Spot's Milkshake
Chapter Five: Forever And Always
Disclaimer: I don't own Spot or any of the Manhattan newises....I do own the plot, Brandie, Troy, Smalls, Sniff, Snicker, Harold, etc. and any of the Harlem newsies. And like I said I DON'T own ANY of the Manhattan newsies or Spot!
I made sure that he had left before I darted to my closet. It was a small space, with barely any room for my small wardrobe that consisted of 4 outfits. I decided that I would wear a white dress with a pink ribbon around my It didn't look very appealing to me, but it would have to do.
***
The next three days came and went. I braided my hair, and slipped into the outfit I had chosen a few days ago. I looked at myself in my cracked, full- length mirrors. I didn't look half bad. I was still admiring myself when I heard Mrs. Tabernak call me. I hadn't told her about the party, but I had asked for the day off. I think the two of them were happy about my request. They wouldn't have to pay me now, and I'm sure that brightened their day.
I hurried down the stairs. Spot was wearing his usual red suspenders, brown pants and a plaid shirt. His cane was tucked safely in his belt loop, and he had a slingshot on the other side. Mrs. Tabernak looked bewildered. I laughed as Spot escorted me out into the street. Most of the Brooklyn newsies were assembled outside waiting for us. The majority of them had girls with them, but there was a select few that were alone. I scanned the group, and smiled when I saw Sniff with Smalls wrapped in his arms. His green eyes gleamed with pride and happiness.
Spot walked up to the front of the group, and silently began to lead them. I heard the newsies behind us talking quietly. Finally, Spot broke the silence that hung between us.
"Ya eva been ta a party?" He asked quietly.
"I wouldn't call it a party. You?" I turned to face him. His face was very solemn.
"Yea. Medda throws dese tings one an' awhile. Course I can't 'member da las' one, it was so long ago." He continued to look ahead. The chatter from the other newsies was getting louder. I looked over at Spot again. He look like he was decided whether or not to say something. I suddenly remembered that I had a cigar and match in my shoe. I didn't know if it would be useful or not. I bent down and pulled the contents out of my sock. Spot gave me a confused look.
"Heah. Thought ya migh' like it." I handed him the cigar. He took it, still staring at me. Once it was in his mouth, he seemed to be more relaxed. In a matter of minutes, we were both sucked into different conversations. He was talking with Snicker, Pouncher, Stumpy, Itch, and their girls. I was talking with Sniff, Smalls, Harold and his girl Relay. I realized that Harold wasn't such a bad kid. For once he acknowledged me as a human, not dirt under his feet.
"I says ta dem, it's your own fault ya listened ta me!" Smalls was telling us how she had sold some papes to two men. She told them that there was an earthquake in Ohio that had killed thousands. In reality, it was only a tremor that scared four girls. The men had hunted her down and demanded their money back. This conversation lasted until we reached Manhattan. Boys were pouring in from every which way. The noise was at an ear-splitting level. I found Spot right before we entered Irving Hall. It was an amazing sight. Boys and their girls filled the seats and tables. A woman with fiery curly read hair was frantically serving drinks and food to everyone.
Spot and I separated from the group of Brooklyn newsies. He led me to a table that was already full of boys.
"Now da party's really startin'! Conlon's heah!" A boy with a patch over his eye declared. All the heads at the table turned to see us.
"What da we 'ave heah? Conlon's gots himself a goil!" Another boy that sported a red bandana and a cowboy hat said.
"Dat's righ' Jacky-boy. Milkshake, dis is Kid Blink, Mush, David, Crutchy, Boots, Racetrack, and Jack." He introduced me to them. I looked at them all. My eyes rested on Racetrack. I wanted to smile, but I didn't want anyone to see me. I wondered if Race had told them about our day together. It didn't appear so.
"Nice ta meetcha." I said. This time I smiled. Not at Race, but at everyone.
"So, wheah's your goils?" Spot asked them as he took a seat next to Jack. The only seat left was between Spot and Racetrack. I took it.
"Blink's goil is 'round heah somewhere. Mush's goil took off. I tink she's wit our very own Skittery. As fer me, 'er family moved somewheah south. She wasn't me type anyways. Da rest of dem didn't find one." Jack explained.
