"Someone's cheerful,"

"Remember that goil I's told ya about?" Race says. I nod. "Gotta hot date tonight,"

"Yeah, I's seen ha, and I dunno how Race scored that one," Blink grins.

"At least I got two eyes ya bum!"

"I ain't heard that one before," Blink says sarcastically, ruffling Race's gelled hair. Race cursed a few objections and slicked his hair in place.

"Let's go, boys!" Jack calls as we leave the lodging house. Here we go.

We get our papes and I see Spot nod at me from a ways away.

"What's you doin' here, huh? Brooklyn sellin' get too hard and you's thought ya can handle 'Hattan?" I spat at Spot.

"Brooklyn, too hard? Oh, please. Even if it was, 'Hattan ain't nothin',"

"You ain't changed a bit, same old arrogant Spot Conlon."

The newsies were watching in confusion as Spot and I argued.

"Oh, so you's the perfect angel now, eh? Why don't ya go back ta Jersey where you's wanted," He sneers. An ounce of doubt inside me thinks he's being serious, but I push it away.

"Right afta' ya go to hell," I say. "Where you's wanted,"

We give each other a believable glare and walk in opposite directions. I walk back to the newsies, and he walks in the direction of Brooklyn. Jack and Race pull me aside as the other newsies go off on their merry way.

"What was dat all about?" Jack asks.

"He givin' ya a hard time?" Race says.

"I's fine, I can handle me-self." I say, seeing red suspenders in the distance. "We's too different afta' all,"

"What about everything in the hospital?"

"It was nice see in' him again, but I think it's in everyone's best interest if we ain't togetha'," I say.

Race searches for something in my eyes, but I maintain a hard look. He steps back and shrugs at Jack. Race joins the other newsies and Jack grips my shoulder.

"Did he hurt ya? I'll kill 'im--"

"Jack," I interrupt. "I can handle myself. We's just not a good pair is all,"

I throw the papes on my shoulder and walk ahead of him.
<><>
The night air was cool around this time of year, so I threw on my leather jacket, a gift from Jets long ago. I had many leather items from Jersey, but I only wore my boots and this jacket for the cold.

I slipped out of Kloppman's without a sound. I'd become a master at this sneaking out thing. I've also memorized every backroad and alleyway that can take me to Brooklyn.

I hid on the dock until I saw Spot go into the lodging house. I should seriously be a spy, I thought to myself. I'd found another way onto the dock that didn't require going past his guards.

One thing I have not mastered is sneaking in. Especially to a building where I've only been in one room. I looked at the Brooklyn lodge house, trying to think of a way in that didn't pass the room with the newsies in it. Spot's room had a window, but how would I get up there?

I walked around to where his window was, and looked at my options. The roof was too high to jump onto, and last time I checked, I can't fly. But, I can pull myself up if I get a leg up. I climb onto some crates, and grip the roof. Thank god for Jack's annual pull-up contests. I successfully pull myself onto the roof, and crawl to his window.

I slowly open it, and jump inside his room with a grin on my face. Almost simultaneously, Spot walks in. When he sees me, he's surprised.

"Ken--"

I cut him off by grabbing the sides of his face and pulling him into a long kiss. His hands find my waist, pulling me closer. Not ever disconnecting, we somehow find his bed.

"That was," Kiss. "Quite," Kiss. "A show," Kiss. "You put on," Kiss. "Earlier,"

I smirk into the kiss, my hands finding his shirt to unbutton it.

"Kenny," He breathes. "Kenny, will you just lie here with me?"

I look into his eyes and nod. We lay on his bed, legs and arms entangled together. He kisses my head every now and then, resting his chin on it.

"So I can only see ya in private,"

"Queens will find out about us eventually if we's open about it," He says with a sigh. "This kills me but it has to be done,"

"Is that why you didn't want to..." I trail off.

"Kenny, if we do that, I'll neva' let ya go," He chuckles. "It's betta' if we wait,"

I nod, holding his hand and slowly drifting off into a blissful sleep.

<><><><>

Brooklyn Baby | Spot Conlon ¹Where stories live. Discover now