Chapter Five
After talking to Raindrop Blink went back to his bunk and told Race and Mush everything that had happened.
"What was goin' on?" Race asked. They had all seen Spot and Raindrop standing in the doorway, but hadn't known what was going on. Blink shrugged.
"I dunno. Spot loiked like he was undressin', an' when I ast Raindrop she laughed an' blushed, but wouldn' tell me." Tricks, whos bunk was above Blink's, leaned over the side of his bunk and looked at the three of them.
"Don' worry 'bout it. Raindrop's bettah off in dere dan in heah. Summa da guys in heah wouldn' act nuttin' diff'rent in a goil was stayin' in heah. But Spot's decent. An' I kin tell ya, 'e'd pro'ly jist been kissin' 'er. She blushes 'bout dat lots." He grinned. "It's one of da few t'ings we kin tease 'er 'bout an' Spot won' stop us. I don' know what fellahs say outside ah Brooklyn, but Spot's a real nice guy. 'e woun' do nuttin' ta her." Blink looked at Mush and Race.
"See? I told ya."
Raindrop woke up with Spot shaking her.
"C'mon, yer gonna be late gittin' yer papes." She groaned and rolled over.
"I don' care. Don' wanna sell." Spot laughed.
"Like da rest of us wanna git up an' sell?" She reluctantly rolled back over and sleepily looked at him.
"Easy fer you'se ta be glad ta git up, yer da leadah of Brooklyn, yous'e got da powah." Spot looked at her.
"An' what're you'se? Chopped livah?" She nodded.
"Might as well be." Spot laughed.
"Yer da incredible goil dat da leadah of Brooklyn 'appens ta be in love wit. What more could ya want?" Raindrop looked him a moment.
"Well," she said, "Most goils me age 're married, 'r close ta bein' married. Get ta sleep in in da mornin's. Have hot breakfasts."
"Is dat what you want?" Spot asked, without looking at her.
"Mmm…" she said thoughtfully. "Naw, jist da sleepin' in part." Spot half-smiled at her. Finally she got up and got ready for work. When they entered the bunk room it was about half empty. They walked over to the former-Manhattan newsies who had gotton up and dressed, and were pretty much clueless after that.
"Mornin'," said Raindrop.
"Okay, dis is what yer gonna do," Spot began, "Ya go an' buy yer papes - Tricks 'n' Raindrop'll show ya wheah dat is - and den da t'ree of you'se 're gonna sell tageddah." Race looked at Spot.
"Ya know, Spot, we kin sell on our own. We'se been doin' ds fer awhile." Spot looked at him evenly.
"Da t'ree of you'se'll sell tageddah. Brooklyn ain't like Manhattan. It ain't real smaht ta be by yerself, no mattah how good a newsie ya are. None of me newsies sell by deir self, an' since ya don' really know da uddah guys, an' ders an' odd numbah of newsies, you'se sell tageddah. Git used ta it." He kissed Raindrop lightly and said to her, "Eleven o'clock. Dock's. Den Pierre's." She grinned and nodded. Spot walked out, following the last of the other Brooklyn newsies. Tricks walked over and joined the four.
"C'mon Raindrop, der ain't gonna be any moah papes by da time we git der if we don' git goin'. An' if yer plannin' on bein' done by eleven ya really gotta git goin'." She nodded.
"Awright Tricks." She looked at Race, Mush and Blink. "C'mon, we'll show ya wheah ta git yer papes. Ya kin sell…" she looked at Tricks. "Is der any free spots near heah?" Tricks shook his head.
"Dat's awright," Race interjected. "We kin go to our own spots 'cross da Bridge." Mush looked at him.
"D'ya t'ink we kin still sell dere?" Race shrugged.
"What's Jack gonna do ta us? We ain't his newsies, an' our spots aren't near deirs. 'Sides, den we don' 'ave ta do dat crazy stick wit each uddah crap Spot was tawkin' 'bout." Raindrop and Tricks exchanged glances.
"Look," Tricks said, "You're Brooklyn newsies. Ya sell in Brooklyn. Dat's all der is to it. Believe me, ya don' wanna be new an' tick Conlon off."
"Easy solution den," Race said cooly.
"You'll sell in Brooklyn?" Raindrop asked. Race shook his head.