"Hey, hey, hey. I didn't bring one cause I don't want em ta hold me back. Da night is young boys." Racetrack announced, lighting a cigar and pulling a deck of cards out of his back pocket.
"Ya tink goils 'old ya down?" I asked him. He looked startled that I was questioning him.
"Most goils do. Dey don't like me gamblin' or smokin' or sometink like dat." He said, his voice rising. "What's wrong wit gamblin'?" I asked, trying to calm him down.
"Dat's a good question. Maybe ya can axe da odda goils round heah." He wasn't calming down, nor was he acting like the Racetrack I had met at the beginning of the week. Well, two could play at this game.
"Da night is young boys." I said, taking Racetrack's cigar out of his mouth and placing it in my own. I leaned back in my chair and admired the stunned faces around me.
"I spect you'll be playin' den?" He asked me, shuffling the cards in his hand.
"I would prefer ta watch da master." I smiled at him smugly. He looked rather pleased at my last statement. He dealt the cards to everyone at the table except me. I had lied right through my teeth. Well, kinda. I wasn't going to play myself, instead I looked at Spot's cards and helped him along. He didn't need the help, but accepted it anyway.
After a few more rounds of poker, Medda called everyone to attention. The lights dimmed, and the spotlight was now on her. Soft, sweet sounding music began to play as she started to sing.
Bows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow of everyone
So many things I would've done, but clouds got in my way.
She continued to sing. Blink's girl rejoinedhim, swaying to the music. I felt Spot slip his arm around my waist, pulling me close. I rested my head on his shoulder. I didn't know why I was attracted to him, but I was.
Medda ended her song, and began another one. I wasn't really listening, because a 'waiter' had just brought the table some drinks. I took one, but didn't drink it. Instead and I placed it down on the table and tried to listen to Medda as she started the chorus of her song.
"Let's make toasts ta each odda." Crutchy suggested.
"Like what?" Mush asked, hushing his voice as Medda reached a quiet part in her song.
"Well I dunno, I thought it was a good idea." He smiled.
"Alrigh' a toast ta me and me gamblin' life." Race whispered, raising his glass The rest of us slowly raised ours. I decided to turn his selfish toast on him.
"May it be lousy and put ya in debt." I raised my glass even higher, and clashed it with his. The rest of the table followed my lead, and began clanging their glasses with Race's, then with each other. At first Racetrack stared at us in disbelief, but soon joined in with us.
By the time Medda finished her song, the boys had gone through 3 glasses a piece. I think all 3 of the girls, including myself, at the table notice the change in their behavior.
Racetrack seemed to be ok, but the rest were acting a little strange.
"They aren't drunk, are they?" Kid Blink's girl, Ashley asked me.
"Uh, I wouldn't know." I said sarcastically. I had seen many drunk people in my time. I was definitely heading to that conclusion.
"Well are they?" She asked me seriously.
"I would say that they qualify." I chewed nervously on my cigar. Spot couldn't be drunk, I didn't know how to get back to Brooklyn exactly. I silently slid Spot's drink away from him. Jack's too. Ashley did the same for Blink and Mush. Boots had only had a little, and took Crutchy's drink from him. No one took Race's from him, but he didn't seem so bad. Luckily, they hadn't had enough to make them drunk for the entire night. By the time Medda allowed everyone to dance, they were sober enough to.
Spot's icy hand took mine and lead me onto the dance floor. Medda's voice once more echoed in the hall. Hundreds of newsies got out of their chairs and started to dance slowly.
Every now and then
We find a special friend
That never lets us down
Who understands it all
Reaches out each time you fall
You're the best friend that I've found
I know you can't stay
But part of you will never ever go away
You're heart will stay
I'll make a wish for you
And hope it will come true
That life would just be kind
To such a gentle mind
And if you lose your way
Think back on yesterday
Remember me this way
I could hear some of the other newsies sing along with her. I wish that I would've known the words, but I didn't. I had never heard the song before.
"'Ave ya heard dis song before?" I whispered.
"Somewheah I'm sure." He replied. "Will ya remember me dis way?"His words were soft and caring, full of love.
"Foreva an' always." I answered, leaning my head on his chest. I could feel his chest rise and fall whenever he took a breath. The next few moments flew by much too quickly. Medda ended her song, and we all had to sit back down for more card games, and more drinks. I was uncomfortable with this.
