Newsie Baby (A Spot Conlon Love Story)

Chapter 6: Make A Wish

That night, I snuck out of the newsie sleeping lodge. I made sure Jack was asleep before I snuck out. I was about to walk out the door when I heard someone call my name. I turned around to Race who was sitting up in his bed.

                “Hey, Les, where ya goin’?” he said.

                “Never mind where I’m goin’,” I said, “Just don’t tell Jack you saw me leavin’ tonight, alright?”

                Race nodded and I ran out the door. I snuck through the alleys of New York once again to get to Brooklyn. I went to the harbor right next to where the newsies of Brooklyn stayed. I sat down on the dock watching the water. It was really pretty at night. I could hear the music playing from the fancy restaurant on the bay. I wondered what it was like to eat there and dance in there and listen to music in there. As I was dreaming of life outside being a runaway, I heard a noise behind me. I turned around to Spot. We walked over to me and sat down next to me.

                “For a moment I thought ya wasn’t gonna show,” Spot admitted. He sounded a lot more nervous than his usual cocky self.

                I pushed my hair out of my eyes. “Yeah, well, I’m true to my word,” I said, “So what did you wanna show me?”

                “We have to wait a little bit. While we do, why don’t you tell me ya story?”

                “What is there to tell? I ain’t got much of a story. I lived in an orphanage all my life. Most of those girls hated each other. I wasn’t no different. I got in trouble the most, though. My mouth gets me inta trouble all da time. The last time it did, I ended up almost sleepin’ in the basement, ‘til Jack busted me out. Now I’m here on the streets, runnin’ away from the fuss who wanna take me back to that place. I’m pretty good at hidin’ though. I had to learn how to be. The only one who cares about me is Jack and even he plans on leavin’ some day.”

                “Why ya think ya folks left ya?”

                “I don’t know and I don’t care. They did leave me and that’s the end of it. No matter the reason. So what about you huh? What’s your story?”

                “I don’t tell my story. It’s on a need to know base.”

                “Of course it is. Just thought you might tell me though since you’re the one who invited me out here.”

                I looked away from Spot and back out to the water. Suddenly, couples started to come out of the restaurant and walk on the beach. They had something in their hands as they walked out. Spot scooted closer to me.

                “Look at that,” Spot told me.

                I looked at all the couples. They lit the things they were holding in their hands. Now I recognized them as floating lanterns. I had seen pictures of them. They let them go into the sky. Each lantern danced around in the air lighting up the water with a glow that looked like the setting sun. It was so beautiful to see. I smiled as the wind blew the lanterns above me and Spot. I looked at Spot who was looking up. The lanterns illuminated his eyes. He looked at me.

                “This is beautiful,” I said.

                “I like to come out here and watch the couples do this,” Spot said, “Before they let the lanterns go, they whisper secrets or dreams into it and send them up into the sky.”

                “Why do you like to watch this?”

                “I guess cause it means that some people still like to dream. And life in the streets ain’t so bad when you got a dream. Couples have happy endings or at least they like to believe they do.”

                “So you wanted me to see this. Why?”

                “Someone needed to know Spot Conlon wasn’t all bad. And for some wacked out reason, I trust you not to tell no body.”

                I laced my fingers through his. “I won’t.”

                He smiled at me. We continued to watch more couples send more lanterns into the sky.  They were like watching tiny floating stars. For awhile, I forgot all about the newsie troubles and the troubles I had with myself. Right here, watching these lanterns with Spot, I felt happy. I felt free even though I knew I wasn’t. A lantern flew down by a gust of wind and landed close enough for Spot to grab it. He turned around to me. I grabbed the lantern with the hand that wasn’t holding his.

                “Wanna make a wish?” Spot asked.

                “I wish to be free one day, really free, and have a life worth living,” I wished.

                “And I wish the same and I also wish that if I kissed Les right now, she won’t toss me off the harbor.”

                We let the lantern fly back up into the sky. Spot looked nervous as he stared at me. “So, dat wish I just made, the last part, you think it’ll come true?”

                “There’s only one way to find out, Newsie.”

                Spot leaned in and kissed me. I felt butterflies in my stomach and fireworks go off in my head. I had never thought about kissing a boy. Not until tonight and it felt better than anything I could have imagined. We pulled away from each other.

                “So does that mean you’re my girl now, pretty face?” Spot smirked.

                “I told you to stop callin’ me ‘pretty face’,” I smiled.

                “So is that a yes?”

                I kissed him again wanting to feel the sensation of nervousness and fireworks all over again. I pulled away. Spot grabbed the key from around his neck and pulled it over his head. He placed it over my head so the key dangled around my neck.

                “Your key?” I asked.

                “It’s the key to Brooklyn,” Spot joked, “Well it is to me anyways and I wants you to have it.”

                “Thanks.”

                “No problem.”

                “Spot, we can’t tell Jack about us.”

                “Why? You ashamed of me or somethin’?”

                “You know that’s not it. Jack is my brother. He’s over protective. Like I said, he’s got no one to look after but me. And he doesn’t trust you so he can’t know or each it’s gonna be big trouble and you guys need to stay together to win this battle against Pulitizer.”

                “Alright, fine. We won’t tell ya big brother. Can’t tell ya what this is doin’ to my self esteem.”

                I punched him in the arm and he started laughing. “Don’t joke with me, Newsie. Ya might just get soaked.”

                I stood up and walked away. Spot called after me. “Where ya goin’?”

                “Home, idiot. I can’t stay all night out here. It’s Brooklyn. I’ll see ya tomorrow anyway.”

                I saw Spot smirk and nod his head. I walked away, climbed one of the posts and started on my way home, the new key around my neck giving me security.