Chapter 4
"I hope so." Crow said evenly then watched Sapphire stalk back to Race. She shook her head and leaned back against Jade.
..........................................
Race looked up to see an annoyed looking Sapphire. He put down his cards and turned to face her. She slid onto his lap and let him put an arm around her waist.
"What's wrong?" He asked quietly in her ear. She fingered the fabric of his pocket, subtley working folded up money from his pocket. With her other hand, she touched his cheek.
"Nothin'." He gave her a disbelieving look. She rolled her eyes with a grin. "Crow's still not happy about you." She tucked the money into the wristband she wore under the sleeve of her shirt. Giving him a hug, she stood.
"Wait, where ya goin?" She tapped his nose.
"I'm goin' back to the flat. I got some stuff to take care of." With a light innocent kiss, she left. He watched her with sad eyes.
............................................
"I know you saw that." Amethyst said, turning to Crow. Crow rolled her eyes.
"Everyone who knows how to pickpocket someone saw that. She didn't even try to cover it up."
"Well you pissed her off. That's not her fault!" Crow snapped up.
"Not her fault? Not her fault that she went and got all soft on us? We can't get weak on 'hattan. You know that as well as I do, and you ain't even near bein of rank." she growled. Amethyst didn't back down.
"She had a fuckin heart attack! What do you expect?!"
"I had expected her to be taken back to the loft. With you followin' her around and goin ta check on her, you got not only ONE of us known, ya got TWO. The only borough that we give guarantee to is Brooklyn, 'cause we need Conlon if ya get yaselves caught. Don't fuck it up for the rest of us Amy, or I'll throw you both out." Amethyst glared at her and went off towards the dressing rooms. "Jade, get the rest of them back to the flat." He nodded and took off after Terk, short for Turquoise, and Onyx.
She dropped her head into her hands with a heavy sigh. 'Why do they fuckin' pull this now?' She thought to herself. She almost missed a slight pressure in her pocket that wasn't normally there. Her hand darted out and grabbed the wrist of a girl who's eyes slowly widened.
"Little goil, do ya know who I am?" The girl nodded. "Then why da HELL are ya makin' a pathetic attempt ta pick my pocket?"
"I... she..."
"Who are ya?"
"Mouth."
"Ya borough?"
"Harlem."
"Now, back ta square one. What the fuck didja think ya were doin in my pocket?" She tried to pull her wrist free from Crow grip. Her eyes met Broadways, who was behind a curtain watching and silently laughing.
"It was a stupid dare aright?" Crow rolled her eyes. It wasn't the first time that she'd had to deal with a dare to steal from the master. Broadway no longer held a grin on her face. Mouth looked back at Crow, who turned around to see no one.
"Aright kid, tell me who put ya up to it and you can go." She saw Broadway make a 'kill' signal sliding her hand across her neck.
"And if I don't tell ya then what?" Crow tightened her grip and shoved her face in Mouth's.
"Then you ain't goin nowhere, and I'll have a nice little ransom talk with Ace Chantier for terms ta get ya back." Mouth gave her a look to say 'Is there a downside?'. "Ace Chantier may not be the major power of New York, but Harlem ain't gonna fuck with Brooklyn, and guess who Conlon's head boird is?"
"Shit."
"Yeah. Shit. So, ya gonna tell me here and now so I can teach people that stealin' from Crow ain't 'zactly the sma'test thing ta do unless you know what ya doin."
"I know someone who did." The last thing Mouth saw was a fist flying at her face, then she blacked out.
.......................................
Broadway watched Crow send Mouth a headblow, then retreated to the newsies in the game.
"Where's Mouth?" Swifty asked. She looked at him and took a deep breath.
"Um... heh.... she kinda... got caught?" David stood up and pushed her back lightly.
"What the hell were you thinking?! Putting anyone up against a professional thief is a stupid idea." Broadway sent him a look of death and shoved him back.
"I didn't hear ya fuckin' complainin' when I dealt the dare. So shut ya fuckin' mouth."
"What's Crow gonna do with her?" Alaska said, lifting her head, which until then had rested on Mush's shoulder. Broadway shrugged.
