Chapter Six
Spot woke up early and got dressed. He left the Lodging House before anyone else was awake, and went the pier.
I kain't believe she said dat. How d'ya jist say smpt'in' like dat an' not mean it? But she's wasn' lyin'. She really was sawry. Jiminey…I shoulda listened ta Pierre. 'e said not ta push 'er. 'e's always right 'bout dat kinda stuff. I don' even know what I was t'inkin'. Dat has ta be one of da dumbest t'ings I'se evah done. He sighed and jumped off his crate. He walked to the distribution office of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and bought two hundred. He spent the entire day selling. He didn't return to the Lodging House until late that night, and when he did, he went straight to bed, and was already asleep when Raindrop went to bed. Earlier, just after he ate lunch he walked over to Taylor Jewelry.
"Hello!" greeted the man behind the counter. Spot nodded, and walked up to him, putting his papes on the counter.
"Heya Mistah Taylah. I came ta see ya 'bout dat ring," he said. Mr. Taylor nodded.
"I went over what you told me you wanted, and worked out an arangement. I'll let you have the ring for free, as a favor to your father, but you have to pay for the inscription." Spot nodded.
"Fair 'nough. How much?"
"Two dollars." Spot dug into his pocket and pulled out a bag full of a lot of change. He opened it on the counter and began counting out two dollars from coins mostly composed of pennies.
The next day Raindrop woke up while Spot was dressing for another early day. She sat up and silently watched him for awhile.
"What time is it?" she finally asked. He looked up, not expecting any comments.
"Ya still got 'bout an' hour," he said, "Go back ta bed."
"Where're ya goin'?" she persisted, "Ya kian't buy papes anywheah dis oily." Spot ignored her, picked up his cane, and walked out. Raindrop sat up and watched him leave.
I feel like me heart's jist breakin'. I kain't believe he's actin' like dis. I kain' believe I said dat. I jist don' know what I'm doin' anymoah. I…I don' wanna leave…da only place I could go is ta Bev, an' I know she'd nevah let me be a newsie still. I'd be back in me old life. I love Mama and Papa, but it's jist not fer me. Dis is. An', I don' wanna leave Spot. Maybe he don' t'ink so, but I love 'im..moah dan I can say. Feels like he's twistin' a knife in me ev'ry time he acts like I don' exist. Or woise, like 'e don' care nuttin' 'bout me. I feel so 'orrible, but I don' know what ta do…
Tricks sat on a crate in a deserted part of the docks by the East River, with Kid Blink and Mush.
"So what d'ya t'ink's goin' on b'tween Spot 'n' Raindrop?" Tricks asked them. Kid Blink shrugged.
"Tricks, we jist know Raindrop. When Spot came 'round Manhattan, dey always went somewheah taggedah. You know Spot, and dem as a couple, better den we do." Tricks nodded.
"Yeah, ya gotta point. I dunno…ya don' see Spot dis mad very often. Kain' t'ink of da last time…ya know, us'ally 'e's mad fer a coupla days, beats up anothah newsie 'r sumpt'in', and den 'e's awright by t'ree days. But it's awready been foah, an' 'e's not slackin' off none eiddah." Mush shook his head slowly.
"Don' 'e know what 'e's doin' ta Raindrop? Have ya seen 'er? Don' look like she gets much sleep no moah, an' she's always lookin' like she could boist inta tears any minute…an' like she don' have any moah clue why he's been so mad so long. Don' t'ink she's eatin' much eiddah." Kid Blink snorted.
"I wouldn' sleep much eiddah if I 'ad Spot Conlon sleepin' above me, an' I t'ought he was mad enough ta come down an' beat da crap outta me."
"Oh," Tricks said, "'e wouldn' evah lay ah fingah on 'er in angah. But what he's doin' is woise. Ya give 'er a black eye, dat'll go away after awhile. It's hardah ta fergit when someone hoits ya like dat emotionally." He shrugged. "I dunno, maybe she'd feel bettah if we were aroun' 'er moah…she kin sleep balow you Mush…an' we kin make shoah she eats…" The other two nodded. They stood up and walked over to Raindrop, who had just arrived at the docks. They told her about them wanting her to claim the bunk above Mush, and then they all left to have dinner. Spot was sitting behind several crates, and heard the whole conversation. He tried telling himself it was better for her to be with the other newsies, that she'd be better off with her friends, and that none of his boys would do anything to her. And her sister, should she ever had found out where exactly Raindrop had been sleeping, would've had an absolute fit. It wasn't a private room, but at least Beverly could be sure no one would harrass Raindrop. Undoubtably Beverly would've been quite upset if she had known it had just been him and Raindrop, even though nothing had ever come close to happening. He sighed and stood up. Then he walked around Brooklyn the rest of the afternoon and returned to the Lodging House in the mid-evening. He noticed Raindrop's things in the main bunk room, but she wasn't there.
"Where's Raindrop?" he asked Tricks. Tricks shrugged.
"After we ate an' den moved 'er stuff in heah she took off. Said she wanted ta take a walk, 'r sumpt'in'." Spot nodded slowly, and then went to his room.
"Why wasn' 'e mad 'bout 'er bein' in heah? An' how'd 'e know?" Mush asked Tricks. Tricks shrugged.
"'e's Spot Conlon. 'e knows ev'ryt'in', and has 'is own reasons fer ev'ryt'in'."