"Get into bed" Spot demanded.
"Awwwwww" the four youngest newsies proclaimed as they climbed off of me and into their shared bunk.
I walked over to them and tucked each one of them in, gave them a kiss on the cheek, and followed Spot out the door. "My room, now. And how many times do I gotta tell you to stop treating them like children. They need to learn to grow up. You can't be playing horsey, or whatever the hell you call it, with them every night."
"Relax Brooklyn, will ya!" Ever since he became leader I called him Brooklyn, kind of my sarcastic way of saying "you are not hot shit buddy." They are children! They need to have some fun in their lives every once in a while. You remember what it was like when we were their age. I wish someone forced me into some fun. Besides, wouldn't want them to turn out like you now would we?" I smiled innocently as I followed him up the stairs to his room. Spot and I had grown up with eachother, we used to be the best of friends, until he became the "King of New York." Now, well he still looked out for me and I gave him shit…the only one who is allowed to give him shit, although sometimes it didn't end well for me.
Entering his room I noticed there was a small crowd of newsies there. "This is not gonna be good" I mumbled to myself as I made my way across the room and plopped onto Spot's bed. Looking around I noticed the concerned look on everyone's face. Jack, the Manhattan leader; Ace, the Bronx leader; Buckle, the queens leader; and Carson, Spot's second in command; each sat quietly waiting for someone to start. "Alright anyone wanna tell me what the hell is goin on? Or did ya just drag me in here to stare at my beautiful face." I smirked.
"We got trouble with Harlem" Spot shot back. Now, even though I am the only one allowed to give him shit doesn't mean he likes it. Just means he is slightly less likely to knock me out, which I am very thankful for. My mouth can get me into a lot of trouble, and lately it has been.
"Yeah, when don't we have trouble with them? If ya called a meeting everytime they did some stupid shit we'd be in your room all the damn time, Brooklyn." I stood up. "What is going on now? Anyone hurt? They tryin to take you down again?"
"They are going after the girls," Jack stepped in. "Trying to get to us through them. Grace got away, said something about them plannin to overpower Manhattan and then go for the rest of yous guys."
"So basically what he is sayin," Spot turned to me with a grin on his face. Immediately I knew this was not going to be good. "You, Blush, have gotta figure out what the plan is. Work your magic sweetheart."
"Yea,yeah didn't see that one coming. When yous guys want me to do this?" Since Spot became leader I had been his "secret spy". He said I was too quiet for my own good, only opening up with those I knew well, and I needed to be put to work. So, for the past four years I had been going into different territories to spy on the others. Of course, unknown to the other leaders, I spied on them too. Spot lives by very few rules, rule 1: trust no one!
"So far no ones been hurt badly. Just a few bruises. Go tomorrow, before it gets worse. Just for a little bit, see if you hear anything. Don't want you getting caught too."
"Awww Brooklyn! You do care!" Spot just stood there shaking his head at me. This always happened. He would say something remotely nice, I would respond sarcastically fluttering my eyes at him, and he would stare me down, those gray/blue eyes piercing into my soul. Everyone thought we were joking; we had done this our whole lives. But truthfully, it did mean a lot to me that he cared, and even more truthfully I had been in love with Spot Conlon since we were young. Of course everyone knew it at that time, they always teased me calling me too much of a girl to live in Brooklyn, and they managed to fool me into allowing spot to carve his initials into my forearm. I was young, I was stupid, and they never let me live it down. I was branded as Spot Conlon's. But for everyone's sake, especially mine, I had pretended to get over it as soon as he became leader. Luckily, he made it rather easy…he became a self-absorbed power hungry jerk. "I'll head out after I sell the morning edition, and I will be back after the afternoon edition. I'm headin out now though. Gonna go count heads at my place and let them know to be careful. See yous all later." Flipping my shoulder length curly brown hair I turned and strutted out of the room. Just another way I enjoyed messing with my boys.
"Blush" I heard as I came down the stairs. "Blush come here."
"What's wrong Dustin?" I crossed the room to the beds the four boys shared. All of them were sitting up, tears streaming down their faces. "Boys, what is wrong? Why are you all so sad?"
"Because…Spot wanted you to go to his room," replied Owen.
"Yeah, and that means he is mad at you," added Mikey.
"And when he is mad at you it means he is gonna hit you. And then it is our fault because you weren't supposed to play with us. But we like when you play with us and it is fun but we don't…"
"Tommie, it is okay! No one is mad! He just needed to talk to me and a few others. Everything is okay. No one can make us not play together! We have too much fun! Now you all go to bed! I love you guys!" Quietly I walked out of the room switching the light on so they wouldn't be so scared. Spot was standing at the top of the stairs glaring at me. "I know I know stop treating them like children. I can't help it."
"You can do it for now, but one day you are gonna let the rest of us toughen them up. We both know it has to happen. Happened to us and we turned out okay."
"Well, I turned out okay. I don't know about you." I smiled and swung my arm around his neck as we headed down the stairs. "See you all tomorrow boys!" I yelled as I walked out the door into the dark empty streets of Brooklyn.