Gripping her locket, she looked around the room. The guys who were scattered around the bunk room didn't look much different than the guys from Manhattan. Sure, some of them were bigger and they all pretty much looked tougher, but in general, she didn't see much of a difference. Most of them turned back to what they had been doing previously, while some lingered their attention on her. Not wanting the attention, she turned to Spot only to find him gone. Dread set in as she frantically looked around.
A warm hand touched her shoulder and she spun to look at the body attached. A short, round woman was standing there. Her face was warm, and her smile was gentle. Jade pulled back, not wanting the contact. She wasn't one for touching. She wasn't a fan of hugs and had little to no experience with anything remotely sexual. She wasn't one to hold a guy's hand or give someone a kiss hello. She didn't like skin to skin contact. She had made some exceptions over the past few weeks. They were surprises to herself as much as anyone else. Even with the adjustments to her aversion to touching, she was still by no means comfortable with human contact. Her hugs were stiff, and any unsolicited contact made her freeze and recoil. She didn't think she' d get over her little issue and she wasn't sure she wanted to. Touching did not give her a sense of comfort or protection, it made her uncomfortable. She gave Mush her only pass for hugs. Something about the boy was so comforting and he made sure to keep his skin away from hers. She had mentioned it to him and he complied completely.
Although the woman before her seemed to mean her no harm, Jade looked for Spot. Figures, she stands in front of a woman who looked like a kind auntie and looks for the guy who could bring her pain and scared her like no one else had.
She let out a breath when she saw him. He held no warmth on his face. He looked at her, telling her that he was not happy with the situation he was put in. She saw his eyes dart to her side. To the side that she forgot was in immense pain. With the shock to being put on display for a group of strangers she forgot about the ribs that were potentially broken. The short woman motioned toward a door that Jade hadn't noticed. Which wasn't saying much, Jade hadn't actually looked around at the décor. Looking toward Spot, still unsure of her surroundings, he gave her a nod.
"This way dearie. There is more privacy through this door. The boys are also not allowed back here." Jade nodded at the squat woman, following her guidance. She noticed that the woman didn't have the deep accent of a New Yorker, but a slight accent of someone from Ireland. She didn't look back to see if Spot was following, she could hear him greet some of the guys. Just as the door to the next room closed behind her, she heard one of the guys make a crude joke but didn't hear anyone chastise him. She began to see slight differences between Manhattan and Brooklyn. While the Manhattan newsies weren't angels and did their fair share of cursing and speaking ill of people, they at least waited until they thought she couldn't hear. The Brooklyn newsies didn't seem to care. It was almost refreshing.
"Let's have a look." Mrs. Shea gestured to Jade's side once they stood alone in the next room. The last thing Jade wanted to do was take off her shirt with those guys on the other side of the door. She shook her head, saying that she was fine. "If the bone is broken it would help to know. I just want to know how to help." Jade just stared at her. She was not comfortable enough to strip away her shirt when at any moment one of the guys could come barging through. The older woman let out a sigh and walked to the opposite side of the room. She turned her back to Jade as she rummaged around on the shelves she was facing.
Jade took this time to look around the room, she really needed to get in the habit of focusing on her surroundings better. By the door there were three small steps which she must have walked down. The room was warm and smelled of burning wood and dust. There was a table with four mismatching chairs set around it. On the walls hung pots and pans and plates, along with cooking utensils. Along one side of the room sat a stove with an oven, which had a kettle warming on it, and next to that, a small icebox and sink. A pantry stood at the other end of the room, stocked with food. This room seemed to be the kitchen of the lodging house. While in Manhattan, Jade figured there was just the bunkroom, sick room, wash room, and lobby, along with the owner's room. Thinking about it now, of course there would be a small kitchen area for the resident. There was a door way that lead to a room that she could see a roaring fire place along with some cozy looking chairs.