"I donno. She didn't sell me out though." Em stood up and stretched.
"Come on Harris, you know she's gonna find out one way or another. Then," she said with a hint of laughter in her voice. "you're screwed over."
"Go back ta mommy and daddy and leave the dirty work to us, eh Em?" She replied with a hint of disapproval in her voice. Em's jaw dropped and her eyes became glassy. David put a hand on her shoulder and stepped towards Broadway.
"What Amy Harris? You jealous? At least some of us HAVE parents that WANT us. Parents that love us and-" He was cut off but the slap of her hand. He watched her with a victorious smirk on his face. "It ain't her fault or any of ours but yours that Mouth got caught. We oughta turn you in ourselves."
"But you won't." He just watched her with an apathetic expression.
"You'd like to think that wouldn't you?"
........................................................
Raven watched as Jackal pounded her fists into the wall of the room they were being kept in. It was full of the younger newsies and rogue kids who always got caught. The only one that was brave enough to talk to them was Diver, a newsie from Brooklyn who knew them both. The others knew who they were, but were somewhat afraid of the girl who hadn't moved anything except her lips in an hour, and the other who'd been punching the wall for the same amount of time.
"Look at the bright side Ray, at least Jack'll get Denton ta bail ya out. Spot won't do that for me." Raven turned her head ever so slightly to look at the ten year old boy next to her.
"That's 'cause you got yoursef caught and there are going to be times that Spot can't bail you out." she said quietly. Diver shrugged.
"Sampson's 'posed to look after me, bein my oldah bruddah an' all, but well, he can't sell pape's very well, so he gets me ta try. I just don't get away fast enough 'fore they realize that I was hawkin' headlines." Raven grinned.
"You'll learn that in time. Just spend some time learnin from Jackey-boy."
"You wanna play Old Maid with me 'n the boys?" She shook her head. He shrugged and went over to the small circle forming on the floor. Raven looked over at Jackal, who's fists were more than bloody.
"Will you fuckin' knock it off?!" she said quietly, but it had no less edge than if she'd yelled it.
"He. Fuckin'. Fought. For. Her." was her clenched reply.
"Of course he's gonna fight for her Jackal. She's a little priss. She can't fight for herself. Normally she's got you to back her. If Spot hadn't come between you and her..." Jackal paused in her punches to face Raven
"I would have killed her. If I see her again I'm going to kill her. And I'll give you three guesses on where she is right at this moment." Jackal said, turning back to the wall and throwing a punch between the last four words of her sentence.
"Just fuckin stop that. I got a goddamn headache aright."
"Deal with it Raven. Would you rather me attack you?" She shot back, not once taking her eyes off the red spots on the wall. Raven let out a noise of annoyance and lay down on the hard bunk she'd been provided with. Jackal had taken the top upon arrival.
"Ya gonna sleep tonight?"
"Not a wink." Raven drifted off into sleep, her last thoughts were pity directed towards Jackal.
...............................................
At about 11:30 the next morning, the brooklyn and manhattan newsies had gathered around the courthouse awaiting what would happen to their 'queens'. A few of the girls from Medda had showed up as well.
Spot, Jack, and Denton shoved through the small mob and slipped into the room. The officer shut the door behind them. Spot turned around.
"Anyone from Brooklyn, you got jobs ta do and places ta be. Go." he said sharply. He walked to Tabloid. "If you find any more of my boys here, you get them outta here and tell me later." he muttered. Tab nodded and started to force his way back into the crowd.
They sat down in the first row of chairs and watched as Jackal and Raven were brought out into the room. The judge walked out and they stood. The newest warden, a man named Chester Lenards, stood and began to suggest that they be placed in the 'care' of the refuge when Jack stood up.
"How much fa bail?" Judge Monahan looked at him.
"What?"
"I said, how much fa bail?" The judge folded his hands and looked down at them.
"Five dollars for each, Mr. Sullivan." Jack's eye twitched.
"That's Kelly."
"Fine. Five dollars, Mr. Kelly."
