Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I lay on my bunk and looked up at the ceiling, feeling mixed emotions of anger, hurt, and confusion. Spot had called me hoity-toity, which I probably was, and if he didn't like me, that probably meant that I wasn't welcome here. I guess I wasn't cut out to be a newsie. I thought about leaving here, but where would I go? To Manhattan where Jack and his newsies were? Just then, I heard the door open, and I turned myself so that I wouldn't be seen by Sunny, who I thought was the person that came in.

"Bristles?"

I felt myself tingle. That was Spot's voice, not Sunny's. Why had he come here? Probably to tell me to start packing.

"Um, well…I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry bout what I said back dere. I admit it was really cruel, but I guess I wasn't ready for you being heah."

I thought my head would burst. Spot Conlon apologizing to me? At first I couldn't believe it, but I figured that Jack probably forced the apology out of him. Seeing that I hadn't responded to him, he sighed and left the room. I didn't move, but suddenly, I felt a warmth come over me. Spot wasn't really so bad after all. And maybe I could still learn to like him.

Again, I heard the door open. Figuring that it couldn't be Spot, I turned and saw Hope walking towards my bunk. She sat down and smiled at me.

"Look, I know dat Spot's got a big ego, but once you getta know him, he ain't so bad. Dat's what it was like with…"

"With you and Race?" I added. Hope looked at me with her eyebrows raised.

"Howdja know dat? I wasn't da one dat toldja! Hmph, musta been Cowboy or Sunny."

Seeing the confused look on my face, she quickly said that Cowboy was Jack's nickname but mostly everybody just called him Jack.

"Anyways, don't tell Race, but I really do like him. I think he likes me too but I ain't askin. He nevah admitted it to me though,"

I told Hope that she and Racetrack would make a great couple, and she grinned and said, "ya really think so? Well, thanks, but ya nevah know if he has a goil or not. And don't worry bout Spot, cuz I know dat he's crazy boutcha. He may not seem like it, but he nevah acts this way in front of a goil. And don't get worried if he ain't tellin ya nutin, he doesn't like ta say sumthin that he might be embarrassed of."

Hearing what Hope said, I blushed and quickly said that I didn't have any feelings for Spot. But all she did was laugh and told me that she'd better be going to continue selling her papes. Fearing that she would say something else, I made no objection to her leaving. And after she left, I stared up at the ceiling some more and quickly fell asleep.