"Would you like to sit?" Mrs. Shea motioned toward the table. Jade took her offer and sat, wincing as she lowered herself down. "Back in that room is the foyer, no one is allowed back here as it is part of my home." The woman had turned her back to Jade once again in search of a cup. "Past the foyer is my living quarters. My bedroom, washroom, and living area. The boys know that this area is strictly off limits." As she finished her sentence a knock came to the door that led into this room. Mrs. Shea called to the person on the other side that is was okay to enter. So much for being strictly forbidden. Spot's head pooped out from behind the door to double check if it was truly safe to walk in. Finding nothing to stop him from entering, he walked in.
"A stubborn one, you brought home." The squat woman turned her attention to Jade. Spot did as well, and under the two gazes Jade squirmed. Mrs. Shea walked over to the kettle and poured hot water into a mug then handed that mug to Jade. "If you won't let me check out the injury, at least drink something to warm yourself up. I am horrified that the two of you walked all the way from Manhattan in this weather. I suspect that at least one of you will be getting sick, if not both." Spot's gaze remained on her. She knew silent communication quite well. She could read looks and body language as well as she could read a book. A skill she needed to learn while living in the manor. He was annoyed. She had a feeling that control would be an issue with him. He moved his eyes from her face to her side to her cup.
Without a word he turned and walked into the foyer. She heard the sound of glasses clinking together and liquid being poured. From her position she saw him sit in one of the comfy looking chairs, drinking what looked to be a burned yellow almost orange colored liquid. Most likely whisky or brandy. Jade was familiar to both of the drinks. She took a sip of her drink which turned out to be cinnamon tea, one of her favorites. Mrs. Shea cleared her throat and once again addressed Jade.
"Without me looking at the injury I can only assume. Either way, the treatment is the same, your ribs must be wrapped and iced. If I can find some pain killers, I could give them to you if the pain is severe enough." Her face gave Jade the impression that she was not to be fooled. Nodding, Jade took another sip of the delicious tea. It wasn't the quality of the tea back at home but some how that fact that it was made for her to make feel better made the tea all the more better. The older woman turned to the foyer and spoke to the back of the Brooklyn Leader's head. "Where are you planning on having her sleep?"
Spot raised the glass of alcohol to his lips and took a small sip before answering. "My room." There was a loud thump and she felt her lap begin to burn. Looking down she saw that she had dropped her cup of tea. Reacting rather delayed, she shot out of the chair, wincing as she did. The tea was still steaming as it soaked into her pants. The smell of cinnamon was potent. At the sound both Spot and Mrs. Shea jumped. The latter rushing to Jade's side to help soak up the hot tea without having to take off her pants in front of the boy in the other room. Spot just stared at her, slightly surprised.
"Goodness, are you alright? Two injuries in one night, waking up tomorrow will not be fun. Are you burned?" Mrs. Shea blotted the wet stain on her thighs. "There must have been some oil on the mug from when I had dinner last night. I'm terribly sorry dear." Jade shook her head and smiled down at the woman trying to help her. Taking a breath, Jade told her that she was fine.
"She will stay in the foyer. The poor girl is probably terrified of being here because of you and those boys." Mrs. Shea put her hands on her hips and spoke sternly to Spot. "The last thing she needs to do is share a room with you." To his credit, Spot just looked to his glass. He must have found that there wasn't enough alcohol in it and went to refill it. When he came back, he calmly addressed both women.
"As I was sayin', she'll stay in my room," Mrs. Shea began to interrupt but Spot continued, "and I'se will sleep on one of da bunks in da main room." Mrs. Shea closed her mouth but looking just as suspicious as before. It seemed the even the inn keeper wasn't immune to Spot's command. "My door has a lock, dat door doesn't.' He gestured to the door behind them. "It would be better if she stayed up dere, away from all da guys. You could, of coise, stay in dis room if you'se feel more comfortable heah, but I'se recommend you'se stay in my room till you'se have to leave."
He was once again giving her the choice, putting the options in front of her and having her pave her own way. She was sure that Jack would have just told her where she would be staying and that would have been it. Again, Jack did it because he cared about her, Spot did it because he didn't care one way or the other. He was just holding up his end of the bargain. Clearly, having an open favor was important enough to him for him to give up his bed. Jade thought back to when she spoke to Racetrack about Spot and how he said that if Spot Conlon said jump, she was to jump. She weighed the options in her head. Of course, the option was simple, and she would listen to him. She just hoped his room was as warm as the foyer.
