The Newsies
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Jack stomped down the streets. Even though he already knew Jerry Conlon, he wanted to warn him to back away from his friends. As he made his way to the Brooklyn dock (For that is where you'd find this Jerry) he thought up a long speech to say to him. He pushed every thought into the center of his brain and suddenly, he found himself stepping into Brooklyn before you could say, "Holy Macaroni." Looking around for any sign of Jerry, Jack ran into a Brooklyn kid. Immediately he asked,
"Hey, kid." (the 'Kid' snarled at Jack when he called him that.) "Where's Jerry?" He demanded in a rude tone of voice.
"Oh, I see." The 'Kid' said, getting into Jack's face, with water dripping from his hair. (For all the kids had been swimming) "You want Jerry, huh?" Suddenly, the 'kid' turned around and began laughing. All the other kids soon joined him. Turning back to face him, the 'Kid' (Let's call him Ling) reminded him,
"No one sees Spot Conlon! EVER!" All the kids again joined in saying things like,
"Yeah!" and "He's right, ya know!" Soon enough, Jack got the idea and did not want to get into another fight. So, turning around and tipping his hat, he began to walk the path home. But before he could take one step, a nasty looking boy with a horrid expression on his face pushed him to the ground. Jack landed hard with a thump. As he did, he scrunched his nose and tried to ignore them. Jack shot up to his feet again, but once again got thrown. This time landing on Ling. Ling stood straight and did not move and inch. As Jack landed Ling pushed him back to the guy who had thrown him. This carried on and on and back and forth until poor Jack felt he might barf. Suddenly, the kids stopped when they heard a voice. A demanding voice. It was laughing and all at the same time growling.
"Okay, okay, Fellas." It said. As it spoke more, its voice grew louder to Jack. And as he kept hearing him, he began to see the crowd part a little ways to show a line. And at the end of the line was the one and only Jerry "Spot" Conlon.
"Well, well, well... If it isn't Jack be nimble, Jack be quick!" Of course, the kids joined in laughing at Jerry's rude comment.
"Hey, Jerry." Jack said back, rolling his eyes. The whole world seemed to stop when Jerry walked in. Just a second before he did, Jack could remember his whole speech. But now, it had disappeared from his mind. Jack hadn't known if it disappeared from fright, or from the fight.
"What's a kid like you..." Jerry said getting closer and closer to Jack until he came face to face. Jerry looked him up and down with an awful expression. "Doing 'ere... In Brooklyn?" As he said his last word, he hopped toward him a bit with one foot to mock him. This again triggered the rest of the group to begin to laugh.
"I wanted to tell you that..." Jack stopped. He tried to remember but the more he thought the more lost he became.
"...You wanted to tell me thaaat---?....What?" Jerry answered grabbing his shirt and pulling him to his feet.
"That... You may be the 'ruler' over these lousy groups of Brookyn kids, but us town--" Jack pointed to the other side of the bridge towards Manhattan. "-- We don't have to listen to ya!" Jack waited awhile. No one said a word. The only thing going on in the group was the constant nodding of Jerry's head. Finally, he replied,
"Yeah.. You're right--" Jerry said. A rush of relief went over Jack's body but suddenly vanished when he heard Jerry talk again, "But, you should. They know if they don't, they'll get their butts kicked." As he said this, Jerry smiled and nodded, and as he smiled and nodded half the group did the same, and as they did the same as Jerry the other half began their "Ooohs" and "Ouchs".
"Not if I'm dere to help 'em..." Jack replied.
"You won't be..."
"How do you know?"
"Because I--
"YOU DON'T KNOW!"
"Because, your friends already listened to me--" Jerry finally said, a little louder than the previous argument. "--AND THEY ALL BACKED DOWN AND RAN FOR THEIR LIVES!!" He shouted with the scariest expression that Jack had ever seen. The look on his face and the sound of his voice gave Jack goosebumps.