"I'll pay Michelle Beaufont's way out." He said as Denton slipped the five dollar bill into his hand. The judge nodded, a guarded look on his face.
"Pay the clerk. Cassandra Turner, you are sentenced to a month in the refuge unless you or anyone else can pay to get you out." She looked at Spot, who stared right back at her with a blank expression. Jack moved to pay the clerk, and Raven was let out. "I want you both out of my sight.
"Spot, now's the time ta stand up." She whispered to him as she and Jack passed. He and Denton stood up, putting on their hats and began to follow them out. She stopped. "Denton, ain't ya payin' for her too?"
"You'll have to talk to Spot about that." Denton said as he passed them, leaving the courtroom. She watched him in awe, and she turned to Spot.
"You're not just gonna leave her there are you?!" she exclaimed. Spot tried to pass her and she grabbed his arm, glancing back at Jackal.
"Let her get her own way out, or learn not to attack people under her own protection, therefore under mine."
"Spot she was trying to teach-"
"I don't care. I'm not getting her out. And unless you've got five dollars in your pocket, I'd say you're not getting her out either."
"What about you?!" She said to Jack. He looked away.
"Spot forbade anyone to get her out. Even her own girls." Raven looked back at Jackal.
"Don't worry 'bout me girlie, but I expect you to teach a certain girl a lesson." she said before she was led from the room.
.........................................................
A/N: That's my update.... And LOOK!!!!!!!! I HAVE A TITLE!!!!!!!! GO MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
falling off of a cliff EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Okay I've hit rock bottom. There should be a decent update since I'm by myself for about five hours at a friends house every night for the next four so there should be an update a day lol... But just an f.y.i. I didn't exactly finish this where I wanted to... The next chapters going to have some Elizabeth/mayfly stuff in it concerning oracle who is supposed to be the main character of the freygan story (yes freygan is my word of the day...) , it's going to have some spot/sweetstuff crap (DIE WHORE DIE) lol (not really but spots mine for now lol) But there's a lot more in store. Hell I might update later tonight. . .
Read and REVIEW! I'll update when I've got five I promise!
"I hope so." Crow said evenly then watched Sapphire stalk back to Race. She shook her head and leaned back against Jade.
..........................................
Race looked up to see an annoyed looking Sapphire. He put down his cards and turned to face her. She slid onto his lap and let him put an arm around her waist.
"What's wrong?" He asked quietly in her ear. She fingered the fabric of his pocket, subtley working folded up money from his pocket. With her other hand, she touched his cheek.
"Nothin'." He gave her a disbelieving look. She rolled her eyes with a grin. "Crow's still not happy about you." She tucked the money into the wristband she wore under the sleeve of her shirt. Giving him a hug, she stood.
"Wait, where ya goin?" She tapped his nose.
"I'm goin' back to the flat. I got some stuff to take care of." With a light innocent kiss, she left. He watched her with sad eyes.
............................................
"I know you saw that." Amethyst said, turning to Crow. Crow rolled her eyes.
"Everyone who knows how to pickpocket someone saw that. She didn't even try to cover it up."
"Well you pissed her off. That's not her fault!" Crow snapped up.
"Not her fault? Not her fault that she went and got all soft on us? We can't get weak on 'hattan. You know that as well as I do, and you ain't even near bein of rank." she growled. Amethyst didn't back down.
"She had a fuckin heart attack! What do you expect?!"
"I had expected her to be taken back to the loft. With you followin' her around and goin ta check on her, you got not only ONE of us known, ya got TWO. The only borough that we give guarantee to is Brooklyn, 'cause we need Conlon if ya get yaselves caught. Don't fuck it up for the rest of us Amy, or I'll throw you both out." Amethyst glared at her and went off towards the dressing rooms. "Jade, get the rest of them back to the flat." He nodded and took off after Terk, short for Turquoise, and Onyx.
She dropped her head into her hands with a heavy sigh. 'Why do they fuckin' pull this now?' She thought to herself. She almost missed a slight pressure in her pocket that wasn't normally there. Her hand darted out and grabbed the wrist of a girl who's eyes slowly widened.
