Chapter 4

Dey're gonna want a fight?

"Didn't know dere was such pretty goils in da Bronx. I'm gunna have ta ask Spot ta send more messages here." He said, his eyebrows rising and falling with implication.

Gavino took a threatening step forward feeling threatened by this new boy who hit on me. Gavino did not like other boys looking at me. it deflated his ego, all the while making me feel as though I was his property.

Once he was out of sight, Gavino took my arm and started leading myself and Hopper back to the Lodging House.

"Come on we'se gotta see your brother."

"Gavino." I started. "Who was that boy? Who sent him?"

The one worded answer from Gavino was all that was needed to send chills going up my spine.

"Brooklyn."

As soon as he said that one word, chills went up and down my spine, and thought it was incredible how one word could have such an impact on a person. But there were many things connected with that one word, and one name stood out above the rest.

Spot Conlon

The name, the legend, the leader. I had remembered the stories I heard of hi growing up. He took over Brooklyn when the last leader left and he titled himself "king" strutting around with a cane thinking he really way royalty. He strikes fear into his newsies and they learn to fear him quick. I know I do. I've heard he beats newsies for just blocking his way. If hi and Jack Kelly of Manhattan weren't on good terms, I bet he would have never helped the in the strike.

When Gavino and I returned to the boys lodging house I sent Hopper to go clean-up and Gavino and I went to my brother who was busy counting the money he made selling today.

"Lu," Gavino started. "We ran into some trouble just now."

"What's wrong?"

"Brooklyn."

That word again. That simple word that sent shivers in my body.

"He want your newsies ta stay away from da boundaries, says there getting too close ta his land. Says we should start watchin our backs." Gavino relayed, but Luciano brushed it off as nothing.

"Conlon is just tryin ta play high and mighty leader." My brother replied. "He wouldn't start trouble if he knew what was good for him. And even so, he won't pull through on his little threats."

"We all know he would though," Gavino defended. He stood straight and pointed his finger at his leader as a warning, "Spot thinks he is untouchable. It's time someone takes him down a notch." He added softly to himself, "Or twelve. Lu, he sent Breaker ta send the massage and we caught him about ta soak Hopper. It's time we made the first move. "

I shook her head in disbelief, "So you attack one of his newsies? How is that fair? How does that make you any better than he is?"

Luciano laughed cynically, "Who said anything about fair, sister?" He saw the look of confusion on my face and he rolled his eyes.

A feeling of despair came over me as I realized there was nothing I could do that would change what was going to happen. Gavino spoke up again.

"If Hopper and Bell wasn't there, I would have soaked breaker right then and there and showed Spot who we are."

Luciano spoke next in a harsh and sharp tone. "Don't be and idiot! Use your head, Beau." He tapped his own head for emphasis. "What do you think would happen if we attacked Spot or one of his? Everyone would turn against us and there would be no more Bronx." He shrugged, "No, we have to wait for Spot to make the first move." He said referring back to Gavino's comment. We can't have people hating and turning on us right now."

I shook her head once more, "Everyone knows it would be the Bronx. Everyone knows it would be you." I tried one last attempt to reason with my brother. "What if this causes a war? Luciano please listen to me-"

"What do you know about any of this Bellina? You're just a girl, it's not like you can help this. Don't try to play hero." My brother inturripted. His face hardened and he spoke quietly, "And war is just what Spot wants."

~$*~$*~$*Chapter Break ~$*~$*~$*

A few days later, I was sitting on the roof of the lodging hose reading a new book I got from the library. This one was about a princess who was cursed I a deep sleep and was awaiting to be woken up from her prince with true loves kiss. Ever since the night Gavino and I were stopped by Breaker, there was tension in the air. Gavino and Luciano were acting strange, and I knew that they were planning something. I took a deep breath and looked out into the city. The sun set over the tall building casting shadows on the streets below, the sky strewn with shades of yellow and orange. I was deep in thought, my chin resting in my palm.

"Youse okay?" a voice behind me asked. I turned around and saw probably my only friend in the Bronx West standing there. His grey vest was unbuttoned and his cap was off and hi his hand allowing his caramel brown hair to lay over his sparkling green eyes. I noticed a cigarette was hanging from his lips. That's when my thought that something was going wrong was confirmed. West only smokes when he is stressed, he must have come up for a smoke spotted me and noticed my moping manner.

