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Val
We set off in one direction and began walking. We were so busy talking,giddy with excitement, that we never paid any attention to where we were going. That was our mistake.
"Uh, goils," I said, glancing at the gathering clouds in the sky and back at the unfamiliar street, "either a' ya's know where we are?"
Gem looked at me a moment, not comprehending. Then she looked around and Kit spun around in a circle.
"Uh, oh," Kit murmured. "Not good."
"What're we'se gonna do?" I asked. We all looked at each other, at a loss as to what we should do.
Lightning flashed in the sky overhead. "Foist t'ings foist: find shelta'!" Gem yelled over the thunder, turning away.
I turned the opposite way and jogged over to an opening to an alley. In the back stood make-shift lean-to looking thing made out of old wood. I started to call to Kit and Gem, but thought better of it. Obviously someone else had built this for themselves and it was likely they would come back to it soon. I didn't think that we could take on a seasoned street rat in order to win the rights to the lean-to, so I continued on. A few alleys down I heard Kit call us over. I went over and se waited for Gem to catch up.
As soon as she came within earshot, Kit said, "We'se can sleep on da stairs a' dis apartment. We'se don't got anywhere's else ta go."
"Woiks foa me," Gem agreed, heading for the doors. She had barely gotten to them when the sky opened up.
Gem
Kit was right. The stairs weren't exactly a very comfortable place to spend the night, but it didn't matter much 'cause we didn't really sleep, anyways. We were up all night.
Sighing, I told Val and Kit, "I'se really sorry 'bout all dis. I shouldn'ta hit Tom da way I did. My tempa got away from me again," I snorted. "But den, Tom always had a way a' pissin' me off."
Kit laughed. "Well, at least ya show when you'se angry so we'se can get outta youah way. Val, hea," she put her hand on Val's shoulder, "is sneaky 'bout it."
Val laughed, too. "An' Kit, you'se won't talk to da person you'se angry at. I t'ink dat's woise! Da cold shoulda'…" she feigned a shudder, "…dat's harsh!"
It was my turn to laugh. "Kit, ya 'memba when I accidentally ripped yoa doll's dress when we'se were younga?"
She blushed as Val laughed and replied, "She wouldn't talk ta ya foa almost a weeks!"
This time we all laughed. This is how we are, laughing most of the time. But suddenly the air grew somber once more. We sat in silence a while, but then Val voiced the question that was buried in all of our minds: "What are we'se supposed to do now? We can't sleep on stai's foa'eva'."
"Well, da only t'ing I'se can t'ink a' doin' is tryin' ta find a job, den find a place ta live," Kit said.
I made a face. "Ugh, do ya t'ink we'd hafta woik as laundress's? I hate washin' clothes."
"Yuck! I hope not!" Val agreed.
"C'mon goilies," Kit interjected, "Now's not da time ta be picky. But maybe we won't have ta woik at a bakery. Or maybe a factory. Come ta t'ink of it, dey prob'ly wouldn't hire us at a bakery and factory woik is too dangerous. Maybe we could…" on and on the ideas flew.
It was a long night, with the storm blowing outside and us trying to figure out some way to stay alive and off the streets.
Val
"Man, I'se starvin'," Kit annouced immediately upon waking up. "Let's go find somet'in ta eat."
Outside, the sun had just risen and the city was waking up. People were coming out of their homes, dodging puddles and carriages while going about their daily routines.
"Let's find a bakery or maybe a fruit sellah," I suggested.
"But we'se don't have any money," Kit said, concerned.
"Uh,Kit?" Gem looked at her skeptically.
"Oh. Right. We'se snitch it, not buy it," Kit realized.
"Have ya eva snitched befoa?"
"No."
"Me eitha," I admitted.
Gem looked shocked. "What! You'se ain't neva snitched befoa? What's wrong wit' ya?"
"I neva had a reason ta snitch," Kit shrugged.
"Same wit' me. No reason to."
Gem looked incredulous. "Wow," was all she could say.
"Well, could ya teach us?" Kit asked.
"I s'pose." She agreed. "But foist we'se gotta find some food foist, den I'll teach ya how it's done."
We picked a direction and started walking. Along the way, Gem gave us some tips on snitching. "Foist t'ing ya should know is ya got ta be sneaky. Ya can't jus' walk into a bakery and walk out wit' a bun in plain sight. Try an' sneak one inta yoah pocket. Don't leave real quick it makes people suspicious. If yoah snitchin' from a vendor wait 'till dea's a big crowd. Makes it harda foa people ta see ya's. Got it?"
We nodded mutely. "Good. Look, dere's a bakery ova dea. Stay outside an' watch dis time," she told us.
She walked into the bakery. We waited and watched. She went to a more crowded part of the bakery. She raked her gaze across the various breads as if she was looking for a certain something. Deftly, she slipped a small bun into her hand. She walked a little further down and did the same with a slightly larger bun. She turned and walked out of the bakery slowly, as if disappointed that she didn't find what she was looking for
"See?" she asked when she reached us. "It ain't so bad."
"Have ya eva' got caught?" Kit asked, staring at the buns with slight awe in her gaze.
Gem laughed. "A' course. 'Specially if ya ain't very sneaky. But if ya ain't sneaky, ya betta be able ta run fast."
I grinned wickedly. "Well, Gem, it's a good t'ing yoah sneaky 'cause ya sua as hell can't run very fast." We laughed.
Laughing, she replied, "I know. Dat's why I had ta loin ta be sneaky."
"Dea' ain't enough buns foa' all t'ree a' us," Kit cut in, mind still on food and food only.
Gem raised an eyebrow at the abrupt change in conversation. "Yoah odd, Kit."
"She's right, though. Should we try an' snitch anutha one." I suggested.
"Alright. But I'se can't do it again. Which one o' ya's wants ta try?" Me and Kit looked at each other.
I looked at Kit. She sighed, "Fine. I'll go."
Gem nodded and reminded her, "Rememba…be sneaky." Kit took a deep breath and walked toward the bakery.
