A/N-DON'T KILL ME!! PLEASE! I know, I'm behind in my writing. I got out of school, expecting to be able to write and then time just evaded me. I actually wrote this chapter in the car on the way home from PA, which was on the way home from the cruise we went on. Did I say cruise? Sure did! This past week I was on a cruise to Canada, fun stuff!! I haven't gotten around to updating my other stories, and I feel so horrible about it but they should be coming around soon. I'm starting up an acting camp tomorrow, and have rehearsals for Singin' in the Rain a good number of nights, but I have most of the afternoons free, so I'll try my best to update. I would love to hear ya'lls input, so get to reviewing!! Snap to it! WARNING this chapter includes some vulgar language, just a warning. Not too much, but some. Now that I got that done...
CHATPER SIX: WAR!
Spot paced across his room nervously. What had he done to scare Aurora away? What had he said? Why did she listen to him when he told her to leave? It had been five days since Aurora had disappeared and of course he still couldn't get her out of his mind. That morning, he had sent some of his newsies out, searching for her. Finally, he had found someone worth while, and she had disappeared on him. Sure, he was a ladies man, but here was a lady who he couldn't just seduce into liking him, because he liked her too much for that. Perhaps all that luck he had possessed all these years was running dry. A knock on the door interrupted hi thought and he stopped dead in his tracks, hoping it to be one of his newsies, with some good news.
"Come in" he said briskly. The door swung open, and in walked a red-eyed, teary Jazz.
"You'se weah right Spot! It wasn't meant ta be. So theah I was, comin back ta da LH, and I see Race and dis red head, sittin on da steps talkin and laughin. And I asks him who she is and he introduces me ta her as his friend. Not his goil, his friend! Dat was me foist sign. Den, I didn't see him da next day cause he was out wit dis Cheers goil. Dat night, he comes back and tells me dat I'm a wonderful goil, but not foah him!" Jazz broke down into tears. "I can't believe I evah liked dat asshole!" Spot shook his head knowingly, and gave Jazz a comforting hug.
"Don worry about him" he said in a soothing manner. "Theah'll be othahs" Jazz, biting her lip, nodded her head and left the room. Spot laughed to himself, as he closed the door behind her, at how foolish Jazz had been. Then a thought crossed his mind. Perhaps he had been that foolish also. Jumping to conclusions. He half regretted sending newsies out to search for her, but brushed the thought aside. If she didn't want to come back, she wouldn't have to. He wouldn't make her. But Spot couldn't think of any reason why she wouldn't want to come back. He hadn't done anything terribly offensive, had he? No, she probably just needed some time to herself, time to think. That was all it was. She needed time. Spot smacked himself on the head. Who was he kidding? He couldn't wait, he couldn't just let her get away. What would happen to his reputation? With that last thought, Spot pushed open his door and exited the warehouse. If you wanted something done, you had to do it yourself. And Spot had to find Aurora. So who better to ask then Fist?
Spot was soaked in five seconds after he left the warehouse. The sunny weather they had had in the past few days had turned stormy, and it had been raining since the morning. Spot was lucky enough to walk out in the middle of a torrential downpour. Rain, however, couldn't stop him now. He was a newsie on a mission.
"SPOT!" a voice called out faintly through the downpour. He turned his head to see two of his newsies making their way toward him, hands on their hats to prevent them from flying away.
"WHAT?" he called back loudly to be heard over the din of the rain.
"WE HAVE NEWS!" the taller of the two shouted. He blinked his eyes and his head twitched as he said this. The other motioned towards a little diner on the side on the street where they could talk. The three soaking newsies stepped inside, receiving disapproving looks from the few customers dining. They slid into a booth, removed their wet hats, and Spot stared at the boys sitting across from him, waiting, and hoping it was good news.
"Well, we've got good, bad, and woise news" spoke the shorter one. His jet black hair was plastered to his head and his gray eyes flitted about in nervousness.
"Yes Smoke?" Spot prompted.
"Well, da bad news is..." Smoke looked at the other newsie for support, and receiving none, carried on carefully. "Well, Twitch and I inquired some people and we loined dat...Donovan and Fist have joined togethah and dat dey want Brooklyn."
"WHAT?!?" Spot exclaimed loudly.
