Chapter 18
While all of that was happening at David's house, Delilah snuck out early the next morning, before the others were awake. She needed some time to herself to think. She had two very different pieces of advice in her head. The words from Heather were to hear what Spot had to say, and Daisy had said to freeze him out. She understood where both of them were coming from, and both sounded like good options. She was very confused.
Right now, she was walking aimlessly on the near empty streets, not paying attention to where she was going. She was so deep in thought that, at one point, she slammed right into someone and she fell back.
"Hey, who do you think-" She stopped when she looked up and saw that the person she had walked into was Spot. Suddenly, Daisy's advice of freezing him sounded like the right plan. She stood right up and turned on her heel to walk away.
She got a few steps before she heard him call, "Spunk!" and heard him following her. "Can I talk ta ya?" She didn't answer him. She kept walking, and he kept following her. "So ya givin' me da silent treatment or somethin'?" Still nothing. "Well I could keep up wid followin' ya around like dis all day, so you ain't losin' me."
They kept this "follow the leader act" for a few blocks until Delilah couldn't take it anymore and turned and shouted, "Fine! Talk! What do you want?"
"I just wanna talk. Dat's it."
"About what, Spot? About how you're the same as every other guy who's 'liked' me?"
"It ain't like dat Spunk!"
"Then what's it like?"
"I got noivus, a'ight?!"
Delilah froze for a moment. "I'm sorry, what?"
Spot exhaled and then said under his breath, "I was...noivus when we'se was togeddah, and ta push things forward is da only thing I know what ta do wid a goil."
"What do you mean it's the only thing you know? How can that be the only thing you know to do with a girl?"
"Well, dat's me reputation. Goils expect only dat of me. Dey don't think it's possible for me ta..."
"That you could actually have genuine feelings?"
He looked anywhere but at her and responded with, "Yeah. Dat. And I 'ave...dose...for you." He clearly felt awkward saying it, because he turned a deep shade of red. But he dared to look at her. He saw her giving him a slight smile.
"And you know I have "those" for you too."
"Do ya still?"
"As much as I tried to get rid of them over the last 24 hours, I do."
"So, do ya think dat we can just start ovah? And I promise, I won't do dat kinda stuff anymore to ya."
"Sure Spot. But if you try anything like that on me again, we'll be done for good."
"Dat's fair. Can I kiss ya and officially make ya my goil?" Delilah smiled and nodded. For the first time in his life, Spot smiled a genuine smile. He took her hands and kissed her, with Delilah kissing back. When they broke apart, they each dropped one hand, and started a slow walk back to the Lodge House.
"So, what are you doing here in Manhattan?"
"I actually came ta find you."
"You were bent on talking to me today weren't you?"
"I knew I'd find a way ta get ta you."
"Do you know what you're gonna say to the newsies at the rally tonight?"
"You know me. I nevah plan. Im just gonna wing it. You'se gonna be dere ta cheer me on, right?"
"All three of us girls will be there to cheer on our guys."
"Dave and Lace are definitely togeddah?"
"Oh yeah."
"So, he told 'er he thinks she's beautiful?"
"I would assume so. Why?"
"Nothin'."
"Um, okay."
"So, whadda you wearin' tanight?" Spot asked, smirking.
NEWSIESNEWIESNEWSIESNEWSIESNEWSIESNEWSIESNEWSIESNEWSIES
A while after Delilah got back, and Jack, David and Heather arrived back at the Lodge House, the girls went off to Medda's to get her help with their hair and makeup. Delilah wanted very little done with her hair, so Medda spent the time on her makeup. On all three girls, she did the same makeup: mascara, blush and lipstick. But with Delilah she used a light pink lipstick, with Daisy red, and Heather a darker pink. For Daisy's hair, Medda curled the ends of her hair and left it down; and with Heather, Medda put her hair in a high ponytail and curled the ponytail into tight curls.
The girls snuck back into the Lodge House so that the boys wouldn't see them until they were all ready. David had left by the time they got back. When the time got closer, they got changed. Delilah decided to wear a mahogany dress that fell around her ankles and had a black belt. Daisy wore a dark blue dress that dropped to right above the floor. Heather actually didn't know what to wear. She felt she had nothing right.
"You know what this occasion calls for?" Daisy spoke up, going to the closet. "One of your three lace dresses."
"You don't think they're too fancy?" Heather asked.
"Absolutely not," Delilah agreed with Daisy. "You'd look amazing in one of them. Besides, you've never even worn them."
