The Curse of Love

By: Joker is Poker with a J

Chapter 10

Of A Day with Spot and the Carnival Part 1

Summary: The year was 1504 and I was just a traveling artist, making my way in the world, trying to become famous. But, female painters weren't respected, even during the new age. The Renaissance. And my luck, not being good nor bad, led me to stumble on a grave disaster.

Note: A lot is going to happen here. So please enjoy :) btw, I don't know what banks were like in 1900 so just go along with it!

I woke to the sun slanting across my face. Groaning, I rolled over, but sleep wouldn't come back. Finally, I sat up. Only to notice a sleeping figure in a chair next to my bed. I cocked my head to the side, "Spot?"

His head flew up, and he looked around sleepily. When he saw me awake, he got up, "Lee! Youse's awake!"

"Yes, I am." I said, staring at him, "Why're you sleeping next to my bed?"

Spot shrugged, "Youse was havin' nightmares. Thrashin' around, so Ise stayed next to youse. Incases you needed someone when youse woke up." He shrugged again, this time looking a bit embarrassed.

My heart gave a tiny tug. "Thats...sweet." I ducked my head, embarrassed as well. But, I couldn't remember any of last nights dreams. Or nightmares. I remembered being terrified, and lonely, like I've been practically my entire life...

Seating himself next to me, he leaned his head down to catch my eye. "Who was dat guy, Lee?"

"Just an old friend." I smiled at him slightly, "We met down in New Orleans a few years ago."

Spot scowled, "Why didn't he stay there?"

"He's in love with me." I said simply.

The Brooklyn Leader nodded thoughtfully, "A little old, but it's not hard..." He said mostly to himself.

"What's not hard?" I asked, giving him a suspicious look.

"Falling in Love with you, Lee."

That was the last thing I would have thought he meant. "Oh." Was all I managed to spit out, then I stood up, "What time is it?"

Spot shrugged, "Lemme see." He left the room for a moment, then came back in, "Twelve fifty-two."

"So I guess everyone's selling."

He nodded, "Yeah, doin' extra since dey won't be workin' tamarrah."

"Ok, well lemme get washed up, then I'll go do the afternoon edition." I told him, walking into the washroom.

"With me." I thought I heard him say.

Rolling my eyes, I washed up, thinking of the things I had to get ready before I left. I had to go to the bank, get some money for the trip. Clean up the room, maybe the whole lodging house as a sort of farewell gesture. I also had to write my goodbye letter, that would be the hardest thing.

I felt refreshed and much better when I came out. I went into the room I shared with the girls, and found Spot laying on my bed. "Comfy." He told me, giving me that crooked smile that just about melted my heart.

"I gotta go to the bank, too." I told him. "After I sell papes."

"Afterwe sell papes." He corrected.

I rolled my eyes again, "Fine, we. Now, lets go."

Spot jumped off my bed and came right up to me, his face inches from my own. His blue eyes burning into mine. He moved his face down so that I could feel the heat from his lips a centimeter from mine, "Ok, let's go." He whispered, and my knees almost gave out. I nodded, dazed, and he gave a small laugh as he began his way down the stairs.

We headed out of the LH and towards the distribution center, arriving just as the afternoon edition was going out. Blink and Mush waved to us, but I didn't see Race. I wondered how he took Spot insisting on sleeping next to my bed.

"Why ya gotta go to da bank?" Spot whispered while we waited in line.

"Just gotta get a few things." I shrugged. He gave me a suspicious look, but nodded.

It was silent while we got our papes and headed to a clear selling spot. We worked fast, and I even got a few 'Spot Secret Tips' on selling papes to girls. This was, of course, useless to me. But, I couldn't seem to get rid of this sudden aggression I had to every girl that bought a paper from him. If I didn't know myself better I would think I was jealous.

And then, all too soon, we were done and heading to the bank.

