Hey guys!  Here's the second part.  It's a lot shorter then the first…

Thanks for the reviews!

Raven's Wing – Hey!  Thanks the review.  Hehe, I'm glad you liked the questions, I have fun with them.  I'm not really in the Newsie scene anymore but of course we'll be friends!  XD!  I tried to make Uhm unlike a Mary Sue but hm, guess it didn't work.  Oh well.  See ya!

Kate – I'm so glad you like the story!  XD!  Thanks!

Kaylee – I have a scene where a few of the newsies go to a show.  I'll add Kaylee in with Race!  Hope you like it!  It won't be in the story for a while, though.

Kimimay – Hehe!! I'm glad you like my story so much!!  I hurried up and posted the second part for ya.  I hope you like it and it's not a disappointment!

Broken Angel – Yep, I usually find mainly tough newsie girls when I read fanfics.  So I'm glad you like Uhm!  I like her too! :o) Here's my update, hope you enjoy!!! 

Thanks guys!

The Story of... Uhm

Part 2

New York City

Brooklyn

Later That Same Day

1900

       "Heya, Uhm!" Spot shouted over the noise of the crowded dinning room.  You'd think that after all the yelling the newsies do everyday, they'd at least be quiet during dinner.  Give their voices a well-needed break.  But nope, they still talked as though they were on the streets.

       It was a miracle Selece had even heard the voice of the Brooklyn newsie.  He seemed to be motioning her over to his table.  As though he wanted her to sit with him.  But that couldn't be right.  No self-respecting "fearless" leader would want a baby like her to sit with him.  He must have been just waving.  She forced a sad smile and waved back before sitting at the empty table she had sat in the day before.

       "Ugh," she glanced at the soup.  It must have been the same soup they had been served the night before.  She sighed but at least they got a slice of bread tonight.  With a happy smile, she took a big bite of the bread.  Then had to stop herself from screaming out loud.  The bread was rock hard!  Tears began to build up in her eyes as her teeth cried out in agony.

       "You hafta let da bread soak in da soup before you bite it," came a soft, mocking voice from behind Selece.

       The girl turned around, nodding her head with a sad expression on her face before she realized it was Spot.  She hadn't even noticed him come up behind her.  Selece pulled the hard bread from her mouth, taking note of the little teeth marks she had left behind.

       "Yes, I just found that out," she mumbled, giggling a tad bit.

       Spot smiled at her giggles.  He couldn't wait to use Sarah's advice.  Maybe when he did, he'd be able to figure out what these feelings he had for Selece were.  They couldn't be real, could they?  The fearless Brooklyn leader could have any girl he wanted.  He didn't need some little strange girl... did he?

       "Hey, Uhm, I wanted you to come ova to my table.  You comin'?" he asked, making sure not to let any softness slip into his voice.  He had to remain tough at all times.

       "Oh, well," Selece scanned the people sitting at Spot's table.  All must have worked hard to get there.  Maybe she didn't deserve to sit at his table.  And plus, that Sugar girl was there.

       Spot smirked, almost as though he knew what she was thinking.  He lugged a soft punch to her cheek.  "Dun be such a baby, dey won't bite."

       He then proceeded to grab her upper arm and nearly yank her from her chair.  Selece could do nothing else but grab up her bowl in a hurry and walk at his pace.

       Sugar glanced up, spotting Spot coming back.  Her face lit up into a smile until she saw whom he was dragging.  It was that snobby new girl.  He couldn't be bringing her over here.  He just couldn't!  Spot wouldn't do that to her!

       "You can sit next ta me," Spot whispered into Selece's ear.

       Spot's warm breath, so close to her skin made the girl shiver without even knowing it.  She could barely nod.  The pair finally arrived at the table.

       "Spot, what are you doin'?  She dun belong 'ere.  She's nuttin' but a snob!" Sugar growled out, her eyes narrowed.  They seemed to stab right into Selece, making her wince.  She was used to people her age hating her but Sugar was taking this hate thing to a whole new level.

       "She ain't no snob, Suga.  Just shy," Spot replied in Selece's defense.

       "I dun know 'bout dat, Spot.  She sure dun act shy.  She acts like she's above us," spoke Snorks, a seventeen year old.  He rarely spoke.  His words made Sugar grin like a madwoman.  Everyone was on her side!

       "Yeah, mebbe she's just anudder run-away rich goil whose gonna 'cause us all touble when shes found out," whispered Bullseye. 

       "See, Spot?  I'm not da only one," commented Sugar, a smug look on her face.  She could already see the tears coming to Selece's eyes.  Sugar wondered how the girl could just stand there quietly while she was ripped to shreds. 

       "She ain't no rich goil, Bullseye.  Rich goil's bring more money den she got.  And you should know, you steal from every rich goil," Spot retorted, a smirk on his face.  He wasn't going to make his table angry with him all for the sake of Selece.  He'd just talk his way peacefully out of it.

