Somewhere // Spot Conlon

Chapter 31

Spot and Ace ring the bell at the window multiple times waiting for the distributor to come out. Hopefully they aren't as wicked as Weasel. I'm sitting on this wooden crate inside the center. This younger guy opens the window and throws down a book for an older round man.

"Hey, Rat," Spot smirks at the older man," A hundred an' fifty."

"It's Mr. McRattle to you," Rat sneers at him," A hundred and fifty for the king."

The younger man hands Spot his papers after Spot lays down a couple coins.

"Why so many, Spot?" The man asks him tauntingly.

"'Cause I got a goil to take care of too, unlike you do, Delancey," Spot spits at him.

That must be Nathan Delancey. I've only seen him once. Oscar brought him over to the flat for some meeting.

But Spot has to sell extra papers and work twice as hard because of me.

"I know you got Oscar's girl," Nathan snarls at him.

"She nevah was Oscar's. She's always been mine."

Since when were people property.

"Oscar was right beating her. She got too much of a mouth," Nathan laughs.

Spot's hands clench onto the bars of the window. Nathan laughs even harder at him," Benny ain't always gonna be able ta help ya get outta trouble."

Bennett? Spot hasn't had trouble since the strike.

"Benny Couture," Nathan hums mockingly," Your best buddy. He's gotten ya outta the refuge, how many times again? Well, there's the night of the rally, and there's when you beated up my cousin Osca-."

"Shut up," Spot snaps.

Nathan rolls his eyes and Spot walks back over to me. He throws his arm over my shoulder," Let's go carry da banner."

*********

"Young man?" A woman who's dressed in one of my mother's dresses with beautiful green eyes asks Spot.

He nods shortly.

"Is that your girl beau?" She asks gushing over me," She is beautiful."

He nods again.

"Are you selling papers to support her?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Is she with child?"

My cheeks turn completely red and Spot's too. He looks back at me and gulps," Yes, ma'am."

I can't believe he just lied about that! She rushes over to me and lays her hand on my forehead.

"How are feeling? Nauseous? Fatigue?" She asks rapidly.

"She's nauseous every morning and sometimes vomits," Spot sighs with fake sadness.

How can he tell lies like this? Making up headlines is one thing, but this is another. She cups my face in her hands," Poor dears. How many papers do you have left?"

"'Bout fifty."

She digs through her handbag and pulls out a dollar," Here, keep the change. You both need it more than me."

Spot hands her the papers and takes her dollar," Thank ya, so much ma'am."

She walks off with definitely less than fifty papers. Spot walks over to my crate, which I've turned into a bench and wraps an arms around my waist. He starts to walk us back to the Newsboy Lodge.

"Al, you'se coming ta sell papes with me everyday!" He laughs.