;hey guys I'm still alive! here's a short chapter because schools stressing me out.;
September 1st, 1935
Maeve tapped her fingers impatiently on the small tray she was carrying to receive her meal. Normally she was much more patient waiting in line at the soup kitchens but that red headed kid and Sky's chatter on the other side of the place in the whites section (yup still segregated) put her on edge. Just because she was black a white kid tried to beat her over the head with metal pole. Sure she'd been beaten up before and sure Alex wasn't the most polite person when they first met. But at least he kept it to himself.
Finally it was her turn for food. The middle aged black woman set a bowl of soup, chunk of bread, small apple, and a glass of water onto her tray. "Thank ya, miss." Maeve said nodding her cap at the woman. She smiled and nodded back.
Keeping to herself, Maeve walked to her and the others meeting spot in the large parking lot they had opened for the people to sit in. They had even set up some fire pits for people to sit around. Sky, the kid, Tony and Chuckie where already sitting there when she arrived and had started eating. "Where's Al?" She asked as she sat down. "Went to find a spoon. He claimed: 'just because you call us the Street Rats doesn't mean we have to eat like rats.'" Sky replied imitating Alex's voice. Maeve laughed a little at Al's manners and started eating her own food with her hands.
They ate silently while waiting for Alex to return. Maeve tried her best to enjoy the free food. ('Free' because she didn't have to trick someone into giving it to her) But she could feel the boys eyes on her. Or at least glancing at her every second. She shifted uncomfortably and tried to ignore it. Finally, she couldn't bear it anymore. Maeve looked up at him with raised eyebrows at the boy who's bright brown eyes stared right back.
"Somethin wrong?" She asked in a bland tone. "Why do you dress like that?" The boy asked not catching Maeve's tone. "Like what?" She asked back. What's wrong with her clothes? They're old and worn out but from this time period. "Like a man." He responded with a little attitude in his voice.
It took all her control not to roll her eyes. Maeve could feel other peoples, most likely whites or women, eyes already watching her. She blushed a little out of shyness but her expression remained the same. She always got weird looks from people by the way she dressed. In society: men wore pants and overalls. Women wore skirts and dresses. Maeve's choice of mens work clothes earned her lots of odd looks. That's what she gets for growing up with 2 men and a loud mouth.
"Because I say 'F*** you' to the gender roles of society." She finally replied before biting a chunk out of her apple. Sky and Chuckie laughed at her response, almost choking on their rations while Tony rolled his eyes and the boy look horrified. "My momma taught me not to say those kinda words." He said matter-of-factly. "So does mine. But that's only when I'm under her roof." She replied while shrugging.
"That was ridicules!" Alex exclaimed walking up to the small group. He sat down next to Tony and set his tray down in front of him. "The only utensil they could find in this heap and it's filthy!" To prove his point, Al held up a spoon that had smudges of dirt on it. "Well I don't see why they just shut the damn place down!" Sky exclaimed surprisingly able to keep a strait face. "I mean we're only eating, sleeping, bathing, and living in dirt!" He yelled louder: "Why can't a good man get a clean spoon around this joint!" Alex rolled his eyes and started eating while Chuckie and Maeve broken down laughing.
"So Kid," Sky said taking a large swig from his bowl of soup. "Y'all wouldn't mind tell'n us why your out on the streets by yourself." The boy shook his head. "My momma taught me not to tell people my business." He said. Maeve sniggered remembering how she had been the same way when she was his age. The boy looked offended by her reaction. "What are you laughing at?" He demanded. "Nothin. You just remind me of myself when I was your age." Maeve replied putting her hands up in defense. "I'm nothing like you Negros!" The boy snapped.
The atmosphere went dark instantly. Sky and Chuckie both glared at the boy while Alex and Tony gave shameful looks. The boy looked at them uncomfortably wondering what he had done. "Maeve is apart of our family." Tony said cooly. "We do not use that kind of language around here." This made the boy confused. "But she's-" "I don't matter if she's black, white, Asian, Indian, or Canadian she's still human and still part of our family. We don't use that language around here. Period." Sky said sternly. The boy leaned back horrified as Sky started to lecture. As much as Maeve wanted Sky to give the kid a good lesson, she knew she couldn't let Sky scare him. No matter how rude the kid was to her.
"Sky." Maeve said resting a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. He's just a kid." Sky looked down at the boy still angry about what he had said but looked away and started eating again.
Tension was still high as they ate in silence for the next few minutes. Maeve sighed and set her bowl down. She needed to end this. "Hey kid. Ya wanna hear a story?" The boy glanced up at her. Much to her surprise, this time it wasn't out of annoyance but curiosity. He stared at Maeve waiting for her to begin. Glad she had gotten his attention, Maeve cleared her throat then started:
"It started when a girl was five years old, six years before the stock market crashed. Her daddy went out to get a job interview with some big company. Before he left he gave her his most prized possession: his daddy's flat cap. It's the last thing he got from his daddy. That very night he got lynched by a group of white men for no reason what so ever. And you know what happened to those white men?" "Did they get arrested?" He asked, eyes wide. Maeve shook her head. The boy tilted his head confused and furrowed his eyebrows. "Then what?" "Nothin. They went on with their lives like nothin happened. Not even caring they just murdered an innocent man."
