A/N: I don't own Newsies (darn) nor do I own the character Striker she's
owned by herself, but I do own other new faces that aren't shown in the
movie.
Shout outs: NadaZimri~ HAHA, I'm glad that you like the quote! More action should be popping out of the oven soon, don't worry.
Skyline*Blade~ I updated! I'm glad you like this story! Oh nad don't worry Spot will be appearing very, very, VERY soon.
Chapter 4:
When I got home I was faced with three hungry, furious faces.
Oh shit, here we go.
"Where have ya been! Oh, wait don't answer dat, we already know. We're in here starvin' an' your out doin' who knows what wit dem boys! Ya should have been in here fixin' our dinnah! Now get in dat damn kitchen an' fix us some food!" Oscar yelled just a few inches away from my face.
"No! I'm sick of this. All of this. Make dah dinnah. Clean dah apartment. Wash ya damn clothes. What am I? Some sort of maid? I do everythin' 'round here!" I yelled back.
I ran to my room then slammed the door. Trying to block the noise from outside, I flopped on my bed and tried to fall asleep. It wasn't even five minutes later, when I heard a knock on my door. I lazily got up to open it. It was Oscar. I opened up the door farther and got a surprised blow in the jaw.
"What was dat foah?" I noticed a silent Morris behind Oscar, before Oscar replied "Foah talkin' back tah me!"
Both boys walked into my room and shut the door behind them. I reached my hand up to my jaw to feel if it was broken. Luckily, it wasn't, but I could feel a whopper of a bruise coming along and my lip was split open. Morris came up to me and embraced me in a hug.
Okay, this is weird.
Oscar just gave me what is going to be a 'shinah' in the morning and then Morris comes up and hugs me. Maybe he isn't as bad of a guy as I thought he was. I casually slipped out of his hold still feeling a little odd about what had just happened. Oscar just stared at our actions. He then said with and apologetic look in his eyes "Look, I'se sorry. I didn't mean tah give ya dat. I don't know, I'se guess dat I'se was just hungry, dat's all."
Was that an apology coming from the mouth of Oscar Delancey? Whoa! That's a definite breathe taker. "Yeah. Well you don't need me tah make ya dinnah foah ya all dah time. Ya could have gone out tah eat out instead." I went to go and sit on my bed hoping that they would leave me be for a little while. Surprisingly it worked and they left without another word.
What am I going to do? I have to get out of here for good. I guess I could go and stay with the newsies. I hope Jack doesn't mind. My decision made, I hopped off of my bed and started to pack as little as possible. I searched through drawers just to come upon a picture of my now dead parents. My eyes started to water in remembering these beloved people. Everything was so different when they were here. I didn't have to be Oscar's punching bag. We actually had civil conversations.
I put the picture in my bag and wiped away the tears that were now cascading down my cheeks. I then gathered a few articles of clothing and stuffed them in the bag. I put my ear up to the door listening as hard as I could for anyone out there and the coast was clear. So I slipped out through the window, down the fire escape and out on the darkened streets of Manhattan. As I was on my way to the Lodging House I could have sworn I heard footsteps. It must have been my imagination because when I turned around to see who it was there was no one there except for a black cat.
When I finally reached the front door of the Lodging House, I paused before knocking. I listened intently to the various shouts of newsies. Many were mad because of losing poker games and such and others because of the joyous scene around them. I eventually got the nerve to knock on the door as hard as I could. The one who opened the door was Skittery. "Oh, hey. Misfit. Whatcha doin' here an' why are ya cryin'?" Every head turned in my direction. Jack stood up and walked over to me.
"Can I'se talk wit ya foah a minute?" I said in a hushed voice.
