OK, so I'm sorry to those who are actually reading the story. I did write this back in in August but I have moved with my husband, tried to find a job, found one, worked a lot, wrote and forgot to update. I did actually finish the next chapter and was about to upload it when I remembered when I didn't do this one. Well its up. The next chapter is up when I finish the one after. I like to stay ahead ;) I do not own any of the newsies that is from the movie.
Chapter 10: She likes you
He paced around the roof for a bit, hitting or kicking the walls in random spurts of anger. Shade could the sound of the almost melted snow crush beneath his shoes but the cold couldn't touch his skin. He was too angry with what he learned about his sister. How anyone could do that to her he had no clue. No that was a lie, he knew that there were scum bags out there but he couldn't understand why fate bring her sister to one. His breathing calmed down and his feet slowed to a stop.
"Why? Huh pa, why?" He said quietly looking to the dark sky. He heard the door to the open and saw Lynn poke her head around the door. She closed the door but didn't take a step any closer, she just stood there looking at the ground.
"Please don't anything say yet." Lynn started seeing her breath in the cold night. "Let me just say what I need to say and then we can talk, ok?" Shade gave a slight nod. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to place any blame on you for what happened. Lately I have been sad and then upset when I start thinking about everything and at times can't wrap my head around everything. I feel embarrassed and ashamed and at times wish that it could have been different. But I know it can't and it has been breaking my heart. I feel like I can overcome whatever has occurred and then I am down in the dumps feeling like my life couldn't possibly move on. I'm being pulled into two different directions at once and I feel tired because of it." She took a few steps towards Shade. Watching her breath being released from her mouth as she talked.
"I've been dreaming about being able to find you again but I never actually thought about what I would say to you when I did. When you left, you broke my heart. You left without me. Without your only sister, someone who depended on you to–"
"Lynn-" Shade started saying.
"No please. Let me finish." Lynn said. "Someone who depended on you to help bring in the money every week. You were the only other one who understood what I was going through with her. But I understand you have your reason and I hope that in time you can tell what it is. You're my brother and I hope that we can be as close as we once were. I really do." She sat on the crate closet to her not letting her eyes leave her brother. "I think that is about all I have to say." Neither talked for a couple of minutes as she allowed Shade to gather any thoughts he had.
"Lynn. I don't expect you to understand why I left. But I left because I didn't like what mother was becoming. With all that drinking she done, I thought was going to lead to worst things. I thought that if I left she would realize what she was doing and get her act together. But I can see she see just started focusing her mind on other things." Shade said the last part as he sat down next to her. She gave the smallest chuckle she could allow. "But what I need to know now is what happened since I left."
"I'm afraid that might be a long story." She said crossing her arms around her body to help retain any heat that she had left.
"Lynn, please I need to know." He said wrapping his arm around her.
"Well what I yelled at you was the short version of everything." She started with. From there she told him everything she already had to the others about their mother, Joshua and how she ended up with the newsies.
"Is she alright?" Race quietly asked careful not to wake the others as Spot climbed into the bunk next to his.
"Ya. She's talking to Shade right now." Spot answered as he laid on his back
"I heard her yelling awhile ago." Race said sitting up.
"Race. I'm going to ask you again and I better get an answer." Spot said getting up as well. "Why are you so protective of her? She's not your girl, so what gives huh?"
"You remember Annie. My sister." He said trying to look at much as he could into Spot's eyes with the light little there was. "You remember what happened to her." Spot gave a nod that say he remembered. "When Lynn first came here I knew the same thing happened to her. I could see it in her eyes. I could tell by the way she would act around the other guys. She reminded me so much of Annie I didn't want the same thing to happen to her."
"Well she has Shade now to be her brother. So you're going to need to stop being so protective of her." Spot said laying back down. "Well good night." Race watched Spot waiting for any kind of movement or talking that might suggest he was still awake.
"Exactly she has her brother now." When Shade and Spot came over that night they wouldn't let anyone why they were there. Shade just kept asking if Lynn was there. It wasn't until she came back home that any of them knew what their relation was but when you put them side-by-side it was obvious. His stomach ached with the feeling he never knew before. It felt as if his insides were being pulled out because no one allowed him to help Lynn. The empty feeling he had when Annie died was back again because that meant Lynn was now out of his life.