"I'll leave." The four other newsies stared at him in shock.
"Wheah're ya gonna go?" Mush asked. Race shrugged.
"Da Bronx. Dat was da foist place I was a newsie at, aftah all." Tricks raised an eyebrow.
"Why'd ya leave? Get kicked out?" Race glared at him and turned. He grabbed his things and walked out. Raindrop looked at her other two Manhattan friends.
"You'se feel da same way?" Blink shook his head.
"Naw…We lived in Brooklyn fer awhile, right after me 'n' Mush got outta da orphange. I don' like da rule, but it makes sense." Tricks nodded.
"Awright. Ya got an old sellin' spot?"
"Yeah," Blink answered, "Mush 'n' I sold real far out, few blocks from Queens." Tricks nodded again.
"No one's sellin' ovah der, so you'se kin 'ave it." Mush nodded.
"Awright, let's go." He looked at Tricks and Raindrop. "If Spot's goil, an' 'is best friend sell tageddah, den who does Spot sell wit?" Raindrop laughed.
"Spot sells alone. 'e's da best of anyone in Brooklyn, an' nobody's dumb enough ta try 'n' jump 'im 'r sumptin'." Tricks nodded.
"Yeah, Spot stays by 'imself. 'e sleeps alone, eats alone, an' sells alone." He laughed. "'cept when Raindrop's 'ere. Den 'e does ev'ryt'in' wit 'er, 'cept sell." Raindrop smiled self-conciously.
"Anyhow, we bettah git goin'," she said.
At eleven o'clock Raindrop was at the docks. At eleven-forty Spot finally arrived. She was sitting in between two crates, facing the river. He joined her, smiling.
"Hey you," he said softly. She looked up.
"Hey," she said listlessly.
"Look," he said, "I'se really sorry I'se late. Der was sumpt'in' I 'ad ta git done, an' it took a lot longah den I t'ought." She shrugged and faked a smile.
"It's awright. Really. No problem." Spot smiled and took her hand.
"Den c'mon. We kin still git ta Pierre's in plenty of time fer lunch." The entire walk over Spot tried to started a conversation, but Raindrop only replied half-heartedly. When they arrived at Pierre's Restaurunt they found it bustling with activity. Spot led Raindrop through the maze of tables and chairs to the kitchens, where Pierre was.
"Benjamen! Miss Lissa!" Pierre exclaimed. "How good it is to see you! Unfortuantly, we are quite busy today. I cannot offer you a table, except upstairs. I think Maria is up there now, eating lunch." Spot nodded.
"Awright, sounds good." Pierre smiled.
"Wonderful then." He looked at Raindrop. "Why don't you join Maria upstairs?" Raindrop nodded, and walked up the stairs. Pierre turned to Spot.
"How are things going?" he asked. Spot shrugged.
"Well, we tawked fer a bit a few days ago. An' den she an' a few friends got kicked out of deir Lodging House, so dey are stayin' in Brooklyn. She was inna great mood last night, but taday she hasn' seemed like she is. But I t'ink part of dat is dat I was late meetin' 'er at da docks ta come ovah heah." Pierre raised an eyebrow.
"How late were you, exactly?" Spot shrugged and shot Pierre a look, daring him to critize.
"'bout foity minutes." Pierre's eyes widen, but kept his mouth shut. "It ain't dat I fergot or nuttin'," Spot continued, "But I 'ad ta do sumpt'in' dis mornin', an' it took a lot longah den I t'ought it would. Den I still 'ad ta sell me papes." Pierre nodded.
"Maybe you should tell her that," he said. Spot shook his head.
"I don' t'ink so. She'll jist wanna know what I was doin'."
"What we're you doing?" Pierre asked.
"Well," Spot said, "I'se wanted ta do sumpt'in' fer 'er fer awhile now. We was tawkin' dis mornin', an' she said sumpt'in' 'bout most of da goils her age bein' married, 'r 'bout married." He stopped then, laughing at Pierre's shocked face. "I ain't proposin', but I got 'er sumpt'in'." Pierre handed him two plates of spagehetti.
"There are glasses and water upstairs. And I know she will love whatever it is you got her. Now get up there. I'm sure Maria will be talking about her engagment to Dominic, and you don't want her giving Miss Lissa any ideas." Spot laughed.
