Chapter 6

Poison yawned as she exited Tibby's. She leaned against Spot, falling asleep. She stepped away from him slightly when she remembered that the two of them still weren't at that whole, comfortable with each other part yet. She knew he probably didn't mind, but it bothered her. She was usually a little more reserved then that. I guess I'm a lot more tired then I thought, and it's only halfway through the afternoon shift. Poison looked up at the sky looking at the clouds pass along as if they had no worries in the world. Perhaps they don't. When Spot poked her gently in the side she moved out of the way of people leaving and entering Tibby's. They watched as Jack walked back towards the lodging house.

"I should be getting back too," Poison said starting after Jack. Spot reached out and grabbed her wrist pulling her back again.

"Meet you at our place?" he asked looking at her. Poison nodded her head; she could always just not show up saying later she had forgotten the time.

"When?" she asked looking after Jack's retreating back. Spot felt a jab of jealousy run through him. Why was she looking at Jack like that? It probably has to do with the fact Jack's still hurt over Racetrack. Even though, he's the idiot that wanted to throw him out of the lodging house. I still can't believe we're going to set up a network to spy on him. But that was the deal. He messes up once, he's out. He's not to be allowed into any of the lodging houses. Talk about cold…but it was Poison's idea, and he's one of her best friends. A thought occurred to him,

"Did you know?"

"Know what?" Poison asked looking slightly confused.

"That there was something wrong with him."

"No, I thought that was always how he was. He was going through withdrawal, my question is if he's had relapses or not," she sighed, "When are we meeting?"

"In an hour?" Spot said. Poison just nodded and then looked pointedly at their conjoined hands. Spot let go reluctantly. He had enjoyed it when Poison had leaned against him when they had first come out. She shivered slightly and went to grab something out of her bag and stopped.

"No bag," she muttered, "I'll see you in an hour Spot," she said turning away.

Spot watched her start to leave; he figured she was going to talk to Race. Probably try to get more information out of him. He just hoped Race was up to the challenge of persuading Poison of the truth. Spot leaned back against the window of Tibby's, at least the problem was beginning to be resolved; even if it did leave a slightly sour taste in his mouth. It didn't seem right in some respects. Kicking out a fellow newsie, but he was in Manhattan, and had to deal with Manhattan rules. Although, Spot had agreed to not let Race in if he got kicked out. He turned and headed for one of the parks nearby to wait and think for the hour to pass before he was to meet Poison on the roof.

~*~

Poison walked in the door of the lodging house and immediately headed for her bag. She checked and double checked that everything was in its place. Then she put it on over her shoulder and patted it lovingly. She had missed it during the day, the pressure that's always there.


Then she took her shoes off, wiggling her toes in the freedom of her socks then padded to the boys floor. It was quiet here, unlike down in the common room and on the girls floor. She figured they were probably avoiding Race. She sighed rubbing her eyes. She seemed to be sighing a lot more then she had ever done in her life. It's gotta be Manhattan's troubles that are getting to me…and Spot… She knocked on the door before opening it. Race was lying on his bed looking extremely bored.

"I've been exiled here. Ta keep from contaminatin' da othas," he said slightly irritated.

"What else did you expect from them? Silk leave?"

"Yeah, Silk left. I dunno what I expected from 'em. But I didn't expect this!"

"Good news is you're not being kicked out of her, long as you stay clean."

"I can tell dere's a bad news attached, what is it?"

"You'll have to deal with always being watched."

"Great! Now I get ta loose me privacy," Race said rolling up on his elbow, "Agh! I keep forgetting ya took 'em!"

Poison raised her eyebrow at the agitated Race, "I'm assumin' yous talkin' 'bout yous cigars."

Race nodded his head yes in response.

"Come on," Poison said starting towards the door with Race following her.

Poison peeled her socks off when she passed her adopted room of the moment before continuing on to the staircase that would lead them to the roof. When they reached the roof Poison reached into her bag and pulled out her cigarettes.

"Closest thing yous gonna get on my watch," she said before flipping Race the pack.

When he had taken one and tossed it back, Poison took one and lit hers then lit Race's. She sat down on the edge and looked down at the people scrambling this way and that way. It reminded her of the last time she had been up here with Spot. She pushed the thought away and got up abruptly to sit more towards the middle.

Race looked at her oddly and she realized she hadn't told him that Spot and her weren't so comfortable with each other at the moment. It made her feel slightly bad. She always shared stuff like that with him. She laughed softly to herself, here she was feeling bad because she hadn't told him about her and Spot's problem when he hadn't even told her about his problem.

