CHAPTER 3:
The next morning, Spot woke up late, and climbed out of bed. Last night he had gotten back so late that he hadn't seen any of the newsies since yesterday morning. He got dressed and walked out into the other boys' bunkroom.
Spot immediately felt like he had stepped into a graveyard. There was complete and total silence. Not even a peep from Loudmouth.
He looked around, confused. Clips, Kix, and Flash were nearest him and he realized suddenly that he hadn't seen them around for awhile. Spot glanced lazily around the room, and froze. He slowly pivoted around and stared at Kix, Flash, and Clips, who were silently getting dressed.
Spot stared at them for a minute, not believing his eyes. Kix had a huge gash right below his eye, Clips had a bandaged arm, and Flash had a black eye. Spot narrowed his eyes, and walked across the room angrily. He yanked Spinz up by his shirt.
"How did they get those?" Spinz didn't say anything, but widened his eyes nervously.
"Why didn't you tell me 'bout dem?" Nothing.
"Why aren't you talkin'? Answer me!" The newsies quickly became occupied in whatever they were doing. Spot seethed, and angrily shoved Spinz away from him. What's goin' on?!
Spot marched across to Kix and picked him up. "Where'd ya get dat?" He nodded at Kix's eye. Kix grimaced, but remained silent.
"WHY WON'T YOUSE ALL ANSWER ME WHEN I'M TALKIN' TA YOUSE? WHATSA MATTAH WIT' ALL OF YOUSE?!" Spot shouted. Spot glared threateningly around the room. He dropped Kix and walked over to Spinz, who was still standing where Spot left him. Spot punched him once furiously, spun around, and went out the door, slamming it shut.
~*~*~*~
Michaela awoke in the morning to find herself drenched with rain. I knew da beautiful weather couldn't last. She stood up and stretched, shaking herself. The rain poured down harder until she could barely see anything through the fog. Michaela pulled her hat down over her eyes and walked slowly out of the alleyway. Dere's gotta be better shelter some place else.
Her stomach growled and she glared at the ground. Great. I'm starvin' and all of da stores are closed. It's a miserable day. Michaela looked up and through the downpour of rain, saw an overhang to a store and ran towards it in relief.
~*~*~*~*~
Racetrack picked up his pace towards the Lodging House. On the way he berated himself. Stupid, dat's what you are. Leaving the nice, warm comfort of a bed for dis. A nice stroll is jist what I needed, isn't it? It was a beautiful day yesterday, it will be gorgeous today, huh, Race?
He lifted his soggy cap off his head and twisted some of the water out of it, replacing it only to fill with water just as quickly. Race glanced down the street and noticed a small figure huddled under a store edge. He rubbed his eyes to get the water out of them. Hey, is dat Spot? What's he doin' out here on a day like dis?
"SPOT!!!!!" He called out, running towards him. He's prolly here ta see Jack.. "HEY, SPOT!!!!!"
Michaela's head snapped up, just in time to see a slightly shorter boy start to run towards her calling out something.
"SPOT!!!"
Not again, Michaela thought despairingly. Oh, why is all a New York suddenly gone crazy?
Race ran a few more paces and stopped, looking around. Where'd he go? He was here a second ago, but jist disappeared...
~*~*~*~*~
Spinz's whole body relaxed as Spot left. He delicately touched his eye and winced. The newsies looked up at him, confused.
"It's as if he didn't remembah what he told us yestaday." Loudmouth said, staring in awe at the door.
"Dat really hoit." Kix said, winced as he rubbed where he had landed on the ground.
"I t'ink maybe we should have gone sellin' taday." Spinz sighed regretfully.
Streamers looked out the window. "It's pourin' rain out dere, no one would be outside taday. All da stores are probably closed, too."
"Yeah, but it doesn't look as if dat stopped Spot." Clips said, as he watched Spot's figure fade into the fog outside.