She nodded to him. Seeming satisfied with her decision, he gulped the last of his drink, put the glass in the sink and left the room. Mrs. Shea turned to look at Jade, her attention snagging on her side. Taking a painful breath, Jade lifted her shirt. Just the raising of her arms was immensely painful. Mrs. Shea walked close to her and inspected the giant red and purple bruise that was taking shape on her side. Nodding, Mrs. Shea walked out of the room, coming back with a load of supplies in her arms.
"I would like to wrap it, just to keep it stable and take some pain away. It looks to be broken and will take a couple of weeks to fully heal. Unfortunately, you'll be in a load of pain for a while. I assume you're-" she stopped mid-sentence, looking toward the door. Jade dropped her shirt and turned to look at Spot, who she knew would be standing there. Apparently, his manners only went so far. He could only be bothered to knock the first time. She was warned about walking in on him, but the courtesy was not extended from him.
"It seems you'se are stubborn but not stupid." Mrs. Shea scolded him about knocking before entering a room. Jade just glared at him and the brashness he used. Of course, she wasn't stupid. She was nervous, she was scared. She wouldn't let the injury go without attention, she just didn't want what had just happened to happen. He narrowed his eyes at her, walking toward her. Or she thought he was walking toward her until he strode right past her into the foyer, where he picked up his forgotten cane. She hadn't noticed that he left it behind, and to be honest, she forgot all about it. He obviously didn't need it like Crutchy needed his crutches, she then assumed it was just for looks. Maybe it was a weapon. There could be a hidden knife in the handle or a blade that shot out of the bottom. That would be interesting.
Her anger was beginning to take precedence over her fear. Spot was not horrible to her, he accepted to help hide her from the cops, and had given her a choice in every matter that involved her. He just seemed to lack manners. Maybe he had manners but didn't care enough to use them. Either way, she was getting annoyed with him.
"I wonder how you would react if you were thrown in my position." She accosted him with her arms painfully crossed. Spot stopped short and turned to her. She kept her face in a state of annoyance and waited. She was out of the manor, she didn't have those rules to follow. She didn't have to do anything to appease the men around her, she could speak when she wasn't spoken to. She could have her own opinions and speak up. She didn't have to take shit from him. He may be helping her, but he didn't have to be cruel. She was also terrified of how he would react.
"What would I'se do? I'se listen and do as I was told da foist time." With that, he walked out shaking his head. Huffing, she turned around looked at Mrs. Shea. The innkeeper had the look of someone who was impressed. She smiled at Jade and handed her some wrapping.
"That boy needs more of that. I have seen very few people do what you did and get away with it." Jade blushed and looked at the wrapping in her hand. Her hands shook. The older woman laughed. Racetrack's warning came to mind. The one about getting on Spot's bad side and forever staying there. Shaking her head, she looked back to Mrs. Shea.
"I-"Jade licked her lips, not knowing what to say. Not knowing if she made the mistake of thinking the was free to do and think as she pleased or if she should just be grateful to Spot and do as he said and take what he dished out. She didn't ponder it too long, Mrs. Shea began to wrap her ribs. Jade welcomed to slight warmth the bandages gave but disliked the pain that came with it. Mrs. Shea was very gentle, she didn't put too much pressure, but she got the job done.
"Spot is a rough one but stick to your guns. You'll be fine." With that Mrs. Shea turned and walked toward her part of the house. Jade was left standing in the kitchen area alone, unsure of what to do. Spot was clearly annoyed with her and he didn't give her any further directions. She would have to speak to him if she wanted a bed to sleep in. She could just stay in the foyer, like Mrs. Shea suggested. But that ran the risk of being exposed to the Brooklyn newsies. Her thoughts were interrupted by the door behind her opening.
"It's late and I'se like to go to bed eventually. Are you'se staying in heah or in my room?" Spot must have put aside his annoyance to ask her. He didn't walk all the way in the kitchen, just down the first of three steps. He didn't look mad, just tired. She made up her mind quickly.
