Brooklyn, Baby | Spot Conlon ²

Chp. 3: Reminiscing

Racetrack, 

I'm shocked that Kenny has found new love. If you can call it that yet. I can't blame anyone for falling in love with her. She's beautiful, inside and out. I too felt something for her, but it was never anything huge. Spot was always her real lover. It's hard without him. 

Me and him discussed things before, in the event of his death. I would take over Brooklyn, as I am the only trusted and qualified newsie for it. 

I never thought the day would come. I am not ready in the slightest to succeed Spot. How can I? Spot was the most prestigious and legendary newsie leader there ever was. True, we are all getting older, so common sense isn't in need of teaching here. Spot really took care of us. We were all ready to leave the nest, you might say. It's as if he planned to die at this point in our lives. Of course it wasn't planned, his death was a tragedy to us all. 

Give Kenny my good wishes for her and Eric. 

August 1st, 1901.

Bucky. 

Kenny closed the letter and set it down on the desk. 

"Kendall, I beg you, please tell me of this man you all seem to think highly of," Eric says. 

She looks at him. "It's, uh, a long story, Eric." 

"Condense it for me, then. I wish to know of the individual you once loved," 

"Very well," 

The two walked out into the garden, which was lit up in the sunny day. 

"I'm not sure if you knew of the newsie strike in New York," 

"I heard of it," He says, clasping his hands behind his back. 

"Well, I was a part of the Manhattan newsies, and we called on all other boroughs in the state to assist us. Brooklyn was a key part in our battle, no one would listen to us without Brooklyn." 

"Why?" 

"Brooklyn was the most powerful borough in the newsie world. This reason is because of its leader, the most respected newsie of them all."

"Who?" 

"His name was Spot Conlon," She says. "Gaining his alliance, and more importantly his trust, would be difficult." 

"How did you manage?" Eric asks. 

"Well, I visited him with Francis and David in Brooklyn one day. He was an egotistical fifteen year old, not too tall but very muscular. He was not convinced by our request in the slightest. It took more convincing by me that night to get him to come help us fight off scabbers," 

"Scabbers?" 

"Strike breakers," She replies. "We held a rally for all the newsies to conduct a plan, which he attended after we gained his trust in us. It was then that I grew attracted to him. I stayed in Brooklyn that night, because the police broke up our rally." 

"You won the strike, right?" 

"Yes, we did," 

"That's quite an accomplishment," 

"We did what we had to to make money," She says. "Life was rough as a newsie. You had to watch your back, and make sure you stay eating," 

"What happened to him?" 

"Well, it goes back to when I, um, cheated on him. I didn't mean to, but he was enraged. I fled to New Jersey for a year, trying to forget all my problems and escape them. It hardly worked. Francis and Spot found me in New Jersey, and asked me to return." 

"Did you?" 

"No, I couldn't go back. Everything reminded me of what I did to him. He was shot by a former friend of mine, and I knew I had to go back and make sure he was okay. It was time for me to come home anyways. I traveled back to Manhattan, where we were happy for a bit." 

"But..." 

"He was with another girl to avoid conflict with another borough. This made me upset, so I ran to Santa Fe with the Manhattan newsies. I was there for a good three months before Spot followed me. I rejected him, and he ventured back to Brooklyn." She says, tears threatening to fall. "It was when I realized I needed him that I went back to Brooklyn for him, and I found out he had died." 

Eric was silent for a moment before he reached for her hand. 

"I'm sorry," He says. 

"We had quite an adventure," She said. "I've not mentioned all of it, there's even more. Much too painful memories." 

"Kendall, I wish for you to know that I realize I will never amount to him, but I ask of you, to try and love me anyways," 

"I would never expect you to match him," She says. 

He was right. He could never amount to Spot. No one could, really. Kendall had grown to love him despite her remaining feelings for Spot. It didn't matter. 

Her life had to go on, and so did her heart. 

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sucky update sorry :///

I'm trying to update both this and newspaper club everyday, so bare with me!! 

xx