"Den I'll be goin'. T'anks a lot Pierre."
It began raining when Spot and Raindrop were half way across Brooklyn Bridge. They stopped for a moment, watching the rain fall on the river. At last Spot turned to Raindrop.
"Raindrop, what's bodderin' ya? You'se been upset all aftahnoon." Raindrop shook her head and tried to smile.
"Nuthin' Spot." Spot frowned.
"Dat ain't true, an' you know it. What's wrong?"
"I don't want to tawk about it," Raindrop said flatly. Spot sighed.
"C'mon. What's wrong?"
"I said I don' wanna tawk 'bout it, Spot," she snapped. "Why kain't ya jist leave alone?!" She looked down at the river. Spot couldn't tell if she was crying, or the rain was falling on her face. Or both. She looked back at him. "Ya don' mess 'round in Tricks' life. Why kain' ya leave mine alone?"
"Tricks ain't part of me poisonal life. I love ya Raindrop. I kain't jist let ya hoit."
"Den maybe I don' wanna be a part of yer poisonal life," she said icily, looking anywhere she could but at him. In a moment she realized what she had said.
"Spot," she said quickly, "I didn'-" He was already near the end of the bridge. She chased after him, and caught up in a minute. "Spot," she panted, "I didn' mean dat. I jist said it, I wasn't t'inkin'." He ignored her. "Spot! Please! Ya know I love ya. I was jist mad, I was tawkin' crazy." Spot finally stopped walking and looked at her.
"All I want," he said flatly, "Is a yes 'r no. Cause I don' have ta put up wit ya at all. If yer me goil, den yer part of me poisonal life. Dat's are dere is to it. If you kain't handle dat, den I want ta know now. I won' kick ya out, but I have ta know if yer a part of me poisonal life 'r not. What d'ya say?" Raindrop looked at him, with a blank expression she fought hard to maintain.
"I kain't believe yer doin' dis ta me," she said, her anger showing.
"What's yer answer?" Spot pressed her. She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears.
"Jiminy, Spot, I love ya. Yes. How could ya t'ink any diff'r'nt?" Spot looked at her.
"How could ya say ya didn' wan ta be part of me poisonal life?" He turned and continued walking to the Lodging House, and Raindrop followed. Just before they entered she touched his shoulder.
"Then…then am I still yer goil?" she asked tentatively. Spot looked at her as if she were asking a ridiculous question. Then he flung the door open and gestured for her to go first. She opened the door to the bunk room and they both entered. Spot slammed the door behind them. Every newsie in the room looked up. He grabbed her arm and led her to their room. He opened the door and she looked at him questioningly.
"I'se seen 'bout all of ya dat I care ta fer taday," he said softly, almost kindly, but his eyes were flashing . Raindrop walked in, and Spot slammed the door after her. A few newsies, used to his temper, resumed their activites after he slammed the door the first time. Most, however, were staring at Spot. He pulled up a chair to the nearest poker game, and dealt himself a hand of cards. Spot looked up suddenly.
"Where's the boy wit da mouth - Race?" he asked.
"He left. Dis morning," Tricks said. Spot looked at him.
"She knew, didn't she?" he asked. Tricks nodded, and then gathered up his courage to ask the question every newsie in the place was wondering.
"Did…Did'ja break up wit 'er?" Spot shook his head.
"No. I didn' break up wit 'er. I'se jist very very angry wit 'er."
"What 'appened?" Bowler asked nervously. Spot examined the cards he held.
"I wouldn' push it Bowler," he said dangerously, "I'se already broken quite a few t'ings taday. It'd be a shame ta have ta break yer jaw." Kid Blink and Mush looked at each other and moved to get up and go get Raindrop, but Spot stopped them.
"I 'aven' touched 'er yet, an' I don' plan ta. Anyt'in' she's goin' t'rough right now she bloody well desoives." They sat down again. In a moment Spot threw down in cards in exasperation and went to his room, slamming the door behind him. He kicked off his shoes, and dropped his cane and slingshot. Before changing clothes he glanced at Raindrop. She was wearing dry pants and a half buttoned shirt. She was asleep, tear streaks still glistening on her cheeks. He put on some dry clothes and climbed into bed, too tired to even begin to think about what had happened.