"'Coise. Why don't we go upstairs where it's more private." He motioned for the stairs and I followed. I heard Skittery shut the front door behind us and all of the newsies started to go back to what they were doing before. Jack led me to an empty bunkroom where I saw that most of the beds were unmade, and clothes strewn about the floor and under beds. Jack sat down on a bunk and I sat directly across from him. I set down my bag that was still clutched tightly in my hand on the floor. I suddenly became interested in my hands that were laying in my lap.
Jack broke the silence. "Is everythin' all right? Race told me dat you were stayin' at your uncle's house and wouldn't be comin' tahnight." He said this in a concerned voice.
"Well dat was da plan."
"Den what happened?" I tried to think of something as quickly as possible. I stared at Jack's stern face and tears began to form in my eyes.
"Okay. Well when I got home, I saw people takin' furniture and personal belongin's out of me apartment. I went inside tah see what was goin' on only tah see more people. One man came up tah me an' asked if I'se was Kiara Miller. I answered a yes. He asked me a few questions. I still wasn't quite sure what was goin' on so I'se asked him straight out an' he he said dat," I paused for a moment and formed a few more tears in my eyes. "dat me uncle had..had passed away a few hours ago. So I'se packed up a few things an' ran. An' here I am now."
I brushed the tears away from my eyes not wanting them there any more but for some strange reason real tears came flowing out. Why was I crying for real? Jack then came over on the bunk that I was sitting on and embraced me in a tight, brotherly hug. I just hugged back and kept on silently crying. He then broke away and said to me "Ya are always welcome here if ya like. We have an extra bottom bunk ovah in dah cornah by dah window." I nodded a thanks and went over to my new bunk.
Jack left without another word. I sighed and then put my bag under my new bunk. Then I cleaned my lip to stop the light bleeding. Realizing that all of the excitement was downstairs I decided to go down and join them. When I got down there I noticed some boys and girls that weren't in Tibby's earlier that day.
The smell of smoke filled my lungs as I went deeper into the mess of boys and the few girls that were scattered across the room. Immediately I saw Race playing poker with Blink, Jack, Mush, and a boy that I haven't seen before at a table in the center of the room. Candle was gossiping with four other girls that I haven't met before. Mush noticed my presence and motioned me over. I weaved me way through various newsies to the table where Mush was.
Mush stood from where he was sitting. "Can everyone be quiet foah a couple o' minutes!?!" He didn't succeed in what he was trying to do. Then out of no where the boy that was playing poker with him yelled "Everyone shuddup! Mush here has somethin' tah say!" Suprisingly everyone went completely silent and looked over at Mush and I.
"Okay, well dis here is Misfit foah everyone who didn't know. Misfit this is," he started to point as he said the names " Slice, Knuckles, Culprit, Tinder..." I couldn't remember the rest of them until he got to Candle. "Candle, I see ya already met her, Pocket, Bailey, Vines, and Trinket. The goils go back an' forth between 'hattan an' Brooklyn cause of dere boyfriends. Bailey is wit Jack, Trinket is wit Skittery, Vines is wit Bumlets an' Candle is wit Blink," I nodded a hello to everyone "an' last but not least Spot Conlon, leadah of dah Brooklyn newsies."
Spot stood up. To my surprise he was rather short, only about an inch or two taller then me. He had dirty blonde hair which came down to the ends of his ears. Spot also had intense bluish-gray eyes that could easily intimidate any human form. I guess that's how he got the role of being the leader of the Brooklyn newsies. He also had a black, gold tipped cane in his belt loop. "Dah names, Spot." He said with a cocky grin. He held out his hand for me to shake. I placed my hand in his, but he didn't shake it, instead he lightly kissed it.
"Me names, Misfit." I replied back, taking my hand out of his grasp. He looked surprised at my gesture because he quickly asked "Ya play pokah?"
"Yeah, o' course! You'se guys have any room foah me?" I replied.
