Learning Magic
Chapter Ten
Disclaimer: I don't own newsies. Please ignore mistakes! lol
It was dark now, and I still hadn't gotten to Sheepshead Bay. I knew I had been lied to. Sparks had lied right to my face. And I had believed her. That was what made me the maddest. I had believed her, and I had fed her the information she needed to trick me.
I didn't recognize anything around me, and I was beginning to question if I was still in Manhattan. My doubts were answered by the cruel, familiar voice I loathed so much.
"What brings ya ta dis side of town doll?" It said. I whirled around, and saw the notorious Spot Conlon. I could only see the outline of him, since it was dark out, but I knew it was him.
"What do ya want now?" I spat at him. He made 'tsk' noises with his mouth, and walked closer to me. He spoke to me softly, advancing to me.
"Don't talk ta me like dat." He whispered, running his fingers up and down my arm. I shivered. He smiled, his teeth gleaming in the moonlight. I stared coldly at him.
"What do ya want?" I asked, my voice also dropping to a whisper.
"What are ya doin' in me territory?" He asked me, sliding his lips up and down my arm, kissing it.
"I'm lost." I sighed, telling him the truth. Surprising, he didn't care about that. It scared me.
"It's late, ya shouldn't be out dis late dollface." He told me, moving his lips up to my neck. I felt extremely uncomfortable with this, but I loved the feel of his lips against my skin. It reminded me of Race, and I instantly felt guilty.
"Spot, ya shouldn't, stop it would ya!" I said, pushing him off me. This enraged him. He grabbed my arm and shoved it behind my back.
"Don't ya nevah do dat again, ya hear?" He threatened, his voice still quiet, but louder then before. He shoved my arm up higher and I yelped with pain. "Dat's what I thought." He said viciously.
"Let go of me." I spat angrily. He obeyed, letting go of my arm.
"I'se ain't good enough fer ya?" He asked bitterly.
"I didn't say dat. I didn't say nuttin." I told him. Giving him a cold glare, I turned my back to him and stalked away.
"Wheah ya headed?" He called after me. I ignored him and continued to walk. I didn't know where I was headed, but as long as I stayed away from him, I was fine with that. Surprisingly, he didn't follow me, and I wandered aimlessly through the abandoned streets of Brooklyn, humming random songs to myself, until I made my way to the docks.
There was a stale wind blowing, and there was a low fog over the water. I took a breath, filling my lungs with cool, crisp air.
I sat down and leaned against a crate and closed my eyes. I fell into a undisturbed, peaceful sleep, not dreaming about anything, not thinking about anything, just sleeping.
"Doll? Are ya okay? Wake up." I heard a voice say to me the next morning. Someone placed their hand on my shoulder, and nudged me awake.
"Wha? Wheah am I?" I asked, shivering a little bit as I opened my eyes wearily.
"Brooklyn." The voice, that belonged to Boots, said to me.
"Brooklyn? Well, how did I get ..." I started, then I remembered what happened last night and just nodded my head.
"Dat's a good question doll." He said to me, hopping up on the crate I was leaning against. I shivered some more, and looked at him.
"Wha a are ya doin' heah?" I asked, teeth chattering.
"Dat's what I should be axing you. Cold?" He asked, looking at my pitifully. I nodded, wrapping my arms around myself.
"I would be too if I slept out heah all night." He told me, watching me intently.
"Why are ya heah again?" I asked him, biting down on my lip so my teeth would stop chattering.
"I'se always come heah, well sometimes. Da goil sleeping caught me eye though." He said, winking at me. I smiled up at him. "Why didn't ya come back last night?" He asked. I shrugged my shoulders, not wanting to admit I was lost.
"It was Sparks eh?" He asked, looking proud of himself. I felt my eyes get wide when I looked up at him.
"H how did ya know?" I asked him.
"Cause Mush came home last nigh' all happy an' stuff. But den, when ya didn't, he started ta blame himself. He said dat he knew you an' Sparks didn't like each odda, but he let ya talk anyways. He t'inks dat she did somet'ing ta make ya run away. He also t'inks it's his fault cause he axed ya ta leave da lodging house yesterday." Boots explained to me. I shook my head.
"It's not his fault. He should know dat. Do I make everyone upset around heah?" I asked bitterly.
