Chapter Three
Author's Note: Here I am again! I have been extremely busy, so I apologize for not getting this done, I am doing a week-long dance camp, during the day, 9:30 to 3:00, so I haven't been able to type. To those of you who reviewed the past two chapters, thanks for the support and here is the next part of the story, which I know you are waiting for, I understand. But anyway, this is Chapter Three, where things get... to sum it up, ugly. There's a good bit of violence, pain, and some scenes in which I read over and over again to feel the sadness and edit, of course. But don't worry, the characters will make it, no matter how badly I hurt them. So on with Chapter Three!
I hobbled into Central Park and clambered through the trees to a small, secluded, space. Crutchy was there; was there and being beaten, punched, by a tall boy with blond hair. The boy stopped when he saw me.
"Aye! What's this, another gimp? Get him!" he yelled. Two boys who could have been only 8 or 9 years old, (small and young for a gang) hurried over and tried to grab me.
I hit one with my stick. Crutchy was watching me in horror. This was yet another battle that I could not win. The other boy grabbed my bum leg. I screamed in pain and made to hit him but it didn't work. He grabbed my hands and a boy of about 15 dragged me towards the blond kid.
"So, what da we got heah?" he asked. A black haired kid moved out of the shadows. It was Parker.
"Dat's Micky!" he said. I glared at him.
"Ah, another gimp who we know. Parks, you know dis kid? Because the only one I know or recognize is Crutchy heah, an' he's a regular." said the blond.
"Yeah, I nose him. He's from da Bronx, Rock, da Bronx." Parker replied.
"Then you do the honors. Beat him." Rock said, but Parker shook his head. "Alright, I'll deal wid Crutchy, Craft over there will beat dis one."
But I was not going to be hurt without resistance. Craft was a 14 year old who looked tough, but I wasn't going to be his next victim. I knew Crutchy, though, was far too beaten to do anything. Rock started to hit him again, this time with his own crutch, and Crutchy curled up only to be hit in the ribs. I felt angry as I watched him being hurt. He cried out, and Rock sniggered.
That was enough of me just lying there. I swung out my good leg and kicked Rock, but Rock just looked at Craft who kicked me. I kicked him back. He picked up my crutch, but I tripped him with my good foot when he moved to get near me. Then I sat up and crawled forward, and began to punch him. The other guys in the gang stayed back. Rock had stopped hitting Crutcy for a moment. I grabbed my crutch from Craft and whacked Craft in the head with it, then I stood up. Rock started beating Crutchy again, who was bleeding from his forehead and his good leg, and would have horrible bruises. I stepped in and tripped Rock. Grabbing Crutchy with my free hand, I dragged him out of the trees. He wasn't conscious anymore, and I would have to get his crutch back, but not now. Now I called for help from some fellow newsies.
Noone came. People stopped then moved on. I called, making my voice nearly hoarse. I got more and more worried. Finally, Kid Blink, Race, and a bunch of others appeared. Blink rushed over and rolled Crutchy over onto his back.
"Wha' happened?" he asked me.
"Gang... a gang's been heah, dey are in da trees still." I said. Blink stood up, looking horribly angry.
I wouldn't have wanted to be in that gang now. Crutchy groaned. My leg was hurting badly, and I figured Crutchy was hurting all over.
Blink took all of the newsies, except Race, with him. There were sudden shouts from the trees and cries of pain, and I knew there was a fight going on. I tried not to cry out at the pain coming from my left leg and watched as Racetrack tried to stop Crutchy's forehead and leg from bleeding. I didn't know if it was working at all or not. I sat down at some point, not knowing the time anymore.
When the group finally came out, Blink was dragging Parker with him, and the entire gang was surrounded by newsies.
"He's from da Bronx. Micky, da youse know who dis is?" Blink asked.
"It's Parker." I replied. Blink squatted down near me.
"What did dey do ta ya?"
"Da leader beat up Crutchy. Dere was anudder kid who hurted me, or tried ta. I beated him up, but da reason my leg hurts is 'cause one little kid grabbed it, an' I got hit dere." I explained to Blink.
"Why did ya do dis?" Blink asked Rock.
"That gimp right there hit me when I was trying to get a paper." replied Rock.
"Dat ain't true. Crutchy would nevah hurt anyone on purpose jus' outta nowhere even if dey taunted him." I said, ignoring the fact that I had heard that Crutchy had hit a boy with his crutch, but that wasn't the same. From the corner of my eye, I saw Race nod.
