Chapter Four
A week later Spot sauntered into the Manhattan Lodging House. A chorus of voices called out hellos to him. He grinned, replying to various newsies as he walked through the room over to Mush.
"Heya," he said. Mush grinned.
"Hey Spot, how ya doin'?"
"Real good. Hey, have ya seen Raindrop?" Spot asked. Mush nodded after a moment.
"Yeah, she went up ta da roof 'bout an' hour ago." Spot grinned.
"Awrigh, t'anks." He climbed out the window and went up the fire escape. Raindrop was sitting on the roof. She looked up and grinned.
"Spot!" she exclaimed, and jumped to her feet. He smiled broadly and kissed her.
"How ya doin'?" he asked, arms wrapped around her waist. She shrugged her shoulders.
"Awright, I guess." Spot raised an eyebrow.
"Just awright? What'cha doin' up heah all by yerself?" Raindrop shrugged again,
and they both sat down.
"Jist thinking," she answered.
"'Bout what?" Spot pressed. She didn't answer for a moment. Finally she turned to him.
"It's just…" she started. Spot brushed a few loose strands of hair out of her face.
"Just what?" She was silent for a moment.
"How old were yu when yer par'nts died?" Spot froze. He was finally okay with the fact his parents and little sister had died, but it wasn't something he liked talking about.
"Ah…'bout seven, I t'ink. Was a long time ago." Raindrop looked at him, surprised.
"What did'ja do aftah dat?" Spot shrugged offhandly, like it wasn't a big deal.
"Oh, I dunno. Raindrop, it was a long time ago." She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Don' ya dare try 'n' tell me ya don' remembah. Me family died too. I remembah ev'ry detail like it jist 'appened." Spot sighed.
"I hung out wit Pierre fer awhile. 'e was da only adult left dat really cared 'bout me. I quit school, an' aftah awhile I left Pierre's an' wen' ta be a newsie." Raindrop looked at him.
"What'd Pierre do?" Spot looked at her, totally confused.
"Do? 'e ran 'is restaurant."Raindrop shook her head.
"Dat ain't what I mean. Yu were real upset 'bout dem dyin', right?" Spot nodded slightly, still not grasping what she meant. "Well, if yu were awright when ya left, what'd 'e say ta ya, 'r whatevah, ta make ya bettah?" Spot thought for a moment.
"Well, 'e gave me a new fam'ly. Fer a liddle while, at least. An' I kin always go back der if I need ta. An' I guess 'e jist lemme git me feelin's out, an' den 'ad me concentrate on sumpt'in' else till it didn' hoit so much." Spot touched her shoulder.
"Raindrop, I know how yer feelin' right now. It hoits a lot. I hate ta be da one dat has ta tell ya dis, but it's a'ways gonna hoit. Ya can't change dat. But aftah awhile it ain't gonna hoit so much. Jist, t'inkin' 'bout it all da time shoah ain't gonna 'elp. Ya gotta git on wit yer life. Let 'em go." Raindrop looked at him, her eyes filling with tears.
"I kain't jist git on wit me life dough. Dey's always in me t'oughts. Ev'ryt'in' reminds me of dem." Spot smiled slightly.
"Dat ain't gonna change a whole lot eiddah. When I was stayin' at Pierre's, ev'ryt'in' 'bout Maria reminded me of Corrine. She was me liddle sistah. Real sweet. Ya woulda like 'er. But for a long time it hoit ta be 'round Maria, cause I missed me sistah so much.
"Sometimes I see someone on da streets, an' dey remind me ah Corrine. But now it jist makes me smile, rememb'rin' 'er. It ain't always gonna hoit dat much Raindrop. Ya jist gotta give yerself some time." Raindrop leaned against him.
"I guess yer right."
"Ya feel any bettah?" Spot asked her. She nodded slightly. Then she stood up.
"C'mon, let's git some food. I'se starvin'." She went down the fire escape quickly, and into the Lodging House as if nothing had happened. Spot stood for a moment before following her.
