Dutchy woke Marble the next morning and they left as Kloppman was heading upstairs to get the others, just like usual. They were at the Distribution Center waiting for their papers when the other newsies got there, just like usual. They stopped to see Dutchy's girl, Angela, and have breakfast, just like usual. But, during the day Marble didn't even sell half of her papers and it didn't look like she was going to. Dutchy had been trying to question her all day but she was off in her own world and didn't notice him.

Eventually he took the papers out of her hands, "I'll sell dese fa ya, jist go take care whatevahs buggin' ya."

Marble gave him a beautifical smile and a hug then ran off. He just shook his head and watched her disappear into the crowd. Ashes tried to catch her but she was going too fast so he just gave up and went back to Dutchy.

Marble had wanted to go see Spot all day long but she didn't want to look desperate and go running back to him first thing in the morning. Waiting was driving her crazy. Now that she had been handed the chance to go see him Marble forgot all about appearance and sprinted.

* * *

Spot hadn't slept all night but he was making up for it now. He wasn't actually sleeping but he was dead to the world around him. It was afternoon and he was still at the Distribution Center, without papers. He just couldn't stop thinking about Marble. She had probably thought about it and would hate him for what happened last night. He knew that if he was alone with her too long he would ruin everything and he probably just had. Spot mentally kicked himself (repeatedly) for being an idiot and taking advantage of Marble.

"Spot, Spot! Wouldja snap outa it." He blinked a few times and looked at Dublin, who had just walked by and seen Spot still there.

"Wha?"

"Why are you still here?"

"I's gonna buy papes."

"The place is closed, it's after noon."

"Oh, yeah." Spot started to walk off in his own world again but Dublin followed him.

"Hey, what's going on, this ain't like ya Spot. What happened yesterday?"

"I's did sumthin' stupid, really stupid."

Dublin sighed in irritation when Spot's eyes glazed over again. He decided to risk a massive beating and grabbed his shoulders.

The Brooklyn leader instantly snapped out of it, "What!"

"Spot you've been freaking everybody out all day. Either quit this crap or go take care of it, just stop."

Spot glared at him for a minute then shook himself free, "I'll be back latah."

He took off walking but once he rounded the corner he broke into a run. He didn't care if she hated him now, he just had to see her.

* * *

Marble and Spot were crossing the Brooklyn Bridge at the same time and actually passed each other before they realized it. They turned at the same time and saw each other.

"Spot!" Marble stepped towards him then suddenly blushed and covered her eyes with her hands. She parted her fingers and looked at Spot with her bright green eye. His familiar smirk was now a few feet closer.

"Yous came runnin' all da way ta Brooklyn jist ta see liddle ol' me, I's flattahed."

"Well, um, I... Hey, Wait a minute! You never sell on the bridge, and you don't even have papes." She smacked him in the chest, "You were coming to see me you jerk. God, you're just tryin' ta make me feel stupid."

Spot smiled and stepped forward so she had to look up at him, "An' it woiked too."

She stared into his eyes with a pouty look on her face. Spot started getting uncomfortable in the drawn out silence. Once he started shuffling his feet and looking around Marble grinned and bounced up, kissing him quickly on the lips.

Spot smiled with relief and pulled her into a tight hug, "I's was scared ya might be mad."

"I've got the mighty Spot Conlon scared with just one little kiss?"

"Liddle kiss! If ya call last night a liddle kiss I'd hate ta see big fa yous." He looked down at her again, "Den again."

Marble wrapped her arm around his waist and started walking, "Mebbe if ya real good I'll show you someday."

He laughed and let her lead him off.

* * *

Marble and Spot were crossing the docks together, "Ya know dis is kinda strange."

"What?"

"We's actin' like we've been goin' togetha' fa yea's but our foist kiss was jist last night. I ain't nevah done dis so fast wit a goil." He cracked his knuckles and smirked, "I must be bettah den I thought."

Marble rolled her eyes then decided to ignore the last comment "Well," She jumped up onto a long pile of crates, leaving Spot to follow her along on the ground, "Look at this way, we've known each other for over ten years, right?"

"Roight." Marble started walking along the top of the pile jumping from crate to crate, almost six feet off of the ground while Spot got ready to catch her when she fell.

"And in that time we've gone everywhere and done almost everything together. Just last night we admitted that we liked each other more than friends for most of that time. So," She reached the end of the crates but the ground was flooded under them, "We've technically been going out for years and only just realized it now. We really aren't going very fast, we're just making up for lost time."

Instead of going back and climbing down Marble jumped off of the crates and into to the puddle, splashing it everywhere. She turned, still dry, to a saturated Spot, "Doesn't that make you feel better?"

