Chapter 2
Kit tosses and turns in her bed for hours before waking up, slipping a faded red button up shirt on over her undershirt, buttoning it up half- way and going out onto the roof. She watches as the sun rises slowly in to the New York sky. Why me? Why da hell does I hafta be a goil? Kit runs a hand through her long curly hair and sighs heavily. She then hears a match light and turns to see Spot lighting a cigarette.
Without looking at her Spot asks, "So, whose goil are you'se?"
At first she panics, but soon calms herself down, "what?! You don' reco'nize me?" She feigns an innocent look and flutters her thick lashes at him, expecting him to get angry about her sarcasm. But instead he walks over to her and smirks, lifting a hand to her face and rubbing his thumb across her lower lip, "How could I forgit dos' lips?" his laugh becomes deep as he leans in to kiss her.
She smiles softly and slips her arms around his neck, forgetting who she is, "and who am I Spot?"
He places small kisses down her neck as he whispers, "Samantha from da Bronx." but before he can get another word out of his mouth or another button on her shirt undone, she delivers him a clip to the jaw.
"Bastard," is muttered under her breath as she walks back into the bunkroom, buttoning her shirt up as she walks.
Spot smirks, Jus' da reaction I was lookin' for. He too crawls in through the window and back to his bunk, whispering goodnight to Sweets and rubbing his jaw. ***
Kit gets up before all the boys the next morning; she's working at Tibby's again. She changes into her uniform, not bothering to braid her hair this morning. As she sits on her bed pulling on her black boots she hears a rustling noise. Figuring it's just Kloppman, she goes on about lacing up her boots.
Spot watches her lace up her worn out boots and run a weary hand through her hair. He doubts, like him, she got much sleep.
Kit leaps down the stairs two at a time and waves a good day to Kloppman. ***
It's lunchtime at Tibby's and Kit is already tired. She hadn't gotten much sleep after what that.boy.did to her. She shakes it out of her head as she hears a table of boys yelling her name.
"What can I getcha boys?" With a smile she takes an order for a dozen pieces of the double chocolate cake she'd made that morning. Kit walks behind the counter and yells the order to the back. She walks out from behind the counter and gets stopped by Spot. She sighs heavily and motions to a table that she'll be there in a moment. "I don' have time for dis, Spot."
Spot looks shocked, "You don' have time for me?" he laughs and looks at her closely, "Kit - I wanna talk to you'se. Now."
Kit walks over to the counter where the tray of cakes is sitting and delivers it to a table of a dozen or so boys, "heah ya go boys, eat up." She smiles and collects the money then walks to another table, taking more orders for cokes and cake, "I'm 'fraid you'se got da wrong poisen." pauses and wipes her hand on her apron then putting it out for him to shake, "da name's Sweets, how do ya do?" she smiles and returns to behind the counter. Yelling out more orders to Frank, the owner.
Spot stands at the counter looking at her with dark eyes. He was going to talk to her privately, whether she came willingly or if he had to drag her out by the long curls of chocolate hair draped about her shoulders.
She sighs and yells to Frank that she's taking a quick break and that she needed some air. She takes off her royal blue apron and walks out from behind the counter.
As soon as she steps from behind the counter Spot slips his arm around her waist and pulls her outside, showing anyone that is watching that Kit was officially his and that anyone who dared to make a move towards her wouldn't live to tell about it. Unlike Mush and Race sitting at a nearby table, Kit was oblivious to this little suggestion.
Kit turns and glares at him. "What do ya want from me?"
"Da Truth. Kit -Sweets-whoeva da hell you'se are-what's wit da secrecy?"
She turns and looks out at the road, "how's ya know it was me? Well, Kit dat is."
Spot steps in front of her, his hand touching the side of her face and his thumb rubbing her bottom lip, "As I said last night, 'Ow could I forgit dos' lips? Dere's only one pair in all of New Yoik as poifect as you'se's." He smiles smugly when she blushes.
Kit looks away, "don' tell anyone. You'se saw what hap'ned yesterday, if they knew dat I was who I am."
