A/N- Sorry this story is kind of depressing right now. I promise it won't stay that way much longer, although there will be sad parts later on. Sorry I don't have time for shout-outs, but next chapter I will. I just wanted to quickly download this, because it's been forever since I've updated, sorry about that.

Chapter 9

I cried all night last night. I didn't get any sleep. Nikki comforted as we both wept bitterly. She was scared for me. Without her I would have felt alone. Why did life have to treat me this way? Why couldn't we be poor? It pained me to think how much better life would be if we were. I hate being middle class! I hate my parents for putting me through this because of their snobbery.

The next day, something happened that I had not predicted. My mother ignored me the entire day and wouldn't tell me why. She had Nikki run the errands, so I told her to meet Spot at the flower shop around lunchtime to reassure him that I was doing fine, even though that is far from true.

I was upstairs in my room when I heard my dad come home from work. Minutes later he stomped up the stairs and burst into my room. I had never seen him so angry in my entire life. He grabbed me by the wrist and threw me on the floor. Ow! What the hell is going on? He's never been violent with me before.

"What the hell are you thinking?! What the hell is the matter with you?!" Even though I was scared to death to look up at him, I did anyway. I didn't dare say anything. "Don't give me that innocent look! You know damn well what I'm talking about! Mrs. Mills saw you two together! Of all people, you chose to be with this Spot Conlon! He is nothing but a street rat who is only interested in using you as his whore!" Tears began pouring out of my eyes. This was worse then I thought it would be. I didn't know what to say. I looked behind him and saw Nikki crying and my mother with a cross look on her face. She didn't even care that my own father was being violent with me!

"I'll only tell you this once. You are never to see that boy again and if you do, I'll send him to the refuge where he belongs!"

I totally regret my next comment. "Father I love him!" Right then I knew it was the wrong move. He slapped me. It stung so badly! I've never been hit before. The tears began flowing more rapidly.

"Father, stop!" yelled Nikki. He ignored her.

"I did not just hear that! I did NOT just hear that! You are marrying John Winston and that's that! I never want to hear anything about this Conlon boy ever again!" He stormed out of the room. My mother walked over and knelt down beside me to examine the cheek where my father struck me.

"I'll get you some ice." She stood up and walked out of the room. Nikki ran over and hugged me. With both cried in each other's arms.

"You don't deserve any of this," she said. She was definitely right! How was I to see Spot now? My parents would now keep a close eye on me if I left the house, which I know will be rare. "I don't understand why mama and papa are doing this after what happened recently." She was right, I too was baffled. Nikki pulled away after she discontinued crying. "I told Spot to come over tonight," she said softly. For once, this didn't bother me. Yes, I'm worried that he'll get caught, but I desperately need to speak with him. Maybe he visiting me during the night would be the only way we could see each other from now on.

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I couldn't sleep that night. The tears kept flowing and there was nothing I could do to stop them. I anxiously waited for Spot's arrival. Finally, I heard that gentle knock. I jumped out of bed and quietly opened the window. As soon as he stepped foot in my room I leaped into his arms. He was the only thing worth living for.

"Why are ya cryin'?" He asked. I pulled away and looked up at his stunning face. He brought his hands to my cheeks to wipe away my tears.

"They know." I've never seen that kind of face expression before. He was astonished, angry, and upset all at the same time. I couldn't think of anything to say to comfort him. Even though this was the last thing I wanted to tell him, I had to. "My parents are forcing me to marry John Winston. I've never seen my father so angry in my entire life. I have to obey him." The tears were coming more rapidly now.

"No you don't! Isa, I won't let dis happen." His eyes were now filling up with tears.

"And what do you propose we do? I cannot just defy my father and get away with it-"

"Den we'll runaway togedah!" That I was not expecting. Runaway together? If only we could.

"But Spot, you're the leader-"

"I don't cah! All I really cah about is you. As long as wes togedah everythin' 'ill woik out." If only we could.

I don't know how to tell him this, but here goes nothing. "Spot, I'm dying," I blurted out. I couldn't even look at him when I said that.

" What?" Pause. "No, no! Ya can't be! Yer 16. yer perfect-"

"I have tuberculosis. I didn't find out until recently-"

"And ya didn't tell me?!" I can't blame him for being upset. I myself am upset about how unfair life has become. I just want to spend whatever time I have left with him, but how can I runaway with him? I don't have much longer to live. I can't let him abandon his newsies, and I can't abandon Nikki.

"I didn't want you to act weird around me."

"So, when ya told me youse was sick."

"I was. I coughed and fainted. I didn't wake up until the next morning." I figured getting into gory details about what I was coughing up was unnecessary.

Silence. I could tell he had a difficult time letting this sink in. He didn't want to believe what I had just said. I can't say I blame him.

"You can't die," he whispered as he looked down.

"I'm so sorry," was all I could think to say. What could I say? Nothing could save me. I had to face the facts.

He looked up at me with tears rolling down his cheeks. "There has ta be somethin' we can do. Ya can't just give up." If only there was something. The best doctor had seen me and he said there was no cure for this disease. Once infected, that was it. I too had been in denial, I can't blame him for feeling the same way.

"Spot, everyone who has been infected with this disease has died. I'm not giving up, I'm just facing the fact that there's nothing anyone can do."

"Do yer parents know?"

"Yes, but they seem to have the impression that I still have plenty of time left even though the doctor told them otherwise."

"Den why do dey want ya to get married?!"

"I'm not supposed to know. I was unconscious the whole time the doctor visited me. The only reason why I even know this is because of Nikki. My parents don't want me knowing because they want me to marry John without any worries or excuses. I can't let them know that I know, because the consequences for Nikki would be severe." I can't bear to look at him. I've never seen him so upset before. I don't think he knows what to say, think, or feel right now. I decided to wait until he was ready to speak.

Finally, he whispered, "I have ta go." He just stood up without even hugging or kissing me goodbye and crawled out of the window. He doesn't deserve this at all. I don't deserve him. I have always believed in and loved God, but for the first time, I felt like He had turned his back on me. Life was becoming too unbearable. I don't pity myself nearly as much as I pity Spot and Nikki. What will become of them when I'm gone? No, I need to focus on here and now.

A/N- Please review!