- Chapter 101 - "We're Getting Older, Too." -
Warnings: mentions of injuries, fighting, kinda sad, hating confrontation, Revenge and Sling, pretty much everything that's been happening in this book lol
Third Person POV
"I'm shocked you're allowing me to walk," Snowflake mumbled, holding onto her brother's arm.
Spot pursed his lips. "Me too," he muttered.
Snowflake raised an eyebrow at him.
"The leaders would really like to have a meeting," Spot informed her, sighing. "I'm just glad it's at Medda's."
Snowflake rolled her eyes fondly.
They walked into the main space of the theater, where all of the other leaders were already gathered.
Snowflake paused.
Spot looked down at her.
Snowflake took in the sight, looking at all of the leaders. She made eye contact with Jack.
Jack nodded to her. "Mariani."
"Kelly." Snowflake nodded towards him, before taking a step forward again. She winces in pain.
"Is it still hurting a lot?" Spot questioned.
Snowflake's eyes darted around the room as she bit her lip.
Pack noticed her looks. "You're allowed to admit you're in pain around us," he assured her. "We won't judge you. You did just get stabbed a week ago."
Snowflake exhaled slowly. "Yeah, a bit." She looked around. "Is London coming back? I have no idea how Harlem is at all. No one has told me anything."
"Harlem's fine," Pack assured her, speaking up again. "We've checked up on your Newsies a few times. I'm not sure they like us though." He chuckled softly.
Snowflake cringed. "My bad, sorry. It's not like I liked you all for a while," she stated.
Spot helped her sit down in a chair, then sat down next to her.
The other leaders sat down at the table with them.
"About that..." Pack looked at his boyfriend and the other leaders, before turning back to Snowflake, "why didn't you like us?"
Snowflake sighed. "Because I'd heard stories about misunderstands between boroughs where a Newsie didn't realize they were on another borough's turf and got soaked for it, and wars went on between boroughs, and may I remind you that I found out that my twin was King of Brooklyn and living his best life? I thought he abandoned me for a solid eight years," she reminded them. She rubbed the temples of her forehead. "I figured it was easier to stay away from you all, for the sake of myself and my Newsies."
Match's eyebrows furrowed. "Then why did you join Revenge?"
Snowflake's nostrils flared, but she remained calm. "I originally didn't, but in case you didn't know, Race escaped East Side a few days before the fight and ran to Harlem. In doing so, he forced me to join East Side in the war because you all would've not been happy if Race had run to me and I hadn't done anything to help him," she informed them. "And Revenge used this to his advantage and continued to tell me that we could get revenge on Spot."
Match leaned back in his seat. He looked at Arrow. "All of my questions are answered," he muttered. "She's trustworthy enough."
Pack agreed. "She seems like a good leader, and it's clear her Newsies like her," he informed Arrow.
Arrow nodded. He looked at Snowflake. "One last question."
Snowflake raised an eyebrow at him.
"Why didn't you just come talk to us about the misunderstandings?" Arrow asked.
Snowflake sighed, leaning forward. "Arrow... is that your name?"
Arrow nodded. He quickly realized she didn't know anyone's names, so he went around and introduced them all. "I'm Arrow. I lead Queens." He turned to Match. "Match leads Richmond."
Match waved.
"Pack, Match's boyfriend, leads Midtown."
Pack shot Snowflake a small smile.
"Craft, a sweetheart, leads Woodside."
Craft beamed. She waved at Snowflake.
Snowflake leaned over to Spot, waving at Craft. "She's like pure sunshine," she mumbled.
Spot chuckled. "Just wait until you meet Manhattan's sunshine squad," he murmured back.
"That's Diamond, he leads the Bowery."
Diamond nodded to Snowflake.
"Brady leads the Bronx."
Brady tipped his hat.
"Robin leads Flushing."
Robin smiled at Snowflake.
"And you know Jack and Spot," Arrow finished.
Snowflake nodded. "Arrow," she started again, "I lead a ragtag gang of misfits. I'm sure you know that. Most of the other boroughs tend to be pretty similar, you know?" She looked at her brother. "For example, Brooklyn is known to be tougher. Manhattan is known to be kinder, they take anyone in," she reminded him. "Bronx is sneaky, at least from what I've heard."