"Well sure we'se have room foah ya!" Jack stated. I sat down in between Mush and Jack and was dealt my hand of cards by Race. By the time he was finished dealing I held a king of spades, a ten of spades, eight of hearts, jack of spades, and an ace of spades. Perfect, now all I have to do is get that queen of spades. Everyone that was playing at the table traded in at least one card of their own. I traded in my eight of hearts and my luck just seems to get better because I picked up and a queen of spades!
"Okay, so what you'se fellas got?" Race spoke up, cigar in his mouth, when everyone was finished getting the cards they wanted. Mush, Jack, and Blink folded. Which left Spot, Race and I. We all bet a little more and we got up to three dollars and sixty-five cents. "Geez, what do ya guys have that's so good?" asked Race, "I'se out." Race folds and it's down to me and Spot.
"I'se spare you'se two cents an' raise ya a nickel." Spot said staring me straight in the eye as I stared back.
"I'se spare you'se a nickel an' raise ya foah pennies." (4 not for)
"I'se spare you'se foah pennies an' raise ya three pennies."
"I'se spare you'se three pennies an' does any one have a dime?"
Mush pulled out a dime from his pant pocket and tossed it in the pot. By now half of the Lodging house was watching the game. Eyes were watching us duel it out. "A dime, ya shoah?" Spot asked in shock. "Yeah, I'se shoah. So have ya had 'nough yet?" I asked getting a bit bored.
"No. I'se spare you'se dime an' raise ya six cents."
"I'se spare you'se six cents an' raise ya a nickel."
"You'se good, goil." Spot said out of the blue.
"What?...What's dat suppose tah mean?...Are ya givin' up?"
"No. I'se don't 'give up'. I'se just gonna run outta money tah bet if I'se keep on goin'."
"Mmm hmm. Shoah Spot, whatevah ya say," I responded.
" So wat do ya have?" He laid down his cards which showed a straight of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 in hearts.
"Beat dat." He said smirking and leaning back in his chair.
"Gladly." He sat up straight and eyed me suspiciously. I laid down my royal flush and all eyes about popped out of their sockets, even Spot's.
"How di..I mean what di..you little sneak! You'se cheated! It's almost impossible tah get dat!"
"The key word dere, Spot, is almost. Anyways, I'se don't need ya money. You'se can keep it." I started to get up from where I was sitting when Race asked "where ya goin'? ya only played one round." "That's okay. I'se tink dat I'm gonna get some sleep. See ya in dah mornin' guys." I then ascended up the stairs to the bunkroom. Instead of actually falling asleep, I looked at the clock which read 10:17 and decided to sit up on the rooftop to get some fresh air. When I got there I went over to the ledge and looked up at the starry sky.
'Ma an' Pa I miss you so much. I don't know what to do anymore...Was it a good thing that I came here, to the Lodging House?'
"Hey." I about jumped twenty feet in the air when I heard the surprise greeting. I turned around to see the king of Brooklyn himself.
"Hey." I answered back. He started towards me with a confident strut to his walk.
"Ya left dese on dah table," Spot held out his hand so that I could take back my money. "An' how didja learn tah play pokah like dat?"
I took the money from his hand and stuffed it in my pocket. "Thanks. If I'se told ya den I'd have tah kill ya." He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Oh, really. Kill me, huh? How are ya gonna kill me if you'se were gonna go tah sleep?"
"Yeah, well, dah sleeping killer came outside foah some fresh air." I looked back up at the sky and in the corner of my eye I saw Spot do the same. He had a lit cigarette hanging from his lips. There was a few moments of just gazing at the sky, in silence. "Shouldn't ya be headin' back tah Brooklyn by now?"
He looked down at me as I still starred at the sky. "I'se gonna stay in Manhattan foah a while, while some problems pass by."
Now I looked up at him and said "Well, you'se can stay up all night if ya want, but I'se gonna go an' get some sleep. G'night."
"Night. An' I'se think dat I'se gonna get some shut eye, too." Both of us headed down the fire escape and in through the bunkroom window. Everyone was asleep so I tried to be as quiet as possible. I took off my shoes and went to bed with my clothes on. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was a fast asleep.
