Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies ^_^
A/N: Keza and Shortie busted my butt to get this up, so here it is.
It sucks, though. Consider this a warning.
---------
After mom comes down with the food, I sneak away from the basement and go outside.
The air seems cleaner than the air in the basement was- no foul smelling medication, no smells from the bed pans or Danny's barf bucket, and a significant lack of the smell that makes me sick- the smell of the muties' sicknesses.
As I glance over the seemingly abandoned paddocks, I remember that the air isn't as clean as it seems. It's deceiving.
Not that I prefer the basement to the outdoors.
As I walk into the stables, I see that my dad has already backed up the flatbed trailer into the stable- and had managed to get what is in no doubt Ghost's body (even though it's covered with a tarp) onto the truck. A couple of our neighbors- including Mr. Bridges and Mr. Guarrani- are standing around the table.
My eyes go wide as I send desperate glances at my dad, who ignores them.
We have nearly a dozen muties in our basement and my father decided it's SOCIAL HOUR?!
"Da-"
"Kevin!" He smiles at me, consolingly. "Why don't you go tell you mother that we have six more mouths to feed for dinner?"
I stare at him wide eyed. Read. My. Mind. Come on! Ah, I give up.
"But what about the-"
Dad cuts me off. "Don't worry. We'll take care of Ghost's body."
"But the-"
"You're right, you should muck out the stalls before dinner."
Parents. Haven't they given me enough shit today?
That works on so many levels.
As the adults begin to leave my dad pauses for a second, and leans closer.
"Say nothing about the basement." He growls. "Don't be stupid, Kevin."
Then, louder, he added. "And you should put Justin into the ring for exercise- it's been too long since you rode him."
Justin's my Morgan. I got him when I was a kid. After I read 'Justin Morgan had a Horse" I had begged my parents for a Morgan. They refused for months then, on my next birthday, they came home from on auction with him.
It's been too long since we were able to go out for a ride. The trails on our property (ones I've been riding sine a kid) aren't safe, not with the level of radiation we have.
I walk down the main aisle, then turn down one of the smaller ones leading off it. Down at the end, a chocolaty-brown head pokes out over the stall door, and whinnies as I cone down the aisle.
"Heya, boy." I grin as I lift the halter over his nose and ears. "How you doing, kid?"
Justin nudges my shoulder as I open the stall door and lead him down the aisles and into the indoor arena.
I let him loose and watch as he kicks up the dirt floor of the arena, stretching his legs and racing along the wall. I smile to myself, shut the door, and head into the house.
I'll muck out the stalls after dinner.
I put on my mask, making sure it's snug, and walk out of the stables and across the gravel driveway to my house.
"Ma?" I call, walking inside.
She's down in the basement.
"MA! Dad's got friends over for dinner!"
My mother's footsteps pound on the stairs and she flings open the door, causing the doorknob to bang into the wall and dent it. I cringe as she runs over to the refrigerator and begins to pull various food items out of it.
"Go downstairs, Kevin. I need you to finish."
"Mom-"
"Now, Kevin!"
I shrug. "Alright, but I request something?"
"Fine, Kevin."
"Please tell me that dinner doesn't involve apricots and week-old chili."
My mom glares at me and shoves said items in the refrigerator, then points to the basement door. "Now, Kevin."
I sigh, stuff my hands in my pocket, and trudge down the stairs.
"I'm tellin' you, Jack, that he-" Anthony spots me, and stops mid-sentence. "Heya, Kevin."
The guy he was talking to- Jack- snickers and looks away.
"Shaddup." I grumble. "My mom sent me down to finish what she was doing. What was she doin'?"
Anthony beamed at me. "Sponge baths."
Everyone laughed as I said "You're fucking me."
"Not yet, but I-"
"SWIIIIIIIIIFTYYYYYY!" A voice trails down the stairs.
Oh, crap.
Not her.
------- Woo. Now I get to add in the Nicknames after they tease Swifty a little about being, well, Swifty.
Short Shout-outs:
Pyromaniacal Llama: Confused? That fun. It's still supposed to me a 'little' confusing. I promise it'll straighten up. Er, I hope.
Harley: 4 a.m. rules. Unless that's when you have to wake up. Then it sucks. Woo! Wench! *dances*
Demon: I love Anthony/Race. He rules *luffles Race* He's so much FUN! *dances some more*
Sita-Su: I LOVE YOU! Wow, that rhymes. Lok at me I'm special! I fixed the Jason thing. I love calling Skittery Jason Yazbek. It amuses me. It's so much FUN to say!
Yoko-chan: That's where I got that from (or at least, along the lines of). I like threatening my brother. It's mucho fun ^_^
Shortie: *glomps Shortie* YAY! Shortie! Wow, I didn't think the summery was that great. And Katie's somewhat annoying but wait until- er, nevermind. Anyway, I need her ^_^. Even though she's mean and she- er. Uh. Dances?
KEZA!: *tackle glomps back* I luffles you! Of course Sean's Pie, and I'm not gonna kill him (LB stories! NOOO!). At least.not yet. Depends on my muses. And if I have the heart to do it (which I doubt) But if he does, it won't be until the end.
AH I CAN'T DO IT ANYWAY!
