Brooklyn Baby | Spot Conlon ¹

Chp. 11: Once and for All

"I guess I'll see ya around then, Kenna." Skid says. I give him a quick hug before departing back to Manhattan. Skiddy was disappointed to hear that the strike was over, but he was even more disappointed that Spot left. He thought that Spot 'cared about me.' What a load of bullshit, right?

"Miss Kelly! Miss...Kelly!" I heard a panting voice say. I turned to see a boy running over to me.

"Can I help y--Fetch?"

"Yeah," He heaved. He bent over in exhaustion. "It's me,"

"What are ya doing? Are ya alright?"

"I'm...fine....I have somethin'...ta say.." He finally stood up straight and took a deep breath.

"Well, say it,"

"I was sent to tell you that David needs ya, at Denton's place," He says.

"Denton's place? Why would I go there?"

"I wasn't told any details, but he needs you immediately,"

"Fetch, it's past sundown, what are you doing out here? And why were you talking to Davey?"

"Spot sent me, and I was lookin' for ya, and David sent me to get you. He said you'd be in Harlem,"

"Spot sent you?"

"Miss Kelly, with all due respect, you seem to be missing the point. David needs you, now,"

"Okay, okay, I'm going. I will be talking to you again, Fetch. Get back to Brooklyn and go to bed," I say with a smile before turning to run back to 'Hattan.


I ran all the way to Denton's apartment, where I found David, Sarah, Les, and Jack!?

"Jack!?" I ask, glaring at him. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be kissin' Pulitzer's ass right now?"

"Kenny!" David covers Les's ears.

"Sorry," I said, still looking at Jack. "I wanna know what he's doing here,"

"Kenny, calm down. We'll explain all that later," Denton says. "Right now, we've got to get printing,"

"Printing?"

"Printing the article that will show the world what the newsies are made of," Jack says with a grin. I squint my eyes suspiciously, but follow them anyway.

Jack takes us to where he'd been sleeping, which was in the print room. He turned the light on, and revealed a huge press. Soon enough, we started the process of newspaper printing.

"This is the story you wanted to write, well tonight is the night that you can," Denton sings.

"Just get this done and by dawn's early light you can finish the fight you began," Jack adds.

"This time we're in it to stay," David says.

" Think about seizing the day," Sarah adds.

"Think of that train as she rolls into 'ol Santa Fe," Jack says. He looks at me. "Tell her I'm on my way,"

"See old man Pulitzer snug in his bed,
He don't care if we're dead or alive.
Three satin pillows are under his head,
While we're beggin' for bread to survive." We all sing.

"Joe, if you're still countin' sheep,

Wake up and read 'em and weep
You got your thugs with their sticks and their slugs
Yeah, but we got a promise to keep

Once and for all, something tells me the tide'll be turnin'
Once and for all, there's a fire inside me that won't stop burnin'
Now that the choices are clear, now that tomorrow is here
Watch how the mighty will fall, for once and for all

This is for kids shinin' shoes in the street
With no shoes on their feet every day
This is for guys sweatin' blood in the shops
While the bosses and cops look away

This is to even the score
This ain't just Newsies no more
This ain't just kids with some pie in the sky
This is do it or die, this is war

Once and for all, we'll be there to defend one another
Once and for all, every kid is our friend, every friend a brother
Five thousand fists in the sky, five thousand reasons to try
We're goin' over the wall, better to die than to crawl
Either we stand or we fall, for once, once and for all."

We finish, and by the time we're done, newspapers are already in the hands of the newsies. The city will finally know, I thought. All we need to do now is wait, wait for the children of New York to join the fight.

"Kenny," Race says to me. "Somethin' botherin' ya?"

"What makes ya say that, Race?"

"I can jus' tell. C'mon, tell 'ol Racey,"

"It's nothin'," I say. "Just still upset ova' the whole Jack thing."

He gives me a look that says he doesn't believe me, but he drops it. I want to tell him about Spot, I really do, but I don't know how he'd take it. He wouldn't tell Jack, at least I think he wouldn't.

"All's we's can do is wait fa' tomorrow," Race says. "Might as well go ta sleep,"

"I will, but first, I need to go do somethin'," I say, starting for the door.

"Where ya goin' now?"

"Harlem. I betta' tell Skiddy."

This was a lie. Skiddy probably already knew. If it was one thing that the Harlem newsies was known for, it's knowing what's going on in all the boroughs.

I run in the darkness, my footsteps being the only sound in the dead silence of the night. I keep running and running, not breaking a sweat. Eventually, I reach the bridge.

"Aye, if it isn't Female Kelly," Wiz says.

"Move it, I need ta talk to someone,"

"Spot don't wanna see ya,"

"Good, 'cause I ain't here for him," I say, pushing past him.

"Then who ya here for?"

I ignore him and walk over to a boy sitting on a stool. "Where's Fetch?"

"He's um...over there," He said, looking for Fetch then spotting him.

"Thanks,"

I walk to where Fetch was talking to a newsie. I didn't see Spot anywhere, which was good, but he was probably lurking somewhere on this dock.

"Fetch, come on, we're going for a walk." I say, grabbing his arm.

"But Miss Kelly, I need to--"

"Don't care, let's go."

I pull him away from the dock, far away so no one can hear our conversation.

"Now, tell me why Spot sent you,"

"He had just gotten back from Manhattan, and he was all steamed about somethin'." Fetch started. "He said that Jack Kelly had betrayed them, so they came back home. Then, he sent me to tell you he was sorry it didn't work out, and that he enjoyed it while it lasted. I think he meant he enjoyed spending the time, but that's just what he told me. I came lookin' for ya, and that's when David spotted me, and sent me to find you,"

I registered this information in my mind. Spot wanted to apologize? That is completely unlike him. The infamous Spot Conlon, merciless and cold-hearted, wanted to apologize.

"He enjoyed spendin' time with me?"

"From what I think, yeah."

"Tell him that the strike is back on, and by tomorrow, all the kids in New York will be with us." I say, and Fetch nods.

I run back to Manhattan, grinning to myself over this news. Spot enjoyed my company.

Why was I so happy about this?

<><><>

nice goin fetch