burning red

- 9 -

Spot slammed the file back onto the table, producing a loud noise that startled everybody. Justine jumped back and stumbled into Finch, who caught her before she could fall onto the ground. She glanced at him and mumbled a quick thank you before she situated herself back into her position.

Finch looked down and quietly laughed to himself as he slowly shook his head. But unfortunately for him, Justine had heard him in which she shot him a glare. She refaced Spot, who was even more frustrated than he had initially been.

"this is useless." He turned away with a sigh and took a couple of paces before returning to the table.

"useless?" Race echoed and leaned forward, pressing his palms onto the dusty wood whose paint was fading. "be foah real, this has everythin' we need- this will get her out'a his hands!"

"if tha plan was ta get her-" He pointed at Justine, who furrowed her eyebrows. "daddy arrested then yeah, we have everythin' we need." The newsies- and Justine- flinched at his angry tone. But he wasn't angry at them, no. In fact, he didn't know what had gotten him so worked up all of the sudden. All he knew that whatever it was that they were planning, it had to be perfect. He couldn't bear any flaws, he'd determined that they didn't have space for any more.

He just wanted Lilly back. His best friend. He wanted her back with no chance, whatsoever, of her getting taken away. He wanted her back, safe.

Finch shoved his hand into his pocket, pulling out an extremely creased piece of paper and handed it to Spot. He aggressively grabbed it from him and read it out loud before dropping it onto the table with a sigh.

"what do ya think this is goin'a do?" A once-hopeful Finch's shoulders slumped down.

"everythin' that happened was accordin' ta Lilly's unlce's plan an' that lettah alone proves that he had Justine's faddah to his doity woik fah him." Finch replied, motioning to the letter in question. "that's the glue of it all."

"but is it enough?" Spot crossed his arms and glanced at each person that stood in front of him.

Justine stepped forward and confidently nodded. "it's enough."

He raised an eyebrow and strolled to the other side of the table for the sole purpose of getting into her face, in which Justine faced him with an annoyed, deadpanned expression. What a hot shot.

She would know; she was one as well.

"an' how do ya know that, prissy?" Finch cringed. Of all names that Spot could have called her, he chose his name for her.

His. The word lingered in his mind as he kept his gaze locked onto the cocky blonde. Justine was far from his; in fact, the closest that she was to being his was being his enemy. Before, he never cared whether she lived or died, but now?

"killing Lilly's parents meant that my dad would be on top with her uncle- there was something in it for him too." Justine explained and Spot took a step back before motioning for her to go on. "no matter what, it all circles back to him. It's enough."

Spot's eyes traveled up to Finch and he raised his eyebrows at him. "she yours?"

Finch's jaw dropped open and he scoffed. "God- no!" He replied too quickly as Justine frantically shook her head.