"Something is going on. My brother is planning something, I know it. I just don't know what it is he's planning. But 'm sure you do. West, please tell me what you know."

"Bell, this war stuff is nothing a lady such as yourself should be worrying about. Your brother knows what he's doing. Let's go it's getting late," he commanded as he turned to leave.

"West! Come back here! You know something!" I called after him.

Continuing to walk away, he ignored me. I followed him from the ledge of the roof to the stairs, swallowing my fear for the newsies. I reached him in the middle of the roof, grabbed his shoulder and spun him to face me.

"I'm not going to ask again," I said.

"Good. Den we'se can go back ins-"

"That's not what I meant. Either you tell me or-"

Stepping away from me, he asked, a somewhat amused look plastered on his face,

"Are youse threatening me?"

Barreling on, I finished,

"Or I'm going to Luciano to find out myself."

Fox sighed, and turned the bravado on once more.

"Youse is too scared of your brother. You wouldn't' do dat."

Without missing a beat, I replied,

"Watch me."

Spinning on my heel, I began to stalk away. For a few moments, the only sound was the click-clack of my boots on the cement roof. Fox swallowed heavily. He couldn't just let me wander into Luciano's office on my own, especially when he was in a bad mood, and I knew when he is in a bad mood.

"The war is startin ," he said. He spoke in a quiet calm manner, yet his voice was hard, firm and full of agony.

I turned, looking at him in the dim light of the evening.

"Beg your pardon?"

He swallowed again, letting his voice get a little louder.

"The war's startin."

And with that, I took off running into the lodging house. I ran down the stairs and into the hallway where the newsboys were either on their bunks or leaning in the doorway. I came to the end of the hall and burst into Luciano's room and office, West close on my tail.

"Youse can tell Spot dat we are goin' to take Brooklyn down. "

The three boys in the room (Luciano, Gavino and Luciano's messenger Runner) turned to look at me in the doorway. West came up behind me as well as some of the other newsies who wanted to see what my deal was.

"What's happened?" I asked.

"Go away Bell. This doesn't concern you."

"Luciano, tell me what's going on!" I demanded.

"Just tell him." Luciano continued addressing Runner completely ignoring me. "He's going to at least be happy dat it's finally happening. Understand?" Runner nodded and took off brushing shoulders with me in the doorway and took off in the direction of Spot's lodging house.

"Luc-" I started, but I was inturripted.

"Now, we need to figure out who is going to go there."

"Lucia-"

"Knowing Spot, he's not going to respond well."

"Lucia-"

"We have to start planning. Once Runner comes back with a-"

"Luciano!" I finally yelled interrupting him for once. "Dimmi cosa è successo!" Tell me what has hapened.

Some of the boys "ohhh-ed" at the anger that filled my voice, and they knew that drama was going to ensure because i was speaking the langage that only Luciano and I knew. I never rose my voice, except for when i was extremly angry, an emotion i rarley felt, but the boys seemed to find it amusing when I rose my voice at my older brother.

"Questo non ti riguarda! Non siete d'affari!" This dosent concern you! It's not you're business!

"Poi io farò la mia attività!" Then I'll make it my business.

Luciano and I had moved closer to each other, each taking a step with every time we spewed out until our noses were almost touching. We glared at each other, our chests heaving from shouting due to our Italian tempers we sometimes could not control.

"Youse think dey're gonna want a fight?" West asked out loud trying to break the tension.

Luciano broke his gaze from mine and stocked over to his desk. He rose a glass filled with an amber liquid up to his lips and gulped the alcohol down, finishing the last swig of his drink in one gulp.

"Knowing Spot, yes. And they got one. Dat's for sure."

He shoved himself away from the table and walked to the window.

"Spot Conlon has to learn that he's not the toughest leader around. He messed with the wrong borough and he sure as hell ain't gonna be da guy I lose dis territory, too."

The newsies nodded and grumbled their agreement.

"We will wait until later tonight when Runner comes back with word from Spot. Den we are gonna find them and remind 'em who really runs New York."

A/N Hey readers! Sorry it's taken me forever and a half to upload, but I've been very busy figuring college stuff out, so I hope this chapter was a good make up. Originally this was going to be two chapters, but I wanted this one to be long to make up for lost time-hence the chapter break. I hope you guys liked this chapter and I promise there will be more action coming up soon! Until then!