Author note: I forgot to mention that this is the sequel to "The Bloody Streets of Brooklyn." Not that I needed to tell you, but oh well.

Spot and walked through Manhattan in a slow, yet quick pace. I guess we just decided to enjoy the scenery. As we got closer to the Lodging House, I noticed something a bit different. I couldn't quite tell what it was, though.

Spot seemed to notice the awkward feeling too, because he stopped walking, and since we had our arms around each other, I didn't have much of a choice but to stop too. He stared at the Lodging House for a minute.

"What's wrong?" I asked, pretending not to notice the awkwardness.

"Somethin ain't right," Spot said. I stared at the Lodging House as Spot tightened his grip around my shoulder. And just as we thought it couldn't get anymore awkward, somebody came crashing out the window.

I instantly pulled away from Spot and ran to whoever it was that flew out the window. Spot tried to grab me to stop but he wasn't quick enough so he sped after me.

I immediately dropped down to my knees and looked wide eyed at Race.

"What in the hell?" Spot said from behind me. Race blinked his eyes a couple of times and groaned from landing on his back.

"Dat's gonna hoit in da mornin," he said. Wow, he's alive. Screaming came from inside the Lodging House and Spot quickly ran to the door.

"Damn it!" I muttered as I got to my feet to follow him. Race pushed himself to his feet.

"Youse don't wanna go in there," he said. I turned around and stared at him oddly.

"What's going on?" I asked as the screaming increased.

"It's Harlem. Dey is in there fightin with Jack." Stupid Harlem boys! They just don't know when to quit. I ignored Race's warning and ran through the door.

"Youse is nothin but a backstabin piece of-" Jack clasped his hand over Scout's mouth to shut her up. Lance stood in front of her, and Spot was standing beside Jack. Spot then noticed me.

"Scout, youse and Sage get outta here," he said. Lance turned around to see who else was joining the feud. He then turned back to the others.

"Well, do we's got a deal or what?" he asked. Jack narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Get outta here youse scabber," he said. Lance made a move for Scout, but Spot immediately jumped into the picture and his fist collided with his jaw. The other Harlem boys began to defend their leader and surrounded my friends.

"Dat's enough!" Spot said. Everyone seemed to stop at his cold, venomous voice. "Youse take yer good for nothin newsies back ta Harlem and quit whinin!" Lance sent Spot a glare as the Manhattan newsies stood by his side.

"Youse will change yer mind," Lance said. "I know youse will." He then sent me an icy glance and motioned for his boys to follow him. They all walked for the door and left.

"What was that all about?" I asked, walking over to Spot.

"Jus' a disagreement," he said. Racetrack then entered the Lodging House with scrapes all over his body.

"Was dat rude or what?" he asked. Scout rolled her eyes and turned to Jack.

"I'm gonna kill 'em," she said. "I'm gonna kill 'em all."

"Yeah, we's all wanna kill 'em," Jack told her. Spot pulled the cap back on his head and turned to Jack.

"We hafta talk," he said. Jack glanced around the room and nodded.

"Alright, c'mon." Jack then led Spot up the stairs with Blink and David behind them.

"What are they going to talk about?" I asked Scout.

"About Harlem." She replied.

"Will someone just please tell me what's going on?" I begged. Scout shrugged and looked around the room like she didn't know what was going on. "Scout, I demand an answer!"

"I can't tell ya," she said.

"Why?"

"'Cause Spot told us not ta tell ya."

"Am I the only newsy who doesn't know about this?" I whined.

"Probably," Scout shrugged. I sighed in frustration as Race studied the broken window.

"Kloppman ain't gonna like dis," he said. Scout and I glanced at each other.

"Who threw you out of the window?" I asked.

"Lance did when I told 'em ta get lost," Race said with an angry expression. I laughed, which caused Scout to laugh, which caused Race to get confused. "What?" he asked. "What's so funny?"

"I dunno," said Scout. "But I can't help it but ta laugh when Sage does!" I stopped laughing long enough to hear yelling coming from upstairs. Everyone went quiet as we heard the door open and watched a very upset Spot walk down the steps. He stopped when he noticed our confused expressions.

"What?" he growled.

"Aw, did Jack dump ya?" Scout asked. Spot sent a glare to Scout, and then fixed his gaze on me.

"Youse comin?" he asked.

"But we just got here!" I protested. Spot rolled his eyes and walked for the door.

"I'll bring 'er back when she gets ready ta leave, Spot," Scout said.

"No, it's too dangerous!" Spot exclaimed. "Let's go Sage." I sent him a glare before saying goodbye to my friends.

"Make sure you visit tomorrow, Scout," I told my friend. Scout saluted me and then began to poke Race.