He glared at her and wiped his dripping hair back from his face. Marble grinned and took off running. Spot instantly started chasing her through the crowded docks. Marble was just ahead of him but he could never quite catch her. Finally she ran onto the abandoned pier by the lodging house. She stopped in the middle and turned around, acting surprised, "Oh, hi Scrawny. Whatcha doin' here?"

"Nothin' really, jist throwin' somebody off a da dock."

Marble started walking backwards as he came towards her, "And who might that be?" She was as far back as she could go.

"Hows about you." Spot lunged forward on the last word and Marble tried flipping him over her shoulder but he was expecting it. At the last second Spot dropped down and grabbed her around the legs, tossing her into the water.

Marble's head popped up and she glared at Spot as she swam towards the ladder. Spot walked along after her, laughing. When he got to the ladder he offered his hand to her and realized it was a mistake when she grinned up at him. Before he could move her hand shot out and yanked him into the frigid water.

Marble climbed up the ladder laughing, "I can't believe you fell for that."

"Yea, well I forgot dat yous don't play fair." Spot gave her an evil glare and she laughed at him. Marble grabbed one of the posts on the pier and offered her hand to help him up. They both started ringing out their clothes as they walked off of the dock.

"Ya know, Spot, you can't blame me that you're stupid." His head jerked up and he would have been mad but she kissed him before he could, "But, hey your cute, so I'll keep ya."

Spot rolled his eyes and laughed, "Yous actin' like we's still only jist friends."

"We are, but now I can kiss you and if I catch you with another girl I get to kill both of you."

"Ten years an' I still can't figuah out how ya come up wit some a dis stuff."

"Yous jist slow I guess." Spot playfully shoved her just as a cold wind came in off of the water.

Marble gasped, "Maybe we should get some dry clothes."

Spot didn't answer, they just both started running towards the lodging house. The two soaked newsies slipped into Spot's room, getting strange looks from the boys in the bunk room.

Spot went to the trunk at the foot of his bed and pulled out clothes for both of them. When he looked up Marble was absently fiddling with the buttons on her shirt.

"Um, mebbe I's should leave so's you can have some privacy."

She smiled as he got even more uncomfortable, she loved doing things like this to him, "It'saright, just turn around and we can both change."

"Yea, okay." They turned away from each other and Spot quickly started changing his clothes. He froze only half finished when he heard her wet shirt hit the floor.

"Git yaself togetha Conlon, it's jist a goil, jist Marble, ain't nothin' gonna happen." He just stood there with his shirt off and his eyes wide listening to her change her clothes, the sound of cloth against skin and the quiet rustling of her doing up the buttons.

When she was done she asked, "Spot, how many girls have you had in here?"

"I dunno, lotsa goils 'ave been in heah."

"That's not what I ment. How many girls have you HAD in here?"

Spot realized what she was asking and turned to stare at her, she was facing him with a very serious expression on her face. Spot knew if he lied that she would be able to tell so he sighed and muttered something.

"What was that?" Spot said it again a little bit louder.

"You're kidding! I don't believe it." She started laughing, "The mighty Spot Conlon is a ..... Oh my God, I'm telling everyone!"

Marble ran to the door and yanked it open to a room full of newsies, "You guys won't believe it, Spot's a Vi.."

A hand clamped over her mouth but she pulled it away, "He's a.." The hand came back and another one slid around her waist and dragged her back into the room. The door slammed shut and the boys in the bunkroom were left completely confused. After a minute the boys went back to what they had been doing except for a small group who slipped out the door.

Spot threw Marble down on the bed, "Don't ya dare tell nobody. I's got a reputation ta keep up."

She just lay there, in a helpless puddle oozing laughter, "I can't believe it, this is the funniest thing I've ever heard."

When she had a little control over herself again she reassured Spot, "Your secret's safe with me but I am going to make fun of you every chance I get."

Spot leaned over her and put a hand on either side of her head, "Yous know dat dis kinda thing is real easy ta fix."

He kissed her deeply and her arms slid around his neck. When he pulled away Marble smiled up at him.

"Not a chance." she tweaked his nose and slid out from under him and onto the floor.

Spot sat on the bed where she had been, "So, um, are you?"

"What?"

"Yous know."

"Oh, that. It's none of your business."

"None a me business! Whada ya mean none a me business? I had ta tell yous."

"No you didn't, I just asked and you said."

"Dat ain't fair. Yous me goil an' you hafta tell me dis stuff."

"No I don't!, and if you think me being your girl makes it your right to know anything else about me then maybe I don't wanna be your girl." Marble stalked out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

Spot fell back on his bed and smacked himself on the forehead, "Stupid. Whys ya always gotta make her lose her tempah. Yous know bettah den ta try ta make her tell ya stuff she don't want 'cha ta know. But she shoulda tol' me, it ain't that bigga deal if she is or ain't."

Spot sighed and sat up, "I'd bettah go afta her." He grabbed a shirt and ran out the door.