Author note: sorry guys, I was supposed to take Driver's Ed this month, but now I can't because I'm going to the hospital on the day it starts for a bone scan and another MRI. So, I'm pissed now, and I don't know how good this chapter will be.
"Spot!" Daniel exclaimed once we walked through the door.
"Hey kiddo," Spot greeted him as Daniel gripped him into a hug.
"What happened?" Daniel wanted to know.
"Jus' a disagreement," Spot shrugged, ruffling Daniel's hair.
"I wanna go next time," my little brother begged.
"Maybe when yer dis tall," Spot said, holding his hand a foot over Daniel's head.
"But that'll take years," he whined.
"Sorry kid, its da newsie rules."
"Are you hungry?" I asked, turning towards Spot.
"Well I was gonna head ovah to Joy's and see my boys," he said. "Care to accompany me?"
"It'll be my pleasure," I laughed.
"You comin' too, Danny?" Spot asked.
"I already ate," Daniel said. "I'm gonna go play with Donna."
Spot shrugged and the two of us left, heading down the street towards Joy's.
"There isn't going to be a huge fight between New York and New Jersey is there?" I asked as we passed by random people.
"I don't think so," Spot said. "We scared 'em pretty good, and there wasn't that many of us."
"Oh, somebody from Queens came looking for you yesterday," I said. "Sharp I think."
"He went to yer house?" Spot asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
"Yeah, he said somebody told him you didn't go with the other leaders and was living with me."
"Who told him dat?"
"I don't know," I said, not even telling Spot the story of the man's last name.
I didn't feel like making a big deal out of it; it was bad enough my little brother was seeing things, and the maids hearing things as well.
"But he did say he had some information for you," I said.
Spot licked at his lips and looked away from me. "Is dat all he said?"
"Pretty much, he wouldn't tell me what kind of information, though," I said.
"A'right, I guess I'll visit him sometime today," Spot said.
I stared at him in confusion, trying to read his face. He was apparently hiding something, and that was uncommon. He never hid things from me, except about the New Jersey thing. I knew he was changing, inside and out. He was starting to hide things, and even looked as if he were in a different world sometimes.
"You're not the only one who can read people, Spot, what's on your mind?" I asked, not wanting this awkward moment to scar our relationship.
"Nothin," he said, looking straight ahead.
"Don't lie to me," I said, stopping in my tracks.
"I'm fine, there's nothin wrong," he said, stopping as well and turning to me.
"Your eyes tell me differently."
"Well their lyin!" he snapped.
I didn't flinch nor blink, but Spot did once he realized how venomous his voice suddenly became. He was tense and angry, the real Spot Conlon that everyone seemed to know.
"If that's how you see it, then fine," I shrugged, pushing him aside and continuing on.
Spot sighed and shook his head, jogging after me. "Forgive me; I'm jus' stressed, okay?"
"Fine," I said. "But you may want to cool down before you confront your newsies."
I walked into Joy's, leaving Spot outside. Some of the newsies greeted me with waves and whatnot.
"Hey," I said, sitting down at a table beside Swinger. "How's that aim coming?"
"I hit three bottles in a row dis mornin'," he said proudly. "Thanks to you."
"No problem," I said, giving him a small smile.
"I heard Spot was heah, so where is he?" Blade asked.
The door opened and everyone looked towards their leader. "Right there," I said.
"Spot's back!" came the whispers from the eager newsboys.
Spot walked towards our table and sat down away from me. He looked at Blade, and the second-in-command nodded. I guess it's easy to have a conversation with just looking at each other…
"Are you hungry, Anomie?" Swinger asked me.
"Nah," I said. "I lost my appetite just five minutes ago."
I looked towards Spot who sent me a glance. He was just too much to handle right now. He was whispering back and forth between Blade and himself, his facial expressions hard as stone.
----
"Why are you so hard to get along with?" I yelled.
Spot and I were standing in the study, throwing words back and forth at each other in attempt to anger the other.
"Me? How am I hard ta get along with when yer da one who starts everythin?" he shot back.
"I do not start everything! You're the one hiding something!"
"I am not hidin somethin!"
"Yes you are!"
"No I'm not!"
"Don't be mad at me when I'm mad at you!" I shouted.
I groaned loudly and turned around, leaving the study. Spot followed after me.
"Now where are you goin?" he asked.
"Away from you!" I snapped.
I climbed up the stairs to the second floor.
"What did I do?" Spot shouted.
"You're aggravating!" I yelled back.
We began our climb to the third floor. Daniel was not too far away from my room, playing with Donna on the hallway floor. He looked up at us in amusement.
"I'm aggravating? How am I aggravating? Yer aggravating!"
I opened my bedroom door and turned around.
"If I'm so aggravating then you can sleep alone; in one of the guest rooms!" I slammed the door in his face.
Spot stood outside my door, a shocked expression glued to his face. He looked over at Daniel and sighed.
"Women!" he said, throwing his arms into the air.
"No, not a lot of women act like that. It's just Anomie," Daniel said. "You can sleep in the guest room beside my room if you'd like."
"Sure," Spot shrugged.
In no time I was in my bed, anger still raging inside of me. Spot just needed to grow up and get over himself! The nerve of him…
I closed my eyes and in a matter of seconds my mind was washed over with a dream…
I sighed deeply and stared down at the rose in my hands. I walked alongside of the shore, the water rushing over my feet whenever it reached me, and dragging muddy sand along with it.
The beautiful, deep red petals sparkled as the sun hit it. An image flashed in my mind, Spot's face. Immediately the petals faded to black, and I dropped the rose into the water. Men are such a waste of precious time.
I turned towards the ocean and moved slowly into it. The feel of the waves made me feel numb inside. I dropped my hands to my side and they fell into the water. Before I could reach my destination something gripped my wrist.
I looked down into the water and pulled backwards.
A little boy was gripping my hand tightly…
I woke with a jolt and sat straight up in bed. The pain in my wrist still hurt, and it felt as if someone were actually…
I slowly turned my head to my right, my heart thumping wildly beneath my chest, my breathing rushed and hoarse. Holding on tightly to my wrist was a boy, his head bowed low, and short sobs escaping his mouth.
He raised his head gradually, and once his eyes met mine a scream escaped my throat and I went over the side of my bed.
Author note: okay, so technically this chapter sucked, but hey, at least I updated!