"I'll just stay in the foyer. I've been enough trouble already." Spot looked like he wanted to object but kept his mouth shut. Nodding, the Brooklyn leader left the room. Jade wanted to stop doubting herself, but she almost couldn't. She had never had to make decisions that regarded her life so drastically. She was used to making decisions like what tea she wanted or what scent soap she wanted to wash with. But to make the decision of coming to Brooklyn to keep herself from being taken back to the manor, then to decide where to sleep in a dangerous place, was almost too much for her. She would need to make these kinds of choices more often than not and she had to get used to them. She had to get used to being okay with what she chose and stick by it.
She turned to the foyer and walked towards the bright fire. Being inside was nice, but she was still frozen. Upon walking in the room, she noticed the shelves where Spot got his drink. There wasn't much, but she could tell that he kept his things in order. Or was it Mrs. Shea that did the tidying? Besides the two arm chairs there was a squashy looking couch. The kind of couch that you sunk in and took the best nap of your life. There was also a blanket draped across the back. She didn't think about the fact that there was no lock on the door, she didn't think about the boys in the other room, she didn't think about Spot Conlon being pissed at her. All she thought about was the sleep that called to her. She gently lowered herself on to the couch, finding that it was exactly as comfortable as it looked and pulled the blanket over her. Her ribs screamed out for her to stop but thanked her when she settled for the night, held her locket, and fell right to sleep.
Taking the steps up to his room, Spot thought of the trouble this girl was going to be. She was most likely going to fight him on everything. She hadn't proved him wrong since meeting her. She played the innocent act, but she wouldn't allow Mrs. Shea look at her ribs, she wouldn't rest when he told her to, she didn't take his offer of his room. Which, dropping her cup of tea at the mention of her sleeping in his room was a bit dramatic. He didn't buy the story of uncleaned oil. She also got the courage to smart mouth him. Him! The leader of Brooklyn! Spot Conlon had a problem on his hands and its name was Jade.
Kelly really screwed him with this one. Maybe sending her out his boys would do her some good. Jack expects him to keep her away from the bulls, but she was unpredictable and unreadable. Having broken ribs would have immobilized any of his newsies but she just trudged on. She wouldn't allow him to let her rest. He couldn't imagine the pain she must have been in.
Spot could not deal with someone who he couldn't get a read on. Unpredictable yes, but unreadable no. She was scared, that much he knew. She seemed to doubt herself. When she stood up to him, he saw that she was angry but also scared since her hands shook as she glared at him. She also couldn't keep her decisions straight. When he brought up her sleeping in his room, she agreed but going to get her and bring her there she changed her mind. He would have to give himself a few days with her around to see how to handle the girl.
Reaching the top of the stairs, he unlocked his door. He held the key around his neck for safe keeping. The key was a funny object. There were rumors upon rumors about what it opened. One was that it opened a secret room where he kept prisoners and hostages, another was that it unlocked the front door to a mansion is New Jersey. His personal favorite was that it unlocked his heart, this one was made by the girls who fawned over him who he paid no mind to. He didn't have the time or patience for that nonsense. Plus, where was the fun in getting a girl who would give no resistance. He needed someone who would give him excitement, who would give him something to work for. Spot himself never confirmed or denied any of them, much like the rest of the rumors that went around about him. He didn't care much. He had everything he wanted, he was content with his reputation as well as his life.
He stepped into his room, propping his cane against the wall by the door, along with Jade's bag. There wasn't much in this room; just his bed, a dresser, a nightstand, and a bookcase. The bed was neatly made, the dresser was barely full, the nightstand held small things he had collected over the years, and the bookcase held books. Nothing special about anything. Much like Spot himself. Nothing special. He walked over to the bed and sat, toeing off his boots as he did so.
His mind was on Jack Kelly. Why did he have to take in runaways, and moreover why did he have to involve Spot. Brooklyn had taken in its fair share of runaways, but none of them were from wealthy families. Kids usually ran away from their abusive fathers or good for nothing drunk mothers. They very rarely ran away from a life of luxury. What made Kelly think that taking this girl in was a good idea? This would only bring trouble to any newsie that was seen with her. The cops were scaling the city for her, which only meant she was important, or her family had enough money to pay the cops well enough to keep them looking.