       "Heh, yer right, Spot!" Bullseye chuckled, turning back to eat his soup.  One guy down.  Plus, Blue should be returning soon from wherever he had ran off to giving Spot some back up.

       "Spot, she shouldn't sit here," came a childish voice.  Spot's eyes widened as he glanced over to Ant.  Ant had come to the lodging house just weeks ago, full of proper English and worldly knowledge.  There was no way Spot could get Ant to back down.  Ant could outsmart him any day and she was only about nine years old.

       Spot glanced over to Selece.  His eyes said it all.  Selece just nodded, this was nothing new to her.  She simply turned away and walked back to her table.  The girl sat down quietly and returned to eating her soup.  She tried so hard to ignore that aching loneliness in the pit of her stomach.  Usually she was good at pretending things didn't hurt her but she couldn't pretend.  Not now.  She couldn't understand why it hurt so much and that made it hurt even more.

       "I'm sorry, Spot, but if that new girl sat here it would cause havoc," Ant informed the beaten leader.  Ant shoved her glasses up further up her nose as she sipped quietly on her soup.  "The table would go against you."

       "Yeah, I guess yer right, Ant," Spot said dejectedly.  He stared at Selece's lone figure, hunched over her soup.  Spot swore he could feel her pain, echoing into his very own being.

       "Heh, she's neva gonna last 'ere.  She shoulda picked Manhatten!" laughed Sugar.  She punched Spot in the shoulder, laughing her head off.  All the other newsies at the table, those who had spoken and those who hadn't, also laughed.  Spot was their leader but Sugar came in a close second.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

       'I'm sorry 'bout dinner, Uhm," Spot spoke slowly.  He stood at their bunk, leaning his arms on the bottom of the top bunk.  The dazed look on Selece's face worried him.  It looked like she was in another world.   Her body jerked and a light came back to her eyes as she turned her head to look at him from her position on her bed.

       "Oh, I didn't mind.  No need to apologize, Mr. Spot.. sir," she murmured, returning her gaze to the bottom of the mattress above her.

       Spot scrunched up his face.  He knew it had hurt her.  It had to.  People she had never met before had torn her down and shunned her.  "But, yesterday with the soup, you were hurt by that."

       "I was, uhm, caught by surprise on that.  I was, uhm, ready today," Selece replied. 

       "Oh," Spot sighed then suddenly just plopped down onto Selece's bed, just narrowly missing sitting on her feet.  He put a hand down on the mattress, leaning into it.  "What do you miss?"

       "Eh?" Selece sat up, pulling her knees to her chest and ducking her head a little bit.  She looked at Spot confused by his seemingly random question.

       "What do you miss most about wherever you came from?"

       "Uhm, you mean my home?"

       "Yeah."

       Selece opened her mouth to speak, thinking his question over. But suddenly she snapped it shut and leaned in closer to him.  Their noses were almost touching as she spoke, "What happened to your New York accent?  You sound almost.. Irish."

       "Eh?" Spot's face blew up with surprise.  He opened his mouth, stammering a bit.  Finally, he recovered, "What you talkin' 'bout, Uhm?"

       She squinted her eyes, puffing out her cheeks.  The two kept a staring contest going, waiting for one of them to give up.  With a grumble, Selece backed away.

       "What was your question again?"

       Spot smirked, noticing Selece had stopped saying 'uhm' so much.  She must have gotten comfortable with talking to him.  It made him feel kind of special.  He shook those thoughts away and replied, "What do you miss 'bout your old 'ome?"

       Selece's eyes lit up, as though she had been thinking about the answer for a long time and was bursting to get it out.  She almost seemed to hop up and down on her bum as she spoke, "Well, uhm, what I miss most of all," she began as though she were reading a school paper.  Excitement flooded into her voice.  "Is every so often, when it was just my mummy and I at the house, she'd warm me up some water.  Then pour it in the bath.  I'd sit there," her eyes went clouded as she paused, lost in memories for a second.  She snapped out of it and began again, "I'd sit there for hours, just letting the water grow cold around me.  And my mummy would sit close by and we'd talk. And talk and talk and talk."

       Spot stared at Selece, nodding every so often.  So all she missed was a warm bath?  No probelm.  "Well, you can take a warm bath tomorra.  I'll make sure no one takes a bath tomorra so you have enough time."

       "No!  If you did that, they'd hate me more!" Selece nearly shouted, surprising Spot.  "I'm going to bed," she murmured, the tone of her voice dropping drastically.  She lowered her eyes, waiting for Spot to get off her bed.

       "You always go ta bed dis early?  Da otha's ain't even up 'ere yet," Spot commented, glancing around the empty bunkroom.

       "Yes, I do," Selece answered simply.

       Spot grumbled.  There she went again with being annoying.  She really must be some ignorant person.  He shook his head, then stood up from the bed.  He took a few steps back, watching her slip under her sheets.

What is Spot going to do?!

Will he go back to Manhattan for help?!

Why wasn't Sarah in this part?!

Find out next time on..

THE..

STORY..

OF..

UHM!!!!!!!!!!