Brooklyn Baby | Spot Conlon ¹

Chp. 45: New Adventures

Kenny blinked. "D-Dead?" 

"Three weeks ago, he went to Jersey with Buck. Buck came back and told us that Spot had been killed. Couldn't say how, he was too distraught," 

She felt her vision blacking out, but she didn't feel herself fall. She felt so empty, she wanted to throw up and nothing would come out. It physically hurt her to hear this. 

"Are you okay?" Peak asks. 

"I'm...I'm," She stutters, and turns to leave. Then, she hears the words of Race. 

"Why don't you wait a lil' bit, make him anticipate," 

She runs to Manhattan, tears blinding her vision and anger boiling up inside her bones. She throws open the door to the lodge, not caring a damn bit about what hour it was. 

"Racetrack!" She yells. 

"Wha--" 

"Wait a little bit, huh?" She pushes him. "Make him anticipate?" 

"What are ya talkin' about--"

"He's dead, Race!" She cries. "He died, and I could've seen him," 

"Spot's...dead?" 

"I could've seen him, Race! He wouldn't of gone to Jersey if I were here," She sobs. 

"Kenny!" Jack runs for her as he sees her crying. "What happened?" 

Race takes off his cap. "Spot is dead,"  

Jack's face straightens out, and he furrows his eyebrows. He scoops Kenny up in his arms, holding her as she sobs. He walks past all the newsies, including Austin, and takes her to the room, laying her on her childhood bed. 

"Jackie, I could've seen him," She whispers. "I could've told him I loved him,"

"I know, Kenny, I know," 

He leaves her, knowing she should be alone for this type of sorrow. He just knew in his heart how much Kenny loved Spot. From the very first time they laid eyes on each other, their connection was undeniable. That's why he wanted her to stay away from Brooklyn. He knew Spot. 

Not too hard on the eyes, a natural charmer. Every girl's dream was Spot Conlon. A strong, brave boy that was the most respected in all of the state. 

But no girl had ever opened Spot up like Kenny did. No boy, for that matter. Behind his valiant mask was a broken boy. No one could crack the code that was Spot Conlon, until Kenny Sullivan met him. 

She wished she could go back. Go back and let Jack go to Brooklyn. Even then, she'd see Spot at the strike. She wished she could reject him, and save herself a lifetime and more of heartbreak. 

But, she regretted zero percent of their grand adventure. Nothing she did, no mistake she made, was something she was remorseful for. And she prayed when he left that he felt the same. 

Because, when you regret, it means you would do things differently. Anyone could say, Kenny, don't you regret kissing Skiddy? 

The answer is no. She went to New Jersey and developed more into herself. 

She started to cry harder thinking about New Jersey. She could never go back there again. She could never go to Brooklyn. 

How do you move on? 

How do you move past the feeling of complete happiness by just thinking of someone's name? How can you get over the feeling you get when you think of their lips? 

It just wasn't fair. Fate had given them a roller coaster, and the grand finale wasn't how she had planned.  

"Why?!" She screamed. 

Spot Conlon deserved anything but death. He had a terrible life, from being abandoned to almost killed over and over again. Couldn't she have peace? What would it take to have a nice life? 

Maybe she could have a nice life. Maybe she could live pleasantly with her brother and family, not a care in the world. 

Maybe, it could work. 

<> 

"Jack," 

"Kenny," He said, giving her a big hug.

"I think for a while, we should, um, live a different life," 

"What do ya mean?" 

"With our uncle," She says. "We ain't kids anymore, Jackie. We gotta act like adults," 

"If you think we should," 

She nods, wiping her eyes. 

"Getcha skirt ready, Kendall Sullivan," Jack laughs. 

<>

"Any of you is welcome to come along, as long as you's on ya best behavior," 

"We ain't newsies no more, we's adults. It's time we start actin' like 'em," Kenny says. 

What else were they to do? They had no money, no job, no house. These kids, scratch that, adults, are adventure-seekers! 

"I say we do it!" Race says. 

"Yeah!" Mush grins. 

So, the gang found themselves in Tibby's, rootbeers on the house from their old friend Denton. They filled him in on the events that had happened over the last two years. It seemed just like yesterday he approached David to ask about the strike. Time really does fly. 

"We's gonna learn mannas'," Blink sings. 

"We's gonna dress nice," Jack adds. 

"You guys, we'll bathe in a hot scrubbin' tub!" Mushy giggles. 

"Don't forget to tuck your shirt!" 

"And pinkies up!" Les sings. 

"Life as a rich man!" They all sing. 

Kenny cracked a smile for the first time that day. 

She sat next to Denton, who had made her promise to write about the life of a Vanderbilt. He was now a successful journalist for the Sun, getting fair pay, he might add.

"I'd like to make a toast!" Race stood on the table. 

Mind you, there was never anyone else in Tibby's. It was a newsies hangout spot, and for this reason, adults didn't want to enjoy their lunch around pesky homeless children. 

"A toast to a new life!" 

"Yeah!" 

"Let's toast bein' rich, and bein' adults!" 

"Yeah!" 

"A toast," Race raises his glass. "To a new adventure!" 

The boys went wild, but Kenny looked at her cup. She didn't want a new adventure. 

She wanted her old one back. 

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sorry for a boring chapter :((( 

5K are you kidding me I never expected this story to get anywhere thank you all so much :)))