Why Should I Worry?

[knowntoherfriends]

Moving out of London had never been a thing that Jackie would have even considered, not in a million years. But after what happened to Nancy, after who caused it... She had to get out. She couldn't stay in that city, nut just because she saw Nancy everywhere she looked. Without Nancy, she had no one helping keep what she was hidden from Fagin.

There was only one option. Grabbing what little she hat and hopping on a ship as far away as possible.

Brooklyn was not like London. Well, actually it was in a lot of ways. It wasn't like London in the important way - there was no Fagin here, no Nancy, Jackie was totally on her own and had to make her own way. So, of course, she started lifting papers - papes, they called them - to start selling. This didn't sit too well with the leader of the territory - or so he was called. Spot Conlon made it clear to her how things where done around here.

Never let it be said the Artful Dodger couldn't move with the flow.

So she followed him, listening to how it was. This was only a stop gap anyway. A chance to learn the city. The Artful Dodger would known this place as well as they'd known London. It would be hers, soon enough.

Just needed to keep certain things out of people's notice.

Comments

[brooklynishere]

There had been something off about this 'Artful Dodger' guy that Spot had noticed the second they'd come face to face, except he hadn't been able to put his finger on it.

It was only during his little lesson into the finer points of newsie - and Brooklyn - society that Dodger had turned and Spot had caught sight of her from just the right angle that everything fell into place.
Once he'd spotted it, he didn't know how he hadn't noticed sooner.

She wasn't the first newsie he'd known who'd gone for the safer option when it came to selling on the streets, and he doubted she'd be the last. There were, however, some slightly different challenges at hand.

"So, I could put in a word and get you a bed at the lodging house," he explains "Only if you's got alternative arrangements I understand why you might wanna use them..."
His tone is significant, but he's still trying to be subtle in case of any prying ears.

[knowntoherfriends]

Spot seemed smart, Jackie thought early on. Smart could be dangerous, but she'd played this role for so long, around people smarter, that she felt she was safe. No way someone out here could work out the truth. So when Spoty brings wanting alternative arrangements, she just tilts her head.

"I done lodging houses before," she said. "Lodged with a kindly old gent back in London. Me an' the lads did... work for him." There was a smirk. Spot already knew about her light fingers, might as well make it clear it's been around a lot time. "Ain't nothin' new about it for me."

[brooklynishere]

Which Spot took to mean she had her ways of maintaining her secret... presuming that she had kept it at the time. That or she didn't understand what Spot was getting at.

"Well like I says, I got no problem putting in a word for you to get a bed there... just the washrooms can get pretty busy and there ain't much privacy. I can help, but it ain't gonna be easy." he tries again.

[knowntoherfriends]

Dodger was not an idiot, she knew exactly what Spot was getting at. Her eyes narrowed, and her arms crossed.

"The hell do you mean?"

[brooklynishere]

Spot just sighs, looking her up and down thoughtfully as he tried to gauge exactly how much or little she understood of what he was saying.

Eventually, he decides she's just trying really hard to play dumb, which is a valid tactic that might make anybody second guess themselves. Anybody that wasn't Spot Conlon.

"You know what I mean." he says simply "I can help but you's gotta be honest with me."

[knowntoherfriends]

"And what do you think I'm not bein' honest about?"

Keep it up, keep up the annoyance and irritation. It was something she'd held close for years. She wasn't going to let go of either now. Not for anything.

[brooklynishere]

"Look I ain't here to tell nobody else, it's none of my business to tell," he shrugs "but this is my borough and I gotta know what's going on with my newsies or I ain't gonna be able to help."

He pauses, wondering if he should give her one last chance to actually come clean with him before deciding that, no, she didn't get to try and play him for a fool.

"I know you's a girl."

[knowntoherfriends]

He knows.

In a second Jackie has pulled a knife out from her boot, holding it in a threatening manner.

"How the fuck?"

[brooklynishere]

Spot remains calm, though he's somewhat glad to see she isn't going undefended. Knives are dangerous, he normally doesn't approve of them, but sometimes it's good to have a weapon. He holds up his hands, not reaching for his cane.

"You ain't got nothing to worry about, I ain't gonna spill it or nothin', I'm just lettin' you know." he shrugs "An' as for how, well, I'm observant. Don't get a job like mine without some smarts."

[knowntoherfriends]

Jackie eyes him, and steps back, stowing her knife back in her boot.

"Alright, I believe you," though there was a tone to her voice that sounded as though that was conditional. "You ain't got nothin' to worry abour. Live with a squad of lads back in London an' hide it from every one of 'em."

[brooklynishere]

"Alright," Spot tilts his head to concede she knows what she's doing. She's definitely got it down well enough that it's clear she's had the practice, and if she's used to keeping it from people she lives with, the lodging house should be fine.

"But if you need any help, you just gotta ask."

[knowntoherfriends]

"Only help I need is findin' a place to sleep," she said with a shrug. "Preferably under an actual roof." The thoughts of the leaks in Fagin's place came back to mind. If this place got winters as cold as London, then she'd prefer a proper roof.