"Little goil, do ya know who I am?" The girl nodded. "Then why da HELL are ya makin' a pathetic attempt ta pick my pocket?"
"I... she..."
"Who are ya?"
"Mouth."
"Ya borough?"
"Harlem."
"Now, back ta square one. What the fuck didja think ya were doin in my pocket?" She tried to pull her wrist free from Crow grip. Her eyes met Broadways, who was behind a curtain watching and silently laughing.
"It was a stupid dare aright?" Crow rolled her eyes. It wasn't the first time that she'd had to deal with a dare to steal from the master. Broadway no longer held a grin on her face. Mouth looked back at Crow, who turned around to see no one.
"Aright kid, tell me who put ya up to it and you can go." She saw Broadway make a 'kill' signal sliding her hand across her neck.
"And if I don't tell ya then what?" Crow tightened her grip and shoved her face in Mouth's.
"Then you ain't goin nowhere, and I'll have a nice little ransom talk with Ace Chantier for terms ta get ya back." Mouth gave her a look to say 'Is there a downside?'. "Ace Chantier may not be the major power of New York, but Harlem ain't gonna fuck with Brooklyn, and guess who Conlon's head boird is?"
"Shit."
"Yeah. Shit. So, ya gonna tell me here and now so I can teach people that stealin' from Crow ain't 'zactly the sma'test thing ta do unless you know what ya doin."
"I know someone who did." The last thing Mouth saw was a fist flying at her face, then she blacked out.
.......................................
Broadway watched Crow send Mouth a headblow, then retreated to the newsies in the game.
"Where's Mouth?" Swifty asked. She looked at him and took a deep breath.
"Um... heh.... she kinda... got caught?" David stood up and pushed her back lightly.
"What the hell were you thinking?! Putting anyone up against a professional thief is a stupid idea." Broadway sent him a look of death and shoved him back.
"I didn't hear ya fuckin' complainin' when I dealt the dare. So shut ya fuckin' mouth."
"What's Crow gonna do with her?" Alaska said, lifting her head, which until then had rested on Mush's shoulder. Broadway shrugged.
"I donno. She didn't sell me out though." Em stood up and stretched.
"Come on Harris, you know she's gonna find out one way or another. Then," she said with a hint of laughter in her voice. "you're screwed over."
"Go back ta mommy and daddy and leave the dirty work to us, eh Em?" She replied with a hint of disapproval in her voice. Em's jaw dropped and her eyes became glassy. David put a hand on her shoulder and stepped towards Broadway.
"What Amy Harris? You jealous? At least some of us HAVE parents that WANT us. Parents that love us and-" He was cut off but the slap of her hand. He watched her with a victorious smirk on his face. "It ain't her fault or any of ours but yours that Mouth got caught. We oughta turn you in ourselves."
"But you won't." He just watched her with an apathetic expression.
"You'd like to think that wouldn't you?"
........................................................
Raven watched as Jackal pounded her fists into the wall of the room they were being kept in. It was full of the younger newsies and rogue kids who always got caught. The only one that was brave enough to talk to them was Diver, a newsie from Brooklyn who knew them both. The others knew who they were, but were somewhat afraid of the girl who hadn't moved anything except her lips in an hour, and the other who'd been punching the wall for the same amount of time.
"Look at the bright side Ray, at least Jack'll get Denton ta bail ya out. Spot won't do that for me." Raven turned her head ever so slightly to look at the ten year old boy next to her.
"That's 'cause you got yoursef caught and there are going to be times that Spot can't bail you out." she said quietly. Diver shrugged.
"Sampson's 'posed to look after me, bein my oldah bruddah an' all, but well, he can't sell pape's very well, so he gets me ta try. I just don't get away fast enough 'fore they realize that I was hawkin' headlines." Raven grinned.
"You'll learn that in time. Just spend some time learnin from Jackey-boy."
"You wanna play Old Maid with me 'n the boys?" She shook her head. He shrugged and went over to the small circle forming on the floor. Raven looked over at Jackal, who's fists were more than bloody.
"Will you fuckin' knock it off?!" she said quietly, but it had no less edge than if she'd yelled it.
