Lavenders green, lavenders blue (spot conlon love story)

Chapter 28- a party

The lodging house was packed.  Everywhere I turned there was a newsie. The party had begun nearly half an hour ago and their was still no sign of my closest manhattan friends.  A few had shown up but knowing my best pals they probably wanted to stay with jack as long as they could before leaving him.  I wished jack was better because I desperately wanted to see him to ask about his marriage proposal.  Even though I had wisely advised him to wait a while longer I still couldn't help but feel impatient for the day to arrive.

I pushed the the crowd and smelly smoking teen boys to find spot standing in a circle of newsies I had never met.  It was a small group of about 5 boys but each of them stood with such a stature of importance that I couldn't help but feel intimidated.  They all must have had enough confidence to fill the whole room.  My initial plan was to find spot but I changed my mind upon seeing these other authoritative speakers.  He looked too absorbed in the conversation anyway.  I had turned to walk away when I heard:

"Addy!  C'mere"  spot had called me over.  I spun around slowly and gave him a shy smile.  I walked toward him and he put an arm around me.  "Fellas! This is me goil addy."  I gave them a nod and a small wave.  "Addy,  here we've got mutt, sully,  Matty, an' ham"  the boys all gave gestures such as tipping their hats or giving a small nod, one even reached out to shake my hand which I took as a big compliment and shook his hand with a smile,  that was sully.  Then the one called Matty quickly turned his attention back to spot and said "conlon please can we get back to Bates" bates,  I had heard that name before.  That day that spot and I were on the roof.  Spot let out a sigh and retreated his arm from around me.  "Yeah yeah"  he said and whispered in my ear "Business stuff.  Sorry" 

"Don't worry about it"  I whisper back and stealthily remove myself from the circle.  

It was then that I saw something I had yet to see in the Brooklyn lodging house.  Three girls arose in.  They wore pastel dresses with bows and petticoats and corsets.  They're hair was all perfectly curled and tied half up with a ribbon.  One with blonde hair and two with raven black hair.  I suddenly felt overwhelmingly unbeautiful.  I made my way to flyer.

"Hey fly" I said "who are those girls?"  

He tipped his head up to see and I watched a mischievous toothy grin emerge on his face "ah yes,  right on time"  he stood up from his spot on the couch where he had been shuffling cards and chatting with newsies. 

"Who are they?" 

"Some uptown girls I met sellin one day"  

"Why are they here?" 

"Cuz I invited em. Cmon I'll introduce you"  he lead me to them where to stood awkwardly next to him.  

"Evening ladies"  he took off his hat and held it to his chest and bowed his head.  

"Evening wilburt" the blonde one in the middle said in a light airy voice.  I couldn't help but laugh when she said wilburt, obviously fly had given himself a hoity toity name to get these girls to come to his party. My  sudden laugh made all the girls turn their heads to look at me.  Embarrassed, my cheeks turned slightly pink but I still had to chuckle a little about wilburt. 

"Addy this is Eleanor" he gestured to the raven haired one to the left of the blonde leader "Elizabeth"  the blonde one "and Erin"  the other dark haired one to the right of Elizabeth.  "Girls this is addy"  

"Hi" I said shyly  

"Where are you from"  Elizabeth asked, I couldn't tell if she was being genuine or judgmental but I still told her 

"I've lived in Manhattan most my life but now I live here"  I said as politely as I could.  

"Here? As in, in this house?"  Erin asked