Hey! Okay so I know it's been a really, really, really long time since I've updated but I have my reasons. Being in the year of school that I am things get really busy, really fast. Plays, tests, projects, SATs, funerals, the works. In short…please forgive me for my lack of updating! I'm very sorry ): So anyway, here is the new chapter! And yes, I will have the next one up a.s.a.p because I know what it's about already. Actually I know what this whole fanfiction is going to be but it's just the issue of getting it all written down. Thank you to those who have reviewed and for all of the encouragement. Just wondering, who do you think Hum should end up with? Listen to Going Under by Evanescence during the action-y parts of the chapter, you'll know when you get there. happy reading! (:
"Extra, extra! Read all about it! Mayor's daughter savagely raped by chimney sweep!" My throat was almost raw from shouting over the howling wind. A man in a heavy overcoat walking by stopped and handed me a penny in exchange for my last pape, I smiled and tipped my hat to him before turning my back on the scowl he had produced when he saw that I may have exaggerated the headline more than a little. Cold wind whipped at my face and I shivered.
Winter had unfortunately decided to set in early this year, and every newsie in their right mind knows an early winter is a bad one. Pulling my thin over-shirt closer to me I began the trek back to The Lodge. That's what the Brooklynites called their home. As I walked I stuck my hand deep into my pocket, feeling the pile of pennies that were warm from pressing against my upper leg.
As I passed another corner I noticed that I was one of the last newsies left out tonight. It wasn't that late but it was beginning to get dark around 5:30 or so. Firecracker normally sold, from what I could tell a corner up from me. Our friendship seemed to end after my first night, which was fine by me. I wasn't in Brooklyn to make friends. To be honest I would rather be home in Manhattan, at least I felt safe there.
I mentally scoffed at Jack's theory that Brooklyn would be safer for me.
My mind slipped back to me second night at The Lodge. When I had gotten to the door I found it blocked by Sticks and Stones, twins in both looks and mental capacity.
"Forty or bust." Sticks growled at me, holding out his hand.
I stared at them blankly, less because I didn't understand and more because they seemed to be the type of boys who would see any talk as backtalk, even if it wasn't. And it's one thing to take on a single guy twice your size, but it's a complete other to take on two. Like the saying goes: Sticks and Stones may break my bones.
Actually I'm pretty sure there is more to the saying than that but I don't remember the rest.
'Forty cents or they'll bust me up.' I thought. 'Well aren't they friendly.'
"Forty cents of we'se gonna bust up yoah pretty little face goily." Sticks clarified, confirming my earlier thoughts, he seemed to be the mouth of the duo. And from the way his brother was smiling it seemed as though he was getting a bit excited about the thought of me not being able to pay.
For a second I considered the idea that they might not be able to count and I could just hand them thirty or something like that. It wasn't that I didn't have the money to give them; it was simply that I didn't want to give them most of what I had earned. For my first day selling in Brooklyn I had made sure to buy less papes so that I could test the waters, in case I had to run around to find an empty selling spot or if the fine people of Brooklyn were harder to sell to, I wouldn't wind up with thirty extra unsold papes.
Just as I opened my mouth to speak a little white-blonde haired bullet darted out the door, grabbing my hand and pulling me away. Swipes. Once we were half a block away he stopped, gasping for breath. "Don't lie ta dem, okay?"
Boy was he direct, but that's kids for you. "Alright."
"You were gonna." He stated, big eyes gazing up at me. "Weren't you?"
I could tell the idea of me lying to them knowingly worried him. So after a moment of thought I said, "I hadn't decided yet."
Which was a lie, like a true Manhattaner I was going to let my mouth get the best of me with those two oafs. Jack and Race would probably have killed me if I had, that is, if I was alive after Sticks and Stones broke all of my bones…
I smiled as I watch Swipes bounce nervously from foot to foot, glancing up and down the street for who knows what. Reaching out, I put a hand on his shoulder trying to unsuccessfully stop his nervous movements. "Swipes." My voice stopped him immediately and he looked up at me. "Thank you for saving me back there."