Shout outs: NadaZimri~ HAHA, I'm glad that you like the quote! More action should be popping out of the oven soon, don't worry.
Skyline*Blade~ I updated! I'm glad you like this story! Oh nad don't worry Spot will be appearing very, very, VERY soon.
Chapter 4:
When I got home I was faced with three hungry, furious faces.
Oh shit, here we go.
"Where have ya been! Oh, wait don't answer dat, we already know. We're in here starvin' an' your out doin' who knows what wit dem boys! Ya should have been in here fixin' our dinnah! Now get in dat damn kitchen an' fix us some food!" Oscar yelled just a few inches away from my face.
"No! I'm sick of this. All of this. Make dah dinnah. Clean dah apartment. Wash ya damn clothes. What am I? Some sort of maid? I do everythin' 'round here!" I yelled back.
I ran to my room then slammed the door. Trying to block the noise from outside, I flopped on my bed and tried to fall asleep. It wasn't even five minutes later, when I heard a knock on my door. I lazily got up to open it. It was Oscar. I opened up the door farther and got a surprised blow in the jaw.
"What was dat foah?" I noticed a silent Morris behind Oscar, before Oscar replied "Foah talkin' back tah me!"
Both boys walked into my room and shut the door behind them. I reached my hand up to my jaw to feel if it was broken. Luckily, it wasn't, but I could feel a whopper of a bruise coming along and my lip was split open. Morris came up to me and embraced me in a hug.
Okay, this is weird.
Oscar just gave me what is going to be a 'shinah' in the morning and then Morris comes up and hugs me. Maybe he isn't as bad of a guy as I thought he was. I casually slipped out of his hold still feeling a little odd about what had just happened. Oscar just stared at our actions. He then said with and apologetic look in his eyes "Look, I'se sorry. I didn't mean tah give ya dat. I don't know, I'se guess dat I'se was just hungry, dat's all."
Was that an apology coming from the mouth of Oscar Delancey? Whoa! That's a definite breathe taker. "Yeah. Well you don't need me tah make ya dinnah foah ya all dah time. Ya could have gone out tah eat out instead." I went to go and sit on my bed hoping that they would leave me be for a little while. Surprisingly it worked and they left without another word.
What am I going to do? I have to get out of here for good. I guess I could go and stay with the newsies. I hope Jack doesn't mind. My decision made, I hopped off of my bed and started to pack as little as possible. I searched through drawers just to come upon a picture of my now dead parents. My eyes started to water in remembering these beloved people. Everything was so different when they were here. I didn't have to be Oscar's punching bag. We actually had civil conversations.
I put the picture in my bag and wiped away the tears that were now cascading down my cheeks. I then gathered a few articles of clothing and stuffed them in the bag. I put my ear up to the door listening as hard as I could for anyone out there and the coast was clear. So I slipped out through the window, down the fire escape and out on the darkened streets of Manhattan. As I was on my way to the Lodging House I could have sworn I heard footsteps. It must have been my imagination because when I turned around to see who it was there was no one there except for a black cat.
When I finally reached the front door of the Lodging House, I paused before knocking. I listened intently to the various shouts of newsies. Many were mad because of losing poker games and such and others because of the joyous scene around them. I eventually got the nerve to knock on the door as hard as I could. The one who opened the door was Skittery. "Oh, hey. Misfit. Whatcha doin' here an' why are ya cryin'?" Every head turned in my direction. Jack stood up and walked over to me.
"Can I'se talk wit ya foah a minute?" I said in a hushed voice.
"'Coise. Why don't we go upstairs where it's more private." He motioned for the stairs and I followed. I heard Skittery shut the front door behind us and all of the newsies started to go back to what they were doing before. Jack led me to an empty bunkroom where I saw that most of the beds were unmade, and clothes strewn about the floor and under beds. Jack sat down on a bunk and I sat directly across from him. I set down my bag that was still clutched tightly in my hand on the floor. I suddenly became interested in my hands that were laying in my lap.
