"What's goin' on?" Spot asked as he neared the lodging house entrance.
Bolt and Thompson quit pacing and turned around the face Spot. A couple of boys sat on the steps in the shadows cast by the building of the late evening and their faces were only just recognizable.
"Got news about Tyce," Thompson informed in a tone that did not suggest any alarm or tension.
"And?" Spot asked anxiously.
"He's back in Queens, I can tell ya that," he reassured. He walked to the brown brick wall and leaned his back against it, crossing his arms over his chest in the process.
Spot furrowed his eyebrows at the apathy everyone was showing. He could not gather from Thompson's voice if this news was good or bad. Bolt and the others, Glover and Ace, sat lazily on the steps with emotionless expressions.
"Is that it?" inquired Spot, expecting a little more information than that.
"Well," Bolt started as he picked himself up from the steps. "Glover here got some info from some 'a the spies in Harlem."
Again Spot couldn't decide how to react from Bolt's indifferent attitude. He stepped closer toward the group. "And?"
The other four boys shifted their gazes to one another in hesitation. Spot was about to speak up until Bolt interrupted by jerking his head to the side, indicating that he wanted to talk with him in private. They stepped a few feet from the group and faced each other, Bolt adjusting his hat and Spot looking at him rather sternly.
"What the hell is goin' on?" Spot asked irately yet still in a level voice.
"All right, ya gotta promise ya won't hit me," Bolt started. "Couple 'a boys been tellin' me you'se seein' someone."
"So?"
"So they'se also been tellin' me that ya been talkin' to her about all 'a this. About the war, Tyce, and what ya're plannin' to do about him."
Spot scoffed and took a few steps around, pulling out a cigarette and some matches. He looked over at the other newsies, who immediately turned their heads once Spot looked at them. "Got boys spyin' on me, Bolt? What the hell?"
Bolt sighed. "No spies, Spot. A few guys've been sayin' they keep seein' you with her and ya're always in some kinda deep conversation. I know you ain't talkin' about religion or politics, and you two ain't in some kinda deep relationship or nothin'. Ya can't talk about this shit with anyone. It's too risky."
Spot drew in deeply on his cigarette and blew the wispy cloud of smoke slowly out of his mouth. Once more he looked at who was sitting at the doorstep. "Did Ace tell ya about her?"
"Matter 'a fact he did," Bolt answered harshly.
"Well, ya don't gotta worry about me divulgin' any 'war secrets' to her." Spot pressed the end of his cigarette between his fingers out of frustration and he was getting angrier by the second. "We just talk once in a while."
"I got ya word on it?" Bolt eyed him intently with locked eyes, hardly believing him.
"Yeah, whateva, ya don't gotta worry about it!" Spot was becoming increasingly aggravated by the lack of trust going around. He decided not to let Bolt burn him anymore about Gabby and made his way back over to the other boys.
"What'd they tell ya, Glover?" he asked while standing in front of him and smoking frequently.
Glover darted his eyes to Bolt as if seeing if it was all right to discuss what he knew from the spies. Clearly this topic of Spot's duty to keep Brooklyn's business between the newsies was not a new discussion.
"Hey!" Spot snapped. "Ya talkin' to me, not Bolt! What did the spies say?"
"Two of 'em were in Harlem," Glover replied quickly, "when they were talkin' to their leader, Jumper, pretendin' to be new guys. Jumper was tellin' 'em all about Harlem when Tyce walked into the room. Jumper told 'em to leave so they can talk, so our boys hid outside and listened to their conversation. They said Tyce and Jumper were talkin' about all kinds 'a confidential shit. They mentioned Manhattan and Coney Island and Brooklyn. Tyce mentioned ya name a bit, then the spies were caught before they could hear what Tyce wanted to do. Made it home a'right though."
Spot stood motionless with his mouth slightly agape and cigarette still burning between his fingers. "Let me sit on that fer a minute."
Bolt leaned against a wooden pole. The boys looked to one another as Spot threw down his cigarette and sat on a wooden step, his hands running over his head in thought. Thompson stepped from the wall and kicked a pebble around in waiting to see what Spot had to say. Glover twiddled his thumbs around while Ace started to whistle annoyingly.
Spot looked around with concerned eyes. He drummed his fingertips against his knee as the information began to digest. Ace's whistling picked up. Spot certainly did not expect that much new to be brought back so suddenly. Ace sat behind him as his irritatingly merry tune buzzed within his ears.
"I thought we was good with Harlem," Thompson thought out loud. "What's up with that?"
"Yeah, unless there's somethin' you ain't tellin' us, Conlon," Bolt suggested daringly.
Spot got to his feet and turned around to Bolt while Ace's noise-making did not subside. "Shut ya mouth, Bolt! I ain't holdin' anythin' from ya. Why would I?" He turned behind him. "Ace, stop!"
Ace looked at him with his lips still formed into an O-shape and he resorted to small, clicking sounds in his mouth. Spot tried to gather up an insult but was blocked by the irritation Ace was giving at the moment.
"Why is he here?" Spot asked angrily while motioning to Ace.
"The point, Spot," Bolt started, letting go of the issue about Ace, "is that you'se been spendin' an awful lot 'a time with that girl and it makes us think you ain't just talkin' about…whateva normal people talk about."
Spot rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Let that go! I haven't been tellin' her anythin' I thought would be too much. I like seein' Gabby. Get over it."
Ace's clicking noised slowed as the boys stared at Spot, then quickened again as Thompson stood closer to the house. Spot glanced icily at Ace and back to Bolt again.
"A'right, Spot," Thompson said in apology. "We was wrong."
Damn straight ya were," answered Spot as he shook Thompson's hand. He held his out to Bolt in hopes of a response. "A'right?"
Bolt looked at him hesitantly. Reluctantly he outstretched his hand and they shook on it. "I'm just warnin' ya, Conlon: watch what ya say now to otha people. Not just girls."
"Fine." Spot gave up as he turned back to Ace and socked him in the face for being such a nuisance.
The other boys blurted out in laughter as Ace fell from the step to the ground on his back.
"Hey!" Ace said, getting up and rubbing his cheek. "What was that for…"
Spot took back his seat on the steps next to Glover. "Ace, just go to bed."
"Nice one, Conlon," Glover complimented, giving him another cigarette. "Sorry for doubtin' ya."