SHOOT!  When I first posted this, I forgot the DISCLAIMER:  I don't own Newsies.  And whoever does should make it into a Broadway play, alright?!

            A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 7

            As Lizzy sat with her head in her hand, she wondered, "Why did I just do that?"  She looked up and noticed that all the newsies were watching her.  She turned her eyes to the stage and tried to concentrate on what Medda was singing, but her mind kept going back over the scene that had just occurred between her and Spot.  She certainly had not meant for that to happen, so she would apologize.  She couldn't help but think that it wasn't all her fault, but she would be the bigger person and apologize as soon as the show finished.

            Spot, sitting next to her, was incredibly pissed off.  Nobody had ever spoken to him like that.  No one had dared.  But now this girl, who'd been a newsie for two days, was smart mouthing the most respected newsie in New York.  "Respected" he thought.  "Not scared.  I'm not a scary person."  As he sat there, he just got madder and madder.

            When the show was over and the lights came back up, Lizzy turned to Spot and apologized.  "I'm sorry for what I said to you before" she told him.  "It was just… I said the wrong thing, alright?"

            Spot gave her a cool look.  Obviously, that kind of apology wasn't going to cut it.  But Lizzy wasn't going to give in anymore.  She glared back and turned around, walking towards the door.  She stopped when she saw Jack standing by the door.  "Do you need someone to walk you home?" he asked, smiling.

            Lizzy sighed.  "Yes, I do, thanks Jack." 

            "Oh, I can't walk you" Jack told her, grinning.  "Hey Spot, come walk Lizzy home."

            Spot gave him a look that would've made most of the other newsies cringe, but it had no effect on Jack.  Spot walked over towards Jack and pulled him aside so that Lizzy couldn't hear them.

            "What d'ya think your trying ta do?" he hissed at Jack.

            "Lighten up, Spot" Jack told him.  "I jist figured that you could walk her home and discuss your guys sellin' tomorrow.  Besides, all my boys will be wantin' ta go say hello to Medda, and Lizzy had ta go home right after the show ends.  I'd walk her meself, but I've got business ta take care of.  And what's wrong?  I've nevah seen youse give up a chance ta spend time with a pretty goil before."

            As he talked, all the other newsies headed out the door to go see Medda backstage.  The only ones left in the box were Spot, Jack and Lizzy.  "C'mon" Jack told him.  "She apologized.  Just walk her home."

            Spot sighed.  "Fine, Jacky-boy.  But youse owe me big time.  And for way more than just walkin' her home." 

            He walked over to the door.  "Let's go," he said, not even looking at Lizzy.

            Without a word, Lizzy walked out of the room with her head high.  Spot followed, glowering.  They made their way to the street, and walked side by side down the road.  Lizzy took a deep breath.  As always, her anger had melted quickly.  She stopped and faced him.  "Look, Spot, I know we got off on the wrong foot.  We don't have to like each other, we just have to sell papes together.  I'm sorry, OK?  I'm not gonna say it again, so take it or leave it."

            Spot ignored her and just continued walking.  Lizzy had been mad before, but now she was *really* mad.  She followed him and continued walking in silence.  Spot asked her, in a frustrated voice, "Where exactly is your home?"

            Lizzy glared at him.  "Right across from the Manhattan Lodging House.  And we're almost there, so you won't have to spend anymore time in my company" she spit out.

            Spot again said nothing, which was the best way to make Lizzy mad, although he didn't know that.  He started walking faster, then Lizzy started walking even faster than that, and then Spot increased his speed, and Lizzy did the same until they found themselves racing towards the Lodging House.  Spot just beat her there, then told her as she came up behind him "Not bad for a goil, but you'll have ta do better than that if youse wants ta keep up with all the other newsies."

            Lizzy raised her arm as if she was going to hit him, when she heard James' voice.  "Lizzy?  Are you alright?  What's going on?"

            She looked up towards her window, which James was yelling out of.  "I'm fine James.  We're just joking around.  I'll be right up."

            James closed the window, but Lizzy knew that he would still be watching them from the window.  "Well good night Spot" she said, shaking his hand that he hadn't stretched out.  Then, her voice dripping with sarcasm, she told him "I just can't wait to sell with you tomorrow.  See you in the morning."  With that, she walked into her apartment building and disappeared inside.

