Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping.
My eyes shoot open. I throw the blankets off my body and walk over to the window. I pry my window open and look down.
Spot stands there with a smirk, a handful of pebbles, and a slingshot.
"What do you think you're doing?" I scold him.
"I told ya I'se got outta dere, I'se was gonna visit ya," he smirk," Come on down!"
"Turn around."
He spins around on his heel as I start to get dressed. I slip on my dark blue floral dress and black shoes, before climbing out the window.
"How do you'se climb down dere?" He asks look at my window.
"It's not hard, Charles can do it with a jar of spiders in his hand," I laugh.
He gives me a questioning look while taking my hand in his.
"Well, how else can we bother Bennett?" I smile.
"Bennett?"
He starts in the path to the bridge.
"Oh, my oldest brother."
"Oldest?"
"There's six of us. Me, Bennett, Charles, Evan, and Fletcher."
"A, B, C, E, F? Where's D?"
"My mother is Geneva and my father was Daniel. Our names spell out the musical alphabet."
He nods and we walk in silence to the bridge. I catch him multiple times glancing at me. His blue eyes sparkle in the pale moonlight.
"Do you have any siblings?" I barely whisper.
He looks at me with tears in his eyes," If they're still alive."
He turns as towards the docks. He takes the back of his hand and wipes his eyes. We can't be going to watch the sunset, it's been down for hours.
My shoes tap against the old wood of the dock. Spot leans over and starts hacking in to his elbow. I place my hand on his back. He spits something out of his mouth. He grabs my forearm harshly and drags me behind him.
I haven't done anything to piss him off! He marches straight up to a boy older and bigger than him.
"Move Spike," he orders.
"This the goil you'se been wit every night?" Spike asks tauntingly," You'se gonna take 'er to ya throne and show 'er a good time?"
Spot glares at him and Spike quickly slides out of the way.
"Hey, Princess! If Spotty doesn't want ya after I'se be right heah!"
Spot drags me behind him to his favorite place on the docks.
"Sorry, 'bout 'im, he's a little cocky."
"I like you are any better," I tease him with a smirk.
We quietly talk on the dock. I tell him about my life in France as he stares at me with such a profound gaze.
His eyes quickly flicker down to my lips and back to my eyes. I stop mid sentence as he leans in closer to me. My heart races as he gets closer and closer. His calloused hands cup my face. His head starts to tilt slightly to the left as his face is inches away. My stomach starts to do summersaults. His chapped lips finally come down and touch mine.
Oh Lord, he's kissing me. My arms wrap around his neck, as he deepens the kiss.
He needs to stop, I shouldn't be kissing him. He pulls away, leaving me breathless. His hands hands wrap around mine.
"I'se need to tell you'se somethin," his blue eyes are staring into mine.
I nod slightly.
He lets out a deep sigh," I've been keepin' somethin' from ya, Al."
"Sean, you can tell me anything," a sweet smile beams across my face.
"I'se da King of Brooklyn."
My eyebrows furrow at him.
"I'se da leader of da newsies heah in Brooklyn. See all da other newsies, they afraid of me. Everybody's afraid of me and Brooklyn. Nobody messes wit me or Brooklyn."
Wait, a second.
"Is that why Charles didn't want me to see you? Because he's afraid of you?"
His eyes stare deeper into mine as he nods his head.
"Princess, I will never let anybody hoit ya."