When Friends are More Than Friends.

Ch. 1

Catwalk

I woke up to the sun, poring into the bunkroom where I lived with the other Brooklyn Newsies and my best friend, Spot Conlon. He'd been my best friend since I came to live here when I was 10. I was now a woman of 16. I had brown hair that was choppy because I cut it my self. I had eyes as green as an emerald that could make any boy want me. My breasts were fairly large and the guys were always wondering when Spot was finally going to get in my blue pants. I always wore boy's clothes that the older boys had grown out of.

I rolled out of bed and fell on the hard wooden floor.

"Shit," I muttered as I grabbed a pair of blue jeans, a green shirt and went to the washroom that was full of boys getting ready for the day. I brushed my choppy hair until it was smooth and washed my face with the cool water that came from a pump. As I walked out of the washroom, Spot came in and smiled at me. I smiled back at my best friend and kept walking. I went to my bed and quickly made it. I grabbed my light brown canvas mailbag and went outside to wait for Spot. Everyday we would walk to the distribution center to get our papes and sell them together. On nice days, all of the Newsies would hang out at the docks. I almost never went in because all the boys would start hitting on me and I hated that. They're more like brothers than boyfriends. I sat down with my back against the cold hard wall of the lodging house. I kept my eyes down as the people of Brooklyn walked by me. I didn't want to bother them until I had my papes.

"You'se ready?" A manly voice said at the door to the lodging house.

"Aren't I always?" I replied with a laugh. Spot and I walked for a while in silence. Spot was a little taller than me with a head of blonde hair. He wore a tarnished silver key around his neck and always had his gold tipped cane with him. I smiled at his red suspenders that I had given for him for Christmas. I saved up for half a year to get him those and he never takes them off. Spot turned his head to talk to me and I looked into his ocean blue eyes.

"Catwalk, can you'se believe what da boys are saying 'bout us?" He asked me half laughing.

"No, something like dat could never happen between us. Right?" I replied and emphasizing on my last word.

"No, we'se just friends," Spot replied looking nervous and sad. We kept walking until we reached the counter.

"50 papes," I said putting 2-bits on the counter while the old man, Jerry, shouted for my papes. A young looking man, I had never seen before handed him the papes that he gave to me.

"Who's da new guy?" I asked.

"Him? Dat's me nephew, Jordan. His folks just died so now he's living wit me." Jerry told me. I looked at Jordan and saw hurt and anger in his chocolate brown eyes. I put my papes in my mailbag and went down the stairs to wait for Spot. Spot got himself 100 papes and met me at the bottom of the stairs.

"Who's da guy behind da counter woiking wit Jerry?" Spot asked.

"Dat's Jordan, Jerry's nephew." I replied.

"Scandal in da Mayors Office!" Spot shouted. Instantly 3 people came and bought Spot's papes from him. I looked in the pape to find a good headline.

"Pulitzer dies of Heart Attack!" I shout. Pulitzer was having heart problems, everyone knew that, but now that he died, his right hand man, Seitz, would take over The World. I sold all my papes easily with that headline, but when I was only 15 away from finishing, I used Spot's headline to get rid of my papes.

"Hey!" Spot shouted after I used his headline.

"Every man for himself!" I shouted at him before I ran the other way. Spot may be small, but he could kill you if he had the chance. I wasn't looking at where I was going and I hit someone with aggressive force. I fell to the ground with a hard thump.

"Are you ok?" A deep voice asked me. I looked up to see Jordan, but his eyes didn't show hurt or anger anymore, they showed lust.

"Yeah," I replied starting to back away, "I gotta get going, I still have papes to sell," I said pointing to my mailbag.

"I'll buy one," He said pulling out a penny. I took the penny, handed him a pape and ran as fast as I could to escape the lust from him. I have never known love because my parents died when I was really little and I don't remember them. Spot is the closest thing I have ever almost loved, but he's just a friend.

As I came around the corner, I saw Spot. He smiled at me and playfully hit me. I hit him back and we sold our papes together. I sold my papes with Spot because I felt safe around him. He was my best friend and I would want it no other way.