Hey Newsies lovers!! So, here is the next chapter. I hope you like it; it's a little more exciting. Please Read and Review!

Nope! They are not mine… although I understand them so well ;)

Spot did not avoid me, nor did he mention those three significant words I had confessed to him the previous night. It was worse; he pretended that it never happened. We still sold together, ate our meals together… the whole thing could have just passed as a dream. But there was still that bit of awkwardness that reminded me I had messed up.

Why is it that I always seem to mess up every serious relationship that I am in? I messed up my friendship with Jack because of my jealousy and my undefined relationship with Spot by trying to define it. But I do not regret telling him I love him, because I do and he needed to know that, even if he did not feel the same way.

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I was at the top of the stairs one morning, late as usual, when I overheard a hushed conversation from the first floor. I took a few quiet steps back a crouched down in a corner to eavesdrop.

"So we ain't goin den?" Rusty, a tall intimidating, yet utterly dense boy, asked sounding peeved.

"Ya heard what I said," Spot answered his newsies, sounding frustrated. "If we go, she will want to go. Odds are da people dat are lookin fer her will be dere and I'm not riskin' it. I gave Jack my word that I would protect her and dat's exactly what I am goin to do."

"We could just tell her we are going somewhere else," Rusty suggested as if he found the cure for the common cold. I rolled my eyes. Did he think I would not get suspicious if they all left to go somewhere and refused to let me go too?

"What are you new er somethin'? She is gonna to find out and be really mad at us when she does. I think we all agree dat we do not want her mad at us," Spot stated, getting scattered agreement from the group of boys. I shook my head. So da big tough Brooklyn boys are afraid of a little blonde girl now are dey? Cowards.

"Youse is right about dat, but can't ya just tell her dat she can't go?"

Spot let out an amused snort and I heard a few boys hitting somebody, most likely Rusty, on the head. "Oh, yeah, because dat's gonna work out in our favor."

"Maybe we could ask Jack was he tinks?" Rusty seemed to be at his last straw, so another boy piped in.

"Yeah, dats a good idea, ain't it Spot? Dis whole ting coulda blown over by now."

"Jacky-boy agrees wid me." Spot said firmly. In my corner I bunched together my eyebrows in confusion.

Jack checks up on me? I thought for sure that he would want nothing to do with me after all the spiteful things I said I said to him. I felt my face turn red with fury as I jumped up and stomped halfway down the stairs.

"You know, boys, it's amazing what you can hear when you are crouched in that corner," I said, pointing to my hiding place. Spot raised his eyebrows and smirked.

"You're pretty sneaky." I smiled to myself, that's right, Spot, I gotcha. Spot walked over to the bottom of the stairs and leaned against the railing, that cocky smirk still plastered on his face.

"We just can't keep anyting from youse."

No Sir!

"We sure can't outsmart youse, youse is dat sneaky."

Ha! That'll teach ya to keep secrets from me!

"I guess we will just havta letcha go wid us."

Darn right!

"So, tell me Marty, where is it dat we is goin'?"

Oh no.

My mouth dropped open as I realized I didn't exactly know. I racked my brain for any mention of their destination and came up empty. Spot smirked and took one step closer to the stair.

"Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky," he said, slowly shaking his head and clicking his tongue.

"See, Spot, you said it yourself. She's sneaky. So we could sneak her into Meddas……"

Rusty was startled into silence by a threatening look from Spot.

Bingo.

Spot sighed, aggravated, and smacked his hand against his forehead. Luckily for me, as tough and intimidating Rusty was, he was still less bright than a burnt out light bulb.

"Oh, Spot, you will have to send Medda an RSVP for me, because I will definitely be there!"

"Oh, yeah? Yeah?" Spot challenged. I decended the remainder of the stairs until I was just one step up from him. I used my tip-toes to fill in the extra amount of height so I could look him straight in the eyes.