This was the rest of the party as far as I was concerned. The poker games were fun to watch and occasionally play, but I was more worried about the drinking that Medda allowed. I had to admit, I had a few sips of the stuff myself, and savored every last drop of it. But I had been drunk before, and I hated it. I felt like I was trapped in my mind and my senses. I did things I did not wish to do. At one point it felt wonderful, but that had lasted only a few hours. I did not want that again.
"Must ya drink so much?" I asked Spot.
"I haven't been drinkin' dat much." He said. His speech was slurred. Kid Blink's girl had left him. Probably because she didn't approve of him drinking. I love the taste of the drinks, but I controlled myself. I knew that they were boys and that they don't always have much self-control, but I still worried. I had only ever been around one drunk boy in my life. It was not pleasant. That boy was now in jail, not a good memory to think about when Spot was getting drunker by the second.
"Damn it Racetrack. Make him stop." I leaned over and stared at Race's cards. "Nuttin's wrong wit drinkin'. Ya said so yourself doll face." He smiled, pulling his cards out of my view.
"I know what I said, but I've been 'round drunk guys before. Believe it ain't fun. Help." I pleaded with him. For once, he looked at me with compassion. It was almost as he felt some sort of pity for me.
"Look Milky, I don't know whatcha gonna do wit 'im. All I can suggest is dat ya take 'im and yourself ta da lodging 'ouse fer da nigh' an' sleep dere till he's sober again." He looked away from me and focused his attention on his cards. I nervously looked around. Some boys were leaving with there girls. They were probably heading home, or going to scout the city. This was the perfect time to leave, unfortunately, I somehow had to convince Spot that it was time to go home. In a good sense, and in a bad sense, my job was taken care of for me. Spot had fainted from too much alcohol. The rest of the boys saw no significance to this. They continued to laugh and to play poker. Race was the only one who seemed sober enough to realize that I was leaving with Spot.
"Uh, great party, tanks fer invitin' us. We enjoyed it." I pulled Spot out of his chair and dragged him to the door. Racetrack waved to me, laughing merrily. I flashed him a fake smile. Why couldn't he be more help?
When I got outside, Spot was coming to. I almost wished he hadn't. It was going to be harder to take him to the lodging house now. The bigger problem was that I had no idea where this lodging house was.
"Something wrong?" I heard a voice ask me. Smalls was sitting on a bench just outside Irving Hall and had seen me dragging Spot.
"Not really." I fibbed.
"Is he ok? Can I do anything to 'elp?" She tried again.
"Yeah. Wheah's da lodging 'ouse? Would ya know?" I hoped to God that she did. It was sprinkling now. I cursed under my breath.
"Yeah, I've been dere once. It's done dat road, den take a left." She stopped and stared at Spot as he moaned in my arms. "Why don't I jus' take ya dere?" She offered, beginning to walk in the direction she claimed the lodging house was. It was raining harder now. I could barely see her now, the rain was so thick. Spot was regaining conscious quickly. I knew that he would want to back to the hall, but I couldn't let him.
"Smalls! Wheah are ya? Smalls!" I yelled into the rain. My voice was inaudible to myself, I wondered if she heard me.
"Jus' keep walkin', it's righ' up heah!" I heard her faintly call back.
I continued to walk, it was becoming increasingly hard though, the rain was fogging my vision, and Spot was not an easy thing to drag in the wet streets.
"Damn it Conlon!" I swore. He stirred at the sound of my voice.
"Hey, wheah is I?" He asked. So he could talk now. That was just great.
"Move your feet!" I shouted at him. It was easier now, he was walking. He asked no more questions, instead he was trying hard to walk in a straight line.
Smalls had waited for us to catch up. She grabbed Spot's other arm and helped me guide him through the door of the lodging house. We passed an elderly man, and walked up the rotting wooden steps.
"Which bed?" I panted. There was so many.
"Ya really wanna put 'im in a bed? Dis is Spot we're talkin bout. Ya never seen 'im drunk 'ave ya? Let's try da sick room. Don't worry it ain't contaminated." She smiled at me.
"Sure." I replied, looking around. It looked slightly different from the Brooklyn lodging house that I had seen briefly. This was much cleaner, that was for sure. It also was a little smaller than the one in Brooklyn.
