Author: Brooklyn Oracle
Genre: Romance/Drama and Fiction
Setting: 1900's in New York
Summary: Spot and West get into a HUGE fight. West leaves for Manhattan and tries to take her friend, Kennedy, with her. Kennedy refuses and stays in Brooklyn. West starts to date Jack even though she knows that she'll ALWAYS love Spot. Spot gets jealous of her dating HIS best friend, so HE starts dating HER best friend. AND! - In the middle of all this chaos a mysterious person from the "Joel's" past arrives!
A/N: These characters belong to Disney© Incorporate. (I wish I owned Spot! ) Please do not plagiarize! I do not own any of the characters except for West/Kate Turner, Blue/Aaron Turner, Crest, Snaps/Chris Turner, Trey Turner, Helena Turner, Heath Conlon, Joel Conlon, Tina Conlon, Joel/Spot's mother, Kinks, Leg, Morey, Paw, Spinner, South, Ready, Quickie, and Tinge, Mel's Diner, and Kennedy Shefford/Stripes, Sage D'Ancanto/Demure.
Thank you: Thanks to Mister B. who made us watch this movie in music class. Thanks to my family, friends, and many others for supporting me. Thanks to Gabriel Damon for being so darn good looking and for inspiring me to write about this character. Thanks to everyone. Please give me feedback! Also thanks to "Stripes" and "Demure" for letting me use them in my story!
Chapter 6
The Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House was crowded and loud. Everyone was there. Poker Night was one of those nights where you see friends you thought you lost forever, or hook up with the person you destined to be with. The Bronx, Staten Island, Columbia Morning Side, Harlem, Upper West Side, Upper East Side, all three Midtowns, Murrey Hills, Chelsea, Flat Iron, West Village, Soho, East Village, Gramercy, Tribeca, Lower East Side, and Battery were present - all the boroughs except for Brooklyn and Queens. West was telling an old folk legend to the younger children in the infirmary. Younger kids from different precincts, Snipeshooter, Boots, Les, and the girl, who came to be known as Cerise or Cherry, were gathered around West Turner. They were huddled on one bunk, whispering excitedly. From an outsider's perspective, it looked like they were in a totally different world, away from the din of the other rooms and the lower floor. Jack Kelly was leaning against the doorframe when he slinked up behind West. The kids giggled and he put his fingers to his lips. They quieted and their attention went back to the older girl with black shiny hair.
"…So den, da mighty Dragon flew up ta da sky, afraid o' da watah. Dat's how he got stuck up there, as our constellation, Draco."
"What kind o' baloney are ya puttin' in our future age's heads?" he asked teasingly, his brown eyes shining.
"I'm tellin' dem a story. Wanna join?" she said loudly above the racket in the floors above and below them.
"Nah, come out and play pokah wit us!" he said pulling on her hand. West left the children to play in the sick bay and went into the jam-packed bunkroom. The room was stuffy because of all the people and the roaring fireplace. Many of the newsies had brought their girlfriends. They were all huddled at a table giggling, gossiping, and whispering.
"Heya, West!"
"West, ovah heah!"
Random voices called out to her. She waved and took off her hat. Jack
sat down at a table with Race, Kid Blink, and a few others she didn't
know. Introductions were made and the game began. West sat out the
round and perched on Jack's knee with his arm around her waist. All
thoughts about Brooklyn and their disreputable leader were pushed out
of her head. Several newsies looked at each other knowingly and
initiated the game.
"Well, fellas, let's git started," Jack said, rubbing his hands in anticipation. Racetrack, as always, dealt the cards to the players and the competition began. Jack winked at West and showed her his hand. "Wish me luck," he requested of her.
"You don't need it," she replied, kissing him soundly. Beers and drinks were passed around and cigar smoke filled the room. Yelling and laughing were also of the plenty. Three people had already lost and Race, Kid Blink, Jack, and the leader of Battery called Slope, were still playing. Jack was very close to a flush. He had a six, seven, eight, and king of hearts. Jack and Blink eventually folded, losing a couple pennies each. Slope and Race were left to play it out. Inevitably, Racetrack won, as usual, and honored his Poker Champion title.
"You're too full o' yerself, Racetrack," Skittery said. Race just laughed.
"An' who's da one who talks ta 'imself in da mirror every mornin'?" he joked causing the bunkroom to roar. Skittery just ignored Racetrack and went to talk to other people. Everyone wandered around watching various poker games.
"Jack! Jack!" Mush yelled. He was breathing hard as he ran up the stairs. Everyone turned around to watch.
"Heya, Mush. What's up?" he asked, grinning. He had just won back some money from playing a game with several other leaders. Usually Spot would have won, but Jack was the winner this time. West greeted Mush as well.