He tossed his sling shot onto his night stand and laid back, wondering how he was going to pull this one off. Yes, he had helped Kelly in the past with other runaways, but the bulls stopped looking for those kids within a week. She ran away around Christmas time and they were still searching. They were invested enough to scream at her when they saw her before she climbed the fire escape. She was going to be hard to conceal from the public. He knew that people as well as the cops would be looking for her. Keeping her at the lodging house would be the best course of action, but he knew she would do the exact opposite of what he told her. He could just give her time to get settled then figure out what to do. This seemed like a good enough idea to him because he fell asleep minutes later.
Jade woke up to shuffling in the kitchen. She went to move the blanket off herself when a sharp, burning pain shot through her side. Tears welled up in her eyes as she bit her lip to hold in a cry. The adrenaline and fear must have worn off because her side now felt like she had broken two ribs. Last night had hurt, but the morning was excruciating. She tried to sit up again, this time succeeding with more tears. Her breathing became erratic as panic raised in her chest. She had never had an injury this bad and she was scared. She didn't know what to do to take care of it or how to handle the pain. She made a small sound when she tried to stand, failing, but it alerted whoever was rummaging around in the kitchen.
"Oh dearie, stay, don't get up. You'll only hurt yourself." Mrs. Shea came around the corner with a small hand towel in her hands. Jade wasn't sure what time it was, but she was sure it was later than she normally woke up. She ignored the older woman's advice to stay put and forced herself to stand. She asked for the time and when she was told it was 8 o'clock in the morning she almost cried. She had gotten so used to waking up with the boys and selling papers in the morning that she began to panic. She needed to make her days earning so she could eat and pay for her stay in Brooklyn. She had a small lump of money stashed in the bag Spot had carried form Manhattan but that could be gone in a flash.
"Calm down, it's okay. When you are feeling better, you can go back out and sell papers." Mrs. Shea didn't look too concerned about her not working for one day.
"I need to pay for my stay. I need to make enough money for today's meal. I need to go out and – " Jade tried to calm down but she couldn't. Jack has told her about the importance of making money and even one skipped day could be disastrous. He told her that she should avoid missing any days to avoid being forced on the street to sleep or not being about to eat which could lead to getting sick.
"Oh, don't worry about that. You do not need to fret." Jade made to sound of protest, but Mrs. Shea just waved her off. "I am cooking some breakfast now. Would you like some?" Jade hesitated but nodded, not wanting to give up a chance at a nice warm meal. Mrs. Shea smiled and left the room. Jade followed her into to kitchen finding that walking wasn't as painful as she expected it to be. Yes, it hurt, but it wasn't as bad as trying to stand or trying to sit. The kitchen smelled of eggs and sausage. Nothing had ever smelled better. Jade's mouth practically watered. She asked Mrs. Shea if there was anything that she could do to help. Mrs. Shea said no at first but must have sensed that Jade needed something to do, told her to start cleaning the dishes in the sink. Jade made her way to the sink and started to do as she was asked. She suffered through the pain but in the end, it wasn't all that bad.
She and Mrs. Shea enjoyed a nice small, delicious breakfast with each other and after, Jade cleaned the remaining dishes while the older woman cleaned off the table and began making tea. She asked Jade what she preferred, and Jade told her that cinnamon was her favorite. They fell into a comfortable silence as they cleaned and got the tea ready.
The day passed as just that, comfortable. With all the boys gone, Jade gave herself a tour of the lodging house. She found that for the most part it was the same as the Manhattan lodging house. The structure of the building was different, and it was cleaner, but overall it was the same. She noticed that the beds were made. Each and every one of them. This surprised her a bit, she hadn't expected the newsies to make their own beds. They weren't perfect, but the bunk room looked a lot better than Manhattan. Jade didn't think that the Manhattan newsies had ever made a bed in their lives. She saw that the washroom was attached to the bunkroom, as it was in Manhattan. Upon further inspection, she noticed that the washroom was spotless as well. The towels were folded and hung up. The sinks were dry and free of any hair or dirt. While the washroom in Manhattan wasn't dirty, it was very messy, and the boys didn't seem to care.
