Jack's Point Of View
"C'mon Spot, ya dirty bastard, down it .. down it." I cheered on my fellow News Boy from Brooklyn, Spot Conlon.
"I can't Jack, I've drank to much." Spot slurred his words together, stumbling over to the stool on which I sat, "Too damn much." He clapped his hand down on my shoulder as best he could and smiled a weak smile at me, "Your the best, Jack, taking me out to get a drink once I've found out the worst news of my life." He paused, letting the idea run through his mind one last time, "How can I be related to Patch? God, she's such a bitch." He shook his head in disgust before attempting to stand up and walk from the bar doors.
I quickly got to my feet and slapped down the few extra dollars I had managed to pickpocket off a local business man, "That should pay for it sir." I snapped over my shoulder, grabbing Spot's arm and helping him to walk down the street in a mannerly fashion.
"God Jack, you'se are da best." He kept repeating as we approached our Lodging Home. I sighed, just one day left until we would be sharing our lovely home with evil girls of all shapes and sizes. Evil girls like the two that Spot just tripped upon going up the stairs to the House .. evil girls like what?
"Spot, are you'se okay?" I rushed over to his side.
"God, ask da guy how he's doin' first, real gentleman like of ya." A girl with shoulder length red hair snapped in my direction, "typical." she sighed, shaking her head.
"Well excuse me Princess Grace," I said as the other girl with long blond hair look at me with disgust.
"I think dis guy is lookin' fer trouble, " She said standing up she was almost as tall as I was. And was a little intimidating, but I would never admit that.
"So what if I am?" I said taking a step toward her. The other girl quickly scampered in between us.
"Hey hey hey....slow down you'se two....Chaos...can I talk to ya in private for a moment?" The other girl said to her while giving her a look.
"Yeah, sure Hype." Hype, or whatever her name was, dragged away Chaos to the other side of the Lodging House. Just then I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to find Spot. "Heyyyyyy Jackie lackie boyyyyyyy. Can we go…can we…can –" Spot then passed out onto the stoop. I rolled my eyes … picked the medium height kid up and carried him inside.
*Chaos's POV*
I didnt like the looks OR attitude of that guy. Trying to start shit with me...why I oughta....
"HELLOOOOOO EARTH TO CHAOS" Hype shook me violently. I snapped out of my thoughts and returned my attention to her.
"What's wrong with you'se? Dem guys jes went into that boarding house we coulda been invited to stay!" She said in an annoyed tone.
"He was giving you'se an attitude! Whatdja expect me ta do? Kiss him?"
"Shut the fuck up 'nd listen, maybe if we make nice wit' dem guys, we'se can have a place ta stay. 'Nd yanno, wont end up sleeping on stoops for da rest of our lives. Do do ya wanna knock on da door 'nd apologize or what?" She asked me.
"Me? Apologize? Ha, no way. I'd rather go back home." On second thought, no, home was bad. Very bad.
"Oh come on - maybe they're decent fella's once we'se get to know dem" Hype said as she began to push me to the door.
*Hypes Point Of Veiw*
As I pushed Chaos toward the door so many thoughts ran through my mind. Chaos and I might be a tough bunch, but those two guys alone looked like they could beat us to pulp in the dirt. Damnit, this better work. I watched Chaos timidly raise her fist to the door and knock two times. The door flew open with a crash just before the third knock sounded, as if the boys had been standing by the door all that time.
"What do you'se want?" Hissed the boy that Chaos had such a rude encounter with.
"Well, if you'se gonna talk ta me like dat, I might want a few things, you lousy .." I grabbed Chaos mouth and smiled nervously.
"Don't listen ta her, she doesn't know what she's saying."
"Like hell I'se don't!" Chaos attempted to scream into my palm before biting me, "Listen, all we'se need is a place ta stay 'nd we'se was wonderin' if dat place could be 'ere."
"I duno about that goils, Kloppmann wouldn't be too cool with dat. But first, if ya's do stay, what's your names? So when you steal our stuff we can tell da Bulls on ya's." The sober one said.
I rolled my eyes, "Steal you'se guys stuff? You'se wish. But listen, I'm Hype and dis here is Chaos."
Jack sighed, biting his lip in thought, "For da record, we're Spot and Jack, and I jes duno if you can stay here. We'se duno ya."