"Jack! Brooklyn's heah!" Jack's smile went away. He jogged to the front door with each person following behind him. West following closely behind Jack, gripped Race's arm tightly.
"Princess, ya might wanna let go o' my arm befoah ya cut da coiculation outta it." West loosened her grasp and looked apologetic. Outside, Spot, Stripes, and the whole of Brooklyn waited in the snow. They looked very intimidating. Their faces were shadowed from the street lamp and they looked quite serious. Spot stood ahead of all of them with his polished wooden cane and an arm around Stripe's shoulder. West wrapped her coat even tighter around herself.
"Ise sawry, Race. It's jus' dat I'm scared. Who knows what Spot's plannin' ta do?" Race patted her jacketed back reassuringly.
"Whad do ya want, Spot," Jack demanded, pointing threateningly.
"The boys an' me jus' wanted ta play a lil pokah, dat's all, Jacky-boy," Spot said smoothly, tossing his cane up in the air and catching it.
"Youse ain't gonna play pokah heah, Spot." Spot feigned shock while Stripes sniggered.
"Oh, really? Really?"
"Yeah, really, Conlon. Once youse was done wit West, Manhattan was done wit you. Same wit Queens," Jack said coldly glaring at Stripes who frowned. West treaded to his side.
"Don't do this because of me, Jack! It's not worth it!" she whispered, tears threatening to spill out. West angrily wiped them away.
"You are worth it, West." Spot coughed loudly and held his hands out.
"What do ya think you're doin', West. Git outta dis. Dis id between me an' da Cowboy," Spot shouted. West glowered at him.
"Anythin' dat has ta do wit me boy, has ta do wit me!" she yelled. Spot really looked offended now.
"So dis is how it is? Youse left me fer Cowboy?" he asked.
"No… I left you because of you," she said unemotionally, not dropping her mask.
"Oh…" came from the onlookers. Spot sneered at them and Stripes did too.
"All o' youse… are ya toining your backs on Brooklyn?" An immediate silence fell over the crowd. "I thought so."
"Actually, Spot, we are," said Slope, striding out behind some people with a coat around his shoulder.
"The Bronx are too," added Morte, the leader.
"And Staten Island!"
"Harlem!"
"Upper East an' West!"
"Midtown!"
"Chelsea ain't wit you no moah!"
"Neithah is Murrey Hills."
"Or Flat Iron!"
"West an' East Village are wit you, Jack!"
"Gramercy too!" Everyone shouted and yelled their loyalty to Manhattan. The only one's that didn't were Tribeca and Lower East Side. Jack turned to their leaders, Dante and Lucio.
"Go on, git!" Jack exclaimed. The two districts went to stand behind Brooklyn. "Dere ya have it, Conlon. Manhattan an' Brooklyn ain't allies no moah."
"Who says we evah were?" Spot said glacially.
"Yeah, Spot! Youse all talk an' no action!" Pie Eater snarled from the back of the crowd.
"Yeah? You wanna see some action, huh?" he demanded, but shook his head after. "C'mon. Let's get outta heah," he called to his boys. They turned to leave, but Spot charged back at Jack, catching him unaware. A circle formed around the fighting two, pushing West into the rear of the throng of people.
"Move outta da way!" she cried while launching herself to the center. Since she was no longer the co-leader of Brooklyn, the boys didn't respect her as much and she had problems getting through.
"Need help?" Kid Blink shouted behind her.
"Yeah, thank you!" Kid Blink hesitated.
"You don't got your accent no moah," he observed.
"I'll explain later," she replied sincerely. She reached the middle. Jack was on the ground and Spot was standing, furious. Jack already didn't stand a chance since he was caught by surprise at first, and he wasn't as good of a fighter as Spot was. In fact, no one expected Spot to loose him temper the way he did because Spot had never lost his temper like that before. That's how they knew it was serious. Jack was on his back, had a bloody lip and nose and was holding his right side. Spot kicked Jack's ribs again.
"Had 'nuff, Jacky-boy?" Spot said innocently. "Or would ya like some more action!" Spot yelled to the crowd.
"JACK!" West cried, seeing him in the state he was. Spot stopped and looked up to her glaring face. Her clear blue eyes were clouded with disappointment and wet with tears. The Brooklyn leader watched as she got on her knees to check Jack.
"I'm okay…" he whispered, closing his eyes.
"Blink, Skittery! Get him out of here." There were murmurs of 'where's her accent'.
"Jack! Jack, git up," Blink and Skittery said as they hoisted Jack on their shoulders and carried him to the Lodging House lobby. The newsies quieted once West stood and faced Spot. For the first time that night, Spot looked panicked. He didn't expect West to do something that might make him look bad in front of the districts.
