A/N: Hey guys, thank you all for those great reviews, it was as hard for me to write that chapter as it was for you. I don't know where I want to take the next couple of chapters bear with me, please? BlackWiltedRose, thank you for loving the fic! I'm glad that you like the twist. And Morgan, it isn't lame that you look for new chapters every day, I write them every day. Which one takes more time? ;o) Boys do suck, you got that right! And iaintgottaname, you rock too!! Thank you for reading and reviewing. And The Angry Princess, be patient! I don't even know what will happen!! Clover, your back!!! Don't go crazy please!! Well everybody, here we go!
Chapter Eight
Tara threw herself into work. She didn't want to think about that lying bastard anymore than she had to. But the times that she did were gut- wrenching. She thought of him at night, about how he would not be sleeping next to her, but some other girl. She thought of him in the mornings, how he would try not to wake her up getting ready at such an early time. She would just lay there and watch him. And she thought of him in between those times, wondering if he was kissing some other girl, holding her hand, making her feel as if the world was perfect.
"Hey, Tara!" You wanna stop daydreaming?" Tony, her boss instructed her with a grin.
"Oh, sorry. My thoughts were drifting." She replied guiltily. Damn that Spot! She couldn't even work without him being in her head.
"Well, I'm gonna need you to stay late and finish up with the dishes. Ryan just left, his wife went into labor." Tara smiled. Ryan had been waiting for this day since he found out that his wife was pregnant.
"That's fine." She replied. Maybe that work would get her mind off of Spot. Probably not, but there's always hope. After all everybody was gone and all of her tables were cleaned and set, she picked up the bus bucket and made her way into the back with it. There really weren't that many dishes to do. But unfortunately, the bastard came back into her head.
It took her twice as long to clean those damn dishes as she thought. Tara looked at the clock on the wall before she left. Two o'clock. Shit. It was a good thing that she didn't have to work tomorrow morning. She glanced at the pile of tips that the waitresses and waiters left her. It was a pathetic pile. Looks like she was going to have to sell her last piece of jewelry. She dreaded doing that, because after that, the only thing that she would have left that was of some value was her mother's pieces. Her heart broke at the thought of not having them.
Tara gathered up all of her courage and walked towards him. "Spot, I thought I told you that I never wanted to see you again. What are you doing here?" She asked calmly.
"Tara, just hear me out, please?" He begged. When Tara merely raised her left eyebrow, he continued on. "I broke up with Jessica."
"You want a prize?" She asked coldly.
"But, I mean, I thought you would be happy fer me, fer us..."
"Spot, I don't feel anything for you." She said. She thanked God for the darkness of the night so he couldn't see her tears.
"No! Dat's a lie!! You can't mean dat!!!" He pleaded.
"It's true. Look, I had fun, okay? We had some great times, but that was then. Thank you for taking care of me, it was sweet. But that's all. I'll see you around." And with that, she tried to pass him up to steps. He grabbed her arm.
"You don't mean dat. Look at you, yer cryin'!"
"I don't cry. I didn't cry for my parents, and I'll be damned if I'm going to cry for you." And she walked up the stairs and into her apartment, leaving Spot there with tears streaming down his face.(One Week Later)
She was out of money. No. She couldn't be! The money from her last piece of jewelry and her last memory had only gotten her through the week. She looked lovingly at her mother's jewelry. She had to. Shit. Now that her memories were gone, she had to sell her mother's. God, why are you so cruel? Why was he out to get her? Wasn't he happy yet? Why didn't he just kill her? But he had, she realized. When she saw Spot with that other girl, her heart had died. A tear escaped her eye and she wiped it away quickly. No, Damn it! She couldn't cry! She wouldn't!
Tara looked at her mother's jewelry and picked the one with the most worth. It would get her through the days longer than the others would. It was the blue one that she had worn the night her new world had come crashing down upon her old one. As there were happy memories with this necklace, there were bad ones. As Tara told herself to suck it up, she grabbed her purse, and made her way outside to the jewelers.
Spot sat in on the poker game. He just needed a little bit more money until he could buy the lodging house. That was his dream. He knew that he couldn't be a newsie much longer, but if he bought the house, he would make a good profit and still be with his friends. No body knew this about him, and he was going to keep it that way.
Spot inwardly grinned. He knew that he had this hand in the bag, and from the looks of it, this pot would bring him more than enough money to buy the house. He didn't want to tell his newsies until after the hand was played. He knew his boys, and if they knew what he had intended they would purposely botch their game so that he could win, and he wouldn't be able to take the money. He didn't take charity from nobody. His thoughts drifted to Tara, and he hoped that she would take him back when he had enough money to support her.
He laid down his hand. "Full house boys, looks like dis is me lucky night!" His boys groaned. Spot always won. Spot decided that he was going to tell them his news. "Look boys, I just wanted ta tell ya dat I'm not gonna be a newsie no more." The guys looked up in shock. Not be a newsie? But that was who he was! It was his life. "Dis money dat I just won gave me enough money ta buy da lodging house. I'm gonna run it. Is dat okay wit you guys?"
The boys were shocked. Finally, one of them spoke up. "Well, you'se been bossin' us around since day one, so I guess it won't be dat different." The other boys laughed at that.
Spot grinned. He was hoping that they would be okay with the news. He jumped down from the chair and started to the door. "Well boys, I'se got some business ta conduct. You wouldn't understand." And with that, he closed the door and promptly heard various items being thrown in his direction. He smirked at that, and made his way downstairs to talk to Mr. Novak, the building's current owner.
Mr. Novak had been expecting this. He knew that the moment the boy had come, he would buy the lodging house, like he himself had wanted to do so many years ago. Spot had always been so full of questions about how to run it, and by now, Mr. Novak was ready to retire. He gave Spot a figure, knowing full well that it was a good ΒΌ below it's worth. Spot was in shock. Not only could be buy with lodging house, he could get a good apartment and still have money left over. He agreed with the price, his eyes glazed over in confusion. He held out his hand, and Mr. Novak shook his head. Spot looked at him questioningly.
"That's no way to seal a deal Spot. I was a newsie once too, now, let's shake properly." And with that, he spat in his hand. Spot smiled and did the same and the grasped each other's hands. It was better than he expected. He knew that Tara would want him now. He would have her back.