"Shhhh" the man in the booth behind them hissed.
"What?!?" Spot repeated a bit more quietly.
"Yeah" Twitch verified. "We didn't believe it eithah when we foist hoid it. But den we verified it wit people we trust. Or did until we loined it."
"Who?"
"Axe and Blade."
"Why would dey know?"
"Cause..." Smoke diverted his eyes to the table top. "Dey'ah membahs of Black Fist. So ah Ice and Plunk. And dey'ah not coming back. Dey weah told ta pick one side or da othah."
"And dey picked Fist's" Spot said softly, though his voice was cold and filled with anger.
"Sorry Spot."
"What's da good news?" Spot asked with a sigh. This changed everything.
"Well, we found Aurora..." Twitch started.
"And..." Spot prompted, feeling a little bit more optimistic. Aurora could help, she knew fist and she knew the way he worked. If she hadn't been with him for seven months, if she hadn't been associating with him for that period of time, perhaps she might not feel so attached to him anymore. Maybe he could persuade her to join his side, to help.
"Well, dis is da woise news."
"I thought dat da bad news was pretty bad."
"It was...but dis makes it woise."
"What?" Spot asked anxiously. Had something happened to Aurora. Was Fist blaming him? Was she alright? Thoughts raced through Spot's mind as he tried to figure out what could be so bad. On the other side of the table, through glances, Smoke and Twitch were trying to decide who would break the news to Spot.
"Ya see..." Smoke started, having been designated the bearer of bad news. "We found Aurora...but she's wit Donovan."
"She's wit Donovan?" Spot repeated. "What has he done ta her? Did he hoit her? Is dat why Fist allied wit him? Ta help Aurora?"
"No Spot" Twitch said slowly. "She's not in trouble. Actually I'm told she's quite happy. Ya see, Aurora's Donovan's goil. Apparently she's been his goil foah a while. She was jus usin you'se ta find out how ta beat you'se, to find out yoah weakness'. She was a spy Spot. She's in on it too."
"FUCK!" Spot exclaimed loudly, banging his hands on the table in rage.
"Excuse me" the man behind him said, getting up out of his booth and standing in front of their table. He tugged the jacket of his brown tweed suit down, his green eyes filled with annoyance, and his brown hair was slicked back. "But my wife and I are trying to enjoy a peaceful lunch and you're disturbing us. We don't appreciate that type of language either young man. So I'll ask you kindly to leave now before I go to the manager to have him deal with it."
"Excuse me" Spot repeated in a mocking manner. "But I'm havin a rough day. Ya see, my language is gonna be da least of yoah worries soon."
"Don't smart mouth me kid" he shot back.
"Don't staht wit me" Spot said fiercely, standing up.
"I think it's time that you and your friends leave."
"I think not."
"Do you treat your parents like that boy?"
"I don have any parents."
"Excuse me" the man said, turning to the large man with short, wavy black hair, a pair of black slacks, and a white short sleeved shirt with an apron over it walking by. "Are you the manager?"
"Yes sir, I am" he replied. "Can I help you?"
"Yes. This boy and his friends are disturbing me and my wife. I've asked him kindly to leave but he's being quite rude, and keeps refusing."
"I'll handle it" the large man turned to Spot, and upon seeing him, his brow creased with anger. "Well, well. If it isn't Spot Conlon."
"Hello theah Rusty" Spot replied with a smirk.
"You bothering my customers?"
"I'm havin a rough day."
"I asked you a question boy!"
"Maybe."
"Well maybe you should take you and your friends and get outta my diner."
"It's rainin outside."
"Den get wet" Rusty growled. "Go make a fuss in some other diner, not mine."
"I'm in da middle of a very important discussion heah."
"I said GET OUT!" Rusty barked, grabbing Spot by the collar and dragging him out of the booth. "Do I gotta make you boy?"
"I'm goin!" Spot snapped back. "Jus let go of me shoit" Rust released him, and with a glare, Spot snatched his soggy hat and stormed out of the diner, followed quickly by Twitch and Smoke. The rain had calmed down to a mild downpour, not nearly has heavy as before, but the boys were already wet so it didn't make much of a difference. "Shit!" Spot said, turning and punching the brick wall of the diner with his bare fist. "What'ah we gonna do?" he asked, turning to Twitch and Smoke.
