"Um, are you Spot?" A new newsie asked meekly.
"Yeah, who are you?" Spot asked, staring at the small boy before him.
"Um, I'm Sam, and I was wonderin' if you knew of a spot ova hea where I could sell me papes."
"Well, we don't generally like new newsies, unless of couis dey goyls..." Spot trailed off, giving his goofy smirk. "So do ya got any exceptions of why I should let ya sell hea?"
"Well, me mudda kicked me out, and I ain't got no place ta stay. And I've always wanted to sell in Brooklyn, 'stead a anywhere else." Sam asked, looking up at Spot. He was so much taller than Sam, but they were the same age.
"Hmm... I suppose I could give ya a try. Ya prob'ly need a place ta stay too?" Spot asked, eyeing the strange boy in front f him. He had a hint of blond hair showing from under his hat, and blue eyes, that almost seemed to change green in different light. And was about at least six or seven inches shorter than him. Sam couldn't be more than five feet.
"Yeah, is that awright?" Sam asked, looking into the deep gray eyes of the famous Spot Conlon.
"I suppose, so Sam, how old are ya?"
"I'm 15, I guess I'm a little short for my age."
"I'll say! C'mon Shorty, we need's ta git goin. You'se sellin' wid me!" Spot knew there was something mysterious about this boy and he was going to find out.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Spot had sold papers all day with Sam and still couldn't figure it out. He knew there was something though.
"Heya Shorty, wanna go have some dinna wid me friends in Manhattan?"
A look of panic swept across Sam's face. "Um, no, I don't really wanna go dat far. Is dere some place 'round hea?"
"Yeah, c'mon." Spot now knew there was something or someone in Manhattan that he didn't want to see.
"Fellas, dis hea's me friend, Sam. 'E's gonna be stayin' wid us. So you'se all betta be nice ta 'im." Spot said, introducing Sam to all his boys.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
After dinner Spot was walking Sam to the Brooklyn Lodging House. He noticed a lump in Sam's hat.
"Heya, Shorty, lemme see yer hat," Spot said, snatching the hat off of Sam's head. Then he just stood there, dumbfounded. As he snatched Sam's hat it revealed the most gorgeous blond hair he'd ever seen. It fell down, going a little past her shoulders.
"Shorty, you'se a goyl?" He asked, still in shock.
"Yeah, don't tell nobuddy, dough, I don't want anyone ta know." She said, grabbing her hat and jamming the hair back under her hat.
"Yeah, okay. I won't tell nobuddy." Spot said, and they walked the rest of the way home in silence. As they walked into the Lodging House she found it a lot like the one she had left in Manhattan. People sprawled out all over, talking, playing poker.
"Hey, Sam, ya wanna play?" A big newsie asked, she remembered him from before, his name was Buff.
"Uh, shoa." She said, trying to deepen her voice.
They played cards for a while and listened to their conversations, not adding much in. She didn't realize what guys talked like when they weren't around girls.
"So, Shorty, you'se got a goyl?" Buff asked. Spot had called her Shorty and it stuck, much to her dismay.
"No, you gotta goyl?"
"Well, I don't got one now, but dere's dis one in Manhattan, she's goin wid Race now. God, she's goigeous! I know dey'll break up soon." He said, visioning her. 'Sooner then you know', she thought to herself.
As they were in the middle of the next game Racetrack stormed in.
"Heya Race? Whadda you doin' hea?" As he said that Buff turned a shade of pink, and Sam turned stark white.
"Yeah, I'm a little worried. It's me goyl, she's gone. You ain't seen her, have ya?" Race asked, looking very worried. Buff got a huge grin on his face. 'Yes!' he thought to himself.
"Nah, we ain't seen 'er. Hell, I didn't even know you got a goyl." Spot said, eyeing Buff.
"Yeah, I do, well I did." He started sadly. "I was talkin' wid dis odda goyl dis mornin' and I think she saw me. I gave 'er a kiss an a hug, da odda goyl, and it was because she was da daughta of a friend of me mudda's, and said 'er fadda had died. I felt bad fer 'er, ya know. Den da next thing I know, Emily ran off. Dat's me goyl. She's so goigeos. Blond hair ta hea," He said, pointing to a spot just below his shoulder, "and dese eyes, dey're a brilliant blue, sumtimes changin' ta green."
