Lat chappie before Christmas! We are proud to tell you that this chapter will be featuring (Drum roll) Spot Conlon!! This chapter was made possible by Nori's sock puppet, Sockita. (Katrinka): No it was not! (Nori): was so! You're just jealous because you don't have a sock puppet! (K): I'm not jealous, you're delusional, you wacko! (N in squeaky sock puppet voice): Not wacko, Wanko, WOOHOO! (K): see what I have to deal with here? Please review and make me feel better!
A/N: we're making a small time jump for the sake of the story, not a big one just a little under a month. Also there is a mention of drunkenness, a little warning for the kiddies.
Tessa crossed out another day off the calendar, August 2nd. Two months with out moving any where and she was going a little stir crazy. The restaurant had closed early that evening on account that Uncle Jacob had been feeling a little under the weather. As she put out the milk bottles she heard the unmistakable sound of the newsies coming down the street. She searched the crowed for Tumbler, Snipeshooter and Boots but wasn't able to find them.
"Greenhorn!" She called over to Jack, who stopped in front of her with a happy face that screamed one word: PARTY! "What did you do with my small followers, Greenhorn?"
"They're in bed, probably asleep already," He answered happily.
This was weird; usually he would get irritated when Tessa called him Greenhorn. Something was definitely up.
"And where are the rest of you going?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We're celebrating the victory of our strike!" Blink threw in, jubilantly. "You should come," he added.
Tessa would have normally said flat out no but she was getting bored of doing nothing but cooking and waiting tables. 'This could be fun' she thought to herself.
"Would I need to change?" She asked.
As soon as Tessa uttered those words Jack looked as if he had, had an epiphany.
"No, no, no, no, no." He said quickly (a little too quickly…). "You look just fine; it's just a small gathering of us humble newsies."
Tessa eyed Jack suspiciously and said: "I've got a bad feeling about this" but went along with them any ways.
After walking for about four minutes Jack grabbed Racetrack's shoulder.
"Hey," he said quietly to his best friend with a maniacal grin. "Why don't you run ahead and tell Medda that we're going to have a friend with us that is going that is going to need to borrow a dress."
Racetrack smirked and began to run ahead. This was the stuff he lived for, no wait. Betting was what he lived for but Jack's shenanigans were a close second. 'Besides,' he thought to himself. 'The sooner I get there the sooner I can start taking bets on how long it will take Tessa to kill Jack, twenty minutes, maybe thirty, who know?'
At party
Tessa looked at the gathering crowd of "Humble newsies" and then looked at the girls which surrounded them. Feeling out of place she did the only respectable thing, she glared at Jack unmercifully, who proceeded to take her to a back room. A lady with bright red hair and a BRIGHT pink dress was waiting for them.
"She's all your's Medda!" Jack said, shoving Tessa in to the room and shutting the door quickly.
"I'm all what?!?" Tessa said, stumbling in to the room.
"Hello my dear!" She said, flamboyantly (pouring on the sweetish accent and charm). "You must be the one Racetrack told me about, Tessa!"
"Race told you what exactly?" She asked, a feeling of foreboding coming over her.
"That you would need to borrow a dress, my dear."
"Then he must die also," Tessa said grimly.
"Also? Is there someone else?"
"Yeah, I positive that this is some how Jack's doing. So they both must die, I just have to decide how to kill them and where I'll hide the bodies."
"Then I will decide what you will wear while you do murder them," Medda said, playing along. "Now Race already gave me estimate on your size, which is quite accurate I must say."
"Whoa," Tessa said looking at the sizes that Race had written down. "That's kinda creepy."
"He also said you would like something simpler then what I would usually wear."
"His death will be a little less painful, then."
"How do you plan to get rid of the bodies?" Medda asked playfully as she pulled out a light purple dress.
"I work in a restaurant I'll just grind them up into hot dogs (Les, don't eat it!)," she said back with a shrug.
Medda smiled shaking her head at Tessa as she pulled a brush through the girl's long black hair.
Tessa had stayed in the back room as long as possible until Medda said she either went out and joined the party or went on stage with her. 1.5 seconds later Tessa stalked through the crowd, searching for one very unfortunate Greenhorn.
"GREENHORN!!" She called through the room. Getting no responds she yelled: "KELLY!"
"What did the Cowboy do to make you so unhappy, Dollface?" Asked a slurred voice behind her.
"There's a list as long as your arm," she answered sarcastically, far too irate to notice the HUGE guy behind her making a move.
"Well," he said the drunkenness in his voice clear. "Since the company isn't to your liking, why don't you and I go on a nice long walk?"
Tessa now realized that she was in hot water responded normally forgetting that she was wearing a dress. "Better idea, why don't you go on a nice long walk off a short pier?"
The tall boy glared down at her, anger clear in his eyes.
"If you're not careful that mouth of your's is going to get you hurt in this city."
"Yeah," Tessa said, just now remembering that she was in a dress. "That's what they tell me. Last time someone saved me I'm hoping it happens again."
"Roller!" Said a voice that made the boy (Roller) take a step back from Tessa.