Der she goes actin' like nuthin' 'appened again. Sometimes I jist can't figgah dat goil out.
Newsies poured into Tibby's. Raindrop chattered happily away with Race, Mush, and Kid Blink in the their usual corner away from everyone else, while Spot joined the rest of the newsies and their loud conversation. Occasionally Spot glanced over to Raindrop, but she never showed any sign of being upset. The foursome finished their dinner quickly, and were stopped by Cowboy just before they left.
"Wheah're you'se goin'?" he asked. They shrugged and answered as usual.
"Out." Jack rolled his eyes.
"Jist don' git in trouble, awright?" They all laughed.
"Us? Trouble?" Mush joked. They walked out laughing. Spot motioned to a corner, where Cowboy joined him.
"Yeah? What's up Spot?" Jack asked.
"Well, it's like dis," Spot said. "'ow's Raindrop? I mean, is she real 'appy 'ere? An' da any of yer boys mess around wit 'er?" Cowboy shook his head quickly.
"Aw, no. She's jist fine heah. I made shoah none of da boys got any ideas b'fore we even knew she was stayin'. Fits in real well wit da boys. Bit moah t'oughful, ah coise, but ev'ryone likes 'er real good." Spot nodded.
"Awright, t'anks." Jack shifted in his seat.
"Why'd ya wanna know?" Spot shrugged, not taking offense to the question.
"Jist wanted ta make shoah she's real 'appy heah." Jack nodded.
"She is." Spot grinned.
"Good. Now let's git back ta da Lodgin' House. Most ev'ryone's awready gone." They stood and walked back to the Lodging House. Outside they could hear shrieks from the inside. Spot and Jack looked at each other and hurried inside. The yelling and laughter increased as they got closer to the bunk room. They reached the bunk room, but they newsies in it were playing a game of poker silently, or were occupied in other activities. Skittery looked up when they came in. He pointed towards the washroom.
"They're in there," he said, disinterested. The door to the large washroom was shut, but water was beginning to seep underneath it. Jack flung the door open and stared at the mess. Water was everywhere. The four newsies had cups, buckets, and anything else they could come up with full of water, and they were throwing it at each other. They were all drenched and laughing hysterically. Race chased Mush around the room with a cup of water. Suddenly he slipped on the wet floor and fell. His cup of water flew out of his hand and the water splashed Jack in the face.
"Jack!" Race exclaimed in surprise. Instantly everyone in the room looked towards the door and froze. Mush grinned weakly.
"Heya Jack. Didn' 'spect ya back so soon…"
"Look, we'll git it cleaned up real quick an' all, awright? We'll git it done right now," Race said. Jack nodded.
"Ya bettah believe ya will," he said. "An' once dat's don, yer findin' somehwheah else ta sleep." They all looked at him in shock.
"Yer kickin' us out?" Raindrop asked incredulously.
"Yeah, I am," Jack told her. "You gotta problem wit dat?" Raindrop continued staring at him.
"Yeah," she said, "I do." Jack looked at her.
"Well, I gotta problem wit you'se having yer liddle watah fights in heah an' makin' a mess ovah and ovah. I told ya last time dat if ya evah did it again I'se kickin' ya out."
"Wheah are we s'pposed ta go?" asked Kid Blink. "Jack, dis is nuts!" Jack moved his glare to Blink and then looked at them all.
"If I were you'se I'd hurry up or yer gonna be on da streets all night wit'out somewheah ta sleep." He turned around and slammed the door. The four newsies looked at each other.
"I can' believe 'e did dat," said Mush, and he sighed. Race picked up a bucket.
"C'mon. We'se gonna have a time of it jist tryin' ta git dis mess cleaned up. No point in puttin' it off." Kid Blink looked at them in shock.
"What're we gonna do?" Mush shrugged.
"Find places we kin stay best we kin, I guess." Race nodded.
"Da foist place I evah was a newsie was in Da Bronx. I kin always go stay wit dem."
