Love Him, Love Him Not
"Skittery? Skittery is dat you?"
"Holy cow!! Bounce? Bounce baby is dat really you?"
"Ya it is" I said grabbing the scruff of his shirt and pulling him down to my eye level, "and you don't call me 'baby.'"
He laughed.
"Youse haven't changed a bit have ya? Sos ya finally escaped from da orphanage huh? Hows old are yas now?"
"Fifteen" I said, "Ise couldn't take it no more Skittery, had ta get out. But ne way, watch youse been up to fur the last two years?"
"Well, afta Ise got out, Ise became a newsie. Selling paps ya know? But by da way, howd youse and Flip woik out?"
"Oh Flip? Ya he called me his goil, sos Ise gave him a black eye and dat was da end of it. He still lasted longer den ne one else, and dats sumtin ta be proud of. Ne way dat was a long time ago. But listen, Ise needs a place ta stay and Ise gotta make money somehow. Ne ideas?"
"Well yas could always sell paps wit me and da boyz. Speaking a which, I auta be heading back. If youse want ya can come stays wit us."
"A'right" I agreed, it was a place to stay and a steady income. It worked for me.
When Skittery and I reached the lodging house, we were greeted by Kloppman. He seems to be quite an amusing old man.
He greeted us with interest.
"Wa-What's this? We gonna have a girl in the lodging house now?
"ya" said Skittery "dis is Bounce, she's selling paps wit us tommorra"
"We-welcome, welcome, make yourself at home." Kloppman said shaking my hand.
When we reached the top of the stairs, many of the boys were getting dressed for bed. This was eye candy. Although, they were all startled by my presence. I was guessing I was the first girl to ever live there. Skittery led me down the isle to an empty bunk. I threw my bag up top and hoped up, not bothering to use the ladder. I just sat there dangling my legs over the edge as Skittry introduced me to all the strange, bewildered faces.
"Hey youse guys dis is Bounce. She's selling wit us. She was at the same orphanage as me. Bounce, dis is Racetrack, Mush, Kid Blink, Specs, Bumlets, Pie-eater, Boots…" Skittery said pointing out each boy. Then the one he had called Mush spoke up.
"Wat's dis?! Bringin' a goil into da lodging house?"
I jumped down off the bed and looked him strait in the eyes,
"Youse treat me special cuz Im a goil, I'll give ya a black eye.
And if either a youse calls me dollface, sweetface, or above ne ting else, his goil, I'll giva a concusion. And don't think I can't cuz youse be dead wrong."
By that time, I had eyed each and everyone of them. Then the one called Racetrack commented,
"She mayse not be such a goil afta all."
But then before anyone could say anything else, the boy named Boots shouted,
"Hey! Jack's back!!"
I jumped back up on my bed to watch all the commotion turn to a tall, extremely good looking boy wearing a red bandana similar to the green one I had always worn.
"I taught youse was in fer anoda five months Jackey-boy?"
someone shouted.
"Ya, wells Ise broke out."
"How Jackey-boy? How'd ya do it Cowboy?"
I heard being asked.
"Ya Know Teddy Roosevelt? Well he.. ah.. paid a visit and gave me a ride out on his carriage."
He glanced down the isle and saw me. His tone of voice totally changed.
"But Ise see we have a new face." He said heading towards me and putting his hand on my bunk.
"Wats your name sweet face?"
"Bounce" I said coldly "and no one calls me sweetface unless they want a concussion."
"Doll face, youse wouldn't hoit a fly." He said cockily.
I jumped down. "Youse really tink so huh?"
"Yea Ise do. Youse look too sweet ta hoit-" he never finished. I hit him hard in the stomach and when he groped over I smacked his face. He spun around, holding his cheek that now had a red hand mark ok it. All the guys looked shocked, except Skittery of course, he knew me too well.
"Too sweet huh?" I said to the Jack boy who had regained himself and was looking at me with a new respect, but still very shocked. Skittery covered for him.
"Jack dis is Bounce, she went ta da same orphanage as me."
I decided to get this Jack boy's story, so I jumped back up to my perch and asked,
"So now swat were yas doing in da house of refuge?" It was after all the only place he could have been.
"I stole some food cuz Ise was hungry" he said sitting down.
I gave a snort, "Wen Ise steal Ise at least have da brains not ta get caught."
"Dat musta been some orphanage, Skittery, teaching Goils ta steal and hit like boyz."
"No," I said, "Ise just don't wait fer dings ta come ta me, and Ise never takes shit from ne one."
"Ise can understand dat," Jack said, "Ise just neva seen goil act like dat before."
"Yas well Ise ain't your typical female, and right now Ise feel like going ta bed."
"A'right" Jack said, "bright an early den hey Bounce?"
there was an extra strain on my name.
"Yea, Bright an early."
I crawled under the covers and undressed. I didn't bother to put my night gown on because it was fairly hot that night. I feel asleep listening to the boys talk about Jack Kelly's escape and the "new goil" who they would now have to learn to fear to run from, and they would have to run VERY fast.
