All is fair in Love and Strikes (Sprace)

Chapter 5 I Race

NEWSIES:
Open the gates and seize the day
Don't be afraid and don't delay
Nothing can break us
No one can make us
Give our rights away
Arise and seize the day

We were back with another riot the next morning.  So apparently the song David started yesterday before our first attack wasn't over and we're finishing it almost twelve hours later. Half of us do an elaborate dance routine (did they plan this or something?) before we all gather in front of the gates of The World building. "Alright. Everyone remain calm," David tries. Ha, like that's gonna happen. As if to speak for me, Jack yells out to the group. "Let's soak 'em for Crutchie!" We storm the circulation center and start soakin' the scabs, but the bulls come out to get us. "Oh, Jack! Jack it's a trick!" I yell, addressing the elephant in the room. 

The bulls close the gates, trapping us in, and circle Jack. I try getting through to help but a scab comes behind me. I go to punch him but a marble hits him in the eye, making him stumble back and fall into a wagon of newspapers. I look up to see where the marble came from and see a bunch of Brooklyn newsies pop up from random places on the roof. Suddenly, Spot jumps down onto a fire escape. "Neva fear Brooklyn is here." If I haven't already fallen deeply in love with Spot Conlon, I have now. "It's Brooklyn!" Mush yells. We all cheer and the Brooklyn newsies keep shootin' scabs with their slingshots and marbles. I will never know how they get so much marbles. 

A scab comes up to me and I sit on a ledge with my hands up in surrender. "Hey, I give up. Alright, alright. I give up." I look behind me quickly and kick the guy where the sun don't shine. While he grabs his crotch and cowers in pain I stand up and punch him square in the face, making him fall back. I look up to see Spot smiling at my performance with the scab. It's not a smirk, but a genuine smile. I don't know how long I'm staring at Spot's face before his smile falls and calls out. "Race!" He swings down on a construction hook thing. He really looks like a pirate. It's kind of adorable. I look behind me to see why he seemed so concerned and I understand immediately. There's three scabs behind me with chains and clubs. One of the guys with the chains hits me in the face, making my nose splatter blood everywhere and definitely leaving a good shiner for later. The guy with the club goes to knock me upside the head but before he does, Spot grabs me from his place on the hook and we swing away from the guys. 

We fall off the hook and he cups my face with his hands. "Are you'se okay? Did they hurt ya bad?" I lean my head in his left hand a little, savoring the gesture. I look into his stormy blue eyes. I want to just stop time and stay there. "I'm fine Spot, just a bloody nose and a pretty ol' shiner for later." Spot smiles and mumbles something I think I hear as "the only thing pretty is you." I blush. surely that's not what he said. There's no way. "What?" I ask, wanting to clarify what he said. Spot blushes. "Oh, n-nothing." Ugh, I wanted to know. "I know what I wanna know Spot," I pout, mimicking him from the first time we met. He laughed. We stand up, and my eyes widen. "Duck!" I yell. Spot looks confused but ducks and I kick Oscar Delancey who was about to punch Spot with brass knuckles. "Thanks," Spot breathes. "No problem." We spit shake, and Spot goes to open the gates, letting in the rest of the Brooklyn newsies. Forget pirate, he looks like a general, leading his army into a war. I mean, in a way I guess that's true. 

With Brooklyn's help, we push the crib back. We all cheer over our victory. I jump onto Spot's back, catching him by surprise. We laugh. "Racetrack Higgins, get off my back," Spot says in between laughter. "How 'bout no?" I respond, tightening my grip.  "Jack! Boys! Freeze! Freeze!" Denton, the reporter covering the strike, yells over all the commotion. He sets up a camera for our picture. "Spot over there," I point, making sure we get in it.  We make it in the picture just as the camera flashes.