It was somewhat suspicious that Amy hadn't yet been caught by her father, but she was far too elated about having spent so much time with Romeo to even think about the fact.
She would later come to regret her ignorance.
During the next few days that followed her having met all the newsies, Amy would stop by Jacobi's more often, eager for any chance she got to see Romeo. They very commonly found themselves back on the Main Street, with her watching the newsboy in admiration as he sold his papes and sometimes, just sometimes, stopped for a while just to talk to her.
It unfailingly made her feel like she was on top of the world.
She'd also gotten a lot closer with the newises, Jojo especially. She felt she would've gotten along well with Finch, also, except he never talked. Unless the subject had something to do with Lane. Then you couldn't get him to shut up.
Amy hadn't ever known friendship with a boy, much less a whole gaggle of them. It was strangely exhilarating.
Those boys treated her more as a sister than her own brother ever did.
"Hey, Juliet!"
Amy rolled her eyes playfully, letting the door to Jacobi's close behind her on her way in. "Albert."
"Where's Rome?" Albert questioned, gazing around.
She shrugged, gazing around the room. "No clue. I thought he was with you guys?"
At that moment, the door to the restaurant was thrown open, making Amy jump, revealing a sheepish looking Romeo. "Ya bums bett-ah not have already finished eatin' without me!"
"Yer tha bum!"
"Wese all bums," Finch commented, rolling his eyes. Amy watched as he dug out a rock that had gotten stuck in shoe and shot it after Sniper, who'd made the remark. "What took ya so long, Rome? Couldn't sell enough papes?"
They all snickered at that, and even Romeo smiled. But Amy had been watching him long enough to know that there was something else in his expression. He looked troubled.
"Guys, stop teasing him," Amy spoke up in his defence. "I'm sure he had something important to do."
"Yeah." Romeo shrugged, seeming even more upset by her words. "Important." Before Amy could ask if he was all right, he slapped on a grin. "Hey, where's Jack?"
"Ya deaf or somethin'?" Mush lifted his head from the table. "Jack went ta go tha a meetin' earli-ah dis mornin'. Left Crutchie in charge."
"Meeting?" Amy frowned. "What meeting?"
"The one where all the leaders are conferring about that boy's death over in Brooklyn," a girl explained, stepping inside the restaurant. "Oh, hi. I don't believe we've met."
Amy blinked. What was it with everyone coming in all of the sudden? "No, I don't believe we have."
But Amy had recognized her before she'd even told Amy her name. "I'm Katherine Pulitzer. Yes, daughter of Joseph Pulitzer. I know it can be a little hard to swallow."
"Amy Fernsworth," Amy returned. "My father owns the clothing factory just down the street."
The girl, Katherine, who had lovely red hair and a curious expression on her face, looked interested, if not a little hesitant. "I may have heard of him before. I've never gotten to meet him, though. Is he usually at home?"
Amy shrugged. "We don't pay very much attention to each other. I guess I wouldn't know."
Katherine smiled slightly, maybe even sympathetically, before walking over to Crutchie. "I'm guessing he hasn't come back yet?"
"Well, no," Crutchie started, chuckling lightly. "But I don't know how much longer he'll be able ta stay away. He worries 'bout us too much."
"Except fa dat time when someone ended up in tha Refuge," Buttons muttered, which earned him a slap on the head from Specs.
"Crutchie's like his bruddah," Specs hissed quietly. "It only made sense fa him ta disappear when he got caught."
Crutchie frowned, seeming like he'd overheard their conversation, but said nothing.
"So, is it true?" Amy questioned, shifting nervously on her feet. "Did someone really kill that boy?"
The newsies were silent for a moment.
"We think so," Davey said at last. "It was Finch who found him first, but..."
Amy's shocked gaze darted over to Finch. The boy had lowered his head again, but she could tell his face harboured a haunted expression. "He was definitely murdered. There was a stab wound, his chest, but I couldn't find tha knife. No one else could, either, once dey came. There was also a bloody handprint on his face..."
He didn't continue, and Amy was glad for it. The thought of that poor boy's dead, bleeding body was enough to make her want to vomit.
