Letters and Dances | Skittery

Four Letter Word - 10

As Snyder left the building and the front door slammed shut, Y/N felt her muscles relax and she let out a breath.

Jack seemed to have ran off to God knows where again.

Y/N looked around at the tired Newsies. The younger boys were fast asleep, apart from the two who were hiding from the girl and trying to get Racetrack to teach them how to gamble. Quelle surprise.
Y/N took her cap off and placed it on backwards, it made it somehow easier to keep loose strands out of her eyes. A sudden pain filling her lower stomach.

She let go of Skittery's hand that she hadn't noticed she was holding in the first place and headed towards the bunk room. Skittery felt the absence of her hand mere seconds later and saw her heading up the stairs so he followed.

Just as he entered the room he saw her heading towards the washroom, close the door and then lock it.
Skittery didn't want to intrude but wanted to make sure that she would be alright so he stayed in his bunk; a piece of paper and small pencil in his grip.

Meanwhile, Y/N had a growing pain in her lower abdomen. She put a large pot on the stove that they would use to heat up bathing water and let it sit there for a couple minutes. The footsteps that followed her didn't bother her. In fact she didn't care who it was as long as they left her alone as her irritation grew. She forget that she was supposed to get her monthly visit from hell and the pain wasn't getting better. She poured the hot water from the pot into their metal tub and then pumped some cold water to cool it down so she wouldn't scorch herself. She slipped off her clothes as the candle light flickered and bounced off her skin.

A streak of red already visible on her trousers, Y/N climbed in quickly. Placing a towel behind her head, she leaned her face down on the side of the tub and closed her eyes. The hot water easing her pain.

Skittery heard the water and splashing and jumped off of his bunk and placed the note onto her pillow for the third time. He knocked on the wooden door. He heard a sigh and then the girl bark out, "What?"

The boy knew something was wrong, she did this once a month and always seemed very angry around the time. He swallowed his saliva and opened his mouth, a somewhat choking sound escaped his lips and he realised that he didn't know what to say. "Which one of you is it?" Her voice called out again, followed by splashing.
"It's... uhh... it's just me! I wanted to... erm... make sure you were alright?"

I light chuckle came through the door.

Y/N found it cute that he was worried about her. She knew he didn't know much about lady problems but he would help her anyway. "Yeah, lady stuff," Skittery's mouth formed an o shape and he scratched his neck, "Can you get me one of those towels in my drawer. Please." She whispered. Not wanting to be any louder due to the boys being asleep. Skittery hummed and shuffled his way over, grabbing a towel and then softly knocking on the door again. He got a quiet 'come in' and he closed his eyes as he tried to manoeuvre his way to the tub.

✄

The following morning Y/N had found out that her brother had invited Sarah to inform her of the rally, that they were planning on making take place in the evening. She realised the girl Jack was most likely falling for would be dressing nice. This intimidated the Kelly girl. She didn't own dresses, at least not since she started leaving on the streets. The hormones also weren't helping her current feelings. She cursed to herself and headed towards Irving Hall, knowing Medda would be there and glad to help the girl out.

✄

The summer sun shone brightly, causing Y/N to grow warmer and sweatier as she ran towards the grand building. She quickly slipped in through the back door. She heard a piano play, missing keys so it didn't sound melodic, and a feminine voice speak, "Put the swing further up the walkway!"

Y/N leaned against the frame of one of the walls and gazed at the older woman in an orange dress. The Kelly giggled  as men stumbled with the swing, grabbing Medda's attention towards her. "My, my! Y/N Kelly!" The golden haired woman cheered, spreading her arms in a manner that signalled a hug. Y/N smiled and gladly accepted, arms wrapping around her.

They talked for a while, breaking every couple minutes to make sure everything was going well with setting up the hall.

After a while, Y/N broke the chitchat to ask Medda if she could help her. "Medda, I was wondering if you could," Y/N she wasn't sure how to say it 'make me prettier?' 'Make me look like a girl?' But it seemed Medda knew what she ment when she saw the facial expression on the young girls face. She smiled kindly and said "Yes, my dear." and took her by the hand to the dressing room. 

✄

As boys filled the theatre, Y/N chewed on her now darker pink lip. Medda had picked out a simple dress for her, not wanting to make her too uncomfortable. It was quite loose, fake buttons going from the collar down to where a thick white ribbon was tied above the waist. The dark blue material of the dress was soft and ended just above her ankles, exposing white tights and black shoes with a small heel.

Her hair was curled lightly. A small, white straw hat was placed onto her head with a matching blue ribbon on it. Medda also allowed her to take a warm bath with soap, shampoo, conditioner and all.

She took a deep breath in as she saw her brother walk in with Sarah who was wearing a white and purple polka dot dress with a matching hat. Y/N smiled to herself as Jack caught her eye. As he did so his jaw dropped and as Sarah saw this she looked in the same direction, her jaw dropping too but quickly being replaced with a toothy smile. Sarah unhooked her arm from Jack's and ran over to Y/N, the boy still standing there with an open mouth. "You look," she tried to find the right word: "Amazing is probably too little of a word."

Y/N smiled in gratitude, actually feeling happy with how she looked. But it didn't feel like her. They conversed for a couple minutes, Jack still trying to grasp the fact that that was his sister. Sarah and Y/N linked arms and headed to where all the tables were, passing by Jack so Sarah grasped him by the hand and pulled him along.  The shock still keeping him lightly paralysed.

They sat at one of the bigger tables, waiting for Spot Conlon to show up with his Brooklynites. Of course they were going to be late.

Skittery was sat a table away on the side with Kid Blink and Racetrack. Tumbler by his side playing with a chestnut man.  His attention catching a pretty (H/C) haired girl, to then realise it was Y/N. He had to squint his eyes, not believing what they saw. That was Y/N. Right? It didn't look it. Yeah she seemed happy and pretty. But, for some reason, the way she looked angered him. She didn't need to try to look gorgeous. She already was. To him. She could be covered in bruises (but he would've killed who made them anyhow), dirt and blood, and he would still love her.

His eyes grew wide.

He loved her.

••••

Edited: 2 November 2020
Words: 1332