...
once spot had finally come back to his senses the next morning, he realised amara couldn't walk, and so he made her stay at home - well, it wasn't home, per se. she was kept in the lodging house with the very young newsies - most of them under five. she wasn't too thrilled about staying back, the main reason being she hadn't sold in three days and she knew that the very little money that she had saved up wouldn't last long.
the little kids weren't bad, amara told them some over-the-top story that she remembered from when she was little - something about a girl who ran away with a boy who stayed forever young - and then they ran off. amara didn't move from her spot on 'her' bunk all day, her leg taking a while to heal. when day turned to night, however, she escaped out the nearest window and took off.
as much as she didn't want to, she ran to manhattan, since she didn't have anywhere else to go, really. and by ran, it was more of a stumble-walk run thing with frequent stops because there were shooting pains up her leg. she didn't really care - that was the first lie she told herself - as she just wanted to run away. she needed space and air and not to be confined in such a small room. it felt like a prison to her, being locked in a room that actually had all she needed, but nothing she wanted.
scratch that, she wasn't sure what she wanted.
amara's breathing was rough as she finally reached the lodging house, her fist knocking lightly on the wood. she leaned up against the door, exhausted, and practically fell through it when it was opened. she landed on a boy who was not at all prepared for her to come crashing down on top of him, and he hit the wall with a soft 'thud'.
" 'ey, easy there," he said quietly, shifting so he could stand up. he wrapped her arm around his shoulder, calling out to someone. "jack, help," amara heard him shout, dragging her through into the house.
that was the last thing she heard before the scene faded to black.
...
when amara woke up, her head hurt like hell, and it took a second for her eyes to adjust to the light. "fuck," she mumbled, rubbing her forehead. seated around the bed was six-wait, no, four boys, three of them not even looking at her. the one looking at her smiled softly, his elbows on the bed and his chin resting in his hands.
"mornin', sleepin' beauty," jack teased, poking out his tongue as he grinned.
amara rolled her eyes, ruffling up his hair. "what happened?"
"you passed out," a boy who she hadn't met yet explained, now making eye contact with her. "you seemed pretty exhausted when you fell through 'ta door."
"oh god," amara shook her head, looking down as she remembered how helplessly she fell on him. "i's sorry."
"don't be," he smiled a little, holding out his hand, the other twirling a slingshot around his fingers. "m' name's finch, by 'ta way."
"amara," the girl shook his hand firmly, wincing a bit as she sat back up. "god, i's feel like hell."
"what'cha get for runnin' away," a blonde boy with his back to amara said, not bothering to turn around. amara immediately recognised who it was from his voice, and there was a pang of guilt that ran through her veins. there was also a spark of anger than ran through at the same time, and she acted on that instead.
"or maybe for standin' up for what's right," she shot back, her words sharper than she intended. she didn't know if she was talking about standing up to oscar, or race. she didn't think it mattered much.
race swivelled around, catching her gaze. "what's right?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow. "tell me, actually, what's right. i's actually want 'ta know."
the three boys around the pair looked a little confused. to be fair, amara was too. not by his words, but herself. what even was right anymore?
albert, who had been sitting next to race this entire time, look off his hat and slapped race in the shoulder. "stop pressurin' her. she's injured. leave 'er alone," he sassed, red hair falling everywhere as he shook his head a little.
amara gave him a grateful smile, and let her head fall back on the wall. her eyes fell closed as she calmed down, only for the peace to be interrupted by a reasonably loud voice. "amara!" it shouted, and the figure came running up to the bed.
"jojo?" she opened her eyes, quirking an eyebrow at the boy who was kneeling at the side on the bed.
"the one and only," he grinned, but tilted his head as he realised how stiff her posture was. "is yous okay?"