"I kin always go live wit me sistah," Raindrop spoke up. "Maybe she'd even let you'se stay too." Race shook his head.
"I wouldn' count on it. We'se all gonna end up in diff'rent places." Mush nodded.
"I t'ink Race's right. Even if Race an' da rest of us could stay in Da Bronx, Spot's gonna make you'se go ta Brooklyn." They glumly began to clean up the water. Once the floor was relatively dry Mush began up the sinks and putting things away, but Race stopped him.
"Don' boddah." Mush frowned.
"But da rest of da guys'll get mad…" Race shrugged.
"Dat ain't our problem. Dis ain't our Lodgin' 'ouse, remembah?" Mush nodded slowly and dropped the washcloth he had been holding. Blink looked over the room. It wasn't a mess, but it wasn't exactly totally cleaned up either. He looked at the others.
"C'mon. Let's git outta heah." They walked to their bunks and began changing. Raindrop grabbed her spare clothes and went back to the washroom to change. From the minute the four newsies walked into the bunk room there was total silence. Most of the other newsies gave them sympathetic looks. A few shot glares at them.
Spot was waiting on Raindrop's bed when she returned in dry clothes. She gathered up her belongings in a sack and stood up. The other three were ready to leave as well. Spot put his arm around Raindrop's shoulders and they began walking out of the room. Mush, Race, and Blink followed. Snipeshooter and Boots ran up the stairs then.
"Where're you'se goin'?" Snipeshooter asked curiously.
"Jack kicked us out," Race said, and shot a glare at Jack.
"Yer really goin'?!" Snipeshooter, totally shocked, asked Raindrop. Over the past few months they'd become like brother and sister. She nodded miserably.
"Den I'se goin' wit you!" Snipeshooter declared. She shook her head.
"Snipes, ya know I'se gonna miss ya, but ya kain't go. Ya need ta stay heah." Snipeshooter sighed.
"Fine." He hugged Raindrop and stalked over to his bunk, shooting Jack furious looks the whole way. Then they left. Outside of the Lodging House they stopped. Raindrop and the other three sat down on the steps miserably. Spot watched them for a moment before he said anything.
"C'mon, it's gonna be real dark b'fore we git ta Brooklyn as it is." Raindrop sighed and stood up. Spot looked at the other three. "Are ya comin' 'r what?" They looked up in surprise.
"Ya mean we kin stay in Brooklyn too?" Mush asked. Spot nodded. Blink frowned.
"T'ought ya didn' let no one stay in Brooklyn but Brooklyn newsies." Spot gave him a long even look.
"Raindrop might as well be Brooklyn as it is," he said, "And now dat bum 'as kicked 'er out, an' t'ree of 'er best friends. Ya ain't got anywheah else ta go, so now yer Brooklyn newsies. Or will be." Raindrop looked at Spot.
"Jack's awready mad, 'e's gonna be maddah when 'e finds out da newsies 'e jist kicked out went ta live wit 'is ally." Spot looked back at Raindrop.
"Dey didn'. Da minute 'e was done wit you'se, Brooklyn was done wit 'im." They all resumed walking to Brooklyn.
"Boy," whispered Race whispered to Blink, "Spot's takin' dis awful poinsonally." Spot heard him and turned around.
"Is der any reason I shouldn't take dat kinda insult to Raindrop and Brooklyn poisonally?" Race through about it for a moment and shook his head.
Once they had arrived in Brooklyn Spot found three empty bunks for Mush, Blink, and Race, and disappeared into his room with Raindrop, only saying that he had brought back three new Brooklyn newsies. They were left in the large bunk room with a few newsies they knew, and a lot of newsies they didn't. They explained how they and Raindrop had been kicked out of Manhattan, and Spot had them come be newsies in Brooklyn, and that he said Brooklyn was through with Manhattan. After awhile, though, the Brooklyn newsies went back to their own business, and the former-Manhattan newsies sat together on a bunk talking before they went to bed.
"Where's Raindrop?" Mush asked. Race shrugged.
