Undisclosed Desires by Bridget Kathleen (websites to read books for free txt) 📖

boys jumped in and Sophia quickly realized that they were all butt naked. They plashed around, not noticing Sophia under the dock. That was when she heard the footsteps of someone above her. The boys looked up and cheered.

"Heya boys. Spot Conlons here!" The boys then cleared the way as she heard Spot take a running start and drive into the water. Some water plashed her in the face. She ducked down even more. Sophia saw Spot come up a few seconds later. His head went back, whipping some of the water out of his hair. Suddenly SOphia heart started to thump hard. The realization hit her: Spot Conlon was naked.

Sophia stayed there under the dock while they swam. She tried numerous times not to look but she just couldn't help herself but look some of the time. When they were done, Sophia grabbed her things and put her clothes on so fast her head started to spin. She walked back to the lodging house and passed out on her bunk. Today was exhausting!
Chapter Three: A girl in need.

Sophia gazed down the Brooklyn bridge while eating her small serving of wheat bread that she bought for 3 cents. The water ran fast below. She wiped some of the sweat away from her forehead. It was getting hotter. If she could swim she would love to take a dip in that water, but even if Sophia was a good swimmer, that current would be too strong. She shoved the rest of her bread in her mouth. It wasn't much to fill her poor empty stomach but it was enough to get her by. The hot weather didn't help much though, Sophia quickly became thirsty, yearning for that water even more. Suddenly she heard someone call out her name...her nickname of course. Sophia looked to see where the voice had come from and it was Tommy.

"Tommy!" She yelled back at him. Sophia ran to him and gave him a big hug for only a moment until she pushed away. How awkward would that have been if one of the newsie boys from Brooklyn saw two 'brothers' hugging the way they did.

Tommy coughed and then cleared his throat. "Sorry about yesterday. Hows you holdin' up, Smalls?" he asked her.

Sophia smiled, excepting his apology. "I'm doin' fine. You?"

He smiled back. "Fine." He gave her a pat on the back. "So I hears ya met Jack and Race." Sophia nodded. "Manhattan is a real nice place. The lodge there is nice too. Hows brooklyn been treatin' ya?"

Sophia shrugged. "Fine I guess. Then again...ya have to consider the situation I'm in..."

Tommy then got real close to her face and said, "I was wonderin' if ya would like ta go ta Manhattan wit me."

Sophia agreed instantly. "Anything to be you Tom Tom!" She then heard someone clear their throat. SOphia turned around and saw Spot. He had his arms crossed, his head tilted to the side and he tapped his foot. Sophia gulped.

He walked closer to the siblings. "So, Smalls...yous think yous can just walk right outa here eh?" She had nothing to say. "I'm afraid that's just not possible. Once yous in the Brooklyn Gang, always in the Brooklyn Gang. Got that?"

Sophia turned back to Tommy. She didn't want to start anything. "Sorry, Tom Tom. Looks like I gota stay here for now." He nodded, understanding.

"Anyway...hows ya holdin' up, Tom Tom?" asked Spot.

"Just fine." he started. "I'm in Manhattan now."

"Oh yeah? Yous wit Jacky-boy then?" he asked. Tommy nodded. "Yeah...Jacky-boy's a good guy." he stated.

"Yous know em?" asked Tommy.

"Do I?" he started. He smiled and walked closer to them. "I helped Jacky-boy during the Newsie strike." Tommy and Sophia both looked at him with wide eyes. "Don't look at me wit doughs faces. Of course I did! Haven't ya heard?"

Tommy slowly nodded. "We's heard stories ya." he paused for a moment and then continued, "Jack and some of da boys are having a poker night at Medda's tonight. You's all more than welcomed to come."

Spot nodded with that smirk on his face. "Sure, Sure." he said, "I'll come play some poker witcha. What time ta night?"

"Seven." Tommy responded. He lifted up his hand and spat in it. Tommy did the same and they both shook hands. Sophia almost threw up in her mouth when she saw this but shuddered instead, pretending she was cold or something even though it was incredibly hot out.

Later that night at seven Sophia readied herslef to go to Manhattan. She looked around the room and saw that none of the other boys were getting ready. Didn't look like that had any idea about tonight. As she headed to the door, Spot came in front of me. He didn't seem to notice. That was uncalled for, Sophia thought to herself again, but then he looked back and saw her. "You's ready, Smalls?" She rolled her eyes.
"Thats why I'm at the front door." she said bluntly. All he did was laugh a little and they both walked out the door together.