Smalls led us both to a small room on the east side of the building. It had a foul odor to it. There were two beds, on which we put Spot. He had fallen out of conscious again.
"You'll stay wit 'im righ'?" She asked, looking concerned.
"I 'pose I will." I answered uncertainly. Hadn't she just told me that we should put him in here because he was a drunken Spot Conlon? It made no sense, but I decided that if he slept all night, then it would be alright.
"Take care den. I'll try ta bring ya some blankets or sometink." She said, noticing our damp clothes.
"Tanks." I called after her.
I walked over the far corner, furthest from Spot. He continued to lay there, harmless. I sat there remembering the fun times that I had at the party. The Manhattan boys seemed to be a nice bunch of boys. I must've fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes to see sunlight streaking through the window. Racetrack was sitting on the bed.
"Wheah's Spot?" I asked groggily.
"So you're finally up? He's downstairs wit da rest o' dem." He looked just as tired as I was.
"'ow long as he been up?" I continued to ask.
"An hour or two. Look, I'm starvin', let's see wha' dey cam up wit fer breakfast."
When we arrived downstairs, I stared greedily at all the food they had. Medda had give them all the left overs.
"Dere's Miss Mornin' Face 'erself." Jack Kelly greeted me.
"Glad ta see you're feisty today." I replied. I think they all noticed that I was still sore about last night.
"C'mon ova heah an' get sometink ta eat." Blink invited.
"Wish I could stay all day, but I'm afraid I can't." I said coldly.
"Give us, some o' dat an' we'll be headin' 'ome." Spot backed me up. He emerged from the crowd of boys holding four pieces of bread. He looked fine to me. You'd have never guessed that he had been drunk last night.
"Either he don't 'ave a hangover, or he jus' knows 'ow ta cover it up." Race whispered in my ear. Spot flashed him a dirty look. He backed away from me instantly.
"Take care Conlon, Mornin' Face." Jack called after us as we walked out the door.
~A/N~ thanks to any reviewers that I may have.....it really does mean a lot to me and I can't thank you enough! The next chapter will be up soon! Cookies for everyone!
Chapter Five: Forever And Always
Disclaimer: I don't own Spot or any of the Manhattan newises....I do own the plot, Brandie, Troy, Smalls, Sniff, Snicker, Harold, etc. and any of the Harlem newsies. And like I said I DON'T own ANY of the Manhattan newsies or Spot!
I made sure that he had left before I darted to my closet. It was a small space, with barely any room for my small wardrobe that consisted of 4 outfits. I decided that I would wear a white dress with a pink ribbon around my It didn't look very appealing to me, but it would have to do.
***
The next three days came and went. I braided my hair, and slipped into the outfit I had chosen a few days ago. I looked at myself in my cracked, full- length mirrors. I didn't look half bad. I was still admiring myself when I heard Mrs. Tabernak call me. I hadn't told her about the party, but I had asked for the day off. I think the two of them were happy about my request. They wouldn't have to pay me now, and I'm sure that brightened their day.
I hurried down the stairs. Spot was wearing his usual red suspenders, brown pants and a plaid shirt. His cane was tucked safely in his belt loop, and he had a slingshot on the other side. Mrs. Tabernak looked bewildered. I laughed as Spot escorted me out into the street. Most of the Brooklyn newsies were assembled outside waiting for us. The majority of them had girls with them, but there was a select few that were alone. I scanned the group, and smiled when I saw Sniff with Smalls wrapped in his arms. His green eyes gleamed with pride and happiness.
Spot walked up to the front of the group, and silently began to lead them. I heard the newsies behind us talking quietly. Finally, Spot broke the silence that hung between us.
"Ya eva been ta a party?" He asked quietly.
"I wouldn't call it a party. You?" I turned to face him. His face was very solemn.
"Yea. Medda throws dese tings one an' awhile. Course I can't 'member da las' one, it was so long ago." He continued to look ahead. The chatter from the other newsies was getting louder. I looked over at Spot again. He look like he was decided whether or not to say something. I suddenly remembered that I had a cigar and match in my shoe. I didn't know if it would be useful or not. I bent down and pulled the contents out of my sock. Spot gave me a confused look.