"I dunno. I haven' seen 'er since we got heah." Kid Blink looked up.
"She's wit Spot. She went with him in der," he said, gesturing to a closed door. Mush raised an eyebrow.
"Dat's 'is bedroom."
"She's in 'is bedroom?" Race frowned. "She sleepin' in der, 'r sumpt'in'?" They looked at each other but didn't say anything. Finally Mush spoke up.
"Well…maybe dat's jist how dey do t'ings heah…" He looked around the large bunk room at the other newsies. "Ya know…Brooklyn's jist diff'rent den Manhatt'n." Race snorted.
"Yeah, no kiddin'."
Raindrop dropped her things on the floor and flopped down onto her bed. Spot turned around and looked at her.
"Hey, you okay?" She shrugged.
"I jist can' believe Jack did dat." She gave him a strange look. "You sure seem ta be in an awful good mood fer someone who's goil got kicked outta yer best friend's Lodgin' House." He walked over to her bunk and sat down, grinning.
"An' why shouldn' I be glad? Jack ain't me best friend… an' if yer kicked outta Manhattan, den you kin be wit me all da time." Raindrop smirked.
"Ya like dat, don'tcha?" Spot leaned towards her, grinning.
"Oh," he whispered, "Ya have no idea." Just when Raindrop was sure he was going to kiss her, he kissed her forehead and stood up, laughing at her exasperated expression.
"Well, ya coitainly can' 'spect me ta do all da woik!" He turned around and began getting ready for bed. He shirt was half off when Raindrop got up, turned him around, and began kissing him. When she finished she looked up at him, smirking. Spot pretended to think for a moment.
"Well," he finally said, "Not bad. Defin'tly loined from da best, of coise, an'-" Raindrop cut him off, hitting him. He laughed and put his arms around her. Just before he kissed her, there was a knock at the door. Spot groaned, and walked over to the door pulling Raindrop along, one arm still around her. He opened the door, and she buried her face in his shoulder, laughing so hard at his annoyance she was crying. Kid Blink stood looking at them in total shock.
"What d'ya want?" Spot asked. Kid Blink shifted his weight uncomfortably.
"Yeah, um, kin I talk ta Raindrop? Say g'night an' all?" Spot nudged Raindrop.
"Hear dat? Blink says g'night." He looked back at Blink. "You kin leave us alone now." Raindrop laughed harder, but looked up in a moment.
"C'mon Blink, 'e's jist messin' wit ya." Blink followed her to the other side of the room, by the window. "Well?" Raindrop asked.
"Uh, yeah, um, I jist wanted ta say g'night…" Raindrop gave him a look.
"Don' ya even try givin' me dat crap. Why'd dey send ya in heah?" Blink took a deep breath.
"Well, dey wanted ta know what you'se were doin'. An' wheah you'se was gonna sleep.." Raindrop sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I sleep on da bottom bunk, Spot sleeps on da top one, awright? Jist like in da regulah bunk room. Spot's da leadah, so 'e gits 'is own room, an' 'e had me stay in heah so none of da oddah guys would hassle me when foist got heah. It ain't a big deal." Blink nodded slowly. "Anyt'in' else?" Raindrop asked.
"Yeah, um, what was goin' on when I knocked an' all?" he said nervously. Raindrop laughed and turned bright red.
"Ah, yeah, jist ferget 'bout dat, awright?" Blink nodded and hugged her.
"Race ain't thrilled 'bout you sleepin' in heah, ya know," he whispered.
"He ain't me bruddah, or me faddah. Race kin mind 'is own business." Blink nodded and smiled.
"See ya tomorrah, Raindrop." She smiled.
"Same ta you'se." Spot shut the door and finished getting ready for bed. He walked over to her and kissed her cheek.
"G'night," he said. She turned around and began untying her shoes. "Oh, an' Raindrop? You kin tell yer friends ta mind der own business as far as you 'n' I go, awright?" She turned around to look at him, but he was already half way up to his bunk.