Brady pursed his lips. "She's not wrong." He chuckled.
Snowflake gestured to him. "My group? Very different. We take in orphans, criminals, cold Newsies, kids who work multiple jobs for their families, sunshine kids, littles, all different types of kids. There's no similarity between all of us. We're a bunch of misfits who didn't fit into your boroughs," she explained. "I have most of your boroughs' rejects. So, if I was going to start something with you, what's the chance you'd be receptive, huh?" Snowflake looked around at all of the leaders at the tables. "Some of these kids are kids you threw out. Not because you're a terrible leader, but just because they don't fit in. So, they have a place with me, a person who has no idea how she ended up becoming the leader and hates confrontation, no matter how much of it she gets herself into."
The Newsies at the table were silent for a few minutes.
Snowflake looked around at them. "I'm not mad... and I don't mean to come off hostile, but why would I come to you when you're going to get defensive and I'm going to get defensive right back?" she questioned. "It'll just start a fight, especially because I'm not close to any of you."
Spot reached over and squeezed her hand.
"I always thought Manhattan was the misfit group, but Snowflake's right," Match muttered. "And we've gotta do better."
Snowflake looked at him, almost a bit shocked.
"I mean, as Newsies, we're all fighting the same battle, aren't we?" Match looked around at the leaders at the table. "Like Jack said at the strike rally, we have to be in this together or we're nothing. So, I'm sorry for the trouble we've given you, Snowflake," he apologized, staring into her eyes. "Richmond will do better."
"Midtown will, too," Pack promised.
"So will Queens," Arrow spoke up.
"We all will," Craft stated.
Snowflake's eyebrows furrowed and she shook her head. "I- I'm not sure what to say." She swallowed. "Thank you." She looked at Spot.
Spot pursed his lips. "Let me guess... Brooklyn was the worst?"
Snowflake blinked. "Do you even have to ask?"
Spot sighed. "Yeah, I'll work on that." He rubbed the temples of his forehead. "Race is helping me work out the anger issues, along with the rest of my borough."
Snowflake shrugged, before cringing. "I do it too... kinda. Only at Revenge and Sling." She shuddered. "I hated them."
"Speaking of," Brady looked at Jack and Spot, "have we heard anything about him?"
Spot shook his head. "We think he died from hypothermia," he informed him. "No one ever saw him come back up for water."
"Good riddance," Robin muttered.
Match and Pack looked at him, their eyes wide.
"What?" Robin asked, confused.
"Who ruined the sunshine?" Match questioned. "Where's the "violence is not the answer" and "we don't wish death upon anyone"?" he asked, a bit shocked.
Arrow pursed his lips and looked away. "Totally not my fault."
"Arrow!" Match stood up. "In taking him under our wing, you weren't supposed to destroy his sunshine!" he complained.
Arrow put his hands up as if he was surrendering. "I didn't do it on purpose! He just hung around with me for too long!" he defended himself.
"Oh my lanta," Pack whispered, a bit exasperated. "I knew it was a terrible idea to trust you with him."
"Guys!" Robin complained. "I'm fifteen now! You can't baby me like this!"
"Hush," Brady muttered, ruffling his hair.
Robin pouted, his hair covering his eyes.
Snowflake looked at Jack and Spot. "Are they always like this?"
"Yes," Spot answered. "They've kinda adopted Robin because he's a very young and new leader, and they're trying to preserve his innocence while he learns how to lead," he explained.
Snowflake nodded. "It sounds like they did a great job," she muttered sarcastically.
Spot nodded in agreement.
"You know, he reminds me a bit of Race," Jack commented, chuckling. ""I'm fifteen, Jack! You can't baby me anymore!"" he mimicked him.
Spot looked at him. "Enjoy that because he's turning sixteen in a week," he reminded him.
Jack's eyes widened. "Oh my god, I totally forgot he is." He shook his head. "Ew, I hate that. He's growing up."
Spot sighed. "And we're getting older, too," he mumbled.
Snowflake nodded in agreement. "That we are."
1506 Words
I don't even care that I've already posted today. I'm so excited to keep writing stuff and seeing comments, so here's another chapter for you all