Nowhere to Turn: Part 5
By: Echo
The next day everyone went out to sell papes except Sparrow, Dragon, Ice, Shadow, Scribbles, a guy that had been at a poker game the night before, and Star, a girl that had been with him. Star was down stairs watching the place while Mr. Sanders was gone.
At two in the afternoon, after playing poker and talking all day, I heard Star aguing with someone downstairs before they started walking up. A few seconds later someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around and saw a very angry Spot, with Blink and Star standing behind him. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sparrow flinch and a few of the others stiffen up. "Where's Brooklyn?" He asked between clenched teeth.
I shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't even know she was following me until we got into a fight and she jumped in. Afterwards we split up and I haven't seen any of them since."
He stepped forward threateningly. "If yer lyin' ta me I swear ya'll be sorry."
"Back off Conlon. I'm not in the best mood." I said coldly.
Blink stepped forward. "Hey Echo."
I tried my best to smile. "Hello Blink. Had to bring along-"
He cleared his throat, interupting my sentence. "Yeah, Spot got teamed up with me. We've been lookin' all ova' fer you an' Brooklyn."
Spot snorted indignantly and muttered something under his breath. I glared at him. "What was that Rover?"
Blink stepped in front of him to keep us from fighting, which caused us to get in an insult war instead. When it started getting too bad Ice decided to cool things off a little. (Echo: No pun intended.)
When Spot and I finally stopped yelling at each other, I introduced Blink to the others. He flashed his most charming smile at the girls, and I could swear I saw Ice melt. (Echo: haha)
Spot glared at Blink. "I tink we had a reason ta come heya."
Blink smiled at Ice and then looked at me. "We'se supposed ta take ya back ta Manhattan."
I bit my lip. "Well, actually... I kind of have to find the others and-"
"Others? As in dat stupid bas-" Spot started to say, only to be interupted by me.
"Don't start Conlon, you aren't any better. Brian didn't do anything wrong and if you think I'm going to condemn him because you and Jack don't like him you're stupid because he's a nice guy. Besides, he's completely in love with Kristan. Why don't you just forget the past."
He glared at me. "If ya ask me, da woild would be a betta' place without dose two."
I shrugged. "Yeah, well... I think the same thing about you. But it hasn't helped any so far because you're still breathing."
"An I've always hoped someday you'd be smarter dan ya look, but it ain't happenin'. Ya plannin' ta stop stickin' up fer dose two any time soon?"
I smiled. "Don't hold your breath... on second thought, do."
He sneered. "Let's get outta heya Blink. She ain't comin', da goil's too stubborn."
"Giving in already? Is that how you got your name? Every time you get the least bit intimidated you tuck your tail between your legs and run... and from a girl no less." I said mockingly.
"Watch it Collin." He said warningly.
"I thought you were leaving Rover."
He crossed his arms across his chest. "I can be just as stubborn as you."
"Fine, I'll go." I said as I stood up and waved good-bye to the others. "See you guys around. It was nice meeting you!"
They all said good-bye and I walked out of the Lodging House with Spot and Blink. We started walking back to Manhattan but I "accidently" lost them on a crowded street. I ran back to the Boury and to the warehouse I had been at two nights before. I walked up to the first person I saw and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hello, take me in there." I said and couldn't help but smile at the surprised look on his face. He led me inside to Red who seemed just as surprised. "Well, well, well, what 'ave we heya? What're you doin' heya?"
I shrugged. "Well, I was just wondering what happened to the others. Brooklyn and Psycho may have been able to get away, but Frick was limping."
He stared at me suspiciosly. "Are ya stupid? Ya come back heya ta see if I got yer friends when ya don't know if dey got away?"
I glared at him. "Where are they?"
He smiled. "What makes ya tink dey're heya?"
"I don't think, I know."
He shrugged. "Only one a dem is heya, da otha' two got away."
Two of his guys left and came back in carrying a very badly soaked Brian. They dropped him and one of the guys kicked him. Someone grabbed my arm to keep me from running to him, so I turned back to Red. "Let him go."
He smiled evily. "Make me."
"You heard her Red, let him go." I smiled as I saw Psycho walk in.
