A/N- Hey everyone! It's us again with another chapter! Yay! Anyways, umm...we
decided to change the rating, because Skits decided it was about time it
got a bit violent, gotta love Skitts and her brain! So, we hopes ya enjoy
dis chapter! SBM
Chapter 4
It was only a few hours later when Mush was awoken again, this time by urgent shouts coming from outside of the window. He recognized Blink's voice immediately.
Several other newsies stirred as Mush jumped out of bed and hurried down the stairs to see what the commotion was about. As he reached the bottom of the stairs Blink was shouting incoherently at Kloppman who was trying unsuccessfully to calm the boy down.
"He'sdeadIdidn'tknowwhathappened—"
"Calm down boy." Kloppman said pushing Blink into a nearby chair, but Blink seemed desperate to show him something outside and immediately stood up again. By this time, numerous other boys had come down.
"I gotta show ya Kloppman!" Blink grabbed the old man by the arm, and pulled him toward the door.
"See, he's right deah, just like I was tellin' ya!" Kloppman stood open mouthed staring at the bloody and immobile body of Charlie.
The newsies murmured from inside as they too peered at the grotesque scene before them.
"What happened?" asked Jack stepping outside.
"I don't know, I was just walkin' and I tripped ovah him!"
"Tripped?" Race's voice called from the crowd still gathered at the door. "Yeah, I'se bet dat's what ya want us ta believe."
Jack knelt down beside the body, while Kloppman ordered two of the boys to fetch a couple of cops. "Looks like he took a blow to da head," Jack said suddenly noticing a large bloody mark on the side of Charlie's head.
Skittery stumbled out just then, followed closely by Snoddy and Mush. The three of them stood around Blink all eyes focused on Charlie.
"So, what happened Blink?" Jack asked again.
"I told ya, I don't know. I was walkin and I tripped ovah 'im. I didn't know what he was at foist."
"Dat's what happened, huh?" Racetrack pushed his way through the crowd and stood one the threshold glaring at Blink.
"Race," Mush warned.
"Don't defend 'im, Mush. We all hoid 'im last night." Racetrack pulled his arms out of the grips of a couple other boys who had been holding him back.
"He didn't mean it like dat," said Skittery wincing in pain at the effort of moving his mouth.
"Oh he didn't?" Snapped Race.
"He was angry. People always say stuff like dat when dey's angry," said Mush.
"If you'se implyin' I killed dis—"
"I ain't implyin' anyt'in'. I'se sayin' you killed 'im. He's a murderer boys!"
"No!" Skittery, Mush and Jack stepped in front of Blink who had braced himself for a rough beating.
The cops showed up just then in a wagon. "Where's the body?" one asked stepping out, followed by two more.
The boys moved aside to reveal Charlie's body.
"Alright, everybody back away," said another officer. He and the third officer pulled gloves onto their hands and began examining the body.
"He's dead," said the second cop. He stood and turned to the boys. "Who's responsible for this?"
Most of the boys responded by staring pointedly at the ground. Only Race whose eyes hadn't moved from Blink, spoke. "Maybe ya should ask Blink ovah deah." He pointed a finger in Blink's direction.
The cop spun around. Mush leapt immediately to his friend's defense. "He didn't do it!"
The officer pushed Mush roughly aside. Mush fell into Snoddy who prevented the smaller boy from falling.
"You say you saw this boy do it?" The officer asked Racetrack.
Jack, Mush and Skittery glared at Racetrack. Blink would have glared had he been able to see over his three protectors.
"No, but we all hoid 'im last night sayin' he wanted Charlie dead, cause of da fight."
"Is that true?" The officer asked Snitch who stood behind Racetrack. Snitch nodded but remained silent.
"Well, I think that is all we need boys." The other two officers had covered Charlie's body with a large black sheet. The second officer reached for Blink.
"But he didn't do it!" Yelled Mush.
