When I woke up, I was in a small room with nothing but the bed I was laying on, a small mirror on the wall, and a small table beside the bed. The room was warm and stuffy and there was a window open above the bed. As I looked around the room, I realized that I wasn't in Manhattan because I didn't recognize anything and I wasn't in Brooklyn because Spot wasn't with me. Tears started falling down my cheek. Just then, the door was opened and in walked a girl with blonde hair and green eyes. I quickly wiped the tears from my face.
"Heya." She said, "How ya feelin'?"
"Uh…Fine, I guess." I replied looking at her confused. "Where am I?"
"Yoa at da Bronx Lodgin' House. My names Dayna but everyone calls me Skittles."
"Skittles, my names Pallet. How'd I get here and why am I h?"
"Well my bruddah brought youse here. Youse been unconscious foa tree days."
"Huh?... Oh yeah, I remember now. Your brother an' his pals musta knocked me out."
"Whaddya mean he knocked youse out? He said he found ya like dat." Skittles replied with a stunned look.
"No, he did it when I was walkin' home."
"I knew me bruddah was bad, but not dat bad. Mosta da guys here are like dat but not me bruddah." She said looking shocked. "Are youse shoa?"
Just then we heard talking in the other room.
"Da boys must be jest gettin' back from woik." Skittles replied.
The door was flung open, and in walked Red.
"Well, Ise see youse finally woke up." Red said.
"No thanks to you." I replied scowling.
"Shuddap!"
"No! Why am I here an' where's Spot?"
"Yoa heah cause I was told ta bring yas heah an' yoa precious Spot was out cold lyin' on da ground last time Ise saw 'im. He's prolly off wit some new goil."
"Who told you ta bring me here?" I shouted.
"Dat's none a yoa business!"
"Red jest tell 'er." Skittles said.
"Youse keep outtah dis Skittles!"
Just then in walked a blonde girl.
"Red, dear, can we please go now? We're going to be late." She said.
"You!" I replied glaring at her.
"What do you want?" She replied.
"She told you ta do it, didn't she?" I said scowling at Red. "Amy, was the one that told you ta do it!"
"So what? She's me goil an' Ise do anytin' foa 'er."
"I told you, you would pay." Amy said smirking. "And you wanna know what? Spot will pay too."
That was it. I jumped up off the bed and started toward Amy. I went to punch her, when Red stepped in front and my fist connected with his cheek. I could tell by the look in his eye that he wanted to hit me back. He stepped toward me, but Skittles stepped in the way.
"Red, don't! Leave 'er alone." She said.
" Skittles, move now!" Red replied. "Ise don't wanna hoit youse."
"Yoa gonna have ta, ta hoit Pallet cause I aint…"
"Red, you can hurt her later. Right now we need to go. My parents aren't going to wait much longer to eat." Amy interrupted.
"Alright. Yoa so lucky Ise in a hurry." Red said walking out the door. "Youse too Skittles."
"Oooo… I'm shakin'." I replied sarcastically as he left.
Once Red and Amy were gone in walked a girl with chestnut long hair.
"Hey, Skittles." She said.
"Hey goil. Pallet dis is me friend Jenn." Skittles said.
"But youse can call me Kid." She replied.
"Oh hi Kid. Nice ta meetcha."
"Hey, aint youse dat goil dat took dat Amy goil's guy?"
"I didn't really take him. He was only with her ta make me mad."
"Well, Ise glad. She don't desoive any guy. I hate her."
"Please don't talk about him. I really miss him." I replied staring at my feet. "I wish I could get outta here."
"Ise hate ta say it but me too." Kid said. "Ise sick a da way dese boys treat Skitts an' me."
"Me too. Ise love me bruddah but he's changed a lot an' he lets da boys treat me an' Kid bad." Skittles replied.
"If I evah get outtah here you two could come with me. The boys in Manhattan treat us girls with respect."
"Yeah, well Ise don't tink youse gonna get outtah heah too soon." Skittles replied. "Wese not even allowed ta leave da buildin'. Wese cook an' clean foa da boys. Weah only allowed out if one a da boys I wit us."
"Don't worry. I'll figure somethin' out, but you two bettah be ready ta go anytime. Ise ready ta get back. I miss everyone."
"Ok, we'll have our stuff packed at all times." Kid said and left the room.
"Skittles, is there any where else I can stay? I don't mean ta be picky but this room is stuffy an' hot."
"Yeah shoa, youse can stay upstaihs wit Kid an' me." She said leading me out the door and up some stairs to a room with three bunks. From the looks of it, it looked like the girls used the two extra bunks for storing things. Skittles had Kid clear off one of the bunks for me to sleep on.