"Jack told me you found your brother." Sarah said two days later at work. "Spot's second, Shade."
"Ya. Who would have thought." Lynn said working on the mending that was left for her.
"But what why didn't you see him the last time you went to Brooklyn?" Sarah asked. It was just a week since she met Spot for the first time with Race.
"I actually wondered the same thing. He said he was probably still selling or on some tasks for Spot." Lynn said with a shrug.
"How's Race taking it?" Sarah asked sorting through some thread and trying to find the exact color as the skirt she was holding.
"What do you mean how is Race taking it?"
"You know what I mean Lynn. Race is pretty protective of you." Sarah said.
"I know." Lynn said "I didn't see him at all yesterday. He left in the morning to sell his papes and didn't come back till everyone was going to bed." Neither spoke the rest of the morning as everyone focused on their work.
The two girls were just a few shops away from work when Lynn stopped Sarah with a hand on her arm.
"Sarah, I need to ask you this so please don't get mad at me. You know I just care." Lynn said. "But what's going with you and Jack?" She waited as Sarah thought of what to say.
"Nothing is happening between us. That's just it. I try to be nice and have a nice time with him whenever we're together but we're never alone now. The only time I see him is when we're with the others and even then he acts if I don't exist. He's just not being man enough to break up with me." The tears staying at the brim of her eyes.
"Sarah, why don't you just break up with Jack." Lynn suggested. "You don't have to wait for him to do it. You can. If you're miserable in this relationship, end it. Learn from my mistake." Sarah didn't say anything. "Please Sarah. Think about it. You should deserve to be happy." Her friend still didn't say anything but she looked away as if she was thinking about what Lynn said. "Come on. Lunch is just about done."
"Have you heard?" Baby said running into the room jumping on Lynn's bed that Thursday.
"No." Lynn said focusing on her embroidery.
"Pulitzer and Hurst are throwing the newsies a Christmas Party on Christmas Eve at Medda's!" She squealed.
"What? Next Thursday?" she asked as Heav and Angel walked in.
"Ya. Apparently the big shots are just trying to look like they're playing nice with us after all the commotion we caused at the strike." Heav said emptying her pockets.
"After the boys found out they started racing all over the city to find dates." Angel said getting comfortable on her bed.
"I could only guess who asked you Baby." Lynn said chuckle.
"O you stop it." Baby said lightly swatting her hand at her.
"Hey!" Lynn laughed even more.
"You should ask Angel who asked her." Baby said giving her friend a mischievous smile while Angel stared daggers at her.
"Who?" Heavy asked taking her shoes and getting ready for bed.
"Baby you just know how to open your big mouth." Angel said throwing her pillow at her friend.
"Well who asked?" Heavy repeated. Angel looked at her for a second before replying.
"Pie Eater." She said while a slight pink hue pricked at her cheeks.
"Well you'll have a good time." Lynn said trying to save her from embarrassment.
"So who do you want to go with?" Baby said turning to Lynn.
"Ah, I don't think anyone." She said becoming interested in her embroidery once again.
"O come on. There's got to be someone." Baby said. "What about Race?"
"What about him." Still not looking up.
"What if Race asked you to the party?" Baby asked.
"He's not. We're just friends. And I bet he would want to go with someone he likes." Lynn said still refused to look up. It had been a week since they almost kissed and almost a week since they lasted talked. It seemed as if Race was a avoiding her. He always left before but they would always see each other after work. But lately he wouldn't come home until bedtime and that left no time to talk to him.
"Well what about what happened when we walked in on you to last week." Angel pointed out.
"Nothing happened last week." Lynn acted as if she didn't know.
"Ok. Almost happened last week. And don't deny that there wasn't something. We aren't blind." Angel said.
"Fine. We almost kissed but that doesn't mean anything. We haven't talked in nearly a week. I don't think he feels the same way." After she said the last part she knew she slipped.
"Wait! You don't think he feels the same way?" Baby exclaimed. "So you admit. You have feelings for him." All eyes were now on Lynn. There was no way to get out of this one.
"Yes. I like Race." She said putting down her work. "But I don't think he feels the same way. So can we let it go."
"Lynn. I hate to break it to you but you're blind." Heav said something for the first time. "The boy is always at your side. He worries about you and everyone can see the way he looks at you. You should have seen the way he was acting when you passed out last weekend."