Romeo had apparently sensed her discomfort from where he still stood behind her, and approached her, wrapping her in a tight hug.
"It's okay," he whispered. "I ain't gonna let anyone touch ya."
"Has anyone seen Romeo?"
"Yeah, we all have."
Amy sighed. "Since earlier?"
"Well..." Mike frowned, deep in concentration. "I think he went ta Medda's. I rememb-ah him sayin' somethin' 'bout it."
"Where is that?"
"Jus down tha street," replied Ike. "Jus go... well, follow tha sounds 'a drunk men, 'n ya oughta find it in no time."
Amy smiled at them, grateful for their help. "Thank you!"
But before she could get anywhere, Jojo came along and stopped her, pulling her to the side. "Amy..."
Amy frowned, listing her head to the side. He seemed concerned. "What?"
"I..." It took him a few moments to piece together whatever it was he wanted to say. "I think yer puttin' Romeo on a bit of a pedestal."
Amy took a step back, shocked. And maybe a little bit offended. "What do you mean?"
Jojo seemed to hesitate before he answered her question, reaching for her wrists and clasping them in his hands. "Jus be careful. I don't think ya realize how... often... Rome gets around."
Amy tried to pull away, but Jojo's grip was firm. Heat rose to her cheeks, but she couldn't tell whether it was because she was embarrassed, or because she was agitated. "Romeo wouldn't do that."
"How can ya know dat?" Jojo questioned. "Look, Amy, Ise jus lookin' out fa ya."
She studied his stern face, usually so bright and playful, wondering what it was that he knew and she didn't. Wondering what it was that she knew and he didn't.
Because, surely, the Romeo she knew, so sweet and protective, couldn't have hurt her even if he tried. Because, most definitely, for the first time since she'd met him, Jojo was wrong.
He had to be wrong.
"I don't like being told what to do," Amy said firmly. "And I don't like being told I'm wrong. Now, could you please let me go?"
Jojo hesitated, before releasing his pleading grip on her arms with a sigh. "Ise sorry."
Amy gave him a small smile, adjusting her gloves with trembling fingers. "Don't be. You have nothing to apologize for."
"Romeo's one 'a me best friends," was all he said. "Sometimes, he's jus a little unsure 'a himself."
She nodded.
But she didn't understand.
It was practically all she could think about as she made her way to Medda's, where already drunken shouts echoed in the air.
Well, the twins had been right about one thing so far, considering they had told her to listen out for the drunk men that would lead her to the theatre. Hopefully they'd also been right about Romeo being there as well.
It wasn't long before she reached the building, and was instantly blown away by how many people she could already see inside. She'd never seen so many at once in her life.
And yet the thought of meeting them all was somehow thrilling to her.
She took in a deep breath before pushing open the heavy doors, looking around at all the lush seats, the beautiful stage, and of course, the current act that was on.
Amy couldn't believe she'd been missing out on so much her whole life.
"Hey, little miss," a gruff voice snapped. She turned to see a small balding man seated in a booth. "No kids in the theatre. Scram."
She frowned at the man. "I'm 15. That hardly counts as a child."
"Funny, kid," the man replied flatly. "Now get out."
Amy bit her lip. She didn't want to miss Romeo, wherever he was in the gigantic room. She'd either have to charm her way in, or... "I have money?"
The man instantly perked up. "How much?"
"At least five."
He glanced around discreetly, before subtly gesturing for her to come closer, although she didn't know exactly why he was being so secretive. "Pass it over, 'n you'll get yer ticket."
Amy shrugged, passing him the money. As long as she got to see Romeo. "Have a nice day, sir!"
It was with a big, excited smile that Amy wandered the room in search of Romeo. After a few moments of mindless wandering, she finally caught sight of a certain short, black haired newsie from afar. She quickly walked over to her new destination, before promptly colliding into someone. Tilting her head up, she saw that it was Finch, with the rest of their group behind him. She caught only glimpses of them with Finch blocking her view.
"A-Amy?" Finch asked, sounding alarmed. He seemed to be trying to push her away from the group. She noticed, somewhere amid her confusion, that he was missing his newsie cap.
