Brooklyn Baby | Spot Conlon ¹

Chp. 12: Mine

Spot's Pov

I was sittin' on my crates, as high up as I could get. Sometimes, I just lay here and look at the sky. I just think. The boys assume I'm asleep, but they don't need ta know that.

I hear my boys talkin', about random shit. They were talkin' about goils, and the strike, and all sorts of stuff. I wasn't really listening. My ears really tuned in when I heard my guards talkin' to someone. Who would come here in the middle of the night?

"Spot don't wanna see ya," I heard Wiz. I immediately sat up, and whispered to Hack, one of my spies.

"Hack, who's here?"

"It's Jack Kelly's sista," He says, fixing his gaze on where all the conversation was. "She says she ain't here for you,"

I was surprised. Why else would she be here?

I finally see her. She was wearing jeans and a button down, which was unbuttoned fairly low. Jack would be throwin' a hissy if he saw his sister right now. My boys just watched her walk down the dock, and approach what looked to be Rover and Fetch.

"Fetch, come on, we're going for a walk."

Why does she want Fetch?

"But Miss Kelly, I need to--"

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

I watch her walk off with Fetch, far away from the dock. I lose sight of them in the darkness.

"Want me ta follow 'em, boss?" Hack calls up to me. I shake my head once.

"Fetch will fill us in," I say, waiting patiently for Fetch to return.

After a couple of minutes, I see Fetch walking down the dock. The boys look at him, probably just as curious as I am. Fetch is only thirteen, slim with no muscle whatsoever.

"Fetch," I say firmly.

"Yes, Spot?"

"What was that about?"

"Miss Kelly just came here to ask me a question is all,"

"Ya know what I'm askin',"

"Well, she wanted to know why you had sent me yesterday," He says. Figures. "Because I never did deliver your message. I was on my way to find Miss Kelly, and I got stopped by David Jacobs, who was looking for her. He asked me to tell her to go to Mr. Denton's, and it was urgent. She ran off after that,"

"And what did ya tell her just now?"

"Your message," He says. "I told her what you wanted to say. She was surprised that you enjoyed spending time with her,"

"Ya told her I enjoyed spending time with her? I don't recall that bein' in my message, Fetch."

"It wasn't, but she knew that's what you meant,"

Sure, that's what I meant. I didn't mean for her to find out that what I meant was I enjoyed spendin' time with her.

"So now, she thinks I enjoy spendin' time with her?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, I owed it ta her anyways, since I blew her off afta' Jack was with the scabs," I say. It ain't a lie that I enjoy spendin' time with Kenny Kelly. Who wouldn't? The only problem is that now she's gonna think I care for her.

I don't. Absolutely not.

"I'd spend time with ha'," Dex says. "Have ya seen ha' rack?"

The boys laugh and agree.

"Bed, all of ya." I bark at them, and they quickly get up. "I want ya all ta be ready to go back to Manhattan tomorrow, ready to soak some Bulls. No sleepin' in. If you's olda' than fourteen, you's goin' ta Manhattan,"

They all nod and rush into the lodging house. I rub my forehead, and internally groan. Fetch stays back, and tells me she had something to say to me.

"Miss Kelly told me to tell you that the strike is back on, and by tomorrow morning, all the kids in New York will be in on it," He says.

"That's it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Nothin' about what I told you to tell her?"

"No, sir."

"Alright. Get ta' bed," I tell him, and he runs off.

"Spot, if I may give advice--"

"I don't want ya advice, Buck." I say.

"I know ya don't. I'm gonna give it to ya anyway," He says. I's known Bucky since I was no talla' than Les. We been good friends eva' since before we joined tha newsies. You could say he was a right-hand man.

"I can tell tha way ya feel about her," Bucky says. "It's obvious to me that you's carin' about her."

"I don't know what ya talkin' about," I say, avoiding his eye. I kept my gaze on the riva'.

"Oh, please, Spot. We both know that Kenny Kelly is a smokin' goil, wit a fierce attitude. The only difference between us is that you dig her. And she digs ya back. So, stop bein' a coward, and tell her,"

"I ain't no coward, and I ain't diggin' Kelly's sista. It's strictly business,"

"Keep tellin' ya-self that."

"I's havin' feelings, and they ain't very Brooklyn,"

"Forget about Brooklyn. Better hurry up, Spotty, before Dex gets her first." Buck taunts.

"Dex ain't gettin' her. Nobody's gettin' her."

"But you," He says. "Goodnight."

I watch Bucky walk into the lodgin' house. I hated when he was right. I stare at the riva', thinkin' of what to do. For now, I's gotta focus on the strike, and winnin' it. Afta' that, I dunno.

What I's do know is that Kendall Sullivan is mine, and whoever wants to challenge that can go right on ahead.

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you tell em spot