Authors note: I want to give lots of credit to Sketches/Spit Fire/Morning
Glory for this chapter because I got lots of inspiration from her in our
rpgs. Granted it's not our rpgs exactly, but these coming chapters would
have much less inspiration and emotion in them without her help!
1 The Other Job
Around nine o'clock that night Random walked back into the Brooklyn LH. The two dollars shoved deep into her pocket, she quickly walked up to the bunkroom. She was surprised to see Blade laying on his bunk until she remembered he was taking her out to dinner tonight. Blade sat up upong hearing her footsteps into the room and frowned.
"Oh Ise so sorry Blade!" Random walked over to him.
"Yous ok? What happened? I was gittin' worried," He stood up and wrapped his arms around her.
"Yeah, yea Ise fine," She nodded and smiled into his eyes, "I jus' got wrapped up in my othah job."
"Othah job? Since when?"
"Since today. I ain't makin' much sellin' papes, so I got this job offah. I woulda been back soonah but I had…" she paused, not wanting to fully lie to Blade, "had some stuff to learn about me job before I could start tomorrow."
"You know if yous need money Random…"
"No, I don't need your money Blade," she leaned up and kissed him, "But now I'll have some that I can save up for latah. For when we leave New York."
Blade returned her kiss but frowned, "Yous been drinkin'?"
She shrugged, "A bit. I stopped at the club. That's where Ise working."
He nodded and smiled, pulling her closer to him, "Well I'm glad your back. Safe and in me arms."
Random smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, feeling bad for betraying him but knowing that in a few weeks she would have enough money to pay for a train ticket for her and Blade to get out of New York forever. They had talked about moving away, somewhere safer for raising a family. Somewhere where they could both get jobs to support themselves.
"So you don't mind do you?" She added, trying to clear her conscience.
"The more money yous make, the soonah we'll leave," He smiled at her, "Jus' you and me."
Random nodded and hugged Blade tightly. That's just what she needed to hear. Everything was fine now, because Blade agreed to let her work in order to earn more money. Granted he didn't know what she was doing, but as soon as they were out of New York, she would never have to rely on her past to make money ever again.
**************************************************************************** **********
Three weeks later, Random had all but given up on selling papers. She would sleep in till about noon and then run off to find Blade and sell with him for the remainder of the day. After a quick dinner she would race off to the club for the rest of the night. Blade was grateful to spend some of the day with his girl, but he missed her while she wasn't there. The few times he went to the club to surprise her with flowers, he could never find her. He asked Jax many times, but all he did was smile and say 'you just missed her.' Blade was starting to worry about exactly what kind of job Random had. He decided he was going to pursue this unless she told him soon. He was starting to worry about her and how she was starting to distance herself from him.
While Blade washed up one morning, getting ready for selling, Random sat in bed rolled up into a little ball. She was trying to sleep, but a stabbing pain of nausea was echoing through her body, keeping her awake. Blade walked over to her and kissed her forehead before leaving. Random smiled and looked up at him.
"Good mornin' Random. Yous gonna come sellin' wid me latah today?"
She looked at him and nodded slowly. Every inch she moved made her stomach churn.
"I love you," he smiled and kissed her again.
She half-smiled and whispered, "I love you too."
He smiled and turned away from her, walking down the lodging house steps and eventually out of the lodging house. Random sat up quickly as soon as she heard him leave and bolted to the washroom, coughing up the sour tasting stomach acid that was causing her so much pain. Holding back tears, she rinsed her mouth out and walked back to her bunk, changing for the day. She made up her mind to go see Dr. Holman, the Brooklyn newsie doctor, to see what was wrong with her. She assumed it was just from something she ate the previous night, but she wanted to be sure. This incident had become a common morning ritual for the past three days.
Spot had been watching Random closely for the past week. He knew exactly what her job at the club was. He had ways of finding out everything in Brooklyn; he was after all, it's leader. Now he was torn between exposing Random or letting live, lieing to Blade.
"Heya Random," Spot walked out of his room, shirt off, one suspendor holding his pants up to his hips.
She jumped and turned to face Spot, "Oh hey Spot."
She quickly turned from him, buttoning her shirt up, rolling her eyes. He walked by and into the washroom, only to be followed a few moments later by Spit Fire. She walked out of Spot's room, dressed in the same outfit she wore last night to bed. She was quickly buttoning -up her shirt and trying to untangle her tousled hair from the previous nights' activities. She smiled as she passed Random and walked into the washroom. Random shook her head, knowing what Spit Fire and Spot had accomplished during the night. Spot walked back out after a few minutes and looked at Random seriously.