"Heah. Thought ya migh' like it." I handed him the cigar. He took it, still staring at me. Once it was in his mouth, he seemed to be more relaxed. In a matter of minutes, we were both sucked into different conversations. He was talking with Snicker, Pouncher, Stumpy, Itch, and their girls. I was talking with Sniff, Smalls, Harold and his girl Relay. I realized that Harold wasn't such a bad kid. For once he acknowledged me as a human, not dirt under his feet.
"I says ta dem, it's your own fault ya listened ta me!" Smalls was telling us how she had sold some papes to two men. She told them that there was an earthquake in Ohio that had killed thousands. In reality, it was only a tremor that scared four girls. The men had hunted her down and demanded their money back. This conversation lasted until we reached Manhattan. Boys were pouring in from every which way. The noise was at an ear-splitting level. I found Spot right before we entered Irving Hall. It was an amazing sight. Boys and their girls filled the seats and tables. A woman with fiery curly read hair was frantically serving drinks and food to everyone.
Spot and I separated from the group of Brooklyn newsies. He led me to a table that was already full of boys.
"Now da party's really startin'! Conlon's heah!" A boy with a patch over his eye declared. All the heads at the table turned to see us.
"What da we 'ave heah? Conlon's gots himself a goil!" Another boy that sported a red bandana and a cowboy hat said.
"Dat's righ' Jacky-boy. Milkshake, dis is Kid Blink, Mush, David, Crutchy, Boots, Racetrack, and Jack." He introduced me to them. I looked at them all. My eyes rested on Racetrack. I wanted to smile, but I didn't want anyone to see me. I wondered if Race had told them about our day together. It didn't appear so.
"Nice ta meetcha." I said. This time I smiled. Not at Race, but at everyone.
"So, wheah's your goils?" Spot asked them as he took a seat next to Jack. The only seat left was between Spot and Racetrack. I took it.
"Blink's goil is 'round heah somewhere. Mush's goil took off. I tink she's wit our very own Skittery. As fer me, 'er family moved somewheah south. She wasn't me type anyways. Da rest of dem didn't find one." Jack explained.
"Hey, hey, hey. I didn't bring one cause I don't want em ta hold me back. Da night is young boys." Racetrack announced, lighting a cigar and pulling a deck of cards out of his back pocket.
"Ya tink goils 'old ya down?" I asked him. He looked startled that I was questioning him.
"Most goils do. Dey don't like me gamblin' or smokin' or sometink like dat." He said, his voice rising. "What's wrong wit gamblin'?" I asked, trying to calm him down.
"Dat's a good question. Maybe ya can axe da odda goils round heah." He wasn't calming down, nor was he acting like the Racetrack I had met at the beginning of the week. Well, two could play at this game.
"Da night is young boys." I said, taking Racetrack's cigar out of his mouth and placing it in my own. I leaned back in my chair and admired the stunned faces around me.
"I spect you'll be playin' den?" He asked me, shuffling the cards in his hand.
"I would prefer ta watch da master." I smiled at him smugly. He looked rather pleased at my last statement. He dealt the cards to everyone at the table except me. I had lied right through my teeth. Well, kinda. I wasn't going to play myself, instead I looked at Spot's cards and helped him along. He didn't need the help, but accepted it anyway.
After a few more rounds of poker, Medda called everyone to attention. The lights dimmed, and the spotlight was now on her. Soft, sweet sounding music began to play as she started to sing.
Bows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow of everyone
So many things I would've done, but clouds got in my way.
She continued to sing. Blink's girl rejoinedhim, swaying to the music. I felt Spot slip his arm around my waist, pulling me close. I rested my head on his shoulder. I didn't know why I was attracted to him, but I was.
Medda ended her song, and began another one. I wasn't really listening, because a 'waiter' had just brought the table some drinks. I took one, but didn't drink it. Instead and I placed it down on the table and tried to listen to Medda as she started the chorus of her song.
"Let's make toasts ta each odda." Crutchy suggested.
"Like what?" Mush asked, hushing his voice as Medda reached a quiet part in her song.
"Well I dunno, I thought it was a good idea." He smiled.
"Alrigh' a toast ta me and me gamblin' life." Race whispered, raising his glass The rest of us slowly raised ours. I decided to turn his selfish toast on him.
