Happy Valentines Day everyone! Here's a new chapter as my love present to you all…
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Chapter 17
Concerning item #5: The Key Around His Neck 11 (continued)
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Spot stepped outside the courthouse with the rest of the newsies, and Cat came to him immediately.
"Spot…" was all she could say.
"Meet me outside Tibby's," Spot commanded her. "That's where we're goin'."
She nodded, and Spot went on with the others.
Once at the restaurant, Spot waited angrily with the rest of the boys, wondering where Denton was. Spot ordered a pop, and when he was finished Denton still wasn't around. He was done waiting for him.
"I ain't stayin'," Spot announced. "I'm done waitin' for that backstabbin' press weasel."
"Are you leaving the strike behind, Spot?" David said worriedly.
"Naw," Spot said, taking a last swig of his drink before he went. "I'm stinkin' it through for Jack. Nobody else."
They nodded, and Spot went to the door, just as Denton was entering.
"I ain't got nottin' to say to you," Spot snapped as he passed Denton. Spot passed like he didn't even see him, not even meeting his eye.
"I understand," he heard Denton say obligingly.
He gripped his cane in thought, walking down the road alone, heading back for the lodging house to meet his boys and show them he was all right. They might be surprised that he wasn't in jail, but then again, so was Spot. As he walked down the road, parting his way through the crowded streets, he spied a familiar face.
"Hey, Cat!" Spot called, then ran to her. He had forgotten he was supposed to meet her at Tibby's. Good thing she was just heading there now, or he might have missed her.
It was when he came closer when he realized that she was crying, and her puffy cheeks, red eyes and nose told that she had been for a while too.
"I thought you were being sent to jail," she sniffed. "I thought--"
"Hey, look," Spot said, wiping the wet off her face. "Stop that cryin' right now, it's embarrassin'. I ain't goin' to jail. Not even if I'm sent to jail am I goin' to jail. You heah me?"
She nodded. Her face required immediate pity, and it aroused so much in Spot. He tried to hold back from giving too much, from going soft, but he longed to hold her until she stopped. To take care of her until she took him for granted. To just make her smile. God, he loved her smile. So when she was upset like this, it made him want to do anything to make her world right again.
"Jack's in the coop right now," Spot explained, clawing at anything to say to encourage her. "But if I know him, he'll be out by day after tomorrah, three days tops. As long as he and I are in this togethah, they can't win. They can't break us, alright?"
She nodded again.
"I just…" she began, then small drops fell from the corner of her eyes again, and Spot gave up trying to dry her eyes.
"I scared ya; I understand," Spot said receptively. "Ain't happenin' again."
She sniffed and put her chin up, as if she was trying to be strong.
"Spot, I came to tell you…"
"What, Cat, what?" He put his face close to hers to make sure she met his eye.
Then it dawned on him that she might not be upset about him, it was probably something else…
"Spit it out," he commanded with sudden worry.
"Spot… he's wants me to leave with him."
"Wh- what? That rich guy?"
She nodded once more.
"He wants to go where it's flourishing so his oil business can spread. He's going out west and he wants me to go with him."
She spoke in an embarrassed tone, almost apologetic. She was almost regretful. Spot took several steps away from her, a confused look on his face.
"So that's it?" Spot said accusingly. "Because they all want ya to, off ya go?"
"It's not like that."
"So it's about the money then? You'd rather have money than me?"
She bit her lip and didn't speak for a moment.
"I… I can't live on love, Spot."
That hurt. It wasn't really the fact of how she said them, but it was reality of the words themselves. She was right. But yet, he still fought for her. He didn't even hesitate. And he didn't know why.
"But at least with love you'll live happy," Spot argued. "We can work on the rest latah. You and I both know ya don't wanna be with this guy. What's his name? Howard? You play piano for him?"
She shook her head no, tears falling quite freely now.
"I can't wait anymore…" She said. Spot was confused, not knowing what that meant.
