"Lordy,what are you doing,Wes?" Patty said,rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she woke up to the sound of scuttling around - she'd always been a light sleeper.Wesla flicked her highly-curly,strawberry-blonde hair out of her face as she looked up from her packing to a waking Patty.
"Oh,c'mon,Patty.." She said in exasperation and dismay.
Patty looked at her dubiously,her eyes finally adjusting to the dark orphanage. "What are you doing?"
Wes sighed and sat on the edge of Patty's bed,figuring she'd have to explain anyway. "Only a moment ago,Patty,I got the best idea to get out of this dismal place." She said in a quiet excitement.
Patty narrowed her eyes,waiting.
"Do you remember the outing we went on just last week?Around the city?"
Patty nodded slowly,wondering what this was leading to.
"Well,don't you remember that newsboy's lodging house we passed by?"
"Oh!Wes!"
"It's gotta be better than this dump!Just think!No annoying nannys or people coming in with that stupid look like they're deciding if you're worth a home or not."
"But,Wes,it must be called a BOYS lodging house for a reason!"
Wes shushed her,glancing around at the other sleeping girls. "Look,I have money!I'm sure we could persuade whoever it is that runs the place to let us stay!"
"Have you lost your marbles?I don't want to live with a bunch of boys!"
Wes stood and went back to gathering up her few possessions and putting them in her pillow case. "Fine.I guess I'll just go by myself and leave you behind."
Patty sighed and moved to stand near Wes. "I'll come with,I'll come with.." She said in hesitation.
Wes grinned,she always knew how to get her way.
"But you know you've gone crazy?"
"Now hurry and get your things.We're getting' outta here."
Patty began to get her possessions from under her bed and storing them in her pillow case,her usual second thoughts coming into place.Out of all the things Wesla Carter had pushed her into,this had most likely been the craziest.Yet,it was happening so fast - time was certainly not on their side.
"Let's go!" Wes tugged on Patty's sleeve.
Patty frowned,thinking of how mad Mrs.McNolsen would be after she had caught them.Wes read Patty's expression clearly.
"Oh,don't worry,Cowdy Custard!Ol' McNolsen won't catch us!She simply won't!She can't!"
Patty still looked doubtful,but Wes had already taken her hand and was creeping out of the room.They slowly creeped down the stairs,touching the wall lightly as they moved along.Patty's heart skipped a beat when the stair below them creaked its complaint.They both stopped and held their breath in fear that Mrs.McNolsen would hear,knowing she was a light sleeper and that room room was right under the stairs.They stood,unmoving for a moment,and once they were sure McNolsen hadn't heard,they continued along.
Finally,they reached the bottom of the stairs and they both sighed their quiet relief.As they crept down the hallway,Patty couldn't help but notice how calm and cool Wes was about all this.Sure,Wes was aware of the dangers and punishment the should receive if they were to fail,but the same admiration she felt when she first met Wes crept into her feelings.Wes suddenly stopped and looked back at Patty,biting her bottom lip.
"Alright,Pat.Here's the hardest part." She whispered so quietly she could barely hear herself.But Patty understood,she always was able to understand Wes.They stood silently,afraid to breathe for fear of making too much noise.This was the part that was horrifying Patty.Passing Ms.Young's office.Ms.Young always stayed up late,doing work.She had the ears of a cat and the sight of a falcon.It seemed to Patty that they were standing there forever,waiting for the right moment.And then finally,as if a gift from heaven,the sound of Ms.Young turning around in her chair,the floorboard creaking,and a sneeze came.It was too good an opportunity to pass up.They ran sleekly and quietly as possible across the doorway and into the safety of the foyer.
With a shaky hand,Wes slowly reached out to the door handle and turned it as slowly as possible.She let it swing open slowly without a creak - the janitor always kept it well-oiled.They both paused,looking outside as if it were impossible to stray out.They exchanged expressionless glances and suddenly ran at the same moment.They ran.Just ran until they were two streets away.Not being able to hold her excitement in any longer,Wes screamed her happiness to the heavens.
"We're free,Patty,free!Can't you feel that?" Wes twirled in excitement.
All that just happened came swarming to Patty suddenly,and she realized,they were free.She gasped and danced around with Wes in excitement.They were free.And with all the energy they could muster,Wesla Gillings and Patricia Goodwin,the two greatest friends in the world,ran off into the night,hand in hand.
