The King of Brooklyn // Spot Conlon

Seize The Day

Sun's POV

    We walk back to Manhattan mostly silent. Jack is obviously deep in thought, trying to find a way to get us out of this. Davey is visibly worried, but I'm starting to think that worried is his natural state. Me and Boots hang back a little, trying to give Jack and Davey room to breathe and think. I try not to focus on the lingering feeling of Spot Conlon's hand gripped around my arm.

    Once we arrive back I see all of the Hatten newsies waiting for us and I start to feel nervous like Davey. This strike was already flimsy to begin with, how are we going to keep morale up when we have no other newsies on our side? 

    The boys start to greet Jack, eager to hear what Brooklyn had to say. "So uh where's Spot?" Race questions. "Oh well he was concerned about us being serious, can you imagine that?" Jack explains. "Well you know Jack, maybe we ought to ease off a little you know?" Race proposes. "Ya without Spot and the others, there's not enough of us Jack ya know?" Blink reasons. More boys start to voice there agreement. "I definitely think we should forget about it for a little while." Skittery says looking away from Jack.

    "Oh do ya?" I can tell by Jacks voice he's getting annoyed. "Hey who we kiddin here? Spot was right! Is it just a game to you guys?" Jack says angrily. Different newsies start to voice their opinions all at once. Davey pats Jack on the shoulder and wanders away.

Open the gates and seize the day
Don't be afraid and don't delay
Nothing can break us
No one can make us
Give our rights away
Arise and seize the day

    The newsies start to cheer up, joining in with Davey. I even see Race bring out his harmonica, which I'd normally make fun of him for but I'm too caught up in the energy of the newsies to care.

Now is the time to seize the day
Send out the call and join the frayWrongs will be righted
If we're unitedLet us seize the dayFriends of the friendless, seize the day
Raise up the torch and light the way
Proud and defiant
We'll slay the giant
Let us seize the day

    Some of the boys climb the statue and hold up different signs and I see people begin to stop and watch us. I even see the reporter, Mr. Denton, stop to observe.

Neighbor to neighbor
Father to son
One for all and all for oneOpen the gates and seize the day
Don't be afraid and don't delay
Nothing can break us
No one can make us
Give our rights awayNeighbor to neighbor
Father to son
One for all and all for one

    Just as we all calm down the circulation bell starts ringing. "Anybody hear that?" Jack yells out to us. "No!" Everybody shouts back. "So what are we gonna do about it?" He questions. "Soak 'em!" We call back even louder. I feel better knowing that everyone stuck together even without the other newsies on our side, and I start to understand the point Spot was making. 

    Newsies begin to flood through the gates to try and stop the circulation. Kids line up to buy their papers, but we stop them before they can leave. The first boy takes one look at the crowd in front of him and tosses down his papers to join us. He shakes Jack's hand and we give him words of encouragement as he comes into the group. More people begin to join us, not even stopping to think about buying papers. 

    Finally one boy steps up to Jack carrying a stack of papers. He takes of his cap and tries to shove past us. Every step he takes a newsie pushes him back. Jack gets tired of this and smacks the papers out of the boys hands. He acts like he's gonna pick them up but at the last second tackles Jack. 

    Suddenly chaos breaks out. People are shouting, newspapers are flying everywhere, and I even see a few rotten tomatoes get thrown into the mix. Me and Speed make our way to the cart of newspaper. After successfully climbing it we begin ripping up papers and tossing them to the ground. It may as well be raining newspapers the way they're floating all over. Race yanks me off the cart by my sleeve and before I can ask why I see that there are newsies tipping it over on it's side. 

    I see Jack trying to yell something, but it's too loud to hear. Finally I make out what he's saying and realize we need to leave quick. The last thing any of us need is time in the refuge. I grab Blink and Race and point to where I can see the bulls coming our way. Everyone starts running in a mad dash to get away. Race turns to yell to someone and I realize that Crutchy is still ripping us papers. I want to turn around and help him but Blink pulls me along with the rest of the crowd. All I can do is hope Crutchy makes it out down an alley or something because it's too late to turn back now.

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

    It's when we get back to lodging house and start to settle down that we realize Crutchy never came back. People start to compare stories, trying to stay optimistic. And while it is possible that Crutchy could just be in another burrow, or wandering the streets, I can't help but picture him beaten and bloody in an alley. Alone and scared all because nobody helped him in time. I feel guilt start to creep up when suddenly Slip bursts in. Race had sent him to find out where Crutchy went, and so everyone becomes silent once they see him. 

    It's uncomfortably quiet while everyone waits to hear what happened, the only sound is Slip trying to catch his breath from sprinting back to the lodging house. "Crutchy got t- taken to the re- refuge." He finally tells us. A feeling of despair washes over the room, and people begin to solemnly get ready for bed. The refuge is like kid prison, and there's no way to know when we'll be seeing Crutchy again. 

    Jack of course doesn't take no for an answer, so he and Davey prepare to go break Crutchy out. Nobody tried to stop him, if anyone can do it it's Jack, but the newsies are running low on optimism after taking such a blow. 

    But as much as I want to fall into bed and sleep away my worries, I know that it's not gonna be that easy tonight. I know that after a day like today, it's gonna be rough when it comes to nightmares. I start to realize that I can't really go to Queens either, not with the whole strike thing. Once it's all over I'm sure card nights will come back, but it would be a bad idea to put a bunch of different newsies in one place when they're divided like this. I contemplate where to go and what to do when I remember something.

    "You should come back sometime Sunshine."

    Spot's voice rings in my head, I can almost feel his warm hand gripping my arm. After a day like today I could use a distraction and with Jack gone out, Blink asleep, and Race busy smoking on the roof, it's the perfect opportunity to head out without anyone trying to stop me. Newsies can be a bit protective of each other and I don't really feel like explaining why I have the urge to go to Brooklyn past dark. 

    So I slip out the door and begin the walk to Brooklyn, hoping to make it there in one piece.