"just peachy," a smile tugged at amara's lips as she looked down at the boy, ruffling his hair up a little.
jojo didn't look convinced, but grinned anyway.
jack glanced between the pair, nudging albert in the shoulder as he looked around at the other boys. "we's gonna leave you two in peace," he said, expecting the other boys to follow. most of them nodded, and got up, but one blonde boy didn't move. "race?"
he shook out of his trance, looking up. "oh," he mumbled quietly, standing up. he paused before he left, giving amara a look before jogging off.
once jack had left, jojo raised an eyebrow. "what's up wit' him?" he asked, confused.
amara shrugged. she wasn't sure.
the boy sighed, flopping on the bed. "i'm bored," he grumbled, eyes staring up at the top of the bunk.
"i's could tell 'ya a story," amara offered, not really being serious, but she didn't have much else to do either.
jojo's eyes lit up. "really?" he asked, tilting his head.
"really," amara confirmed, laughing softly under her breath.
the boy sat up, letting his head fall into his hands. "i's would like that."
"okay, but yous gotta be quiet, don't interrupt. otherwise i's won't be able 'ta get through it before mornin'. deal?" she asked, lowering her voice. jojo nodded quickly, and amara began the story.
"once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl named ella. she and her family lived in a dainty little cottage in the woods. they were a very happy family, though her father traveled alot for his work.
one day, ella's mother fell very ill, and her father was out for work. she didn't have anyone to care for her, so she had to do all the housework and the cooking and look after her mother all by herself. as you can imagine, her mother did not recover from the illness, and it was not until her father came home that he found out."
"what's goin' on?" a boy came up to the pair, sitting on the end of the bed.
jojo, who was now lying on his stomach as he listened, groaned. "amara's tellin' a story, specs. now shush."
the boy obeyed, and amara continued.
"not too long later, the father decided to remarry. the woman he was ought to marry also had two daughters, which the father insisted that ella get along with. ella was not too keen on the idea, but she knew better than to argue with her father. when the carriage that the woman and her children were to arrive in pulled up at their house, ella rushed out to meet them, hoping that they would be nice, kind people like her mother. they, however, were quite the contrast, and ella did not quite like them at all.
despite all this, she said nothing, and simply smiled and prepared the food and cleaned the house like she most always did. soon after the wedding between the woman and ella's father was held, the father went off for work. because of a storm, however, he did not return home."
"that's sad," a new boy who amara hadn't noticed yet said, his eyes fixed to the girl.
"we know, mush, now shut up," albert, who was sitting at the end of the bed with his legs crossed said, thwacking him in the head.
"ouch!" he winced, rubbing the spot where he'd been hit. amara laughed a little.
"when the step-mother and step-sisters found out, however, they did not weep or cry like ella did. instead, they rejoiced, ordering ella to prepare them a feast. though ella argued, she got to work like she always did.
four years had passed since her father's death, and she had earned herself the name of "cinderella", given to her by one of the step-sisters one day whilst she was cleaning the fireplace out. ella did not like the nickname - she didn't like the sisters - but she didn't argue, she just got along with what she was ordered to do like she always did. she was never allowed out of the house during the day, she just stayed inside and cleaned. it was tiring, and at night, if she wasn't too tired, she would go outside and just breathe in the fresh air. it was refreshing, getting out. she didn't have many friends, though, just the stray rats here and there."
one of the boys retched, and amara laughed, coming back to earth as she realised she was lost in her own world. there were ten or so boys seated around her bed, and they were all listening intently.
"one day, the eldest twin of the step-sisters came running into ella's room in the attic, holding a card with a golden border around the outside. 'mother wants you to help with our outfits, cinderella,' anastasia sneered, sticking her nose in the air like she always did.
'do it yourselves, i have the cupboard to clean, like mother wanted me to,' ella shot back, groaning a little.
anastasia wasn't having it though. 'well she says you need to help us now,' she snarked, and stormed off down the stairs. ella rolled her eyes, and followed her into the twins' room.
when ella's step-mother and step-sisters moved into ella and her father's house, the mother insisted that the twins move into ella's room. her father was a kind, quiet man, and didn't argue, they all moved in together. when he died, however, the girls all forced ella into the attic.
