The End of the Dock

[Administrator]

Most newsies come near here, to either get some piece and quiet or to swim.

[moth]

***NEW DAY***

Moth sat at the end of the dock with her feet hanging in the water. She though about what it would be like to live in the water. Like a fish of course!!!! She was always one of those people who thought of things differently. People would always say she was abnormal or abstract. She didn't mind being called that of course. She new she would have original ideas and some people were rather fond of that.

She could fell the fish swimming around her feet, tickling her toes. Her long brown hair was blowing back and she could hear the whistling of the wind in her ears. Small waves had formed around her ankles as she had kicked her feet up and down. The sun was up in the sky as the sky had changed from its soft blue to its pink and yellows. She sat as she watched all of the ships start to dock and some just starting to set sail. She had always wondered what it was like to sail the seas in the night.

As she sat and watched the sun slowly set her mind was drifting in all different directions, she felt like she needed to savor all the thoughts in her mind. She felt like she needed to share them with someone. Someone who would understand just like her. The only problem was she didn't really fit in with the other newsies and she didn't think very many of them would like to know what she was thinking or what she wanted to explore. But Moth had known there had to be one person like her. They might not be just like her, but probable pretty close. Moth slowly brought her feet out of the water and hugged her knees as she looked at all of the fish swimming around in circles like they were her mind, racing with different ideas. She knew that someone had to feel the same way.

[Blackjack]

BlackJack walked along the docks, trying to keep his mind off of his mother. Her illness was getting worse, and he couldn't help but feel scared, he didn't want to be an orphan. He wanted his mother to be happy, and not sick. Having no idea why he was in Brooklyn, he looked over at the end of the dock, and saw a girl with her feet in the water. It reminded him of Babydoll, who felt like a little sister to him sort of. Or maybe a cousin. "Hey!" he called out, runing over, "It's freezing out, your feet'll freeze together soon enough if they haven't now."

He always felt protective towards younger kids, since, they were the future generation, and probably would be like that for a while. BlackJack was just plain out protective of people, probably because he didn't like losing people. Whether he hated them or not, he just didn't like losing people. It was a thing with him. If he ever lost someone, then he always felt bad, a nausious feeling in the pit of his stomach, that wouldn't leave at all. If he didn't know someone well, then it nevered matter to him, but if it was someone, he just felt plain out awful.

[moth]

"Hey, it's freezing out, you feet'll freeze together soon enough if they haven't now"

Moth quickly jumped up, and felt water hit her face. She looked at him realizing he wasn't much older then her. "What do you care? I mean its not like I am a little kid, and it's not like you are much older then me." Moth gave him a glare like she didn't care what he really said. 'He is only like one or two years older then me.' Moth thought to himself. She looked at him trying to catch his eyes, to try to see if she could kind of read his though. She knew she had probable been a little rude a second ago. 'He was only trying to protect me,' she kept thing. Moth then brushed her hands on the side of her pants. They were filthy from having them on the dock where people are walking all of the time. Once she felt like they were clean enough she stuck out her hand hoping he would grab it. "Hi, sorry about that. I am Moth. You?" He seemed like an interesting person she thought.

[Blackjack]

"What do you care? I mean its not like I am a little kid, and it's not like you are much older then me."

"What do I care? Well I'm positive Spot wouldn't like one of his newsies have no feet. He'd push you off the top of the lodging house!" he added the last part quickly, "And dont tell me it's a myth I met a survivor of that." BlackJack thought Spot was a nice guy... sometimes. Other than that he would rather stay in Manhattan if it kept him save enough to not be pushed off of a roof into a river.

"Hi, sorry about that. I am Moth. You?"

He nodded, shaking her hand, "BlackJack. You are Brooklyn right? Cause I dont think I've met a lot of Brooklyn girls before." Well, he never really bothered to meet one, so there was no point. That, and he didn't really know how tough they were, so itwas kind of hard to decide whether you should be scared that a girl could soak you easily, or if you should be concerned that a girl could beat you up fairly easily.

