I do not own Newsies or any of the Newsies characters. To the best of my knowledge they are owned by Disney.
I do not own the character Saiorse "Irish" Callan. She is owned by her creator Lady of Tir Na Nog, who has graciously offered the use of "Irish" as a character in this story.
I am making no money from this story. I seriously doubt the sanity of anyone who would pay money to read anything I have written.
Rated M for Slash, Sexual Situations and Language.
Warning: This chapter begins by telling of a past sexual assault. Non-Graphic.
Chapter - 8 A Common Bond
Specs and Dutchy had been worked over by the Delanceys.
Specs appeared to have taken the worst of the beatings. His lip was swollen and split. Each time he spoke the wound would open, and a trickle of blood would travel to his chin. His left eyelid was purple and almost completely closed. His wire rimmed glasses were twisted, and a piece of tape was holding them together at the side. He had put up a hell of a fight, but Specs was no match for the brothers.
Specs' face was a testament of Oscar's brutality.
In addition to his facial injuries, Specs had taken repeated blows to the stomach and ribs. Pain engulfed his mid section with every breath.
Then, there were the other wounds. Those inflicted by Morris during the violent and depraved assault.
Dutchy didn't seem too badly hurt. He did have numerous cuts and bruises, but they looked mild in comparison to those of his partner. But it wasn't Dutchy's physical injuries that concerned Specs.
Something was not right. It was like a part of Dutchy were missing or had been switched off. Specs couldn't put it into words, but something was definitely wrong.
Tony was shocked to see the condition of his friends and pressed Specs for an explanation
"When we got to the dance those two pricks were at the door. Morris was waving some papers in my face. He said that people like us were immoral, and there were rules written to keep us out. Dutchy started to argue, but I said fuck the whole thing. I just wanted to leave. We started walking back to my car, and when we reached the side of the building, they jumped us."
"They gave you a beating like this just because you guys are gay?" Chris asked.
"They did more than beat us" Specs replied.
"Please, Specs," Dutchy whispered. "Don't say anything."
"It's okay, Dutchy." Specs reassured him. "People are gonna find out anyway."
"No!" Dutchy pleaded. "You promised that you wouldn't tell anybody. Please, Specs, you promised."
"Fuck it, Dutchy! We don't have anything to be ashamed of. We didn't do anything wrong. They beat the living crap out of us and . . ."
"It's okay," Tony said. "You don't have to tell me. I can guess what happened."
"The fuck you can!" Specs shouted. "You don't have any idea how sick those two animals are."
"Yeah, I do," Tony said calmly. "I know from personal experience."
"You, Race? They did this to you?"
"Yeah they did. It happened last year. Do you remember when I was putting in all that time at the gym practicing for basketball trouts? Well, they beat the crap out of me and dragged me under the bleachers. Then they both . . . ya know."
"Damn, Racetrack. You never said anything. I had no Idea."
"What the hell was I gonna say? . . . Hey, Guys. What did you do last night? I had an interesting evening. I got passed back and forth by the Delanceys. . . . That's not the kind of stuff you bring up at the lunch table. I still have nightmares about it. The only one I ever told was Blink, but I have a feeling that we're not the only ones they did this to."
"What makes you think that?" Specks asked.
"It was something that Jack said to Davey last night. He said that Davey had no idea what the Oscar and Morris would do if they ever got him alone. Then he said something about how many of us the Delanceys have already hurt. It sounded like Jack was talking about more than a just couple of black eyes."
Tony stood silent for a moment and stared at the floor.
"Ya know, there's something that I still don't understand about that night in the gym. How could the Delanceys take such a sick pleasure in what they did to me and still say that they hate gays? It's like those two morons think they can still be straight just because they were on the giving end. I don't care what those two mouth breathers think, but if you're man having sex with another man . . . Then your gay!"
"They call that an active-passive split," Chris interjected.
"A what?" Tony asked.
