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Description
Chapter 12: Powerful Monsters

Spot yanked Leech down the stairs before stopping at a door on the opposite side of the bunkroom. Pushing the door open he shoved her in roughly and she stumbled to her knees. Jumping back onto her feet she spun to face him, fists clenched.

"What was tha-"

"What the hell was you doin' tryi'n ta hustle my newsies!" he barked furiously. Leech flinched back and started shaking her head immediately.

"I wasn't tryin' ta hustle 'em, I was tryin' ta-"

"No!" Spot put his hand up to silence her. His fist was shaking as he clutched his cane and stepped forward only a hairs breath away. "I want yous outta hea, now!"

"But, Spot, I was just tryin' ta pay ya back!" Leech cried as he turned to exit. He stopped before the door and glared at her over his shoulder.

"You must think I'm stupid if you think I'll believe that," he growled lowly.

"It's the truth!" Leech insisted squeezing herself between him and the door. He moved away from her and crossed his arms, waiting for her to explain. "Look I knows about ya, Spot. You ain't no softy and neitha are ya newsies. I didn't want ya thinkin' I couldn't pay ya back for feedin' me."

"I'll be feedin' ya for a long time, I take care a mine," the king proclaimed, tapping his cane on the floor. Leech shrugged uneasily, heart pounding. She wouldn't last the night if Spot sent her out.

"I just wanted ta prove myself by-"

"Prove yaself by bein' a good newsie," Spot cut in pushing his shoulders back. "Loin ta use ya slingshot and don't make a fool a me."

Leech sighed, her shoulders sagging. It was starting to feel as if she couldn't do anything right by the Brooklyn newsies. She just hoped Spot wouldn't hold this against her.

"I undastand," she said, pleading with her eyes to keep a place in the lodging house.

Spot glared down at her before turning away. With his large hand resting on his chin he paced the length of the room. Leech looked around for the first time and noticed the room was empty except but for one bed. It sat under the furthest window on the left and had an empty basin sitting on its folded sheets. She assumed this was the room where sick a very sick boy would stay. To her it seemed a bit lonely.

"Alright," Spot said suddenly, making her jump. He stalked back across the room and stared down at her seriously. "Yous can stay, but if you eva try this sorta thing again, I'll have you beatin' blue and tossed in da riva."

"I won't, I swea it," Leech said honestly. Spot nodded, pleased and re-hooked his cane through his belt loop. Stepping around the girl, he moved to the door and exited.

As the door clicked shut Leech let out a shaky breath and drooped to her knees. Rubbing her face roughly, she screamed into her hands. The high pitched sound was muffled against her skin and concealed in the empty room. Her head hurt from the pure panic she'd been in when Spot told her to get out and her chest hurt from the way it constricted when he'd gotten close to her face. He was feared for a reason.

The door creaked open and she hopped to her feet, wiping at her aching eyes. Turning slowly she saw Patches come into the room and sighed in relief. He shot her a confused look as she moved towards the empty bed and perched on the edge.

"I thought you was Spot," she grumbled, rubbing her face again. Patches snorted and moved further into the room.

"If only I had that sorta powa," the gangly teen joked. He flopped down on the mattress next to Leech and bumped her shoulder with his own. "So what happened?"

Leech rolled her eyes and scratched at her neck. "Nothin' much, just nearly got thrown out on my ass and thought he was gonna soak me from hea ta Hattan."

"He hit ya?" Patches asked shocked. Spot had always taught them to never hit a girl.

"Nah, I think that was just me scarin' myself, I don't think he'd hit me," she said truthfully. "He's powaful, but he ain't a monsta. I hope." The room fell silent and from the corner of her eye, Leech could see Patches scratching at his scalp. She chuckled under her breath and it shook the mattress.

"Sorry I gots ya in trouble dere, Leech," Patches said finally. Leech turned to her new friend and tilted her head to the side.

"It wasn't ya fault, Patches. I shoulda known not ta mess with Spot's rules. Hope none a da boys got any hoit feelins."

"Well Ace is pretty sore bout losin' to a goil," Patches shrugged, rolling his eyes.

"Well, I didn't win fai so he don't havta worry 'bout it," Leech mumbled, staring down into her lap. "I need ta start bein' a betta newsie or I'll neva get outta hea."

She'd meant for that to be a simple spoken thought but Patches jumped on the invitation.

"I believe I can help ya in dat area," he beamed proudly. Leech raised a confused eyebrow to him.

"What ya talkin' about?"

Patches stood from the bed, fixing his hat on his head. He moved to the middle of the room and turned to face Leech who stayed on the bed. He put his bony fists on his hips and a look of determination replaced his playful smile.

"Leech, I'm gonna toin you in ta a real Brooklyn newsie."