Jack broke the silence. "Is everythin' all right? Race told me dat you were stayin' at your uncle's house and wouldn't be comin' tahnight." He said this in a concerned voice.
"Well dat was da plan."
"Den what happened?" I tried to think of something as quickly as possible. I stared at Jack's stern face and tears began to form in my eyes.
"Okay. Well when I got home, I saw people takin' furniture and personal belongin's out of me apartment. I went inside tah see what was goin' on only tah see more people. One man came up tah me an' asked if I'se was Kiara Miller. I answered a yes. He asked me a few questions. I still wasn't quite sure what was goin' on so I'se asked him straight out an' he he said dat," I paused for a moment and formed a few more tears in my eyes. "dat me uncle had..had passed away a few hours ago. So I'se packed up a few things an' ran. An' here I am now."
I brushed the tears away from my eyes not wanting them there any more but for some strange reason real tears came flowing out. Why was I crying for real? Jack then came over on the bunk that I was sitting on and embraced me in a tight, brotherly hug. I just hugged back and kept on silently crying. He then broke away and said to me "Ya are always welcome here if ya like. We have an extra bottom bunk ovah in dah cornah by dah window." I nodded a thanks and went over to my new bunk.
Jack left without another word. I sighed and then put my bag under my new bunk. Then I cleaned my lip to stop the light bleeding. Realizing that all of the excitement was downstairs I decided to go down and join them. When I got down there I noticed some boys and girls that weren't in Tibby's earlier that day.
The smell of smoke filled my lungs as I went deeper into the mess of boys and the few girls that were scattered across the room. Immediately I saw Race playing poker with Blink, Jack, Mush, and a boy that I haven't seen before at a table in the center of the room. Candle was gossiping with four other girls that I haven't met before. Mush noticed my presence and motioned me over. I weaved me way through various newsies to the table where Mush was.
Mush stood from where he was sitting. "Can everyone be quiet foah a couple o' minutes!?!" He didn't succeed in what he was trying to do. Then out of no where the boy that was playing poker with him yelled "Everyone shuddup! Mush here has somethin' tah say!" Suprisingly everyone went completely silent and looked over at Mush and I.
"Okay, well dis here is Misfit foah everyone who didn't know. Misfit this is," he started to point as he said the names " Slice, Knuckles, Culprit, Tinder..." I couldn't remember the rest of them until he got to Candle. "Candle, I see ya already met her, Pocket, Bailey, Vines, and Trinket. The goils go back an' forth between 'hattan an' Brooklyn cause of dere boyfriends. Bailey is wit Jack, Trinket is wit Skittery, Vines is wit Bumlets an' Candle is wit Blink," I nodded a hello to everyone "an' last but not least Spot Conlon, leadah of dah Brooklyn newsies."
Spot stood up. To my surprise he was rather short, only about an inch or two taller then me. He had dirty blonde hair which came down to the ends of his ears. Spot also had intense bluish-gray eyes that could easily intimidate any human form. I guess that's how he got the role of being the leader of the Brooklyn newsies. He also had a black, gold tipped cane in his belt loop. "Dah names, Spot." He said with a cocky grin. He held out his hand for me to shake. I placed my hand in his, but he didn't shake it, instead he lightly kissed it.
"Me names, Misfit." I replied back, taking my hand out of his grasp. He looked surprised at my gesture because he quickly asked "Ya play pokah?"
"Yeah, o' course! You'se guys have any room foah me?" I replied.
"Well sure we'se have room foah ya!" Jack stated. I sat down in between Mush and Jack and was dealt my hand of cards by Race. By the time he was finished dealing I held a king of spades, a ten of spades, eight of hearts, jack of spades, and an ace of spades. Perfect, now all I have to do is get that queen of spades. Everyone that was playing at the table traded in at least one card of their own. I traded in my eight of hearts and my luck just seems to get better because I picked up and a queen of spades!