Well, for one thing, BlackJack sure as heck didn't know.

[moth]

"What do I care? Well I'm positive Spot wouldn't like one of his newsies have no feet. He'd push you off the top of the lodging house!"

Moth thought about it and though he was probable right. "Well I am as sure as hell positive that Spot isn't going to find out that I have had my feet in the water." She felt her stubborn side come onto her. "And I am pretty sure I know how to protect myself." She closed her eyes hoping he would be gone. There were already so many newsies trying to baby her she didn't need another one.

"And dont tell me it's a myth I met a survivor of that."

He probable had so Moth wasn't about to argue with him because she knew it was true, but she just wanted to do something where not everyone was trying to take care of her, or watch out for her. "I wasn't plannin' on it." She looked down a the dock where she had just been sitting.

"BlackJack. You are Brooklyn right? Cause I dont think I've met a lot of Brooklyn girls before."

She looked at him trying to hold back a laugh. "Yes I am from Brooklyn. But I could already tell that you haven't met a Brooklyn girl before." She examined his body, getting that he was not to weak, but he could still work harder on his toughness factor. I mean just by the way he looked at people you could tell that he was afraid of something. She started to wonder what he was thinking, and even what he was doing in Brooklyn. "So what are you doing in Brooklyn?" He really didn't look like someone who would hand around here.

[Blackjack]

"Well I am as sure as hell positive that Spot isn't going to find out that I have had my feet in the water. And I am pretty sure I know how to protect myself."

He snorted, "Oh yes, you can totally defend yourself from the infamous Spot Conlon, especially when he has all those little birdies posted around New York. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them was watching us right now." BlackJack looked around, because he almost felt positive he was being watched. He wasn't in his borough, he rarely came to Brooklyn, but this was only cause he honestly just had to get out.

"Yes I am from Brooklyn. But I could already tell that you haven't met a Brooklyn girl before."

He nodded, "Nope. Never. I'm more the kind to stick around Manhattan, and Harlem on the off chance." BlackJack held back a wince when he said Harlem. His mom was in Harlem, so that was his only reason to be there. Other than that, he didn't bother. The thought of his mother made him sad, but he made sure it didn't show, he didn't want to seem weak.

He never wanted to be weak. Not while his mother needed someone strong to help her.

"So what are you doing in Brooklyn?"

"I just..." he sighed, "I just had to get out. Was getting claustrophobic." BlackJack figured, if anything, he could probably talk to this Moth girl. She wasn't as tough looking as the other girls he had heard of, and htere probably was a reason she was there too. It seemed every day just made it seem like the space around him was closing in, and it always felt like others would breathe down his neck while he counted.

[moth]

"Oh yes, you can totally defend yourself from the infamous Spot Conlon, especially when he has all those little birdies posted around New York. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them was watching us right now."

Moth had realized BlackJack had probable been right. I mean Spot had someone everywhere all the time. It was kinda like you couldn't use the lo without someone watching you. But, after awhile she had kinda gotten used to people always watching her. It made her fell safe and protected. "How do I know you aren't one of those 'little birdies'?" Moth hated it when people made a big deal out of something so little as one person watching you and none of the newsies were never not being watched.

"Nope. Never. I'm more the kind to stick around Manhattan, and Harlem on the off chance."

"Hmm.." Moth knew Harlem and Manhattan were pretty much the same, but they had their little differences. "Not to bad. I guess sneaking off to brooklyn gave to the sense of danger." She let out a little laugh to let him know she was joking around. BlackJack didn't seem to bad after all she thought. It seemed as though there was something that clicked between them. She rarely met anyone like that. So she thought it was kinda neat.

"I just...I just had to get out. Was getting claustrophobic."

Moth knew how that felt. She felt like it was always like that in her world and she never really was able to get away. "Yah," She heard herself mumble. "I know how that feel's." She couldn't believe she was actually meeting someone that was like her. She brushed her brown curls out of her eyes to look at him. "It's like even though there are so many places to go you can't seem to ever get away from the one thing that is keeping you in." She finally knew someone would understand what she was talking about.

