Brooklyn Baby | Spot Conlon ¹

Chp. 34: What Spot Didn't Say

I did feel Spot get in bed that night, and I felt him leave early in the morning. He pressed a kiss to my forehead, then I heard the footsteps on the creaky floorboards. At least I know he's not completely ignoring me.

"Goooood mornin'," Bucky says as I clip my suspenders.

"Ever heard of knockin'?"

"In a boys' lodgin' house? There's no such thing!" He exclaims as I roll my eyes and chuckle. "I'll leave ya alone, see you out there on the frontlines."

I hear him leave with the rest of the newsies, ready to start their day of peddlin' papes and screamin' headlines. I look at myself in the mirror.

A year can do a lot to you. My hair was longer and curlier, not a tangled mess like before. My cheekbones had risen a bit and my lips had gotten fuller. My eyelashes grew longer, and my arms more muscular from selling papers in the tough state of Jersey.

But, it can do more than enhance your physical appearance. I learned things on those streets. I never trusted easily, but if anything happened to me in Trenton, it was that I had become stronger, physically and emotionally. I made a mistake that I still haven't forgiven myself for. I don't know how Spot did.

Wait. What if that was it? Had Spot not completely forgiven me? Was that why he hadn't paid a lot of attention to me? But that didn't make any sense. Those days in the hospital, we laughed and kissed like we hadn't in a year. Something didn't add up here, and I was determined to find out what it was.

I finish buttoning my shirt, never too high and never too low, and walk out the door. The leather boots I had gotten in Trenton clicked on the floor as I walked outside of the lodge. The dock was quiet, but too quiet. It was never this empty.

"Spot?" I called, trying to see if he still lurked around this dock. No answer.

I go to walk but someone jumps in front of me from behind the crates. Skiddy.

"Well, well," He says. "I guess if you's callin' for Spot then I didn't kill him after all,"

"Skiddy, what is wrong with you?"

"I don't think I know what you mean,"

"You almost killed Spot,"

"You say it like it's a bad thing," Skiddy says menacingly. "What do ya care anyways? You didn't care fa him when you cheated on him,"

"That was a mistake," I snarled. "That I regret everyday."

He steps towards me, and I take a step back. He chuckles lowly.

"You know what I's always found funny? How ya manage to spend so much time on this dock," He says with a twisted grin on his face.

"Skiddy.."

"They all think Kendall Sullivan is fearless," He continues as he draws closer. "Well, she ain't."

Soon, I'm backed up against the crates, and I can feel his hot breath on my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

"Does your boyfriend know ya can't swim?" He whispers before picking me up and throwing me into the harbor.

My skin slaps the water as I kick frantically, screaming. I start to sink, and my mind begins to black out.

Third Person Pov.

"I'll go get ha," Skiddy says, jogging back to the lodge to get Kenny. The dock has no one on it, but he hears a muffled scream. He looks over to see something in the water, and looks to be drowning. He squints his eyes to see a cap, and long brown hair sink down. Realizing, he sprints and jumps in.

He wraps his arms around Kenny, pulling her up to the surface. She's unconscious at this point, and he screams for he other newsies. Peak and Rocky come running over, seeing the scene before them.

"Grab her hands!" Bucky hoists Kenny up, and they both grab her arms and pull her onto the desk. Bucky quickly climbs up and pumps her chest, performing mouth to mouth. After a minute she comes to, and starts to cough up water.

"Oh my god," She breathes, hugging Bucky. She shakes violently, and he picks her up and takes her to the lodge. He dismisses Peak and Rocky, getting blankets to warm Kenny.

After a half an hour, she gets over the shock and starts to feel better.

Kenny's Pov

"How did you end up in the water and since when can't ya swim?" Bucky asks.

"I've never been able to swim, guess I just neva' learned." I say. "I was coming after you guys when Skiddy approached me. H-He pushed me in,"

He just clenches his fists like Spot would.

"That Skiddy is really askin' for a soak from Spot."

I just nod.

I sit there in the main room of the lodge, cuddled up in the chair and blankets. Bucky sits next to me, telling me about his breakup with Penny.

Eventually, we start laughing over stupid things and boredly decide to play a dumb game of iSpy. This leads to telling stories about funny things that have happened on the dock.

"And his pants fell completely off?" I ask.

"I'm talking all layers," He says and I burst out in laughter again.

"What's this?" We hear after the door opens. I turn my head to see a stressed out Spot.

"Talking," Bucky says.

"To my goil, huh?"

"She fell in the riva'," Bucky retorts. "I was just keepin' her company."

"Skiddy pushed me in the river,"

"Did ya know she can't swim?" Bucky asks.

"And you saved her, eh?" Spot furrows his eyebrows.

"You wasn't there to," Bucky retorts. "Why don't ya tell her where you've been all day, so she can finally know what you's been keepin' from her,"

Spot looks at Bucky with an unreadable glance and turns towards me. "I meant to tell you this yesterday, but we was interrupted,"

"Okay, tell me,"

"While you was gone in Jersey, um, well, I have a goil."

I stood up. "You what!?"

"It sounds worse than it is," He quickly says. "I's with her to keep Queens and Brooklyn at peace. Stetson and I have never been on good terms, and this is the only thing preventin' a borough war."

I think for a moment. "What about everything you said in the hospital?"

"I meant every word I said, Kenny. I'm sorry I pushed you away the other day, but if someone sees us then they'll tell Queens,"

"That won't be a problem,"

"What do you mean?" He grabs my arm, pulling me back to face him.

"No one will see us together because I's goin' ta Manhattan,"

"Kenny--"

"Spot, I love you, but if you need ta be with her, then so be it."

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If you hate me I understand I only create problems for the two of them omg sorry