A/N: Keza and Shortie busted my butt to get this up, so here it is.
It sucks, though. Consider this a warning.
---------
After mom comes down with the food, I sneak away from the basement and go outside.
The air seems cleaner than the air in the basement was- no foul smelling medication, no smells from the bed pans or Danny's barf bucket, and a significant lack of the smell that makes me sick- the smell of the muties' sicknesses.
As I glance over the seemingly abandoned paddocks, I remember that the air isn't as clean as it seems. It's deceiving.
Not that I prefer the basement to the outdoors.
As I walk into the stables, I see that my dad has already backed up the flatbed trailer into the stable- and had managed to get what is in no doubt Ghost's body (even though it's covered with a tarp) onto the truck. A couple of our neighbors- including Mr. Bridges and Mr. Guarrani- are standing around the table.
My eyes go wide as I send desperate glances at my dad, who ignores them.
We have nearly a dozen muties in our basement and my father decided it's SOCIAL HOUR?!
"Da-"
"Kevin!" He smiles at me, consolingly. "Why don't you go tell you mother that we have six more mouths to feed for dinner?"
I stare at him wide eyed. Read. My. Mind. Come on! Ah, I give up.
"But what about the-"
Dad cuts me off. "Don't worry. We'll take care of Ghost's body."
"But the-"
"You're right, you should muck out the stalls before dinner."
Parents. Haven't they given me enough shit today?
That works on so many levels.
As the adults begin to leave my dad pauses for a second, and leans closer.
"Say nothing about the basement." He growls. "Don't be stupid, Kevin."
Then, louder, he added. "And you should put Justin into the ring for exercise- it's been too long since you rode him."
Justin's my Morgan. I got him when I was a kid. After I read 'Justin Morgan had a Horse" I had begged my parents for a Morgan. They refused for months then, on my next birthday, they came home from on auction with him.
It's been too long since we were able to go out for a ride. The trails on our property (ones I've been riding sine a kid) aren't safe, not with the level of radiation we have.
I walk down the main aisle, then turn down one of the smaller ones leading off it. Down at the end, a chocolaty-brown head pokes out over the stall door, and whinnies as I cone down the aisle.
"Heya, boy." I grin as I lift the halter over his nose and ears. "How you doing, kid?"
Justin nudges my shoulder as I open the stall door and lead him down the aisles and into the indoor arena.
I let him loose and watch as he kicks up the dirt floor of the arena, stretching his legs and racing along the wall. I smile to myself, shut the door, and head into the house.
I'll muck out the stalls after dinner.
I put on my mask, making sure it's snug, and walk out of the stables and across the gravel driveway to my house.
"Ma?" I call, walking inside.
She's down in the basement.
"MA! Dad's got friends over for dinner!"
My mother's footsteps pound on the stairs and she flings open the door, causing the doorknob to bang into the wall and dent it. I cringe as she runs over to the refrigerator and begins to pull various food items out of it.
"Go downstairs, Kevin. I need you to finish."
"Mom-"
"Now, Kevin!"
I shrug. "Alright, but I request something?"
"Fine, Kevin."
"Please tell me that dinner doesn't involve apricots and week-old chili."
My mom glares at me and shoves said items in the refrigerator, then points to the basement door. "Now, Kevin."
I sigh, stuff my hands in my pocket, and trudge down the stairs.
"I'm tellin' you, Jack, that he-" Anthony spots me, and stops mid-sentence. "Heya, Kevin."
The guy he was talking to- Jack- snickers and looks away.
"Shaddup." I grumble. "My mom sent me down to finish what she was doing. What was she doin'?"
Anthony beamed at me. "Sponge baths."
Everyone laughed as I said "You're fucking me."
"Not yet, but I-"
"SWIIIIIIIIIFTYYYYYY!" A voice trails down the stairs.
Oh, crap.
Not her.
------- Woo. Now I get to add in the Nicknames after they tease Swifty a little about being, well, Swifty.
Short Shout-outs:
Pyromaniacal Llama: Confused? That fun. It's still supposed to me a 'little' confusing. I promise it'll straighten up. Er, I hope.
Harley: 4 a.m. rules. Unless that's when you have to wake up. Then it sucks. Woo! Wench! *dances*
Demon: I love Anthony/Race. He rules *luffles Race* He's so much FUN! *dances some more*
Sita-Su: I LOVE YOU! Wow, that rhymes. Lok at me I'm special! I fixed the Jason thing. I love calling Skittery Jason Yazbek. It amuses me. It's so much FUN to say!
Yoko-chan: That's where I got that from (or at least, along the lines of). I like threatening my brother. It's mucho fun ^_^
Shortie: *glomps Shortie* YAY! Shortie! Wow, I didn't think the summery was that great. And Katie's somewhat annoying but wait until- er, nevermind. Anyway, I need her ^_^. Even though she's mean and she- er. Uh. Dances?
KEZA!: *tackle glomps back* I luffles you! Of course Sean's Pie, and I'm not gonna kill him (LB stories! NOOO!). At least.not yet. Depends on my muses. And if I have the heart to do it (which I doubt) But if he does, it won't be until the end.
AH I CAN'T DO IT ANYWAY!