"Youse can sleep heah. Dis used ta be da room foa da boys when dey got sick until Kid an' me showed up. Mr. Larson wouldn't let us sleep in da same room as da boys."
"Okay, well I'm gettin' tired so I hope you don't mind if I go ta sleep. I should have a plan in the mornin' so don't worry bout that."
"Okay, G'nite Pallet. See youse in da mornin'." Skittles replied.
"Yeah, G'nite." Kid said.
"G'nite girls."
The next morning I awoke to some yelling going on outside the door.
"What's goin' on Kid? At who and why's Skittles yellin'?"
"I dunno Pallet. Ise jest woke up."
Just then Skittles came in the room and slammed the door behind her. Then sat down in front of it on the floor and had tears falling down her face.
"I hope youse figured out a plan Pallet. Ise ready ta leave now." She said sniffling.
"I need jest a little more time Skittles. Somethin' will come ta me soon. Why? What's wrong?"
"Well… Red told one a da boys dat Ise stood up foa youse last night an' dat youse mouthed back. So he said dat latah after dis pawty dere goin' ta tanite dat Ise bettah do somethin' wit him or he'll hoit me an' Kid."
"Oh my god! Skittles don't worry, I'll get us outta here tanite. You two keep doin' what you normally do when they go ta woik. I'm stayin' up here until I think a somethin'."
"Okay, Pallet." Skittles said wiping her face as her and Kid walked out the door.
I spent the whole morning coming up with a plan that could get the three of us out of the Bronx and to Manhattan without the boys catching us.
After the boys returned to eat and then go back to work, Kid and Skittles came up to rest.
"Okay girls. I got a plan. Tanite, aftah the boys go ta there party, we get your stuff an' we'll go out the fire escape so Mr. Larson don't see us. Then we head straight ta Manhattan. Once we get there, we'll be safe an' you two don't hafta put up with these boys again."
"Okay, Pallet. Ise hope dis woiks." Skittles said before she dozed off.
"Me too. Pallet, will youse wake us when da boys get back?" Kid said.
"Okay Kid." I said as she dozed off.
I spent the rest of the afternoon going over our plan to make sure it was okay and also came up with a backup. Around 5:00, I started hearing the boys downstairs so I woke up the girls and they went downstairs. After dinner the boys got ready to go out and all left around 6:00. When all the boys were gone, Skittles and Kid came up to the room and each grabbed their bag of things.
We headed down the fire escape and out the alley. Since I've never been to the Bronx, the girls lead me to the Manhattan bridge. Just as we started walking cross the bridge we were stopped by someone in front of us.
"What are youse tree lovely ladies doin' out heah alone? Dere's bad people dat like ta kidnap young ladies like yoaselves." He said.
"We're on our way ta the Manhattan Lodgin' House." I replied back.
"What youse goin' dere foa, may Ise ask?"
"We have friends there." I answered.
The boy stepped closer so he could see my face. Now, I could see his. I finally noticed who it was.
"Mush! Is dat youse? It's me Pallet."
"Oh my god, Pallet! Wese been lookin' all ovah foa youse." He said hugging me. "Wheah youse been?"
"Long story. I'll tell you latah. Can you take us ta see everyone?"
"Yeah, of course. Come on." He said leading us to the lodging house.
"By the way Mush, these are my new friends Skittles an' Kid."
"Nice ta meetcha." Mush replied looking at Kid and then at Skittles. "Well heah we are."
"Oh Mush, will you go get everyone down here?" I asked walking in.
"Yeah shoa." He said running upstairs and then back down with everyone following him.
"Pallet!" They all yelled coming over to me to give me hugs.
"Everyone, I missed you so much."
"We did too." They said looking at Skittles and Kid.
"Oh. Guys, these are my friends Skittles an' Kid. There stayin' with us."
As everyone started greeting Skittles and Kid, I pulled Mush off to the side.
"Mush, where's Spot?"
"He stayed upstaihs. Ise told everyone I had a surprise foa dem. He said he didn't want no surprise. He hasn't done anything but stay in dat room an' look foa youse since you've been missin'."
"Oh, I think I'll go up an' see him. Keep everyone down here for a few minutes please."
"Yeah shoa, Pallet." He said walking over to everyone.
I walked upstairs and opened the bunkroom door.
"I don't want no surprise, so jest leave me a—" Spot said turning around. "Pallet!"
"Hi Spot." I said as I started crying.
He got up off the bed and walked toward me as I walked toward him.
"I missed youse." I said as Spot picked me up and we hugged.