"An active-passive split. It's where only the receiver is perceived as gay. The one doing the deed considers himself to be the real man and thinks of the other guy as a freak."
"Well, what the hell? Where did you come up with that?" Tony asked.
"I looked it up," Chris answered. "I found an article about it in the library. Apparently it's this major form of denial."
"He's cute, and he's smart too, Tony said proudly."
Tony's face burned red when he realized what he had said. He and Chris avoided looking at each other. They still didn't want anyone to know that they were a couple.
"Oh give it up!" Specs hissed. "We know all about it. The two of you have been doin' each other for months now. You're so obvious that it's pitiful. And you were flirtin' with each other for a couple of months before that. Dutchy and I were making bets on how long it was going to take you to get together."
"If you knew about me and Chris, why didn't you say anything?"
"Because wasn't any of our business," Specs replied. "Now, if you can put your love life aside for just a few minutes, will you explain why Jack was telling Davey about the Delanceys?"
"You don't think that he knows what happened to us, do you?" Dutchy whispered to Specs.
"Nah. This had nothing to do with you," Tony assured them. "But you guys did miss a terrific show last night. Davey stood up to the Delanceys and more or less accused them of being a couple of closet cases."
"Dave did what?"
"Yeah," Tony continued. "It was great! Davey taunted them about how they always follow us around and enjoy putting their hands on us. Then he pointed out that they especially like it when they can get us alone."
"Yeah," said Chris. "That's when the real fun started. Oscar slammed Davey against the wall and Jack went nuts! . . . Then Oscar accused Jack of being Davey's boyfriend. Jack looked him straight in the eye and said 'So what if I am?' Ya shoulda seen it. Jack came out in front of everybody! Then he proceeded to beat the piss out of Oscar and Morris!"
"It was beautiful!" Tony laughed. "Jack even kissed Davey! He did it right outside the gym with everyone watching!"
"Damn," Specs grumbled. "I would have paid money to see that."
After a few more minutes of describing the previous nights events, Tony motioned for Specs to follow him outside.
"So how are you two guys, really?" Tony asked. "I know that you're not fine, but . . . you know what I mean?"
"Yeah. I know," Specs replied. "I'm okay, but I don't know about Dutchy. He won't let me take him to the hospital. I don't think that he has any permanent injuries, but his head ain't right."
"That's understandable" Tony replied.
"No, Race. This is different. Oscar really fucked with his mind. He made it sound like the whole thing was all Dutchy's fault. He kept saying how pretty Dutchy was. It was like he was punishing Dutchy for the way he looks."
"Well, what are we going to do about it?"
"What can we do? Dutchy won't let me tell anyone. I'm afraid that if I do, then he'll freak. I'm scared for him, Racetrack. Really scared. I can't put it into words, but it's like he ain't all there. It's like something is missing."
"Well, we've gotta do somethin', " Tony said. "They can't keep doing this to us. The least we can do is stick together and not let them get any of us alone. We have to start going to school and to dances and stuff in groups."
"Aren't you forgetting that Dutchy and I are immoral and no longer permitted at school functions?"
"Yeah. What the hell was that about?"
"I'm not sure. Morris had a bunch of papers stapled together. I only got a quick look at them, but it said something about school conduct."
"None of this makes any sense," Tony grumbled. "I'm gonna go over and talk to Dave. He's on the student council. Maybe he knows what's going on? . . .Look, Specs. I'm not gonna tell him everything that the Delanceys did to you, but I am gonna tell him about the beatings. He's gonna find out anyway. Those bruises are going to be with you for a while."
Chris agreed to stay with Dutchy and Specs while Tony went to see Dave. It wasn't as if Chris could do anything for them, but he did have a way of taking your mind off your troubles. Tony's father always said that Chris had the gift of gab. Mr. Higgins never called him Chris or Blink. He always referred to Chris as "Gabby." If nothing else, Chris would at least be a distraction for a while.
David was shocked to hear what had happened to his friends.
"They did what?" David asked.