"He. Fuckin'. Fought. For. Her." was her clenched reply.
"Of course he's gonna fight for her Jackal. She's a little priss. She can't fight for herself. Normally she's got you to back her. If Spot hadn't come between you and her..." Jackal paused in her punches to face Raven
"I would have killed her. If I see her again I'm going to kill her. And I'll give you three guesses on where she is right at this moment." Jackal said, turning back to the wall and throwing a punch between the last four words of her sentence.
"Just fuckin stop that. I got a goddamn headache aright."
"Deal with it Raven. Would you rather me attack you?" She shot back, not once taking her eyes off the red spots on the wall. Raven let out a noise of annoyance and lay down on the hard bunk she'd been provided with. Jackal had taken the top upon arrival.
"Ya gonna sleep tonight?"
"Not a wink." Raven drifted off into sleep, her last thoughts were pity directed towards Jackal.
...............................................
At about 11:30 the next morning, the brooklyn and manhattan newsies had gathered around the courthouse awaiting what would happen to their 'queens'. A few of the girls from Medda had showed up as well.
Spot, Jack, and Denton shoved through the small mob and slipped into the room. The officer shut the door behind them. Spot turned around.
"Anyone from Brooklyn, you got jobs ta do and places ta be. Go." he said sharply. He walked to Tabloid. "If you find any more of my boys here, you get them outta here and tell me later." he muttered. Tab nodded and started to force his way back into the crowd.
They sat down in the first row of chairs and watched as Jackal and Raven were brought out into the room. The judge walked out and they stood. The newest warden, a man named Chester Lenards, stood and began to suggest that they be placed in the 'care' of the refuge when Jack stood up.
"How much fa bail?" Judge Monahan looked at him.
"What?"
"I said, how much fa bail?" The judge folded his hands and looked down at them.
"Five dollars for each, Mr. Sullivan." Jack's eye twitched.
"That's Kelly."
"Fine. Five dollars, Mr. Kelly."
"I'll pay Michelle Beaufont's way out." He said as Denton slipped the five dollar bill into his hand. The judge nodded, a guarded look on his face.
"Pay the clerk. Cassandra Turner, you are sentenced to a month in the refuge unless you or anyone else can pay to get you out." She looked at Spot, who stared right back at her with a blank expression. Jack moved to pay the clerk, and Raven was let out. "I want you both out of my sight.
"Spot, now's the time ta stand up." She whispered to him as she and Jack passed. He and Denton stood up, putting on their hats and began to follow them out. She stopped. "Denton, ain't ya payin' for her too?"
"You'll have to talk to Spot about that." Denton said as he passed them, leaving the courtroom. She watched him in awe, and she turned to Spot.
"You're not just gonna leave her there are you?!" she exclaimed. Spot tried to pass her and she grabbed his arm, glancing back at Jackal.
"Let her get her own way out, or learn not to attack people under her own protection, therefore under mine."
"Spot she was trying to teach-"
"I don't care. I'm not getting her out. And unless you've got five dollars in your pocket, I'd say you're not getting her out either."
"What about you?!" She said to Jack. He looked away.
"Spot forbade anyone to get her out. Even her own girls." Raven looked back at Jackal.
"Don't worry 'bout me girlie, but I expect you to teach a certain girl a lesson." she said before she was led from the room.
.........................................................
A/N: That's my update.... And LOOK!!!!!!!! I HAVE A TITLE!!!!!!!! GO MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
falling off of a cliff EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Okay I've hit rock bottom. There should be a decent update since I'm by myself for about five hours at a friends house every night for the next four so there should be an update a day lol... But just an f.y.i. I didn't exactly finish this where I wanted to... The next chapters going to have some Elizabeth/mayfly stuff in it concerning oracle who is supposed to be the main character of the freygan story (yes freygan is my word of the day...) , it's going to have some spot/sweetstuff crap (DIE WHORE DIE) lol (not really but spots mine for now lol) But there's a lot more in store. Hell I might update later tonight. . .
Read and REVIEW! I'll update when I've got five I promise!