"I won' tell anyone"
"T'anks. Lis'en I gotta get back ta woik. It's real busy in dere." She turns and walks back into Tibby's but stops when she gets to the door, "It was nice meeting you'se"
Spot shrugs, "Same ta you'se Dollface." purposely using the name that the leader of the Queens newsies used.
"D.D.DollFACE?!" Kit then turns and goes back into the restaurant without another word of goodbye to the brat.
Spot scowls, what da hell has gotten inta me?! She's gorgeous and heah I am makin' her hate me.I gots ta get back ta Brooklyn. Shakes his head, steps into the restaurant, waves goodbye to all the boys in there and walks out. Brooklyn was calling his name.
***
Kit is watching the last of the customers for that night walk out of the restaurant. She had gotten a large tip today from the businessmen that came in for dinner and was planning to buy her some new boots. She just finished cleaning up and is about to lock up when she sees him. Les Jacobs, Dave's little brother, is sound asleep on one of the tables. Poor kid, it's been a long day. Because of her years of fighting beside Jack on the streets, picking the small boy up was no problem. Kit locks up the restaurant and heads towards Dave's house.
***
Quietly as she can, Kit knocks on the door to the Jacobs' apartment. Sarah answers the door and takes Les out of Kit's arms and lays him in the big bed at the side of the room.
"Hey Sarah. Hello Mr. And Mrs. Jacobs." She smiles whole-heartedly, "Les fell asleep at Tibby's and I just thought I would bring him home. Where's Dave?"
Esther Jacobs glances up from where she is sewing and looks at Kit, "He's out with Jack doing something tonight. Would you like something to eat? I'm afraid you'll blow away with the first gust of wind."
Kit laughs softly but shakes her head, "no ta'nks ma'am. I should head back ta da lodging house meself. I gots ta work da papes tomorra."
"Oh alright then. Do be careful on your way home."
"I will, don't worry. Bye Sarah it was noice ta see ya's agin." Kit leaves the apartment building slowly. She doesn't want to go straight back to the Lodging house because she knows how noisy it will be. Instead she begins to walk, not really paying any attention to where she is going.
***
By the time she comes to her senses she finds herself in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge, half way to Brooklyn. She sighs tiredly and shakes her head. What a disaster. It'll take me an hour just to get back to the lodging house. At this statement her luck seems to have run out. She feels a cold drop of water slide down the back of her neck. As she runs through the sudden downpour of rain, her hair falls from the ponytail and is hanging in her face as she walks into the Brooklyn lodging house. She smiles at Smith, the owner of the house, and tosses him a nickel and signs in.
"Evenin' Kit. What brings ya ta Brooklyn?"
"Well Smith, I was bein' silly and decided to walk for a bit. Before ya know it, it's pourin' down rain and I'm closa to Brooklyn den Manhattan so I decided to stay da night heah." She kisses the old man's cheek, "dat ain't problem I hope."
"Certanly not, Kit."
"T'anks."
Kit walks into the bunkroom with every intention of going straight to sleep after changing her clothes. "Deah me" she mumbles to herself as every boy in the bunkroom stops to look at her. She smiles wholeheartedly the dimple in her left cheek accentuated with the bright flush of her cheeks, "Evenin' boys." She brushes a wet tendril of hair out of her face and flips her hair over her shoulder, feeling it stick to the wet skin of her neck. Many of the boys just sit, openmouthed, removing their hats in respect.
Kit looks down at her appearance and groans inwardly. Her white shirt is soaked through, along with her pants. I have no extra clothes. What am I going to do? She looks at the boys sternly, "ok heahs da deal boys, I have just come from da middle of da Brooklyn bridge in da rain. I am soaked through, as I'm sure you can all see," she rolls her eyes and thinks about what she must look like to them, "so I need some clothes."
"I'll let ya borra a pair of mine." She looks up to see Spot Conlon looking at her with interest just like all the other boys.
"Hell no. I appreciate it but I'm shoir dere is some one else heah dat might be willin' ta lend me some clothes."
Spot looks around the room and smirks at Kit, "we'se all content ta let ya look loik dat da rest of da noight." He throws a pair of brown pants and a faded blue shirt. "You'se can eidder wear dos' or go wit'out."
She frowns and stomps off towards the washroom to change.