"Sorry, we ain't seen nobody new. 'Cept Sam hea. But he ain't know goyl." Buff said, still pleased over the breakup. Spot looked at Sam, almost asking her if she was Emily. She just looked down.
Race barely noticed Sam. Just nodded to her. "Well, Spot, if ya see 'er, can ya tell 'er I'm sorry. And...dat I love 'er." Race just left, not ever looking up. Sam ran teary eyed out the back door. Spot ran after her.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
"Uh, Sam, dat's you. Dat 'e's talkin' about, isn't it?" Spot asked, staring at the beautiful, teary eyed girl, now in his arms.
She looked up and nodded, a single tear dripping down her face. Spot brushed it aside. "Want me ta take ya back?" She shook her head, she still wasn't quite ready to go back.
"Awright, whateva you say, Shorty." They just stood there, his arms around her.
When they went in everybody was already asleep. Spot showed Sam her bed and kissed the top of her forehead.
"Good night, Shorty. You think about goin' back. Race really loves ya." She nodded, and fell asleep right away. She liked it in Brooklyn, Spot was so nice, and playing cards with all of them was a lot of fun. She just wasn't sure she wanted to go back.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
It had been about a month since she had left Manhattan and Sam still didn't want to go. Until the next day... That morning Spot woke her up before the boys got up, so she could use the washroom, without revealing her secret, like always. She tucked her hair up in her hat just as the boys began coming in.
"Heya Shorty, ya ready ta go?" Spot asked.
"Yup."
They sold their papes all day, only stopping for lunch. They always had a lot of fun, but never mentioned Race or Manhattan. When it was time for dinner Spot finally spoke up. "Shorty, I tink you oughtta go ta Manhattan fer dinna wid me tanight. I know, you'se afraid dey'll recognize ya. Well Buff seems ta tink very highly of Emily, and he neva noticed you was her. And maybe den you'll see why I want ya ta go back."
"But Spot, I like it hea. Da way you all treat me. Especially you. You like da brudda I neva had. I can tell you stuff, and I know dat you won't tell. I don't wanna leave ya." She looked up at him, and it broke his heart.
"I know Shorty, you'se like a little sista ta me, and dat's why I want what's best fer ya. You gotta go back ta Manhattan, jist go ta dinna wid me, as Sam. Awright?" He asked, pleading with her.
"Awright." She said, unenthusiastically.
So they walked to Manhattan. And he escorted her into Tibby's.
"Who's dat, Spot? You ain't neva told us 'bout a new guy?" Jack said, staring at Sam.
"Oh, dis is me friend, 'e's new, like me little uh, brudda. Names Sam. You seen Race, Jackey-Boy? I gotta ask 'im bout me bet."
"Naw, eva since Emily's been gone 'e's sold papes, slept, sold papes, slept. 'E hardly eva eats any more. I feel so bad fer 'im. I wish I could find 'er for 'im. He's really bad." As Jack said that Spot saw the tears weld up in Sam's face. She ran out, and Spot just hoped it would be to the Lodging House.
"Woah, what's 'is problem?" Snoddy asked.
Spot told them the whole story.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
She ran all the way to the Lodging House, and almost collapsed when she got in. She was in shock when she saw Race. He was so thin, thinner than even before.
"Get outta hea. Dis ain't no public house." Race yelled at what he thought to be a boy before him.
Then Emily took off her hat, and his moth dropped open.
"Em!" He ran over to her, embracing her with the biggest hug she'd ever had. It felt so good to hear someone call her 'Em' again. Nobody but Race ever called her that. "Where da hell where you? I was worried sick."
"I'm so sorry. I was da guy in Brooklyn dat you met a month ago, while you was lookin' fer me. I stayed dere. I'm not shoa why. But I'm so glad ta be back. Do I still got a bunk?"
"A cois ya do. I love ya, Emily."
"I love ya too, Racetrack."
EPILOGUE
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
They kissed, and the fireworks were unbelievable. Then they walked back to Tibby's, his arm around her. And Racetrack ordered the biggest meal he'd ever ordered. And when Spot left Emily barely noticed. She and Race lived happily ever after
. THE END
