Chapter 10

"Spot, do you think I'll sell more papers being a girl and all?" Kit asked as she was collecting her papers for the day.

"Wit da younga guys, yes, da oldeh ones, hard ta tell," he replied. They both set off selling papers.

"So, how's it going wit Mush?" Spot asked after a brief silence.

Kit smiled and replied, "really well, actually. He always visits me, as you know, and he is just one of the sweetest guys I've ever met."

"Ise happy foh yah, Kit."

"What about you? I mean, don't you tire of just hooking up? Aren't you looking for anything that's real?"

"Ya mean like a goilfriend? Well, Ise tought about it, but no goil has evah come along dat's right for me."

"Well, what are you looking for?"

"A goil who can't beat da shit outta me!" he joked. Kit gave him a dead arm.

"Ow! Ya see what I mean?" He rubbed his arm as he laughed.

"Seriously, Spot!"

"Well, I dunno really, I guess I will when she comes along. Till den, it's nothin but sex, makin out, and sex!"

"You're disgusting, you know that?"

Spot put on that cocky grin. "By the way, have you and Mush done it yet?"

Her mouth dropped as she laughed a little. "Only you would ask that!"

"Well? Ise ya friend, ain't I?"

"You know, you may find this hard to believe, but I'm still a virgin!" Spot busted out laughing. "How did I know you were gonna do that!"

After he finally stopped laughing, he asked, "but. why?"

"I'm looking for something deeper than just casual sex. I wanna be in love, and for the guy to love me back." He looked at her, intrigued by what she said. This puzzled Kit, because she was expecting laughter. "What, no jokes? No witty remarks?"

After a long pause, he finally said, "I hope ya find dat love of yours." She was also caught off guard by that remark, but before she could say anything, a girl jerked her shoulder into Spot's. He looked at the girl who was now passing him, with lustful eyes peering into his.

"Hey cutie!" she remarked. Spot was turned off by that, because he thought she was ugly.

"Find yaself someone who's willing ta get wit a goil who has a donkey's ass foh a face!" Looking very hurt, the girl ran off. Spot's proud smile immediately faded when he looked over at Kit. She looked pissed. "What?"

"You know, just when I think you're turning into a sweet, caring guy, you go and say something like that!" Before he could respond she turned around and started briskly walking away. He ran up to her and walked beside her.

"Look, Ise just bein honest-"

"Honest?!" Kit stopped and turned to him, almost yelling. "You call insulting that poor girl honest?! I call it being a jackass!" She turned, and as she did, he pulled her arm, forcing her to face him.

"Look, it was just a joke! Why youse getting so mad?"

"A guy like you couldn't understand. I mean, you've gone through your whole life with girls throwing themselves at you. You don't know what it's like! It hurts! It can destroy your self-esteem, thereby throwing you into depression and god knows what!"

"You sayin youse been called ugly?"

"Of course I have! Most people have, you're one of the lucky ones who's gone through his whole life gifted when it comes to physical appearance!"

He never looked at it that way. He had insulted many girls before, not really thinking twice about it. It was all a big joke to him. He now felt guilty about it. Kit was now calming down since she had vented her anger. He let go of her arm. She noticed he was looking at her in a way she had never seen him look before.

"What?" She was confused by this.

"I tink I've leaind more from you den anyone else I've evah met, and Ise only known you foh about two weeks."

"Well, you're only 18, we both have a lot to learn. I'm selling alone today. " She walked away. Spot just stood there for minute and then continued selling newspapers.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kit had had a pretty good day selling newspapers for the first time not dressed as a boy. She got a lot of strange looks from people and interesting comments, but that didn't bother her. Some people were prejudice because she's a girl, but overall they were polite. She had only a few newspapers left when she bumped into the last person she expected.

"Hey sweet face," said a voice.

Kit turned around and gasped. It was him! She quickly turned her surprised face into an expressionless one. "Afternoon," she said politely, not looking him in the eye.

He examined her for a moment. "Ya look familiar, yet I dunno from wheah."

"Well, I don't recognize you, but then again, I'm horrible with remembering faces." She was nervous, because the last thing she wanted to do was fight him. He walked towards her, backing her up against a wall. "Please, if you don't mind, I'd like to finish selling these newspapers."

"Since when did Brookyn get a newsgoil? Den again, I can't blame Spot foh wantin ya, a pretty goil such as yaself." He started rubbing his hand against her cheek.

Kit turned her head. "Please, just leave me alone." She continued to be polite in order not to upset him.

"Can't do dat, cuz ya see, I likes what I see, and when I like somethin, I get it." He began leaning towards her to kiss her, but before he did, someone interrupted them, which was good, because she was ready to knee him in the balls.

"Get da hell away from 'er!" Kit looked to see who it was. She smiled. The guy backed up. She immediately ran to Spot and hugged him. They pulled away and Spot examined her face to look for any marks. "Did he hoit ya?" he asked, gently touching her cheeks.

"No, I didn't want to fight him, because I didn't want him to know, and-"

"Well, well, well, da great Spot Conlon, we meet again!" he said.

"Yeah, and dis time I'm prepahed to finish ya off!" he said moving Kit to the side and clinching his fists.

"If I remembah correctly, it wasn't you who beat me, it was one of ya newsies!"

"He aint one of mine, I didn't even know 'em," Spot lied.

"Edah way, I'll get youse and da guy who beat me! I aint scahed o' you!"

"Say dat to my face!" The leader of the factory boys began walking towards them. Spot threw a punch, which landed directly on the guy's nose. Blood immediately poured out as he fell back. The guy put his hand over his nose and watched the blood soak his hand. He looked up at Spot.

"Dis ain't ovah!" he exclaimed as he got up and ran.

"You punched correctly," Kit commented. Spot studied his hand.

"Youse right, it don't huit ta punch dat way," he said. He looked back at Kit. "I don't want ya to sell alone. I know yous can protect yaself, but like ya said, no one can know." She nodded her head.