FAMILIAR | Spot Conlon

Chp. 23: Lessons

I stare at Jack and Crutchy with my arms crossed.

"Why did yous wake me up early? No one is sellin today. We're supposed ta get a break" I was finally catching up on my beauty sleep and these bozos wake me up at the ass crack of dawn.

"We's just wanna help" Jack says

"Then let me go back ta bed"

"No"

"Ugh fine. So what am I doing here"

"We's teachin you how ta fight. Crutchy told me ya didn't know how and suggested we's should teach you"

"Yeah I's may not look like it but I was one of the best fighters before ma injury" Crutchy steps up.

"So yous gonna teach me how ta fight?"

"Yeah. We've set up some stuff for ya" Crutchy points his arm towards some burlap bags that are stuffed. I roll my eyes.

"Yous big setup is stuffed bags?" I say and look at them.

"Yeah. It is"

"Ok so what do I do"

"Punch the bag wit all ya got" I walk over to the bag and put my hands in a fighting position. Or at least what I think a fighting position is.

"That's good but you don't necessarily need ta have ya hands up" Crutchy comes over to me and adjusts my arms and hands a bit.

"Thanks" I punch the bag with my hand and immediately after cradle it.

"Ow!"

"Yeah it hurts" I look back at Jack.

"Well you could've told me that"

"Well we didn't. Get over it and keep punchin" Jack is being really rude and it's annoying.

"Why are yous actin like an ass Jack"

"Because I's don't want you ta get hurt"

"It's cause I'm a girl right" I knew this would happen. But I thought Jack wasn't like the others. Guess everyone in the world thinks girls are fragile creatures. Asshats.

"I thought you were different" I start to walk away.

"It's not that. I just..."

"What. What is it then"

"Look yous sorta a little sista ta me!" Did he just... uhm... what? I've never had a big brother but I've always wanted one. Hearing Jack say that almost brings tears to my eyes.

"Really?" I stop walking and turn around to face him.

"Yeah yous kinda like the sista I neva had. I~ I knows we haven't known eachotha for long but it's true" Crutchy clears his throat and I remember that he's here to.

"The bags look a little lonely Camryn"

"Oh, right, I'll try again"

I walk back over to them and the bags. I punch the bag again. But this time harder.

"Yous actually really good" I turn around with a wide smile on my face.

"Ya think so Crutchy?"

"Yeah yous not too bad"

I pull them both into a big hug and I wish it lasted longer.

"Thanks guys"

I keep practicing on the bags for the rest day. Occasionally I would 'fight' with Jack or Crutchie. They think I've gotten a lot better and I feel a lot more confident in my punching and kicking.

"Now that you have that down you need ta practice dodging"

"Oh I can already do that"

I turn around to face Jack who is about to clock me in the face. I catch his fist right in time and start twisting his arm. He starts patting it and I know that means to let go.

I let go of his arm and he takes it and rubs it.

"Yeah she's got it Crutchy" I chuckle.

"Told ya"

"I guess I've always thought I was a bad fighter since I've neva really had to fight before"

"What about in Brooklyn" I sit down on one of the benches nearby.

"Spot was always there" They exchange a look and I sit there confused.

"What?" They don't say anything.

"Come on guys tell me" I slightly nudge them in the arm but they just laugh and don't say anything. So I do the only logical thing.

I push off the bench and start running. I look back and they're chasing me. Being a newsie is so much fun. We run through the streets laughing and shouting at each other. I keep running until I can't anymore. The boys are nowhere to be seen so I walk through the streets to get back to the lodges.

The streets are really peaceful at night. Until some rando jumps out and tackles you. Which is exactly what happens. Just my luck.There are 2 and they are both wearing masks so I can't see their faces.

Thank god I learned how to fight today. I punch one in the face to get him off my back for a bit. I jump up onto the statue nearby and jump down onto the shoulders of the other one. He starts to fall and I jump off him landing right on my feet.

The other one comes from behind and tackles me to the ground. I try to push him off but can't. The guy that fell comes running towards me. I stick my foot out, tripping him and he tumbles down taking the other guy with him.

I hunch over grabbing my breath but one of the guys comes up behind me. He grabs my arms from behind my back and holds them tight so I can't use them. The other guy comes at me and I kick him in the groin. He hunches over in pain. He had it coming.

I push my body backwards until the guy behind me hits the statue. He lets go of my arms and I punch him. I push him to the ground and straddle him. I repeatedly punch him in the face until he stops moving. Oh god did I kill him.

I take off his mask so he can breathe better. Even if they attacked me they don't deserve to suffocate.

I look at their face and see Mush. What the hell why would he attack me.

He coughs so luckily he isn't dead. But wait if that's Mush then... I walk over to the other one hunched over on the ground. I take off his mask and see Jack.

I take in what happened and realize I just punched Mush repeatedly and kicked Jack you know where. And after he pretty much calls me a sister. Good going Camryn.

"What the hell guys"

"We's wanted ta see if yous could really handle yerself in a fight"

"And you definitely did" Mush has propped himself up on the statue and Jack is leaning on me.

"I'm really sorry bout, well, everything guys"

"Don't worry it's fine" I look at Mush then back at Jack.

"If you say so" I help them both up off the ground and we head back to the lodge.
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OMG guys i'm so sorry I didn't update! I got grounded and my devices were taken away so I couldn't update. But OH MY GOD. 1.13k views and almost 50 votes! You guys are amazing. Thank you so much, I never thought this would do this well.