Kit tosses and turns in her bed for hours before waking up, slipping a faded red button up shirt on over her undershirt, buttoning it up half- way and going out onto the roof. She watches as the sun rises slowly in to the New York sky. Why me? Why da hell does I hafta be a goil? Kit runs a hand through her long curly hair and sighs heavily. She then hears a match light and turns to see Spot lighting a cigarette.
Without looking at her Spot asks, "So, whose goil are you'se?"
At first she panics, but soon calms herself down, "what?! You don' reco'nize me?" She feigns an innocent look and flutters her thick lashes at him, expecting him to get angry about her sarcasm. But instead he walks over to her and smirks, lifting a hand to her face and rubbing his thumb across her lower lip, "How could I forgit dos' lips?" his laugh becomes deep as he leans in to kiss her.
She smiles softly and slips her arms around his neck, forgetting who she is, "and who am I Spot?"
He places small kisses down her neck as he whispers, "Samantha from da Bronx." but before he can get another word out of his mouth or another button on her shirt undone, she delivers him a clip to the jaw.
"Bastard," is muttered under her breath as she walks back into the bunkroom, buttoning her shirt up as she walks.
Spot smirks, Jus' da reaction I was lookin' for. He too crawls in through the window and back to his bunk, whispering goodnight to Sweets and rubbing his jaw. ***
Kit gets up before all the boys the next morning; she's working at Tibby's again. She changes into her uniform, not bothering to braid her hair this morning. As she sits on her bed pulling on her black boots she hears a rustling noise. Figuring it's just Kloppman, she goes on about lacing up her boots.
Spot watches her lace up her worn out boots and run a weary hand through her hair. He doubts, like him, she got much sleep.
Kit leaps down the stairs two at a time and waves a good day to Kloppman. ***
It's lunchtime at Tibby's and Kit is already tired. She hadn't gotten much sleep after what that.boy.did to her. She shakes it out of her head as she hears a table of boys yelling her name.
"What can I getcha boys?" With a smile she takes an order for a dozen pieces of the double chocolate cake she'd made that morning. Kit walks behind the counter and yells the order to the back. She walks out from behind the counter and gets stopped by Spot. She sighs heavily and motions to a table that she'll be there in a moment. "I don' have time for dis, Spot."
Spot looks shocked, "You don' have time for me?" he laughs and looks at her closely, "Kit - I wanna talk to you'se. Now."
Kit walks over to the counter where the tray of cakes is sitting and delivers it to a table of a dozen or so boys, "heah ya go boys, eat up." She smiles and collects the money then walks to another table, taking more orders for cokes and cake, "I'm 'fraid you'se got da wrong poisen." pauses and wipes her hand on her apron then putting it out for him to shake, "da name's Sweets, how do ya do?" she smiles and returns to behind the counter. Yelling out more orders to Frank, the owner.
Spot stands at the counter looking at her with dark eyes. He was going to talk to her privately, whether she came willingly or if he had to drag her out by the long curls of chocolate hair draped about her shoulders.
She sighs and yells to Frank that she's taking a quick break and that she needed some air. She takes off her royal blue apron and walks out from behind the counter.
As soon as she steps from behind the counter Spot slips his arm around her waist and pulls her outside, showing anyone that is watching that Kit was officially his and that anyone who dared to make a move towards her wouldn't live to tell about it. Unlike Mush and Race sitting at a nearby table, Kit was oblivious to this little suggestion.
Kit turns and glares at him. "What do ya want from me?"
"Da Truth. Kit -Sweets-whoeva da hell you'se are-what's wit da secrecy?"
She turns and looks out at the road, "how's ya know it was me? Well, Kit dat is."
Spot steps in front of her, his hand touching the side of her face and his thumb rubbing her bottom lip, "As I said last night, 'Ow could I forgit dos' lips? Dere's only one pair in all of New Yoik as poifect as you'se's." He smiles smugly when she blushes.
Kit looks away, "don' tell anyone. You'se saw what hap'ned yesterday, if they knew dat I was who I am."
