David heard laughing as he and his brother climbed toward the top of the fire escape. A warm breeze passed by them, and something gold-colored floated down from the metal lattice above their heads and landed on Les' sleeve. The boy pinched it between two fingers, squinting curiously. It was a tuft of hair.
" - would hold still, you goose, you'll ruin all my hard work." They heard a playful chide, then giggling.
Les ran the rest of the way up, and David followed his little brother close behind. Jack, Crutchie, and Siobhan were lounging on the topmost platform, just a level or two above where the Mackeys lived. Crutchie was seated in a little wooden chair, a discarded newspaper folded under each leg to prevent it from slipping through the grating. Jack leaned leisurely against the rust-coated railing, smiling. Siobhan was standing behind Crutchie, a pair of scissors in one hand and a pinch of blond hair in the other. Her own twin braids were tossed safely behind her shoulders, dangling at the small of her back.
"Hey, Davey, you're just in time." Jack was the first to notice them. "Ireland's got Crutchie lookin' all freshly groomed."
Siobhan closed the scissors with finality and dropped them into the pocket of her apron, tousling her friend's newly sheared hair with both hands in order to separate the tiny, itchy trimmings.
"Gee, Siobhan, lighten up," the newsie whined with a grin. "You'll pull out whatever you haven't taken off already."
"Oh, you can't handle it?" Siobhan teased, sprouting an open-mouthed smile. She wrestled Crutchie's head back and forth, playfully scrubbing at his scalp. The two blonds laughed loudly as he swatted her away, and Siobhan planted a kiss on Crutchie's forehead before releasing him. Les retrieved his crutch from where it leaned against the brick of the building, and helped him out of the chair.
"Alright, Big Brother." Siobhan wiped her hands on her apron, then shook the loose hair from it. "Your turn." She looked up at the Jacobs boys for the first time.
"Evening, gentleman. How does Manhattan's finest view find you?" She spread her arms, gesturing grandly to the pale purple sky. It was a beautiful, early evening, and it felt as if the group had a little slice of the city sky all to themselves.
"Never better." David smiled back at her.
Jack had moved to sit in the chair, one hand reaching to unbutton his collar. Siobhan didn't hesitate, but got right to work, running an open palm unabashedly through the boy's chocolate brown hair and seizing a small section between the flats of her index and middle fingers. The five friends chattered all the while, sentences punctuated and phrases syncopated by deft snips of the scissors.
As Siobhan was putting the finishing touches on Jack's locks, metal creaked on the level beneath their feet.
"Siobhan," a small voice called up. "Ma says dinner's ready."
"You go ahead, Eavan," the older sister replied, scissors still working. "I'm not hungry. Could ya grab me bowl of water and a razor?"
The dark-haired girl below nodded, climbing back into the squat window set in the brick.
"What for, Siobhan?" asked Les.
"Mr. Kelly here could use a shave." She ruffled Jack's hair as she put the scissors away again.
"Truer words were never spoken." Crutchie mimed scrubbing at his own face and jaw with a cheeky grin.
"Aw, cram it, I'm as smooth-faced as the next guy," Jack protested.
Siobhan rolled her eyes. "Save it, scruffy."
Les was sent down to retrieve the water and razor from Eavan, and Jack removed his shirt entirely, shaking it out like a rug off the edge of the fire escape, sending fine brown clippings flying every which way. David watched them turn almost red as the low sun glared off of them. A handful of the tiny trimmings peppered Jack's white undershirt, as if a colony of ants had decided to camp out there.
"Siobhan, will you cut my hair, too?" asked Les as he handed off the shaving supplies.
The girl looked skeptical. "I don't know how your mother would feel about that."
"Oh, but it's so long!" Les insisted. "And it makes my neck all sweaty. I haven't had it cut all summer - see how long it's gotten. Please?"
Siobhan glanced up, still unsure. "Only if your brother says it's alright."
Les flipped around, face set with eager longing. "Please, David? Please can I get it cut?"
The older boy hesitated, adjusting the brim of his cap. He wanted to say no so as not to add another customer to Siobhan's barbering list, but one more look at his brother's wide eyes tipped the scales.
"Aw, fine. Just not too short."
Les cheered, and David and Jack laughed, but the latter was quickly shushed as Siobhan wet his face with her hand and began to glide the razor along his jaw. The next ten minutes were filled with idle banter and frequent scolds of "Would you just hold still?" and "Can you go two everlovin' minutes without talking, Jack Kelly?" and even one "Y'know, nobody'll ask questions if they find a street rat with a slit throat layin' in the alley tomorrow morning". When she had finished, Siobhan took the corner of her apron and gently patted Jack's face dry. He ran three fingers across his now-smooth cheek, and butted her arm with his forehead affectionately as she bent to dump the dirty water.
"Thanks, Ireland." Jack grinned winningly.
She smiled as she straightened. "Anything for my favorite big brother."