"Aw, Jackie – Boy just let these fine ladies stay with us, dey ain't guna cause us no harm. Wit' names like dat dey could give us a ride for our money. Eh? Whaddya say, cutie?" Spot asked from the floor, turning to Chaos and beginning to rub what he thought was her leg.
"Listen ya dirty bastard, I gotta live until da time I'm 18, jes so I can git outta this place, yanno, go to Santa Fe? And if Kloppmann catches us wit' dese lovely ladies, I ain't goin' nowhere for da rest of my life. Neither are you'se if you'se keep rubbin` me leg like that." Jack snapped at Spot, then turning back to the us he shrugged, "I jes dunno."
I sighed with anger, could this kid get anymore rude? I didn't think so. "Fine, thanks for helpin' out buddy, but we really don't need you'se anyways." I grabbed Chaos's hand and pulled her as quickly and far away from the stoop as I could, "Stupid fuckin' bastard." I muttered over my shoulder.
"Listen, I 'eard dat." Jack called from the stoop where he stood with his arms crossed.
"I'm glad you'se can 'ear, I was beginnin' to think your ego 'ad taken over your face." I shouted back, god how I hated this kid.
"Fine." There came Jack's voice, then a long pause, "You'se can come stay 'ere, but no dirty tricks. If we'se wake up in the mornin' 'nd our stuff is gone .. you'se know the deal. We're going straight to da Bulls."
Had he just said what I thought he did? Jack just offered us to stay, with them. For good? God knows, but we had a place to stay for the night. I stood stunned in my spot for a good half a minute - I couldn't believe it.
*Jacks Point Of View*
I watched as Chaos and Hype paused in they're tracks, laughing slightly to myself as Chaos turned around with a wide smile on her face and ran towards me.
"God Jack, I couldn't thank ya's more. I'se really couldn't." Chaos chirped cheerfully, walking in through the door and jumping over Spot, "Ey! Didja 'ear dat Spot? We'se stayin', Jack said we'se could." She shouted gleefully at Spot as though he couldn't hear, but hey, the kid was practically passed out .. I can almost guarantee he couldn't hear her. Hype took her time getting to the door, her brown eyes fiery with rage.
Ha, I had gone and deceived her improper image of myself. God, it was a great feeling. I closed the door behind her and half carried Spot up the stairs. Showing the girls around the small and cramped room I grabbed a pack of cards.
"Any of you'se any good at playin'?" I inquired lightly, sitting down on the corner of a bunk bed and dealing out a few cards to each of them.
"You'se know me Jackie. I'm great at this, I'm the king of da cards." Spot bragged, letting his left-hand roam up Chaos's thigh.
"Ey, get dat off'a me." She snapped, playfully slugging his shoulder. I timidly took a glance over at Hype, she was still mad. Her eyes were glued to the wall as she sat about three beds over from me. She wasn't all that bad looking with pretty brown eyes and flowing auburn hair, though it was a bit ratty being that she was just lying on a stoop outside and one of her eyes was a bit hard to see through the shiner she sported.
"I'm not guna play, I'se guna go give meself a bath." Hype snapped lightly, taking a random guess as to which door was the bathroom and picking the closet instead.
"Dat's da closet. Ha, dat one's is da bathroom." I pointed at a door to her left as she grumpily stomped into it and slammed it shut, "Real proper goil." I muttered under my breath, turning back to the deck of cards. My gaze shifted from the royal flush in my hand to Chaos and Spot who were now sleeping on each other, Spot snoring loudly and Chaos's sort sweet breaths coming lightly. I slowly moved Spot to a straight position, with Chaos's head resting on his chest. The sound of water coming from the bathroom came to a halt and Hype walked out wearing a large oversized shirt of mine.
"I'm hopin' dis is yours, I'se kinda took a guess." She shrugged.
"Ha, you made a lucky guess dis time." I teased her, "Dat's me bed." I pointed over two beds from where she stood.
"Wow, dat's nice." She rolled her eyes in fake sarcasm, crawling into the bed furthest from mine.
"And dat's Boots'es bed, I suggest you'se don't sleep dere since he's guna be home any minute now."
"So where da hell am I supposed ta sleep?"
"I toldja, dere's my bed .. I'll sleep on da floor if ya want." I offered.
"Thanks, but no thanks .. I guess I'se might need da heat. You'se can sleep in 'ere with me." I was amazed; did she really just say that? I thought to myself crawling into bed with her. She turned her back to me and not another word was uttered the whole night, that is .. until the other boys came home.