Chapter 34:
****One Month Later****
"For a whole month Fire wont speak to me and barely looks at me. I haven't herd her talk in a month. Does she talk to you guys?" Spot said while searching for the poker cards.
"Nope. I think she only talks to Jimmy. But come on she had a near death experience. You can't expect Fire to bounce back like it was nothing." Dolly handed the cards to Spot with a smile.
"But that's the thing. She does bounce back. She use to all the time when she was little. I don't get it." Spot at down and started dealing out the cards.
"Because she had her big brother," Loons added in.
"I'm here now." Spot studied his cards.
"No. Spot Conlon the leader of the Brooklyn newsies is here not Spot Conlon big brother of Fire Ice Conlon," Books said sitting down on a bed.
"Same thing," Spot said turning to face the girls.
"No. Its very different. Your two different people. I mean think about when you Fire were little and then think about now." Spot turned back towards his cards.
"Its not different Books." Fire walked into the room. Her bruises were gone but all her wounds were scaring. She had a limp in her right leg and her ribs were still broken. "You wanna play Fire?" Fire didn't look at Spot but walked across the room and out the window. Spot stood up and threw his cards down. "I've had enough of this." He started for the window but Blink stood in front of him.
"What are you gonna do beat her till she starts talking? Yell at her? You cant make her talk. She'll talk when she's ready to." Spot pushed Blink out of the way and climbed out the window. Spot walked up the stairs to the roof.
"Fire what the hell is going on?" Spot sat next to Fire. "Answer me damn it. When you were little you got beaten all the time and u bounced back. You acted like nothing ever happened. Why is this different?" Fire looked at Spot.
"You really don't know do?" Fore whispered. "You really are that stupid?"
"If this is about me being a better brother. You got to be a better sister before that happens." Fire stood and started away from Spot.
"I can't believe you. You just throw away everything good in your life Spot. You take what you have for grandaunt. I know you have Sweet Tart right now and you care for her. But you lost Books. Books was really the only person who could put up with you. You loved her and you just threw her away. She's not always gonna be there Spot and I think you think she is. She's gonna find someone new. Six fucking years ago. You ran away. Why the hell did you run away? I was the one being beaten and raped, not you. Did run so you wouldn't have to sit in your room and hear me scream. All you had to do was listen you didn't have to deal with the pain. You're the leader of Brooklyn and you got a bunch of people who respect you. I got no one, not even my own brother. I blame you for this. For all this pain Slick caused me. Because you were to worried about you reputation to let me stay in Brooklyn. Just say it Spot. Admit it." Spot looked up from the floor.
"I was. Your right. I was worried you ruin my reputation. So I guess you really do hate me." Spot stood up.
"From now on Spot its leader and newsies. I'm just Fire Ice. I'm not a Conlon and I never was. You were my only connection to that family. You ruined that connection when you left me. You ruined me." Spot look at his little sister. She had grown up and he had to realize that. She had changed for the worse, but was it really his fault? Spot walked away but turned when he reached the ladder.
"You gonna go all quiet again?" Spot asked.
"I speak when I need to speak and look at people when I need to look at them. The only person that matters to me is Jimmy." Spot nodded and headed down the ladder. "I think," Fire whispered.