Part Two

Every body was curious about Iris. I had told her not to say anything about Chocolate's because Race would probably kill me.

Race walked over to me, and pulled me into a corner.

"She's a whore, whadda youse doin wit trash like her?" I felt like slapping him but I wistrained myself.

"She's me friend, Race. And you go to places like that anyway so it don't matta." Race didn't comment, he sighed and walked away. Iris slowly came over.

"Every ting okay?"She asked. I nodded. I turned when I heard the door bells ring, and scowled when I saw Spot and some of his Newsies with him. Iris tapped my shoulder.

"Who is tat?" Iris asked. I sighed and leaned against the wall behind me.

"An asshole." Iris laughed.

"You tink all men are assholes."

"Yeah, but tat ones ta biggest." I walked over to Race and sat down in the booth with him, Iris walked over to Spot. I rolled my eyes and Mush put his arm around me.

"So hows Trolley?" I asked. The boys were all quiet.

"Ta Doc says tathe might not make it threw dis time, ain't got ta money fer ta med'cine." Jack said putting his head on his hand. I sat silently , I didn't want the boy to die.

"Hey ya fellas." Spot said when he finally walked over, Iris sat down next to me.

"Hi Spot." The guys said in unison.A admiration tone in each one of their voices. It made me sick.

I looked outside. The snow was falling, it was getting colder, and it was getting dark.

"Hey you okay, Shea?" Mush asked. I looked at him.

"Yeah alittle cold."

"Hey Tibby!" Mush yelled. A stout man walked over.

"Yeah Mush, what can I get ya?" He asked.

"Hot coco, fer ta lady." Mush said. Tibby nodded, and left. Spot snickered alittle. I looked at him and gave him a cold glare that was colder than the snow. He was now sitting across from me and I kicked his shin. He looked at me with a death glare and I smiled, pretending I hadn't done anything .

He got up and sat down next to me. He leaned over and whispered in my ear.

"Do tat again little girl, and youse will regret it." I smirked and turned to him. Our faces were maybe five centimeters apart.

"I'm so scared, little boy." I said and smiled at Tibby when he handed me the coco.

He put his arm around me to make it look like we were getting along ,but Jack, Race, Mush, Blink ,and Iris all looked at us funny.

I finished my coco and Iris and me quickly got up and left.

"'What's ta matta?" Iris asked as we walked up the stairs to the bunk room at the lodging house. I shrugged.

"Jist don't feel like gettin pissed off tonight tat's all." I laid down on my bed and Iris sat down on the one next to it.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The night was the coldest one I ever remember and there wasn't much heat in the room either. My hands were like ice, and Iwas practically shivering.

I opened my eyes and looked at the window. It was open. I sighed and wrapped the light blanket around my shoulders. I looked over at Iris, she was asleep. Shacking my head I walked over to the window.

A voice startled me, and I nearly screamed. I bent down to see who was there and frowned when I saw Spot sitting on the rusty fire escape.

"So whadda youse leave fer?" He asked. I looked at him as if he was dense. I started to walk away but he reached in and grabbed my arm. I rolled my eyes and turned around.

"Come 'er." He said dangerously. I shook my head.

"It's cold as shit. No way in hell am I going out 'tere." He gave me a wiry look.

A sighed once more a stepped out onto the fire escape. I pulled my dark blue bandana tighter around my head. The wind wasn't being to nice to me either. It kicked up as soon as I stepped outside. I wished that I had my shawl with me, but it was still wrapped around Trolley. I crossed my arms ascross my chest and leaned against the building.

Spot didn't say anything, just looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders.

"What?" He shook his head.

"I ain't sure how to woid 'tis."

"Jist say it Conlon, I'm cold." He stood up quickley and was now eye level with me.

"You tryin' ta scare me Conlon?" I asked. He narrowed his eyes at me and cracked his knuckles.

I cracked mine too, just to mock him. He got closer into me face and I got closer to his. We were centimeters apart.

"What did you want to tell me?" I asked backing away from his face

"Race asked me,ta try ta get along with youse. So that's whadda I come 'er ta do." I looked at him quizzically.

"Youse come ta be friends?" He shook his head.

"I neva said be friends, I said get along." I nodded.

"Good, I thought I would kill meself,- if I had to be frineds wit you. -Tanks Conlon you saved me life." I yawned and shivered.I looked at Spot before I went inside. He was wearing less than I was. A pair of ripped and old worn pants and a really dirty shirt. I felt bad for him,and stood up straight. He gave me a puzzeled look.

"Whada youse doin'? He asked.

"You walkin' back to Brooklyn ?" He nodded. I shook my head. I heard some noise on the street. I looked over the rail and saw the Newsies walking back.

"Race!" I yelled, and my brother and Jack looked up.

"What?"

"We got an extra bunk?" He shrugged his shoulders and looked at Jack, asking him something. Probably the same thing.

"Ask Kloppman." Jack shouted, looking back at me.

"Why?" Race asked.

"Cause." I paused and looked at Spot. Hesitantly I asnswered.

"Cause Spot's stayin' ta night."

I saw Jack and Race's faces and climbed through the window. Spot behind me.

"What!!" The yelled in unison when they walked in.I rolled my eyes, and laid down on my bunk.

"Gota a problem?"I asked rolling on my side to face Race. He shook his head.

"No, it's just youse two was hatin' each udda fifteen minutes ago." He looked over at Spot who was talking to Jack and Blink. The three of them looked over at us.

"I neva said I didn't like 'im!" Race looked at me quizzically.

