Chapter 35:

***one week later***

"Okay Sweet Tart is coming over. All of you be on your best behavior," Spot warned.

"Well shouldn't she get to know us for who we really are?" One of the newsies asked and Spot hit him on the back of the head.

"Your gonna respect the girl, not like you respect these girls here." Someone knocked on the door and Spot walked out of the bunkroom

"We have girls here?" Fire threw a pillow at the newsies and continued in her game of poker. "I didn't know a girl could throw like that."

"Oh shut up Fish!" Dolly yelled from where she was sitting with Race. Fish turned to Dolly and gave an innocent smile.

"Now Dolly you just go back to sucking face with Race and be quiet." Dolly stood up from Races lap and Fire gave a little laugh. "uh-oh. Remember what Spot said."

"Fuck Spot." Dolly tackled Fish. The two started wrestling. After a while most of the room was wrestling. Someone cleared their throat from the doorway and everyone stopped.

"Sweet Tart these are my newsies and Manhattan Newsies." Spot glared at all of them and most of the Brooklyn Newsies looked away.

"Hello." Sweet Tart had light brown hair with bangs. Her hair was about medium length and she had violet blue eyes. She looked about 5'8.

"You play poker?" Fire asked from the poker circle in the middle of the floor.

"Not to good." Sweet Tart gave a little laugh.

"That's alright. None of these boys play that good either." All the guys sitting around Fire threw some of their chips at her. Mush who was right next to Fire elbowed her lightly in the side.

"I think Sweet Tart and I will sit this one out." Spot started to walked away.

"I believe I invited Sweet Tart to play not you. I also believe the girl can speak for herself." Spot turned around and glared at Fire. "Spot I got the name Ice for a reason. You mess with the Fire part to?"

"Fire Ice I need to talk to you." Fire didn't budge. "Now!"

"I'm playing poker. Maybe if you ask nicely. Add a please." Before Fire knew it she was being pulled up by the collar of her shirt. "Get the fuck off me Spot! Get you fucking hands off me! Your such a Fucking Bastard!" Everyone herd Fire yelling and cursing and the slamming of Spot door.

"So Sweet Tart wanna play?" Books asked.

***In Spot's Room***

"What the hell was that out there? I'm you leader! You show respect! That's what you wanted wasn't it?! If you don't start showing respect I'll have to kick you out!" Fire winced when Spot put his hand up to hit her. Spot looked at his hand and lowered it. "Your driving me crazy Fire! Your gonna be the reason my leadership is gonna end! Respect! You don't take this seriously! I'm your leader!"

"Your kinda scrawny for a leader." Fire smiled and Spot made his hands into fist. "I mean leaders should be big and tough. Not you." Spot stepped away from Fire and sat on the window.

"I don't get you. Why cant you be normal. Why do you always have to be a pain in my ass. You were always one. When you were little and now. Your older grow up. You ruined my life Fire. I never got to be a kid because I was always looking after you. Why couldn't you just have left me alone. I would have left that house hold a lot earlier then I did. I had to stay in that crappy household for you!"

"You think I wanted to stay there?! Crappy for you?! What was the worst they ever did to you?! Oh wait they spoiled you with gifts all the time! You could have left whenever! It would have been better! If I ruined you life so much, why did you stay around?! You're a bastard!" Spot walked over to Fire and slapped her across the face. "Your just like him!" Spot slapped Fire again.

"You don't know anything Fire! If I had left you would have died! I saved you fucking life! This is how you repay me! Father was right! All your gonna grow up to be is a dirty little whore! I can't believe I thought otherwise at one time! Your nothing!"

"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! You should have left! Then I wouldn't have had to put up with all this crap! I fucking hate you!" Fire stood up and punched Spot in the right eye. Spot turned towards Fire and punched her in the stomach. Fire bent over in pain.

"Don't even try!"

"Who are you?" Fire whispered.

"What do you mean?" Spot asked.

"Your him." Spot looked at Fire who was bent over in pain. Pain he had caused her. She had hand marks on both sides of her face. "Your not Spot Conlon Leader Of Brooklyn Newsies. Your Patrick Conlon son of Jeffery Conlon. You are him." Spot looked in the mirror then back at his little sister. "Or maybe its just me."

"Yeah it has to you. I'm not him. I don't have his temper. I am not him!" Spot stormed out of the room and into the bunkroom.

"What you do? You look like you've done something more then awful. Like you've done the worse thing ever." Books walked towards the door. "What you do?" Spot put his hand around Sweet Tarts waist.

"I gave her what she deserved." Fire came into the room. A tiny bit of blood was running from the corner of her mouth. Dolly walked over to Spot.

"Go to hell." Dolly slapped Spot across the face and Race ran over and stood between her and him.

"Your own sister. You protected her from this." Race looked at Spot in disgust and walked away with Dolly.

"Come on Sweet Tart. Lets go up to the roof. I gotta think." Sweet Tart nodded and followed Spot to the window. Spot turned around and looked back at Fire. Fire looked at hi. He could tell hurt was in her eyes. Then he saw a tear fall. He had made the tough little Fire cry. Not from physical pain but from pain much deeper down. One that would take longer to heel.