"And where were you?...." He said, his face clearing up a bit. At that, Jerry turned around and walked away, never looking back, but always knowing what might happen next
Jack stomped down the streets. Even though he already knew Jerry Conlon, he wanted to warn him to back away from his friends. As he made his way to the Brooklyn dock (For that is where you'd find this Jerry) he thought up a long speech to say to him. He pushed every thought into the center of his brain and suddenly, he found himself stepping into Brooklyn before you could say, "Holy Macaroni." Looking around for any sign of Jerry, Jack ran into a Brooklyn kid. Immediately he asked,
"Hey, kid." (the 'Kid' snarled at Jack when he called him that.) "Where's Jerry?" He demanded in a rude tone of voice.
"Oh, I see." The 'Kid' said, getting into Jack's face, with water dripping from his hair. (For all the kids had been swimming) "You want Jerry, huh?" Suddenly, the 'kid' turned around and began laughing. All the other kids soon joined him. Turning back to face him, the 'Kid' (Let's call him Ling) reminded him,
"No one sees Spot Conlon! EVER!" All the kids again joined in saying things like,
"Yeah!" and "He's right, ya know!" Soon enough, Jack got the idea and did not want to get into another fight. So, turning around and tipping his hat, he began to walk the path home. But before he could take one step, a nasty looking boy with a horrid expression on his face pushed him to the ground. Jack landed hard with a thump. As he did, he scrunched his nose and tried to ignore them. Jack shot up to his feet again, but once again got thrown. This time landing on Ling. Ling stood straight and did not move and inch. As Jack landed Ling pushed him back to the guy who had thrown him. This carried on and on and back and forth until poor Jack felt he might barf. Suddenly, the kids stopped when they heard a voice. A demanding voice. It was laughing and all at the same time growling.
"Okay, okay, Fellas." It said. As it spoke more, its voice grew louder to Jack. And as he kept hearing him, he began to see the crowd part a little ways to show a line. And at the end of the line was the one and only Jerry "Spot" Conlon.
"Well, well, well... If it isn't Jack be nimble, Jack be quick!" Of course, the kids joined in laughing at Jerry's rude comment.
"Hey, Jerry." Jack said back, rolling his eyes. The whole world seemed to stop when Jerry walked in. Just a second before he did, Jack could remember his whole speech. But now, it had disappeared from his mind. Jack hadn't known if it disappeared from fright, or from the fight.
"What's a kid like you..." Jerry said getting closer and closer to Jack until he came face to face. Jerry looked him up and down with an awful expression. "Doing 'ere... In Brooklyn?" As he said his last word, he hopped toward him a bit with one foot to mock him. This again triggered the rest of the group to begin to laugh.
"I wanted to tell you that..." Jack stopped. He tried to remember but the more he thought the more lost he became.
"...You wanted to tell me thaaat---?....What?" Jerry answered grabbing his shirt and pulling him to his feet.
"That... You may be the 'ruler' over these lousy groups of Brookyn kids, but us town--" Jack pointed to the other side of the bridge towards Manhattan. "-- We don't have to listen to ya!" Jack waited awhile. No one said a word. The only thing going on in the group was the constant nodding of Jerry's head. Finally, he replied,
"Yeah.. You're right--" Jerry said. A rush of relief went over Jack's body but suddenly vanished when he heard Jerry talk again, "But, you should. They know if they don't, they'll get their butts kicked." As he said this, Jerry smiled and nodded, and as he smiled and nodded half the group did the same, and as they did the same as Jerry the other half began their "Ooohs" and "Ouchs".
"Not if I'm dere to help 'em..." Jack replied.
"You won't be..."
"How do you know?"
"Because I--
"YOU DON'T KNOW!"
"Because, your friends already listened to me--" Jerry finally said, a little louder than the previous argument. "--AND THEY ALL BACKED DOWN AND RAN FOR THEIR LIVES!!" He shouted with the scariest expression that Jack had ever seen. The look on his face and the sound of his voice gave Jack goosebumps.
"And where were you?...." He said, his face clearing up a bit. At that, Jerry turned around and walked away, never looking back, but always knowing what might happen next