Description
Chapter 12: Powerful Monsters

Spot yanked Leech down the stairs before stopping at a door on the opposite side of the bunkroom. Pushing the door open he shoved her in roughly and she stumbled to her knees. Jumping back onto her feet she spun to face him, fists clenched.

"What was tha-"

"What the hell was you doin' tryi'n ta hustle my newsies!" he barked furiously. Leech flinched back and started shaking her head immediately.

"I wasn't tryin' ta hustle 'em, I was tryin' ta-"

"No!" Spot put his hand up to silence her. His fist was shaking as he clutched his cane and stepped forward only a hairs breath away. "I want yous outta hea, now!"

"But, Spot, I was just tryin' ta pay ya back!" Leech cried as he turned to exit. He stopped before the door and glared at her over his shoulder.

"You must think I'm stupid if you think I'll believe that," he growled lowly.

"It's the truth!" Leech insisted squeezing herself between him and the door. He moved away from her and crossed his arms, waiting for her to explain. "Look I knows about ya, Spot. You ain't no softy and neitha are ya newsies. I didn't want ya thinkin' I couldn't pay ya back for feedin' me."

"I'll be feedin' ya for a long time, I take care a mine," the king proclaimed, tapping his cane on the floor. Leech shrugged uneasily, heart pounding. She wouldn't last the night if Spot sent her out.

"I just wanted ta prove myself by-"

"Prove yaself by bein' a good newsie," Spot cut in pushing his shoulders back. "Loin ta use ya slingshot and don't make a fool a me."

Leech sighed, her shoulders sagging. It was starting to feel as if she couldn't do anything right by the Brooklyn newsies. She just hoped Spot wouldn't hold this against her.

"I undastand," she said, pleading with her eyes to keep a place in the lodging house.

Spot glared down at her before turning away. With his large hand resting on his chin he paced the length of the room. Leech looked around for the first time and noticed the room was empty except but for one bed. It sat under the furthest window on the left and had an empty basin sitting on its folded sheets. She assumed this was the room where sick a very sick boy would stay. To her it seemed a bit lonely.

"Alright," Spot said suddenly, making her jump. He stalked back across the room and stared down at her seriously. "Yous can stay, but if you eva try this sorta thing again, I'll have you beatin' blue and tossed in da riva."

"I won't, I swea it," Leech said honestly. Spot nodded, pleased and re-hooked his cane through his belt loop. Stepping around the girl, he moved to the door and exited.

As the door clicked shut Leech let out a shaky breath and drooped to her knees. Rubbing her face roughly, she screamed into her hands. The high pitched sound was muffled against her skin and concealed in the empty room. Her head hurt from the pure panic she'd been in when Spot told her to get out and her chest hurt from the way it constricted when he'd gotten close to her face. He was feared for a reason.

The door creaked open and she hopped to her feet, wiping at her aching eyes. Turning slowly she saw Patches come into the room and sighed in relief. He shot her a confused look as she moved towards the empty bed and perched on the edge.

"I thought you was Spot," she grumbled, rubbing her face again. Patches snorted and moved further into the room.

"If only I had that sorta powa," the gangly teen joked. He flopped down on the mattress next to Leech and bumped her shoulder with his own. "So what happened?"

Leech rolled her eyes and scratched at her neck. "Nothin' much, just nearly got thrown out on my ass and thought he was gonna soak me from hea ta Hattan."

"He hit ya?" Patches asked shocked. Spot had always taught them to never hit a girl.

"Nah, I think that was just me scarin' myself, I don't think he'd hit me," she said truthfully. "He's powaful, but he ain't a monsta. I hope." The room fell silent and from the corner of her eye, Leech could see Patches scratching at his scalp. She chuckled under her breath and it shook the mattress.

"Sorry I gots ya in trouble dere, Leech," Patches said finally. Leech turned to her new friend and tilted her head to the side.

"It wasn't ya fault, Patches. I shoulda known not ta mess with Spot's rules. Hope none a da boys got any hoit feelins."

"Well Ace is pretty sore bout losin' to a goil," Patches shrugged, rolling his eyes.

"Well, I didn't win fai so he don't havta worry 'bout it," Leech mumbled, staring down into her lap. "I need ta start bein' a betta newsie or I'll neva get outta hea."

She'd meant for that to be a simple spoken thought but Patches jumped on the invitation.

"I believe I can help ya in dat area," he beamed proudly. Leech raised a confused eyebrow to him.

"What ya talkin' about?"

Patches stood from the bed, fixing his hat on his head. He moved to the middle of the room and turned to face Leech who stayed on the bed. He put his bony fists on his hips and a look of determination replaced his playful smile.

"Leech, I'm gonna toin you in ta a real Brooklyn newsie."