Heather walked over to the closet and looked at the dresses. She had one white lace, one a blush, and the last one was a light blue. All three were completely lace. They were beautiful, but she was nervous about wearing them. She was very worried that they wouldn't fit. Either she was still too fat and they would be too tight, or they would be too big and people would suspect her secret. But still, she knew they were right about one of the dresses being right for the rally. She pulled out the blush one and put it on. And it definitely was not tight. It was bigger than it had been when she first bought it, but because she had bought a small size at the time, it wasn't too noticeable.
Once they were ready and it was time to go, they made their way out of their room and down stairs. When they were at the top of the stairs, they saw all the newsies gathered and talking. Jack noticed them first.
"Whoa," he exclaimed, looking up at them, mainly Daisy though. The other boys heard him, and looked as well. It got silent. None of them had ever any of the three dressed like this. All eyes were locked on the girls as they made their way down the stairs.
When they got to the floor, Delilah jokingly asked, "What? Do we have something on our faces?"
"Yeah, makeup," Skittery replied. The girls stuck their tongues at him.
Jack walked up to Daisy and took her hands, and leaned in to kiss her gently. "You don't need the makeup and dress and 'air for me ta think you're beautiful. Ya know dat, right?"
"Of coise I do Cowboy," she answered.
Spot then came up to Delilah. "You-you look great Spunk," he said, trying to act cool.
Delilah smiled, "Thanks Spot." They took hands, and walked away. Daisy and Heather just looked to each other shocked, knowing they were going to ask their friend a million questions about how she and Spot made up. The guys seeing Spot and Delilah holding hands starting cheering and came up to them saying, "It's about time."
"Is David meeting us here or are we picking him up?" Heather asked Jack.
"He'll be 'ere any minute," he told her.
Everyone except for the girls, Jack, and Spot decided to head over to the theatre so they would be sure that Manhattan would be the first borough there. The others were waiting for David. Finally, there was a knock at the door. Heather decided to be the one to answer the door. She smiled and opened the door.
"Hi," she greeted him. When he saw her, his mouth dropped open slightly, and he blinked. He tried to form words, but all that came out was stutters. Heather chuckled. "Thank you," she said.
"So, now dat we'se all 'ere, can we go?" Spot asked, impatiently. Everyone agreed, and they headed out.
"I'm sorry I took so long," David apologized as they all walked. "It took some pretty serious convincing to get Les okay with not coming tonight."
"How upset was he?" Daisy asked.
"Oh, he threw quite the tantrum, saying how he was a newsies and how all the other younger newsies were gonna be there, and it wasn't fair. But my parents told him they'd give him a special night tonight just for him, so he was a little better." As they were walking, David whispered to Heather, "What happened there?" He pointed to Delilah and Spot. Heather explained how they got together. "Well," he said when she was done, "I'm happy for them."
At last, they finally arrived at Irving Hall. There were crowds of newsies outside, and they found even more inside. They herded everyone into the theatre. Jack, David and Spot made their way to the stage, while the girls were in the front row. Race was next to Heather. All the newsies applauded and cheered when the three boys took the stage. Jack quieted them down.
But that didn't last long. Because after he yelled, "Carryin' da banneh!" the theatre erupted again. But when it got quiet again, he continued, "So, we've come a long way, but we ain't dere yet. And maybe it's only gonna get tougher from now on. But dat's fine, we'll just get tougher wid it. But also, we gotta get smart and start listenin' ta my pal David," he put an arm around the mentioned, and Heather could see her boyfriend's face get red from being brought into the spotlight, "who says stop soakin' da scabs."
"Whadda we supposed ta do ta da bums, kiss 'em?" Race sarcastically asked. Heather nudged him.
"Any scab I see, I soak 'em. Period," Spot spoke up.
David then found his voice, "No, no! That's what they want us to do! If we get violent, it's just playing into their hands!"
Spot got right in David's face. "Hey, look. Dey're gonna be playin' wid my hands, a'aight? Cause it ain't what dey say, it's what we say. And nobody ain't gonna listen ta us unless we make 'em." Spot pushed David, and walked towards him confrontationally. Heather and Delilah immediately jumped on stage and broke their boys apart. That made arguments break out between the newsies, half on David's side, half on Spot's.
"Are you trying to start a riot?" Delilah scolded Spot.
"Dis walkin' mouth 'ere ain't got any idea what he's sayin'!" Spot fought back. "He ain't a real newsie." That got Heather's attention.
She walked right up to Spot and spat out, "Listen here Conlon, David is just as much a newsie as you or me or Jack or anyone here. And if you ever say he isn't, I'll knock you flat."