She walked further into the house, noting the sick room, and a large room with tables, couches, and chairs. On the tables were decks of cards, poker chips, and ash trays. Draped across some of the couches were blankets. They had the same pattern as the one in the bunkroom and the foyer. There was also a staircase that looked to lead to the attic. There were plenty of windows, which was nice since it brought in some natural light. Through her travels she didn't see a room that looked to be Spot's. She wasn't looking for it, she just made note that it wasn't there. Walking back towards the bunk room she heard voices. She paused right before she turned the corner.
"Wheah is he? I know he's heah!" A rough voice shouted. Jade could hear Mrs. Shea tell the man that none of the boys were here, that he needed to leave. She heard the sound of glass shattering and a grunt. When she peered around the corner, enough so she could see but whoever was there couldn't see her. The man, who looked to be a newsie, had Mrs. Shea pinned against the wall. He was talking low enough that Jade couldn't hear but she knew he was scaring Mrs. Shea. Jade turned and silently ran into the room with the tables. The running shot pains down her side, but she didn't stop. She grabbed an ash tray and two empty beer bottles. Running back to the bunk room she skidded to a stop. The man was still there, holding the innkeeper against the wall. She was shaking her head, not telling him what he wanted to know. Jade let out a breath, aimed, and threw the ash tray at the man's head.
The heavy piece of copper struck true. The man let go of Mrs. Shea and turned where Jade stood. Blood began to drip onto the floor. Jade looked toward Mrs. Shea to see if she was okay, the woman had fallen to the ground trying to catch her breath. Jade focused on the man again, he was moving towards her.
"You little bitch." With that, he picked up his pace. Just before he reached her, she turned and ran. She heard his foot steps coming fast after her. She turned and threw the first beer bottle at the ground. The man cursed and stopped. She heard him laugh under his breath because he realized the same thing she realized. She was trapped. She still had the second beer bottle, but that wouldn't do much. As the man stood at one end of the hallway, Jade at the other, she noticed that the wound on his head was bleeding more than before. Perhaps he would get light headed and she would be able to escape. He showed no signs of faltering as he took a few steps toward her. She took a step back but her back hit the cold window. She thought about trying to just jump out of it, but she didn't know if it was locked or if it even could be opened. She also didn't think her side would allow any climbing.
Jade heard her name coming from Mrs. Shea, but she knew she couldn't do anything with the man blocking her path. She hoped that he didn't hurt the older woman too bad. The man took a few more steps closer to Jade. She was running out of the little options she had. Preparing to throw the beer bottle at the man's head she heard another set of footsteps. Peering over the stranger's should, she was flooded with relief. She lowered the bottle and kept her eyes on the newcomer.
"I don't dink she's da one you'se lookin' fah, Mutt." Jade's focus went back to the man, who's face soured. He turned to Spot, forgetting about Jade. Spot motioned for her to come to him and she didn't hesitate. She ducked passed the man and stood behind the Brooklyn leader. "How's can I'se help you'se?" Jade didn't stick around long enough to find out what the guy wanted, she ran to help Mrs. Shea. She was standing by the time Jade reached her. She face sank with relief as she saw the younger girl running to her.
"Oh, thank the heavens. I told Spot to get you. Are you okay? What an exciting past couple of days for you. Come, I'll make some tea and we can sit in the foyer." Mrs. Shea seemed to be okay. Jade looked back to when she had left Spot and the man before following the other woman into the kitchen.
"Mrs. Shea? I am sorry. I threw a beer bottle on the ground and that man got blood on the floor." Mrs. Shea laughed and shook her head but continued to make the tea. Jade kept her eyes on the door. She wanted to be prepared if anything else happened. "Dear, Spot will take care of things. Just relax." Jade nodded but kept her eyes on the door. She wasn't worried so much for Spot as much as she was for herself and the other woman.
