Chapter 18- Evicted

366 10 0
                                    


By the time I had gotten back to the Manhattan lodging house my head and stomach ached and it had taken me much longer to walk there than it should have.  But luckily the boys weren't back from selling yet so I could have at least a little time to prepare and rest before jack starts yelling at me. I stumbled up the stairs and into my bed. It was nice to be back in my own bed, even if spots was comfier.

When I woke up it was dark.  I could hear the boys talking downstairs. What? It had been hours since I fell asleep? Why hadn't jack or anyone woken me up and why wasn't I in heaps of trouble yet.  Against any of my better judgement I went downstairs to invenstigate.  And there were all the boys.  And there was jack.  He and I made eye contact and he just went back on with his conversation.  It's not that I wanted him to be mad at me, because I really didnt, but this was odd behavior. One time when I came home late from Ellie's I got yelled at and I wasn't allowed to see her for the next 3 weeks.  But now that I got soaked and stayed the night at spots he isn't even reacting.  Maybe it's because he doesn't know.  I walked over to where he was talking to race.

"Hiya race." I said, making my way into the conversation.

"Hiya addy!" He said giving me a pat on the back and I flinched. 

"Hiya Jack" I said looking down and then up at him quietly.

"Addy" he said solemnly 

"So uh where ya been addy we haven't seen ya all day" race asked.  This was it, I had to make up a lie and I meant to think of a good one during the day but I just ended up sleeping through it. 

"Uh,  I slept over with Ellie and stayed most of the day too" I said proud of the lie I had thought up of In a moments notice.  

"Oh yeah didja?" Jack said slightly sarcastically.

"Um, yeah, I did" but it came out as more of a question. How did he know that wasn't the truth? 

"Scuse me" Jack said and he turned around and went upstairs.

"What's his issue?" Race asked and laughed a little. I tried to let out a laugh but nothing really came out.

"I dunno race." I said. "Maybe I should got talk ta him." Instantly I regretted saying that. 

"Yeah good idea" he said. I didn't want to go but now I had too because if I didn't race would know something was up.  Slowly I made my way up the stairs.

"Hiya Jack", I said finding him on the roof.  He didn't say anything just stared out towards to sky.

"It's a nice night ain't it?" I said getting closer to where he was sitting on the ledge with his legs dangling off. Still no response from him.  

"Jack?" I said quieter than before. I desperately wanted him to respond.  With every moment that passed I felt worse and worse about lying and about what had happened.  

"Do you trust him more than you trust me?" He said finally.  

"What?" 

"Spot. Do you trust spot more than you trust me?"

"Why would you ask that?" I was confused. Why would he ask about spot, I hadn't said a thing about him. 

"You was in trouble, and spot came to help. He took care of you and the whole time you would only talk about how I was gonna beat you up about it.  He was there for you and I wasn't and do you trust him more than me?"  

"How did you-" I began to ask but I didn't even know where to begin.  How did he know what happene. How did he know what spot did? How did he know what I said?

"Addy." He sounded sad. Like he had betrayed me. "Do you?"

"Who told you?" My voice was only a whisper now.  Because I knew that there was only one person in this whole world who could've given him the whole story.  

"It doesn't matter answer my question." His voice was raising. I didn't know how to answer the question.  Jack had been with me since as far back as I can remember and he says all these things about how he saved me from the kidnappers and cared for me so of course I trust him. But spot. Spot is a different kind of trust. It's a trust where I know that he's gonna take care of me somehow and that he's got my back and is there for me and is on my side even when he's not and we argue somehow I still know he's on my side.  Lately I do trust spot more than jack.  With all this anger that Jack has and all his over protectiveness.

"Jack I can't answer that" 

"Why not" he just sounded angry now. I took a step back. 

"Because it's not fair, you and spot are different people in my life I can't compare you two"

"I get it now" he said standing up "if spot is so important to you and if your always going to choose him over me then just pack your things and go"

"What?" I said choking up, tears rushing to my eyes.

"You heard me.  If your gonna Betray the hattan newsies like this, betray your real family, then you don't deserve to be part of this family"

I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks, jack really just kicked me out.  I hobbled as fast as my best up body could take me. Down the stairs to grab as many of my things as I could.  And left the house in tears.  I knew exactly where I had to go.

*************************************

Duh duh duhhhhh! Yay for conflict. Also I've noticed that I make this type a ton where I say "ya" instead of "ta" so if you read ya and it's doesnt make sense it means ta which is just like Brooklyn accent "to"

-rory

Lavenders green, lavenders blue (spot conlon love story)Where stories live. Discover now