The Tide'll be Turnin (A Sprace Story)

Chapter 5

"So, where's Spot?"

It was the first question when we got back, proposed by Blink. Everyone huddled around us to find out what was going on.

"He was concerned about us being serious." Jack responds. "Can you imagine that?"

"Well, Jack, maybe we ought to ease off a little, ya know?" Blink says, rubbing the back of his neck. "Without Spot and the others, there's not enough of us, Jack."

"Jack, maybe we're moving too soon." Mush says. "Maybe we ain't ready, you know?"

They have a point. A valid one nonetheless, but we can't just stop now, can we?

"I think we should forget about it for a little while." Skittery says.

"Oh, do ya?" Jack asks, obviously getting annoyed. "Hey, who are we kidding here? Spot was right. Is it just a game to you guys?"

The boys said a few words of disagreement and I saw Davey starting to walk away. I pulled out my cigar and lit it, taking a puff.

"Open the gates and seize the day. Don't be afraid and don't delay. Nothing can break us. No one can make us, Give our rights away."

I look up at Jack to see he's starring at Davey, obviously in awe of him. I grin and roll my eyes, looking over at Davey myself.

"Arise and seize the day!"

I jump as a few of the Newsies go flying over my head, having jumped off the statue that we're standin by.

"Now is the time to seize the day!"

"Now is the time to seize the day!"

"Send out the call and join the fray!"

"Send out the call and join the fray!"

"Wrongs will be righted! If we're united! Let us seize the day!"

"Friends of the Friendless seize the day!"

"Friends of the Friendless seize the day!"

"Raise up the torch and light the way"

"Raise up the torch and light the way"

"Proud and defiant! We'll slay the giant! Let us seize the day!"

I grab Blink's arm and pull him over, pointing at Jack who's still starring in awe at Davey. Blink cracks up when he sees this which makes me crack up with him.

"Neighbor to neighbor! Father to son! One for all and all for one!"

"Open the gates and seize the day!"

"Open the gates and seize the day!"

"Don't be afraid and don't delay!"

"Don't be afraid and don't delay!"

"Nothing can break us! No one can make us, Give our rights away! Neighbor to neighbor! Father to son! One for all and all for one!"

The circulation bell starts to ring.

"Anybody hear that?!" Jack yells out to us.

"No!"

"So what're we gonna do 'bout it?!"

"Soak 'em!"

We all run through the gates and crowed around the stairs that lead down from the window. We watch as some newsies throw down their papes, others walking down with none in their hands. Then a boy walks down the stairs and faces Jack, his papes slung over his shoulder. He then tries to push past Jack, but is pushed back. Everyone's infuriated at that. He tries to walk away a few other ways but is continued to be pushed back.

"Now, Jack, just don't—" Davey starts, but Jack slaps the papers out of the boy's hands.

The boy goes to pick them up, but ends up ramming into Jack. That's when the fighting begins. Every newsie there starts grabbing the papers and ripping them to shreds, throwing them in the air, stompin on them, whatever they wanted. Pages of the newspapers are flying everywhere, just then we hear a whistle blowing.

"Hey, it's the bulls!" Jack yells. "Hey, beat it! Beat it, it's the bulls!"

We all run out of the circulation center. I look back to see Crutchie hadn't noticed the cops.

"Crutchy! Scram! Scram!" I yell out to him.

I turn back and take off with the rest of the boys. We all end up separating so it's harder for the bulls to find us. Mush, Blink and I run through a narrow walkway and up a crossroad. We end up in an Alleyway filled with crates. We fall behind some of the crates to catch our breath.

"You two okay?" Mush asks between breaths.

I notice that Blink has a cut down his cheek.

"I'm fine, but Blink, your bleedin." I say, pointing to his cheek.

He then wipes the blood from his cheek.

"I'm fine. It ain't deep. But you got a cut down ya arm, Mush."

I look at Mush's arm and see that Blink's right. He has a cut down his arm and it looks deeper then Blink's.

"It's fine." Mush says.

Blink then Tears his shirt sleeve off and wraps Mush's arm in it. Mush looks down, blushing. I snicker at this.

"So, everyone got out?" Blink asks.

"I ain't too sure." I respond, rubbing the back of my neck. "I saw Crutchie hadn't noticed, so I yelled for 'im ta scram. Not sure if he got away.."

"Well, we'll see if he's okay when we get back." Mush says.

Me and Blink both nod and we stand up.

"Well, back to da Lodging House?" Blink asks.

We nod, and walk back to the lodging house.

When we get there I see some of the newsies attending to wounds, others sitting on their beds.

"Alright, there back!" Jack yells to everyone. "Is Crutchie wit' you guys?" He asks, walking over to us.

"No..." I say, rubbing my neck.

Jack runs his fingers through his hair as he walks away.

"Right. Me and Davey are goin ta get 'im." Jack says.

"Well, where do you think he is?" Davey asks.

"Da Refuge." Jack responds.

We all exchange looks.

"Be careful you two." I say, chewing nervously on my cigar.

Jack nods and grabs Davey's wrist, leading him out the door.

"Ya think they'll be okay?" Blink asks.

"Prolly. Davey's ratha careful. And I don't think he'll let anything happen to Jack." I respond. "Or da otha way 'round."

I go to sit on my bed while Blink takes Mush over to clean up the cut on his arm. I light my cigar and lean my head back onto the wall. I silently hope that Jack and Davey are okay. Hope they didn't get caught by Snyder if he was out. Hope they don't get caught while they're there.

"So, what did Spot say about the strike?" Mush asks from across the room.

"He said we gotta show 'im we won't run when some goons come at us with clubs." I say, almost quoting him exactly.

The other's talking fades away as I zone out. I think about what Spot said. About Spot. He seems to trust me more then Jack or Davey, seeing as he lets me sell in Brooklyn. I silently make a plan to go see him again tomorrow. Try to convince him to join us. I doubt it'll make any difference but I still feel the need to try. For Crutchy