| Hey how's it rollin'? I'm Spot Conlon, da leader of da Brooklyn newsies. It's amazin' what a goil can do to ya life. Afta Bodie, my life was neva da same..... Spot walked down the dusty streets of Manhattan, on his way to go and see Jack. Strolling down the street, he suddenly fell as someone ran into him. "HEY WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOIN'!" yelled the mysterious person. "HEY! You're da one dat ran into me, remeba? And do youse even know who I am?" yelled Spot. The person looked at Spot, their eyes shaded with their hat. "I don't really care who yeh are." replied the person. "I'm Spot Conlon! Da leader of da Brooklyn newsies! And boy, you've got some noive talkin' to me like dat." With that the person laughed and said "Pssh, Spot Conlon. Big deal!" and with that they ran off. Spot cursed and dusted himself off. He fixed his cane back into place and continued walking to the Newsboys Lodging House of Manhattan. "Hey Jacky boy, how's it rollin'?" "Hey Spot!" the two spat shook and sat down on two barrels outside the lodging house. "Geez, deyre was da craziest newsie! Dey ran into me and didn't even care who I was!" "Hm, are ya sure dat it was a newsie?" "Yeh! Dey was dressed like one and talked like one." "I neva hoid of a newsie who didn't fear or respect youse." said the puzzled Jack. "Yeh well, when I get my hands on 'im, I'll make sure dat he'll ALWAYS rememba Spot Conlon and who I am." said Spot angrilly. Spot was arriving back in Brooklyn when he saw a crowd of his newsies standing around. He made his way through to see what was so interesting. To his surprise, he saw the same person who had run into him! Marbles went up to Spot and said "Get a load of dis! Dey're jus yellin an' tellin' us dey can beat us up! Haha!" Spot went up to the stranger and said, "Hey who are ya anyways?" Then the stranger looked up and took their hat off. to everyone's surprise, even spot's, they saw a short, yet beautiful girl staring up at them, blinking furiously. Marbles howled with laughter and went up to her and said "Hey there, are youse lost little goil?" With that, the girl jumped up, and punched Marbles in the stomach, making him bend over in pain. All the other Brooklyn newsies stepped up to her. To their surprise, she put up her fists and said "I'll fight you all if I has ta!" Spot stopped them all and said "So. You tink you can jus barge on inta Brooklyn?" she lowered her fists, glared at him, and said sarcastically, "Oh look! It's da famous Spot Conlon." A wave of "ooooo's" went around the newsies and Spot went up to her and said "Listen goil! I dont know what you're problem is,. but if you give us lip like dat again, den goil or no goil, I'll soak ya!" he shoved her and she went careening back and glared. Spot and all the other newsies walked away without a word. The girl stood on the docks, not knowing what to do. It was getting dark, and cold. She had no home to go to, and had no friends or relatives she knew of. She sighed and lay down on some crates, pulled a raggedy old thin blanket around her, and fell asleep. The next morning, Spot was walking outside, whistling an irish tune. He stopped when he almost ran iinto a pile of crates. He looked at the crates and saw the girl from the day earlier sleeping. he shook his head and laughed. She immediately woke up. "WHAT'S SO FUNNY?"she snapped. "Nothin', jus dat youse been out heah all night. Why didn't yeh go back home? To yeh own lodging house?" "I don't...well...um..." she stuttered. Spot looked at her confused. "Aren't yeh a newsie?" "No! 'course not!" Spot was surprised. She was dressed like one and talked like one. There weren't that many newsgirls but there were always some in some scattered areas. Brooklyn had none since no girls were as tough as they were. Spot asked, "Den...why are youse dressed like dat, and what are yeh doin' heah? Wanderin' around in da streets?" "It's none of your business!" snapped the girl. "Geez geez. Fine den. Like I said goil, yeh gotta be careful what ya say ta me." and Spot walked away. The girl, whose name was Stephanie, muttered under her breath and sat down on the crate again. She stared at the water. She was so intent on her thoughts that she nearly had a heart attack when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She whirled around and saw three boys, newsboys no doubt. One of them was smoking a cigar with a pocketwatch in his vest pocket. Another was wearing shorts with curly brown hair and misty brown eyes. The other had sandy blonde hair and a brown eyepatch. She didn't buy his eyepatch at all. It was obvious it was for sympathy. The one with the cigar said, "Uh...scuse me, we couldn't help but notice youse sittin' heah all by yourself. And besides, you're da only goil heah in Brooklyn, neva seen a Brooklyn newgoil..." Stephanie snapped, "What's it to you if Ise by myself?" her eyes were shining like firehot coals. The boy in shorts said, "Sorry, Racetrack didn't mean to offend you. Um...I'm Mush. Dis is Kid Blink.. We're heah with Jack Kelly to see Spot. We're from Manhattan." Stephanie looked at them and said, "I'm not a newsgoil." They all looked at each other. She sighed and said, "Let's just say that these are my brother's clothes. I have no more family, and no home." Race puffed on his cigar, and blink and Mush glanced at each other, not knowong what to say. To their relif, Jack walked up. "Heya fellas!" The others glanced at Stephanie who was still sitting on the crates, staring up at them. Jack noticed her and said, "Hey there! What's your name?" "Stephanie." "Hm, Stephanie. Do youse got a newsie name?" "I'm not a newsie." Jack knew that she was homeless and had no place to stay. "So do youse got a place to stay?" he asked. She hung her head sadly. "Hm well, I'd invite youse to come stay at Manhattan wit us, but we don't have enough room. Itey and Snitch already have ta share a bed." He said. "Oh I know!" exclaimed Jack."I'll ask Spot if he's got any room in da lodging house for youse." Stephanie jumped up and said "No! It's a'ight! Really! I'se been sleepin out heah!" Jack laughed and said, "Brooklyn's a dangerous place, yeh know. Youse lucky you're alive right now. We're goin' ta see Spot." Jack grabbed Stephanie's wrist and set off for the lodging house. Race, Mush, and blink followed. Stephanie nervously thought of spot's face when Jack asked if she could stay there... Part 2 |