"A little mornin' sickness Random?" He was drying his face and hair with a towel, but still was able to glare at her.
"No, Ise fine," Random lied and looked away, grabbing a few dollars to grab something to eat on her way out.
"Really? You know, maybe yous should stay back from the club tonight."
"Ise fine Spot. Thanks for your consideration, but this is only a mornin' thing."
"So you agree that yous feelin' sick this mornin'?" He smiled and walked over to her.
She shook her head and started to walk towards to the stairs when he grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards him. He got right in her face and harshly whispered at her.
"Look Random. I know what yous doin' and it ain't safe. Yous cheatin' on Blade and yous gonna git hoit. You moved from the Bronx to git away from doin' this, din't yous?"
She took her arm back quickly and shot back at him, "I know what I'm doin' Spot. As soon as I git enough, Blade and I are movin' away from New York."
"So you enjoy sellin' yourself?" Spot pushed Random back and shook his head, "I'd kick you outta the lodging house if I had the guts to tell Blade what yous up to and crush his heart."
Random narrowed her eyes at Spot and pushed him back, "Shut that mouth of yours!"
Spot would have considered pushing Random back with a larger force if not for a gentle hand being placed on his shoulder at that moment. He turned and saw Spit Fire frowning at him.
"Come on Spot. We gotta go sell, we're late," Spit Fire looked at Spot with soft eyes, trying to convince him to back down.
Luckily Spot obediently agreed and turned to kiss Spit Fire's lips. He walked back to his room to put a shirt on before going out to sell with Spit Fire.
"Thanks," Random smiled, "I wouldn't of wanted ta punch'im."
Spit Fire rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well, he would have had Blade to deal with too if he hit you, so backing down was the only smart option. Besides, he's whipped." She smiled, "Backing down was the only option."
Random laughed and nodded, "Yah, well thanks anyway. I'll see yous around. Gotta run some errands before meetin' up wid Blade latah on."
Spit Fire smiled and watched Random leave. She then turned to walk back into Spot's room and finish getting ready for the day.
Now out onto the street and standing in front of Dr. Holman's office, Random took a deep breath trying to rid the nervousness. She reached for the door, but it opened in front of her.
"Hello there. You want to come in or would you like to stand and look at the place from the outside?" A man with a strong smile on his face greeted Random, "My names' Dr. Holman, and you are?"
"Random," Random smiled and walked in, "I'm Random."
1 The Other Job
Around nine o'clock that night Random walked back into the Brooklyn LH. The two dollars shoved deep into her pocket, she quickly walked up to the bunkroom. She was surprised to see Blade laying on his bunk until she remembered he was taking her out to dinner tonight. Blade sat up upong hearing her footsteps into the room and frowned.
"Oh Ise so sorry Blade!" Random walked over to him.
"Yous ok? What happened? I was gittin' worried," He stood up and wrapped his arms around her.
"Yeah, yea Ise fine," She nodded and smiled into his eyes, "I jus' got wrapped up in my othah job."
"Othah job? Since when?"
"Since today. I ain't makin' much sellin' papes, so I got this job offah. I woulda been back soonah but I had…" she paused, not wanting to fully lie to Blade, "had some stuff to learn about me job before I could start tomorrow."
"You know if yous need money Random…"
"No, I don't need your money Blade," she leaned up and kissed him, "But now I'll have some that I can save up for latah. For when we leave New York."
Blade returned her kiss but frowned, "Yous been drinkin'?"
She shrugged, "A bit. I stopped at the club. That's where Ise working."
He nodded and smiled, pulling her closer to him, "Well I'm glad your back. Safe and in me arms."
Random smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, feeling bad for betraying him but knowing that in a few weeks she would have enough money to pay for a train ticket for her and Blade to get out of New York forever. They had talked about moving away, somewhere safer for raising a family. Somewhere where they could both get jobs to support themselves.
"So you don't mind do you?" She added, trying to clear her conscience.
"The more money yous make, the soonah we'll leave," He smiled at her, "Jus' you and me."
Random nodded and hugged Blade tightly. That's just what she needed to hear. Everything was fine now, because Blade agreed to let her work in order to earn more money. Granted he didn't know what she was doing, but as soon as they were out of New York, she would never have to rely on her past to make money ever again.
