Somewhere // Spot Conlon

Chapter 15.

"One inch!" I beg Eva desperately.

"No, Allyson, I'm finishing your dress on my time not your mother's," she snaps.

"I told you I would finish it Eva."

"Think of it as a offering, I'm marrying your brother so us girls have to stick together," she smiles sweetly as she puts the final trimming on my dress.

When she finishes, she slips the dress over my corset and undergarments. Eva quickly laces up the back of the dress.

"My goodness, Allyson, you look beautiful," she sighs.

She guides me over to the mirror. It's so simple, but so beautiful. Simple white lace and silk with a red silk belt.

"Monsieur Conlon is going to love this dress," she smiles.

"Thank you Eva," I beam hugging her.

"Allyson! Spot's here!" Charles yells from downstairs.

"Have fun," Eva whispers to me.

I nod and run the stairs. Spot takes off his cap and goes wide eyed when he sees me. His hair is slicked back again, he's wearing his blue shirt with red suspenders and his pimp cane is in his belt loops again. Ace whispers something to him and pushes Spot front towards me. Spot grabs my hand and presses a kiss on the back.

"You look even more beautiful than before," he whispers.

I link arms with him," Come on! Let's get going! We have a rally to go to!"

******

There's so many newsies here! The rally is at Irving hall or more common, Medda's. Spot made me come up on stage with him because he's worried about some other newsies trying to talk to me, I guess.

"Carrying the banner!" Jack yells.

The newsies cheer and yell like no tomorrow.

"So we've come a long way," Jack continues," And we ain't there yet and maybe it's only gonna get tougher from now on. But that's fine we'll just get tougher with it. But also we've gotta get smart and listenin' to my pal David. Who says stop soakin' the scabs."

He's right, we can't go on beating kids like us.

"What're supposed ta do the bums, kiss 'em?" Race asks.

"Hey look, any scab I'se see I soak 'em period," Spot says as he wraps his arm around me.

The boys cheer again but louder.

"No! Can't you see? That's what they want us to do. If we get violent, it's just playing into their hands," David explains.

Spot lets go of me and storms over to David," They're gonna be playin' with my hands! It ain't what dey say it's what we say! And nobody ain't gonna listen ta us, unless we make 'em!"

The newsies cheer loudly at his remark.

"Got no brains! We start to fight each other, it's just what the big shots wanna see! That we're street rats with no brains! With no respect for nothin' including ourselves!" The boys start to quietly sit down as Jack keeps talking," So here's how it is, if we at each other, we're nothin'! If we don't stick together, we're nothin'! If we can't even trust each other, we're nothin'! So what's it gonna be?!"

"We're with you Jack," Race says from on the floor.

Jack stands in front of Spot and I.

"What'd you say Spot?"

"I say, that what you say," Spot smiles," is what I say."

They do a spit shake, gross.

Medda comes on stage and us four sit at a table with Sarah and Les. Spot and Jack drink alcohol almost the entire time Medda sings. Jack's basically laying on top of Sarah. He gets up to go dance with Medda.

"Al, did I'se tell ya, that you'se look beautiful?" Spot slurs burping at the end.

"Yes, you did Spot, multiple times," I sigh rolling my eyes at Sarah's laughter.

"Kiss me, Al."

He leans in closer to me, close enough that I can smell the alcohol on his breath.

"No, Spot," I say pushing him away from me.

"Oh, come on," he says leaning back in.

"Spot, stop."

"Spot, she said no," Blink says coming up behind us.

"She's me goil, ain't she?" Spot sneers.

"Yeah, but dat don't mean you'se can do whatever ya want to her," Blink states," Come on, Ally, lets get you away from this drunk."

Blink holds out his hand to me and I hesitate before taking it.

Spot grabs my wrist," Al, come on stay here with me."

"No, Spot, she's not, I'm taking her home," Blink pries Spot's hand off my wrist.

"Get yer hands off her!" Spot says standing up.

Spot pushes Blink, and Blink does it back.

"Guys, come on, calm down," David says pushing them away from each other.

Spot and I sit back down and Blink goes back with dancing with Medda. Spot leans on my shoulder," Has I'se ever told ya how much I loves you'se?"

David nudges Spot," Snyder."

Snyder? Who's Snyder?

Spot and David stand up and start walking away.

"Snyder?" I ask.

"Nothin' foah ya ta be worried 'bout," Spot smiles, kissing me on the cheek," Stay 'ere wit Sarah."

David and him walk over to Jack, who's on stage. A high pitched whistle goes off and the police start pouring in from all the entrances. Spot rushes back over to me.

"Go wit Sarah and David," He places his hand on my cheek," I'se gonna be fine."

He softly presses a kiss to my lips and gently shoves me into Sarah. He starts fighting with a man almost twice his size.

"Spot!" I yell over and over.

David and Jack push Sarah, Les, and I towards the only open exit. Sarah drags me into the next empty alleyway.

"Sarah, we have to go back. Spot, Jack, David, Blink," I cry," Please. Please Sarah."

"No, Ally, we have to get home and just they're okay."

"But Sarah, I-I-I love him."