[brooklynishere]

"Well if ya standards are that low the lodging house's gonna be a palace." Spot snorts. It's more a joke than a judgement - he's met plenty of kids who'd only ever known life on the streets or in ramshackle houses that weren't much better. The lodging house wasn't great, but it was safe and dry and theirs, and what more did they need?

"You can check the place out, see if it suits your needs." and see if she thinks she'll still be able to keep her secret once she sees the place

[brooklynishere]

Dodger had been with them a few months and Spot had stopped watching her quite as closely as he had at the beginning - not because he hadn't trusted her, but just to make sure she really could handle herself and keep her secret. It had quickly become obvious that she could, and after that he was being observant because... well because she was new, he wanted to make sure she settled in alright, right?

Not at all because there was something about her that fascinated him.

Either way, she'd settled in just fine. Today he had to head over to Manhattan on business, and he usually took a kid or two along with, so today he figured it made sense to invite Dodger along.

"Hey Dodger," he called out, returning to the lodging house that afternoon "You ain't been over to 'hattan yet, have you?"

[knowntoherfriends]

Dodger had been using the past few months to mark out all of Brooklyn in her mind as best she could. Working as a newsie did that well, and she knew spots that always seemed to bring her decent coin at the right time of day. She was used to getting up earlier than the lads around her, getting in and out of the washroom before anyone spotted her. Only difference here was the amount of lads she had to keep an eye out for. Still, she reckoned she was doing well.

That's why Spot callin' on her that day surprised her. Not that she was adverse to him calling on her. There was something to be learned from the way he put himself about - the King of Brooklyn didn't seem to be an empty title, from what she could tell. And, well, he weren't bad company.

Wasn't a bad thing, to find him decent company. Just matter of fact, so she mentally insisted.

Manhattan... "Ain't reckoned I've had the pleasure, no," she called back. "You on the way there, boss?"

[brooklynishere]

"Yea," he nodded, jerking his head in the direction of the bridge "Come on, you can come with today. I got business over there."

It wasn't as though he expected any trouble, but it just made more of an impact if he had at least some kind of entourage. He did usually take a couple of kids, but it wasn't totally out of the ordinary to just take one, so he didn't attract too many odd looks for not inviting anybody else.

"Everythin' alright with you?" he asked as they started heading towards the bridge.

[knowntoherfriends]

Dodger just gave a nod, and made to follow him. She'd seen Spot take people with him over to Mahattan before - she figured it looked better for him showing up with someone in tow. She falls into step easily beside him, and gives a shrug to his question.

"Ain't been any problems if that's what yer meanin'," she answered. "Couple askin' why I wakes up early, but I just do seems to answer that question."

[brooklynishere]

"Yea," Spot nodded "Newsies is nosy, sure, but they know when to back off too." they gossipped like old fishwives if given half the chance, but they all seemed to have a collective grasp of what things you just didn't talk about.

"You know if any of 'em is getting too nosy just let me know." he knew she could handle herself, but so could a lot of the other kids, didn't stop him offering help.

[knowntoherfriends]

"So far, ain't no problem," but she nodded. There's a difference between leanin' too much on someone, an' knowing when help might be called for. She was pretty sure this was the latter - if someone found out, she was going to need to get moving right quick, and having someone on her side would help with that.

"So what we doin' slummin' it in Manhattan the day then?"

[brooklynishere]

Spot snorted at the question - at least she had the right idea about which was the superior borough.

"Got union business. Ain't nothin' big, today, but we still gotta meet." Spot shrugged. Davey was pretty good at keeping them all on track with regular union meetings, dragging most of the leaders from across the city into a back room at Medda's to talk about any issues. Honestly it ended up being more socialising than anything else, but sometimes they needed to talk about things.

[knowntoherfriends]

That got a slow nod, thinking.

"So I'll get to meet the Cowboy then?" The name had been thrown around a lot. Some said he and Spot used to be real close, and now they weren't.But with a name like Cowboy, who wouldn't be interested in meeting the bloke?

[brooklynishere]

Spot glanced sidelong at her, and he wasn't jealous, why would he be jealous, Jack's name got around so of course she'd have heard of him and be interested in meeting him, there was nothing to be jealous of.

"Yea, Kelly'll be there." he said levelly "There'll be people from a few boroughs there."

[knowntoherfriends]

She gave a nod, hands shoved into her pockets.

"Any that I should keep an eye on?" Meaning was there any borough that Brooklyn had beef with that should be watched. It was always easier for her to deal in business terms than anything else.

[brooklynishere]

"Not right now. Worth keeping an eye out for how people is acting, just in case there's anything we should be aware of, but right now things is pretty calm, even with Queens."

Dodger was observant, he knew that, she'd pick up on any bad feelings that he might miss, any glares or scowls behind his back.

[knowntoherfriends]

She nodded once. "Keep an eye out, I can do thats," she said, giving another sharp nod to puntucate it all.

It didn't seem like much longer that they were arriving at the theatre. "This where we're going then?"