For the second time in as many days Tibby's fell into complete silence, except for the pots clanging in the kitchen. But this time the silence was out of shock, not curiosity. There stood Kit and Spot. Neither had a black eye, they weren't arguing. Spot had held the door open for Kit and now they were holding hands? No one knew what to think. Spot guided Kit over to the menu board. "Order any thing youse want it's on me."
Kit leaned over after a second, "Why is everyone staring? Do I have a huge stain on the back of my pants? Or a button undone or something?"
Spot looked her up and down "Nothing looks too bad." In fact everything looks great, he thought to himself. "Youse ready to sit down?"
Kit nodded and after placing their orders they went to sit in an unoccupied booth. Kit chose a side and sat down, excepting Spot to sit so he could see when Jack came in, but Spot sat down right next to her and threw his arm around her shoulder. When he saw her confused face he whispered, "It has to look convincing or no one will buy it."
Kit blushed but didn't say anything more, as she leaned her head onto Spot's arm and closed her eyes. She quickly dozed off and was awaken by Spot 15 minutes later, "Sorry goilie abut our food should be ready by now, youse wanted a ginger ale right?"
Kit shook the sleep from her eyes as she nodded "yeah a ginger ale."
As Spot moved to get out he stopped, "All most forgot" he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss then went to check on their food. Kit sat shocked, she must still be asleep, Spot Conlon had not just kissed her. She knew that they had wanted to act like they were together, but wasn't this a bit much. She had only known him for 2 days. As Spot sat back down she pulled herself closer to the window.
"Food's not done, they're gonna bring it to us. What's the problem now?"
"You don't think this all is just a bit much?"
"No Ise taught youse wanted this to be convincing, it would give these bummers something to talk bout."
"I do, and we have, I just thought this is going to fast. Yesterday we couldn't even talk to each other with out yelling and today we're a couple. You don't see anything odd with that?"
"Well yes but…"
Their conversation was cut short by the arrival of their food and Jack. Behind Jack were Swan, Cray, David, Les, and Crutchy. While they didn't surprise Kit, the fact that Mills wasn't with them did. All had been laughing as they came in but when they saw Kit and Spot sitting in a booth by themselves, the laughing stopped. Kit was sitting in the corner and Spot was leaning over her.
Cray looked ready to kill Spot, for he saw his sister cowering away from a looming Spot. Swan's hurt showed on his face, for he saw Kit as his girl, yet there she was breaking off a kiss with Spot, a passionate one by the guilty looks on their faces. Jack and the rest weren't sure what to make of the scene but knew something was up.
Jack began walking over toward them with the rest trailing behind, "Mind if wes join you Spot?" not even acknowledging Kit with a tip of his hat.
Spot glanced at Kit before responding. "Nah knock yourselves out."
As they crowed into the booth Kit was squished against the window and elbowed Spot., "Move over I can barely breath." She kept her voice down as not to be heard by the others.
Spot glanced over at Jack before answering, "Not much Ise can do bout that unless youse want to sit on my lap." Kit was shocked and acted on it by sticking out her tongue before digging into her food.
The guys ignored Kit for the most part, talking around her as if she wasn't there, except for Spot who placed his arm around her shoulder when he had finished eating. Inevitably the conversation turned toward the strike.
"So Jackie boy, little birdies been telling me that youse gonna strike again, that true? Or do my birdies have it all wrong?"
Jack had a pretty good idea who Spot's 'birdie' was and glared at Kit, "Yeah wes gonna join the strike, All of us." The last comment was followed by a pointed look at Kit, which caused her to unconsciously scoot closer to Spot for protection.
"You mean youse gonna expect all your newsies to strike even if they don't have the money to support them selves?"
"Of course, why not? The strike can't last that long." Jack knew where this was headed and was waiting of Spot to get to the point.
"You're such a jerk, maybe you and your friends here can survive a strike but I know I can't. You can shine shoes or run errands for someone, but who is gonna hire a girl? Maybe I could work in a factory. No that wouldn't work cuz they don't pay you till you been there a month." Kit stopped for a second in an attempt to control her temper, but it didn't work, she stood up in her seat. "Or maybe I could start turning tricks in the street, you could be my pimp. Oh never mind that would be beneath you, maybe the Delancey's could be my pimps I am sure they wouldn't beat on me if I were bringing in money. I'd rather do that then live in a boarding house with you Jack Kelly. So thanks for understanding so well. I'll get my stuff out of the boarding house and be on my way before you get back. NO don't get up on my account, you've been ignoring me all day, I'll get out on my own." Kit lifted her leg over the back of the booth and into the unoccupied one behind her. Then jumping on to the floor and stalked out the door slamming it behind her.
Spot turned from watching her go with disgust on his face. "Thanks Kelly for getting her all worked up. It took me from The Bridge to here to get her all calmed down from your little announcement earlier. Letting her work for the Sun wouldn't hurt anyone."
"Except for herself. Think about it Spot she's made some pretty powerful enemies. The only way Ise sees it to keep her safe is to not let her work. Ise don't want my guys to come out of this with a bunch of black eyes and broken noses."
"Well your plan backfired, now she's gonna work on her own and still gets hurt. At least if youse had allowed it she would have gotten some protection."
"Listen here is Spot, this here is still my territory Ise don't need youse or anyone else telling me how to run it. Ise say whose stays and whose goes. If Kit don't follow my rules she's gone. If you want to protect her so badly why not stay here and protect her or better yet why not take her to Brooklyn with youse?" Jack was getting desperate for some control over the situation and began to believe that getting Kit out of Manhattan and out of his hair would be the only solution.
