For 10 minutes, i stood looking at my paper, flipping through anxiously to try and find a good title, but none so far would sell this crappy paper! "Extra! Extra! Mayor of New Jersey steals woman's purse!" i heard a shout from behind me.

Turning around, i found Softy selling about 5 papers at once. "Softy!" i ran up to him after all the people left. "What page is that title on?" he pointed to one of the pages and simply stated "The third page," i read all the titles, twice and didn't find that title. "It's not on here, Softy." he shrugged and smirked down at me.

'"Course it is! Right there!" he pointed at my open third page about the Mayor of New Jersey buys new purse for woman. Then it clicked. For the 15 minutes i've wasted, i've been hearing false titles all around me from all the Brooklyn newsies.

"OH! Thanks Softy!" how did i not think of this before? I ran a good 8 feet away and started shouting great titles. "Extra! Extra! President's daughter pregnant!" i shouted loud enough for a group of high-class business men to hear.

Even though the real title was President helps pregnant woman with the help of his daughter. I just thought the title could use a pinch of sugar.

I sold about 15 to those men in 2 minutes, and earned myself 15 pennies. "Wow, this could work for me." the rest of the time, i actually had fun selling. First, i would yell out a 'sugar coated' title, then i would run, making sure no one caught me, or saw me running because if anyone did, then lord knows what would happen.

I fixed my hair and wiped the dirt from my face before i approached a group of boys. All of high-class, of course. They all wore they're finest suits, probably following in step of their fathers. I smiled with my eyes, and when they saw me, i forced a blush on my cheeks.

All eyes weren't on me yet, so i slowly pulled my pony tail off my hair and let it flow everywhere. The wind helped me by blowing it away from my face, making me look more.. decent. I smiled my white smile and, something caught my eye. In the corner, i saw.. Spot.

He was also staring at me with a bomb of amusement on his face. We made eye contact for a split second before the high-class boys interrupted. "Hello there, beautiful. How may we help you?" he had boring brown eyes and a crooked smile.

Knowing Spot was watching me, i kept my act. The boy put a hand on my arm in which i looked at it with a slight disgust before i put my hair behind my ears. I stared at him for a couple seconds with dreadful boringness and replied.

"Why, would you kind and cute boys by my newspapers?" i winked at one of them with bright green eyes and a yellow teethed smile. He was blushing madly and gave me a quarter dazely. "Well, for a beautiful lady like you, of course."

I looked away, made sure they didn't see as they stuffed their hands in their pockets for money, i gave an eye roll. Boys are too easy. I put a hand threw my hair in a sexy way as they gave me silver coins, dimes, quarters, nickels, but no penny. I guess they're so rich that they don't even know what a penny is.

So in the end, i sold 8 papers and earned $2.45, which i thought was a really good. "Thank you" i said sweetly and the boy with bright red hair a kiss on the cheek. He laughed and blushed wildly, even his ears were red. They all looked at him in awe and i gave them all a wink, then left, with a bored face.

I walked towards Spot who walked towards me with that same face of his. Amusement. His eyes had a certain glint to them, more than usual, and i guess i was about to know why. "So? I'm doing good, am i not?" i asked happily, wanting to get his reaction.

"Shore, sweetheart. Shore. So when's da wedding'?" my expression changed from happy, to confused 4 words ago. "Wedd.. Ing?" i cocked my head to the side. "I ova hoid da boy yah smooched goin' on and on about youse two weddin'"

I rolled my eyes "Marry my ass. I'm not marrying that ugly piece of shit." i clicked my tongue, annoyed. "You boys are so easy. If you see a hot girl, you go bonkers and try to get in her panties. I bet you there's no boy that isn't like that." he frowned "I'm not like that." i raised an eyebrow "Please." i again rolled my eyes.

"I'm really not!" i looked away, not believing a word he says. "I bet you can't make a week without checking out, kissing, or having sex with a girl." i smiled, looking at his competitive face. "And if i can't?" i raked my brain for something good. "Then, i get to be a Brooklyn newsie- whether i passed your test or not."

I thought i'd give myself a better chance to be a Brooklyn newsie. I mean, why not right? Spot just seems like one of those guys. "And if i can, then you have to give me a kiss." anger flared inside me "What?!" he was in thought for a couple seconds before replying

"Well, if i'se can't even as much check a dame out, then i'se would need at least a kiss, and why not have one from me first goil that has stayed at the Brooklyn lodging house for more than a day?"

"No way!" and he smirked his classic smirk. "So you'se afraid that i'se'll win?" i quickly replied with a haste "no!" he laughed and put a hand through his hair. "Then, it's settled. Youse give me a kiss when i'se win. I might as well, since youse go 'round kissin' ugly piece of shit guys like de udda one anyways, but this time, it'll be a handsome man." i let out a laugh that sounded more like a choke.

