Prologue
Selling papers. Looking good. Brawling with other newsies. Being King of Brooklyn. Life couldn't be any better for him. Being toughest, being the best, there was no other newsie like him. Spot Conlon. He seemed to be unstoppable, probably the most respected teenager in all of Brooklyn being only 17. He was perfectly content in heart and mind. But little did he know that a large hole would begin to split his heart. Little did he know that something was missing in his life. It seemed like no one would be able to sew it back up. Until…
Part 1: The Angel
Left, right, dodge. Right, dodge; dodge again, a jab right in the stomach, and then a punch right in the jaw making me, once again, the winner. Ah… the sweet scent of victory… or it could have been the perspiration that was dewin on the back of my neck and tricklin down my forehead but hey, I'm the toughest newsie in all of Brooklyn. I wasn't complainin. Gate came up and with the help of Tide lifted me up on their shoulders. I lifted my hands high, letting the crowd of boy's cheer and celebrate yet another one of my victories. Fire handed me my hat and I waved it above my head. They shouted in agreement, in enjoyment. 17 and already I was the King of Brooklyn. I wasn't the most muscular, that would be Tide and Gate, the boys that held me up now, and I wasn't the oldest, that was Cart, he was already almost 20. But I was tough. I was strong. Not so much physically but I was independent, I didn't need nobody. I could sell papes all my life and I wouldn't care. I stared at my "subjects" until Tide and Gate put me down. And after they did, the crowd slowly drifted apart, back to their everyday lives. And as I waited for the rest of my boys to gather up so we could head back down the docks towards the warehouse we stayed in, I couldn't help but notice the empty feeling in the pit of my heart. It was never there before, why would I feel it now? I guess it was because I had no idea that in that moment, my life was about to change. Forever.
It was a slow news day. Not the greatest headline, making it a little harder for me to "reel" in the customers. I had several regulars, they seemed to enjoy the paper and myself but mostly me and everyday I'd have several new customers. I sat at the corner of the street, reading the papes I was selling. The streets were basically empty and I only had a few left so I thought I'd just relax and read. For being a boy who never went to school I was still pretty intelligent. So I sat and read the papes fluently. Until the afternoon sun was blocked by a shadow, making it harder for me to see the fine print.
I looked up, expecting to yell at whoever it was until I saw whom it was and my voice stuck in my throat. Did angels live in Brooklyn?
She was the most beautiful goil I had ever seen! She seemed lost, seeing as how she didn't seem to notice me there. But there was something different about her. For one thing she wasn't dressed like a goil. Now why would a pretty goil like that wear MEN'S attire? She wore black pants that hugged her legs and a yellow scarf that served as a belt to keep them up. She had on a plain white collared button down shirt that seemed to flow around her torso. Maybe she didn't WANT to show off her figure. And then she had a blue shawl wrapped around her shoulders. I could understand the shawl. It was a little chilly out that afternoon, even with the sun shinin so brightly. But there was something else. Something I couldn't put my finger on. But all the same she was pretty but she was still in my way and it was getting annoying how she didn't notice me staring up at her.
"You gonna buy some papes?" I said in the most annoyed voice as I could muster since I was still stunned by her appearance.
She looked down at me and stared at me with beautiful warm light brown eyes that were framed by thick long dark eyelashes. Her auburn hair blew around her face. She lifted a hand and pulled a lock of hair behind her ear. Her skin was as white as winter with a beautiful light warm rose undertone.
"Excuse me?" she said her voice sounding like music.
I swallowed and then tilted my head and in the voice I normally use with other newsies, not with women, "You heard me. Are you gonna buy some papes or are ya just gonna block my reading light?" smirking once I finished.
She half smiled as her eyes drooped, observing me. She laughed once.
"You sure are quite the catch. Talking to a lady in that kind of tone? My what has become of Brooklyn's boys," she answered clicking her tongue.
I smiled at her sarcastic tone.
"What kind of lady dresses up like a man?" I challenged.
She smiled wider, seeming to like this talk.
"I have my reasons. And if you knew them than you wouldn't be half the person that I am."
I smiled wider showing her the top row of my straight white teeth.
"Don't you know who I am?" I said, waiting for her reaction,
"Yea. A teenage boy with a big head. You better be careful or pretty soon you're going to go top heavy."
Ouch. She was good I would give her that. But no one messes with the King.
"I'm Spot Conlon," standing and pulling myself up to my full height. She was about a few inches shorter than I was but she didn't seem phased at all. Not by name or by my height. What was with this goil?
"And I'm Carter Bailey. Pleasure to meet you," she said sticking out her hand. I took it and then I brushed my lips against the top of it.
"Ms. Bailey," playing with her now with sudden formality despite the fact that my New York accent kind of brought it down a bit. I finally put my finger on what was different about her. She wasn't from around here. She didn't have the accent; she sounded like she came from the west. Ohio probably.
She smiled again and then curtsied.
"Mr. Conlon," she said as she stood up straight again.
We stared at each other for a while, searching each other's eyes. I didn't realize I was still holding her hand when someone else walked up and asked for a paper and I had to let go of it to give it too them. They paid me and then walked off.
"So you're a newsie?" she said staring off after the man who had just paid for a paper.
I nodded, swallowing the sarcastic remark I was going to make. I wasn't in the mood for another fight with her. But then she reached into her pocket and pulled out a quarter and handed it too me.
"Keep the change," she said picking up a paper and then putting it under her arm.
I stared at her, raising one eyebrow before shrugging and putting the quarter in the pouch where I held my money.
"Well, see you later Spot," she said smiling before walking off, "Better get back to my father. He loves the paper."
I stared after her smiling as she walked down the street opposite the one she had came down. Probably had several errands to run. And what I didn't know was that she was changing me. Slowly, unnoticeably, but still changing.