"Oh,c'mon,Patty.." She said in exasperation and dismay.
Patty looked at her dubiously,her eyes finally adjusting to the dark orphanage. "What are you doing?"
Wes sighed and sat on the edge of Patty's bed,figuring she'd have to explain anyway. "Only a moment ago,Patty,I got the best idea to get out of this dismal place." She said in a quiet excitement.
Patty narrowed her eyes,waiting.
"Do you remember the outing we went on just last week?Around the city?"
Patty nodded slowly,wondering what this was leading to.
"Well,don't you remember that newsboy's lodging house we passed by?"
"Oh!Wes!"
"It's gotta be better than this dump!Just think!No annoying nannys or people coming in with that stupid look like they're deciding if you're worth a home or not."
"But,Wes,it must be called a BOYS lodging house for a reason!"
Wes shushed her,glancing around at the other sleeping girls. "Look,I have money!I'm sure we could persuade whoever it is that runs the place to let us stay!"
"Have you lost your marbles?I don't want to live with a bunch of boys!"
Wes stood and went back to gathering up her few possessions and putting them in her pillow case. "Fine.I guess I'll just go by myself and leave you behind."
Patty sighed and moved to stand near Wes. "I'll come with,I'll come with.." She said in hesitation.
Wes grinned,she always knew how to get her way.
"But you know you've gone crazy?"
"Now hurry and get your things.We're getting' outta here."
Patty began to get her possessions from under her bed and storing them in her pillow case,her usual second thoughts coming into place.Out of all the things Wesla Carter had pushed her into,this had most likely been the craziest.Yet,it was happening so fast - time was certainly not on their side.
"Let's go!" Wes tugged on Patty's sleeve.
Patty frowned,thinking of how mad Mrs.McNolsen would be after she had caught them.Wes read Patty's expression clearly.
"Oh,don't worry,Cowdy Custard!Ol' McNolsen won't catch us!She simply won't!She can't!"
Patty still looked doubtful,but Wes had already taken her hand and was creeping out of the room.They slowly creeped down the stairs,touching the wall lightly as they moved along.Patty's heart skipped a beat when the stair below them creaked its complaint.They both stopped and held their breath in fear that Mrs.McNolsen would hear,knowing she was a light sleeper and that room room was right under the stairs.They stood,unmoving for a moment,and once they were sure McNolsen hadn't heard,they continued along.
Finally,they reached the bottom of the stairs and they both sighed their quiet relief.As they crept down the hallway,Patty couldn't help but notice how calm and cool Wes was about all this.Sure,Wes was aware of the dangers and punishment the should receive if they were to fail,but the same admiration she felt when she first met Wes crept into her feelings.Wes suddenly stopped and looked back at Patty,biting her bottom lip.
"Alright,Pat.Here's the hardest part." She whispered so quietly she could barely hear herself.But Patty understood,she always was able to understand Wes.They stood silently,afraid to breathe for fear of making too much noise.This was the part that was horrifying Patty.Passing Ms.Young's office.Ms.Young always stayed up late,doing work.She had the ears of a cat and the sight of a falcon.It seemed to Patty that they were standing there forever,waiting for the right moment.And then finally,as if a gift from heaven,the sound of Ms.Young turning around in her chair,the floorboard creaking,and a sneeze came.It was too good an opportunity to pass up.They ran sleekly and quietly as possible across the doorway and into the safety of the foyer.
With a shaky hand,Wes slowly reached out to the door handle and turned it as slowly as possible.She let it swing open slowly without a creak - the janitor always kept it well-oiled.They both paused,looking outside as if it were impossible to stray out.They exchanged expressionless glances and suddenly ran at the same moment.They ran.Just ran until they were two streets away.Not being able to hold her excitement in any longer,Wes screamed her happiness to the heavens.
"We're free,Patty,free!Can't you feel that?" Wes twirled in excitement.
All that just happened came swarming to Patty suddenly,and she realized,they were free.She gasped and danced around with Wes in excitement.They were free.And with all the energy they could muster,Wesla Gillings and Patricia Goodwin,the two greatest friends in the world,ran off into the night,hand in hand.