"Do ya like me or not?" Spot said harshly. "God, foist Jack, now me, and Howard too? What are you trying to pull?"
"It's not like that!" she bellowed, so that people walking by started to stare. "Don't ever think that I don't love you! You are the only man I have ever felt this way for! I have always loved you… and only you."
Spot rolled his eyes.
"So why can't you just stay with me?" Spot insisted, his voice raising.
"Spot, for how much I like you, how much I think of you, how much you consumed my mind every day for the past seven years… I'm not convinced you feel the same for me. I've heard how you treat girls lately…"
"From who?"
She sighed and looked away from his harsh eyes.
"One of your boys," she admitted. "Do you love me, Spot? Or am I just a conquest to you?"
"So what, this is some sort a' test? Then I'll pass it right now. I want ya to stay, Cat. I love ya and I want ya to stay. Is that what ya wanna hear?"
"You love Brooklyn," she said boldly.
Spot was silent for a moment, at her audacity. Of course he loved Brooklyn. It was his life, his home, his sanctuary. He had worked hard for it, earned it. He was a good leader, maybe the best they had ever known. There he was respected, feared…
"I want you to love me like you love that awful city," she went on. "Until then, I'll wait. I've waited this long, after all…"
Spot had a flash then, a memory of the time he had spoken to Jack about this.
The day I fall for a woman… Will be the day I give up all this… She's got the only key to me heart…
It was like prophesy. The day had come where he had to choose.
"So that's the test," Spot said with a decided nod. "Ya want me to give up Brooklyn for ya. Go follow ya out west."
He went close to her face, as to make sure she heard him clearly.
"Ain't… gonna… happen. Get that through your cute little head right now. Look, I like ya and all… a lot, don't get me wrong. But I can't do that. They need me here."
"You gave up Brooklyn freely for Jack …"
"It's not the same and ya know it. Jack didn't ask me to give up me boys."
"But he did! Every day I see them starving because they aren't working, not making money to live! You did that to them, Spot! And I understand that you did it out of loyalty to Jack. What I can't understand is… why can't you do the same for me? The question is, do you even know what love is? And if so, is that how you feel for me?"
He didn't answer, falling deep in his thoughts, so she turned away, in disappointment. All she was trying to do was make him tell her he loved her, and he knew it. She was forgetting that it wasn't his way. He couldn't just to lay all the cards on the table, bear his soul for all to see…
But it pained him to hold it back. He did want to confess it, surprisingly. He had to try extra hard to keep the poker face this time. He was losing it again. Losing his control. He wanted to hold her until the end of it all… He even considered kidnapping her right then and there. But still he stood paralyzed, just staring long and hard, thinking carefully on what she was saying. He didn't know if this was love or lust. Was he ready for this? Though he knew, whenever he was near her, his heart pounded straight through his ribcage, and she brought out a nervousness in him whenever he spoke, making him consider his words carefully. Never had a girl done that to him before. That was all different for him. But was it love? He knew he needed more time to figure it out, and she couldn't leave until he could.
He grabbed her chin to look her in the eye again.
"Look, I ain't gonna beg…" he said decidedly.
She pulled her head from his touch and began to walk away.
"Alright, fine…" Spot said, giving in. He never thought he'd ever be this desperate for a girl. "Com'on, Cat. Just stay."
She didn't speak. Just kept walking.
"Cat… please…"
She stopped. Looked over her shoulder.
"Howard's waiting," she said silently. "We leave in a week."
"Don't do this," Spot pressed. "Com'on…"
"We're going to Monterrey, California. If you ever decide to follow, that's where I'll be."
"I can't leave them in the middle of the strike, Cat. That's like treason or somethin'. I can't ever leave. I belong here."
"Promise you'll at least come and visit before I go."
Spot nodded, sighing loudly, knowing her mind was made up.
"Sure. Fine."
So she left. In the midst of the crowd and bustle, she left Spot never feeling more alone. He sighed again, mad at her, but mostly at himself.