"Yeah." The newsies oooohhhed in the background, half impressed I challenged their leader and half worried for my life. But Spot showed no emotion, keeping out eyes locked.

"We'll see about dat." He walked out the door, soon followed by the rest of the boys and me. I jogged to catch up with him on the street.

"Why didn't you tell me that Jack checks up on me?" I demanded.

"Why's dat matter?"

"Because…it…does." Spot smirked at me.

"Ohhh, good reason." I exhaled sharply and tried to march ahead of him but he caught me calmly by the arm.

"He gets in touch wid me bout ev'ry few days, just ta see how tings is goin'." He explained as he pulled me back to his side.

"Oh, hmmm…" I said involuntarily in thought. Spot gave me an amused glace.

"What are ya thinking?"

I shrugged and kept walking. Spot laced our fingers together without looking anywhere but forward.

"If I know Jacky-boy, he doesn't give up easily, on anyting. So a few hoitful words ain't gonna make him give up a friendship dat means so much ta him." Spot said without a trace of emotion, but I knew that he meant for the words to be a source of comfort. I smiled prettily and looked up into his eyes, batting my eyelashes.

"So you should be nice about letting me go to the party so I can set things right with him, don't you think?" Spot snorted.

"Nice try, but da answah is da same. If ya really want ta make tings right, I'll bring him here. He won't be at da party anyway, remember?" I pulled my hand out of his causing his eyes to widen.

"Well, you cannot stop me Spot Conlon. I'll go if I please and you will just have to deal with it…"

I heard expressions of shock behind me, which boosted my self-confidence. The boys were looking for a rebuttal from Spot and I realized out little argument wasn't even about wanting to go to the party anymore, it was more a pride issue. Spot looked at me with raised eyebrows.

"We'll see about dat." Spot said with a glimmer of laughter in his eyes. Great, I wanted ta intimidate him and I only succeeded in amusing him. Poifect.

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When the night of the party came, I closed myself in the bunkroom daring anybody to bother me and crawled under the covers still fully clothed. I waited about half and hour in case some brave soul decided to accept my dare, and then climbed out the window and down the fire escape. I was on my way.

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In Manhattan I found myself pushing through a crowd of people at Irving Hall searching for a familiar face.

"Specs! Dutchy!" I shouted when I spotted them standing by the stage.

"Marty?" Dutchy trapped me in a bear hug. "what are ya doin here? Don't ya know dose guys from the city could…"

"I know, I know. But I missed you guys." I said as innocently as I could.

"Does Spot know yer here?" Specs asked skeptically.

"Uh…no, I don't believe he does," I mumbled into my shirt to avoid eye-contact.

"Marty, we gotta get ya back. They could find you and make you go to another home yer gonna hate…" Spec's urged as he attempted to push me back through the crowds.

"Would you relax!" I begged noting Dutchy scanning the crowd for any trace of official looking people. "Besides, I'm sure that they don't even care about little ole me anymore. I'm old news."

"Don't ya remember how long they looked for Jack?" Dang, he's right. I nodded. "So lets get ya outta here before it's too late, ok?"

But before we could move Dutchy grabbed Specs by the shirt. "I think it already is. Ain't that the guy dat searched the lodgin house?" Specs swore when he recognized the man Dutchy was referring to.

"Get her outta here."

Dutchy grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of the back entrance. Specs relayed the situation to the other Newsies so they could come up with a plan. I saw the look of panic on the boys faces. Why couldn't I've just stayed in Brooklyn?

When we made it to the back door I looked back on the scene I was responsible for creating. The Newsies had gotten into a fake fight to distract the city officials. A wave of guilt swept over me and I vowed to be less reckless with my actions and to be less hard-headed.

I thought I was home free but then something happened that gave me a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had made eye-contact with the head official. Dey know I'm here. I cursed as Dutchy snapped me back into the reality of the situation. My instincts told me to run, and that's exactly what I did. But as soon as I went out the door a guard caught me by the arm.

It's ovah.