Chapter Eight: The People Are Divided
It had been nearly a week until the anger of the newsies had subsided. It was almost as bad as the newsies vs. the scabs during the strike. There had been riots after Spot made his speech and turned the majority of them against David. Many of David's supporters were given soakings on a daily basis until they eventually gave up the cause and held up their hands in defeat. Some of the truly infuriated boys quit selling for days out of pure resentment. They stomped around the streets and grunted at any fellow newsie in their way, be it friend or foe. Boys stole food and other items imaginable more frequently and daringly. They refused to sleep at the lodging house with everyone else. They fought with each other. They hated one another. All because Spot had them convinced that David and any of his allies deserved the worst.
Flip made his way home during the evening on one not-so-pleasant night and quickly paced through the streets toward the lodging house. He was a small boy of eleven years with both low intelligence and street smarts and was what some would call bumbling and clumsy. He was one of the few boys that had yet to publicly announce which side he was on; he was never really all that fond of Jack and he thought David did a fine job with his speech. Even so, he had seen what happened to the David supporters and he certainly did not like it. Those who had taken Brooklyn's side were fierce and vicious against their opponents and stopped at nothing to bring them down. He had survived this long through the riots and only hoped to make it home one more night alive.
Flip's thin legs hastened as he passed the shops and alleys on the way home. The tone of Manhattan was once again dark and suspicious; much like it was during the strike. You never knew when someone would pop out of nowhere and attack you, and you never knew which leader they sided with. It was survival of the fittest and all fended for themselves. The most logical thing to do was to move out of Manhattan; but Flip had nowhere to go. He couldn't be a newsie anywhere else in New York and escape discussion of Jack or Spot or David.
"Hey kid," called a low voice from the darkened alleyway in a hissing tone. "Ovah heah…"
Flip stopped in his tracks and turned his head nervously to the side of him. In front of him lay blackness and the glare of the moonlight in the black puddles. A rat scurried out of the alley and across Flip's feet, causing him to jump back. He told himself to run, run fast, and get home safely. But even so, was home to him at the lodging house even safe? The owner of the voice stepped into the light a bit more with the addition of two equally bigger and stronger boys.
"I hear you'se been heard talkin' 'bout Spot," the bully said.
"No, I swear!" Flip answered hastily in his fear. A bead of sweat trickled from the back of his neck, past the collar of his shirt, and down to his back.
"Swear what?" another asked, beginning to walk about Flip.
Flip's eyes shifted from each boy to the other quickly as his heartbeat quickened and he searched for an answer for this boy. He had never been more scared in the last few days including this moment, than he had been in all of his life on the streets. For a second he swore he knew who these newsies were, but even if he did recognize them, it would make no difference; nobody knew who they were anymore. "Huh?" Flip asked weakly.
A strong arm placed itself around Flip's shoulders while its owner spoke to him. "Flip, Flip, Flip," he said in a patronizing tone, "all ya gotta do is tell us who ya're sidin' with. That's all, kid. Just a simple answer."
Just a simple answer, thought Flip. Spot or David. Simple answer. From the looks of it and from what he could recall in his past memory, they were David supporters. He could have sworn they were from Manhattan and that they were still loyal to David. He had a hunch. So he went with it.
"Well?" one asked, standing right before his face with a questioning, demanding gaze.
"David," Flip squeaked. "I-I'm sidin' with David…"
The boys looked at one another while exchanging the same looks. The same arm that was draped over Flip's small shoulders strengthened while they began walking into the alley. Flip's feet fought to keep back and he struggled with all his might to keep from entering the alley. Alleys were bad news from his experience.
"We'se just wantin' to talk to ya, Flip! Really! C'mon, just a lil' chat ovah by that wall there…"
"I gotta get home!" Flip resisted. "Lemme go!" He broke free from their hold and stumbled to the ground. A round of snickers came from the thugs while Flip stood before the three towering boys with shaking hands and wobbling knees. Wanting more than ever to get out, he kicked one boy in the knee and threw a weak punch to another's face. The snickers increased while one picked up Flip like a sack of potatoes and whirled around the alley, all the while Flip kicking and punching and yelling the entire time.
"Put me down, ya big jerks!" Flip screamed. "I ain't done nothin' wrong, let me go!"
"Nothin' wrong?" the one who held Flip said and stopped. "Ya ain't done nothin' wrong but support that low, scum, piece 'a shit trash David and his friends! Do ya even remember Jack Kelly?"
"I remember Jack Kelly but—"
"Don't you'se even mention 'is name, ya no-good, dirty rat!" another insulted. He pulled Flip from the other's arms and threw him to the ground. "Remember Jack Kelly, Flip."
The last thing Flip ever saw were brass-knuckled fists colliding with his face. He blacked out and felt the pain of his innocent opinion of this riot.
Buttons:I was rather proud myself for remembering the whole saving Crutchy attempt! Usually when I write a fic I completely forget anything that happens in the movie and just focus on this plotline. I like David too, -tear- and I hope people like how I've interpreted him in this story, since I sorta like him in this. I've never really focused on David in a fic, this is weird haha. 8-hour bus ride to a ski trip with friends—sounds all too familiar! lol I've gone on tons of trips with my friends for my school and all that time together always results in weirdness hehe. But good times though, right!
BrunetteHaha! There's just something about the bad guys in every story or movie that is attracting! You can't help it either. It's like "God, I hate him…but I want in his pants, like now!" Oh jeeze…its torture lol. Yes, I definitely agree with you that the longer you spend on something the better it turns out. Hopefully it shows through this story, because it takes me a long time to write chapters. I was looking through a bunch of my old stuff a little while ago and it was easy to pick out the chapters in which I was tired or lazy lol. And thank you! I'm hoping people will like David in this; his character has to be sympathized with a lot since he's the tragic hero. I just hope everything likes it.
A/N: Flip is back, but not as Artemidorus. That's it lol. So sorry for the forever update.