"It wont work.." He said looking at me. He stood up. "It's neither of our faults.." he continued. "we've..we've just grown..apart.." He said coldly. I stood up. I looked at him blankly. "Ya know Spot..you're right..it wont work..I don't date jerks!" I said finally, my voice shaking. I turned and walked out of the alley with a tear falling down my cheek.
I sat in Tibby's alone for the first time. I stared at the empty seat across from me, which was once occupied by Spot Conlon, the only boy I'd ever really loved. I sighed and looked down at my plate. I had barely touched my salad. "Don't look so glum." a voice said. I smiled to myself. "Hi Race.." I said sighing again. I looked up and he slid into the seat across from me..Spot's seat. I watched him. How I wished it was Spot. "So..whats eatin ya?" He said sticking his cigar in his mouth. "Everything.." I said depressed. Racetrack looked at me. He half smiled. "What did the Ball say to the other dice when they were gamblin?" Racetrack said. It was a poor attempt to make me smile. "what?" I asked looking at him. "Roll ya for it.." He said fake laughing. I shook my head and smiled. "There it is! That gorgeous smile." he said smiling. I looked down at my plate of salad. I picked up my fork and poked at a peice of lettuce. "Wanna talk about it?" Racetrack said seeing I was still sad. "Not really..But I dont think I can keep it bottled up.." I said putting the fork down and pushing my plate away from me. "I'm all ears.." he said putting his elbow on the table and leaning on his fist. He watched me attentatively. I sighed again. "Well..for a few days now..maybe even a week, Spot has been actin really weird...like he didn't wanna see me..and today.." I started. "Today, was the weirdest..he pretended he didn't know me at first..and finally I made him talk to me..but he took me to the side..in an alley." I said my voice starting to shake. I searched Racetrack's eyes for some kind of sympathy. "He told me it wouldn't work..me and him..cuz we 'grew apart' or so he said.." I finished. "hmm..that don't sound like the Spot I know.." Racetrack said a little surprised.
The door to Tibby's opened and in walked Jack, Dutchy, and Mush. "Hey fellas" Racetrack said taking the cigar out of his mouth. Jack sat down next to Race and Dutchy sat next to me. "Whats eatin you?" Jack said nodding at me. "Spot broke it off with her.." Race said low in Jack's ear. I raised my eyebrows and looked down at the table. "Hey, who's salad?" Mush asked as he sat down next to Jack. "Go ahead..have a ball.." I said sarcastically. Mush grabbed the plate and started to eat the food. "what happened between you too?" Dutchy asked seriously. "Yea.." Mush said with his mouth full. "We grew apart" I said sarcastically. I bit my bottom lip and looked over at Racetrack. He smiled at him. I tried to resist, but half smiled. "Well..I'ma have a talk wit em." Jack said. He reached his hand across the table and put it ontop of mine. "Nobody hurts you, and gets away wit it." He said smiling at me. Jack was like my big brother. He had no family, and I didn't want mine. So we looked out for each other. He protected me, and I helped him out when he needed something.
We sat around and the guys tried to cheer me up. I was almost the same again when he walked in. I looked down. Racetrack looked over at him and elbowed Jack. Jack stood up. He walked over to Spot. "We need ta talk.." he said and put his arm around Spot's neck. Spot and Jack sat at a table. "I'm scared..I didn't know what to do..so I broke it off." Spot said feeling guilty. "She feels awful..didn't even touch her food." Jack said making Spot feel worse. "man.." Spot said sitting back in his chair. "I love her Jack..you know that! But I got a rep..I cant let people think I've gone soft..I'm the most respected newsie in New York.." Spot said putting his elbows on the table. "Look..I'm not say you gotta get back with her..all I'm sayin is..whats more important..your rep..or your girl?" Jack said. Spot looked over at me and every bone in my body turned to jelly. "Whats done is done.." he said. "Now I got some bussiness to take care 'ah" he said. He stood up and walked out of Tibby's. Jack walked over and sat down. He sighed and a tear rolled down my cheek. "I cant go back to Brooklyn..and I'm not going home.." I said softly. "Come stay wid us." Racetrack said. "I..I can-" I started but was cut off by Mush. "SOUNDS GREAT!" he said loudly chomping on the food. "I can't.." I said. "And why not?" Jack asked. "It's settled. You is comin back to the lodgin house wid us tahnight!" he said. I couldn't argue with Jack. Me and Spot were over. I needed a place to stay.
I went back to Brooklyn with Mush. We walked into the Brooklyn Lodging House and the boys just stared. "Come on" I said rolling my eyes. We walked upstairs into the bunkroom. Spot was sitting in a chair in the corner with his feet up, reading a paper. When he saw me he placed the paper on his lap, folded his arms and watched me. We walked over to a bunk and I grabbed my clothes. "Well, well. Whats going on heah?" Spot said standing up. I shoved my belongings into a small black torn bag. A tear fell down my cheek and I wipped it. My eyes began to get red as more tears fell down my cheeks. I Hurridly grabbed everything I owned and threw it into the bag. I looked up to see Spot only a few inches away from me. "So yous a traitor huh?" He said with an evil look on his face. I wipped another tear as I watched the expression on Spots face turn from evil to smpathetic. "you cryin?" He asked letting his guard down a little. "heya Spot." Mush interupted. "Hey Mush. How's it goin?" Spot said nodding at Mush. He spit in his hand and held it out for Mush. Mush did the same. "Hey Spot, Katie is gonna stay wid us for a while." He said. Spot nodded agreeingly. I looked at Mush. "ready?" I asked. Mush nodded and we headed for the door. "Bowtie" Spot said. I turned. Spot always called me bowtie. It was sorta his little nickname for me. But right then, it was supposed to make me upset, and it did. "Have fun." he said with a cold smirk on his face. I dropped my bag. "Shut your mouth Conlon!" I yelled across the room. Everyone stopped what they were doing. "What? You tawkin ta me like dat?" Spot said slamming his cane against the wall. "You heard me!" I said with tears running down my face. "I'd soak ya right now if-" He started but then stopped himself. "Go ahead. Say it!" I yelled. "SAY IT!" I screamed. "I'd soak ya right now if ya were worth somethin" He said smiling. "Go to hell Conlon." I said shaking my head. He just smirked at me. He walked back over to the chair. "Im already livin dere" he said as he sat back down. I walked into the bunkroom and pumped some water into a tin can. I casually walked over to Spots bunk. "You wouldn't" he said shaking his head. I stood there for a minute smiling at him. Everyone in the room was silent. "I would.." I said and poured the water all over his bunk. I dropped the can and grabbed my stuff. "come on mush." I said as if nothing happened. Mush shrugged and followed me out the door and we headed towards Manhattan.