the door.
She stood up and started to walk, face still pale, wrists still clenched.
Blink looked up.
"Lacy."
She turned to face him for a split second. The look that possessed her eyes caused Blink to stumble, almost like someone had just shouted something at him.
Blink took a deep breath, that look was not an unfamiliar one to him. He had seen it many times on his fellow newsies that sought revenge.
By now Lacy was down the stairs.
Blink ran to catch up with her.
"Lacy. Stop."
She ignored him and started to open the door.
Blink reached his hand over her shoulder and slammed the door shut before Lacy could open it more than three inches.
"Lacy, where are you goin'?" Blink said in a warning voice.
The girl kept her eyes on the doorknob, and spoke quietly, contradicting the anger that showed in her face.
"I'm gonna go find those yellow bastards."
Blink shook his head.
"No. Nuh-uh. Ya can't."
Lacy briefly broke her starring contest with the door and gave him her most intimidating look.
Blink was unaffected.
"I know yore mad, ok, but ya just can't go out there an' do somethin' stupid."
Lacy let her forehead hit the door, and then slid down to sit on the floor. Blink knelt down next to her.
He tilted his head to better see Lacy's eyes, expecting to find her crying silently (it was his experience that girls always cried. Especially in situations like these), But to his surprise, her face was perfectly dry. In fact it hadn't changed from the expression she wore just a few moments earlier, ready to charge out into battle.
"They can't just get away with doin' somethin' like that. I gotta show them-" Lacy struggled for words here, "-somethin'."
She had begun to relax a little, but only slightly. She was obviously angry at her situation.
"Someone just soaked Skittery to a near pulp an' I can't do anythin'. All I can do is sit heah like a lump an' wait for Jack."
She said the last name mockingly, scrunching her nose at the leader's name.
Blink had shifted his position. He was sitting next to Lacy with his eyes facing forward. But his eyes now had shifted. They were starring at Lacy, though his head was still forward, in a suspicious and somehow knowing way.
"Yeah," he started quietly, "Damn 'em for hurtin' Skits."
A small smile crept onto his face, but Lacy didn't notice.
She nodded. Her arm muscles were still tight, and they remained that way until Jack Kelly opened the door.
Or tried to.
The sitting bodies of Lacy and Blink were in the way. But after being shoved once, by the strong wooden door, the pair stood up to face the Manhattan leader.
It wasn't long after Jack and David showed up that the other newsies began to arrive.
Skittery had found his way downstairs. Blink had warned him to stay in bed, but Skittery was not about to miss any plans that were to, inevitably, be formed.
He tiredly took a seat on one of the couches in the lodging house lobby, directly across from the door.
Rob, Abby, and Mush walked in. They found a place to sit to wait for the rest of the newsies; Rob sat on one side of the room, while Mush and Abby moved to the other.
Spot, Race, and Lynnette were among the last to reach the lodging house.
The first thing they saw was Skittery, slumped over on the couch, badly cut and bruised.
Lynnette had never seen anyone in that condition, it put her in a near shock-like state.
She leaned against Spot for support.
Needless to say, he was more than happy to oblige. He glanced, slightly smirking, over at Race, who rolled his eyes and turned away to find somewhere to sit down, still upset at Lynnette's ignorance.
As more and more newsies walked in, the noise in the lodging house increased. Conversations were starting all over the room.
Rob panned the room. His eyes fell on Mush and Abby.
Mush was saying something to Abby. She laughed. Then he said something else, and she laughed again.
Rob would have given anything to hear what they were saying.
Abby laughed again. Watch it Mush...
Rob knew his telepathic warning would make no difference. He looked away, determined to find something else to concentrate on.
It's enough to make ya sick.
He finally found some newsies who were having a decently interesting conversation, and joined in, though in the back of his mind, he was still thinking about Abby and Mush.
Blink waited until almost all of the Manhattan newsies were in the lobby of the lodging house to explain what happened.
Every single newsie from Manhattan, plus Spot was there. With the exception of Swifty. No one seemed to notice, so Blink continued to explain.
His story left Jack and the other newsies thoroughly confused.
"It don't make no sense." Wondered Jack.
There were murmurs of agreement everywhere.
Jack would have continued to brainstorm possible reasons for Stretch's attack when Swifty finally walked in the door.
"Lookie what I found." Said Swifty, smiling.
He stepped aside to reveal, fifteen, or so, Brooklyn newsies.
Spot stood up, though not exactly eager to see the newsies that had abandoned him.
The Brooklynites kept their heads down, afraid to look at their leader.
Spot was the first one to say something.
"Weah ya been?"
His tone was flat. Somewhat nonchalant but it didn't take a genius to realize how angry Spot was right now.
No one, it seemed, was willing to answer. Spot decided to pick someone, rather than depend on a volunteer.
"Stubs?"
Stubby jumped at his name.
Stubs was, well, short, and stubby. He was easily intimidated and had always been one of the most loyal to Spot.
"Well, youse know we ran. So um, after that a bunch of us sorta, spread out. Everyone but the group youse sees heah."
Stubs swallowed a lump that had been developing in his throat, and wiped away nervous perspiration that was forming at his brow.
"We started ta feel guilty, 'bout leavin' you an' all, so we decided we bettah do somethin' good, ya know, ta make you like us again."
He paused and chanced a glance up at Spot.
Spot's face was not the most friendly one, and Stubby immediately shifted his gaze.
Spot was getting impatient.
"Are you gonna tell me what ya done that was so goddam great?"
Stubs nodded.
"We went ova to Queens." Stubby saw Spot's expression shift from bad to worse.
"No, now Spot, just lemme explain. We was spyin', ya know, foolin'. So's we could get information that might help ya."
Stubs smiled nervously and looked around the room. Every newsie in the place had moved to the edge of their seat. If they were standing, they were leaning forward. If they were sitting, they were now more upright.
Spot motioned to some empty space on Kloppman's counter, where he kept the logbook.
"Have a seat bois. IF yore willin' to spill."
Stubs and his crew eagerly sat down and told Spot, along with the other newsies in the room, what they knew.
because I am so desperate...not to mention bored I shall throw in peanut butter M&M's
that's right, both green AND peanut butter M&M's for reviewers!