All the emotions she had been bottling up that day exploded into a long passionate speech about her insecurities and thoughts.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, SPOT! I THOUGHT YOU WERE MATURE ENOUGH TO HANDLE THIS! I BROKE UP BECAUSE OF YOU AND THAT LITTLE JEZEBEL OF YOURS! THAT'S RIGHT, STRIPES! OR SHOULD I SAY KENNEDY? SPOT, I'VE DEALT WITH ALL YOU'RE PROBLEMS, ATTITUDE, TEEITORY ISSUES, AND YOUR REPUTATION WITH YOU, BUT WHEN I ASK YOU TO DEAL WITH MINE, YOU RUN AWAY LIKE A DAMN COWARD. I WAS EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANTED ME TO BE – I EVEN HAD TWO PERSONALITIES TO UPHOLD, ALL FOR YOU! NOW YOU TELL ME, DO YOU WANT TO CAME OFF AS A DECIEVENG LYING SCOUNDREL?" she screamed, her voice cracking at the end and tears streaming down her face The cold weather didn't help either. Her nose was as red as ever, her eyes bloodshot, and her face felt numb. "You tell me then, if anything we did meant anything, anything, to you," she said more silently. Spot quietly looked away, uncomfortable. "And the winning question is, do you still love me? Have you ever?" Spot stared directly into her eyes. West could tell that in his cerulean eyes, she was still his Kate forever, but his eyes were the solitary things betraying his genuine soul and sentiment. Undertones moved through the masses like wild fire at the scene lay before them.
"I ain't comin' off as da lyin' coward, Katherine, you are. You jus' told us dat you had two different characters, so half da time youse was lyin' and da othah time youse was tellin' da truth. You weren't everythin' I wanted, 'cause obviously you're not da one next ta me, like Stripes heah is. Stripes ain't da Jezebel, youse is. Foist wit your fathah, den dumpin' me an' headin' it off wit Kelly right aftah. Yeah, I know 'bout it. My boidies been choipin' in mah ear. Now Ise gonna tell you, so you listen. It meant nothin'. Youse was jus' anothah goil, anothah night. I helped your brothah an' that's it. You were jus' somethin' I had ta do on the way. I never did, an' will nevah, love you, Katherine Toinah," he cruelly said and remained as calm as ever. Kate dropped her act and strode straight up to him.
A resounding slap the gasps filled the deafening silence. Kate had smacked Spot across the cheek. Spot's hand reflexively raised to his jaw where the force of the blow had caught him unaware. He couldn't even feel it. Spot wished he could though. The pain on his cheek would keep his mind off the ache in his heart. He wanted to feel like what she did didn't make him feel horrible. Kate sobbed and spun to go, but ran at Spot just before she reached the Lodging House's entrance. Many onlookers held her back, but it did not stop her from screaming at the top of her lungs and crying her heart out.
"I HATE YOU!!!" the restrained Kate shouted. Snow floated around her head. She still looked beautiful when her nose was pink and teardrops fell out of her icy eyes. Eyes that were so much like Spot's. "LET ME GO!" I HATE YOU!"
Spot left and said his goodbye to Tribeca and Lower East Side. He told the rest of Brooklyn to go ahead and they obeyed. Several who were close to West and thought her a companion, shot Spot many aggrieved and disgusted looks. Stripes gave Spot a kiss and left with the others. He crossed the Brooklyn Bridge with his thoughts. Why did I do dat? Why am I lyin' ta myself - ta Kate? Why did I say dose things ta make her hoit even moah? Why, why, why? Spot thought to himself. The incident kept replaying in his mind. How much he tormented Kate was imprinted in his mind until the end of time.
"I HATE YOU!!!" a restrained Kate shouted. Snow floated around her head. She still looked beautiful when her nose was pink and teardrops fell out of her icy eyes. Eyes that were so much like Spot's. "LET ME GO!" I HATE YOU!"
Spot reached the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge and looked over his shoulder at Manhattan, where the love of his life now was. At that exact same place, she had left him. He had given her his very first slingshot. How could that mean nothing? How could he lie like that to her? Everything was nothing until her. Spot looked down at the spot where they had stood hours before, where he had told her it was never too late. The fearless Brooklyn leader, for the foremost time in his life, felt alone and lost. He sank to his knees in the snow and screamed for the whole world to hear his anguish, suffering, and distress. He had said 'it was never too late', but now it seemed like was.
A/N: How was it? I had major blockage for some time, but I managed to scrap some emotional good stuff together! Tell me if you liked it please! I added the little part about the constellation because everyone knows how much I love Tom Felton. Dante (Tribeca's leader) means strong in Italian and Lucio (Lower East Side's leader) means light. Read and Review!