"So, seriously, why we'se goin' ta da bank?" Spot asked walking rather arrogantly, in my opinion, with his cane down the street.

"I told you, I gotta get some stuff."

He rolled his eyes, and then started humming. I gave him a look, but otherwise, I was quite content. Spot was a very enjoyable person to be around, almost, if not better, then Race. I felt a little guilty thinking this, but I couldn't deny it. Race was great, but sometimes he'd make a comment that would just make my suspicion that he liked me grow bigger. That is till I realized he really did like me.

And though Spot had nearly kissed me twice, it didn't make me uncomfortable at all. Freaked me for a second, but then afterwards I realized it only freaked me because I knew it was what I wanted.

Finally we arrived at the large bank. Quite large, and the inside was even more astonishing. The high vaulted ceilings, the basic structure of the entire place. "Shoot. This place looks better every time I come in." I muttered though I'd only been there once before to make a deposit of the valuables I had been carrying the day I met Bell and the newsies.

It was pretty empty, and I walked right up to the teller, "I'd like to withdraw a few things from my account."

The teller nodded, "Name?"

I glanced behind at Spot who was acting as if he wasn't listening, though I knew very well he was. I dropped my voice, "Aurelie Roxane Everard." I told him, and I was sure Spot couldn't have heard it.

The teller nodded, "Follow me, Ms. Everard." I winced and looked back at Spot, who merely raised an eyebrow.

Sighing, I followed the man. He looked like he could have been one of those creepy butlers, the gray hair that was long in the back, framing his bald head on top. The long hooked nose, and the very neat suit he wore.

He took me down a long haul to my vault. Its top was level with my eyes, the bottom ending just at me chest. It was square and it had a number. 2156. The teller opened it, and stepped aside. I stared in, biting my lip. Reaching in, I pulled out the emerald necklace that belonged to my mother. It had matched her eyes. The eyes I inherited from her.

I put it around my neck, and tucked it under my shirt, and reached in once more. I pulled out the money I had put in. It would have to get me to Ireland. I would need to start working, to continue saving for each time I left. Traveling was expensive.

Lastly, I took out my father's old pocket watch. After my mother had died, he had sold it to keep us fed. After he died, I spent five years tracking it down, and another year to pay it off. Engraved on the back was a simple saying, 'You never lose by loving, you lose by holding back.'

My mother had bought it for him when they had been married for ten years. I had been eleven. Five years later she had died. Two years after that my life had changed and here I was. Nearly four hundred years later.

I shook my head, and headed back out of the bank. Spot said nothing, but began walking by my side as we headed to Tibby's for lunch.

Tibby's was crowded, the boys excited for the night's carnival, and tomorrow's party at Meddah's. Jack and a few of the boys, including Race, were going to the Hall to set up for the party.

This was good. It gave me time to get prepared to leave. Write my note and make sure everything was absolutely perfect. But, I did want to spend a bit of time with my friends, too.

'That's what happens when you get too close.'' I thought angrily to myself. I was so deep in thought, I didn't realize they were waiting for me to order.

"Helloooo. Lee? Youse home?!" Mush asked, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Oh! Yeah, sorry." I shook my head and gave my order.

I listened to the boys chat, basking in this familiar everyday thing. It was nice, not to think about now, or what happened in the past. It was nice not to have to wonder about what lay ahead, but rather what was going on at this moment in time. Glancing around the table, I took comfort in my friends. Race, cigar in hand shuffling a deck of cards. Mush, hands waving about as he told Blink some story about a messenger boy who almost hit him today. Blink laughing at Mush. And finally Spot. He sat across from me, gazing out across the street, fingers lightly tapping the table. His eyes were darker then normal. Brooding. His face was expressionless and I wondered what he was thinking.

Were problems with his newsies continuing? Or did he sense that I was withdrawing from them? Yeah right, I thought. How could he know?

Eventually, our food came. Spot and I said little, and I offered to pay for everyone's lunch. And after that, we headed home to get ready for the Carnival.