Then, i erupted into a big fit of laughter. I laughed so hard tears actually started to form and I was to my knees and people were staring. I tried to stop, like, really tried, but i couldn't. The thought that Conlon thinks he's a man is ridiculous! In between breaths of laughter, i said "Hand… Some… man!?"

I went into another spew of laughter again. "It ain't dat funny." he muttered seriously. Soon, i was laying on the dirt ground, my laughter finally controlled, my huge pile of papers stacked beside me, and calmly stared at the blinding morning sun.

It was so beautiful and calm, for a second it felt like i was the only person there. Like i was laying on fields of perfect green grass, looking up at the baby blue skies that never seemed to end with puffy white clouds that looked like heaven and in the center… Was the bright orange sun. I felt happy, for a second.

"Ey, getup." Spot lightly kicked my side. So i did, picked up my papers, spit in my hand, and held it out. "Deal." Spot did the same, and we shook on it. That was how my morning went. I had Spot right beside me, so i could keep a watch on him while selling.

"Wow Conlon, you're doing pretty good, considering an hour has passed." i said, selling my final paper. I started counting my money happily. "5, 6, 7.98, 8, 9 dollars and 45 cents. I think i can come to like selling papers."

He was expressionless, no, he looked bored. "Yeah, yeah, whateva, ya finished da foist task, woo hoo. But ise gotta say, no one nevah sold 150 papes in an houa except foa Quicky." hearing this, i giggled happily. "Cool! Whose Quicky?"

"A Manhatten' newsie." i nodded my head in thought, keeping in mind of the name so i can brag about it to him later. "So what's the next task?" he looked deep in thought before he took out from behind his pants pocket what looked to be a sling shot, picked up a rock and studied it before aiming behind me.

I turned around as i heard a huge clash of glass and realized that Spot just shot that from probably 100 feet away at a glass bottle sitting on wall! I raised my eyebrows in surprise, since i've never swung a swing shot before, i hoped this wouldn't be the 2nd task.

"Dats yoah 2nd task. Make at least one shot at that glass ovah der from here, and we'se'll move on to da final task." i swallowed, but kept my composure, trying not to look nervous. But then, he whispered in my ear, not sexually, but intimidatingly "Youse got 20 minutes."

"Easy." i took the sling shot from him, picked up a rock, and blankly studied it, like Spot did and swung it, but missed terribly and swung the other way at Spot's head. "ISE DI'NT SAY TA SWING IT AT ME HEAD, WOMAN!" i muttered "Sorry.." too embaraessed because he made it look so easy.

I turned around and tried, but it swung up and down right in front of where i was standing. I kept trying and trying for a good 10 minutes until i felt a strong arm around me. At first i struggled, trying to nail the person in the stomach, but then i turned around and Spot's face was staring at the bottle on the wall, while i was staring at him.

I had goosebumps on my skin and i could feel my heartbeat increase rapidly. His hands reached mine and put them firmly on the sling shot, took the rock out of my hand and set it on the string, he slowly guided my hand while explaining quietly what every step was, but everything was kind of a blur while i stared at him.

I don't know why, but it felt.. Good to be held by him, wait. I shouldn't feel good. No, i should feel disgusted! … Right? "Youse doin' it all wrong. Ya gotta have a better grip, while youse right hand pulls on the string, lightly, lightly, and.." we released it and the glass broke. "Bull's eye."

I was still staring at Spot's structured face, taking in every little aspect of his concentrated, but calm eyes, the way his thin lips moved while explaining, and i even looked at his skinny, but muscular arms, and bony fingers that had some veins popping out and every part that was showing was tan.

I liked the way his eyes never left the glass, like he was so concentrated that he didn't realize that i was staring at him in such.. Admiration. Man, i hate to admit that. But i really did, it's like nothing could get in the way of him. It was just him, me, and the bottle.

"Got it?" he stared down at my dazed green eyes, as i nodded my head yes. I remembered some of what he said, and what i didn't hear, i went with my instinct. He stepped back, a good foot away from me, making me feel empty and alone. Again.

"Firm grip, and lightly pull.." he explained from behind me "And.." i let go of the string and it hit the second bottle that was next to the first one. Turning around, i saw Spot's face that didn't look surprised, but he was smiling. "And with a minute ta spare."

I ran and hugged him tightly. But everything happened pretty quickly. I didn't really know what i was doing at the time, but i knew i was really grateful. "Thank you!" i said. And that was when the awkwardness set in. Shit shit shit shit shit shit. I thought so loudly that i thought i actually said it.

"A'right doll, does that count as apat of de bet?" he pushed me away with his hands on my shoulders. I confusedly looked him in the eye, and he was so fast at hiding it, but i thought i saw a twinkle of sadness.