"I dunno" Smoke said and Twitch shrugged.
"Coise ya don't. Dat's why I'm da leadah of da Brooklyn newsies" he shook his head, trying to clear away all the irrelevant thoughts, especially those about Aurora, which were flooding his mind. "Alright. I'm gonna go ta Manhattan, see Jack, and inform him of the situation. I gotta talk ta him, cause we helped him durin da strike, so he's gotta help us now. I need you'se two ta round up all of da Brooklyn newsies. And I mean all of dem. From every cornah of da city. From every lodgin house and weahhouse and weahevah. I need dem all. Bring em to da weahhouse and tell dem what's goin on."
"I don think dey'll take is so well" Smoke said sheepishly.
"Well...make em! You'se two can handle it. I'm countin on you'se. We'ah gonna need every newsie we can get!"
"Isn't it jus Fist's gang and Donovan's gang?" Twitch asked, noticing the hassled and worried look on Spot's face. "Why do we need all da help?"
"Do ya think they'ah stupid? Dey know we won't go easily. They'ah gonna get all da help dey can get. And so will we. So ya get everyone and ya tell em. Make shoah ya tell em dat I said no one can talk wit Blade, Axe, Ice, or Plunk. Shit, I wish I had let Aurora tell me which newsies weah membah's of Black Fist. Nah, she probably woulda lied ta me. I can't believe I evah trusted dat bitch! Alright, be caeahful wit what you'se say. Dey've probably got spies all ovah. We've already let dem get inta ouah ranks once, we can't let it happen again" Spot turned to leave, and turned back around. "Oh, make shoah ya call of da search foah Aurora. She's da most dangerous of dem all. No on can talk ta her if dey see her. Anyone who does...we'll have ta do somethin wit, I can't think of anythin right now. Oh shit" Spot punched the wall again. "I gotta go see Jack. I'll be back tanight, probably wit Manhattan. No one is ta leave da weahhouse aftah ya gathah dem all. NO ONE, undahstand?" Twitch and Smoke nodded their heads. "Ok. I'm goin. Get ta woik, move as fast as ya can. Get help from da boys back at da weahhouse if ya need it. Don be too obvious, we don want dem knowing what we'ah doin. Go now, dis is urgent!" Pulling his hat onto his wet hair, an incredibly stressed Spot disappeared into the rain, and after spit shaking for good luck, Twitch and Smoke ran off in opposite directions on their own missions. This was, after all they realized, war.
CHATPER SIX: WAR!
Spot paced across his room nervously. What had he done to scare Aurora away? What had he said? Why did she listen to him when he told her to leave? It had been five days since Aurora had disappeared and of course he still couldn't get her out of his mind. That morning, he had sent some of his newsies out, searching for her. Finally, he had found someone worth while, and she had disappeared on him. Sure, he was a ladies man, but here was a lady who he couldn't just seduce into liking him, because he liked her too much for that. Perhaps all that luck he had possessed all these years was running dry. A knock on the door interrupted hi thought and he stopped dead in his tracks, hoping it to be one of his newsies, with some good news.
"Come in" he said briskly. The door swung open, and in walked a red-eyed, teary Jazz.
"You'se weah right Spot! It wasn't meant ta be. So theah I was, comin back ta da LH, and I see Race and dis red head, sittin on da steps talkin and laughin. And I asks him who she is and he introduces me ta her as his friend. Not his goil, his friend! Dat was me foist sign. Den, I didn't see him da next day cause he was out wit dis Cheers goil. Dat night, he comes back and tells me dat I'm a wonderful goil, but not foah him!" Jazz broke down into tears. "I can't believe I evah liked dat asshole!" Spot shook his head knowingly, and gave Jazz a comforting hug.
"Don worry about him" he said in a soothing manner. "Theah'll be othahs" Jazz, biting her lip, nodded her head and left the room. Spot laughed to himself, as he closed the door behind her, at how foolish Jazz had been. Then a thought crossed his mind. Perhaps he had been that foolish also. Jumping to conclusions. He half regretted sending newsies out to search for her, but brushed the thought aside. If she didn't want to come back, she wouldn't have to. He wouldn't make her. But Spot couldn't think of any reason why she wouldn't want to come back. He hadn't done anything terribly offensive, had he? No, she probably just needed some time to herself, time to think. That was all it was. She needed time. Spot smacked himself on the head. Who was he kidding? He couldn't wait, he couldn't just let her get away. What would happen to his reputation? With that last thought, Spot pushed open his door and exited the warehouse. If you wanted something done, you had to do it yourself. And Spot had to find Aurora. So who better to ask then Fist?