"Stay with me, Cat, please!" said a voice behind him that sounded an awful lot like Racetrack. Spot turned around, and every one of Jack's boys were smiling and snickering at Spot.
"Don't go, com'on, Kitty!" Kid Blink said. "I love you more than life itself!"
"Shut up, all of youse," Spot commanded coolly. "Or I'll soak ya each in turn."
"Yeah right…" Snoddy challenged. So Spot gripped his cane and took several threatening steps toward them. All of them, in unison, abruptly jumped back, away from him.
"Com'on," Spot said, deciding they weren't worth the time and energy, and he put his cane back into his belt-loop sheath. "Let's get outta heah."
"We're gonna get Jack out tonight," David explained. "You in?"
"Naw, I'm gonna go rustle up me boys. They gotta be hangin' around somewheres."
"Alright," David said, giving him a pat on the back. "Meet you by distribution tomorrow then."
"Alright," Spot agreed. He walked off, deep in thought over this stupid girl. Why did she insist on playing with him? Of course Brooklyn was more important than her. His priorities were fine. What was wrong with being second? That was saying a lot when it came to Spot. She was even before Jack. Jack ran a close third, for sure, but she was still second. Well, maybe she was third… Jack and her tied maybe…
Spot spent the rest of his walk convincing himself that his priorities were fine, but somehow still couldn't believe it.
She wanted him to follow her… all the way out west. It just wasn't going to happen. It wasn't plausible, it wasn't reasonable… He knew his place, and that was on the grounds of Brooklyn, nowhere else. His life was built here, and he couldn't just go uproot himself to go after one little girl. He had too many other factors that held him here.
Jack was definitely a big one.
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The next morning, Spot went straight to the office to meet the others. They were already there, screaming their chant that David had told them.
Stop the World!
No more papes!
So Spot and his boys just joined right in.
Soon the newspaper wagon left the gate, much to their dismay. Soon the Brooklyn boys were skirmishing with the Manhattan boys, and out of David's control. David was no leader. Everyone was just wondering the same thing. Where was Jack? David promised he'd be here, but didn't deliver. And now the wagon had gotten away, ready to deliver papers to the other scabbers. They had failed to stop it, and they were angry.
David frantically tried to stop the fighting, but Spot just let it happen.
"Please help me, I need some help!" David yelled at Racetrack.
"Alright! I ain't deaf!" Racetrack replied.
Spot noticed a couple kids fighting and decided to hell with it. It was one thing for the older ones to fight, but the eight-year-olds needed to be stopped.
"Hey, hey!" Spot said as they were pulled apart. "Break it up, break it up."
That's when he saw it. That one ghastly sight that should never have been seen by anyone. Spot's world came crashing down, and his heart began to speed up. His eyes had to be lying… It couldn't be true…
"Hey, hey, Race!" Spot said, trying to get Racetrack's attention. "Come here."
"What?" But no sooner had Race said that, when he saw the dreaded sight too.
"Tell me I'm seein' things," Spot commanded with a shaky stutter. "J-just tell me I'm seein' things."
"Naw, you ain't seein' things," Racetrack said blatantly. "That's Jack. What's he doin'?"
"But he's dressed like a scabbah!" Spot insisted.
And so Jack was. Spot couldn't believe his eyes. They had to be lying to him.
While Spot drowned in shock, the others each had their turn trying to talk sense into Jack.
"Jack, look at me, will ya? Com'on, Jack, it's me, Mush! Look at me, what're ya doin', Jack?"
Their words reflected Spot's thoughts exactly.
"This ain't happenin'." Kid Blink said in disbelief. "This can't be happenin'--What're ya doin', Jack?"
"Hey what is this?" Boots called. "Where'd you get them clothes?"
As if they all didn't know…
"Mr. Pulitzer picked them out hisself!" Weasel explained. "A special gift, to a special new employee."