I looked at Race, " They wanna get dressed up or something?"

Race laughed, "Lee, dere'll be dolls a plenty dere."

"Oh." Was all I could reply, and I snuck the smallest glance toward the direction of Spot, who walked next to me, still quiet.

He looked up at that moment and caught my eye, and the smallest of smirks formed at the corner of his mouth. My face heated and I looked away.

When we came to the LH, I sat on the steps, informing Race that I'd wait for them here. Spot took a seat beside me and lit a cigaret.

Silence.

I watched the sky darken, and the cherry at the tip of Spot's cigaret flare as he inhaled. "I'm sure that can't be good for you." I muttered, glancing sideways at him.

"And Ise sure Ise don't careh." He shot back, inhaling the last of it and throwing it into the streets. We watched the embers fly when they hit the ground, and I gave a sigh.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why what?"

"Why don't you care if it's not good for you?"

His eyes met mine for a second, then he glanced away, "Ise just don't, Lee."

My head cocked to the side, "You're not scared to die?"

"Who said anything about death?" Spot shot, quirking an eyebrow.

Looking away, I watched a carriage go by, putting out the last of the cigaret. What were the chances that it would land just so to get put out by a random carriage?

"It was just a question."

Spot made a noise, "Are you, Lee?"

I turned to face him, "I asked first."

"And Ise asked second."

We stared each other down briefly. Then, "No, Aurelie, I'm not afraid of death. I will face it, when it comes. Are you?"

His voice held no hint of the Brooklyn accent I always knew him to hold. It seemed at every moment Spot surprised me.

"I dunno." I muttered, "What if you couldn't die? What if you had lifetimes to live?"

Spot turned to me, surprised, "Yeah, right, Lee. Like dat could happen."

Blushing, I turned away, "Yeah. Crazy." Maybe that was what I was. Maybe I'd been asleep for so long, and I was just finally realizing I was living in a surreal world where I could live every moment and not worry if it was my last.

"But, if I could, I'd see everything. Taj Mahal, the Pyramids, the Eiffel Tower most of all." He gave the smallest sighs, "But, Lee? It wouldn't be any good if I was all alone."

Tears filled my eyes, and I was so glad of the darkness that had fallen. Spot had somehow hit the spot. All my life, I'd known nothing but loneliness. And every time anyone got close, I'd hit the road. That was why these last four hundred years had been so terrible. Why I hadn't hit the thing that would push me back into the cycle. I was afraid.

The door opened, then, and the newsies came streaming out. Spot stood, brushed himself off, then held out his hand for mine. I stared at it for the longest moment. It was ink stained and calloused, but I wanted to take it. I wanted to slip mine in his, and I didn't want him to never let go.

And that's what I did. I slipped mine in his, and let him pull me to my feet. We began our way to the Carnival, the sounds of the newsies, laughing and talking echoed around us. And he didn't let go.

A/N: Whew, took me awhile to get this one done. And now I know exactly what will happen in the next :) YAY! Please please please review! (Yes, I'm begging) But, I really do love reviews. They make my day better!

Also, I'm thinking of another story, well it's actually like a re-do of one I had up. But I didn't like it so I took it down. But i'm thinking of re-writing it tho it'll still have the same basic plot. I have a summary here:

Summary: Savage killings begin ravaging New York City just as a new girl becomes acquainted with the newsies. Solitary and mysterious, Jezebel steals the heart of a few of the boys. Her flawless beauty bewilders them. But, with the good comes the bad, and soon it is realized that she may be linked to the murders, causing the newsies to be caught between a battle of mythical beings...

Not the best summary, but I'll work on it if anyone's interested in reading it. So, Please Tell me if any of you are interested, if a lot are, I'll start writing it and posting it. If not, o well. And if you think I should wait till after I finish this one, just tell me. :) thanks so much!

Truly,

Joker is Poker with a J