Chapter 4: Meeting Spot
Grim sat down on some crates in the distribution center after she go her stack of newspapers. Instead of looking through the paper to find a good story, she watched the boys either look through the paper or play around with each other. Slowly, the guys got in their selling groups. Grim stayed on the crate.
"Who is your partner?" Mush asked her.
"I guess I don't have one." she answered.
"You can sell with me and Blink if you want." he offered. She was about to answer when David came up to them.
"It's OK, Mush. She'll sell with me and Jack today." he answered for her.
"OK. See you two at Tibby's tonight." Mush said then he ran off to catch up to Blink.
"Come on. We're about to leave." David said. Grim didn't say anything. She just grabbed her newspapers and followed silently behind David.
The day went by quickly. Grim had a hard time "improving the truth" though. Jack was trying to teach her like he taught David but she kept questioning everything he said which annoyed the hell out of him. Grim sold most of her papers and David helped her sell the rest. After the selling was over, the three of them headed to Tibby's.
Grim noticed that the people from last night was at Tibby's. And, I'm guessing, in their usual groups, she thought. She also noticed one other boy was there that wasn't there last night. The boy called Jack and David over to his table. Jack went right away while David stayed behind with Grim. Right away, Grim didn't like this boy. Then again, she thought, I don't really like anyone. Suddenly, she felt something inside her that she never felt before. What was it? Could it be guilt? She did think that David was a good person and she may like him as a friend but she couldn't be sure. She never had a friend before.
"Well, today is your lucky day." David mumbled.
"How come?" she asked.
"You're going to meet Spot Conlon. Come on. He'll be angry if we make him wait." David said then they made their way to his table and sat down.
"So, you must be the new newsie." Spot said after he studied her for a minute.
"I must be." Grim answered.
"Getting smart with me?" Spot snapped.
"Maybe." she simply said.
"Do you know who I am?"
"A snappy boy with a cane." she said.
"She's form out of state." David said quickly, "She's not familiar with the way things work."
"She better learn." Spot answered, "And you might want to get her better selling clothes."
"Better clothes?" Grim asked as she smooth out her skirt, "What's wrong with my clothes?"
"You're in a dress. How are you going to run from the bulls if you're in a dress? You need pants. It'll be easier for you to climb fire escapes if you're in pants. You'll also be needing to learn how to fight. Just because you're a girl doesn't mean people won't go after you if there were to be a borough war." Spot explained.
Grim stared at him for a moment. She wasn't about to change everything about herself. She like her dresses and she hate fights. She always uses her words and the kids at the organization always saw things her way. Did the girls who lived at the lodging house have to change their look took?, she thought. She would rather be homeless and jobless than take orders from him.
"I'm not going to learn how to fight," Grim finally said, "and I'm not changing my clothes."
"Is she always like this?" Spot asked Jack.
"I believe she is." Jack answered.
"She's good at selling the papes." David pointed out.
"How? She wouldn't improve the headline." Jack said.
"OK but she sold almost all of her papers without it." David said, raising his voice a bit in anger, "She's good at selling. That's all that should matter instead of what's she's wearing."
"Temper, temper." Grim said quietly which made David stare at her. "What?"
"I don't need you mocking me." David snapped at her.
"Well…actually, I wasn't mocking you. I was just letting you know about your temper." she said calmly.
"Whatever. I don't need you to be talking to me like that. I'm not a child." he almost yelled.
"Once again…don't snap at me. I'm not your girl." she snapped back.
"Are they always like this?" Spot asked.
"They were nicer to each other earlier." Jack said, feeling confused.
"I don't want you to be my girl." David said to Grim.
"Good because I would rather die than be involved with you." Grim said.
"Well…fine." David said as he folded his arms in front of him like a child.
"Fine." Grim said quietly.
"Are you two finish yet?" Spot asked, frustrated.
"I'm not changing my clothes and I'm not going to fight." Grim repeated.
"Then how are you going to defend yourself if, say, Queens attach you all?" Spot asked.
"Have I met Queens?" Grim asked.
"Are you kidding me?" Spot almost yelled.
"She's new, Spot. Giver her a break." David jumped in.
"But everyone knows what Queens is." Spot said.
"Queens is near Brooklyn." Jack told Grim.
"Well, if…Queens…attack us, then I'll defend myself my way. Don't worry about it." Grim said.
"That's all well and good but-" Spot started.
"I said don't worry about it." Grim said again.
"There's no talking to her, is there?" Spot asked no one in particular.
"Apparently not." David mumbled but Grim heard him.
How could he say that after the talk we has last night?, she thought. She listened to his selfish problem and even tried to help him. She knew she could be stubborn at times but she always listened to whoever was talking to her. She just have a different way of solving problems. She can handle herself in a fight. At least, I think I can, she thought. Plus, she doesn't have to make up headlines to sell her newspapers. She was nice to people all day and struck up a conversation with them and they were willing to buy a newspaper from her. She doesn't have to listen to this kid. Spot Conlon means nothing to her.
David, however, means something. Grim doesn't know what it is but it has to be something. That comment really hurt her but she doesn't know why. It's not like I want to be his girl, she thought. She didn't want to be anyone's girl. Then why am I feeling like this?, she thought. She had to snap out of it. Without saying a word, she got up and went outside.
"Spot doesn't like you." she heard David say from behind her a few minutes later.
"Do you think I care?" she asked.
"He doesn't like you because you two are the same." he continued.
"I'm nothing like him."
"Well…your attitudes are the same. That's about it."
"You think I'm hare to talk to?" she asked quickly.
"No. Actually, I find it easy to talk to you. Maybe a little too easy." he answered. "I just said that because I was mad."
"Does the lodging house has a kitchen?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.
"Um…it should but I don't know if it's full of food. Why?"
"Crutchy is still sick. I want to make him soup tonight." she answered.
"You can cook?" he asked, sounding a bit too surprised.
"You, I can cook. I'm not completely useless." she snapped.
"I never said you was useless and don't you snap at me. I was trying to be nice to you, Grim. What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. I have to go if I want the soup to be done in time before lights out." Grim said as she turn to walk to the lodging house. David threw his hands up in defeat then went back inside Tibby's.