"The Delanceys put a beating Specs and Dutchy last night. They were trying to get into the dance but the Delanceys stopped them. Morris had some papers that he claimed could keep them out."
"That's ridiculous!" David protested. "What kind of papers could do that?"
"I don't know, Dave. Specs only got a quick look at them, but he said that he saw something about school conduct."
David stood thinking and shaking his head. "I don't know what that could be, but lt me call Irish. As recording secretary, she has access to all sorts of papers. Maybe she knows what this is all about?"
After a quick conversation with Irish, Dave hung up and went back to talk with Tony.
"Irish said that it sounds like Morris had a copy of the Student Code of Conduct. I've never heard of it but she says that it does exist. There is a copy of it in her files. She's going to dig it out and meet us over at Jack's around 3:00."
Tony and Chris hung out at Chris' place until it was time to meet the others.
"Hey, Blink?" Tony asked, as he was fixing their lunch. "Have you thought about telling your mother that you're gay?"
"Yeah, I've thought about it."
"Well?"
"Well I decided that I wanted to live long enough to graduate!"
"You don't really think that she'd take it that bad, do ya?"
"I love my mom and all, but I don't think she'd like the idea of having a queen for a son."
"Blink, you're far from being a queen. You're more like a princes," Tony laughed.
"That's very funny, Race," Chris grumbled, as he hit Tony with a magazine.
"Oh come on, Blink. Ya know I'm only kidding with ya. There is definitely nothing feminine about you!"
"Yeah, I know. But to my mom it would be the same thing. You've seen her give me those looks when Specs and Dutchy come over. She actually said that they are a bad influence. She thinks that they could give the wrong idea to a wholesome boy like myself."
"Wholesome?" Tony was laughing so hard that he could barely speak. "She thinks that you're wholesome? She should know what a slut you are!"
"Only for you, sweetheart" Chris chuckled as he grabbed a bottle of juice with one hand, and Tony's bottom with the other.
"Don't forget that I'm still seventeen. She can keep me from seeing you if it came to that. I'm not going to chance telling her until May when I turn eighteen. Then there is no way she can stop me."
Chris downed the last of his juice and gave Tony a little wink. "Yep. Until then, I'm gonna make her think that you and I are just a couple of good o'l boys. Two straight guys whose main goal in life is to bag every cheerleader on the squad!"
"Oooooo!" Tony jeered as he straddled Chris in the kitchen chair. "I love it when you talk hetero to me. Come on, baby. Say some more."
Chris laughed, as Tony nibbled on his ear."You can really be a sick bastard when you want to. Can't ya, Racetrack?"
"Yes I can! And don't pretend that you don't love every bit of it!"
"Man-Slut," Chris chuckled.
"Boy Toy," Tony laughed.
Irish sat on her bedroom floor searching through the cardboard boxes she'd dug out of her closet. They contained years worth of records that she had inherited from the previous recording secretary. Most of the files contained outdated records that nobody cared about. In the year since she brought the boxes home, this was only the second time, Irish found cause to look through them.
It didn't take long to find what she was looking for. "The Student Code of Conduct for Pulitzer Academy."
Irish went downstairs to her father's office and made a copy. Then armed with an arsenal of highlighters and colored markers, she began to examine the document.
Several hours later she arrived at Jacks house. The papers now looked like a rainbow with all of the highlighted points of interest.
"I think this is what you are looking for," Irish said as she bounced down the stairs to Jack's family room. "Wait till you get a look at it. Seven shades of shite that is!"
Tony couldn't help but smile at Irish's statement. Though her accent wasn't as thick as when they first met, it was still a delightful part of her character. But it was her expressions that Tony most enjoyed. Irish reminded Tony of his father. They were from different parts of Ireland and their accents were distinctly different. Still, many of their expressions were the same. Tony often heard his father refer to something as seven shades of shite.
Tony couldn't believe his eyes as he read the heading aloud. "The Student Code of Conduct for Pulitzer Academy dated September 1947. You've got to be kidding. This thing hasn't been updated since 1947?"