The door cracked open and a head with dirty blond hair popped in. The blue eyes attached to that head scanned both women. The body attached to that head made its way into the kitchen. Spot asked if they were okay. Both women nodded but Mrs. Shea was not one for keeping quiet.
"Who in the world was that?! I never want him in this house again. Poor Jade-"
"Me?! You're the one who was choked against a wall. I'm the least of your worries." Jade surprised both with her outburst. She didn't think she should have been the center focus. Mrs. Shea was an older woman who should have never been touched in that way. No man should have done what that man, Mutt, had done to her. Spot addressed her.
"Actually, you'se was da reason he was here." Jade's heart sunk. She had never seen that man before. Had she? He was dressed like the other newsies not like one of the men she could have been promised to. It certainly was not Gavin. That voice she would have known. He would have also not left with out her. "Apparently since dey saw you'se in 'Hattan, dey set out a reward to who evah gives dem information. Mutt ain't da brightest in da bunch but if he realizes dat you'se are who you'se are den you'se could have a problem." Spot walked over to Mrs. Shea and checked out her neck. Seeing nothing wrong he turned to Jade but didn't do the same to her. He just looked her up and down then moved toward the foyer. Presumably to get a drink. Jade's suspicion was confirmed when she heard the glasses clink together.
"How did you know that…that he was here? How did you know to come back?" Jade knew it was too early to be done selling for the day. It was only about 10 o'clock. The Manhattan boys finished around 4 or 5. Spot came back into view with a glass of amber liquid in his hand. He leaned against the door frame, studying her.
"What I'se wanna know is how you'se bash Mutt's head like you'se did. And why you'se dought it was a good idea to cornah yourself." He tilted his head to the side but kept his eyes on her. Jade straightened a bit, not liking being under his gaze. His face showed no emotion. He just watched her. She didn't mean to. Well, bashing the man's head in yes, yes, she meant that. But cornering herself no, that was opposite of what she waned to do.
"I threw an ash tray at his head. I was hoping that it would knock him out, but it didn't. Obviously." She looked down and heard Spot murmur "obviously." She didn't know what he expected from her. Did he think should would be a master at fighting or escaping? "Yeah, and when that didn't work, I had him chase me." Taking a sip of his drink, Spot almost choked.
"You'se… Hold on. You'se wanted him to chase you'se?" Spot almost looked angry, almost. One thing she noticed about this boy was that he kept his thoughts to himself. She did get him to stutter, which was nice. It showed he wasn't completely emotionless.
"Well, yeah? It was stupid but, -" she got a nod of agreement from both Spot and Mrs. Shea. "But I figured if I could get him running he would be more likely to run over the shattered glass and hurt himself." That was her plan. She wanted him to be immobile, it just didn't work out that way. So, it just looked like she tried to throw the glass at the man and it came short of hitting him. Jade shrugged. She didn't know what else to say.
"Impressive." Spot deadpanned. He shook his head and walked into the foyer to sit on one of the arm chairs. She rolled her eyes. Childish yes, but an acceptable response. Mrs. Shea handed her a cup of tea, which smelled delightful, and made her way out of the kitchen with a broom and pan in hand. Jade brought her tea and carefully sat on the couch.
"I didn't know what to do. He attacked Mrs. Shea and I panicked. I did what I could to get him off her. I-" She stopped. She didn't see the point in explaining herself. Sighing, she brought her cinnamon tea to her lips and sipped. Spot glanced at her but glanced away when she noticed.
"You'se did good." Jade's attention snapped to the boy sitting in the arm chair. She was confused. She wanted to ask him what he meant but he downed his drink and stood up. His placed his cup on the shelf with the other cups and began walking out. Before leaving the foyer, he stopped. "If you'se still heah when your ribs heal, I'se can have someone teach you'se how to fight." With that he left. He didn't say bye or where he was going. He didn't wait for an answer, he just left. Jade didn't move. In fact, she leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes. What a day.
