The second Pyro heard the lodging house door close behind her, she raced up the stairs and into Spot's room, not realizing that he was right behind her. She had to get herself out of a strange situation. Dropping to her knees, next to the bed, she searched for something under the bed. Pulling out a black, leather-bound book, she hugged it to her chest as she stood up. The door opened and Spot looked at her as she sat on the bed. As she started writing in the book, he plopped down next to her, trying to read what she was writing. Closing the book, she glared at him. "Stop trying to read my journal."

For a moment, Spot looked at her. Then, he put a hand on her thigh. "Well, how else am I supposed to find out what you're like in bed if you won't tell me?"

"You're not supposed to find out." Pyro let the journal fall between the bed and the wall. "And, if you ever read my journal, I swear I will make you pay so bad that you'll wish you were blind."

"You could just show me what you're like in bed." He noticed that she had not pushed his hand away. A smirk spread across his face as he moved his hand up her thigh.

"You already know." She discreetly slid her right hand into her pocket. "I sleep on the side next to the wall, my feet are always moving and I hog all the covers." As she pulled her lighter out of her pocket, she stared at him. "Now, if you don't move your hand, I will be forced to light it on fire."

Spot rolled his eyes at her and moved his hand. She was toying with him. "Fuck you." He spat as he stood up and walked out of the room.

"You'd like that, wouldn't ya?" Pyro called out to him. When she noticed that he was gone, she reached down between the bed and the wall and retrieved the journal. That's when she started to write in the journal.

June 2, 1899

I hate myself for what I've done. I just had to play with that stupid lighter and set my own room on fire. Now, I'm stuck here. I have to share a room and a bed with Conlon! I'm going to kill him. I can just feel it.

He gets me up at a time when no human should be forced out of a slumber. And, that god forsaken cane! The next time he pokes me with it, it's going in a place that will make him walk funny for the rest of his life.

He was acting odd just a few minutes ago. So was I. I guess it started when I caught him staring at my chest. Hey, it's not my fault that in inherited these things. But, Conlon never looks at me like that. Or maybe he does and I'm just too distracted by other things to notice. Then, he said something about my dirty mouth. He asked me if I talked like that in bed. Since when does Spot Conlon care about what I'm like in bed? You know what the worst part is? I was about to slug him and trust me, I would have but then I just couldn't. I'll admit that for a moment, I was scared because he has never taken an interest in me like that. Then, I felt like I wanted to jump him right there!

To get myself out of the situation, I told him to bite me like I always do and I ran inside to write it in here. But, Conlon's so damn pushy. He followed me, sat next to me and put his hand on my thigh. The crazy thing: I didn't make him move it right away! I do not have feelings for him. Ok, so he is kind of sexy but I could never actually be with him. I better stop writing now before he comes back.

Pyro thought for a moment and decided to hide the journal behind the small night stand next to the bed.

The whole next week, Spot continued with his advances towards Pyro. She was in his head now and he wanted her. Never taking action or saying anything in front of anyone, he only pushed her when no one else was around. Pyro was defiant and always had been. As bad as she wanted to give in, she just would not let herself fall for his lines. Her reasoning for Spot's advances was simply that they had spent too much time together and he was not able to get any other girls.

That Saturday night was a poker night in Manhattan. Pyro was not a poker player. She never picked up on how to play. Spot had tried to show her numerous times but neither one had the patience to deal with the other. Usually, they ended up fighting and Pyro would throw the cards at him. The only reason why she was going to Manhattan was to see her friends there and have a few drinks. Of course, she and Spot argued the whole way there but it was a typical Saturday night.

As usual, Pyro sat between Spot and Racetrack. This was all Spot's idea from the beginning. He figured, he could get Pyro to look at Race's cards and then signal him what they were. She never did it for him though. She just liked to watch her favorite and not so favorite newsboys gamble themselves into the ground.

It was obvious to everyone that the tension between Spot and Pyro was thicker. No one said anything out of fear of either getting punched by Spot or burned by Pyro. Halfway through the fifth game, Pyro had moved from beer to whiskey. She only drank the whiskey when she was under terrible stress. Taking Spot's shot glass; she swigged the whiskey and made a face. "Damn, this stuff is disgusting."

Jack Kelly, the leader of the Manhattan newsies gave her a look. "Under some stress there, Pyro?" The moment the words came out of his mouth, he started kicking himself on the inside. Pyro was known for pouring out her problems when she was drinking and under a lot of stress.