"That's Right," replied Irish.
"Damn. That was before my mother was born" Jack said in amazement.
"Get this," Tony said as he read from the Student Dress Code.
The school uniform will be worn at all times.
Girl's skirts will be worn no shorter than 1 inch below the knee.
No silk stockings will be permitted. White cotton sox and lace spectators are to be worn with the school uniform.
No lip rouge, perfume, or other cosmetic adornments will be permitted.
No ear bobs or jewelry, other than religious medals and school rings will be permitted.
All underclassmen, both boys and girls, must wear the school beanie with their uniforms.
"What's a beanie?" Jack asked.
"It's that little hat that Spanky and Porky wore in the Little Rascals" Chris answered.
Jack laughed as he gave Irish a friendly punch to the arm. " If Attila the Nun finds out about this dress code thing, you're gonna be in trouble!"
"No kidding!" Irish grumbled. "Last week Sister Mary threatened me with detention for wearing an overshirt. If they start goin' by these rules, then herself will still have me in detention two years after I graduate! But if you think the dress code is bad check out what's written on page five. Look under the heading of Morality and Propriety."
Tony found the section and read it to the others.
There will be no kissing, embracing, holding of hands, or any other form of indecent behavior on the school grounds or at any school function.
Only couples will be permitted entrance to school dances unless otherwise noted. No unescorted girls will be granted entrance to school dances. No boys will be granted entrance either alone or in groups.
Any student who's conduct (on or off school grounds) is determined to be indecent (offensive to public moral values or good taste), unseemly, immodest, or unrespectable, will be banned from school functions.
"That must be the part that Morris was referring to when he said that there were rules to keep Specs and Dutchy out of the dance," Tony said. "But this can't be right. This stuff is too old."
"Unfortunately it's true," Irish replied. "Since the document has not been updated since 1947, then like it or not that thing is law. According to what I read further on, Specs and Dutchy could be permanently expelled for their lifestyle."
"You're wrong Irish," David protested. "They can't be kicked out because they are gay. It's against the law to discriminate against anyone because of their sexual preference."
"No Davey, you're wrong," Irish replied. "You would be right if this were a public school but it isn't. This is a parochial school. Even though we have a large population of non Catholics at Pulitzer it is still a religious school. Any behavior that goes against church doctrine can be cause for dismissal."
"So then if the Delanceys push this thing, Dutchy and Specs can really get thrown out of school?" Jack asked.
Irish looked over to Jack and David. "They aren't the only ones who could get kicked out, ya know!"
"Hey whadda you lookin' at us for?" Jack grumbled. " What about Race and Blink over there?"
"What about us?" Tony hissed as he leaned toward Jack.
"Oh come on, Race," David said as he rolled his eyes. "Do you actually think that we don't know what's going on? If the two of you aren't whispering or giggling, then you're looking at each other like love sick puppies!"
"Christ! Is there anybody who doesn't know our personal business!" Tony shouted.
"Ach, don't get yer nickers in a twist," Irish laughed. "I'm sure that it's only your mates that know. Ya just gotta be more careful, and stop making a holy show out of yourselves!"
Irish's expressions had completely disarmed Tony. "Okay, smart-ass," he said as he smiled at Irish. "Seeing as you have all the answers, how can we get these rules changed?"
"The only way is to have the student council vote in the changes. The last time I looked there weren't too many people with guts enough to take on such a sensitive subject."
"Then we'll elect someone who does have the balls," Jack declared. "The elections are still two weeks away. There's time to pull this off isn't there, Dave?"
"Yes, Jack, there is. But who do we know that would be willing to take this on?"
Tony, Chris, and Irish looked at each other and smiled.
"Well, it should be someone who is popular with most of the kids and with the teachers," Tony said.
"And it would help to have someone who is good in sports to get the jock vote," Chris added.
"Having someone that the girls think is hot would certainly help," Irish giggled.