"May it be lousy and put ya in debt." I raised my glass even higher, and clashed it with his. The rest of the table followed my lead, and began clanging their glasses with Race's, then with each other. At first Racetrack stared at us in disbelief, but soon joined in with us.
By the time Medda finished her song, the boys had gone through 3 glasses a piece. I think all 3 of the girls, including myself, at the table notice the change in their behavior.
Racetrack seemed to be ok, but the rest were acting a little strange.
"They aren't drunk, are they?" Kid Blink's girl, Ashley asked me.
"Uh, I wouldn't know." I said sarcastically. I had seen many drunk people in my time. I was definitely heading to that conclusion.
"Well are they?" She asked me seriously.
"I would say that they qualify." I chewed nervously on my cigar. Spot couldn't be drunk, I didn't know how to get back to Brooklyn exactly. I silently slid Spot's drink away from him. Jack's too. Ashley did the same for Blink and Mush. Boots had only had a little, and took Crutchy's drink from him. No one took Race's from him, but he didn't seem so bad. Luckily, they hadn't had enough to make them drunk for the entire night. By the time Medda allowed everyone to dance, they were sober enough to.
Spot's icy hand took mine and lead me onto the dance floor. Medda's voice once more echoed in the hall. Hundreds of newsies got out of their chairs and started to dance slowly.
Every now and then
We find a special friend
That never lets us down
Who understands it all
Reaches out each time you fall
You're the best friend that I've found
I know you can't stay
But part of you will never ever go away
You're heart will stay
I'll make a wish for you
And hope it will come true
That life would just be kind
To such a gentle mind
And if you lose your way
Think back on yesterday
Remember me this way
I could hear some of the other newsies sing along with her. I wish that I would've known the words, but I didn't. I had never heard the song before.
"'Ave ya heard dis song before?" I whispered.
"Somewheah I'm sure." He replied. "Will ya remember me dis way?"His words were soft and caring, full of love.
"Foreva an' always." I answered, leaning my head on his chest. I could feel his chest rise and fall whenever he took a breath. The next few moments flew by much too quickly. Medda ended her song, and we all had to sit back down for more card games, and more drinks. I was uncomfortable with this.
This was the rest of the party as far as I was concerned. The poker games were fun to watch and occasionally play, but I was more worried about the drinking that Medda allowed. I had to admit, I had a few sips of the stuff myself, and savored every last drop of it. But I had been drunk before, and I hated it. I felt like I was trapped in my mind and my senses. I did things I did not wish to do. At one point it felt wonderful, but that had lasted only a few hours. I did not want that again.
"Must ya drink so much?" I asked Spot.
"I haven't been drinkin' dat much." He said. His speech was slurred. Kid Blink's girl had left him. Probably because she didn't approve of him drinking. I love the taste of the drinks, but I controlled myself. I knew that they were boys and that they don't always have much self-control, but I still worried. I had only ever been around one drunk boy in my life. It was not pleasant. That boy was now in jail, not a good memory to think about when Spot was getting drunker by the second.
"Damn it Racetrack. Make him stop." I leaned over and stared at Race's cards. "Nuttin's wrong wit drinkin'. Ya said so yourself doll face." He smiled, pulling his cards out of my view.
"I know what I said, but I've been 'round drunk guys before. Believe it ain't fun. Help." I pleaded with him. For once, he looked at me with compassion. It was almost as he felt some sort of pity for me.
"Look Milky, I don't know whatcha gonna do wit 'im. All I can suggest is dat ya take 'im and yourself ta da lodging 'ouse fer da nigh' an' sleep dere till he's sober again." He looked away from me and focused his attention on his cards. I nervously looked around. Some boys were leaving with there girls. They were probably heading home, or going to scout the city. This was the perfect time to leave, unfortunately, I somehow had to convince Spot that it was time to go home. In a good sense, and in a bad sense, my job was taken care of for me. Spot had fainted from too much alcohol. The rest of the boys saw no significance to this. They continued to laugh and to play poker. Race was the only one who seemed sober enough to realize that I was leaving with Spot.
"Uh, great party, tanks fer invitin' us. We enjoyed it." I pulled Spot out of his chair and dragged him to the door. Racetrack waved to me, laughing merrily. I flashed him a fake smile. Why couldn't he be more help?
