Spot turned down the alley and walked toward the tenement building after dinner. He'd spent the day will Violet, hoping to avoid the inevitable beating. He hadn't seen Ralphie since that morning, and he'd been checking over his shoulder all day.
Snipeshooter was standing outside, watching people and chewing on a cigar butt.
Spot nodded. "What're you doin' out here?"
Snipeshooter shrugged. "Just am."
Spot nodded towards the door. "Ralphie in there?"
"Yep."
"Aide too?"
"Yep."
Spot took a deep breath and walked in. Only Fire and Blade were in there, playing cards off to the side.
Spot walked in and headed towards his mattress. "Hey, have you boys—"
"Please, no," he heard Adelaide say from behind the sheet.
Spot jerked his head toward the sheet. He looked over at Fire and Blade, who ignored it.
"Shhh," said Ralphie, following by rustling of sheets.
Spot clenched his jaw upon realizing what was happening.
Spot looked at Fire and Blade. "You two just gonna sit here and listen to that?"
Blade shrugged. "It's cold outside."
Spot clenched his fists and stormed out of the tenement building, punching the door on his way out.
"Looks like she got what she deserved," said Snipeshooter as Spot walked passed.
Spot spun around and smacked him upside the head. "Don't you ever say anything like that ever again. Especially about a girl like Adelaide."
"What?" frowned Snipeshooter. "She's a bitch. I'm glad Ralphie's teaching her SOME kind of lesson."
"Listen to me, you little shit," said Spot, grabbing him by the collar. "That girl in there has done nothing to deserve that. No one ever deserves for that to happen to them."
"Oh yeah?" asked Snipeshooter. "Then why don't you go in and stop it, huh?"
Spot blinked at him. He wanted to go in and stop it. He wanted to go in and rip Ralphie off of Aide and give him the soaking of a lifetime, but he knew it would be the end of him. He was still on the hook for letting her escape that morning.
"Shut up," said Spot as he stormed down the street.
He hated that he cared so much about what was happening to Adelaide. He hated that he was reacting this way. He had always prided himself of being hardened by the streets of Brooklyn, that nothing could get to him, but lately, everything was getting to him.
He turned the corner and walked down the street, headed toward Violet's tenement building.
"He just takes what he wants!" Spot yelled, pacing back and forth in Violet's small tenement apartment. "He doesn't even think about how what he does will hurt anyone else!"
Violet shrugged. "I still don't see what the big deal is."
Spot whirled around to face her, an incredulous look on his face. "Are you serious? What if it happened to you?"
Violet shrugged.
Spot's face softened. "Has it…? Happened to you?"
"It's part of life on the streets, Spot," said Violet. "Every girl has to learn that at some point. You want to survive? You gotta use what you got to your advantage."
"Vi," Spot shook his head. "That's not how it's supposed to work."
"But that's how it is!"
Spot sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "She doesn't deserve this."
Violet frowned. "Why are you so upset about this?"
"Because she's my friend!"
Violet raised an eyebrow. "Would you be this upset if it were me?"
Spot stepped towards her, cupping her face. "Of course I would." He looked into her eyes for a moment. "You would tell me if it happened, right?"
Violet's expression softened ever so slightly. "Yeah," she whispered.
"Has it…I mean, before I came along…did you have to…"
Violet swallowed and averted her eyes, looking out the window.
"Oh, Vi." Spot put his arms around her and pulled her close. She rested her cheek against his shoulder.
"You wanna stay here tonight?" Violet asked quietly.
Spot rested his cheek against hers. "Yeah."
The next morning, Spot left Violet's building and headed to his own tenement to check on Adelaide. As he turned the corner down the alley, Ralphie walked out of the building, pulling his coat on.
Spot slowed his steps when he saw Ralphie. Ralphie gave Spot a stone-cold glare when he saw Spot.
Spot took a breath, stood up straight, and walked toward the door.
"You gettin' soft on me?"
"No," said Spot, his voice hard.
"Good." Ralphie nodded. "Ain't no place for softness around here. Besides…ain't nothin' you haven't already done with Violet, eh?"
"That girl in there didn't deserve that."
"You got a thing for my girl, Conlon?"
"Nope."
"Coz you got your own girl, don't you?"
Spot didn't say anything.
"You know you're not gonna get away with lettin' Addie run like that."
Ralphie dug into his pockets and pulled out a pair of brass knuckles. Spot lifted his head high and jutted his head out. Ralphie raised an eyebrow. "You gonna stand there and take it like a man?"
"Ain't no good in fighting back."
"Smart man."
Spot limped into the tenement, holding his ribs with one arm and the other hand holding his cuff to his bloody lip. He made it to the nearest cot and rolled onto it, groaning at everything that hurt in the process.
"Jesus, Spot," said Snipeshooter, when he saw him. "What happened to you?"
"No good deed goes unpunished, kid."
"You took that for Aide?"
Spot nodded.
"Why?" asked Snipeshooter.
"She's my friend. She doesn't deserve any of this." Snipeshooter chewed on his lip and looked back down at his solitaire game.
"How come you ain't out selling?" Spot asked.
Snipeshooter just shrugged and glanced at the hanging sheet.
A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Spot's mouth.
They each sat in their respective beds. Spot stared at the ceiling. He heard some rustling from behind the sheet, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere. He needed to get out. Ralphie used to be a leader worth following - he would protect his own, and everyone would pull their own weight. But once Ralph's territory and influence grew, so did his ego and cruelty.
He sense movement out of the corner of his eyes and looked over. Adelaide walked through the sheet and over to him. She sat on the mattress next to his.
"You look like hell," she said.
He looked over at her. Her eyes were still bloodshot from crying and had dark circles under her eyes. In that glance, Spot saw it in her eyes – Ralphie had broken her. It was as if last night had snuffed out the last little bit of light she had inside.
Adelaide gave Spot a once over. He had blood coming from his nose and lip, and his face was already blotched red from Ralph's punches. He was holding his ribs around where Skittery's ribs had been bandaged. Similar bruises, similar injuries. Clearly the same person had delivered both beatings.
"I'm sorry," said Adelaide.
"Did ya see him?"
Adelaide nodded.
"Then it was worth it."
Adelaide gave him a small smile.
"You want me to get you anything?"
Spot shook his head. "I'm fine."
Adelaide shook her head. "You're in this position because of me."
"I made a choice. I don't regret it."
Adelaide looked at him for a beat. The day before, she hadn't realized how much he was sticking his neck out for her. She suddenly realized how true a friend he really was. "Thank you, Spot."
Spot nodded. "You got it."
"Hey Aide?"
Adelaide looked over and saw Snipeshooter standing a few feet away.
"Hey Snipes."
"You okay?"
Adelaide hesitated, surprised by his concern. "Um, yeah. I am."
"I was just gonna go get some breakfast…want me to get you something?"
Adelaide looked at Spot, puzzled by his change in demeanor.
"Um," she said, looking back at Snipeshooter. "That would be great. Just…anything you can find." She gave him a smile.
Snipeshooter nodded and put his cap on before walking up the stairs and out of the basement.
Adelaide looked back at Spot. "What was that all about?"
"Looks like the rotten, little, disease-ridden heathen has a heart."