************************************

            Spot had walked back to the theatre after Lizzy went in her apartment.  He couldn't believe that he had promised to teach that girl to sell.  He had a feeling that by the time he was finished teaching her, he'd be running, screaming, from Manhattan.  He walked into the backstage area of the theatre and joined all the other newsies back there.  He noticed that most of the other newsies avoided his gaze.  "Why didn't ya guys warn me?" he asked no one in particular.  "I wouldn't of agreed ta teach her if I knew she was like that."

            All the newsies looked at each other.  "She's not that bad Spot" Crutchy finally spoke up.  "In fact, I think you'll find that when you get ta know her, she's really nice."

            "I don't want ta get ta know her" Spot told him. 

            "Aw, come on Spot" Race said.  "I saw the way you looked at her before.  You didn't seem so upset about teachin' her ta sell then."

            "Yeah well that was before she opened her mouth!" Spot shot back. 

            All the Manhattan newsies got kind of defensive at that, but no one really felt like challenging Spot.  They were a little scared of him, for all that Crutchy and Race had said they weren't.  Spot guessed what they were thinking, which made him even more upset.  It was bad enough that she annoyed the heck out of him, but for her to be right about all the newsies being scared of him was even worse!  Spot hadn't really had any friends since he became the leader of Brooklyn.  Loyalty he had plenty of, but friends were very scarce.  That was one reason he liked to hang out with the Manhattan newsies.  He had started selling in Manhattan, and many of the Manhattan newsies knew him before he moved up in the world.  Still, even they betrayed a little skittishness when Spot was around.

            Spot sighed to himself.  The newsies started leaving, and Spot followed with the three other Brooklyn newsies.  "Boys, it looks like I'm gonna be stuck heah for a while, so keep an eye on everything.  If there are any problems, youse knows where ta find me.  And I'll be showin' up periodically ta check on everything."

            The three boys nodded and said goodbye before they headed off across the bridge.  Spot caught up with the other newsies who were heading back to the Lodging House.  He didn't need to go back to get anything from the Brooklyn Lodging House because literally all he owned was the clothes on his back, his slingshot and his cane.  Anything else he needed he could borrow from the other newsies.

            The other newsies were all talking and joking, but Spot was silent the whole way home.  He certainly wasn't looking forward to tomorrow.  They walked into the Lodging House and headed upstairs to go to bed.  After all, they all had to get up early tomorrow morning.  Spot went straight to the empty bunk (it was the one that didn't have the sheets all tangled on top, because none of the boys ever actually made their beds) and laid down after taking off his shirt.  The other newsies talked while they were heading to bed, but no one bothered Spot, which in a way made him feel even worse.  He didn't feel like one of the newsies. 

            He tried to clear his head so he could fall asleep, but his thoughts kept intruding.  He wondered how Jack managed to be one of the guys while also being the Manhattan leader.  Why couldn't he do that too, he wondered.  This was the first time he had ever felt this way, ever missed companionship.  He sighed.  If only that girl (he refused to think of her by her real name) hadn't said that everyone was scared of him!  Then he wouldn't have been so paranoid.  He heard one of the newsies snoring, and noticed that almost all of them were asleep by then.  He climbed out of bed and out onto the fire escape.  He sat there for a long time, enjoying the cool night air, until he finally leaned over and fell asleep.

TBC…

OK, please review!  Pretty please – I love reviews.  Also, I have to thanks some more people for reviewing – Gnat10886, Mandy, Kate, Petite and Kathy, along with everyone else who I already mentioned before.  Oh, and of course, I can't forget my mother, who just reviewed this, oh, *6* times.  Also, since you asked, AngelicOne, the DVD does have interviews with Max Casella, who plays Racetrack.  It's got two Making of Featurettes, one of which is hosted by him, Mush and Boots, and another that he's interviewed in.  Also, it's got a thing on the true story behind the strike, and audio commentary with like six people talking on it (the director and co-choreographer, and the producer and the writers and some other people) along with some other stuff that's not worth your time.  The picture is also widescreen, so you can see everything that's going on, and nothing's cut out of the picture.  Also, I just realized that there was a part cut from "Carrying the Banner" that's on the soundtrack.  There's a little clip of that (they're singing "It takes a smile as sweet as butter/The kind that ladies can't resist/It take an orphan with a stutter/Who ain't afraid ta use his FIST!… and then goes on to summer stinks and winter's waitin')  OK, my little talk session is over, thanks for all of you who read it!J  Now go review!