I automatically know where I am. I'm in Bottle Alley, alone, at night. This scares me lots, I know I am not a sleep walker and Bottle Alley is about twenty miles from the lodging house. No one is in sight. I to get up and start my long walk, but I hear a voice.
"Where is she?"
There is no way I can tell who said that. Then I think I vaguely hear Oscar's voice.
"I gave her a chance like you said, nothing happened. No magic in a kiss that made me feel warm.
"Maybe it have worked if she was awake!"
I jolt up in fear. The voice is Morris's. I know they are talking about me. I sit back down so they won't try to attack me. I think I have a black eye and a bruise on my arm. That's all the damage done right? I try to trust myself but I can't. I then see Ike, handsome and charming as ever.
"There is my beautiful princess"
"I thought you were dead. I've missed you so much since last night."
Are you being fooled? Smalls and Butta Fingas say he's dead. I think to myself. No, this is real. He isn't dead!
"I somewhat am" he kisses me on the forehead. It hurts but I don't say so, probably because I slept with my head against the brick.
"What do you mean by somewhat?" I ask. Maybe I really am being fooled.
"I mean I am, I just didn't want to scare you away." Ike explains.
I am finally awake and I can stand up, my grogginess has cleared and I am as tired as I always am. I can hear late night carriages rattle the streets.
"Why am I in Bottle Alley?" like he knows, Oscar may be the one who put me here.
"So I can do this"
I jump back as he holds my hand. He kisses me on the lips, long and hard. I can't tell him, I really do miss him. I see a silhouette, and then I hear it. Oscar's voice.
"My turn," he says.
He has a tone in his voice that makes me fear him. Just like that, Ike is lost with the shadows. Oscar takes me farther down the alleyway, holding my hand. I'm biting my lip this whole time. Maybe this is what the girls were afraid of. We finally stop and he twirls me.
"I am not your puppet." I say with a tone in my voice that scares even me.
"Who said you were? Why do you think you like me?" he asks.
He can read my thoughts, I think, was I that obvious? I freeze. He's right I do like hi, but he and his gang violated my closest friends. I think of Butta Fingas and Smalls sound asleep, do they know I'm missing? Oscar moves closer, I can smell beer on his breath. He's either drunk or high, I really can't tell. I remember Butta Fingas telling me not to scream, that he has way too many tricks up his sleeve. I know the worst that can happen, Oscar's favorite way to kill someone. Death by brass knuckles, simple as that.
"I'm waiting," he says "why do you like me?"
"Because your handsome and charming, and just the best bad boy ever." That was a lie. He's so drunk he just tripped over a bag of trash, still holding onto me. My fate seems to be taunting me. Oscar and I lie there; I may have broken my arm. Oscar looks like he couldn't care less. He utters a swear word. Not like it's uncommon in New York. He's so cold, but I am too. But I have to be warm or else I'd die. What and honorable villain, I think. I move closer and put my head on his chest. His hart is still beating, just ever so slightly. In a flash, I tug him to a wall. He lies there almost dead. He finally stands up, and pushes me back down.
"Maybe this is why you love me," he says.
I black out.
As, I wake up from earlier, I am still in Bottle Alley. Oscar lays next to me.
"Best night ever." He groans something else, but I can't tell.
I sit up and I look around. It's morning. My friends were right. I share the same fate with them. Nine months later, I have a baby girl named Lucy, she died the next day. I woke up crying.
"What's wrong," asks Star.
"Butta Fingas moved out and I miss her." Not really but kinda. " Seriously, I'll tell you later.