All is fair in Love and Strikes (Sprace)

Chapter 18 | Spot

Homophobia? Yeah 

Race had stayed with me for two nights already and none of my boys have spoken to me. Not once. They keep looking at me weirdly and whispering, and when they realize I'm watching, they shut up and scatter. I haven't been spared cold glares either. It's like I'm a tyrant now instead of a king, a leader.

I felt a pair of arms wrap around my torso from the back and felt a warm breath on my neck. "Guess who," Race asked. I chuckled. "Hey Racer," I said, turning around to face him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed our foreheads together. "How's it goin'?" He pecked my nose. "I'se gotta get back ta 'Hattan taday,'' He said. "Do ya have to?" I whined, adjusting my head so it was sitting on my boyfriend's right shoulder. He laughed. "Did tha King o' Brooklyn jus' whine at me?" I jumped backwards out of his arms and put on a tough look. "No!" He laughed some more and walked past me, pecking my cheek and grabbing my hand. He let our arms stretch all the way before letting go of my hand, letting it flop back to my side. "I'll see you lata, Spot, don' worry. Okay?" I reluctantly nodded my head. "Fine," I grumbled. He smiled at me and went out the front door of the lodging house.

I sighed but heard the light thump of footsteps behind me. I spun around to see Thunder coming from the back door and to the stairs leading to the next floor. "Hey, Thunda!" He glanced over nervously but ignored me. He made it a few steps up the stairs before I ran over and grabbed his arm. "Thunda what's been goin' on?" He continued to ignore me and attempted to pull his arm out of my grasp. In response, I tightened my grip. "Thunda, what's goin' on?" I repeated through gritted teeth. "Tha olda boys told me not ta talk ta you'se," he said nonchalant. "Why?" He averted his gaze and ignored me

I growled and stomped up the stairs to the bunk room, not letting go of Thunder's arm. I threw open the door, causing the Brooklyn newsies to look up. When they saw it was me, they turned back to what they were doing and ignored me. "That's it!" I yelled angrily. I pulled out my pimp cane and pointed it at them. "Someone he-ah is gonna tell me what's goin' on now!"

"That ain't gonna work anymo-ah Spot," Hotshot said, jumping down from his top bunk on the right side of the room. I directed my cane towards him. "Huh?"

"The cane, it ain't gonna help ya intimidate us anymo-ah." He repeated, walking toward me and pushing it over so it no longer pointed at him. "Not like it ever really did." I let go of Thunder's arm and he scampered to his bunk at the far end of the room. I straightened my back. "An' why is that?" I snarled. The newsies exchanged a glance. "I think we all know's why Spot," He said, shoving my chest a little. "Even you'se." I felt my face turn red and my anger flare. "You'se think I'se goin' soft!" I yelled. "You'se think I'se goin' goddamn soft! And why? Jus' because I like guys! Just because fo-ah the foist time in years, I'se found something, someone I truly care about!"

"What about us?" Lightning asked from the bunk bed he shared with Thunder, but another newsie shushed him.

"Ya haven't told 'im, have you'se?" I whipped my head around to see Cash. "What do ya mean I haven't told 'im?" I snarled. "About Demon, Shot." He raised an eyebrow. I felt my stance loosen and my pimp cane fell from my grip and clatter to the dusty wooden floor. "W-what about dem." I gulped. "You'se haven't even admitted it to yaself!" He exclaimed, approaching me. "You'se been lyin' to yaself! You'se our leada Spot."

"Shuddup Cash," I warned.

"You'se supposed ta be da strong one."

"Shuddup Cash."

"You'se supposed to protect us! I don't care if you'se gay or not. I don't support it, but you'se still a newsie. Demon and Shot, were still newsies. Why da hell should we listen ta you'se, when you'se can't admit that what happened ta dose boys, is your own goddamn f-" I socked him in the jaw before he could finish, both our ears were flaming red with anger. "I said ta shut the fuck up!" I screamed. He got up from where he collapsed on the floor, lightly touching where my fist and his face collided. We made eye contact and he shook his head. "You'se pathetic," he spat, venom dripping from his words, spittle sprinkling my face. He knocked into my shoulder and walked out of the room. The others followed him, the older boys giving me a glare or cold look on their way out. When I was the only one left in the room, my legs buckled and I collapsed, causing a cloud of dust and dirt to emerge from the floorboards. I sobbed. I sat there on my knees letting every tear roll of my face and onto the floor, memories echoing inside my head creating a cacophony of noise.

missing newsies

slurs and curses

I laughed

Twelve

"Dis is what we do!"

the boys were pushed over the bridge's side, tumbling into the cold water far below to their deaths

pushed over the bridge

deaths

ayyyyyyyyyyyye! i did it! i updated! thanks for sticking around. My A/N is basically the "hey guys!" chapter minus the fact that I hadn't updated. 

Also newsiesofny12 you better be knocking down a whole city this time considering how long it's taken me to update