"Medda Ise don't care what she says Ise going up there and Ise gonna talk to her." Race stood at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the living quarters Medda had for her girls. Race and Mush had come by every day since Stutters, or what ever her name was, had come back from the hospital.
"She doesn't want to see anyone Racetrack I can't let you go up there." Medda stood in the determined newsboy's way. She had promised Katie that no one was going to disturb her and she was going to keep to that promise.
"The at least tell me, is she okay?" Race was ready to take drastic measures. This girl was his friend, at least she had been and he wanted some answers.
"She is fine. She doesn't want to see any of you boys just yet." Medda tried to soothe Race. It wasn't working. Race shrugged and planted himself on the bottom stair.
"Ise gonna sit here till she talks to me." Race said crossing his arm and sticking out his feet, crossing them at the ankles. He pulled out his ever-present deck of cards and shuffled them before laying them out for a game of Solitaire. Medda sighed and went off to work on some material.
Race waited till Medda had been gone for a while, then he slowly began making his way up the stairs. He had seen which room Medda and the bouncer Bryon had been going in and out of for the past four days. He didn't knock on the door just went in. Stutters was on the bed asleep. Race looked at her, the bruises were fading event though anyone could tell she had been in a fight. The angriest of her bruises was on her cheek it was still a dark black, it made him wince just to look at it. As he watched her sleep he saw her eyes flutter.
She slowly stretched, opening her eyes. She stopped moving when she saw him in the door. The corners of her mouth turned down and she gave him a look that made him feel 2 inches tall. "What are youse here for?"
"Ise worried about youse and wanted to make sure youse okay."
"Well youse seen me youse can leave now."
Race went as if he was going to leave but he stopped and turned back around, "No Ise not gonna leave till Ise got some answers."
"What if Ise don't wanna give them to youse?" Katie sneered.
"Then Ise not gonna leave till Ise get them, even if wes stay here till wes both old an gray." Race said as he pulled out the chair from the vanity in the room and sat in it putting his feet on the bed.
"Don't put youse feet on the bed. At least take youse shoes off." Katie demanded.
Race shrugged, but complied as he took off his shoes and put his stocking feet on the bedspread.
Katie giggled. "Youse socks got holes in them." Race shrugged.
They sat staring at each other till finally Katie sighed, "Okay Race what answers do youse want."
"Well a name would be nice, and why youse acted like a guy." Race said with out much thought.
"Got it all planned out don't youse?" Katie sighed before continuing. "All right. Me real name is Kaitlyn Elizabeth O'Riely. Ise acting like a guy cause Ise had to find someone and Ise knew Ise not gonna find him as a goil."
"So have youse found him Kaitlyn?"
"First off call me Katie. And yes Ise found him my first day. Now all Ise got to do is give him a piece of me mind then Ise gonna have hid out for a while."
"Who was youse looking for?" Race was a bit curious.
"Francis Sullivan. He was the reason Ise got put in the Refuge, Ise spent 2 years in that place because of him." Katie looked ticked off.
Race looked at her in shock, "Youse looking for Jack? What ever for? How in the world is he the reason youse was in the Refuge?"
"He ran into me after Ise had liberated an apple from a cart for me meal. Snyder came up yelling for a Sullivan and Ise ran cause Ise knew Snyder was looking for me too. Ise followed him into Tibby's and he ducked under a table. Ise got caught."
"Ise remember that, youse was the goil with the black hair?" Race's eyes opened in shock and realization of who this girl was.
"Yes youse was there?"
"Yeah Ise at the table Jack hid under."
"Figures. Well like Ise said as soon as Ise give him a piece of me mind Ise going into hiding."
Race decided to try to get Katie's mind off her line of thought, "So why youse on the street anyway?"
"Ise told youse the first day, me family is all dead, except for Bryon; he's my cousin." Katie said with a shrug. Race nodded in sympathy.
They sat chatting for a bit longer, not really saying much of anything. "So youse wanna come back to the lodging house with me? Everyone's wondering about youse."
"Youse didn't tell them Ise a goil?" Katie looked at him in surprise.
"Well yeah wes did, but they's didn't exactly believe us." Race looked a bit ashamed.
Katie thought about it for a second. "Get out an let me get some clothes on, then Ise guess Ise can go face all them." Race scooted out of the door, leaning on the other side of it while Katie got dressed. She pulled on the clothing that Medda had left her, it was clothing she assumed Bryon had outgrown earlier. It was a bit big, but she wanted it that way.
Race almost fell in when she opened the door, but caught himself. "Should teach youse not to lean on doors." Katie commented with a laugh. "Let me tell Medda Ise leaving then wes can go." Race shrugged and they both descended the stairs. Medda was standing at the bottom giving Race a disappointed look.
"I though you were going to stay put till she came down."