"Nah. Not everyone." He teased. It didn't help. "Ah, dere's Spot. I gotta get goin' okay sweet cheeks?" He asked, hopping down from the crate, I nodded, shirking back, behind a crate so Spot would not see me. Boots didn't notice my nervousness, and walked away. Spot, saw him, and waved in his direction, my direction. He looked bitter, and that made me scared. Spot and Boots spit into their hands, and then shook them. Spot continued to look over Boots' shoulder, over at the docks, where I was. He stared at where I had been sleeping previously, but then turned and left with Boots.
Sighing, I pulled myself up, and wrapped my arms tighter around myself.
"Hey! Don't I know you?" A voice called to me. I turned around and saw the girl, Shooter, standing there. I nodded slowly, and watched as she walked up to me. "Yeah, I remember you, you and that boy from the racetracks." She said happily. I nodded again.
"Look, I don't really want to talk. Can you tell me how to get to Manhattan?" I asked, shivering slightly. She nodded, a little taken aback.
"Uh, just go that way, then go across the Brooklyn Bridge, and you're basically there." She said plainly, handing me her shawl. I smiled slightly at her and thanked her.
"Bye, Shooter." I said bluntly, walking off. She didn't answer me, nor did she follow me. I quickened my pace, wanting to talk to someone so badly about last night. It left me more confused then ever. Wrapping the shawl tighter around me, I started across the Brooklyn Bridge. I was walking too slow, and broke into a run. People stared at me, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get to my bed and be warm. I wanted to talk to someone, someone who understood. But who?
I slowed my run to a jog as I came to the lodging house. I reached my hand out for the knob, when someone caught my eye. I turned my head and saw Racetrack watching me. I was reminded instantly of the kisses we exchanged a few nights before. I thought of last night and what Spot had tried to do. This made me cry, and I ran through the door, and up the stairs to my room. I heard him following me. I wasn't quick enough. I ran into my room, and before I shut the door, he came in also. He closed the door behind him, and grabbed my shoulders. I was sobbing violently, and still shivering slightly.
"What's wrong? Doll, calm down, what happened? Are ya hoit?" He asked urgently, sitting me down on the bed. I just shook my head and continued to cry.
"I don't want ta talk. Go away." I said angrily. He just stared at me, still holding onto me.
"Ya have ta talk. What happened? Don't play games wit me. Tell me." He said, pulling me close. I shook my head violently, and pushed him away.
"Y- ya t'ink ya can avoid me f-fer days, an' den, an' den, jus' expect m-me ta open up ta ya?" I asked bitterly. He shook his head, and kissed me deeply. I didn't stop him, even though I didn't really want him to.
"Talk ta me, please." He said, in between kisses. His lips moved to my neck, and all over my face.
"Race, no, please, stop it." I told him desperately. He pulled back and looked deep into my eyes.
"Why can't ya talk ta me?" He asked sadly.
"Jus' go away!" I shouted in his face. I felt like a loser. Finally, he was talking to me. But it was when I didn't want him to. Why couldn't he just talk to me when I was happy and not distressed?
"I'se, well, alright." He said, depressed. He sat up, and looked at me coldly, then walked out the door.
Almost immediately after he left, the door opened again, and Knots walked in. I rolled my eyes, and buried my head in my pillow. What was she doing here? Why was she always bothering me? Didn't she have some cleaning to do?
"What do ya want?" I moaned, my voice muffled because of the pillow.
"I want to talk. I know you're hurting." She started, I rolled over on my back and looked up at her.
"How do ya know? How can you know anyt'ing?" I asked her bitterly, narrowing my eyes. She didn't break the stare.
"How do I know? You cry into your pillow every night, you take pleasure in making me to your work, you are always bitter. And now, now you come running in here, crying your eyes out. Plus, last night, you didn't come back! And you expect me to believe you are 'alright?' That you are 'normal?' Do I look like an idiot?"
I just stared at her. I had no idea that quiet, timid, Knots, could be like this, could be so forceful with her words. It was insane. I didn't know she heard me cry at night. I didn't know that she saw how happy I had been when she did my work for me.
"Wha' can ya do about it anyways?" I asked sorrowfully. Still not breaking eye contact, she answered me.
"I'm just here to listen." She told me, sitting down slowly on her bed, which was directly across from mine. I considered her for a long time. All the while, she sat there, staring at me. Finally, I gave in.
"Fine. Wha' do ya want ta hear?" I asked her. She cocked her head towards the ceiling.
"Anything you want to tell me." She said.
"Dere's nuttin ta tell." I lied.
"Don't you be telling me that. You know that's not true, just like I do." She paused. "Fine, I want to here about where you were last night." She said, smiling smugly at me. I sighed.