Maeve paused and took a shaky breath. She hated how white people got away with murdering innocent people. She'd often blow up ranting when she was reminded of it. After a long pause she started again.
"Her momma needed to marry a new man so she could support them. And then she found him. The devil himself. He's a giant who hated her because she was a bit tanner than him. He'd beat her over the head and slam her into walls and not needing to worry about her telling because he threatened to hurt her momma too." The boy looked horror struck by this as Maeve continued to tell the story of how the girl got abused to the point she ran out onto the streets. Sky leaned back a bit while he listened. He raised a questionable eyebrow at what Maeve was planning. Did she really think that'd work?
"That's horrible!" The red headed boy exclaimed. "Is it now?" Maeve asked propping her chin on her hand. "Yes! No one deserves to be beaten or killed for that stupid of a reason!" Sky whistled and Chuckie looked amused while Tony and Alex looked at Maeve proudly. The boy looked around them confused. "What?" He asked. "Kid, that story Curly top just told ya." Sky said smiling slightly. "That was her story. Her daddy was murdered when she was five and ran onto the streets to avoid her abusive step-daddy when she was eight. All this happened to her just because She's black. A darker skin tone than you and me."
The boy looked at her surprised. He looked at Maeve as if asking if it was true. She nodded in response. The boy looked down at his hands uncomfortably. "Hey it's not that bad. Maeve's been called plenty worse." Chuckie reassuringly patting the boy on the back. "One guy called her a ni-" "We do not use that kind of language, Charles!" Alex snapped. "Especially around youth!" Chuckie puffed out his cheeks angrily. Maeve, Sky, and the boy started laughing. "It's 'Chuckie' not Charles. Why can't you accept my life choices? I accept ya life choice of being bald." Chuckie asked. Alex looked offended. "I beg your pardon-!" "Why can't ya just accept me for who I am!?" Chuckie exclaimed over dramatically while shaking the front of Alex's jacket.
Maeve set down her bowl of soup and hunched over holding her ribs while Sky leaned against her back both laughing until they couldn't breath. Even Tony cracked a grin while the kid laughed with them.
"Will you stop!" Alex demanded shoving Chuckie away. "People are watching!" The blonde laughed and sat back down. "Ah, good old Al is always that way with us in public." "Oh yeah. Ya remember when he first met Curly Top?" Sky jumped in. He pointed his thumb at Maeve. "You'd think he'd die from embarrassment." "Oh, I remember that." Maeve said chuckling slightly. "He'd try as hard as possible to go in the opposite group I was in." Alex's face turned slightly red as he huffed.
"Na, Na. The best memory I got is when that one idiot tried to sell Tony those illegal goods he stole from the port." Chuckie laughed slapping Tony's arm. Tony chuckled. "He wasn't to bright. He asked me when I asked if they where illegal: what ya gonna do? Turn me into the cops?" Tony said mimicking the guys voice. "Na, Na! Ya remember the time?..."
They stayed that way for a few hours. Laughing and eating, exchanging funny stories that attracted some listeners and even some people joined in the story telling. Finally the owner of the soup kitchen came out and told them they needed to leave. Sky tipped his hat at the woman and gave her a small wink causing her to blush like mad and play with her blonde hair nervously. Maeve rolled her multicolored eyes and dragged him away by the collar of his jacket. "C'mon, lover boy." She said heading with the rest of the Street Rats. "No need to be jealous, curly top." Sky laughed turning around. Maeve puffed out her cheeks. "I'm not jealous. I'm annoyed." She corrected him. Sky up his hands up in defense, not wanting to set her off.
"Did ya enjoy ya self, kid?" Sky asked ruffling the boys red hair. He nodded in response. "And how do you feel about Maeve?" Tony asked The boy paused and thought about this. The others all looked at him patiently waiting for an answer. Maeve especially. "She's ok. For a girl." He replied matter-of-factly.
Maeve quirked an eyebrow at the red head. "And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked. Chuckie jumped up from behind her and rapped an arm around Maeve's shoulders and laughed. "It means you don't have a pe-" "I know that, ya pervert." Maeve snapped while slapping the back of his head. "Ow! I'm just saying the obvious! What are you on your-" "Charles! There is a child here!" Alex snapped.
"So kid!" Sky yelled over their bickering causing everyone to go silent. "How'd you like to live with us Street Rats? We could always use a new member." The boy looked at all of them surprised. "Really? Do ya mean it?" "Wouldn't have said it if he didn't mean it." Maeve replied sticking her hands into her pockets. He looked excited and gave a big grin. "Yeah." He replied shaking his head quickly. "Well, son." Tony said leading their way onto the 'Tin Can'. "Welcome to the Street Rats."
;Thanks for reading and please leave a review!;