Chapter three

Spot spent most of the evening trying to keep away from the affectionate arms of Racetrack.

Jack spent most of his time trying not to laugh at Spot in his delicate condition.

When it was time to turn in for the night, Jack and Spot drew straws to see who would take the first watch over their friend.

"What do you mean; Cowboy is going to sleep with me?" Race huffed. "Have you gone mad? Why, that's positively indecent! I won't stand for it!"

"But, Race, he's gotta sleep in here with you."

"He does not have to sleep in here with me. He can sleep downstairs with the other boys. . . . And stop calling me Race!"

"Okay, Mary Sue," Spot hissed through his clenched teeth. "But there's no room for Cowboy in the bunk room. All the beds are taken."

"So you expect me to share my bed with him! What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"Don't make me answer that," Spot mumbled under his breath.

"No, Mary Sue," Jack interrupted. "Nobody's expectin' you to share your bed. I can sleep on the floor. I'll even sleep clear on the other side of the room if it'll make you happy."

"Well, it won't make me happy!" Racetrack bristled. Then he sashayed across the room and snuggled against Spot. "But I wouldn't mind if you stayed in here with me, Spottikins. And I wouldn't be makin' you sleep on the cold, hard floor either."

Spot eased away from Race's grip, and went to stand behind Jack for protection.

"What's the matter, Pumpkin? Don't you want to sleep with me?" Race asked while giving him a puppy-dog look.

"It's not that, Mary Sue," Spot grimaced. "But you said it yourself, it wouldn't be proper. What are the guys gonna think?"

"Oh, but Spottikins," Racetrack murmured as he closed the distance between them. "All you have to tell them is that you'll be sleeping on the floor because Jack is using your bunk. And if you should get cold and lonely and decide to crawl into bed with me, who's gonna know?"

"I will!" Spot grumbled as he pulled himself from Racetrack's grip.

"Come on, Spot," Jack smirked. "It's not like you haven't had a girl up here before."

"You what! . . . Oh, Spottie . . .How could you!" Race shrieked. Then he threw himself onto the bed. He was crying into his pillow and kicking his feet wildly.

"Thanks a lot, Jack!" Spot said looking totally exasperated.

"Don't mention it," Jack grinned as the tiptoed out the door.

"Race - - um - -I mean, Mary Sue? Please don't cry," Spot said as he shifted uncomfortably from side to side.

Race responded by crying louder and kicking his feet faster.

"Please, Mary Sue," he said sitting on the bed. "Sit up and talk to me."

Reluctantly, Race sat up and looked at Spot. The puppy-dog face was back, but now Race's bottom lip stuck out in a rather attractive pout.

Spot seemed hypnotized by Race's sad brown eyes and trembling, pouty mouth. His stomach quivered a bit, and his upper lip stared to sweat.

"Well?" Race asked batting his eyelashes.

"Huh? . . . Oh, yeah. There's no reason for you ta get upset. You know that Jack was only teasing you."

"Well, it wasn't funny," Race whined as he laid his head on Spot's shoulder. "Then you will stay in here with me, won't you?"

"Okay. But I ain't gonna sleep in the bed with you. Like you said, it ain't proper. I'm gonna sleep over there on the floor"

"Goody!" Race shrieked as he bounced up and down on the bed. "Now give me a kiss goodnight."

Spot hesitated for a moment, and then gave Race a kiss on the forehead. "Now go to sleep!" he ordered.

"Anything for you, Pumpkin," Race smiled. "Pleasant dreams, Spottikins."

This ain't a dream, it's a nightmare, Spot thought. Then he situated himself on the floor in the far corner of the room.

Three hours later, Spot was still wide awake. He was afraid to go to sleep. He wanted to make sure that Racetrack remained a safe distance away.

Jeeze, Spot mused. Will ya listen to that guy snore? It sounds like he's snorin' for both him and Mary Sue!

-o-o-o-o-

In the morning, Spot stumbled down the stairs.

"Mornin', Sunshine," Jack grinned.

"Don't start with me, Cowboy. I ain't in the mood!"

"What's the matter, Spottikins? Did you have a rough night? Did Mary Sue try to have her way with you?"

"It ain't funny, Jack. And I wouldn't go makin' any cracks like that if I was you. Don't think that I haven't noticed the way you and Dave carry on when you think nobody's lookin'."

Before Jack could reply, they heard the door to Spot's room open.

"Good morning!" Race called as he bounced down the stairs. "And how are the two best-looking boys in New York today?"

"Mornin', Mary Sue," Jack smirked. "Did ya sleep good last night?"

"I certainly did. Just knowing that my Spottikins was so close by helped me to sleep like a baby."

"Yeah, but he snored like a gorilla," Spot mumbled.

"So are you ready to carry the banner, my little Pumpkin?" Race asked.

"I'm not sellin' today," Spot grumbled

"But, Spottie. We always sell together. If you're not going then I'm not going. I'll stay here to keep you company."

"You don't hafta do that, Mary Sue, because I've got a little surprise for you. You're gonna be sellin' with Jack today," Spot smirked.

But, Spottie. I don't want to sell with Jack. I want to stay here with you!"

"Look, I'm the leader here in Brooklyn, and what I say goes!" Spot shouted.

Race's puppy-dog face was back, along with misty eyes and the pouty lip.

Before Race could burst into tears, Spot decided to take a different approach.

"Now, now, Mary Sue. You know that I want ya to stay with me, but ya can't. I have some important leader business to take care of . . . And besides, Jack is our guest. Seein' as you're my girlfriend it's your job to show him around town and make him feel at home. After all, it is the ladylike thing to do."

"Oh, my goodness! . . . How could I be so selfish? I'd be happy to show you around Brooklyn, Jack. I'll be ready in a minute."

Jack and Spot stared in amazement as they watched Race getting ready. He stood in front of the cloudy full length mirror and combed his hair. First he parted it on the right, then he parted it on the left, then he fluffed the dark waves. He licked his lips and pinched his cheeks to give himself a hint of color. When he was through, he took a long last look in the mirror to admire his figure. He turned from side to side, and then pulled in his stomach then stuck out his chest as far as it would go. To complete the routine, Race took a quick glance over his shoulder and gave his backside an approving glance.

"Okay, Jackie. I'm ready to go," Race smiled as he hooked his arm through Jack's. "I can't wait to show you all of the sites of Brooklyn. There is so much to see. Have I ever told you the story of how I came to Brooklyn to become a newsie? I'm the toughest girl in New York, you know. Well, I have a terrible father who drinks all the time. He has a wicked temper and beats me whenever he gets the chance. I ran to New York in search of my long lost brother. I used to have a locket with his picture inside. He looked a lot like you. Did you ever have a sister, Jack? Maybe you're my long lost brother?"

Spot laughed out loud at the dazed expression on Jack's face as Race rambled on unmercifully.

Race was still talking as they disappeared out the door.

Spot dragged his tired body up the stairs and into his room, then locked the door and threw himself onto the bed.

"It's definitely gonna be a long couple of days," Spot mumbled into his pillow.

End Chapter 3