"Heather, don't start something now," David told her, pulling her back.
Daisy looked up to jack who just looked very confused and not sure what to do. She climbed on stage and went to him.
"Jack, you have to do something," she stated.
"Do what? Say what? None of 'em'll listen now."
"You're the leader! They'll listen to you. Just try something!"
He thought for a moment then walked to the front of the stage. He whistled loudly and silenced the whole place. "Ya got no brains!" he started. "Why are we startin' ta fight each oudda? It's just what da big shots wanna see. Dat we're street rats! Street rats wid no brains. No respect for nothin', includin' ourselves! So 'ere's 'ow it's gonna be. If we don't act togeddah, den we're nothin'! If we don't stick togeddah, den we're nothin'! And if we can't even trust each oudda, den we're nothin'!"
"Tell 'em Jack!" they heard Kid Blink yell from the balconies.
"So what's it gonna be?"
After a nervous minute, Racetrack was the first to say, "We're wid you Jack." Newsies around the theatre voiced their agreements.
Jack then made his way over to the Brooklyn king. "So what 'bout you Spot?"
Spot was hesitant, but Delilah pushed him forward. He looked Jack in the eye and said, "I say, dat what you say, is what I say." The two spit shook, and the place broke out on cheers again. Spot walked over to where David and Heather were. Heather glared at him. "'Ey, Dave, I'se sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it. I promise." He aimed the last part at Heather and her glare softened.
"I know Spot," David said. "We're okay." Spot patted David's shoulder and he and Delilah walked to their table.
A little while into the evening, after some entertainment from Medda, the band was playing music. Right now, Jack was watching David and Heather dancing very close together. They had their foreheads pressed together, and they were smiling at each other. Every now and then they would share a quick kiss. Jack could easily see that they were very much in love. He then turned to his girlfriend, and saw her talking to a couple other newsies at their table. He smiled as he looked at her and a thought popped in his head. Something he'd been thinking about for a while, and figured this was the right time to say it.
"'Ey, can I talk yay a for a sec Cherry?" Jack asked timidly.
"Of course," she replied.
"Come wid me." He held out his hand. She took it and they walked out of the theatre and into the street.
Daisy could tell that Jack was nervous. "Are you okay Jacky? You're acting strange."
"I just, um...I wanted ta say...thanks for, ya know, stickin' by me through dis strike stuff. I just...I dunno what I'd do widout'cha. And I-I...I wanted ta tell you dat...I love you."
"You...you what?"
"I love you Cherry. I've been wantin' ta say it for a while, but I was noivus dat you wouldn't-"
Daisy grabbed him by the shirt and smashed her lips onto his. When he started to kiss back, she pulled away and said, "I love you too, you idiot!" They both smiled widely and came together to make out again. But that ended quickly when they heard carriages racing towards them and shouts. They broke apart, and both noticed right away that it was the police.
"Go inside! Now!" Daisy yelled, pushing him. The two raced back in, heading towards the theatre to warn Heather. But when they got back in, they were met with a horrible sight. Policemen were all over the room, chasing and beating and dragging out the newsies. They scanned the room and saw Heather and David running up the stairs. The two booked it over to them. They quickly joined with them. The four were trying to get out any way they could, but they kept getting blocked. At the last place they tried, they got face to face with Snyder. There was a swing in between them, and David came up with an idea.
He sat on it and said, "Push me!" Jack pushed him, and David hit Snyder in the face. "Get out of here! Go!" he said to the other three. He and Heather shared a look, then they took off.
This time, the three tried to get outside. Kid Blink met with them and helped them to get outside. But again, they were met with more police. Two charged at them, but Daisy and Blink tackled them.
"Beat it!" Blink yelled.
Jack and Heather ran in, but Jack stopped and looked back in time to see Daisy get attacked by a cop. He almost started for her, but Heather pulled him to follow her inside. They tried to run, but Heather tripped and brought Jack down with her. The quickly got up, and booked it up the stairs. But at the top they were met with, not only Snyder, but the Delancys.
"Hiya Cowboy," Morris mocked, then punched him, making him fall back onto the crowd of police.
"Jack!" Heather cried, trying to reach for him. But she got pulled back by Oscar.
"You know what you have to do to keep out of the Refuge, don't you beautiful?" he whispered in her ear. She elbowed him to get him to let her go.
She tried to push her way down the stairs, but got caught and carried away as well. She could see David trying to reach for her, telling her that everything would be okay.
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