"Ise did. See she came down." Race pointed out. Medda hid a smile as she gave him a look.
"Medda Ise gonna go to the lodging house and explain some things. Ise be back later." Katie said as she pulled Race toward the door. Race followed with a wave of his hat.
The walk to the lodging house was quiet. Neither newsie spoke, Race was still trying to figure out why Katie would want to explain anything to any of the guys and also tried to guess at their reactions. The trip was over much to quickly for Katie's tastes she waved hello to Kloppman who waved back, happy to see that she was okay. They climbed the stairs and Katie listened to the voices that were coming from beyond the doorway with some dread.
As they entered the room, most of the newsies stopped talking. Katie went to gather her things from her old bunk. Jack came over first, "Hey Stutters that is one nice shiner."
Katie cocked her head and looked at Jack. Before anyone could react she punched him hard in the chin, causing him to fall over the bunk and onto his back. "Don't call me Stutters." She looked at the rest of the very shocked newsies, "Ise came over here to tell youse Ise lied. Ise a goil and now Ise leaving. It was a riot." Katie descended the stairs and made it as far as the door.
She had no idea who pulled her back up the stairs but sudden she was back in the bunk room, on her bunk with a bunch of very angry newsies looking at her. Race stood next to her, as if not sure whether to be mad at her or protect her. Jack came over holding his chin, "So what are wes gonna call youse?"
Katie wasn't expecting that, "Mills."
"Why?"
"Cause that is where youse got me sent for two years." Katie looked at Jack with undisguised hatred.
"What are youse talking about?" Jack voice almost squeaked in shock.
"Remember running into a street rat in an alley with an apple. Snyder started to chase youse and youse made it to Tibby's where youse hid under a table." Jack nodded and Katie continued. "Ise that street rat. Cause of youse Snyder caught me and put me in the Refuge. Ise worked in the mill for 2 years before Ise finally got out. All thanks to you." The venom dripped from her words shocking everyone.
"That why youse punched me?" Jack questioned.
Katie sighed, "Yeah that's why Ise punched youse."
"Decent enough reason. So what youse gonna do now that wes know youse a goil? Youse still wanna sell?" Katie looked at Jack in shock.
"Youse gonna let me sell?"
"Don't see why not."
"Then Ise guess Ise gonna sell still then." Katie put her things back under her pillow and lay down on the bunk staring at the bottom of the bunk above her. The newsies realized they weren't going to get any answers from her that night and went back to their previous activities. Katie soon fell asleep almost comforted that she was back where she felt at home.
"She doesn't want to see anyone Racetrack I can't let you go up there." Medda stood in the determined newsboy's way. She had promised Katie that no one was going to disturb her and she was going to keep to that promise.
"The at least tell me, is she okay?" Race was ready to take drastic measures. This girl was his friend, at least she had been and he wanted some answers.
"She is fine. She doesn't want to see any of you boys just yet." Medda tried to soothe Race. It wasn't working. Race shrugged and planted himself on the bottom stair.
"Ise gonna sit here till she talks to me." Race said crossing his arm and sticking out his feet, crossing them at the ankles. He pulled out his ever-present deck of cards and shuffled them before laying them out for a game of Solitaire. Medda sighed and went off to work on some material.
Race waited till Medda had been gone for a while, then he slowly began making his way up the stairs. He had seen which room Medda and the bouncer Bryon had been going in and out of for the past four days. He didn't knock on the door just went in. Stutters was on the bed asleep. Race looked at her, the bruises were fading event though anyone could tell she had been in a fight. The angriest of her bruises was on her cheek it was still a dark black, it made him wince just to look at it. As he watched her sleep he saw her eyes flutter.
She slowly stretched, opening her eyes. She stopped moving when she saw him in the door. The corners of her mouth turned down and she gave him a look that made him feel 2 inches tall. "What are youse here for?"
"Ise worried about youse and wanted to make sure youse okay."
"Well youse seen me youse can leave now."
Race went as if he was going to leave but he stopped and turned back around, "No Ise not gonna leave till Ise got some answers."
"What if Ise don't wanna give them to youse?" Katie sneered.
"Then Ise not gonna leave till Ise get them, even if wes stay here till wes both old an gray." Race said as he pulled out the chair from the vanity in the room and sat in it putting his feet on the bed.
"Don't put youse feet on the bed. At least take youse shoes off." Katie demanded.
Race shrugged, but complied as he took off his shoes and put his stocking feet on the bedspread.
Katie giggled. "Youse socks got holes in them." Race shrugged.
They sat staring at each other till finally Katie sighed, "Okay Race what answers do youse want."
"Well a name would be nice, and why youse acted like a guy." Race said with out much thought.