~*~*~*~*~
Spot kicked at the street. His thoughts went back and forth between lecturing himself and letting himself off the hook. My boys are getting hoit, and I don't even know 'bout it. Well, it's not my fault, dey were probably hiding from me. But dey were dere dis morning. And den, why weren't dey talkin'?! Spot loaded his slingshot and shot at a tree in frustration. It was as if dey were ignorin' deir own leader. Never mind, dey were ignorin' deir own leader. Dey didn't even react to my temper. ARRGGHHH!!!
If those cuts give them a scar, I'll never forgive myself, Spot thought, remembering how it felt to know he would always have a reminder of a stupid mistake.
"Well, what happened?" Michaela asked her brother, worriedly. Her father put him down on the sofa and she pulled his pants up to his knees, so she could see his ankle. Michael smiled at her.
"I'm fine, I'll just have a scar there."
"For how long?"
"Probably for his entire life," Mr. Conlon said, "but it won't be that noticeable. The real problem was the bit of metal caught in the skin there, the doctor had to take it out very carefully."
Eliza Conlon sighed in relief and sank down onto a chair. "Can he walk?"
"Not for awhile, Mom, but I can soon."
Michaela stared at the scar which would be on her brother from now on. She frowned at it, running her finger lightly down it.
Spot shook himself and walked faster to forget the sister who he would never see again. He managed to succeed, at least for the time being.
Spot spent the rest of the day wandering the streets of Manhattan deep in thought. He finally got over berating himself, but still felt slightly guilty and angry. I probably shouldn't go back til later tonight, when I'm calmed down more. Well, one t'ing is obvious. My boys have not jist all been hurting demselves accidentally. Dey have been getting' inta fights. Now da question is, wit' each udder or others?
~*~*~*~
Michaela sat on her perch on the roof of a building and glanced down at the streets. The boy gradually went away, and she sighed with relief. He's gone, good. Michaela quickly jumped down and returned to her sheltered place. I've really got to find out why everyone thinks I am this Spot guy. Who is Spot, anyway? The name sounds familiar... Michaela shook her head and slid down the wall to the ground. She put her chin on her fist and stared off into space. Spot. Spot. Spot...who is he???
The next morning, Spot woke up late, and climbed out of bed. Last night he had gotten back so late that he hadn't seen any of the newsies since yesterday morning. He got dressed and walked out into the other boys' bunkroom.
Spot immediately felt like he had stepped into a graveyard. There was complete and total silence. Not even a peep from Loudmouth.
He looked around, confused. Clips, Kix, and Flash were nearest him and he realized suddenly that he hadn't seen them around for awhile. Spot glanced lazily around the room, and froze. He slowly pivoted around and stared at Kix, Flash, and Clips, who were silently getting dressed.
Spot stared at them for a minute, not believing his eyes. Kix had a huge gash right below his eye, Clips had a bandaged arm, and Flash had a black eye. Spot narrowed his eyes, and walked across the room angrily. He yanked Spinz up by his shirt.
"How did they get those?" Spinz didn't say anything, but widened his eyes nervously.
"Why didn't you tell me 'bout dem?" Nothing.
"Why aren't you talkin'? Answer me!" The newsies quickly became occupied in whatever they were doing. Spot seethed, and angrily shoved Spinz away from him. What's goin' on?!
Spot marched across to Kix and picked him up. "Where'd ya get dat?" He nodded at Kix's eye. Kix grimaced, but remained silent.
"WHY WON'T YOUSE ALL ANSWER ME WHEN I'M TALKIN' TA YOUSE? WHATSA MATTAH WIT' ALL OF YOUSE?!" Spot shouted. Spot glared threateningly around the room. He dropped Kix and walked over to Spinz, who was still standing where Spot left him. Spot punched him once furiously, spun around, and went out the door, slamming it shut.
~*~*~*~
Michaela awoke in the morning to find herself drenched with rain. I knew da beautiful weather couldn't last. She stood up and stretched, shaking herself. The rain poured down harder until she could barely see anything through the fog. Michaela pulled her hat down over her eyes and walked slowly out of the alleyway. Dere's gotta be better shelter some place else.
