brooklyn nights

chapter fourteen

train track;

3rd person POV

Joan got back to the lodge, thinking about her conversation with Spot. Maybe she could've acted a little less ignorant than she did. But at the same time, Spot Conlon wouldn't have either. It's not like they would get back together again. "Is it true!?" Race ran up to the girl, stopping her in front of the stairs. "Yes." She walked up, pushing herself past him to enter the house. She started to walk upstairs. Race was following her closely. "You's kiddin'. So some man will just take this over and you're leavin' us?" She stopped on the stairs, holding onto the railing. "And? It ain't like I could do anythin'. The strike is over. Jack left us. Think 'bout it Race. I ain't got nothin' here. No Jack, no lodge, no Spot." She stopped herself as she realized what she just said. Race got closer to her as he saw tear coming up her eyes. "I ain't got no Spot anymore. It's over. We had nothin' and that nothin' is over." She sat on top of the stairs and let the tears run down her cheeks. Racetrack sat next to her, not knowing how to react. He's seen her cry before but never because of a boy. "I uh..." Before he could do anything, Joan wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head onto his lap. "He tried apologizing' but with knowin' that I'm leavin', I can't stand to even look at him." A sob left her mouth as Race cleared his throat. "You's leavin'?" Joan lifted her head to see Spot standing at the bottom of the stairs. "What are you doing here?" Race stood up, looking at the boy downstairs. Without a word, Spot knew what Race was trying to tell him. "Came to apologize." He sat down on the first stair, his back leaning against the wall to look up at the girl. She leaned against the handrail, long down to him.

"Where are you's goin?" He played around with his fingers, not knowing how to start a good conversation. "West Virginia. Pops got friends down there and I'm able to go to University." Spot chuckled and looked at her with a smile. "So you's gettin' what you wanted." She smiled back at him with a nod. "I guess so." Again, silence took over. None of them knew how to continue this conversation. "You were good out there today." Joan shook her head and slowly slit down the stairs to stop at the one above the one Spot was sitting on. "Still can't believe Jack would do somethin like this." It was an awkward conversation the two of them shared.

"Look I wanted to-.."
"Spot, I'm sorry abou-.."

Both of them stopped at started to laugh. The boy looked up to her with a small smirk on his lips. "Continue." She pushed his shoulder and shook her head. "If I'm leavin' I don't want us to end like this." Spot looked down to his fingers, playing with a ring which was around his index finger. "I'm sorry for the way I acted." She let out a loud exhale. "I just overreacted. I should be the one apologizing." Spot looked at her with a soft smile. "Butter told me 'bout what happened between you's and Kid Blink last year. Guess I was jealous." His voice got quiet in the end. Joan gave him a soft laugh and sat on the stair he was on, their legs leaning against each other's. "Me and Kid have some history, nothin' more." She placed her hand in his knee as he leaned his head against the wall. "Didn't look like that earlier." Joan quickly faced towards the boy with a confused look. "You's actually jealous of Kid?" She started to laugh a little, to which Spot just staid in his position. "Kid and I are just friends." Her smile left her lips, showing the boy that she was serious. "Normal friends or the kind of friend we are?" He had a small grin on his lips. Joan chuckled as response and leaned forward. She placed her hand on his check, slowly stroking over it with her thumb. "What kind of friends are we?" He rolled his eyes at her, knowing she was teasing again. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand towards his lips to place a kiss on the side of it. "Whatever you want us to be."

The two of them pulled apart as the front door opened up, revealing Joan's Grandfather with two men on his side. "Pete?!" The girl jumped away from Spot, his hand ripping away from her knee. He looked after her confused as to who the new people were. Pushing himself up, he walked towards the small group, Joan having her arms wrapped around the younger one of the three men. "Joan darling, how have you been?" Spot wanted to spit the man in his face. His black hair was slicked back. He was towering over Joan, even over Spot a little. Spots eyes showed Pete that he didn't like having him around. Without even knowing him, Spot knew that he wasn't any good news. "You must be..?" Pete looked at him. "Spot Conlon. Leader of Brooklyn." He spat into his hand, reaching out for Pete to shake it. A laugh left the older man's mouth, not taking anything the boy was doing serious. Ignoring his hand, Pete turned to Joan who was watching everything going on with a soft smile. She noticed how threatened Spot got. "So you've got little boys ruling over parts of New York now? This city has changed a lot since last spring." Joan smiled up to him, her eyes sparkling which made Spot even angrier. "Spot has been the king of Brooklyn for some years now, you've just never met him." Spot chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I wonder why. He ain't survivin' 2 seconds over there." Joan stepped forward, reaching out for his wrist. She smiled at the guests with a polite nod. "I'm going to accompany Spot back home. It's nice seeing the two of you again." John smiled at her whilst Pete followed the two of them with an annoyed gaze.