AN: Sorry this chapter is so short, but I couldn't squeeze out any more!
Chapter 3:
Meeting the newsboys for lunch quickly became an everyday occurrence, one I looked forward to fondly. I would go to the lodging house around noon, remembering my own money, and a handful of us, usually me, Race, Kid Blink, and a few others- sometimes Jack, but more often not- would head to Tibby's to eat. Through that, I quickly learned just who the biggest flirts were in the group.
"Heya, Katie," Race began one afternoon as we all were finishing our meals. Our group that day consisted of Race, Kid Blink, Itey, and me. "Why don'cha come back t' the lodgin' house? We's gonna play some poker, an' ya can play to, if ya wanna."
"Thanks, but I don't even know how to play poker." Not to mention my father would probably hit the roof to if I did. He wouldn't be too thrilled to know I was spending time with a bunch of roughneck boys either. But I was having too much fun with them to really care.
"All the better!"
The others laughed. "C'mon Katie," Kid Blink pleaded. "We's playin' Spot, an' ya gotta meet Spot."
"Yeah, Spot'll take Katie away t' Brooklyn, for sure," Itey commented, cramming a bit of roast beef into his mouth.
"Take me away to Brooklyn?"
Race grinned, leaning on the back legs of his chair. "Spot's a real ladies man." He shrugged. "An' if ya ain't charmed by him, why, you's jus' got amazin' powers of some sort."
We all laughed at that. He tilted his head and examined me inquisitively. "So, whad'ya say?"
I considered the idea and then nodded. "I say… all right."
Kid Blink became hysterical at that moment. "Hey fellas! I say that what you say… is what I say!"
They all burst into laughter over that one, while I stared at them blankly. "Ya had t' be there," Itey wheezed, slapping the table in his hilarity.
I shrugged and continued eating. A few minutes later we all headed for the lodging house. The boys fell quite the closer we got. When I asked what the matter was, Race muttered something about a fear of Spot. "You're afraid of Spot?" I asked, a bit surprised.
"Well, not exac'ly… um, well, kinda. Ever'one is though, 'cept Jack… and the girls, of course."
I was puzzled. Why were they playing poker against him? And so, I posed this question.
"'Cause he's stoppin' by, an' we's all friends wit' him," Itey replied, as if it was the most obvious answer.
"Our friendship wit' Spot is… strange…" Kid Blink added as we entered the building. "He's okay, if ya on his good side."
We headed up the staircase following the sound of the other newsboys' voices that leaked from the bunkroom. The four of us entered, and a few of the boys greeted me.
"Katie!" Jack called from one corner of the room, when he had noticed I had come in. "C'mere! I want'cha t' meet someone!" At his side sat a short, unfamiliar boy, watching me with a cool stare.
I swallowed hard. I didn't like the emotional void in his eyes. Barely feeling the encouraging squeeze Race gave my arm, I made my way over to Jack. Looking at him, I murmured a shy, "yes?"
He pulled me into a seat. "Katie, this's Spot Conlon. Spot, Katie."
Spot studied me for a moment and then spit in his hand. He held it out for less than a second before pulling it back and extending the other one. "Sorry 'bout that," he muttered gruffly, scrubbing his first hand dry on his shirt, giving the hand I had tentatively extended a brief squeeze.
"Spot's th' leader of th' Brooklyn newsies," Jack explained, straddling a chair and pulling his cowboy hat onto his head. "He helped us win th' strike."
Spot shrugged, eyes narrowing at me almost suspiciously. I shifted uncomfortably. If he was the newsboys' idea of a ladies man, then I'd hate to see their idea of a woman hater. He let his gaze move over my shoulder, and he yelled for Race and the others to come over so they could start their game.
Race obediently approached the table, with Kid Blink, Itey, and a few others whose names I couldn't remember, in tow and they sat. There were several moments of unnerving silence as he shuffled the deck before Spot cleared his throat and got everyone's attention. Silently, he looked at me, and then gave Race, who sat at my right, a pointed look.
"Oh, fellas, Katie's gonna sit in this game. I's gonna teach 'er t' play, so go easy on 'er," he explained, rapidly dealing out the cards.
The Brooklyn leader rolled his eyes and made a noise that clearly announced he didn't agree with the plan, but he didn't say a word, picking up his cards and studying them. But it seemed to be loud enough for the others to question my playing.
"Ya sure ya wanna play, Katie?" a boy I didn't know too well, named Bumlets, inquired, fanning his cards out before his eyes.
I rolled my lips together. "Well, if-"
"Fellas, give 'er a break," Race interrupted, on my defense. "She's jus' learnin'. Won't hurt any of ya none." He was the only one who seemed oblivious to Spot's annoyed glare.
I bit my lip, and pushed away from the table. "Maybe I shouldn't…"
"Aw, nonsense. I said I's gonna teach ya t' play poker, an' I am. C'mon, don't let 'em scare ya off." He handed me my cards. "Here, don't bet money on th' first round." He scooted closer to me and instructed me to look at my cards. He observed what I had in my hand, murmuring quietly to me. "Okay, normally ya don't let anyone see ya cards, but today we'll make an exception since you's learnin'." He went on to explain the rules to me as we all played, answering my constant questions as we came across things I didn't understand, which was everything, and he was completely patient with me. The others, however, sighed, groaned, and rolled their eyes after awhile, every time I began a statement with "Hey Race?"
I lost every game, so it was a good thing I didn't bet any money on it. "Aw, you's gonna get better, if ya practice," Race assured me, as he packed away his cards.
"Yeah, practice wit' me! I's sure after I win all ya money, it won't be so bad!" Kid Blink teased.
I blushed.
"Aw, I's jus' teasin', Katie!" He grinned innocently and then sneaked a peck on my cheek.
My face felt hot, and I knew my blush turned as red as a ripe tomato. The others laughed, and he swung an arm around me, giving me a tight hug before disappearing off somewhere across the room. I turned back to the table and saw the others staring at me- well, except Spot, whose expression was more of a glare. "What?"
They all shook their heads, leaving me baffled. A few minutes later, Jack stood, shouting, "Time t' sell th' evenin' edition!" I glanced at the pocket watch Race had left at the table, and gasped, realizing how late it had gotten.
"Oh dear. I'll see you later, everyone... anyone..." They all were too busy shoving shoes on their feet and hats on their heads to notice what I was saying. All except Spot. His glare was locked on me, penetrating me, as if he could reveal my secrets at any given moment. I shuddered, scurrying out of the room. 'What did I do to him?' I was mostly a personable girl- granted, not everyone was going to like me, but I didn't think I deserved the obvious hatred from this Brooklyn boy.
I shrugged, crossing the street at a brisk, but refined walk, in the direction of home. When I walked in through the door, my father fell in step beside me. "Katelyn, where have you been?"
I glanced up at him in surprise. "Pardon?"
"Where have you been? You were supposed to have a luncheon with Rebecca and Beatrice. When the girls told me you hadn't shown up, I was very worried."
I clapped a hand over my mouth. "Oh goodness... I completely forgot."
"How could you forget? You were talking about it all yesterday." He squinted at me with suspicious concern. "Where have you been all this time?"
I bit my lip, racking my brain for a plausible excuse. I didn't think he would accept the truth very well. "I ...um.. I was just out um..."
My brothers ran in at that moment, pulling my father out the door and babbling loudly, each vying for his attention as they went on about something that was distracting enough to have him forget about me, saving me from certain death. I would have to thank them one of these days. With a sigh, I wandered down the hall to my room and closed the door behind me. "That was a close one," I murmured, rubbing my fingers over my temples.
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