Her stomach growled and she glared at the ground. Great. I'm starvin' and all of da stores are closed. It's a miserable day. Michaela looked up and through the downpour of rain, saw an overhang to a store and ran towards it in relief.
~*~*~*~*~
Racetrack picked up his pace towards the Lodging House. On the way he berated himself. Stupid, dat's what you are. Leaving the nice, warm comfort of a bed for dis. A nice stroll is jist what I needed, isn't it? It was a beautiful day yesterday, it will be gorgeous today, huh, Race?
He lifted his soggy cap off his head and twisted some of the water out of it, replacing it only to fill with water just as quickly. Race glanced down the street and noticed a small figure huddled under a store edge. He rubbed his eyes to get the water out of them. Hey, is dat Spot? What's he doin' out here on a day like dis?
"SPOT!!!!!" He called out, running towards him. He's prolly here ta see Jack.. "HEY, SPOT!!!!!"
Michaela's head snapped up, just in time to see a slightly shorter boy start to run towards her calling out something.
"SPOT!!!"
Not again, Michaela thought despairingly. Oh, why is all a New York suddenly gone crazy?
Race ran a few more paces and stopped, looking around. Where'd he go? He was here a second ago, but jist disappeared...
~*~*~*~*~
Spinz's whole body relaxed as Spot left. He delicately touched his eye and winced. The newsies looked up at him, confused.
"It's as if he didn't remembah what he told us yestaday." Loudmouth said, staring in awe at the door.
"Dat really hoit." Kix said, winced as he rubbed where he had landed on the ground.
"I t'ink maybe we should have gone sellin' taday." Spinz sighed regretfully.
Streamers looked out the window. "It's pourin' rain out dere, no one would be outside taday. All da stores are probably closed, too."
"Yeah, but it doesn't look as if dat stopped Spot." Clips said, as he watched Spot's figure fade into the fog outside.
~*~*~*~*~
Spot kicked at the street. His thoughts went back and forth between lecturing himself and letting himself off the hook. My boys are getting hoit, and I don't even know 'bout it. Well, it's not my fault, dey were probably hiding from me. But dey were dere dis morning. And den, why weren't dey talkin'?! Spot loaded his slingshot and shot at a tree in frustration. It was as if dey were ignorin' deir own leader. Never mind, dey were ignorin' deir own leader. Dey didn't even react to my temper. ARRGGHHH!!!
If those cuts give them a scar, I'll never forgive myself, Spot thought, remembering how it felt to know he would always have a reminder of a stupid mistake.
"Well, what happened?" Michaela asked her brother, worriedly. Her father put him down on the sofa and she pulled his pants up to his knees, so she could see his ankle. Michael smiled at her.
"I'm fine, I'll just have a scar there."
"For how long?"
"Probably for his entire life," Mr. Conlon said, "but it won't be that noticeable. The real problem was the bit of metal caught in the skin there, the doctor had to take it out very carefully."
Eliza Conlon sighed in relief and sank down onto a chair. "Can he walk?"
"Not for awhile, Mom, but I can soon."
Michaela stared at the scar which would be on her brother from now on. She frowned at it, running her finger lightly down it.
Spot shook himself and walked faster to forget the sister who he would never see again. He managed to succeed, at least for the time being.
Spot spent the rest of the day wandering the streets of Manhattan deep in thought. He finally got over berating himself, but still felt slightly guilty and angry. I probably shouldn't go back til later tonight, when I'm calmed down more. Well, one t'ing is obvious. My boys have not jist all been hurting demselves accidentally. Dey have been getting' inta fights. Now da question is, wit' each udder or others?
~*~*~*~
Michaela sat on her perch on the roof of a building and glanced down at the streets. The boy gradually went away, and she sighed with relief. He's gone, good. Michaela quickly jumped down and returned to her sheltered place. I've really got to find out why everyone thinks I am this Spot guy. Who is Spot, anyway? The name sounds familiar... Michaela shook her head and slid down the wall to the ground. She put her chin on her fist and stared off into space. Spot. Spot. Spot...who is he???
