Guess what? I felt inspired, so I wrote you another chapter. :D
Enjoy!
"A goil? Youse nuts."
"Oh yeah Boid? Well den how do ya explain dat high pitched voice I heard down at the docks?"
"Ise am only thirteen, my voice hasn't changed yet."
"Sure, fine, but how 'bout dose dainty hands and small shoulders, how do ya explain dat?"
Beth is starting to sweat and she is unsure how long she can keep up her charade.
"Youse said it yerself Ise am little guy. Dat don't mean I'm a goil."
"Alright den prove it."
"Gladly, how?"
"If youse ain't a goil den you can uncross your arms and take off your shirt."
That's it she is out of here, she makes a beeline for the door, but he blocks it.
"Spot Conlon, get out of my way!"
"Not till youse tell me why yer really lyin and disguised."
"Dat would destroy the point of my disguise."
"Kill da accent already won'tcha? It grates on the ears of a real New Yorker."
"Youse won't hear it when I'm gone."
She makes a move to get past him, but he anticipates and blocks her.
"Yeah, but you ain't leavin yet."
"Why not!"
"I think we should get to know each other bettah. Youse ain't like odda goils."
"Good observation, now move Conlon!"
"Dat's Spot to you missy."
"Fine, you asked for it."
She swiftly brings her foot down hard on his toes, distracting him for an instant. She uses that instant to blow by him running away again, always running away. This time though she is stopped.
"Hey, hey settle down."
"Get your hands off me!"
"I ain't gonna hurt ya."
"Then let me go already."
"You don't have to leave…I didn't mean to scare ya."
"I am not scared of you."
"Then why won't you stay?"
"Why do you want me to stay so badly?"
He opens his mouth, but she interrupts him.
"Don't answer, I know why. I know all about Spot Conlon, the ladies' man, the way you are famous for having a woman on each arm, but never giving either of them the time of day."
"Maybe I would give it to them if I had a watch."
"Oh, shut up. You know what I mean. Why do you really want me to stay?"
"Just cause I'm da King of Brooklyn don't mean I don't have a heart. Yer hidin from someone who wants to hurt ya, I'm just tryin to help."
"I find that hard to believe, because 'heartless' is one of the many words that are usually used to describe Spot Conlon. Everyone knows that you always have an ulterior motive."
He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, ignoring the 'heartless' comment, for now…
"I knowse I said to kill da accent, but speak English will ya?"
"If I stay, what's in it for you? You wouldn't do this without a reason."
"Plenty for me. Ise got one of Kelly's newsies to hold over his head."
"Are you saying I'm some sort of hostage?"
"English please."
"That is English."
"Whatevah, plus Ise'll get a pretty goil to hang around me…"
"That's exactly what I thought. You just want me here so I can be your trophy. Am I right? Well newsflash King; I am nobody's trophy."
"I didn't say nuthin 'bout a trophy."
"No, but that's what you meant!"
"Youse can't say what Ise mean only I can say what Ise mean."
"Oh brother, if you were anymore conceited your head wouldn't fit in this room!"
"Well, if youse were any stubboner you'd be sleepin out in the barn!"
"You've resorted to name calling, how noble of you, your majesty!"
"Boid, you keep mockin me like dat an you might be the first goil I soak!"
"Like I care."
"You'd bettah care."
"Or what you'll make me? Even the great and powerful Spot Conlon can't control everything, and I am someone you will never control."
"Wanna bet Boid?"
He grabs her wrists roughly and pins them to the wall. Beth is surprised by the maneuver, but decides to see if she can talk her way out, before she resorts to full-on violence.
"Don't you have papes to sell, or better things to do besides trying to terrorize me?"
"You ain't such hot stuff now, are ya?"
"I'm just trying to spare you the pain."
"Oh I'm just terrified of what a skinny littul newsgoil like youse can do to me."
"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."
With that said Beth starts lashing out at Spot with her legs. Her first couple shots do little damage other than emitting a few surprised grunts. But her third kick makes contact with his gut, and he releases her wrists as he doubles over in pain.
"Ugh."
"I warned you."
She is standing over him; the King of Brooklyn is hunched over clutching his stomach.
"Are you alright? I hit you harder that I meant to, but it's your own fault you pushed me to it."
"I'm fine, it's just ooh ouch, uh dat breakfast ow I ate didn't agree with me too well. Huh your little kick didn't hurt me, heck it didn't even bruise."
"Want me to try again I'll add my fist for optimal results."
"NO! Er, uh no dat's fine I get the idea yer a lot tougher den youse look."
"And don't forget it."
Spot rubs his ribcage and mutters under his breath.
"I won't be any time soon. Sure Ise can't convince you to stay?"
"You are insane! You still want me here after what I just did?"
"Youse got something else, somethin different. What do they call it? Independence. Yer beautiful, smart, independent…"
"Stash the meaningless flattery and give me one good reason that I should stay."
"Yer safer here from whatevah yer runnin from den in Manhattan."
"Sure, but I'm not safe from you or the rest of the Brooklyn newsies. I'm good and all, butI can only take on one attacker at a time."
"If ya stay I swear I won't touch you, and any Brooklyn newsie who lays a finger on ya will get a poisanalized soakin from yours truly."
"How can I trust you after what you just pulled?"
"I might have grown up on da streets, but dat don't mean my word ain't as good as anyone else's."
"If I stay it's not because I trust you, or even because I want to be here, it's because despite everything I'm safer here than most other places."
Spot nods with respect to her decision, but before they can exchange another word they are interrupted by one of Spot's newsies.
"Hey Spot, we caught a Manhattan newsie tryin to sell on Brooklyn grounds."
"Bring him in"
"Let me go ya bastard I told ya I weren't tryin to sell papes I was just lookin for…"
"Race?"
She sees him standing in the doorway held back by two burly Brooklyn newsies.
He looks up and sees her standing there the sun shining through the window behind makes her look angelic, at least in his eyes.
"Bird?!"
Hope you liked it! Please keep reading and reviewing and I'll keep writing.
K. Kelly