"There is a God," Tessa said smiling upwards as a boy with blue eyes and dirty blond hair came towards them. He was at least a head shorter then Roller but seemed a lot more battle worthy, that is to say sober. He also was carrying a cane as a weapon.
"Yeah and his name is Spot Conlon," he said to Tessa with an arrogant voice then turned to Roller. "I thought I told you not rough up any more girls, you're drunk so you're getting' one last chance. So unless you want to go beg for your spot back in Queens, leave her and all the others alone."
Faster then you can say alleluia Roller was gone.
"Allow me to introduce myself, Spot Conlon, King of Brooklyn."
Tessa smirked. "I thought you said you were God."
"You must be Tessa," he said looking her over. "Jacky boy wasn't kiddin' about you."
Spot's saying that had just reminded Tessa of her new mission in life.
"Jack? Where is he, where is that miserable Greenhorn? I need to kill him!"
"I think he went off in that direction," Spot said pointing towards a poker table.
After Tessa left Spot knocked on the table to his right. "She's gone."
"Thank God," Jack gasped popping up from underneath the table.
"You're welcome," Spot said smirking.
"See what I mean when I said she's crazy? She wants to kill me! Over a dress that she looks really good in *pause* forget that last part. I mean it's not like I did anything too terrible. I mean it was understandable when I put that spider on her serving tray and freaked out her customers. Or when I had Blink switch out her cup of water with a cup of vinegar."
Jack waited for Spot, who had a very thoughtful look on his face, to comment.
"Do you think I should add that to my title?" He asked. "Spot Conlon, King of Brooklyn/ God?"
"Did you listen to a word I just said?!?"
"Fine, I'll be serious. Get it over with and ask her out to dinner."
"That's it?"
"Yep."
"That's your serious suggestion, me ask her out to dinner?"
"Hey I'm God I know what I'm talking about."
"Why would I want to date a girl who wants to kill me?"
"First of all, she only temporarily wants to kill you and I think you will be able to explain to her that, that is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Secondly she's tough and you need someone tough."
"Why?"
"'Cause, someone is going to have to save you and it ain't gonna be me!" Spot said as he walked away chuckling.
"Save me from wha- Oh shi-! (heehee, you thought we were gonna curse)" Jack was cut off by ten squealing girls that all "just had to dance with him".
Tessa who had come from the poker tables, watched the pandemonium for a few minute before deciding that if those girls killed him she wouldn't get to so she had no choice, she had to save the Greenhorn.
"Excuse me," she said politely, shoving girls out of her way not so politely.
"Wait your turn Red Skin!" One of the girls said snootily, and then shoved Tessa out of the circle of girls.
"That's it!" Tessa said, she was officially out of patients for the day. Tessa grabbed the girl who called her Red Skin and threw her across the room, causing her to knock over a few guys.
"Come on," she said, dragging Jack by the wrist. Looking around the room she saw that all of the exits were blocked by rather upset looking girls.
"What are we doing?" He asked as Tessa led him to the dance floor.
"We're going to wait them out." She said in a stubborn voice. "They can't keep all the exits covered for too long. After this dance we'll make a brake for it."
"So, you're dancing with me to save me?" He asked, confused.
"No," she said in a voice usually reserved for three year olds. "I'm dancing with you to save you so that I can kill you."
Jack looked at her to see if she was being serious. She was.
"You're crazy, you know that?"
"Yeah," she replied, smiling. "That's what they tell me."
Jack put his arm around her waist and she put her hand on his shoulder and they proceeded to dance. Contrary to the serious and slightly scary persona that she put up, Tessa enjoyed dancing. It reminded her of the way her father picked her up and swung her around when she was little.
As they danced Tessa found her need to kill Jack lessen and they talked about a lot of things. Jack told her about the strike and Tessa told him stories about the things Snipeshooter, Boots and Tumbler did with her all this stuff about playing pirates in the kitchen and such.
It turned out that Tessa had been right; after the song ended one of the doors was open.
"Smile and sway in that direction," she hissed to Jack.
When they got to the door they made a mad dash towards Tibby's. Once they got there Tessa realized that she was still in Medda's dress. She decided to go trade the clothes back tomorrow.
"You know," she said, before she went in side. "Your friend Spot is actually more arrogant then you."
"Spot is more arrogant then anyone, even Pulitzer and that's sayin' something', trust me."
"Goodnight, Jack," she said smiling.
"'Night Tessa and by the way," he said as he walked away. "You're a good dancer."
That night once Jack made sure that all of his boys made it home from Medda's and were in there bunks he climbed into his own. Jack knew that tomorrow would be difficult, seeing as he would have to pretend that he hadn't seen Tessa blush but he had to admit, he was glad she did.
"Shoot," he said to himself. "Spot was right. Again!"
!!!!!!! (Nori): I like exclamation points!" (Katrinka): "Knock it off, or I'll clean your side of the room!" (N): NOOO! The soap, the SOOOOOAAAP! (K): Pay no attention to the screaming in the back round. Review and she shall be released unharmed. Bravo Yankee Echo, Katrinka and Nori (N): and Sockita!