[Blackjack]

"How do I know you aren't one of those 'little birdies'?"

He snorted, "Of course, he really likes using Manhattan newsies as birds now. Didn't ya hear about that?" BlackJack's sarcasm wasn't meant to be hurtful, he was just having a bit of a rough day, to say at least. Well, when you were learning your mother might die, then you kind of had to have had a bad day. The doctors didn't even believe she would live. That thought made him want to go punch one of the doctors in the face, saying how she deserved to life.

"Not to bad. I guess sneaking off to brooklyn gave to the sense of danger."

"Eh," he shrugged, "I just knew none of my friends would follow me here." BlackJack didn't want to deal with them. Because then they would find out about his mother, and how she was dying, and they would probably try to give him the sympathy he didn't want or need. Sure, he was good at being sympathetic at people, but he hated having people give him sympathy. It made him feel like he had to have it because people gave it too him.

"It's like even though there are so many places to go you can't seem to ever get away from the one thing that is keeping you in."

He nodded, leaning against a beam, "Yea, and then you have something on your chest, that you just have to get off but then you cant, cause other's wouldn't understand." It felt like, in a way, Moth kind of understood, without knowing. BlackJack felt comfortable with that. Maybe it was because he was so used to feeling like he was the only one who felt that way, but now, he thought he found someone who know how he felt about things, and how life kind of sucked at the moment.

[moth]

"Of course, he really likes using Manhattan newsies as birds now. Didn't ya hear about that?"

Moth laughed a little bit realizing what she had just said. "Well it could happen, I guess. I mean Spot and Jack are such close friends." She had finally met up with his eyes and it made her fell warm inside, like a hug you never want to pull away from. She started to smile and it felt to her like she hadn't done that in ages.

"I just knew none of my friends would follow me here."

She knew that hardly any of the Manhattan newsies would ever migrate over to Brooklyn. "I guess. Brooklyn can be quiet though, even though it has a tough reputation. So I think that makes you a lot tougher then most of the Manhattan newsies because you actually came down here and half of the others wouldn't dare" Moth thought she was pretty right. Most other newsies wouldn't come down here. Moth liked the way BlackJack was starting to talk to her. It was like he was talking to her like a person not like she was the lowest thing on the food chain.

"Yea, and then you have something on your chest, that you just have to get off but then you cant, cause other's wouldn't understand."

Moth felt herself smile again. She wasn't one to do that often. She normally had a straight face on because she felt that in Brooklyn if you smiled people would think you were soft and probably beat you to a pulp. "I know exactly what you mean. Because, it's like every time you try to talk to some one they say something that they think will make it better but all it does is make it harder for you to talk to them." Moth had felt like she could finally talk to someone like her. She felt like BlackJack was exactly the same but totally different at the same time.

[Blackjack]

"Well it could happen, I guess. I mean Spot and Jack are such close friends."

Smirking, he replied, "Yea, close." BlackJack remembered the day Spot and the other newsies joined up in the strike. Seeing all those Brooks fighiting with them when they joined had brought a sense of pride to all of them. Brooklyn had joined the fight, and they had felt like they could win, except for when Jack left. "Well, at least your leader didn't leave you. We were almost certain Cowboy was gonna leave us for Santa Fe." He almost shuddered at the memory. All of them were feeling awful after he almost left.

..."I know exactly what you mean. Because, it's like every time you try to talk to some one they say something that they think will make it better but all it does is make it harder for you to talk to them."

He nodded, "Yea, but sometimes you just want to scream it to the world but you know they wont listen." BlackJack felt like he had finally found someone to rant to, in a good way. This was better than wanting to punch someone. Well, it always felt good hurting Chance, so it didn't even matter.

[moth]

"Yea, close. Well, at least your leader didn't leave you. We were almost certain Cowboy was gonna leave us for Santa Fe."