**************************************************************************** **********
Three weeks later, Random had all but given up on selling papers. She would sleep in till about noon and then run off to find Blade and sell with him for the remainder of the day. After a quick dinner she would race off to the club for the rest of the night. Blade was grateful to spend some of the day with his girl, but he missed her while she wasn't there. The few times he went to the club to surprise her with flowers, he could never find her. He asked Jax many times, but all he did was smile and say 'you just missed her.' Blade was starting to worry about exactly what kind of job Random had. He decided he was going to pursue this unless she told him soon. He was starting to worry about her and how she was starting to distance herself from him.
While Blade washed up one morning, getting ready for selling, Random sat in bed rolled up into a little ball. She was trying to sleep, but a stabbing pain of nausea was echoing through her body, keeping her awake. Blade walked over to her and kissed her forehead before leaving. Random smiled and looked up at him.
"Good mornin' Random. Yous gonna come sellin' wid me latah today?"
She looked at him and nodded slowly. Every inch she moved made her stomach churn.
"I love you," he smiled and kissed her again.
She half-smiled and whispered, "I love you too."
He smiled and turned away from her, walking down the lodging house steps and eventually out of the lodging house. Random sat up quickly as soon as she heard him leave and bolted to the washroom, coughing up the sour tasting stomach acid that was causing her so much pain. Holding back tears, she rinsed her mouth out and walked back to her bunk, changing for the day. She made up her mind to go see Dr. Holman, the Brooklyn newsie doctor, to see what was wrong with her. She assumed it was just from something she ate the previous night, but she wanted to be sure. This incident had become a common morning ritual for the past three days.
Spot had been watching Random closely for the past week. He knew exactly what her job at the club was. He had ways of finding out everything in Brooklyn; he was after all, it's leader. Now he was torn between exposing Random or letting live, lieing to Blade.
"Heya Random," Spot walked out of his room, shirt off, one suspendor holding his pants up to his hips.
She jumped and turned to face Spot, "Oh hey Spot."
She quickly turned from him, buttoning her shirt up, rolling her eyes. He walked by and into the washroom, only to be followed a few moments later by Spit Fire. She walked out of Spot's room, dressed in the same outfit she wore last night to bed. She was quickly buttoning -up her shirt and trying to untangle her tousled hair from the previous nights' activities. She smiled as she passed Random and walked into the washroom. Random shook her head, knowing what Spit Fire and Spot had accomplished during the night. Spot walked back out after a few minutes and looked at Random seriously.
"A little mornin' sickness Random?" He was drying his face and hair with a towel, but still was able to glare at her.
"No, Ise fine," Random lied and looked away, grabbing a few dollars to grab something to eat on her way out.
"Really? You know, maybe yous should stay back from the club tonight."
"Ise fine Spot. Thanks for your consideration, but this is only a mornin' thing."
"So you agree that yous feelin' sick this mornin'?" He smiled and walked over to her.
She shook her head and started to walk towards to the stairs when he grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards him. He got right in her face and harshly whispered at her.
"Look Random. I know what yous doin' and it ain't safe. Yous cheatin' on Blade and yous gonna git hoit. You moved from the Bronx to git away from doin' this, din't yous?"
She took her arm back quickly and shot back at him, "I know what I'm doin' Spot. As soon as I git enough, Blade and I are movin' away from New York."
"So you enjoy sellin' yourself?" Spot pushed Random back and shook his head, "I'd kick you outta the lodging house if I had the guts to tell Blade what yous up to and crush his heart."
Random narrowed her eyes at Spot and pushed him back, "Shut that mouth of yours!"
Spot would have considered pushing Random back with a larger force if not for a gentle hand being placed on his shoulder at that moment. He turned and saw Spit Fire frowning at him.
"Come on Spot. We gotta go sell, we're late," Spit Fire looked at Spot with soft eyes, trying to convince him to back down.
Luckily Spot obediently agreed and turned to kiss Spit Fire's lips. He walked back to his room to put a shirt on before going out to sell with Spit Fire.
"Thanks," Random smiled, "I wouldn't of wanted ta punch'im."
Spit Fire rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well, he would have had Blade to deal with too if he hit you, so backing down was the only smart option. Besides, he's whipped." She smiled, "Backing down was the only option."
Random laughed and nodded, "Yah, well thanks anyway. I'll see yous around. Gotta run some errands before meetin' up wid Blade latah on."
Spit Fire smiled and watched Random leave. She then turned to walk back into Spot's room and finish getting ready for the day.
Now out onto the street and standing in front of Dr. Holman's office, Random took a deep breath trying to rid the nervousness. She reached for the door, but it opened in front of her.
"Hello there. You want to come in or would you like to stand and look at the place from the outside?" A man with a strong smile on his face greeted Random, "My names' Dr. Holman, and you are?"
"Random," Random smiled and walked in, "I'm Random."