"Skittery? Skittery is dat you?"
"Holy cow!! Bounce? Bounce baby is dat really you?"
"Ya it is" I said grabbing the scruff of his shirt and pulling him down to my eye level, "and you don't call me 'baby.'"
He laughed.
"Youse haven't changed a bit have ya? Sos ya finally escaped from da orphanage huh? Hows old are yas now?"
"Fifteen" I said, "Ise couldn't take it no more Skittery, had ta get out. But ne way, watch youse been up to fur the last two years?"
"Well, afta Ise got out, Ise became a newsie. Selling paps ya know? But by da way, howd youse and Flip woik out?"
"Oh Flip? Ya he called me his goil, sos Ise gave him a black eye and dat was da end of it. He still lasted longer den ne one else, and dats sumtin ta be proud of. Ne way dat was a long time ago. But listen, Ise needs a place ta stay and Ise gotta make money somehow. Ne ideas?"
"Well yas could always sell paps wit me and da boyz. Speaking a which, I auta be heading back. If youse want ya can come stays wit us."
"A'right" I agreed, it was a place to stay and a steady income. It worked for me.
When Skittery and I reached the lodging house, we were greeted by Kloppman. He seems to be quite an amusing old man.
He greeted us with interest.
"Wa-What's this? We gonna have a girl in the lodging house now?
"ya" said Skittery "dis is Bounce, she's selling paps wit us tommorra"
"We-welcome, welcome, make yourself at home." Kloppman said shaking my hand.
When we reached the top of the stairs, many of the boys were getting dressed for bed. This was eye candy. Although, they were all startled by my presence. I was guessing I was the first girl to ever live there. Skittery led me down the isle to an empty bunk. I threw my bag up top and hoped up, not bothering to use the ladder. I just sat there dangling my legs over the edge as Skittry introduced me to all the strange, bewildered faces.
"Hey youse guys dis is Bounce. She's selling wit us. She was at the same orphanage as me. Bounce, dis is Racetrack, Mush, Kid Blink, Specs, Bumlets, Pie-eater, Boots…" Skittery said pointing out each boy. Then the one he had called Mush spoke up.
"Wat's dis?! Bringin' a goil into da lodging house?"
I jumped down off the bed and looked him strait in the eyes,
"Youse treat me special cuz Im a goil, I'll give ya a black eye.
And if either a youse calls me dollface, sweetface, or above ne ting else, his goil, I'll giva a concusion. And don't think I can't cuz youse be dead wrong."
By that time, I had eyed each and everyone of them. Then the one called Racetrack commented,
"She mayse not be such a goil afta all."
But then before anyone could say anything else, the boy named Boots shouted,
"Hey! Jack's back!!"
I jumped back up on my bed to watch all the commotion turn to a tall, extremely good looking boy wearing a red bandana similar to the green one I had always worn.
"I taught youse was in fer anoda five months Jackey-boy?"
someone shouted.
"Ya, wells Ise broke out."
"How Jackey-boy? How'd ya do it Cowboy?"
I heard being asked.
"Ya Know Teddy Roosevelt? Well he.. ah.. paid a visit and gave me a ride out on his carriage."
He glanced down the isle and saw me. His tone of voice totally changed.
"But Ise see we have a new face." He said heading towards me and putting his hand on my bunk.
"Wats your name sweet face?"
"Bounce" I said coldly "and no one calls me sweetface unless they want a concussion."
"Doll face, youse wouldn't hoit a fly." He said cockily.
I jumped down. "Youse really tink so huh?"
"Yea Ise do. Youse look too sweet ta hoit-" he never finished. I hit him hard in the stomach and when he groped over I smacked his face. He spun around, holding his cheek that now had a red hand mark ok it. All the guys looked shocked, except Skittery of course, he knew me too well.
"Too sweet huh?" I said to the Jack boy who had regained himself and was looking at me with a new respect, but still very shocked. Skittery covered for him.
"Jack dis is Bounce, she went ta da same orphanage as me."
I decided to get this Jack boy's story, so I jumped back up to my perch and asked,
"So now swat were yas doing in da house of refuge?" It was after all the only place he could have been.
"I stole some food cuz Ise was hungry" he said sitting down.
I gave a snort, "Wen Ise steal Ise at least have da brains not ta get caught."
"Dat musta been some orphanage, Skittery, teaching Goils ta steal and hit like boyz."
"No," I said, "Ise just don't wait fer dings ta come ta me, and Ise never takes shit from ne one."
"Ise can understand dat," Jack said, "Ise just neva seen goil act like dat before."
"Yas well Ise ain't your typical female, and right now Ise feel like going ta bed."
"A'right" Jack said, "bright an early den hey Bounce?"
there was an extra strain on my name.
"Yea, Bright an early."
I crawled under the covers and undressed. I didn't bother to put my night gown on because it was fairly hot that night. I feel asleep listening to the boys talk about Jack Kelly's escape and the "new goil" who they would now have to learn to fear to run from, and they would have to run VERY fast.