"I missed you too." He said looking at me.
I leaned in and gave him a long, deep kiss. Then we sat down on his bed and I just sat there with Spot's arms around me. After a few minutes, everyone started coming upstairs.
"Come on. Let's go up to the roof." Spot said.
"Okay. I'll be up in a minute." I replied giving him another kiss.
Spot headed up to the roof. I went over to Skittles and Kid to help them find a place to sleep.
"So did ya get ta meet everyone?"
"Yeah, everyone's so nice. Especially that Mush." Kid said smiling.
"Oh Kid." Skittles said laughing.
"Well, I'm glad you think so Kid. You two will be sleepin' in the bunk beside him. Mine's on the otha side. You guys make yourselves comfterble. I'm goin' up ta the roof ta spend time with me guy."
"Ooooo. Wonder what dere gonna do up dere?" Kid said smirking.
"Oh Shuddup."
"G'nite Pallet." They both said.
"G'nite guys." I said climbing out the window. I got onto the roof and sat down next to Spot.
"I know it's only been a few days but I missed you so much." I said, then kissed Spot's cheek.
"I missed youse too, Pallet." Spot said putting his arm around me. "What happened? Where'd youse go?"
"Well I woke up in this room about three days aftah what happened. This blonde girl came in the room an' told me that I was at the Bronx Lodgin' House an' that Red found me an' brought me there. Red came an' said that he did it for his new girl, Amy. I guess she told him what happened between you two an' got him ta kidnap me. Well the blonde girl stood up for me an' Red got mad an' had ta go ta dinnah with Amy. Then, I met anothah girl an' they told me they were treated bad, so I told them they should come with me when I escaped. So, they did. We snuck out wall the boys were at a party an' then we came here as fast as we could."
"Ise had a feelin' it was him dat took youse!" Spot growled. "If Ise evah see him again, I'll—…" Spot started getting mad.
"Spot, can we jest not talk about him anymore?" I interrupted. "Right now, I jest wanna think about bein' here with you. I missed you even if it was jest a few days." I said staring at my feet.
"Sorry, Pallet. I jest so mad dat he took youse from me an' I couldn't do nuthin'." He replied. "I won't twalk about him anymoa tanite." He said lifting my chin so he could look at me. Then he kissed me. "I missed youse too."
I kissed his cheek, then laid my head on his shoulder. We sat there for a bit before I noticed there was still something on Spot's mind.
"Spot, is there somethin' botherin' you?"
"Well…Uh…a little…" He said nervously.
"What is it? You can tell me."
"Well…uh… Have youse evah slept wit a guy?" his voice was a little shaky.
"I've slept with you, remember?" I was starting to get nervous.
"Not dat kind of slept…"
"No…No, I haven't. Why?" I was getting more nervous.
"Would youse evah?"
"Depends…"
"On what?" he asked.
"On whether he loved me…"
"Well… I love youse, Pallet."
"I love you too Spot but…"
"But what?"
"…But I'm only 16 and I've known you for not very long. Sorry Spot… I do love you."
"I know youse do. Sorry foa askin' youse." Spot said kissing my forehead.
"It's ok." I replied.
I laid my head back against his shoulder. We didn't say anything for what felt like twenty minutes. Spot kept staring at the roof, then the sky, then back at the roof. I figured he was probably feeling a little embarrassed and uncomfortable. I hoped he wasn't going to be like that around me now. I really did love him, I just wasn't sure that he really, truly loved me yet. One of my old friends had fallen in love and all he wanted was to sleep with her. I had to be sure before I made a mistake I'd regret.
Spot started to stand up.
"Come on, Pallet. Wese bettah get back downstaihs." He said holding his hand out to me to help me up.
I was about to take his hand and go with him, when I got an idea. Just because I didn't want to sleep with him didn't mean that I couldn't sit up here with him and enjoy being with him.
Spot, I don't wanna go inside. I wanna stay out here with you." I said grabbing his hand, pulling him to sit down, and then kissing him.
"But Pallet, I tawt dat youse dint—."
"I don't, but that don't mean that we can't sit up here togethah? We're boyfriend and girlfriend. We're allowed to make out. Heh." I replied kissing him again, this time with my arms around his neck. Spot slide his arms around my waist and kissed me back.
"Sorry, Pallet, about what I asked. I won't twalk about it anymoa." He said kissing my forehead, then laying on his back.
"It's ok, Spot." I replied kissing his lips, then laying my head on his chest.
Spot fell asleep staring at the stars, combing his fingers through my hair, and I fell asleep listening to his heartbeat and breathing.