Spot felt his anger level rise to maximum. A volcano was boiling in him, just waiting to erupt. It was happening. Jack had done the unthinkable.
"What?" Kid Blink said in wonder.
"He sold us out!" Spot shouted for all to hear. Jack refused to meet Spot's eye. He knew exactly what he had done to Spot. To Brooklyn. He had sent them all to hell, spitting in their face on their way down into the flames.
"Look at him in his little suit." Racetrack said, obviously furious too. "Ya bum! I'll soak ya!"
"Hey, hey, hey." Spot said, pulling Race out of his way but Race insisted on getting in one final say.
"Ya fink!"
"Enough!" Spot pressed. "Let me get my hands dirty."
With that Spot lunged into the policemen, shouting:
"Come 'ere, ya dirty rotten scabbah!"
It took two policemen to hold him back, and five more of the newsboys to drag him away. Jack put his head down, not meeting Spot's eye. Spot was the one who got to him the most, and they both knew it.
"Com'on, I'll take ya!" Spot fought them the whole way.
"I'll murder ya!" he shouted. "I'll murder ya!"
Spot was far from done. They had to take him all the way to the back of the crowd so that he wouldn't be arrested for assault.
"Hey Spot! Okay!" the boys tried to reason with him, but Spot had gone deaf in anger.
"Ya dirty rat!"
"Hey Spot, com'on!"
"Traitor!"
Spot saw then that David was going to talk to him, and stopped shouting to listen. He pushed his way back to the front, and glared at Jack with fire in his eyes.
The two stepped away from Weasel and everyone, and spoke silently between them for several moments.
"Money, you understand?" Jack suddenly shouted at David. "As soon as I collect, I'm gone, I'm away, alright?"
"That's good. That's good, because we don't need you!" David replied boldly. "We don't need you!"
They had a silent exchange for a few moments more, then David began to walk away. David glanced at all their angry faces for a moment, then turned back to Jack, who was nodding his way, as a challenge.
"What you gonna do 'bout it, Dave?" Spot heard Jack mumble. That's when David tried to lunge. Weasel offered David a suit of his own, but he wouldn't have it, shouting "Never!" in his face.
Then the police led Jack away, shoving the boys all aside.
"You ruined me!" Spot shouted as Jack passed. "You're a dead man, heah me! Your head's gonna roll!"
"You make me sick!" the others shouted with him.
"Look at yourself, huh?"
"I trusted you!"
"Seize the day, huh, Jack?"
"Maybe he's foolin' 'em," Les said. "So he can spy on 'em or somethin'."
Racetrack rolled his eyes, and Spot sighed in defeat.
"Yeah, yeah, that's it!" Les insisted. "He's foolin' 'em!"
Spot frowned and patted the kid on the back, giving in to the downfall of the strike.
"Sure, kid," Spot said, letting the little one believe what he wanted to.
"Yeah, he's spyin' on 'em, kid," Racetrack said, doing the same.
As far as Spot was concerned, it was all over. He could wipe his hands clean of them all, and just walk away.
"Com'on boys," he said to his Brooklyn gang in deep disappointment. "Let's go home."
"You're just gonna leave?" David asked him in concern.
"Yeah," he said like David was asking a stupid question. "I got into this for Jack, and now there ain't no more Jack. So I'm gone."
David's fallen face made Spot give him a pat on the shoulder.
"You gotta know when it's done, Dave," he said grimly.
"It isn't done!" David insisted, grabbing Spot's sleeve. "Spot, we have to press on! We can do this without him! Do you really want them to win?"
"No, you have to press on. You do it without him. Me and me boys have had enough. We're goin' back across the Bridge. Where we belong."
With that Spot turned his back to them, feeling only remorse for Racetrack and the others, but Jack could bleed until he went dry, for all Spot cared. It was over. He had given up Cat for Jack, and now Jack had betrayed him.
God, he missed Cat already.
-
So here's how it
works: I give you story, you give me review. Glad we have an
understanding.
Signed,
--RedRogue