It took a good hour to get to the theater where the rest of the boys were. They could hear singing and laughing as they made their way inside. The place was packed. Sophia suddenly became overwhelmed. She stopped, unable to move.

Spot stopped after a few steps and looked back at her. "You's ok, Smalls?" he asked.

She squinted her eyes and shook her head for a second. "I'm just fine." Sophia told him and walked on ahead of him.

SOphia saw Tommy a little while later and called out to him in the crowd. "Tom Tom!" He turned his head. When he saw her he shot right up and walked right to her to the table. There she saw Jack and Racetrack with another face there she didn't know. They all shook her hand as they sat down, greeting her the newsie way. The boy Sophia didn't know shook her hand last. "The name is Kid Blink, but you's can jus call me Blink if ya want."

They all sat down and talked for a while and played one game of poker. Spot came over with a big thing of whisky in his right hand and sat down to play. By the time the game was over Spot and a few of the other boys went to get another bottle of whisky. After they came back music started to play and a woman dressed in pink and long red hair started to sing. Oh how Sophia envied her. Being able to dress in those clothes, sing and dance in front of all these boys. She was jealous. After a few songs people got up to dance. It was so crowded. Sophia tried to stay in her chair, but she was forced to move after getting bumped into a couple of times. She made her way to the back, not wanting to risk anything.

After the dancing and singing the theater was ready to close. People stumbled out, laughing and mumbling words. Couldn't say the same for Sophia. She thought she was the only sober one there besides a few of the children. She turned around as she heard Spot's laugh. Sophia could hardly believe that it was him. He sounded so different when he laughed hard.

"Smalls!" he grabbed on to her back, trying to make her give him a piggy back ride, but she refused. "Get off of me!" she yelled. Spot backed away.
"Whoooa..." he said slowly, staggering a few feet away from her. "Be nice...stupid..." he fell to his bottom. Sophia rolled her eyes, walked over to him and helped him up. "You owe me for this, Spot Conlon!" She told him. But what good was she doing? Telling him that while he was wasted. She looked to jer right and saw Tommy and his new friends walking in the opposite direction she was going. Great, she thought. I'm stuck with a drunk. And not just any drunk. Spot Conlon the drunk.

Sophia made him put his arm over her and she helped him get back to Brooklyn. Getting over the bridge was the hardest. He kept on wanting to jump off the side. "Hey, Shmalls...I wants ta go swimman!" he laughed.

"Shut up!" She scolded him. "What you need is to sleep it off!"

Spot started to drag his feet even more now. "PSH!...You's need ta shleep it off...Shmalls..." Sophia rolled her eyes yet again. What she really wanted to do was to sock him the face with the heal of her shoe and leave him on the Brooklyn bridge, but the nicer side got the better of her.

When she got back to the lodge, Sophia walked him up to his room. Spot was the only one that had a room to himself, so she didn't have to worry about waking up the boys. She struggled to open the door to his room but manage to do just fine. She kicked the door closed behind her and flopped him on his bed. He moaned. All Sophia could do was look at him and pity him. Why on earth was she pitting this guy? As she was about to walk away Spot took a strong hold of her wrist and pulled her down next to him on the bed. She tried to pull away but he was way stronger than her. Their eyes locked on to each other. What was this feeling Sophia was had in her gut? Suddenly Spot pulled her hat right off and her hair went over her shoulders. Sophia's stomach tightened. She couldn't move. He ran his fingers through her hair a couple of times and touched her cheek. He didn't seem to realize what had happened or possibly who she even was. She guess that was a good thing. He pulled her even closer and kissed her. Sophia tried to pull back again back he wrapped his arms around her and forced his tongue into her mouth. Sophia could taste the whisky on his saliva. She was just about gag and throw up in his mouth but forced everything back. She couldn't complain much though. In a way she enjoyed it. Despite that this was her first kiss...Spot Conlon was good at and in a way she wanted more but she knew that wouldn't be a very smart idea so she pushed herself back. This time she was able to free herself from his grasp and fell to the floor with a thud. She wiped her mouth and looked up at Spot. He was already passed out. She pinned her hair up, grabbed her hat and placed it tightly on top of her head. She picked herself up and left his room without looking back.

The next day Sophia sat at the dock swayed her feet back and forth in the water. She had finished early selling her