Rat Face crouched next to a dumpster and watched as Spot helped Anne into his room. Typical, he thought. Spot always got the prettiest girls to go with him, even though they all meant nothing to him. Why did they all think that he was so great? Then the answer struck him. He was the leader of Brooklyn of course. He hated Spot. He hated the way he always smirked even when nothing was funny. He hated the way he carried his cane around as if he were a king and it were his scepter. But most of all he hated how people respected Spot.
He watched Spot's face as he helped the girl hop the ledge into his room. It reflected something other than the normal hollowness and toughness that he used around everyone else. He looked almost happy, with a light in his eyes and a real smile upon his lips.
And slowly, very slowly Rat Face began to develop a plan that would break Spot and put him in his place as leader of Brooklyn. All he needed was the girl.
SpotSpot couldn't sleep. And no it wasn't because he was propped up on a wooden chair. Being a gentleman he let Anne take his bed. He couldn't sleep because he was just quiet enough he could almost make out the soft warm sound of Anne breathing. For once in his life the emptiness that consumed every night was filled. He was elated.
AnneUnlike Spot Anne slept fitfully for the first time since she left Ireland. For the first time she felt safe and that things could work out.
The next morning Anne awoke at dawn to find Spot asleep in his chair. She realized that sleeping in that thing must have been very uncomfortable. She decided that she would fix him breakfast as a thank you but she could see that he didn't have a food supply. He lived out of restaurants. Seeing that there was basically nothing she could do until he woke up she made the bed. Then noticing a small pile of clothes wadded under it she went to find the laundry room.
On her way to finding the laundry room she was met by an unfriendly face.
"What? Now he has his woman doing his laundry too?" Rat Face sneered as he grabbed the basket from Anne.
"I have no idea what you are talking about but could I please have my basket back" Anne said trying to hide the fear in her voice.
"Oh, I think you know exactly what I am talking about. I just thought that I should let you know that Spot brings a different girl home everyday of the week but none of them ever mean anything. You'll be back on the street looking for another customer tonight. So why don't you come with me. I'll treat you like a queen."
"What are you talking about? Are you assuming that just because I may have spent the night in Spot's room that I am a tramp? I can assure you that nothing of that nature happened last night or any night. And I don't appreciate having people I don't even know make assumptions about me when they absolutely nothing about me!"
"Wait, so you are saying that you and Spot are actually friends?" Rat Face smiled this was getting even better.
"I suppose, yes. Why do you care anyway?" Anne took a step back she wasn't sure where this was going.
"Oh no reason. I'm just interested in the welfare of our fine leader of Brooklyn." At this he walked away, a cruel smirk on his face.
Anne just stood there for a moment confused. That was the same Newsie that she had met at the diner, but who was he? And who was the leader of Brooklyn?