"Fine. We were teasing him, and I decided that we should do somethin', so we did. I grabbed him and dragged him off the street, and before I did, he musta known what was coming because he hit me and I got a bruise. That forced me ta do worse." said Rock. Kid Blink stood up.
"Don't youse evah tink what it would be like ta have a bum leg an' ta hafta walk 'round hearin' people whisper 'bout ya? Maybe ya don't. Well, start righ' now." Blink growled. Suddenly two newsies ran up and grabbed Blink's arms to hold him back.
"No, Blink, fightin' don't solve nothin'." said one, which happened to be Mush.
I heard Blink sigh. Crutchy cried out suddenly and I'm pretty sure we all looked at him. He was still unconscious, and I could see worry, anger, and hurt in Kid Blink's eyes as he looked at Crutchy on the ground. Rock stepped forward.
"We don't follow rules by you. Fight me, come on, fight me." he said evilly. Blink shook his head. "What? Didya lose that eye because of a fight? Because if you ain't gonna fight, you are a sissy."
Every newsie gasped in horror, some gaping and others whispering. Blink looked murderous. Mush and the other newsie let go of him and he rolled up his sleeves, stepping forward.
"Whatevah you say, youse-nevah-call-me-a-sissy." he said, and Rock looked slightly disturbed. "Dis eye is blind, an' still dere, an' if ya don't wanna sleep tonight, I'll show it ta youse."
Rock drew himself up. Then the two fo them prepared to fight, and Blink punched Rock in the face. They punched, and kicked, missed and dodged, and the whole time noone talked. Blink was winning, but then suddenly, before he about to hit Rock in the jaw, noise broke out. Checkers, Roller, Maple, Jam, and a few other Bronx newsies came bounding out of nowhere. Blink and Rock stopped. Checkers stared.
"What's been goin' on heah?" he said, then spotted me. "Micky... what? Tell me."
I tried to speak but my leg was giving me a horrible time. Checkers came over, and then faced Blink and Rock. He had seen Crutchy and I knew he was thinking this over.
"What happened?" he asked.
"It be a long story, Checkers, I ain't tinking dat we should get inta dat now." replied Blink, nervously almost.
"Youse been fightin' Blink, an' I ain't gonna listen ta none of dis nonsense about how youse can' talk 'bout it now." said Checkers, firmly.
"Look, it's really long. Tell youse what, let's go back to da house, all of us 'cept a few of my newsies an' dat way people won't be missin' dere papes. Rock, Parker, dere guys, an' youse guys, had betta come along." Blink said. Race stepped up.
"Da youse 'spect us ta carry 'im?" he asked, motioning towards Crutchy.
"You dere, Mush, help Race, 'kay? But if ya evah tell 'im dat you carried 'im, he'll kill ya." replied Blink, nodding. Mush nodded back and went over.
Checkers turned towards me and I put my arm around his shoulder. Then he grabbed my crutch and we stood waiting. Mush and Race had Crutchy on Mush's back and Race was carrying the crutch that they had rescued from the trees.
Checkers and I set off, my bum leg not touching the ground, my good right leg my support mostly. He talked to me softly.
"I knew dat youse weren't at da lodging house, but den ta find youse heah, injured an'..." he said.
"Yeah, Is know. But don't youse get worried. I can fend for meself."
"No, ya can't do it dat well."
"Crutchy can. So can I. I saved 'im today."
"Jus' don't let dis get ta youse head, alright?"
"Yeah, shore." I replied. We kept walking, getting rather strange looks as we passed. I didn't know what was going to happen, but I could only hope that things went well.
Once we reached the lodging house, Kloppman let us in and didn't question the gang or the other Bronx newsies. We moved into the bedroom. Boys sat everywhere, on the sides of the walls next to the bunks. (Maple included in the group.) When we walked in, I was told to sit on a bunk next to where Crutchy was; on a bunk as well. Checkers, Rock, and Kid Blink were in the middle of the room on chairs. The talking started and I watched Crutchy for a moment before listening.
"We'se are gonna discuss wid all of youse 'bout what went one, an' it ain't pretty, Is can tell you dat, from the looks of dis group an' ours." said Blink.
Blink looked at me, and so I told everyone who wasn't there about what had happened to Crutchy and myself. They all listened intently. When I finished, which had been a bit of a while because I had to do it in between gasps of pain and dizziness from my leg, they were silent. Rock looked at Blink, who was glaring abt him. I could feel the tension.
"So dat's what ya do ta da less fortunate an' weaker ones, eh?" said Checkers. Rock bristled up.