"Five, four, three, two, one." Race counted down as he watched the girl next to him adjust herself to tell her story.

"Stress? You wanna know about my stress?" Pyro looked around the table as she felt a hand on her leg. Turning her head, she glared at him. "You try sharing your life with the biggest asshole in the history of mankind. But, I have no one to blame but myself, right?" They all looked at her. "Wrong! Because if I was not under so much stress and tension in the first place from said asshole, I would not have been playing with the fucking lighter in the bed to begin with. Then, yesterday, I was minding my own business, walking home from the races and I get approached by probably one of the only other biggest assholes in the world. Fucking Oscar Delancey is still fucking obsessed with me. He thought he could seduce me or something and I'd fuck him. Boy was he wrong. I slugged him right then and there. And, you'd think my life isn't bad enough with one asshole chasing after me like a dog in heat. Well, now I've got two!"

"Pyro, you better shut up now." Spot tightened his grip on her leg.

"So, who is this other asshole?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "Should we find him and soak him?"

"Be my guest!" Pyro threw her hands up in the air. "He's right…" Spot's hand clamped over her mouth and he dragged her up from her seat. Squirming and yelling obscenities from under Spot's hand, Pyro was pulled into the hallway by him. "Conlon, I'm going to fucking kill you!" She spat the second he released her.

"There is no need for you to be telling the world about every single one of your fucking problems." Spot glared at her. "And you know that you want to fuck me as bad as I want to fuck you." He said softly so no one could hear him.

Shaking her head, she knew he was right. But, she was furious with him at the moment. "Bite me, Conlon." She turned around and ran down the stairs and out of the lodging house.

Spot sighed. He knew he had to go after her but he wanted to give her a few minutes, hoping that she would cool down by the time he got to her. Of course, he would probably just say the wrong thing again because he was feeling pretty tipsy himself. That thought never occurred to him though.

Pyro played with her lighter as she walked down the street. Muttering to herself about how much she hated Spot, she did not even notice the tall, dark figure step onto the sidewalk with her. By the time he fell in step with her, it was too late. Looking up at the figure next to her, she stared into the eyes of Oscar Delancey. "Fuck off, Delancey." She spat.

Grabbing her by the arm, he threw her into an alley. "The only thing I'll be fucking is you tonight, baby." He looked her over. She was wearing a dress for once in her life. "Must be poker night with the boys. That's the only time you get all gussied up and wear a dress. Easier access for me."

Standing up, she flicked the lighter. "Fuck you!"

"Fuck me yourself." He shoved her against the wall hard, knocking the lighter out of her hand and hiked her dress up.

"Only in your dreams." Pyro kneed him in the groin. As Oscar doubled over in pain, she pushed him out of the way and felt around blindly for her lighter. Then, she felt his hand on her leg and he pulled her to the ground.

Taking out a knife, he shook his head. "I'll shut ya up if I have to." He put the knife to her throat. Struggling beneath him, she managed to move the knife away from her throat. She felt the blade cut into her cheek as she pushed Oscar's hand away. "Come on, this'll be fun."

"I'll scream." Pyro felt the ground underneath her. Nothing. Where was her slingshot? Still sitting on the poker table.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Oscar grinned as he put the knife in his back pocket and unfastened his pants. Still feeling around on the ground for something, anything, Pyro cut her hand on something. A broken beer bottle. Gripping onto the bottle tightly, she waited for him to make his next move. "You can't fight for nothing without your fire."

"Oh yeah? You wanna see me fight without my fire?" As he leaned down to kiss her, she brought the broken bottle up and thrust it into his back. It stuck there and Oscar rolled off of her in pain.

Standing up, Pyro noticed her lighter on the ground and reached for it. As her hand clasped around the lighter, Oscar's hand grabbed her wrist. She thought for sure he was going to bring her down again. Just as Oscar tugged at her wrist, she felt someone wrap their arms around her waist and pull her out of his grasp. The alley was dark and she could not see her savior. All she saw was that he kicked Oscar in the stomach and then spit on him. Then, the savior grabbed her by the hand and they hurried out of the alley.

Standing in the glow of the street lamp, Pyro finally got a look at the guy who had saved her. Looking into his blue eyes, she was almost in tears. Then, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Spot." She whispered as she felt his arms wrap around her.