The officers ignored him and the three of them grabbed Blink and pinned him to the ground and put handcuffs on him.
"Let 'im go!" Jack and Snoddy yelled in unison.
Skittery grabbed one of the cops by the collar, and threw him to the ground, where he began pelting him with his fists. Another cop advanced on Skittery and hit him in the side of the head with his club. Skittery slumped sideways, unconscious.
"Take him in too," said the cop who was still on the ground recovering from Skittery's blows.
The third cop grabbed Skittery's limp body by the arms and dragged him to the wagon.
Snoddy rushed toward the wagon, but paused when a cop stepped in his path waving his club threateningly. "Let this be a lesson to you boys. Do not mess with authority. This boy," he gestured to Blink, "broke the law and therefore must pay the price."
Another police wagon pulled in just then and the three officers inside of that one were quickly briefed on the situation. The new officers went to the body and began to examine it as well.
Blink struggled against the strong clutches of the cops who held him, as Mush and the others looked helplessly on. "I ain't killed nobody evah in me life!" Blink shouted. "You'se gotta believe me!"
They loaded a struggling Blink into the back of the wagon with Skittery and slammed the door shut.
"If any of you boys take one step, we'll take you in as well," one cop threatened as Jack shifted uneasily in his place.
Several people living in the houses nearby emerged dressed in their night clothes to see what the shouting was about. The wagon holding Skittery and Blink pulled away as the remaining officers loaded Charlie's body into the second wagon. They asked Kloppman to accompany them to the station for more questioning.
The news boys could hear Blink shouting as the wagon disappeared into the night. Mush looked down at the ground and shuffled his feet.
Jack turned and glared at Racetrack, "what did ya go and open yoah big mouth foah?"
"Ya hoid what da kid said!" Race yelled back. "I was doin' me civic duty." He lit up a cigar and stuck it into his mouth.
"Ya actually t'ought he was serious?" Mush asked incredulously. A scowl was plastered to his usually smiling face.
"Yeah, I do t'ink he was serious, Mush. Just cause you t'inks he's alright don't mean d rest of us do. Who knows what dat kid is capable of. We'se only just met 'im." Racetrack took a long drag on his cigar.
"He's a decent kid, Race," Snoddy said. "He ain't capable of murder."
"Den how do ya explain Charlie, and Blink's late nightah? He didn't come home t'night, incase ya didn't notice. We'se weren't deah to see weadah or not he done it!"
Several other newsies began to back up Race now as well. "Face da facts, da kid's a killah."
Mush growled, stepped toward Race and grabbed the cigar from his mouth, threw it on the ground and stomped on it.
"Hey! Dat costed me a—" Race's comment went unsaid as Mush's fist collided with his nose. The force sent Race sprawling to the ground.
Numerous fights broke out and the boys were for the first time, divided. Snoddy and Jack tried their best to break up the fights, and ended up with fists in their faces as well.
Finally, they were left with two large groups. The fighting had stopped, but the shouts continued. On one side, half a dozen restrained Mush, while on the other, Race was the one held back. Jack stood between the two groups.
"Everyone up ta bed now!" Jack shouted. He looked ready to strike any boy who dare defied his order.
"Tell 'em ta take back what dey said about Blink," Mush demanded.
Jack grabbed Mush by the arm and pulled him aside while the other boys grudgingly followed their leader's orders and trudged upstairs, ready to pounce on the next person to sneeze.
"You'se gotta calm down, Mush," Jack said.
"It ain't faih!" Mush protested. "Why do dey gotta be like dat?"
"Dey's just tryin' ta figure t'ings out, like da rest of us."
"But blaming Blink?"
"Well yeah. Placin' da blame on Blink would be bettah den havin no answers at all."
Mush pondered for a moment. "I guess yoah right, Jack."
"Of course I'se right." He put an arm around Mush's shoulders and led the boy upstairs where they were greeted with a malicious silence.