"Alright. I was out wit Mush." I said simply.
"Mush came home last night." She pointed out the flaw in my explanation.
"I was wit Mush fer da day, an' den I went my own way." I told her.
"If you were with Mush, why would you leave him?" She asked thoughtfully.
"Look, Knots, do ya want ta listen ta my problems? I'm tellin' ya what happened last night." I said irritably.
"I only want the truth." She said. I nodded, throwing my hands in defeat.
"Fine. Da truth. Ya want da truth! I went out fer da day wit Mush. We met up wit some goil. She acted like she owned Mush. But, but I trusted her. I neva, eva trust nobody dat easy. But, she, she had somet'ing bout her dat made me jus' wanna answer all her questions. I did. An', an', she used it against me. I got meself lost. I was lookin' fer Racetrack, like she told me." I stopped abruptly, and looked up at her. Her face was expressionless as she waited for me to continue. I found that I couldn't. I was too torn up inside about being thwarted by Sparks. "It's what she planned." I muttered to myself.
"Meggara Campbell. Better known to you as Sparks. She's a little conniving, sly, stuck-up whore. Don't worry about it. You were just threatening her." Knots told me. "Everyone knows she has a thing for Mush. Well, I mean, you didn't."
"Dat doesn't make it any betta! I trusted her! I've neva trusted nobody like dat!" I said, breathlessly. She nodded.
"We all make mistakes. Magic, it's not that big of a deal!" Knots assured me. I nodded.
"So maybe it's not. But.." I trailed off.
"But, what? Something else?" She asked. I knew that she knew all along that this wasn't what had been bothering me for the past week, since it only happened yesterday. I nodded. "Racetrack?" She asked sympathetically.
"Sort of. It has ta do wit him. I mean, I don't know." I told her, feeling tears well up in my eyes. She moved from her bed to mine, and pulled me into a hug. I was taken aback. Why was she comforting me? I treated her terribly. "Spot made a move on me." I whispered, choking on my tears. I heard her gasp quietly.
"Conlon?" She asked, sounding a little taken aback. I nodded into her shoulder.
"I don't know why. I'm so confused. He knows I can't stand 'im. He can't stand me eithah, but, he, why?" I cried into her. For once she didn't say anything. "An' den, an' den dere's Racetrack. I don't know nuttin bout it no more. I barely know him." I confessed. It was true. I didn't know anything personal about him.
"I saw you two, in his room." She said to me, somewhat sadly. I nodded, drying some of my tears.
"I know. So does he." She nodded.
"I've been hearing things too." She started, instantly catching my attention again.
"Whatcha hear?" I asked, perplexed now.
"Just things about him." She said, suddenly very squirmy. I looked at her hard.
"What t'ings?" I demanded, keeping my voice down.
"Just about you and him. Mostly him." She said, hesitating.
"Tell me please." I insisted, shaking her. She swallowed and nodded her head.
"Alright. Only because I think you should know. I've been hearing that, well, that he has a thing for you. Bad. Like, that he says your name in his sleep, and things like that. I don't know. It was much juicer when I heard it." She finished. I gaped at her.
"Me?" I asked, too shocked to say anything else. She could only nod. Why would Racetrack be so interested in me? Didn't he see that I was worthless? That I had no respect for myself or anyone around me? What could be so attractive about me?
a/n
Ain't it lovely? Another chappie from me! Hope you enjoy it! I had fun writing it! Sorry it took so long. School, like always, is invading my time. Next chapter as soon as possible! I promise! Sorry for any mistakes I may have made! I didn't feel like proofreading! ;)
Shoutouts:
Knots - Thanks girly! I love your story soo much!
Erin Go Bragh - Yeah, I think the new leader was a little rushed too. But, that shows how much writers block I had at that point in time. I remember that clearly! I couldn't think! Hope you enjoyed!
Anidwen - You asked for more Spot did you not? Ha! I was planning on putting him in there though! Lol I love abusive men too! Well, writing about them!
Shooter - Did ya see who was in this chapter? HA!
Sparks Kelly - I luv ya girl! Slut slut slut! HA! Sorry darling!! I love you!
JustDuck - I loved your reviews! I really did! They made me VERY happy! Thanks soo much! I tried to develop Knots's character more in this chapter. She comes into play later on. Yep, moodswing central! That's Magic for you! I love it though! Seriously, thanks soo much for the reviews! I loved reading them! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!