He smiled, but then I continued, "But you can't do that anymore, understand? I need to blend in here, and if that means getting a beating or two, I'll have to deal with that." When I noticed the spark in his blue eyes fading I leaned down closer to him and added, "Still, you were very brave. Thank you." And I gave him a little peck on the cheek.
His pale cheeks immediately flushed a rosy shade of pink. I almost laughed but held it back, he was a sweet kid, and honestly I had considered talking to him about finding a place in another burrow. One that was less…aggressive.
"Well, well, well." A voice echoed behind my turned back. "What have we here?"
For some reason that term never meant there was any good to come.
I pulled my cap down a bit and leaned casually against the building next to me, the cold of the stone seeping through my shirt. A hand roughly grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. A boy, whose name I later learned was Grinder, glared down at me in a hungry way. But he wasn't alone; there were two others with him, one of whom shoved Swipes back.
"Go on back home kid." Grinder stated in a cool, slimy, tone.
I didn't hear Swipes' footsteps retreating so I threw a look over my shoulder and said, "Remember what we just talked about?" I gave him a small smile, a fake smile. But he nodded, taking it as a good sign and running back down the street.
With that I turned back to Grinder who was no longer gripping my shoulder but was still standing intimidatingly close. I didn't make eye contact but instead stared at his mouth. Boys are a lot like animals, eye contact means a challenge. It means, 'I feel I'm equal to you.' As long as I stood my ground but didn't show I would be trouble I was normally fine.
I could tell one of his friends was blocking the route behind me, I don't know what the other was doing. "So baby, youse like 'em young?" His voice made my skin crawl, I involuntarily pulled away. Damn it.
Now that I was retreating though I figured I might as well get as far back as possible, which wasn't very far. I bumped into the guy behind me after less than three steps back and immediately stepped away from him too. Grinder laughed, brushing his messy black hair out of his eyes. He had bright green eyes that gleamed, but not in a kind way. "Now listen up, little Sparrow heah is a good five cents short tonight." He nodded to the guy who had chosen not to join in on whatever this was. A jumping, a mugging, a…I didn't let myself finish my train of thought.
"Well that's too bad for him." I said. My voice smooth as Jack Kelley's in the worst of situations.
Grinder gave me a surprised look; I guess he wasn't used to girls talking back to him, but then he shook it off just as quickly as it had appeared and continued, "I'se is sure ya won't mind lendin' him a couple of coins, am I right hun?"
"Actually I think I'm gonna keep my money. But maybe next time." God damn my mouth! I swear it has a mind of its own, but it was too late to fix my sassiness so I simply finished what I was saying, "Now if you'll excuse me." And then I tried to escape.
I leaped toward the center of the road where it was clear, but Grinder's tough grip wrapped around my upper arm, pulling me back to him, and I snapped. I roughly pushed off of him, free arm swinging at his face as hard as I could manage. Grinder roughly shoved me against the wall, my knee went up at him but he side stepped away from it and then slammed my head back against the stone. I had to stop for a minute, everything was shaking and my ears were rang, that gave Grinder enough time to pin me.
He squished me up against the wall with his whole body. "Goily, we don't wanna hurt ya, we just wanted a few coins but after dat little display we'll be needin' some compensation." He smiled down at me; he was an attractive guy though you have to understand why he didn't seem so hot to me.
I'd been in this position before, so had most girls in my line of work, but that didn't make it any easier. Heck, some girls even prostituted themselves if they can't make enough just selling papes. That wasn't as common in Manhattan, but I'd seen it around.
Grinder pushed himself up against me placing a cold hand on my neck and muttered, "Don't scream." Then to Sparrow he said, "Go get your money." I could feel Sparrow's large hand moving around in my pocket and made a few attempts to get away. I had earned that money and look what it got you in Brooklyn.
Even after Sparrow backed off I continued to hold my breath.
"Now for me…well sweetheart I've got plenty o' money ya see." Grinder leaned down and whispered, "But I am looking for some companionship of the female variety, so if you don't mind…" He swooped his lips onto mine but I had them firmly pressed shut until I found out why he might be called 'grinder'. As his hips ground against mine I gasped which gave him enough time to slip his tongue into my mouth.