"Owe, stop it!" he said. I laughed as Scout continued to aggravate Racetrack. Spot shook his head as he opened the door and let me walk out first.

"What was that all about?" I asked him. Spot didn't answer me. "Spot, what aren't you telling me?" I grabbed his arm and stopped him from going any further. Spot turned towards me,

"Listen, when da time is right den I'll tell ya," he said. I shook my head,

"This has been going on way too long. I don't know why you are always busy, and I don't know what's going on between us!" Spot flinched and stared at me in confusion.

"What do youse mean?" he asked.

"Ugh! Spot, you know what I'm talking about!"

"Yeah, and youse is a great friend-"

"Is that it?" I asked.

"Is what it?" How come he had to make things so complicated?

"Friends; are we just friends?" Spot glanced down at the ground, and then back up at me.

"I dunno," he finally replied. "Everythin is jus' goin too fast for me right now." I sighed and switched my gaze to the ground.

"You confuse me," I told him. Spot cocked an eyebrow.

"I confuse youse? I believe it is tha other way around, Matthews."

"Let's just face it, we're a bunch of confused people," I told him. Spot laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Yep, we are." He then watched as a couple of people walked by us.

"So, what are you hiding from me?"

"I can't tell ya yet," Spot said. "But I can tell ya dis: I like ya, a lot, but we's gotta wait." I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head.

"You are actually admitting to that?" I asked. Spot shrugged,

"Yeah, why not? Seems like da poifect time." I blushed as Spot and I began to walk towards the Bridge.

"I never thought the leader of Brooklyn would admit to liking someone."

"Well, I guess youse don't know much 'bout me." I smiled to myself.

"I know you, Spot," I told him. "You just need to give me a chance to know more." Spot smiled at me and nodded.

"I guess dat won't hoit." Spot then slipped his arm around my shoulder, and mine went around his waist as we walked in silence.

Dear Journal,

Spot and the others are keeping something from me, and it's about Harlem. I want to know what it is so bad that it's literally killing me!

Spot actually admitted to liking me today, which surprised me completely.

There was a soft knock at my door. Damn it! Why did people always interrupt when I'm writing in my journal?

Gotta go, someone else is here to bother me.

-Sage.

I closed my journal and quickly stashed it under the loose floorboard. I then walked to the door and slightly opened it.

"Yeah?" I asked. Splinter smiled at me from the other side.

"I think youse left somethin downstairs," he said. I gave him an odd look, and then realized what he was talking about when Chance ran into my room. I smiled down at my puppy.

"Thanks," I told him. "For some reason he just won't sleep with Skip." Splinter laughed.

"Maybe it's 'cause some of da boys snore." I raised my eyebrows in amusement.

"Wow, you must have a hard time sleeping."

"Youse get used to it. So, ya sellin tomorrow?" he asked me.

"I don't know," I said. "Spot and the others are keeping something from me, and I'm going to figure it out."

"Oh, 'bout da Harlem boys?"

"You know about it to?" I practically yelled. Splinter flinched,

"Uh, yeah. Spot told us not ta tell youse about it yet." I shook my head in aggravation.

"Why is he making me suffer?" I whined. Splinter shrugged,

"I think it's for yer protection, can't be too sure."

"I can protect myself!" I hissed.

"It's what Spot wants," Splinter said.

"Spot doesn't know what he wants."

"I don't?" came a voice from the staircase. Splinter and I switched our gaze to Spot who stood in front of the stairs.

"No, you don't!" I said. Spot smirked as he walked up beside Splinter.

"What, jus' because I won't tell ya youse say I don't know what I want?"

"Spot Conlon, all you ever do is bottle up your feelings!" Splinter raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"I…think I'll jus' go now," he said. Spot and I paid him no attention.

"I do not 'bottle up my feelings!'" Spot said.

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do!"

"How?"

"Huh?" Spot caught me off guard.

"How do I bottle up my feelings?" I waved my arms in the air in frustration.

"I don't know! You just do!" Spot leaned his head back and his smirk widened.

"What, is savin yer life about a million times not a good enough way of expressin my feelins?" Spot asked in an all too calm voice.

"As far as I'm concerned you have no feelings," I said. I guess you could tell that this wasn't true, because even I knew it wasn't true.

"Youse really are somethin, Matthews," Spot told me.

"Quit changing the subject."

"No really, youse are somethin." What does that mean?

"Good night, Spot," I said. I then turned around and shut the door.

"Night Matthews," I heard on the other side.

Sometimes that boy is too much to handle…no wonder I'm so attracted to him.

Author note: I'm not going to do the "Next Chapter" summary yet, it's too early. As you can see, Sage and Spot are having some difficulties with their relationship; maybe they should see a shrink. Anyways, look out for the next chapter! Suggestions are highly appreciated!