David quickly caught onto what the others were doing. "And it should be someone that the guys think is hot as well," David added.
"Well, who the hell are we going to get with all that?" Jack grumbled.
Nobody answered. They all just stared at Jack.
"What?" Jack asked looking completely puzzled.
Everyone started to chuckle.
"What's so funny? . . . Oh No! You're not thinking about me, are ya? . . . No way!"
"Well, you are popular Jack," Tony said as he put an arm around Jack's shoulder.
"And you are a jock," Chris added putting his arm around Jack's other shoulder.
"Let's not forget that you are a cutie," Irish said as she pinched his cheek
"Yeah, a real cutie," David said as he pinched Jack's bottom cheek.
"Oh Crap!" Jack muttered.
"Come on, Jack. What have you got to lose?" David asked. "You're already the most respected and popular guy at Pulitzer. And if you join the cause, then they'll join, and we'll be unstoppable. So you gotta do this. Because . . . well you gotta!"
"Yeah. Seize the day, Jackie-boy!" Tony added.
"Oh Crap!" Jack mumbled.
"Well, I hate to bring this up guys, but if you do go through with this then you are gonna make a lot of enemies," Irish said. "It won't be long before somebody starts poking into your personal lives. Pretty soon everybody is gonna know that you're gay. That includes your parents."
"Well I'm good," said David. "I had that talk with my parents years ago."
"Me too," said Tony. "Hell, my parents knew about it before I did!"
"I've already told my mom that I want to have a talk with her after work tonight," Jack added.
All eyes were fixed on Chris.
"Oh Crap!" was all Chris could say.
The guys werenow sitting in the bleachers, and laughing.
"You should have seen yourself, Blink," said David. "I can still picture the expression on your face. You looked like a deer caught in the headlights. I thought you were going to cry!"
"I was going to cry," said Chris. "You have no idea what it was like to have that talk with my mother!"
"It was like facing the firing squad wasn't it, Chris?" Tony chuckled.
"Yeah it was. Only this time I wasn't anticipating a blow-job from you. I was expecting to get royally fucked-over by my mother!"
"Well, I couldn't do anything about your mother" Tony said as he put his arms around Chris. "But I was able to provide you with that blow-job the next night!"
"Jeez, there they go again," Jack laughed. "We just can't get through a story without these two throwing in their sex life . . . Seriously, Dutchy. You're a shrink. Isn't that abnormal behavior?"
"Well Jack," Dutchy replied using his using his official psychiatrist voice. "Do you think that it's abnormal behavior?"
"Huh?"
"When someone is uncomfortable with others enjoying a healthy intimate relationship, It often means that they themselves are sexually inadequate. Is that how you feel Jack?"
"Huh? . . . What? . . . Me?" Jack was horrified until he saw that Dutchy was trying desperately not to laugh.
"You prick!" Jack laughed as he punched Dutchy in the shoulder. "You had me going for a minute!"
"You've gotta learn to lighten up, Jackie-boy," said Dutchy. "Being too serious is bad for your libido!"
"Okay that's enough," David chuckled. "Let's stop picking on poor Jack. And might I add that there is nothing wrong with Jack sexually. As a matter of fact, I'd say that he is well above average in that department!"
"Well, well. Some things never change. After fifteen years all you guys can talk about is sex."
The group turned around and saw the outline of a figure in the far corner of the gym. Slowly he stepped into the light.
"It's Mush!" Spot shouted as he jumped from the top of the bleachers.
"Mushy-boy! How the hell are ya?" Spot asked as he went to hug his old friend.
Mush took a step back to avoid Spot's embrace.
"Hey, Spot," Mush said coldly.
Spot was taken aback by Mush's reaction.
Tony reached out to shake Mush's hand, but Mush responded by putting his hands into his pockets.
"Hey, Race. Hey fellas," Mush said curtly.
It was a cold greeting to say the least!
END - CHAPTER 8
Thanks for reading. Please review.