'cinderella!' the step-mother snapped when the girl walked into the room, shoving her in the direction of the twins.
they were both very different in appearance. anastasia, the oldest - by two minutes, she liked to say that she was in charge because of that fact - was short and big-boned. she often spent hours eating pastries in the parlour. she barely moved all day. the youngest twin, drizella - she used her 'young charm' to get whatever she wanted - was tall and slim as a twig. she spent her time looking at her own reflection.
ella stumbled a little, finding her footing before looking up at step-mother. 'what is it?' she asked, sighing a little under her breath.
'get my daughters ready for the ball,' the older woman ordered, before storming out of the room. ella had this overwhelming urge to shout 'up yours,' but she stayed quiet.
a couple boys laughed a little.
ella turned to drizella, trying to stay calm. 'ball?' she asked, finding a needle and thread to adjust the girl's dress with.
'the prince is holding a ball tomorrow night. only the finest young woman are allowed to attend. that'd why we got invitations and you didn't get one, scab,' the girl snickered, bumping ella so she fell into the table. "oops."
ella groaned softly, standing up carefully so she didn't stab her finger with the needle, and slipped the thread through the loop. she took a deep breath, before threading the dress at it's waist. she bit her lip as she worked, and in the span of an hour, she had both the dresses done.
" 'ey, buttons, i's didn't know yous had a story," finch, who was kneeling at the side of the bed said, hitting the boy in the shoulder.
"shuddup," the boy laughed, hitting him back.
'now don't rip the stitches, because i won't fix them again,' ella said as she placed the needle on the table gently, turning back to the twins.
they laughed with an awful smile on their face. 'sure you will, scab,' anastasia sneered, and gave ella a quick shove before exiting the room.
amara stopped, looking around at the bed. there were twenty or so boys, some on the bed and some piled on top of each other, all listening eagerly. "and that," she smiled softly, "is all i's tellin' you t'day."
all the boys collectively groaned.
"why's can't yous tell us some more?" crutchie asked, who was standing up against the wall instead on on the bed.
"i's gotta get home," amara shrugged, though she didn't quite know what home was anymore.
"ain't here home?" jojo looked at her, wide-eyed.
amara paused. she wasn't expecting that answer.
"leave 'er alone," jack said to jojo from his spot next to crutchie, nudging him with his elbow with a small laugh. "if she's has 'ta go home, let 'er go home. now, boys, yous need 'ta go to bed."
all the boys groaned again, but they got up and went off to their respective beds. amara looked up at jack with a little smile. "thank yous," she said softly, looking down at her hands.
"you're welcome," he replied, returning the smile as he walked away.
the girl let her head fall against the wall, and she closed her eyes, letting her mind wander as she sat.
"that was some story," a voice entered amara's ears, and her eyes fluttered open. sitting at the edge of her bed still was racetrack, and he was smoking a cigar. he took a drag of it, and blew out smoke.
amara shrugged. "it's what i's do best - make up stories," she said simply, telling the truth for once. it seemed to be the only thing she was doing lately, making up stories.
the blonde turned to her, one eyebrow quirked. he said nothing about that comment, though, and looked away, as if he was thinking about what she said. "yous stayin' here?"
"no," amara replied, sighing a little. "got places 'ta be."
"mmm," racetrack answered, taking the cigar out of his mouth and twirling it between his fingers. his eyes seemed sort of glazed, not looking over at her as he talked. "why can't that place be here?" he finally said, glancing at her for a second.
this time, amara was the one to break eye contact. her eyes darted down to her hands, her fingers intertwining with each other. "i's couldn't. sp-" she stopped herself quickly, not wanting to expose herself yet. "-my brothers would kill me."
"yous seem 'ta care an awful lot about them, but yous ain't ever around them," racetrack pointed out.
"ain't that what fam'ly's like?" amara replied, looking up at him, almost challengingly.
"wouldn't know," racetrack shot back, sending her the same fierce look at he got up from his spot on the bed. he walked away from the bunk, as if he didn't have anything else to say, and amara was fine with that.
she was fine with being alone.
and that's how she spent the night walking back to brooklyn.
alone.