Humbling Spot Conlon (A Spot Conlon Love Story)

Prologue

Living as a twelve year old girl in New York in 1896 was no picnic. I went to a school that I hated and nobody listened to a word I said. I was expected to "act like a lady". Whatever that means.

I lived with my mother. My father died when I was just a kid. I didn't even remember him.

Immediately after I got out of school I kicked off my shoes, and pulled my socks off. I couldn't stand my shoes. They were so uncomfortable.

I started walking home. It wasn't far. On my way I saw newsies selling papers. They were shouting out crazy things that I hardly believed were the headline.

"Wanna buy a pape?" Asked one with dark hair and eyes. He winked at me, I just rolled my eyes and left without a word.

Getting home I stepped through the door and dropped my shoes next to it. "I'm home," I called out. No answer. I knew my mom was home, she didn't tell me she had any plans today. "Mom?"

I went to their room. There I saw something that nearly made me faint. I ran in and stared in horror at the sight of my mom lying motionless on the floor.

I fell to my knees. I frantically grabbed her wrist and felt for a pulse. I put my head to her heart. I checked for breathing. I tried to shake her awake. I tried everything, but she was gone. I couldn't believe it.

I tried to stay strong as tears streamed down my cheeks. I tried to believe I was only dreaming, but I couldn't. I pulled her head into my lap and wept. Soon I was stained with tears.

I knew I had to leave. I couldn't handle looking at her anymore, it was too painful. I unclasped my mother's locket from her neck and put it around my own. It had a picture of me and her.

Then I realized I had nowhere to go. I had no other family. As a teenage girl with no family there was only one place to go, but I did not want to go to an orphanage.

I made a decision. I would dress like a boy and find a job. Fortunately my chest was small, and I didn't have to do anything to hide it for now. I'd have to do something about my hair though. It was platinum blonde and went all the way down to my waist. I needed something to cut it. I found a knife and chopped it away until it went just past my ears.

I looked at myself in the mirror. My unevenly cut hair now hung over my dark eyes. I thought I looked passable as a boy. I just needed something to wear. For now I put on a pair of my dad's old trousers with suspenders to stop them from falling down. My mom still kept them in a box in the attic. The button up shirt I wore went halfway down my thigh. It looked kind of funny but it would work for the time being.

I walked through the streets. I could work in the mines, but I had seen boys looking miserable doing so. I could work for a rich family but I didn't like the lack of freedom.

Then I walked past a boy waving around a newspaper. I approached him. "What're you doing?" I asked, trying to deepen my voice.

"My job," He said, "Wanna buy a pape?" He held a paper out to me. I shook my head.

"No money. So you're a newsboy?"

He nodded. "The name's Jack Kelly. And if ya ain't gonna buy a pape, then scram. Payin' customers only." He waved me away.

I ignored him. "How do you become a newsboy?"

He chuckled. "You start by not sayin' newsboy. You really wanna be a newsie?" I nodded. "Alright. You got a place ta stay, kid?"

"No."

"Then you come stay at the newsies lodge with me and the otha Hattan newsies. Do you have any money?" I put my hand in my pockets and felt a coin. I took out a dime and held it out to him. "Good. That's all ya need ta be a newsie. What's yer name?"

I hadn't planned that out. I needed a quick answer or he'd think it was fake, which it was, but I didn't want him to know that. "Err, Nick. Nick Badger" It was the first thing that came to mind. I had almost said my real name, Nichole. Good thing I stopped myself. That would've been a dead give away.

"Well, Nick, I guess yer a newsie now."

***

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