"Well, like I already said we haven't talked in nearly a week, so whatever feeling had has obviously passed." Lynn said as she gathered up her things and put them away. "So now if you don't mind I'm going to bed." And with that she lifted up her covers, forcing Baby up as well, and slipped under them. The three girl newsies just looked at each other. Angel and Baby got ready for a bed and no one talked for the rest of the night.
"Excuse me Racetrack Higgins, but what the hell is wrong with you?" Race heard startling him from behind as he walked along the streets.
"What?" Race asked turning around seeing Baby.
"I'm asking you what the hell is wrong with you? We barely have seen you at all this entire week and I talked to Lynn a couple nights ago and she said that she hasn't talked since last weekend. So I'm asking you what the hell is wrong?" Baby asked as they stood in the middle of the sidewalk. Barely anyone was left on the streets as dusk approached the city.
"Nothings wrong." He said folding his arms across his chest.
"O come on. Everyone sees you've been acting weird. And you've been acting weird since Spot and Shade came by." She said getting closer to her friend. "I'm your friend Race. I care about you and I care about Lynn. I can see the hurt in your eyes every time she hears your name because you for some reason have been ignoring her."
"I ain't ignoring." He said grabbing a cigarette from his vest pocket and tried looking for a match.
"Then what do you call it?" Baby asked. He looked at his friend and decided to come clean.
"Fine." Taking the cigarette and putting it back in his pocket. "Lynn don't need me anymore. She's got Shade now, her brother, to take care of her now. She don't need me."
"Race, she doesn't need someone to take care of her. She needs a friend and she thought you were her friend. She thought you could be something more than a friend but if you can't see that then you don't deserve her."
"Baby what are you talking about?" Race was confused.
"Lynn, your friend. She likes you. Do I have to spell it out for you?" Baby said getting frustrated. "Here is a girl who likes you for whatever reason. And you're being an ass to her. So I am going to ask and you better be straight with me." Race never saw this side of Baby, she was always so bubbly and never swore. "Do you like Lynn?"
"Yes Baby. I have strong feelings for her." Race said starting the feel the light touch of snowfall. "Come on let's get back before they send a search party for us." The two walked back home and the whole way Baby tried to convince Race to ask Lynn to the party. As they got there, Baby headed off to find Dutchy in the Boy's room. Race knew exactly where she would be. He poked his head around the doorframe and saw her right where he knew she would be. He smiled to himself as more than a few strands escaped her ribbon and fell to the front of her face forcing her to push them behind her ears. He could see her lightly scrunch her nose as she tried to get pass a stitch that was giving her trouble.
"Giving you trouble?" Race asked as he entered the room and headed to her bed. Her head popped up at the sound of the familiar voice.
"Race." She said putting down her work. "How are you?"
"Doing just fine." He said sitting next to her. He could see the look of hurt on her face when she looked away. "I think I owe you an apology for this past week. When you found your brother last week I didn't think you would need me anymore because you had Shade now."
"Race, you're one of my best friends. Of course I need you even if Shade is around now." Lynn said grabbing his hand in hers.
"Well, I'm sorry for being a jerk this past week." Race said.
"Its fine. All you have to do is promise that you'll be around from now on." She gave him a big smile.
"Yes." He said. "There was also something else. Well I don't know if you heard but I doubt Baby could keep her mouth shut about it. But Pulitzer and Hurst are throwing a party next week for us. And I wanted to see if you would like to go with me." Race could feel the sweat pricking at the back of neck from the nerves.
"I'd like that." She responded trying to contain her smile. And when she couldn't contain herself anymore she threw her arm around Race's neck and hugged him for a good minute. When the both pulled away they still only inches apart. Lynn could feel the heat in her cheeks rise as Race slowly leaned in. His lips felt soft, telling her that there was no pressure to kiss him. When she didn't pull away he deepened the kiss slightly. He pulled away as he heard giggling from behind him and looked over his shoulder. The three newsgirls have their head poking around the door frame watching the two.
"Do you mind?" He said as three continued to laugh at the couple.
"Nope." Was all they said. Race felt Lynn put her face into his to neck to hide and he could definitely feel the heat on her cheeks increase.
Lynn is going really through the emotions of being of victim of abuse, I know it's not in order of what "the websites" says but I'm really based on experiences and how people deal with the emotions of abuse and letting people in on it.