FAMILIAR | Spot Conlon

Chp. 29: King of New York

"Hey fellas" Denton walks in with a newspaper in his hand. I'm sitting next to Jack and David is across from me. Denton comes over and slams the paper down in front of us.

"Hey what ya got there Jack" All of the newsies start to crowd around us to get a look at the paper. I see the picture we all took earlier. A bunch of people start crowding around us and saying things like 'Where's my picture'.

"All them words there, theys bout us?" Boots points at the article written below the paper.

"Hey look at ya Jack yous look like a general" I point to his face in the picture.

"Get ya fingers off ma face" He swats my hand away.

"At least I's actually look good. Unlike yous standin next ta me, ya look like a scared cat" He elbows me and I chuckle.

"It ain't ma fault, Race dragged me into the picture without warning"

"Where does it say ma name. Where's ma name" There's Spot cockiness I haven't heard in a while.

"Get your head out ya ass and quit thinkin bout yourself" I say to Spot and hear a few oohs.

"You really are a walkin mouth eh" I turn around to look behind my chair and at Spot.

"And don't you forget it" I turn back around and look at the paper. I catch Races gaze out of the corner of my eye and I can see him smiling. It's about time someone put him in his place.

"Well yous got us on the front page" Davey is in the corner talking to Denton. I can just barely hear their conversation.

"You got yourselves on the front page. Now you just gotta make sure you stay there"

"So what? You get yer picture in the papes. So what's that get ya?" I hear Skittery say somewhere to my left.

"What're you talkin about huh" Mush says from next to Skittery.

"Aye shut up. You've been in a bad mood all day"

"Jack's right what's the matta with ya"

"You're in the papes you're famous. You're famous yous get anythin ya want" Race says as he walks over to the other side of the table with less newsies.

"That's what's so great about New York" He slams his hand down on the table. I swear if he breaks out into song i'm gonna kill myself.

"Yeah!" I hear some shouts.

"A pair of new shoes with matching laces" Mush says.

"A permanent box at the Sheepshead races" I swear betting is the only thing Race thinks about. I wonder what it's like in his head.

"A porcelain tub with boilin water" Spot says out of nowhere.

"A Saturday night with the mayors daughter"

"A fashion house with me in charge" I bust out before realizing what I said.

"Nah I'm just kidding!" I yell to cover my mistake. Still not completely used to being a dude. The Manhattan newsies laugh to cover me. That was close.

"Look at me I'm the King of New York" Or queen but whatever. Race hoists the paper in the air and stands on a table.

*skip some parts cuz I'm lazy and don't wanna add the songs into the book cuz that's cringe*

"A corduroy suit with fitted knickers" Boots says from a chair on one of the tables. Les pops up to in another chair next to him.

"A mezzanine seat ta see the flickers"

"An editors desk for the star reporter"

"Tip your hat he's the King of New York" David motion to Denton who is now sitting in a chair with the newsie surrounding him.

"Look at that I'm the king of New York" I mean, this guy did get us on the front page so he can't be the devil like my dad. Oh the devils already taken anyway.

"In nothin flat he'll be coverin Brooklyn to Trenton our man Denton"

"Makin headlines out of a hunch"

"Protecting the weak"

"And payin for lunch" Race adds to Dentons sentence.

We all cheer and get back to where we were before. David and Jack hug Denton and I squeeze by and hug him too. We pull out and David and Jack look at me confused.

"He got us in the papes can't be too bad right?"

"Right" With that Jack hoists me onto his shoulders like the day we went to Brooklyn.

"Well we's gotta show people where we stand" David brings us back to business.

"Yeah, we's gotta stay in the papes" I say making some of the newsies look at me and realize i'm on Jacks shoulders.

"My paper's the only one printing strike news so far"

"So we's should do somethin that's so big the other papers are gonna feel stupid if theys try and ignore us"

"Yous right Jack"

"Yeah"

"Like a rally. A newsie rally wit all the kids from all over New York" I look at Jack with a doubtful look and he snaps his fingers at me.

"Well make it the biggest loudest noisiest blowout this towns ever seen" For a second I thought he wasn't gonna agree with me.

"It'll send a message for sure" Race says.

"Yeah. There's a lot of us and we ain't goin away. We'll fight until damn doomsday if it means we's get a fair shake" I say and look at the newsies and my eyes land on Spot. I snap back when Jack hands me a drink from the table.

"I'll drink ta that" Spot says as he grabs a drink too.

"Hey you guys, to our man Denton" David raises his glass in the air then looks at me hopefully . I raise mine too and he relaxes.

"To our man Denton"
~~~~
"So did you and Spot have a thing in Brooklyn" Race comes up to me and I spit out my root beer. I wipe my mouth and he laughs.

"Oh shut it. You was saying?"

"I's saw the way you looked at Spot. Yous like em don't you?"

"Uhm... nope" I look away from him hoping he'll leave but he doesn't.

"So did you guys like, date?"

"It's none ya business!"

"Just tryin ta help" He puts his hands up in defense.

"Does he know your, well, you?"

"No and I'd like ta keep it that way"

"So if I's were ta say... sneak out ta Brooklyn tonight yous wouldn't wanna come?" I snap my head in his direction.

"Oh no I couldn't"

"I know ya wanna"

"Even if I did we's wouldn't have a reason ta go"

"Thanks to you we's do now"

"What do ya mean?" He walks away from me and doesn't look back.

"Race what the hell are you talking about?"

"See you at 8!" He shouts back at me, still not turning around.

"What are you talking about?!" I keep shouting. I have no idea what he's talking about so I shout at him again.

"Dick!"

"Asshole!" He retorts. Every single newsie in the bar is looking at us. Including Denton. I shake my head and smirk to myself. This should be fun.