That night I couldn't sleep. My mind just kept flashing back to Spot. Was he really outside? I silently slipped out on to the fire escape. I looked down... There he was! He'd come! Or was that really him? It was just a figure I saw waiting there. I went inside and quietly got dressed and fixed my hair. I slipped down the stairs. Jack is going to kill me! I thought.

I stood in front of the door for a moment studying it. I took a deep breath. All right here goes... I opened the door and stepped through.

"Spot?" I said while closing the door.

"Hey." I heard.

I turned and there he was. He was smiling that smile I liked.

"Hi." I said.

I stood there looking at him for a moment.

"Will you walk with me?" He asked

"Of corse."

"So... I was wondering... Where are you from?" He said as we started walking.

"Richmond. I came here when I was five."

"Why?"

I paused. How would I explain the whole thing casually? I took a deep breath.

"Its a long story... Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Yeah. If you want to tell."

"Well... when I was born my mom died in childbirth. And we had money we where a bit rich... Not like millionaires! But we had money. And my mom was a very important person to the community. And with out her influence on his career we lost everything... So my dad started drinking and by the time I was three was a full alcoholic. And..." I stopped for a second to swallow the lump forming in my throat. "My dad started beating me... Because of my mother and our other problems. And so at five I ran away because the beatings where getting worse. Jack found me. Thank god for that! I'd be dead if it wasn't for him! He brought me to Manhattan and introduced me to the newsies. I made my friends like Blink and Race. I've been with the newsies ever since. Thats my life in depth..."

There was a pause.

"I-I'm so sorry..."

"No don't worry about it. So what about you? What's your story?"

"I'm just a runaway. I'm not that interesting."

I laughed!

"You are the leader of the Brooklyn newsies! You're feared by most of New York! For gods sake they call you king of Brooklyn! And you think you're not interesting? That makes no sense!" I said.

He laughed. he looked over at me.

"I don't know?" He said with a shrug. "What did you expect?"

"I don't know? Something... What would you expect to hear from Jack?"

"Point taken."

He looked down for a second.

"Hey I wanted to ask... You and Race... are you or where you-"

"A couple? No! We're just friends! He's like my brother!" I said. The whole idea seemed hilarious to me. I couldn't think of him like that with out laughing!

"It's just you're so close and I mean it looked like you where together."

"So how are things in Brooklyn? Any problems?" I asked. I knew that there could be a lot of problems as a leader of newsies (from experience with Jack).

"No, everything is good." He said flashing me a confirming smile.

He kept his eyes on me for a little bit. I looked down feeling the heat go to my face.

"So anything new?" I asked.

"Well we got some new newsies."

"Like who?"

"Kid called West. He's just for beating the shit out of who ever I tell him to."

"So is he like your second in command?"

"Well I wouldn't say that."

"Well than what is he?"

Spot shrugged. He didn't seem to care much about this boy.

"I've got the meeting with Jack tomorrow. But you probably know all-"

"No, Jack didn't tell me!" I said feeling a bit hurt.

"Really?" He looked surprised.

I nodded "So whats it about?" They only had meetings when there was some sort of problem...

"I don't know. It's not like we're friends really."

"But I thought -"

"No it's just an alliance."

I felt stupid and naive...

"But I know Jack keeps things under the hood so."He said trying to make me feel less so. He looked at me with his blue eyes. And I looked back at him. We looked at each other in silence for a moment. I felt my heart skip a beat.

"It's getting late we should be heading back." He said.

"Yeah."

"Come on." He said putting his hand on my back. I feel the heat go to my face again.

We got back within the next thirty minutes. I'd enjoyed talking to Spot. I liked Spot. We reached the front door. I opened it. Than turned to Spot.

"Thank you Spot I had a good time."

"Faith tell Jacky-boy I said hello."

"Goodnight." I whispered.

"Oh and Faith... If you need anything. Anything at all I'm here okay."

"Okay."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight Spot." I whispered closing the door.

I hurried up the stairs. I changed into my sleep wear and walked back to my bunk.

"Where were you?"

I turned to see Race! I feel my chest tighten!

"For a walk. I needed some fresh air."

"Who were you with?"

Heat rushed to my face!

"Nobody."

"I saw you from the fire escape. Who was that?" He asked seriously.

I hated lying to Race. It felt like guilt was stabbing me in the chest.

"I was by my self. Race the fire escape is far away from the ground. You just saw wrong."

"All right." He said walking over to his bunk. "All right."

It wasn't really easy for me to sleep that night... Race is in the bunk next to mine. So when ever I turn to the left I saw him looking at me a or looking at the celling. Also Kid Blink who sleeps on the bottom bunk on the bed was snoring loudly (which he usually doesn't do). So I took me a wile to fall asleep.

The next day I woke up to the sound of boys screaming and yelling like I often did. I was hoping that Race had just forgotten about last night... I felt terrible about lying, but what else could I do? If I told Race would he tell Jack? And what might happen if Jack found out?Speaking of Jack, why didn't he tell me about the meeting with Spot tonight? I took a deep breath.

I decided that I would only get fifty papers today. I wanted to talk to Jack. I was confused... If Spot wasn't having problems then Jack has to be... Or was Spot lying to me? God I was so confused!

"Fifty paper please." I said when I got to the front of the line. I took my fifty and started going to my usual place. I know I was thinking about Wall Street but I wasn't in the mood for change. I read the headline. A break in the case of that girls death! A good headline!

"Break in case of woman death! Thats right you heard it right here!" I yelled

Lucky me, I sold out fast. I went to Jacks usual place. He was there yelling the headline.

"Jack!" I screamed "Jack!"

He turned around and motioned me closer.

"Jack I want to ask you something." I said while walking towards him.

"What?"

"Well," I started "you know the meeting you have tonight... Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't tell you?" He said. "Who did?"

"Racetrack. Who else would have?"

Guilt.

"So what is it about?"

"I don't know. Spots problem, not mine." He shrugged.

But Spot said...

"Just curious..." I said acting like nothing was wrong.

I felt naive all over again...

"Your more than welcome to come if Spot says it's okay." He said.

"No thats fine..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," I said "I'm sure."