"Then whadda youse mean!!"He shouted. Iris stirred and then woke up.

"What ta hell?" She asked quietly. Obviously irritated, and tired. I shook my head.

"You ast' us to get along , and tats what we's doin'. We ain't bein' friends or nuttin'. Just ain't fightin'." Race just nodded. And shook his head, getting up from the bed.

"Ain't tat what you wanted?"I asked half smiling. He waved a hand at me as he walked away, and mumbled something under his breath. I smiled and looked around the room- every bunk was filled.

"Damn it." I muttered to myself and walked over to Jack, Blink, and Spot.

"What?" Iris asked and followed.

I stood next to them for a minute. Apparently they were having more fun talking about some girl than about were they were sleeping. I cleared my throat. Blink actually acknowledged me, and the three turned to see me and Iris standing there.

"Yeah?" Jack asked,

"We gotta problem." I said and the boys looked like they were ready for a fight.

"Where's Fido heah gonna sleep, all ta bunks is takin'." Spot jaw tensed, as if he wanted to say something to me but held it back.

"Someone's gonna have to double up." Blink said.

"Any suggestions as to who?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Jack looked at Spot then to Blink then smiled wickedly and then looked back to me. He whispered something to Blink who smiled and then told Spo who just shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't care." Spot said yawning.

"Spot's sleepin wit you." Jack said. I was about to argue but he held up his hand .

"G'night Shane." He said, and sat in his bunk. Blink laughed, kissed my forehead and went to his bunk a couple over.Yelling a quick good night to me.

"Aren't you excited Shea?" Spot asked mockinly. I looked at him through my eyelashes. Iris kissed my cheek and went back to bed.

"You get ta sleep wit Spot Conlon, on ta second day." He smirked,as he laid down in the middle of the bed. I looked at him for a minute. And then quickly got under the covers.

"Oh yeah,thrilled." I said sarcastically. His arm went over my shoulders in a playful way and I just curled up in a ball at the edge of the bed. Trying to fall asleep as fast as I could.

**********

"Good morning Sunshine, sleep well?" I heard a menacing voice ask me as I opened my eyes and rolled on to my side, to see Spot leaning over me. Not exactly the best way to wake up in the morning. The mishevious grin on his face was getting on my nerves.

"Yes Pookey-Dear." I smiled back and put a hand to his face. He swatted my hand away alittle up set that he wasn't able to ruin my morning. I quickly got out of bed and followed him around the bunk room.

"Now that I know youse was by me side all during the cold winta night-just ta be near me and keep me warm and outta harms way means to met that youse care so much. And shows how much you truely and honestly love me." The guys who had been listening on our little shrade started to laugh hysterically. I put my hands on my knees and leaned my lower back on the wall behind me. Spot threw his hands in the air and stormed off.

"Oh, don't leave me, come back come back." I said pretending to cry and laughing at the same time. Race walked over to me. He was holding his stomach from the antagonizing pain of laughing to hard.

"What's ta matta Spot!" Jack laughed as he followed Spot into the washroom.

"Mornin' Shea." Mush said and kissed my forehead.

"Mornin' Mush." I smiled back and brushed my hair.

"Hey Shane wanna sell wit me ta-day?" Blink asked walking over. I looked over at Race.

"I thought I was sellin' wit youse ta-day Race." He looked over at me and then at Mush and Blink.

"Youse wanna sell at ta track?" I shook my head.

"No not per'ticuly, yeah Blink I sell wit ya."Blink nodded and smiled. He walked to the washroom, Race and Mush behind him.

I slid on my dark blue trousers, and put on my old navy blue sweater that Race found in the storage closet for me.

"Mornin' Cowboy." I said as Jack walked by me.

"Mornin' Shea, how'd youse sleep." He asked me teasing. I gave him a cross look and then a fake smile.

I tied up my shoes-which had pieces of yarn for laces. Took off my sweater and put on my green button down, leaving it open, I had an undershirt on- what did I care-, and then put the sweater back on.

"Shane, I'm gonna go ta woik, I's gotta job in a factory down on 78 and first." Iris said. I nodded.

"Yeah, youse going to Tibby's lata?" Iris nodded and left. I tied my hair in my blue bandana and walked downstairs.

"Hey Kloppman, how's Trolley doin'?" The old man smiled when he saw me.

"Mornin' Shane,He's right dis way, follow me." He pointed a finger at the room behind him.

I followed him and winced when I saw the kid lying on a cot in a far corner.

"'E's on and off." Kloppman said putting a hand on my shoulder. Trolley coughed dryly and youse could hear how hoarse his voice had become. Kloppman lowered his head sadly and walked out of the room.

I closed my eyes for a second and walked over to Trolley's bedside. I had the fever when I was little so I wouldn't have to worry about getting it again.

It gently put my hand on his forehead and felt his face. He was still hot and prespiration was making his sandy blonde hair stick to his skin. It was chilly in his room and I searched for an extera blanket.

I found one in a wooden crate and gingerly laid it on top the boy. Blink walked into the back room and stood beside me.

I pushed some hair away from his head and sighed heavily.It was killing me to see someone so young so close to death. The doctor said he was holding on longer than any one he knew.

"I'm gonna save ya kid, I promise." I said soflty.Blink put an arm around my shoulders and gently squeezed me against him. The others were loudly coming down the stairs, and we left the room. I shut the door behind me.

*******

Part 3
Fanfiction
Fanfic stuff
Brooklyn and Echo's Newsie Junk