"Okay, so what you'se fellas got?" Race spoke up, cigar in his mouth, when everyone was finished getting the cards they wanted. Mush, Jack, and Blink folded. Which left Spot, Race and I. We all bet a little more and we got up to three dollars and sixty-five cents. "Geez, what do ya guys have that's so good?" asked Race, "I'se out." Race folds and it's down to me and Spot.
"I'se spare you'se two cents an' raise ya a nickel." Spot said staring me straight in the eye as I stared back.
"I'se spare you'se a nickel an' raise ya foah pennies." (4 not for)
"I'se spare you'se foah pennies an' raise ya three pennies."
"I'se spare you'se three pennies an' does any one have a dime?"
Mush pulled out a dime from his pant pocket and tossed it in the pot. By now half of the Lodging house was watching the game. Eyes were watching us duel it out. "A dime, ya shoah?" Spot asked in shock. "Yeah, I'se shoah. So have ya had 'nough yet?" I asked getting a bit bored.
"No. I'se spare you'se dime an' raise ya six cents."
"I'se spare you'se six cents an' raise ya a nickel."
"You'se good, goil." Spot said out of the blue.
"What?...What's dat suppose tah mean?...Are ya givin' up?"
"No. I'se don't 'give up'. I'se just gonna run outta money tah bet if I'se keep on goin'."
"Mmm hmm. Shoah Spot, whatevah ya say," I responded.
" So wat do ya have?" He laid down his cards which showed a straight of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 in hearts.
"Beat dat." He said smirking and leaning back in his chair.
"Gladly." He sat up straight and eyed me suspiciously. I laid down my royal flush and all eyes about popped out of their sockets, even Spot's.
"How di..I mean what di..you little sneak! You'se cheated! It's almost impossible tah get dat!"
"The key word dere, Spot, is almost. Anyways, I'se don't need ya money. You'se can keep it." I started to get up from where I was sitting when Race asked "where ya goin'? ya only played one round." "That's okay. I'se tink dat I'm gonna get some sleep. See ya in dah mornin' guys." I then ascended up the stairs to the bunkroom. Instead of actually falling asleep, I looked at the clock which read 10:17 and decided to sit up on the rooftop to get some fresh air. When I got there I went over to the ledge and looked up at the starry sky.
'Ma an' Pa I miss you so much. I don't know what to do anymore...Was it a good thing that I came here, to the Lodging House?'
"Hey." I about jumped twenty feet in the air when I heard the surprise greeting. I turned around to see the king of Brooklyn himself.
"Hey." I answered back. He started towards me with a confident strut to his walk.
"Ya left dese on dah table," Spot held out his hand so that I could take back my money. "An' how didja learn tah play pokah like dat?"
I took the money from his hand and stuffed it in my pocket. "Thanks. If I'se told ya den I'd have tah kill ya." He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Oh, really. Kill me, huh? How are ya gonna kill me if you'se were gonna go tah sleep?"
"Yeah, well, dah sleeping killer came outside foah some fresh air." I looked back up at the sky and in the corner of my eye I saw Spot do the same. He had a lit cigarette hanging from his lips. There was a few moments of just gazing at the sky, in silence. "Shouldn't ya be headin' back tah Brooklyn by now?"
He looked down at me as I still starred at the sky. "I'se gonna stay in Manhattan foah a while, while some problems pass by."
Now I looked up at him and said "Well, you'se can stay up all night if ya want, but I'se gonna go an' get some sleep. G'night."
"Night. An' I'se think dat I'se gonna get some shut eye, too." Both of us headed down the fire escape and in through the bunkroom window. Everyone was asleep so I tried to be as quiet as possible. I took off my shoes and went to bed with my clothes on. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was a fast asleep.