Spot was soaked in five seconds after he left the warehouse. The sunny weather they had had in the past few days had turned stormy, and it had been raining since the morning. Spot was lucky enough to walk out in the middle of a torrential downpour. Rain, however, couldn't stop him now. He was a newsie on a mission.
"SPOT!" a voice called out faintly through the downpour. He turned his head to see two of his newsies making their way toward him, hands on their hats to prevent them from flying away.
"WHAT?" he called back loudly to be heard over the din of the rain.
"WE HAVE NEWS!" the taller of the two shouted. He blinked his eyes and his head twitched as he said this. The other motioned towards a little diner on the side on the street where they could talk. The three soaking newsies stepped inside, receiving disapproving looks from the few customers dining. They slid into a booth, removed their wet hats, and Spot stared at the boys sitting across from him, waiting, and hoping it was good news.
"Well, we've got good, bad, and woise news" spoke the shorter one. His jet black hair was plastered to his head and his gray eyes flitted about in nervousness.
"Yes Smoke?" Spot prompted.
"Well, da bad news is..." Smoke looked at the other newsie for support, and receiving none, carried on carefully. "Well, Twitch and I inquired some people and we loined dat...Donovan and Fist have joined togethah and dat dey want Brooklyn."
"WHAT?!?" Spot exclaimed loudly.
"Shhhh" the man in the booth behind them hissed.
"What?!?" Spot repeated a bit more quietly.
"Yeah" Twitch verified. "We didn't believe it eithah when we foist hoid it. But den we verified it wit people we trust. Or did until we loined it."
"Who?"
"Axe and Blade."
"Why would dey know?"
"Cause..." Smoke diverted his eyes to the table top. "Dey'ah membahs of Black Fist. So ah Ice and Plunk. And dey'ah not coming back. Dey weah told ta pick one side or da othah."
"And dey picked Fist's" Spot said softly, though his voice was cold and filled with anger.
"Sorry Spot."
"What's da good news?" Spot asked with a sigh. This changed everything.
"Well, we found Aurora..." Twitch started.
"And..." Spot prompted, feeling a little bit more optimistic. Aurora could help, she knew fist and she knew the way he worked. If she hadn't been with him for seven months, if she hadn't been associating with him for that period of time, perhaps she might not feel so attached to him anymore. Maybe he could persuade her to join his side, to help.
"Well, dis is da woise news."
"I thought dat da bad news was pretty bad."
"It was...but dis makes it woise."
"What?" Spot asked anxiously. Had something happened to Aurora. Was Fist blaming him? Was she alright? Thoughts raced through Spot's mind as he tried to figure out what could be so bad. On the other side of the table, through glances, Smoke and Twitch were trying to decide who would break the news to Spot.
"Ya see..." Smoke started, having been designated the bearer of bad news. "We found Aurora...but she's wit Donovan."
"She's wit Donovan?" Spot repeated. "What has he done ta her? Did he hoit her? Is dat why Fist allied wit him? Ta help Aurora?"
"No Spot" Twitch said slowly. "She's not in trouble. Actually I'm told she's quite happy. Ya see, Aurora's Donovan's goil. Apparently she's been his goil foah a while. She was jus usin you'se ta find out how ta beat you'se, to find out yoah weakness'. She was a spy Spot. She's in on it too."
"FUCK!" Spot exclaimed loudly, banging his hands on the table in rage.
"Excuse me" the man behind him said, getting up out of his booth and standing in front of their table. He tugged the jacket of his brown tweed suit down, his green eyes filled with annoyance, and his brown hair was slicked back. "But my wife and I are trying to enjoy a peaceful lunch and you're disturbing us. We don't appreciate that type of language either young man. So I'll ask you kindly to leave now before I go to the manager to have him deal with it."