"I was wondering what happened to you." I said, trying to act angry, but failing miserably.
Red laughed. "Well, it looks like I got two fer da price a one."
Psycho glared at him. "Let her go, and Frick. You want me, you got me. But let them go."
He scowled. "Don't try ta be a hero. No matta what ya do, dose newsies will always hate ya."
I glared at him. "Back off, you aren't as intimidating as you'd like to think you are."
He smiled. "Ya know yer scared."
I laughed. "Not quite! What is the thing with you and your Spot Conlon complex?! No, it's worse than that...you have an "I-think-I'm-God" complex. Newsflash, you aren't all powerful."
He smiled. "Would ya like me ta prove ya wrong?"
I shrugged. "Sure, go ahead and try. I can beat you any day."
Psycho stepped inbetween us. "No, leave her alone. Echo, go home, get out of here."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on Psycho! He's begging for someone to knock some sense into that pea-sized brain of his!"
Red pushed Psycho out of the way. "Go ahead, take yer best shot, liddle goil."
I glared at him. "Little girl? Who are you callin' little?"
He grabbed my arm. "Or I could think of better things-Hey!" He yelled and grabbed his shoulder.
I looked up and saw Spot put up his sling shot and glare at Red. "Don't even think it."
I groaned. "What are you doing here?"
He glared at Psycho. "I'se takin' ya back ta Manhattan. Yer waistin' yer time heya. Dis is where she belongs, an' dat's where you belong."
"No, I'm not leaving until I have a chance to-" Spot picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. "What are you doing?!"
He pulled out his cain and waved it threateningly at all of Red's guys. "I'm takin' ya back, dat's what I'm doin'. An' I don't want anyone tryin' ta stop me."
Spot walked out of the warehouse and another block, with me complaining all the way, before he said anything. "Do ya eva' shut up?"
"Yeah, you put me down and let me go back there and I'll never say another word to you."
He sighed. "Don't tempt me."
"Oh, why don't you just let me go back there?"
He laughed bitterly. "Because, believe it or not, dose guys still like ya, as annoying as ya are, an' dey'd kill me if I let ya kill yerself."
I groaned. "First of all, I can take that guy and come back in one piece. Second, they don't have to know you let me go back there."
"Forget it."
I rolled my eyes. "Well, you can at least put me down! I can walk you know." He stopped and put me down, but grabbed my arm. I sighed. "You don't give up, do you?"
He glared at me. "About as often as you shut up."
"Oh funny, hah hah. You know, you are the most egotistical, obnoxious, belligerent, vexacious, arrogant, obstrephorous, impudent, conniving, selfish, malicious, self-centered, cynical, jerk I have ever met in my life."
He glared at me again. "I don't know what ya said, but I know an' insult when I hear one."
"Why can't you-"
"Shut... up." He said, getting really pissed off.
I sighed and walked the rest of the way to the Lodging House in silence... mostly. "Hey Kelly, I found 'er." Spot said as we walked into the bunkroom.
I rolled my eyes. "Found me.. hah! Why do I feel like a stick? .... Go fetch!"
He glared at me. "Now can I take 'er back where I found 'er, I don't feel like killin' 'er myself."
I groaned. "Killing me? Yeah right. That creep couldn't kill me if he tried... and I could have proven him wrong if Rover wouldn't have decided to-"
"I saved yer life is what I did. Ya could at least thank me."
I glared at him. "You didn't save me! I have having fun and I was just getting started! I think I was doing a good job of-"
"A good job of pissing 'im off?"
I nodded. "Yeah... that's what was so much fun. I guess he doesn't like being told he isn't God."
Spot smiled cynically. "Oh so you feel like pissing people of today? Ya piss 'im off, ya piss me off."
"What? What did I do?! It's the truth!"
Sketch sighed. "You insulted him didn't you?"
I nodded. "Well.... yeah."
Spot glared at me. "Yer da most annoyin' person I've eva' met."
I smiled. "Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got people to save, ugly things to fight."
Spot shook his head. "Ya don't give up, do ya?"
I smiled. "About as often as I shut up."
Part 6
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