"Scatta, it's great!  You gotta see it!"  Dash whispered excitedly into Scatter's ear.  They were standing around the poker table, watching Race play.  "And da old lady is real nice too.  I bet she'll bake us cookies and stuff!"

            "Okay, okay, I get it!  I'll go with ya ta look at da place!"  Scatter whispered back.  "Now will ya shut up about it?"

            "Let's go tomorrow," Dash requested.

            "Can't.  Goin' out with Kevin"

            "Oh.  Well, when can ya do it?"  Dash asked quietly.

            "Dunno…  I got plans wid Kevin all week.  I'll let ya know,"  Scatter's casual tone was making Dash's blood boil.

            "It's just dat we gotta do dis soon.  I'm supposed ta move in wid dose odda goils soon!"  Dash insisted, but Scatter was now talking to someone else.

            The weeks passed and the two girls never looked at the apartment.  The day when Dash was to move in with the other girls was rapidly approaching.  Becoming depressed with that thought, Dash started out on a walk to clear her head.  Before she knew it, it had grown dark out.  Where da hell am I, she asked herself.  Looking around, she realized the buildings looked familiar to her.  She heard the familiar thumping of horse hooves.  Dash's face lit up as she realized she was in Brooklyn, by the races.  Not wanting to make the long walk back home in the dark, Dash headed for the Brooklyn lodging house, hoping that Spot would take her in for a night.

            "Hey Dash!" Spot called out to her as she walked into the lodging house.  "You runnin' again?"  Dash smiled.  She had met Spot before he was the leader of the Brooklyn newsies, when the Manhattan leader before Jack had made her a runner.  Her job was to deliver messages and sometimes packages between the Manhattan lodging house and the other lodging houses all over the city.  Dash noticed Spot on one of her first runs to Brooklyn, and soon started spending more and more of her time there.  The two grew extremely close and had even dated for a brief period before realizing that they were better off as friends.  When Spot took over as the Brooklyn leader, he insisted that there be one trusted runner who would go between only Brooklyn and Manhattan, stating that he was afraid that having runners go all over the city jeopardized the safety of his newsies.  Jack didn't understand Spot's fears, but was also a newly appointed leader and wanted to stay on Spot's good side, so he gave in.  Ever since then, Dash had been the runner between the two boroughs only.  Since deciding to move out of the lodging house, her job was passed down to another newsie.

            "Hiya Spot!  Nah, I ain't runnin', you know dat,"  Dash answered cheerfully.

            "Well, it's still good ta see ya.  I t'ought you wouldn't be 'round much anymore."

            "Actually, I might not.  Dat's what I came heah ta tawk ta you about,"  Spot hid his surprise and motioned for her to follow him outside.  They sat down on the front steps and she gratefully accepted the cigarette he offered her.  She explained about moving in with these strange new girls, and looking at the apartment, and Scatter ditching her, and Race ignoring her.  When she was finished, she breathed a sigh of relief.

            "Wow.  So why doncha move into dat apartment by yerself?"  Spot asked.

            "I ain't got dat kind of money!  I could come up with half of it, but I need anudda person to have dat odda half."

            "What if I found anudda person?"  Spot asked.

            "How would dat be any different from livin' wid dose goils?"  Dash said impatiently.

            "Well…." Spot thought for a few minutes.  "What if I moved in witcha?"

            "Have ya gone crazy?  You're da leada!  Ya can't not live in da lodging house!"

            "Yeah, well, maybe I ain't wantin' ta be da leada so much any more,"  Dash looked at him questioningly.  "I'm da same age as you, Dash.  Its about time for me ta grow up too."  Dash nodded.

            "But…  You're a boy!  It's not right!"  Dash stuttered.

            "Oh shut up, Dash.  You and me are like brudda and sista.  So wudda ya say?"  Spot insisted.

            "Well…  alright,"  Dash agreed to the deal.  "We can go see Mrs. Winters tomorrow."