Y/N felt someone staring holes into her head so she turned to the direction and made contact with Skittery's cold glare. The look he gave her confused her. Was she wearing too much? Did she look uglier than usual? As the questions rushed through her head she drowned out the conversation Sarah and Jack were trying to have with her. Skittery stood up from his seat quickly, the chair nearly falling over, and walked out of the hall through the side door.

Y/N's eyebrows furrowed and she quickly followed him, picking the dress up slightly so it wouldn't get hooked on anything and tear. She slipped through the side door as it closed and she noticed the fire escape rattling. Assuming Skittery was climbing up it: she followed. As she reached the ladder, she saw his arms pull him up onto the roof. His muscles stretching his grey shirt as he did so, making her blush immediately.

She cautiously climbed the metal steps, the small heels clicked each time she took a step. Y/N pulled herself up onto the ledge of the roof and then hooked her leg over, hoping she didn't flash anyone below.

Skittery was pacing around the rooftop, a cigarette placed loosely in his mouth and his arms were folded across his chest. The sleeves of his brown coat were rolled up and it made Y/N feel things.

She called his name. Well, tried to but it came out in a gibberish whisper. But he had heard it and immediately stopped pacing. A cold breeze suddenly brushed over her, making her pull the sleeves of the dress tighter around her.

Skittery slowly turned to face her and shook his head. He flicked the rest of the rolled paper away from him and took two long strides towards Y/N. He looked her deeply in the eyes. It made her slightly uncomfortable. "Did I do something wrong-" she started but was quickly cut off with him putting both hands on either side of her face and cutting her off. The pads of his thumbs digging softly into her cheekbones.

His cold yet welcoming lips meeting her soft, warm ones.

She widened her eyes before fluttering them close and kissing back. Slowly. Holding him by the sides of his neck.

But as quickly as the kiss started, it ended. Skittery smiled lightly. A heavy, heavy breath escaped his lips and he looked in pain. More than what she would've assumed. He rested his forehead on hers as she rubbed her nose against his. "Y'know, ise prefer you in dirt and all."
She hummed in agreement and tried to pull him in again, longing for his lips on hers. It was like she had a taste of him and was now immediately addicted.

But nevertheless, he pulled away and walked down the fire escape.

Leaving the girl in a confused daze.

✄

Y/N sat at a table inside the theatre. Jack, Spot and David were making a speech to all the newsies but she drowned it out. The cheering and yelling - or booing - from the crowd didn't faze her; she just sat there thinking. Had she done something wrong? Was she that bad of a kisser? Maybe he was just playing with her? Maybe it was a test? Or a dare?

She sighed loud which caught Sarah's attention who was sat on her right.

Sarah calling her name brought Y/N out of her daze and hummed to inform the girl she was paying attention. "Are you alright? You kind of seem out of it." Sarah placed a comforting hand on Y/N's shoulder. Y/N took a deep breath in response and nodded.

Y/N looked at the stage to see Spot very close to Jack and David - the latter looking uncomfortable. Then the Brooklyn boy's voice rang through the room, "I say that what you say," and a pause "is what I say."
The room erupted in cheers at the alliance and the three boys got off the stage and headed towards the table the two girls sat at.

The curtains further back of the stage slowly opened as music sounded through the building.
As Medda entered, clad in a pink dress and matching shoes, the cheering from the boys got louder. Hollers and whoops came from all sides of the hall.

Y/N figured the familiar tune and a smile slowly grew on her face as the Newsies along with Medda sang, "High times, hard times! Sometimes the living is sweet, and sometimes there's nothing to eat."
Kid Blink swung his feet over the balcony and sang loud and clear, "But I always land on my feet!" The girls laughed at the antics but continued to sing and clap and sway and dance.

"So when there's dry times I wait for high times and then: I put on my best! And I stick out my chest ! And I'm off to the race's again!"  Medda was handed a pink umbrella with lace patterns, she opened it as she passed the decorative bridge. Y/N stood up to see the performance better, but considering how tall so many of the boys were in front of her she had manoeuvred herself further towards the stage.

"Hello, newsies. What's new?" More boys whooped and jumped as Medda waved. One boy pushed Y/N by accident, not noticing the girl and she stumbled until two firm hands caught her around the waist. The girl laughed to ease herself until she turned around to see who the hands belonged to. Skittery.

The boy gulped as she ripped herself away from him, now furious with his previous actions.

She stomped away over to her table, giving up on having a fun time. But the melody and Medda's voice changed her attitude in seconds and she was back to smiling and singing. David pulled her by the elbow to get a better view of the stage and dance together.

As the song slowed, the Newsies stopped singing and instead just enjoyed the woman's voice. Quiet compliments were heard here and there.

"So your old lady don't love you no more, so you're afraid there's a wolf at your door? So you've got street rats that scream in your ear." Kid Blink had climbed down from the balcony dropping in front of Y/N and Davey, sending them both a wink and then walked over to Medda, as Racetrack did too. The three linked arms and danced together, kicking one leg out to then do the same with the other.

"You win some, you lose some my dear, Oh... High times, hard times!" The music picked up pace again. Y/N caught Sarah and Jack staring deeply into each others eyes. She pulled on David's sleeve and he saw it too, slightly grinning but his eyes said something different.

"Sometimes the living is sweet and sometimes there's nothing to eat, but I always land on my feet!"
Skittery watched as David offered Y/N his hand and the girl giggled and took it and they started to dance again. Y/N was giggling at David! Skittery scoffed and turned to focus on Medda.

"So when there's dry times, I wait for high times and then: I put on my best! And I stick out my chest! And I'm off to the races again."

Medda let go of the two boys and now stood in the middle of the hall with Jack, as he left Sarah. "I put on my best!"
"I put on my best!" The Newsies sang back.
"And I stick out my chest," the lady in pink spread her arms wide.
"And I sticks out my chest," They echoed.
"And I'm off!"
"And I'm off."
"And I'm off!"
" And I'm off!" Medda was now sat on the swing and two of the Newsies pushed her so she swayed back and forth on it.
"And I'm off! To the races again!" Y/N along with everyone in the building cheered.

This ought to be in the newspapers.

Y/N heard some loud shouting, but it wasn't cheering. David noticed it too. "Excuse me. Aren't you Warden Snyder? Bryan Denton of the Sun. How do you do, sir?" Denton was making obvious eye contact with the Kelly girl and Jacobs boy. David whispered to her to get out quickly but she told him that she wasn't going to leave her brother.

David pushed his way through the crowd to Spot who was quick to get out of his seat and tell the boys. Sarah looked confused until Y/N pointed at the white haired man. Sarah nodded and quickly slipped through the crowd trying to find an exit.

Jack and David were yelling back and forth to each other due to the noise. Jack made eye contact with his sister as a Delancey creeped behind her. He screamed her name and she quickly noticed. She turned around but not in time as she felt a fist make contact with her jaw. She held her face as she stumbled back.

Skittery saw Oscar creeping up on Y/N, his blood beginning to boil. But the current of the other boys trying to get out stopped Skittery from getting to her as he saw Oscar grasp her by the arms tightly as Morris punched her again. She kicked and screamed as they dragged her through the doors.

His heart ached as he pushed through what felt like swamp mud but there was nothing there. He suddenly froze. Her screams echoed through the place until the doors of the hall closed and she was dragged out.

••••

Edited: 6 December 2020
Words: 1611

Authors Note: wow I've updated after a month of being absent, yeah mocks were a bitch bUT IM BACK :)