One of his birds come running to him, explaining what they saw. He ran back to the Lodging house as fast as he could. He would have to think about getting a lock for the front door. He had been meaning to talk to Mrs. Shea about it, but it was never important enough. Until now. When he bust through the lobby and ran up the stairs, he saw the innkeeper in the floor gasping for air. When he bent down to help her, he saw the blood on the ground. His eyes followed the trail to where the game room was. The old woman shook her head and pointed to where the blood led. She just said "Jade." She even went as far as pushing him in that direction. He listened and that's when he found her. Trapped in a corner with Mutt advancing on her. When her eyes found his, he saw he physically relax. It seemed that she trusted him enough to help her. She didn't hesitate to come to him when he motioned to her. She also didn't stick around, which he was grateful for. The last thing he needed was Mutt realizing who she was when he demanded to know where she was.
The bulls must not have given the public a very good description of Jade. All they really had to say was short, skinny girl with long brown hair and green eyes. He wasn't sure what description was given but it wasn't working. At least she had that in her favor. Her accent would give her away in a second. Not many people in Brooklyn have a British accent. Not many people in New York really. He would have to tell her to keep her mouth shut. She wasn't a very talkative person to start with, that shouldn't be a problem.
He meant what he said. She did good. She thought of a plan, one that failed, but it saved Mrs. Shea. For that he was grateful. Her plan could have worked had she not cornered herself. He really should get someone to train her. Shaking his head, she wasn't his responsibility. He didn't need to do anything. He was doing his part by keeping her there.
He walked back to his selling spot, took his papes from the bird who alerted him and continued to sell his day's purchase. He wouldn't let it go to waste. He wasn't sure how long Jade was to stay in Brooklyn, but he knew she needed to be careful. She would be caught otherwise. Maybe keeping her in the lodging house was best. He could get Mrs. Shea to give her tasks and keep her busy. That sounded pretty safe. Jade probably wouldn't like it but for her to sell was too risky. She also had her injury which would get in the way of holding her papes. He would mention it when he was done for the day.
He was just about to head home when he saw a guy turning to speak to anyone who passed by. He wasn't a face he saw around Brooklyn. He looked about Spot's age, maybe a little older. He had short black hair and a very angular face. He was tall and thin, built like he never had to lift a finger. His suit was neat and clean. Nothing about him said he belonged in this part of Brooklyn. He looked too clean, too green. He held a piece of paper in his hand, shoving it into any person's face who just happened to pass him. He almost seemed panicked, but it was the kind of panicked you had to force in order to get people to listen to you. Spot got the impression that this guy wasn't all that upset about whatever was on that piece of paper.
Spot decided to check out what was going on. He had a small suspicion he knew exactly what or who was on the piece of paper. He made his way over to the rich man and sure enough that paper was shoved in his face. He already knew she would be staring at him. Her face was the image of misery. There wasn't even a hint of a smile. He had seen her smile only once back in Manhattan, he ignored it, but he was sure they could have used a picture of her smiling. Jade had one thing in her favor, being on the streets granted her a new look. She thinned out, her cheeks not as full and childlike. Her hair was up in curls in the picture, but Jade's hair was either tucked in a cap, braided, or just free. The picture gave no indication of how much god damned hair she had. She almost looked like a different person. Had this picture had any color in it, Jade would be found immediately. Spot read the words on the paper surrounding Jade's face. "MISSING: SOPHIA WESTSON LAST SEEN: CHRISTMAS NIGHT IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION PLACE CONACT POLICE LARGE REWARD FOR ANY INFORMATION"
Spot walked away from the man who just moved on to the next person walking by. He thought about directing this man to Manhattan, but he didn't want to draw attention to himself. Some how the cops would show up to find him and badger him for any more information. Spot just had to make sure Jade wasn't seen in Brooklyn. Mutt had been face to face with her as he was looking for her and didn't know that Jade was the missing girl. It would be simple enough to keep her hidden, they were using a useless picture that was as close to Jade as using a picture of any other pretty girls in New York. He walked back to the Brooklyn lodging house feeling a little better.
Once again! I am awful and didn't write for a while! So sorry.
Anyway, let me know what you think! (:
Chapter 9 Preview will be up soon.
