Meagan opened the door to the lodging house quietly. She didn’t want to wake anyone. She carried her bag over her shoulder. She stepped on an old floorboard and she heard it creak from beneath her. She shut her eyes, hoping it didn’t wake anyone.
Spot was staying in Manhattan for the night. He wasn’t a very hard sleeper so when he heard a creak of a floorboard downstairs he woke up. He pulled on some pants, not bothering with a shirt and went out of the room. He looked down the stairs and saw a shadow against the wall. He narrowed his eyes and made his way down very quietly and skillfully missed the squeaky parts of the stairs.
Meagan set her stuff down quietly. Spot watched her, her back to him. He quietly walked behind her and wrapped his hand around her mouth and around her waist and he stood against the wall with her in front of him, not facing him.
Meagan looked around, wondering who had a hold on her.
"What are you doing here?" Spot asked in a low voice.
"I’m sorry. I used to live here. My uncle owns this place." Meagan whispered through his hand.
"You’re uncle?"
"Yeah."
"What’s your name?"
"Meagan."
"Meagan?!?! What are you doing here?"
Meagan took the hand off her mouth and turned around. "Spot!" she hugged him.
"I didn’t know you were back."
"I just got back. What are you doing in Manhattan?"
"Visiting." Spot told her. "Man, how long has it been? 5 or 7 years?"
Meagan laughed. "Six."
"Wow." Spot smiled and looked at her. "You’re all grown up."
"Well I’m not 10 anymore."
Spot nodded and looked her up and down again. "I can tell." Spot smirked.
"Shut up." Meagan laughed quietly.
"Come on. Let’s get you to your old room."
"No one has taken it?"
"Of course not." Spot laughed and lead her upstairs.
Meagan woke up by someone jumping her bed. "Ahh!" she opened her eyes and saw a grinning face looking down at her.
"Blink, get off my bed!"
"Welcome back Megs." he hugged her.
"Thanks Blink, but you’re crushing me." she laughed.
Blink grinned.
Kloppman walked in and smiled. "Good morning Meagan."
"Good morning Uncle Johnny." Meagan smiled.
"Breakfast is waiting for you downstairs."
"Mmm, breakfast."
"Hey, why don’t we ever get breakfast?" Blink whined.
"Because you’re not niece that I haven’t seen in a while."
"No fair." Blink mock pouted.
Meagan grinned. "I’ll sneak you something." she whispered.
Blink grinned and left. Meagan got dressed and made her way downstairs and to the kitchen.
"It’s good to have you back. We were beginning to think a girl never lived with us." Jack laughed.
"Better not." Meagan hit him playfully.
"I’m just kidding." Jack grinned.
"Sure you are."
Jack smiled and shook his head. After breakfast, she had caught up with Jack to help him sell newspapers. They were done and were walking the streets of Manhattan together.
A few weeks later it was like Meagan had never left. They started off right where they left off when she left.
Kloppman walked in her room in the morning. He smiled at the sight. Jack was against the wall, asleep and Blink was leaning on him. Spot was laying on the bed, with his head on the head board. Meagan was laying next to him with her head on his chest and Spot’s arms around her. Snipeshooter was on the end of the bed and Race and Mush were in a chair. Kloppman shook his head and chuckled to himself. He decided not to wake them, for they had probably had a long night last night. He shut the door quietly and went to wake up the others.
"You happy she’s back Spot?" Jack asked Spot one day when they were sitting at Tibby’s alone.
"Of course Jack. Why wouldn’t I? She’s been back almost a month and you ask me this now?"
"Just asking."
"There’s gotta be a reason Kelly."
"It’s just…she’s our best friend Meagan. Our best friend forever. Someone who helped pull pranks when we were little. The girl we all hung out with. The girl we would play tag with…" Spot interrupted him.
"Get to the point Jack." he said.
"She’s…I’m just sayin’ she’s not our best friend we can play games with and pull pranks with anymore."
"Sure she is."
"But…but she’s practically a women Spot."
"Oh…"
"I mean, she’s not 10 anymore. She’s 16, a lady."
"You’ve noticed too? Listen Jackey-Boy, we’ve changed too."
"Yea but she’s not a little girl anymore." he looked at Spot with that look and gestured to his upper body.
Spot shrugged. "She’s beautiful now, we can’t help that."
"It’s just…I never expected Meagan to be like that."
"She’s a girl Jack. I don’t think they have much of a choice." Spot laughed.
Jack smiled. "Yea. I just always thought of her as one of the guys."
"She still is, she’s just a girl now. More of a girl I mean." Spot smirked.
Jack laughed and shook his head.
"I like her." Spot said.
Jack looked at him in surprise. Spot didn’t say that often about a girl, unless he meant it.
"Then why don’t you tell her?"
"I can’t."
"You what? The almighty Spot Conlon saying he can’t tell a girl he likes her. Woah, the world must be coming to an end. Better tell Pulitzer." he laughed at his lame joke.
Spot chuckled. "Shove it."
"Good afternoon guys." Meagan came in, smiling.