A/N- We really do love Race, but we needed a bad guy, and he really isn't all that bad...not like Charlie...or Draco Malfoy...but we will make it up to you all, we promise! SBM
Chapter 4
It was only a few hours later when Mush was awoken again, this time by urgent shouts coming from outside of the window. He recognized Blink's voice immediately.
Several other newsies stirred as Mush jumped out of bed and hurried down the stairs to see what the commotion was about. As he reached the bottom of the stairs Blink was shouting incoherently at Kloppman who was trying unsuccessfully to calm the boy down.
"He'sdeadIdidn'tknowwhathappened—"
"Calm down boy." Kloppman said pushing Blink into a nearby chair, but Blink seemed desperate to show him something outside and immediately stood up again. By this time, numerous other boys had come down.
"I gotta show ya Kloppman!" Blink grabbed the old man by the arm, and pulled him toward the door.
"See, he's right deah, just like I was tellin' ya!" Kloppman stood open mouthed staring at the bloody and immobile body of Charlie.
The newsies murmured from inside as they too peered at the grotesque scene before them.
"What happened?" asked Jack stepping outside.
"I don't know, I was just walkin' and I tripped ovah him!"
"Tripped?" Race's voice called from the crowd still gathered at the door. "Yeah, I'se bet dat's what ya want us ta believe."
Jack knelt down beside the body, while Kloppman ordered two of the boys to fetch a couple of cops. "Looks like he took a blow to da head," Jack said suddenly noticing a large bloody mark on the side of Charlie's head.
Skittery stumbled out just then, followed closely by Snoddy and Mush. The three of them stood around Blink all eyes focused on Charlie.
"So, what happened Blink?" Jack asked again.
"I told ya, I don't know. I was walkin and I tripped ovah 'im. I didn't know what he was at foist."
"Dat's what happened, huh?" Racetrack pushed his way through the crowd and stood one the threshold glaring at Blink.
"Race," Mush warned.
"Don't defend 'im, Mush. We all hoid 'im last night." Racetrack pulled his arms out of the grips of a couple other boys who had been holding him back.
"He didn't mean it like dat," said Skittery wincing in pain at the effort of moving his mouth.
"Oh he didn't?" Snapped Race.
"He was angry. People always say stuff like dat when dey's angry," said Mush.
"If you'se implyin' I killed dis—"
"I ain't implyin' anyt'in'. I'se sayin' you killed 'im. He's a murderer boys!"
"No!" Skittery, Mush and Jack stepped in front of Blink who had braced himself for a rough beating.
The cops showed up just then in a wagon. "Where's the body?" one asked stepping out, followed by two more.
The boys moved aside to reveal Charlie's body.
"Alright, everybody back away," said another officer. He and the third officer pulled gloves onto their hands and began examining the body.
"He's dead," said the second cop. He stood and turned to the boys. "Who's responsible for this?"
Most of the boys responded by staring pointedly at the ground. Only Race whose eyes hadn't moved from Blink, spoke. "Maybe ya should ask Blink ovah deah." He pointed a finger in Blink's direction.
The cop spun around. Mush leapt immediately to his friend's defense. "He didn't do it!"
The officer pushed Mush roughly aside. Mush fell into Snoddy who prevented the smaller boy from falling.
"You say you saw this boy do it?" The officer asked Racetrack.
Jack, Mush and Skittery glared at Racetrack. Blink would have glared had he been able to see over his three protectors.
"No, but we all hoid 'im last night sayin' he wanted Charlie dead, cause of da fight."
"Is that true?" The officer asked Snitch who stood behind Racetrack. Snitch nodded but remained silent.
"Well, I think that is all we need boys." The other two officers had covered Charlie's body with a large black sheet. The second officer reached for Blink.
"But he didn't do it!" Yelled Mush.
The officers ignored him and the three of them grabbed Blink and pinned him to the ground and put handcuffs on him.
"Let 'im go!" Jack and Snoddy yelled in unison.