"Finch?" Amy returned, confused as to why he was blocking her way.
"Romeo?"
Amy immediately tensed. She'd recognize that voice anywhere.
She was seated beside Romeo. Well, perhaps beside was a bit too vague of a word. The girl was practically on top of the boy, glaring at him, while he stared at Amy.
However, he quickly turned to face Amy's dear sister at the sound of his name. "Laura!"
There was an awkward pause.
"Alright, I didn't get tha memo-" Amy glanced at the final person, the redhead, who had one foot propped up on the seat in front of her, turning the cap she was holding over in her hands- "but apparently wese all sharin' our names, so Ise Lane."
Silence ensued for another long moment, which allowed Amy to connect the redhead to the girl Finch had talked plenty about. Even sitting down, Amy could tell she was short, hardly over five feet- if that. Definitely a lot smaller than Finch. She wondered how such a pair ever came to be, deeming it as pure irony.
They couldn't have been more different, and yet they couldn't have been more alike.
"What is she doing here?" Amy's sister sneered, jutting an accusing finger her way.
"Yeah, Romeo," Amy added quietly, wincing as she heard her own voice break. "What am I doing here? What's going on? I thought you li- um, were... interested in me?"
Romeo sat there gaping at the two girls for another long moment - Amy was really coming to despise those - until Lane used the cap she was holding to whack the boy on the back of the head with it, looking livid and betrayed. "Ya idiot! I thought tha one dat Finch was talkin' 'bout before was tha one you was seein' ta-night! I didn't think ya would ev-ah..."
Lane trailed off, but she hadn't needed to finish.
Finch looked equally shocked, but didn't say anything, unlike Lane. Amy wondered what he thought had happened, as surely he wasn't one to prosper off of someone's heartache. Had he not known that she and Romeo had still been talking before Laura came along?
That left only one question running through her mind. If Finch had seemed so casual about the fact that Romeo had so quickly changed girls...
How many of them had Romeo courted?
Amy wasn't sure she even wanted to know.
"Alright," Romeo said at last. "So, look. Princess, I didn't think you was gonna take dis whole thing so seriously. I knew it wasn't gonna turn out good tha moment ya bought all me papes, so I tried ta scare ya away wit tha talk 'bout ya bein' rich 'n stuff. Always thought it was weird dat ya always wore thoes stupid yellow gloves, anyway."
Amy self-consciously pulled her shaking hands to her chest, on the verge of tears. "I-"
"I thought you'd be satisfied wit dat date," Romeo continued, glowering at her. "But ya weren't. Ya jus kept findin' me. So I forced me-self ta be mister nice guy. But none 'a it meant anythin'."
"Stop," Amy whimpered. "Please."
She felt as though her entire world was falling out from beneath her feet, and she could do nothing to stop it. Her heart was being shredded into a hundred thousand pieces of flesh and muscle and bits of bleeding tissue.
She'd never felt so lost and betrayed in her life. And maybe it would have been easier to handle if it'd been any other girl, but not her own sister.
Not Laura.
Never Laura.
And yet, there they were.
"None 'a it mattered," Romeo said, shattering whatever fragile, naive hope she had left. "I don't care 'bout ya. Nev-ah have."
"I don't..." Amy trailed off, not bothering to wipe away the tears that had already started to stream down her face. "Laura?"
But Laura just lifted one side of her mouth up in disgust, turning away.
"Goodbye, Amy."
(2643 words)
Dedicated to Nycnewsgirl for commenting tons and making me laugh along the way. She has a really great series that I've been reading lately. Idk what it's called, exactly, but you guys probably know about Mush and Feister around here haha. And if ya don't, then you should definitely go over to her profile and start reading lol.
My wifi just really seemed to hate me tonight, and wasn't letting me get into anything, so if this chapter seems like a mess, that's because it is.
Also, the day I put something other than a Cimorelli song at the beginning of a chapter should truly be marked as an historical event. It's literally the only music I can listen to on repeat without getting tired (except newsies lol)
And please don't kill me for writing this chapter it's for the plot-
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~ nutcracker645