"Afternoon Meagan." Spot smiled.
"How are you Meagan?" Jack asked.
"Pretty good, how about you guys?"
"Fine." Spot smiled.
"I’m good." Jack stood up. "I’ve gotta…go talk to…Medda." Jack told them.
"Have fun Jack." Meagan smiled. Jack laughed and left.
Spot looked at Meagan. "Let me buy you lunch."
"I have money. Don’t worry about it." Meagan smiled.
"No, I want to." Spot smiled.
"If you want to, fine." Meagan sat across from him.
Spot decided to take Meagan to Brooklyn, since Meagan hadn’t been there in a while. They walked hand in hand across the bridge and into Brooklyn.
"You’ve turned into a very beautiful lady." Spot told her.
Meagan blushed and laughed. "Spot stop it. Even at 10 you were a flirt."
"Well, I only flirt with beautiful girls."
Meagan blushed more and smiled.
Spot looked over at her and smiled to himself that she was blushing. "Don’t tell me no one’s ever told you that." he said.
"They haven’t."
"They must of been blind."
"You’re still a charmer." Meagan smiled.
"I try." Spot smirked.
Meagan yawned.
"Tired?" Spot asked.
"Just a little." Meagan smiled.
"We could go to my place. Take a nap."
"It’s ok."
"No really, it’s fine." Spot smiled.
"All right. But just a short nap." Meagan smiled.
Spot lead her to his room. Meagan laid down on his bed and fell asleep. Spot looked at her as she slept and smiled to himself. He really did like her. Now the question was of how to tell her.
"Uncle Johnny?"
"Yes dear?"
"I’m going to the doctor’s now."
"All right."
"If Spot comes tell him I went walking around and I’ll meet him at Tibby’s at noon."
"Meagan, why haven’t you told him?"
"I’ve having fun Uncle John. Please…"
"I understand, I guess."
"I’ll tell them sometime."
Kloppman nodded and continued his paperwork.
Meagan sighed and went to the doctor’s.
"Good morning Meagan." The doctor smiled.
"Good morning Dr. Lewis." Meagan smiled.
"How are you today?"
"I’m fine, yourself?"
"Pretty good. Now just lay back and we’ll check you over and then we’ll have to send the tests to Chicago and they will send the results back. They should be back by two weeks."
Meagan nodded and laid down. "That’s fine."
~*~*~ About Two Months Later ~*~*~
Meagan covered her mouth as she coughed.
Spot looked at her. "You all right?"
"I’m perfect." Meagan smiled.
Spot smiled. He was worried though. She had been sick for a while.
One day Spot was sitting in Meagan’s room, waiting for her. Kloppman said that she would be back soon. He saw a journal sitting on the side table. He was curious, so he picked it up and read it.
Journal, I don’t how to tell them I’m sick. They’re my friends and I can’t even tell them this. Especially Spot. I like him a lot. I don’t what’s going to happen if I tell him. I know I’ll have to. I’m sick and I’m not getting better. Uncle Johnny thinks I should tell them now. Or at least sometime soon. I’m not sure though.
Spot sat there in shock. She was sick? And wasn’t getting better? That’s not the way it’s suppose to be. He liked her to point that he almost loved her. What was he suppose to do?
"Spot?"
Spot looked quickly over at Meagan who was standing in the doorway.
"Spot we’re you looking through my stuff?"
"No."
"That’s my journal." she told him. He looked down at it and set it on the bed. "Why didn’t you tell us?"
"Why’d you read my stuff?"
"Why didn’t you tell us you’re sick?"
"It’s none of your business Spot."
"You should of told us. What do you have?"
"Why’d you read my journal?" Meagan asked, a tear running down her cheek.
"What do you have?"
Meagan looked at him and more tears ran down her cheek. Spot went over to her and hugged her tightly. Meagan hugged him back. "It’s a liver disease." she told him.
Spot sighed and hugged her tighter.
"I won’t get better. Only worst. I’m sorry Spot. I’m so sorry."
"It’s ok. Shh…" Spot rubbed her back.
Meagan cried into his shirt.
Spot lifted her chin up so he could see her. He wiped her tears away. "It’ll be ok Megs."
"No it won’t."
"Yes it will. It’ll be all right."
"Just hold me Spot." she whispered.
Spot nodded. "Always."
Meagan laid down on the bed and Spot laid next to her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as she slept.
"All my dreams are ruined. I was gonna get married and have three kids. Michael, Jason, and a little girl, Jordana."
Spot didn’t know what to say. He smiled at her. "Don’t worry."
Meagan smiled at him and hugged him.
Meagan died five months later. She had died in a bed by the window, as Spot had asked for. He had stayed by her side the whole time and held her hand. She just kept smiling and laughing. Before she died, the last words Spot told her was "I love you." She smiled at him.
Spot grew up, but he never married. He only had Meagan on his mind. But he knew he would of asked her to marry him. He adopted four kids. Michael, Jason, Jordana, and Meagan.
~*~*~*~ THE END ~*~*~*~