Moth knew about Jack almost leaving them to fill out his dream as a cowboy,' Going back must have been tough for him,' she thought to himself. "But he didn't. And I know that if you had a dream as big as his you would probable want to fu-fill it to. I am not going to try to change your mind about the whole thing though, because I wasn't there and I guess I really don't know what you were going through. But next time you think about him almost leaving, you should try to remember he did come back for because he didn't want to leave you guys." She knew she was doing what she hated people doing to her, but in a way she did know what it was like. Her dad had left her and that is why she became a newsie. "And I am sorry. I know it must have been really hard for you and the other Manhattan newsies, when you were all thinking he was going to leave.

"Yea, but sometimes you just want to scream it to the world but you know they wont listen."

She knew exactly how he felt. Moth had been trying to talk to some of the Brooklyn newsies the other day, but they sat and read the papes instead of listening to her. "Why is it that even though we seem like two totally different people, we fell exactly the same way?Like no one else will ever know how we fell." Moth bit down on her lower lip and looked down then back up at BlackJack. She still had the warm felling and it made her fell comfortable enough to just talk without caring what she says, or if he will think she is to soft to be in Brooklyn. With BlackJack she felt like she could just be herself.

[Blackjack]

"Why is it that even though we seem like two totally different people, we fell exactly the same way?Like no one else will ever know how we fell."

He shrugged, "I dont know, I guess people don't think like we do. Can I tell you something?" he asked. BlackJack realy felt the need to just tell someone what was going on, and maybe, instead of sympathy she would understand, and that's all he wanted. If someone could understand, great. Then he wouldn't have to feel all holed up inside. BlackJack just really wanted someone to talk to.

Well, that, and he wished he had his deck of cards to shuffle. For some reason the sound of cards shuffling calmed him, and made him feel better. His mother said it was because his father or uncle was a card dealer or something. It all had to do with cards. Maybe that was why BlackJack found comfort in them. They reminded him, in some way, of the father he never had. An anger built up in him. His father, how could he abandon his own wife and child!? Why, how could anyone do that anyway? Abandon a sick woman with a young child.

[moth]

"I dont know, I guess people don't think like we do. Can I tell you something?"

Moth looked at him and knew he was serious by the look on his face. Sometimes she could figure someone out by just looking at them, but with BlackJack it seemed like there were so many layers you had to peel through just to get the outside of him. She knew something was wrong when she saw his face start to sadden. "Sure. You can tell me anything, who am I gonna tell? The fish?" She laughed trying to cheer him up but she knew it wouldn't work. She tilted her head sideways to try to look at him from a different angle. He seemed sweet and not like other boys she knew.

Moth noticed his face start to redden and she wondered if it was something she had done. She knew she had made a friend and hated it when people were mad at her. Moth bit her lip again, like she did when she was nervous. 'I'm not nervous though' she thought to herself. 'MAybe this happens when you finally find someone you can talk to.' "So what do you want to tell me?" Moth asked trying to get BlackJacks mind off of what ever it was that was making him mad.

[Blackjack]

"So what do you want to tell me?"

He sighed, sliding down so he was sitting, "It's my mom. I'm not an orphan like everyone else. She's in the hospital, and apparently she might die soon." BlackJack wanted to get that off his chest, "When the doctors told me, I just, I just wanted to hit them. Punch them in the face and tell them they were gonna cure her. I just dont wanna lose her, you know?" It felt great getting that off his chest. The truth had been on his chest for so long, it felt great for it to be gone.

"I just... dont know what to do anymore." BlackJack ran a hand through his hair, thinking of scenarios. Maybe the doctors were wrong, and his mother would be perfectly fine and they would live happily ever after. The sun was setting, and the colors of the sky reflected off the water It was calm, and he felt the exact opposite of the water. He wasn't calm, he was distraught, and full of confusion. If he was the ocean he would be a hurricane at the moment, a mass effect of a storm.