"Would you have ever told me? I mean if you hadn't gotten sick," Poison asked staring out into the night sky unsure of if she wanted to hear the answer. The silence stretched out and when she looked over at Race she knew the answer. He never would have told her. The silence continued for awhile longer until Poison couldn't take it anymore.

"Did I ever tell you how I got my name Poison? Besides me da bein' poisoned that is," Poison asked Race.

"Cuz yous deal with poisons," Race said shrugging.

"Well dere's dat yeah…but it's cuz I'm immune ta most common poisons. Took me a long time ta become immune and spent most a it sick. When Spot found me I was really sick, it was da worst bought I'd had with poisons. He took me ta the doc, the doc told 'im I was poisoned that I wouldn't live. I didn't tell 'im till later dat I had poisoned meself ta keep meself safe. I was so scared dat the guy who poisoned me da would come afta me and poison me."

When Poison looked at Race he had this shocked expression on his face. She reached over and pushed his chin up closing his mouth.

"Don't want yous ta catch fly's in dere, wouldn't be fair ta dem," She said smirking at him.

"I nevah knew, how is dat possible?"

Poison turned serious, "How was it possible dat I didn't know you was doin cocaine?"

Race didn't say anything just looked at the roof as if it had suddenly become the most interesting thing on the planet.

"I gotta ask ya, Race…you relapsing?"

Race looked up and was about to answer when Spot came up the fire escape. He looked nervously at him and finished off the cigarette quickly and then headed inside quickly.

Poison made an aggravated face.

"What'd I do now?" Spot asked, coming over and sitting next to her.

"Nothin'. I just almost got da one answer outta Race dat I wanted. But I can get it lata. Yous early."

Spot smirked a little, "No, I's actually late."

Poison looked a little surprised then flopped backwards onto the roof, letting the heat of the day soak into her tired muscles.

"Taday wasn't one of me best days…neither was yesterday…" Poison said, looking up at the stars.

"They 'aven't been me favorite days neither," Spot said then pulled Poison back into a sitting position.

"I wanna go ta sleep," she said crankily.

"Nu-uh, come on sit up," Spot said. Poison laughed when he said that. When he gave her a look conveying that he thought she had now lost her brain she hastened to explain,

"I said the exact same thing to Race this morning."

"Ah," Spot said.

Then he stood up and paced near the fire escape debating this thought that raced through his head. She hadn't been paying much attention to him when he had first come up onto the roof. She had been thinking about Race, she didn't want to loose her best friend to cocaine. She was afraid he'd relapse, especially with the ghosts and now the lack of trust in him. Poison shook her head no; she wasn't going to think about that anymore. Spot wanted her for a reason; she was hoping the reason was to fix their relationship. She pulled her attention back to the pacing Spot.

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

"A lota things," He answered as he stopped pacing. He walked over and sat down in front of her again.

"I'm sorry I was a jerk." He said.

"I already accepted the apology you gave me earlier, I thought we were past the apologizing stage," Poison said lifting her eyebrow at him.

"I know, I just felt insulted, yous bag havin' more priority then me. I understand now, I think I always did, jus' didn't like not bein' the center of attention."

"You're the leada, your used ta being the one in charge making the decisions," Poison said shrugging, "Happier topic though? I got enough gloom and doom with Race right now."

Spot nodded his head in agreement; secretly he was slightly jealous though. He knew they were best friends but…still he was a guy, and a threat to his place as her guy, granted it was a small threat, but still a threat. Stop it, I'm bein' an idiot. She worried about 'im just like I should be.

"You think we'll eva be like we was?" Spot asked looking out across the buildings.

Poison smiled a little, "We're always changin'. So I doubt it," she reached out and turned his head a little so he was looking at her, "don't worry, Race'll be fine, we'll be alright, I'll always be yous goil in some way." Then she made a face.

"I hate bein' mushy…" she muttered.

Spot laughed, "I kinda like it," he said smirking at her. She glared at him.

"I'll even out da score," he said, "close yous eyes."

Poison eyed him suspiciously but closed her eyes as he had asked wondering what he was going to do. Spot pulled out a piece of cord with a silver key on it similar to his own and slid it over her head.

"Der, now we're even."

Poison looked at the key hanging around her neck and picked it up looking at it curiously then at him. He wasn't looking at her he was looking at the roof.

"It's from me home, it was da key ta the apartment."

"Why give it ta me though?" Poison asked fascinated with the fact that Spot seemed embarrassed.

Spot shrugged, Because yous me home Poison, always will be. He thought in his head,

Poison smirked slightly and leaned forward to kiss his cheek when Mush came out of the door onto the roof followed closely by Hades,

"He's gone," Mush said.