Skittery grabbed one of the cops by the collar, and threw him to the ground, where he began pelting him with his fists. Another cop advanced on Skittery and hit him in the side of the head with his club. Skittery slumped sideways, unconscious.
"Take him in too," said the cop who was still on the ground recovering from Skittery's blows.
The third cop grabbed Skittery's limp body by the arms and dragged him to the wagon.
Snoddy rushed toward the wagon, but paused when a cop stepped in his path waving his club threateningly. "Let this be a lesson to you boys. Do not mess with authority. This boy," he gestured to Blink, "broke the law and therefore must pay the price."
Another police wagon pulled in just then and the three officers inside of that one were quickly briefed on the situation. The new officers went to the body and began to examine it as well.
Blink struggled against the strong clutches of the cops who held him, as Mush and the others looked helplessly on. "I ain't killed nobody evah in me life!" Blink shouted. "You'se gotta believe me!"
They loaded a struggling Blink into the back of the wagon with Skittery and slammed the door shut.
"If any of you boys take one step, we'll take you in as well," one cop threatened as Jack shifted uneasily in his place.
Several people living in the houses nearby emerged dressed in their night clothes to see what the shouting was about. The wagon holding Skittery and Blink pulled away as the remaining officers loaded Charlie's body into the second wagon. They asked Kloppman to accompany them to the station for more questioning.
The news boys could hear Blink shouting as the wagon disappeared into the night. Mush looked down at the ground and shuffled his feet.
Jack turned and glared at Racetrack, "what did ya go and open yoah big mouth foah?"
"Ya hoid what da kid said!" Race yelled back. "I was doin' me civic duty." He lit up a cigar and stuck it into his mouth.
"Ya actually t'ought he was serious?" Mush asked incredulously. A scowl was plastered to his usually smiling face.
"Yeah, I do t'ink he was serious, Mush. Just cause you t'inks he's alright don't mean d rest of us do. Who knows what dat kid is capable of. We'se only just met 'im." Racetrack took a long drag on his cigar.
"He's a decent kid, Race," Snoddy said. "He ain't capable of murder."
"Den how do ya explain Charlie, and Blink's late nightah? He didn't come home t'night, incase ya didn't notice. We'se weren't deah to see weadah or not he done it!"
Several other newsies began to back up Race now as well. "Face da facts, da kid's a killah."
Mush growled, stepped toward Race and grabbed the cigar from his mouth, threw it on the ground and stomped on it.
"Hey! Dat costed me a—" Race's comment went unsaid as Mush's fist collided with his nose. The force sent Race sprawling to the ground.
Numerous fights broke out and the boys were for the first time, divided. Snoddy and Jack tried their best to break up the fights, and ended up with fists in their faces as well.
Finally, they were left with two large groups. The fighting had stopped, but the shouts continued. On one side, half a dozen restrained Mush, while on the other, Race was the one held back. Jack stood between the two groups.
"Everyone up ta bed now!" Jack shouted. He looked ready to strike any boy who dare defied his order.
"Tell 'em ta take back what dey said about Blink," Mush demanded.
Jack grabbed Mush by the arm and pulled him aside while the other boys grudgingly followed their leader's orders and trudged upstairs, ready to pounce on the next person to sneeze.
"You'se gotta calm down, Mush," Jack said.
"It ain't faih!" Mush protested. "Why do dey gotta be like dat?"
"Dey's just tryin' ta figure t'ings out, like da rest of us."
"But blaming Blink?"
"Well yeah. Placin' da blame on Blink would be bettah den havin no answers at all."
Mush pondered for a moment. "I guess yoah right, Jack."
"Of course I'se right." He put an arm around Mush's shoulders and led the boy upstairs where they were greeted with a malicious silence.
A/N- We really do love Race, but we needed a bad guy, and he really isn't all that bad...not like Charlie...or Draco Malfoy...but we will make it up to you all, we promise! SBM