"Maybe Ise will, But since none of youse seems to be concerned Ise gonna check and make sure she stays out of trouble." Spot got up, as did Crutchy and Les, they moved out of his way so he could leave. He threw some change on the table to cover his and Kit's meal and left.
Kit leaned over after a second, "Why is everyone staring? Do I have a huge stain on the back of my pants? Or a button undone or something?"
Spot looked her up and down "Nothing looks too bad." In fact everything looks great, he thought to himself. "Youse ready to sit down?"
Kit nodded and after placing their orders they went to sit in an unoccupied booth. Kit chose a side and sat down, excepting Spot to sit so he could see when Jack came in, but Spot sat down right next to her and threw his arm around her shoulder. When he saw her confused face he whispered, "It has to look convincing or no one will buy it."
Kit blushed but didn't say anything more, as she leaned her head onto Spot's arm and closed her eyes. She quickly dozed off and was awaken by Spot 15 minutes later, "Sorry goilie abut our food should be ready by now, youse wanted a ginger ale right?"
Kit shook the sleep from her eyes as she nodded "yeah a ginger ale."
As Spot moved to get out he stopped, "All most forgot" he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss then went to check on their food. Kit sat shocked, she must still be asleep, Spot Conlon had not just kissed her. She knew that they had wanted to act like they were together, but wasn't this a bit much. She had only known him for 2 days. As Spot sat back down she pulled herself closer to the window.
"Food's not done, they're gonna bring it to us. What's the problem now?"
"You don't think this all is just a bit much?"
"No Ise taught youse wanted this to be convincing, it would give these bummers something to talk bout."
"I do, and we have, I just thought this is going to fast. Yesterday we couldn't even talk to each other with out yelling and today we're a couple. You don't see anything odd with that?"
"Well yes but…"
Their conversation was cut short by the arrival of their food and Jack. Behind Jack were Swan, Cray, David, Les, and Crutchy. While they didn't surprise Kit, the fact that Mills wasn't with them did. All had been laughing as they came in but when they saw Kit and Spot sitting in a booth by themselves, the laughing stopped. Kit was sitting in the corner and Spot was leaning over her.
Cray looked ready to kill Spot, for he saw his sister cowering away from a looming Spot. Swan's hurt showed on his face, for he saw Kit as his girl, yet there she was breaking off a kiss with Spot, a passionate one by the guilty looks on their faces. Jack and the rest weren't sure what to make of the scene but knew something was up.
Jack began walking over toward them with the rest trailing behind, "Mind if wes join you Spot?" not even acknowledging Kit with a tip of his hat.
Spot glanced at Kit before responding. "Nah knock yourselves out."
As they crowed into the booth Kit was squished against the window and elbowed Spot., "Move over I can barely breath." She kept her voice down as not to be heard by the others.
Spot glanced over at Jack before answering, "Not much Ise can do bout that unless youse want to sit on my lap." Kit was shocked and acted on it by sticking out her tongue before digging into her food.
The guys ignored Kit for the most part, talking around her as if she wasn't there, except for Spot who placed his arm around her shoulder when he had finished eating. Inevitably the conversation turned toward the strike.
"So Jackie boy, little birdies been telling me that youse gonna strike again, that true? Or do my birdies have it all wrong?"
Jack had a pretty good idea who Spot's 'birdie' was and glared at Kit, "Yeah wes gonna join the strike, All of us." The last comment was followed by a pointed look at Kit, which caused her to unconsciously scoot closer to Spot for protection.
"You mean youse gonna expect all your newsies to strike even if they don't have the money to support them selves?"
"Of course, why not? The strike can't last that long." Jack knew where this was headed and was waiting of Spot to get to the point.
"You're such a jerk, maybe you and your friends here can survive a strike but I know I can't. You can shine shoes or run errands for someone, but who is gonna hire a girl? Maybe I could work in a factory. No that wouldn't work cuz they don't pay you till you been there a month." Kit stopped for a second in an attempt to control her temper, but it didn't work, she stood up in her seat. "Or maybe I could start turning tricks in the street, you could be my pimp. Oh never mind that would be beneath you, maybe the Delancey's could be my pimps I am sure they wouldn't beat on me if I were bringing in money. I'd rather do that then live in a boarding house with you Jack Kelly. So thanks for understanding so well. I'll get my stuff out of the boarding house and be on my way before you get back. NO don't get up on my account, you've been ignoring me all day, I'll get out on my own." Kit lifted her leg over the back of the booth and into the unoccupied one behind her. Then jumping on to the floor and stalked out the door slamming it behind her.
Spot turned from watching her go with disgust on his face. "Thanks Kelly for getting her all worked up. It took me from The Bridge to here to get her all calmed down from your little announcement earlier. Letting her work for the Sun wouldn't hurt anyone."
"Except for herself. Think about it Spot she's made some pretty powerful enemies. The only way Ise sees it to keep her safe is to not let her work. Ise don't want my guys to come out of this with a bunch of black eyes and broken noses."
"Well your plan backfired, now she's gonna work on her own and still gets hurt. At least if youse had allowed it she would have gotten some protection."
"Listen here is Spot, this here is still my territory Ise don't need youse or anyone else telling me how to run it. Ise say whose stays and whose goes. If Kit don't follow my rules she's gone. If you want to protect her so badly why not stay here and protect her or better yet why not take her to Brooklyn with youse?" Jack was getting desperate for some control over the situation and began to believe that getting Kit out of Manhattan and out of his hair would be the only solution.
"Maybe Ise will, But since none of youse seems to be concerned Ise gonna check and make sure she stays out of trouble." Spot got up, as did Crutchy and Les, they moved out of his way so he could leave. He threw some change on the table to cover his and Kit's meal and left.