"Got it all planned out don't youse?" Katie sighed before continuing. "All right. Me real name is Kaitlyn Elizabeth O'Riely. Ise acting like a guy cause Ise had to find someone and Ise knew Ise not gonna find him as a goil."
"So have youse found him Kaitlyn?"
"First off call me Katie. And yes Ise found him my first day. Now all Ise got to do is give him a piece of me mind then Ise gonna have hid out for a while."
"Who was youse looking for?" Race was a bit curious.
"Francis Sullivan. He was the reason Ise got put in the Refuge, Ise spent 2 years in that place because of him." Katie looked ticked off.
Race looked at her in shock, "Youse looking for Jack? What ever for? How in the world is he the reason youse was in the Refuge?"
"He ran into me after Ise had liberated an apple from a cart for me meal. Snyder came up yelling for a Sullivan and Ise ran cause Ise knew Snyder was looking for me too. Ise followed him into Tibby's and he ducked under a table. Ise got caught."
"Ise remember that, youse was the goil with the black hair?" Race's eyes opened in shock and realization of who this girl was.
"Yes youse was there?"
"Yeah Ise at the table Jack hid under."
"Figures. Well like Ise said as soon as Ise give him a piece of me mind Ise going into hiding."
Race decided to try to get Katie's mind off her line of thought, "So why youse on the street anyway?"
"Ise told youse the first day, me family is all dead, except for Bryon; he's my cousin." Katie said with a shrug. Race nodded in sympathy.
They sat chatting for a bit longer, not really saying much of anything. "So youse wanna come back to the lodging house with me? Everyone's wondering about youse."
"Youse didn't tell them Ise a goil?" Katie looked at him in surprise.
"Well yeah wes did, but they's didn't exactly believe us." Race looked a bit ashamed.
Katie thought about it for a second. "Get out an let me get some clothes on, then Ise guess Ise can go face all them." Race scooted out of the door, leaning on the other side of it while Katie got dressed. She pulled on the clothing that Medda had left her, it was clothing she assumed Bryon had outgrown earlier. It was a bit big, but she wanted it that way.
Race almost fell in when she opened the door, but caught himself. "Should teach youse not to lean on doors." Katie commented with a laugh. "Let me tell Medda Ise leaving then wes can go." Race shrugged and they both descended the stairs. Medda was standing at the bottom giving Race a disappointed look.
"I though you were going to stay put till she came down."
"Ise did. See she came down." Race pointed out. Medda hid a smile as she gave him a look.
"Medda Ise gonna go to the lodging house and explain some things. Ise be back later." Katie said as she pulled Race toward the door. Race followed with a wave of his hat.
The walk to the lodging house was quiet. Neither newsie spoke, Race was still trying to figure out why Katie would want to explain anything to any of the guys and also tried to guess at their reactions. The trip was over much to quickly for Katie's tastes she waved hello to Kloppman who waved back, happy to see that she was okay. They climbed the stairs and Katie listened to the voices that were coming from beyond the doorway with some dread.
As they entered the room, most of the newsies stopped talking. Katie went to gather her things from her old bunk. Jack came over first, "Hey Stutters that is one nice shiner."
Katie cocked her head and looked at Jack. Before anyone could react she punched him hard in the chin, causing him to fall over the bunk and onto his back. "Don't call me Stutters." She looked at the rest of the very shocked newsies, "Ise came over here to tell youse Ise lied. Ise a goil and now Ise leaving. It was a riot." Katie descended the stairs and made it as far as the door.
She had no idea who pulled her back up the stairs but sudden she was back in the bunk room, on her bunk with a bunch of very angry newsies looking at her. Race stood next to her, as if not sure whether to be mad at her or protect her. Jack came over holding his chin, "So what are wes gonna call youse?"
Katie wasn't expecting that, "Mills."
"Why?"
"Cause that is where youse got me sent for two years." Katie looked at Jack with undisguised hatred.
"What are youse talking about?" Jack voice almost squeaked in shock.
"Remember running into a street rat in an alley with an apple. Snyder started to chase youse and youse made it to Tibby's where youse hid under a table." Jack nodded and Katie continued. "Ise that street rat. Cause of youse Snyder caught me and put me in the Refuge. Ise worked in the mill for 2 years before Ise finally got out. All thanks to you." The venom dripped from her words shocking everyone.
"That why youse punched me?" Jack questioned.
Katie sighed, "Yeah that's why Ise punched youse."
"Decent enough reason. So what youse gonna do now that wes know youse a goil? Youse still wanna sell?" Katie looked at Jack in shock.
"Youse gonna let me sell?"
"Don't see why not."
"Then Ise guess Ise gonna sell still then." Katie put her things back under her pillow and lay down on the bunk staring at the bottom of the bunk above her. The newsies realized they weren't going to get any answers from her that night and went back to their previous activities. Katie soon fell asleep almost comforted that she was back where she felt at home.