When I got outside, Spot was coming to. I almost wished he hadn't. It was going to be harder to take him to the lodging house now. The bigger problem was that I had no idea where this lodging house was.
"Something wrong?" I heard a voice ask me. Smalls was sitting on a bench just outside Irving Hall and had seen me dragging Spot.
"Not really." I fibbed.
"Is he ok? Can I do anything to 'elp?" She tried again.
"Yeah. Wheah's da lodging 'ouse? Would ya know?" I hoped to God that she did. It was sprinkling now. I cursed under my breath.
"Yeah, I've been dere once. It's done dat road, den take a left." She stopped and stared at Spot as he moaned in my arms. "Why don't I jus' take ya dere?" She offered, beginning to walk in the direction she claimed the lodging house was. It was raining harder now. I could barely see her now, the rain was so thick. Spot was regaining conscious quickly. I knew that he would want to back to the hall, but I couldn't let him.
"Smalls! Wheah are ya? Smalls!" I yelled into the rain. My voice was inaudible to myself, I wondered if she heard me.
"Jus' keep walkin', it's righ' up heah!" I heard her faintly call back.
I continued to walk, it was becoming increasingly hard though, the rain was fogging my vision, and Spot was not an easy thing to drag in the wet streets.
"Damn it Conlon!" I swore. He stirred at the sound of my voice.
"Hey, wheah is I?" He asked. So he could talk now. That was just great.
"Move your feet!" I shouted at him. It was easier now, he was walking. He asked no more questions, instead he was trying hard to walk in a straight line.
Smalls had waited for us to catch up. She grabbed Spot's other arm and helped me guide him through the door of the lodging house. We passed an elderly man, and walked up the rotting wooden steps.
"Which bed?" I panted. There was so many.
"Ya really wanna put 'im in a bed? Dis is Spot we're talkin bout. Ya never seen 'im drunk 'ave ya? Let's try da sick room. Don't worry it ain't contaminated." She smiled at me.
"Sure." I replied, looking around. It looked slightly different from the Brooklyn lodging house that I had seen briefly. This was much cleaner, that was for sure. It also was a little smaller than the one in Brooklyn.
Smalls led us both to a small room on the east side of the building. It had a foul odor to it. There were two beds, on which we put Spot. He had fallen out of conscious again.
"You'll stay wit 'im righ'?" She asked, looking concerned.
"I 'pose I will." I answered uncertainly. Hadn't she just told me that we should put him in here because he was a drunken Spot Conlon? It made no sense, but I decided that if he slept all night, then it would be alright.
"Take care den. I'll try ta bring ya some blankets or sometink." She said, noticing our damp clothes.
"Tanks." I called after her.
I walked over the far corner, furthest from Spot. He continued to lay there, harmless. I sat there remembering the fun times that I had at the party. The Manhattan boys seemed to be a nice bunch of boys. I must've fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes to see sunlight streaking through the window. Racetrack was sitting on the bed.
"Wheah's Spot?" I asked groggily.
"So you're finally up? He's downstairs wit da rest o' dem." He looked just as tired as I was.
"'ow long as he been up?" I continued to ask.
"An hour or two. Look, I'm starvin', let's see wha' dey cam up wit fer breakfast."
When we arrived downstairs, I stared greedily at all the food they had. Medda had give them all the left overs.
"Dere's Miss Mornin' Face 'erself." Jack Kelly greeted me.
"Glad ta see you're feisty today." I replied. I think they all noticed that I was still sore about last night.
"C'mon ova heah an' get sometink ta eat." Blink invited.
"Wish I could stay all day, but I'm afraid I can't." I said coldly.
"Give us, some o' dat an' we'll be headin' 'ome." Spot backed me up. He emerged from the crowd of boys holding four pieces of bread. He looked fine to me. You'd have never guessed that he had been drunk last night.
"Either he don't 'ave a hangover, or he jus' knows 'ow ta cover it up." Race whispered in my ear. Spot flashed him a dirty look. He backed away from me instantly.
"Take care Conlon, Mornin' Face." Jack called after us as we walked out the door.
~A/N~ thanks to any reviewers that I may have.....it really does mean a lot to me and I can't thank you enough! The next chapter will be up soon! Cookies for everyone!