"I won' tell anyone"
"T'anks. Lis'en I gotta get back ta woik. It's real busy in dere." She turns and walks back into Tibby's but stops when she gets to the door, "It was nice meeting you'se"
Spot shrugs, "Same ta you'se Dollface." purposely using the name that the leader of the Queens newsies used.
"D.D.DollFACE?!" Kit then turns and goes back into the restaurant without another word of goodbye to the brat.
Spot scowls, what da hell has gotten inta me?! She's gorgeous and heah I am makin' her hate me.I gots ta get back ta Brooklyn. Shakes his head, steps into the restaurant, waves goodbye to all the boys in there and walks out. Brooklyn was calling his name.
***
Kit is watching the last of the customers for that night walk out of the restaurant. She had gotten a large tip today from the businessmen that came in for dinner and was planning to buy her some new boots. She just finished cleaning up and is about to lock up when she sees him. Les Jacobs, Dave's little brother, is sound asleep on one of the tables. Poor kid, it's been a long day. Because of her years of fighting beside Jack on the streets, picking the small boy up was no problem. Kit locks up the restaurant and heads towards Dave's house.
***
Quietly as she can, Kit knocks on the door to the Jacobs' apartment. Sarah answers the door and takes Les out of Kit's arms and lays him in the big bed at the side of the room.
"Hey Sarah. Hello Mr. And Mrs. Jacobs." She smiles whole-heartedly, "Les fell asleep at Tibby's and I just thought I would bring him home. Where's Dave?"
Esther Jacobs glances up from where she is sewing and looks at Kit, "He's out with Jack doing something tonight. Would you like something to eat? I'm afraid you'll blow away with the first gust of wind."
Kit laughs softly but shakes her head, "no ta'nks ma'am. I should head back ta da lodging house meself. I gots ta work da papes tomorra."
"Oh alright then. Do be careful on your way home."
"I will, don't worry. Bye Sarah it was noice ta see ya's agin." Kit leaves the apartment building slowly. She doesn't want to go straight back to the Lodging house because she knows how noisy it will be. Instead she begins to walk, not really paying any attention to where she is going.
***
By the time she comes to her senses she finds herself in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge, half way to Brooklyn. She sighs tiredly and shakes her head. What a disaster. It'll take me an hour just to get back to the lodging house. At this statement her luck seems to have run out. She feels a cold drop of water slide down the back of her neck. As she runs through the sudden downpour of rain, her hair falls from the ponytail and is hanging in her face as she walks into the Brooklyn lodging house. She smiles at Smith, the owner of the house, and tosses him a nickel and signs in.
"Evenin' Kit. What brings ya ta Brooklyn?"
"Well Smith, I was bein' silly and decided to walk for a bit. Before ya know it, it's pourin' down rain and I'm closa to Brooklyn den Manhattan so I decided to stay da night heah." She kisses the old man's cheek, "dat ain't problem I hope."
"Certanly not, Kit."
"T'anks."
Kit walks into the bunkroom with every intention of going straight to sleep after changing her clothes. "Deah me" she mumbles to herself as every boy in the bunkroom stops to look at her. She smiles wholeheartedly the dimple in her left cheek accentuated with the bright flush of her cheeks, "Evenin' boys." She brushes a wet tendril of hair out of her face and flips her hair over her shoulder, feeling it stick to the wet skin of her neck. Many of the boys just sit, openmouthed, removing their hats in respect.
Kit looks down at her appearance and groans inwardly. Her white shirt is soaked through, along with her pants. I have no extra clothes. What am I going to do? She looks at the boys sternly, "ok heahs da deal boys, I have just come from da middle of da Brooklyn bridge in da rain. I am soaked through, as I'm sure you can all see," she rolls her eyes and thinks about what she must look like to them, "so I need some clothes."
"I'll let ya borra a pair of mine." She looks up to see Spot Conlon looking at her with interest just like all the other boys.
"Hell no. I appreciate it but I'm shoir dere is some one else heah dat might be willin' ta lend me some clothes."
Spot looks around the room and smirks at Kit, "we'se all content ta let ya look loik dat da rest of da noight." He throws a pair of brown pants and a faded blue shirt. "You'se can eidder wear dos' or go wit'out."
She frowns and stomps off towards the washroom to change.