Chapter 12

Author's Note: Here is Chapter 12. And the same day this is posted, is the same day that Newsies is leaving Broadway, and I am really, really, really sad. But none the less, I am going to continue writing this, and chapter one of my next newsies story will be posted after this, except that it is based off of the musical, not the movie, just to let you know so that you can find it. Alright, so on with chapter twelve!

I should have known that the calm would not last. The police hadn't returned to get Martin yet. And he was still glaring and looking angry at Crutchy.

"I hope they condemn youse." he said to Crutchy, loud enough that I could hear.

"Youse already are, sos...sos don't keep youse...youse hopes up." replied Crutchy. Martin got up and stood in front of Crutchy, who looked scared but also partly defiant. Martin was fuming.

"Don't youse say that again. Youse know me enough ta know dat!" Martin said to him.

Before I or Crutchy could react, Martin had hit Crutchy in the gut and grabbed him and pulled him out of the chair. I stood up, but Martin had already started hitting Crutchy in the back. Blink ran down, yelling at the top of his lungs. The police couldn't even beat Blink down to Martin and Crutchy. In seconds, Blink had pulled Martin off of Crutchy who had been screaming. Blink was fighting Martin, who was tougher than he looked. The police came and pulled Martin off of Blink. Kid Blink went over to Crutchy, who was as pale as a sheet and as scared looking as ever.

"Blink...he, I nevah told...told youse." he said.

"Dat's okay, youse are gonna be fine." Blink replied.

Mrs. Downing and her family looked astounded. The other newsies were staring, and Blink was glaring from his one eye at Martin. Crutchy was gasping and looking ready to cry, and was gripping Blink's arms. I myself couldn't believe how fast I had stood up and sat down again, in pain from that movement. The newsies were now yelling at Martin Morris who was being escorted quickly by the police. I wondered then if the judge would be notified.

But the judge didn't come, and wouldn't until lunch break was over. When Martin was finally out of the room, the newsies quieted down and talked amongst themselves. Checkers came down, and came up to me.

"What on earth did ya do ta get dis?" he asked me.

"Nothin' much." I replied. "Is...what dey said I did."

He looked at me. I knew I wasn't his closest friend in the world, but he cared about all of us in the lodging house in the Bronx. Checkers put his arm around me and then told me "good luck, an' if ya don't get out, we'sll get ya out." Then he headed back up. I was now worried about everything. The police hadn't cared about one boy who was already badly hurt enough that the judge should have been alerted. The Downing family might have had a change of heart at one point, but now, I had no idea. Crutchy was regaining color in his face, but still looked like a nightmare had come true for him, as it probably had. Blink hadn't let go of him.

Then, the panel started to fill up again. Blink tried to help Crutchy up, but Crutchy would have none of it. He got himself into a sitting position. The judge came in, and was astonished to find Crutchy on the floor.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Your oder "witness" tried ta basically kill his own son. I dunno hows dey didn't tell ya, but it happened." Blink said angrily.

"And the police didn't tell me?" the judge said. "Then how do I know that this isn't some sort of fake lie told to me?"

"'Cause youse oder "witness" ain't heah anymore."

"Then he must've... well, I guess you are telling the truth. Martin was always mean like that, he didn't need liquor or alcohol to get his sprits up."

"Can dis be a complaint wese can make?" Kid Blink asked, clearly struggling to hold back his anger and to not yell at the judge for being so stupid.

"No, because he was on your side."

"No he ain't. He got nothin' ta be wid us, but a lot ta be against us."

"At any rate, the court has come to a decision." the judge veered off of the subject and going to another. "Yes, these newsboys are guilty for being rude, but not for their injuries which the children of the Downing family were the cause of. Even though the newsboys did fight, this does not hold against them being as it was done as protection and not out of the need to fight, which, I am sorry to say, was the intentions, as it appears, of the boys and girls of the Downings. And so, the newsboys are cleared of all charges. The Downing family must pay up for using this court room and for accusing boys who did nothing against them but defend themselves. Court is dismissed."

At that, the gavel came down one last time. I breathed a sigh of relief, then tried to move and felt immediate pain.

Checkers and Kid Blink talked for a moment, then Checkers came over to me. He looked concerned.

But before I say what he said to me, I would like to note on what the Downing family were doing at that moment, and that is, panicking. The Mrs. of the family was angry, the children as well, and the Mr. didn't look like he had a care in the world for the problems, and when he saw me watching him, he winked at me, and nodded. I then knew that he had been on my side the whole time, he didn't agree with his wife or kids. I nodded back, then turned back to Checkers.

"Blink said dat da doctor told ya 'bout a surgery dat you could go trough. Youse interested, 'cause he say dat you ain't gotta pay." said Checkers.

"Yeah, maybe. We'se...we'se gonna...gonna stay in ...in Manhattan tonight, right?"

"Yeah, dat's da plan. Roller an' Maple are as well, bu' da rest of da Bronx are goin' home." explained Checkers and I nodded.

And we made our way back to the lodging house. Checkers had me on his back, I had allowed him to carry me, and Crutchy was as well, he had gone unconscious. When we got back, there was the matter of this surgery that I could do on my bad leg that I had to worry about.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Have you seen the Newsies cast ice bucket challenge on Youtube, because you need to. Look it up if you haven't. I thought it was awesome, tell me if you've seen it. At any rate, review please!