"Excuse me" Spot repeated in a mocking manner. "But I'm havin a rough day. Ya see, my language is gonna be da least of yoah worries soon."
"Don't smart mouth me kid" he shot back.
"Don't staht wit me" Spot said fiercely, standing up.
"I think it's time that you and your friends leave."
"I think not."
"Do you treat your parents like that boy?"
"I don have any parents."
"Excuse me" the man said, turning to the large man with short, wavy black hair, a pair of black slacks, and a white short sleeved shirt with an apron over it walking by. "Are you the manager?"
"Yes sir, I am" he replied. "Can I help you?"
"Yes. This boy and his friends are disturbing me and my wife. I've asked him kindly to leave but he's being quite rude, and keeps refusing."
"I'll handle it" the large man turned to Spot, and upon seeing him, his brow creased with anger. "Well, well. If it isn't Spot Conlon."
"Hello theah Rusty" Spot replied with a smirk.
"You bothering my customers?"
"I'm havin a rough day."
"I asked you a question boy!"
"Maybe."
"Well maybe you should take you and your friends and get outta my diner."
"It's rainin outside."
"Den get wet" Rusty growled. "Go make a fuss in some other diner, not mine."
"I'm in da middle of a very important discussion heah."
"I said GET OUT!" Rusty barked, grabbing Spot by the collar and dragging him out of the booth. "Do I gotta make you boy?"
"I'm goin!" Spot snapped back. "Jus let go of me shoit" Rust released him, and with a glare, Spot snatched his soggy hat and stormed out of the diner, followed quickly by Twitch and Smoke. The rain had calmed down to a mild downpour, not nearly has heavy as before, but the boys were already wet so it didn't make much of a difference. "Shit!" Spot said, turning and punching the brick wall of the diner with his bare fist. "What'ah we gonna do?" he asked, turning to Twitch and Smoke.
"I dunno" Smoke said and Twitch shrugged.
"Coise ya don't. Dat's why I'm da leadah of da Brooklyn newsies" he shook his head, trying to clear away all the irrelevant thoughts, especially those about Aurora, which were flooding his mind. "Alright. I'm gonna go ta Manhattan, see Jack, and inform him of the situation. I gotta talk ta him, cause we helped him durin da strike, so he's gotta help us now. I need you'se two ta round up all of da Brooklyn newsies. And I mean all of dem. From every cornah of da city. From every lodgin house and weahhouse and weahevah. I need dem all. Bring em to da weahhouse and tell dem what's goin on."
"I don think dey'll take is so well" Smoke said sheepishly.
"Well...make em! You'se two can handle it. I'm countin on you'se. We'ah gonna need every newsie we can get!"
"Isn't it jus Fist's gang and Donovan's gang?" Twitch asked, noticing the hassled and worried look on Spot's face. "Why do we need all da help?"
"Do ya think they'ah stupid? Dey know we won't go easily. They'ah gonna get all da help dey can get. And so will we. So ya get everyone and ya tell em. Make shoah ya tell em dat I said no one can talk wit Blade, Axe, Ice, or Plunk. Shit, I wish I had let Aurora tell me which newsies weah membah's of Black Fist. Nah, she probably woulda lied ta me. I can't believe I evah trusted dat bitch! Alright, be caeahful wit what you'se say. Dey've probably got spies all ovah. We've already let dem get inta ouah ranks once, we can't let it happen again" Spot turned to leave, and turned back around. "Oh, make shoah ya call of da search foah Aurora. She's da most dangerous of dem all. No on can talk ta her if dey see her. Anyone who does...we'll have ta do somethin wit, I can't think of anythin right now. Oh shit" Spot punched the wall again. "I gotta go see Jack. I'll be back tanight, probably wit Manhattan. No one is ta leave da weahhouse aftah ya gathah dem all. NO ONE, undahstand?" Twitch and Smoke nodded their heads. "Ok. I'm goin. Get ta woik, move as fast as ya can. Get help from da boys back at da weahhouse if ya need it. Don be too obvious, we don want dem knowing what we'ah doin. Go now, dis is urgent!" Pulling his hat onto his wet hair, an incredibly stressed Spot disappeared into the rain, and after spit shaking for good luck, Twitch and Smoke ran off in opposite directions on their own missions. This was, after all they realized, war.