I was desperate to get away as he pushed against me, tongue swirling against where it had no business doing so, hands groping. I could hear his friends laughing, and could tell my attempts to beat him off were failing. So I did the one thing I could think, I bit down, a metallic taste filling my mouth.
"Agh!" He shouted, pushing back. I spit his blood back at him with barely enough time to brace for his slap. It sent me to the ground and stung like a mother, but I didn't cry out. I had never once given them that satisfaction in this exchange and I wasn't going to do so now. "Aren't youse a feisty one?" Grinder said as he spit blood to the ground before muttering, "Bitch."
He seemed like he wanted to say more but someone farther up the block called him. He glared down at me, "We'se will finsh dis another time." And with that he and his lackeys were gone.
The rest of the night was pretty dull in comparison. In short I got back to the door of The Lodge with just enough money to get in, forty cents exactly, and went up to my room without dinner. For the rest of the week I had managed to avoid many more confrontations, despite the cat calls and vicious looks of the other newises. I went to lunch at Ray's Pub before most of the newsies got there and normally grabbed one of the last rolls that were somehow always around at dinner.
Despite seeing Grinder and Sparrow around they never actually bothered me.
It was a quiet existence to say the least. God I missed Manhattan so much.
When I got about halfway to The Lodge it started to rain, ice cold droplets from the sky. Honestly, if there is a God he had little to no sympathy for me. Regretting I wore both my shirts today I continued my walk.
"Hey!" I heard a voice shout; it came from down another alley and sounded vaguely familiar. I knew I shouldn't go investigate, it would be stupid and I'd be breaking my promise to Jack…but…I had to.
I silently jogged to the lip of the alleyway so that I could see inside. There was grinder getting the crap kicked out of him by two guys I didn't know. The attacking newsie slammed him a good one in the jaw, should have knocked him out cold. Grinder cried out with the next blow.
Where were his lackeys when he needed them, right?
Once again I knew that I shouldn't go help and I shouldn't break my promise to Jack about staying safe again…but…I had to. Even if the asshole deserved it, I couldn't just stand there while an unfair fight was going on. That might be the Brooklyn way, each man for himself, but I wasn't from Brooklyn.
"'Oy! Stupid!" I called, grabbing a rock off the ground and flinging it at one of them. The guy turned, he had a bowler hat on and beady brown eyes.
"Who are youse callin' stupid?" He asked before charging me.
I dodged one, two, three hits before giving two of my own, only one successfully making contact. I could hear my knuckle crack as I hit him, ouch. I blocked two more before he actually got me, sending me a few feet backwards.
As I stumbled my cap fell off, but it was too late to think about that. Just as I was about to charge into my assailant I heard Grinder yell, "Dat's her! Dat's da goil you was askin' about!"
The scabber! Everything froze for a second, I could hear Grinder getting up and limping away as quickly as he could. So these guys were actually looking for me…and I thought Jack had been exaggerating…
"Smirks'll be mighty happy to heah we found youse." One of them growled as he came closer to me, it was now two to one again. Why did I have to go help Grinder? Why was I such an idiot?
I took a step back into the muddy puddles that were forming; my skin was so cold that I couldn't really feel anything anymore. Though I had a sense that if these goons got me then I would be feeling a lot of something real soon. But no one was coming for me, not here in Brooklyn, so I'd have to save myself.
"What have we hear?" A cocky voice said from the front of the alley. Like I said, it never means anything good, but this time it wasn't me that it was bad for.
As I looked past the two Harlem boys I saw him. Spot Conlon.
Author's Note: Special thanks to TheSadTruth, Ealasaid Una, Royal Shaddow1, BornxtoxStandxOut (- Also I love the name!), McRae Red Conlon, Anonymous, and ElleestJenn for your reviews!
BornxToxStandxOut: Thank you for sticking with the story and encouraging me from being my first review onward!
McRae Red Conlon: Feel free to use the idea of "Brooklyn Baptism" if you'd like (:
ElleestJenn: I hope you like what's happened with Hum and Spot (even though it's not much yet!)
Royal shadow1 and Ealasaid Una: Thanks for the encouragement to update! Haha because I was so lost in my work I almost forgot this story!
TheSadTruth: Your comment made me smile, I'm glad you like it!