"I only doin' what's needed ta be done. My father says that gimps are the cause of society problems and falling." Rock said. I couldn't believe that this was the second time I had heard this statement today.
"Dat ain't true!" I yelled at him. "Its dat type, your fadder's type dat are ruining society."
Rock looked astounded, but I could tell everyone was watching him to see his reaction. Most everyone but the gang agreed with me, and I could tell that some in the gang had as well. But Rock was bright red in his face now, trying to come up with a comeback. And so he did.
"Well, you ain't got a father so you don't gotta worry 'bout it!" he said. That was the trigger, the key. All of the newsies started yelling at him.
Kid Blink tried to calm everyone down, but the yelling was too intense. All of the guys and Maple even, were throwing papers at the leader, demanding to have a go at the gang. Rock was yelling insults and against the crowd of newsies. Finally Blink bellowed at us.
"Stop it! Be quiet! Arguin' ain't gonna help dis situation, an' it shore ain't gonna help Crutchy!" he yelled. The room was silent. Even Rock was watching Blink with interest. "Good. Now, as Micky said, dat ain't true. What is true is dat youse need ta get outta heah once dis is over, unless ya turn good hearted." Blink continued.
"Look, beatin' up gimps ain' always worth it. But that one was. The gimp tried to hurt me, and that means consequences. But ya gotta look at it from one side or the other. He was a brat to me, and that is what I give him." said Rock. Blink stood up, looking angry again.
"Crutchy ain't no brat ta nobody! He's da nicest person out dere for miles. Youse ain't. Don't talk no more rubbish 'bout Crutchy or I'll hurt ya for real." threatened Blink. Rock looked slightly scared.
I heard a moan from next to me. I looked at Crutchy, and realized that he was coming round. I moved over to his side of my bunk. I was scared of what he would do if he found that there were a ton of people around him. But, in the next minute, it seemed as though Rock hadn't taken Blink seriously.
"Oh yeah? Well, that gimp don't got nothing to complain 'bout, seeing as he's da one who started it all. I never meant to hurt him." Rock said.
"Youse call 'im a "gimp" one more time, an' I'll make youse one." growled Blink. Beside me, I saw Crutchy move his head.
"That's the problem, we give da gimps sympathy and then they don't make it." Rock spat out. Blink was standing in front of Rock now.
He punched Rock before others could react. Checkers stood up and yelled at him, when the fight had begun to get real.
"Stop it! When dat's enough, dat's enough!" he yelled.
That was also enough of Crutchy being unconscious anymore. He lifted his head, saw me, then put it back on the pillow again, listening to the leaders yell.
"Bu' he called Crutchy a "gimp", an' I ain't gonna pretend he didn't. Youse heard him, Checkers, an' dere's no denying it. Let me go at him." Blink struggled against Checkers, who was holding him back.
"What if da apparent "gimp" got somethin' ta say 'bout it?" said Crutchy, loudly, but I could hear pain in his voice. He had been about to speak, and when he did, everyone looked at him.
"Crutchy?" Blink said.
"Well... who else? It shore ain't Micky ovah heah." he said, smiling through pain at me.
Blink came over followed by eyes. Crutchy looked up at him.
"I didn't mean ta figh' over dis." said Blink.
"Dat's okay. But dey shore... did somethin' terrible." he paused in the sentence. Blink looked at Rock and glared at him again. Crutchy looked bad, I couldn't deny it. He seemed to be holding back a cough or two.
"Look wha' youse done, an' tell me it ain't painful, Rock. Youse got no respec' for noone." said Blink. Rock sighed deeply.
"Okay, fine, youse got me. But dat don' mean I'll be any nicer ta youse or any gimp dat I see." Rock gave in. Blink stood up, and then there was a short silence.
Everyone watched Rock and Blink. Rock was looking smug with himself, Blink looked angry and worried.
"Jus'... don't youse come back heah."
"Alrigh'. I won't unless you call me heah. Other than that, I'm not gonna hurt noone else in your group, but others I can't make promises." Rock said, making to leave, his gang following him.
"Jus' do dat, an' we'll get ya if we want ya." Kid Blink said with a final note of authority, and Rock nodded and the group left.
Author's Note: So there you go. Chapter Four is on its way, and I am going to work on typing and writing another newsies story soon. Tell me how I am doing with this, and if you have any suggestions, as I say in my profile, I am welcome to any that I think would work. The reason is because in this story I am totally remaking Chapter 7 and up because I realized that some characters would not work in this story. So if, or when I get to chapter 7, and you have any suggestions, tell me and I will take them. Thank you, and please review!