RAGE

Chapter Four – Blood/Stone Cold Crazy

I am walking down a side street when I hear the familiar, girlish whine of Oscar and Morris Delancey.

"Well, look what we have here, Oscar," drawls Morris.

"Look at that," Oscar replies. "It's the best girl newsie in all of New York."

"You have got to come up with a better name for me," I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

"What'd ya say, darlin'?" Morris asks me, standing so close to me that I can smell his dirty skin.

"I said," I say, leaning closer to him sweetly. "I'm gonna soak ya, sucker."

Quick as lightning, I knee him where it hurts and while he is bent over in agony, I fly around to punch Oscar in the nose. It starts to bleed and I kick him twice in the shins, hard.

Morris is pulling himself together, and walking nearer to me in anger, but I smoothly pull him into a headlock.

He struggles against me, flailing his rail-thin arms against me, but seventeen years on the streets of Manhattan have taught me a thing or two about fighting, and my arms are well-equipped to deal with wimps like the Delancey brothers.

"Liberate yourself from my vise-like grip," I say to Morris, who is still struggling.

He reminds me of an exceptionally ugly rat with a weird moustache (him) caught underneath the hooves of a strong and beautiful red-headed horse (me).

That's a metaphor. Don't hate.

Then, his delightfully helpful brother Oscar, decides to help out by grabbing me by the waist from behind.

I kick back with force and kick him in the babymaker. Then I shove my unoccupied elbow into his nose, which is still bleeding profusely.

He makes a nasally grunt and falls to the ground.

Then, I throw Morris violently onto the hard gravel and kick him brutally. When they are both lying whimpering on the ground, I leave them and continue on my way.

What a wonderful life…

The event of this morning actually put me in a good mood, so I am nearly skipping when I start out on my way again.

I almost pass Jack on the street but then I fall back in step with him, where he is peddling the papes.

"Hey." I grin at him.

He gives me a weird look. "What have you been smokin'?"

"What have I been smokin'?" I repeat. "Only revenge, my dear friend."

"What are you talkin' 'bout?"

"I just met the Delancey brothers down an alley."

He looks at me concerned. "Oh, God. Did they knock your brains loose? Is that why you're so happy?"

I frown. "No."

He places his hands on my face and looks at me. "Rage, come back to me! Can you hear me?"

I shake him off. "Jacky. I'm fine," I say, starting to get annoyed.

"Race!" he calls, ignoring me. "Mush! Skittery! David—!"

I clamp my fingers over his mouth. "What do you think you're doin'?"

"It's gonna be okay, Rage. We'll get you some help."

"Jacky, shut up! I'm totally fine! I just beat the daylights out of both the Delancey brothers!"

His eyes flicker with excitement as the other boys gather around us with concern. "Really!?" he asks in disbelief.

"Yeah," I say and roll my eyes at the others.

Skittery runs over to us and stands next to me, panting. "Rage!" he pants. "Are you okay?"

I am annoyed. But Skittery is a good friend of mine, and he is so damn nice that I can't even get mad at him.

"Yes, I am perfectly fine. Our friend Jacky likes to jump to conclusions."

He is very out of breath, having ran all the way over to us after Jack started yelling.

"I think she's hallucinating," Jack told the others. "She just said that she beat up the Delanceys."

Skittery turns me to face him. He holds me in place by keeping a firm grip on my shoulders. "Rage," he says calmly. "Do you feel lightheaded, or dizzy?"

"No!" I say, frustrated.

"Okay, we gotta get her calmed down," says Jack, genuine fear in his eyes.

"Jack!" I roar. "Quit it!"

He looks around in pure desperation. "Are any of you doctors!?" he asks, looking at the newsies.

"Why, yes, Jack," says Racetrack diplomatically. "Don't you remember when I got my medical license last week?"

"No," says Jack. "but who cares? Help her!"

"I was being sarcastic," says Race exasperatedly.

"What is that? Some sort of medical condition?" asks Jack.

They all roll their eyes at him.

"Jack," I say, smothering my anger. "I am fine. I am not delusional. Leave me alone."

"Skittery," Jack commands. "Watch her, and make sure she don't do nothin' crazy. I'm gonna go get Denton, he can help us."

I exhale loudly, but I don't argue with him. Instead, I wait until he has gone and all the newsies except me and Skittery have returned to work. Then, I turn and walk quickly down the street.

Skittery follows me. "Where ya goin'?"

"I don't know."

"You ain't, you know, crazy, are ya?" he asks me.

"No more than usual," I reply, waiting for him to catch up. When he finally does, I say, "Come on. We gotta hurry to get away from him."

We walk together a few blocks until we can't see the others anymore. We pass carts laden with fruit and hotdogs, carts with clattering horses, and people of all types on the streets.

"Oh, look who it is," says Skittery, who has stopped in the street and is staring down the row.

It's her. Satan incarnate. Jack's stupid girlfriend. Sarah.

"I may vomit," I say to Skittery.

"Yeah. Same." None of us like her, except Jack. And probably David too, knowing him.

"Well, well, well," I say. "I think I'll give her a little piece of my mind."

I roll up my sleeves and storm over to her. What a great day this is turning out to be.

"Hi, Sarah," I cajole sweetly when I am standing in front of her.

She looks me up and down with distaste. I glance downwards at my scuffy shoes and raggedy pants, un-tucked and halfway unbuttoned shirt.

"Um…" she says. "Hi?"

"How ya doin', sweetheart?" I say cheerily, throwing my arm around her shoulders.

She looked down at my hand, calloused, with dirt under the fingernails and laughed meanly.

"Do I know you!?" she asks me.

"Don't you remember me? Jack's fiancé?"

She slips from under my arm and stands looking at me. "What!?" she says.

"Oh." My smile falters. "Didn't he tell you about me?"

She looks enraged, something I know only too well. "Um, no."

I try to look like a puppy who has just been spitted upon.

"Wait," she says. "He's getting married to you?"

"Yes," I say.

"You're lying," she accuses.

"Jealous?" I ask.

"I'm Jack's girlfriend!" she screams.

"Ha, ha. Just kidding."

"That's not funny!" she whines, close to tears, buries her face in her skirt and runs back inside.

"Well, my job is done here," I sigh contentedly and walk back over to Skittery. "We've done a good thing, Skits."

He is laughing hysterically. "I know. I heard the whole thing."

"Don't tell Jack," I warn.

"I won't." He shakes his head. "Poor, pathetic Jack."

"I know. It's a pity, ain't it?"

"Yeah."

"Think he's lookin' for us?" I ask.

"Prolly." We both laugh.

"Ah, let's not go back."

He chuckles. "Where we gonna go?"

"I don't know. Nevermind. We'll just go back."

We walk over to Manhattan, and sit down in front of the Lodging House, sweating.

"God, it's hot," I say.

"Tell me how I'm gonna make ends meet?" he sings.

"Shut up," I say.

"We need a good assassination!" he continues.

"I'm warnin' ya, Skits."

"We need an earthquake or a war!"

"Skittery—"

"How 'bout a crooked politician?"

"I'll soak ya. Ask the Delanceys."

"Hey stupid, that ain't news no more!"

"Are you done?" I ask, exasperated.

"For now." He winks.

"Forever." I brandish a fist at him.

I make myself a solemn vow. If Sarah breaks Jack's heart…I'm gonna break her ugly little rat face.

~Author's Note:

BIG thank you's to Adalia King, MushSpotGoil and Spot'sAlleyCat for their reviews and to MushSpotGoil, Spot'sAlleyCat, HerminoneandMarcus, and Adalia King for favoriting.

lovelovelove,

Julianna. ~