Chapter 7: Tibby's

By the time all the Newsies in Manhattan were up (around 6), Spot and his new goil Miracle were walking down the Brooklyn Bridge, and Blink and I had already gotten our papes.

"So ya really like hoir right?" I asked him.

"Yea, I mean, she's great, I jist…" He looked down at the ground.

"What?" I asked him, suddenly concerned. I had just gotten closer to Sphinx, and I didn't want her heart broken or anything.

"She thinks I'm cheatin on 'er."

"WHAT?" I fumed. "With who?"

"I dunno…but if she cant trust me, then it aint meant ta be…" His voice trailed off as he walked away.

"What's wrong wit him?" I heard a familiar voice ask from behind me I turned around.

"YOUR ALIVE!" I yelled gesturing to the girl who was taken in the alleyway. She smiled sheepishly at me and gave me a weak nod.

"I can't believe it!" I said.

 "Believe it," Spot said as he gave the girl a kiss "This is Miracle, Miracle, this is Stormy." I laughed.

"That name suits ya." I said smiling.

After we had sold all our papes and Spot had showed Miracle the ways of a Newsie, we went to Tibby's.

"Hiya Blink…" I said cautiously. I didn't know how he felt, and Sphinx wasn't selling with him like usual.

"Hey…" He said meekly. I slung my arm around his shoulder and headed toward Tibby's.

"Hey!" I heard behind me. I smiled. "I thought you were my goil!" I laughed it was Race.

"Are we jealous?" I asked him suppressing a giggle.

"No…" He said quickly. I laughed again. "I'll meet up with you their ok Blink?" He smiled and nodded yes.

"I think him and Sphinx is gonna break up…" I told Race quietly, making sure that Blink couldn't hear me.  He looked sad, but leaned down and gave me a kiss.

When we got to Tibby's Blink was sitting across from Sphinx, Spot had his arm around Miracle and was introducing her to the boys. Race and I sat at another table with Dave and Gretch, who was conveniently sitting on his lap. I smiled, everything looked good, except for Sphinx and Blink, and they were avoiding eye contact.

"We'se gotta tell ya a Story bout Spot here…" Jack started, talking to Miracle. She laughed and told him to go on.

"See, he made a bet wit Stormy, and he lost. He had to dress up as a ballerina while he sold his papes. He got the weirdest looks! He was wearin all pink with a red bra. And-he-he…" Jack stuttered between "He had these tissues, that were still in the box, down his bra." Jack laughed hard, so did Miracle. Spot glared daggers at him.

"What? If it were me you'd be the one laughin, I jist wasn't stupid enough ta make a bet wid hoir!" Jack stated.  Spot smiled.

"Why ya smiling Spot?" I asked him confused.

"Its jist easier if ya laugh at yaself." Nobody thought he meant it since he was still glaring at Jack.

"Its jist…" He started "I think since Jacky-boy shared a story, I should share one too." Jack had stopped laughing.

"See, we went to Brooklyn, me boys was off selling dere papes, when da bulls start chasin us…" He paused to let out laughter, "And Jacky-boy had been runnin too fast an he tripped." He let out more laughter. "We had run into an alleyway and had dodged the bulls, but Jacky-Boys pants had…fallen…" He chose his words carefully. "Revealing-"

Jack had interrupted him.

"Spot, don't even…" Jack warned.  "I will soak ya!" He threatened.

"A man thong…" Spot said triumphantly. The whole table erupted in laughter as Jack sat back down, his face redder than it has ever been.

Jack stood up furiously and walked back to the Lodging House. I told Race I was getting tired and I headed back too. Sphinx followed me out.

"Hey, Stormy! STORM!" She yelled, catching up to me. "Huh?" I said as I turned around.

"It think Blinks cheatin…" She said cautiously.

"Why don't ya trust him?" I asked her.

"I do, I do!" She insisted. "Its jist…I saw him wit another goil, and well…I dunno…"

An idea came to my head.

"Wait, what was he wearin?" I asked her. She looked a little aggravated.

"Why should that matter? I mean, He's me boyfriend! What's it matter what he's wearin?" She stated angrily. I looked at her and put my hands on my hips. She sighed.

"A Brown shirt wid black pants…"

I hit her on the back of the head. "What was dat for?" She asked me.

"That wasn't Blink!" I told her "It was Aces!" she gaped at me. "What…" She asked. I sighed. "You heard me…" I said. She ran back inside Tibby's to hopefully fix things. I laughed at her as she ran, then went inside and fell asleep.