Chapter 9

Daggers got out of the bath and slipped on a dress though she would have preferred the clothes she had worn as a newsie. They had been taken away from her by order of her father. Mind you she fought to keep them and gave the servant who had tried to take them away a black eye and a broken nose. She did not appreciate her father's feeble attempts at making her more female like. Nothing good had come of returning home besides the fact that she was clean, she hadn't had a real bath since she had run away.

Sitting down on her bed she took out the knife that she had gotten one of the servants to steal for her from the kitchen. Carefully twirling it between her fingers as if it were a baton, she began to think. How was she going to get out of here. Her father was an intolerable middle aged man with way too much money. Stev had, had the right idea running away. She would have followed in his footsteps but being only 12 at the time she didn't believe she was old enough to make it on her own.

Daggers considered the window as possible escape route but being on the second floor she would undoubtedly hurt herself on the way down. She didn't have any sorts of rope. Her door was locked shut so she couldn't get out that way.

Daggers didn't even bother to get up when she heard a knock at her door. She knew her father could open it from the outside. Daggers stashed the knife under her pillow as her father walked in. A young man stood in her doorway. Daggers sighed another snobby rich boy, just what she wanted in her bedroom.

"Kathryn this is James Warren, his family just moved here from Virginia while you were away at school. He's been dying to meet you." Her father introduced the boy.

Daggers burst out laughing so hard it made her stomach hurt. She let herself fall back onto the bed; school, as if.

"You alright?" asked the boy walking over to her, and offering his hand to help her up.

"School. Right," Daggers muttered under her breath as she sat up by herself ignoring his offer.

James like many others heard Daggers mutters, but said nothing.

"I'll leave you two to get to know each other," Her father said glaring daggers at her(no pun intended), then he left.

"What was that all about?" James asked.

"So my fathers been telling everyone I was off at school?"

"Yes.... haven't you?"

"Sure," Daggers replied slipping back into her accent.

"He said that some of the girls there were getting to friendly with the local street boys. So he was going to have you come home till he could find a more appropriate school."

"Just like me fader always lyin'."

"Lying?" James replied finally noticing the abrupt change in Daggers speech. "I don't understand Kathryn."

Daggers flinched at the sound of her name.

"Don't call me that," Daggers hissed.

"Why not? It's your name isn't it?"

"Just because it's my name does not mean I have to like it," Daggers replied sharply in proper English to make sure James understood.

James nodded in response then looked daggers directly in the eye.

"What should I call you then?"

".....As long as it's not Kathryn, I honestly don't care." Daggers replied after hesitating. She had been tempted to have him call her Daggers, but that was her newsie name. He certainly wasn't a newsie.

"How 'bout Kat?" James suggested.

"Too close to Kathryn,"

"Ryn?"

"No, still to close," Daggers said after a slight chuckle.

"Hmm. You know what, you look like a Sarah."

"Sarah?"

"Yeah, Sarah."

"Absolutely not,"

"Why not?"

"I know a guy who's dating a Sarah. That's why."

"Well that's a silly reason to not like a name,"

"I didn't say I didn't like it, I just don't wan' to be called Sarah."

"Well then what do you want to be called?"

"Whoa, Daggers ya look good in a dress."

Daggers and James turned their head towards the window where Flame's head just peaked over the sill.

"Flame, do ya realize dat me room is on the second floor. Oh and I never want to hear me name and dress in de same sentence again." Daggers barked walking over to the window.

"I is standing on Hour's shoulders and he's standing on a few boxes. Can't promise on the dress ding, and who is dat." Flame finished and pointed to James.

"I'd like to ask you the same question," James replied.

"Wow you is on Hour's shoulders. Hi Hour." Daggers said looking out the window to see Hour down below.

"'Ey Daggers," Hour grunted, having Flame on his shoulders could not be easy.

"Kathryn, who is this? How do you know this... boy?" James asked as if he hadn't been heard the first time.

Daggers shot him a glare for using her real name.

"James, Flame. Flame, James. And Hour is down there." Daggers pointed down out the window as she finished her sentence.

"Kadryn. Name really fits ya, Daggers. So does dat dress.' Flame said teasing her.

"Just 'cause I is a goil doesn't mean I can't soak ya." Daggers snapped. "How did ya figure out where I was?"

"Stev told us." Flame said grabbing the window sill and pulling himself in.

"Ah, Stev someone I know." James said with an almost sigh of relief.

"How do you know Stev?" Flame asked.

"He is Kathryn's older brother Steven is he not."

"Steven, so dat's his real name."

"Yes, He's currently residing in a small college in Maine isn't he. How did he have contact with you, and no one has told me how you know each other."

"College in Maine right," Daggers added sarcasticly. "And I was off at school."

"Why don't you just fill me in, instead of giving me sarcastic remark." James said in a slightly higher tone then he usually used.

"Stev ran away about 2 years ago, and I recently followed his example. Met Flame and a few, well more than a few oders while I was livin' on the streets." Daggers responded. "Last time a checked dough only Spot knew I was a goil."

"He told us," Flame replied making himself quite comfortable in a chair.

"Figured he would." Daggers said sitting down on the window sill.

"You were living on the streets!?!" Daggers' words had just dawned on James.

"Yeah, well not exactly de streets I had a place to sleep and stuff." Daggers responded mid yawn.

"Why,"

"Ya met me fader, and me mudda ain't much better. Life here is very shallow and empty compared to life on the streets. I made friends there, dats more than I ever had here."

Daggers words seemed to make James think.

"Yeah dis is all great, but I is here to get Daggers out." Flame said standing up.

"Wait we can't go yet." Daggers barked. "Me daggers."

"I'll get them," James offered. "If you take me with you."

Daggers and Flame exchanged glances. Flame shook his head, and Daggers seemed to be thinking about it.

"They're, in my parents room on the end of the hall. Once in there, there's a small wooden box in my Faders desk. They all should be in there." Daggers said without looking at James.

"I need those daggers," Daggers told Flame once James had left.

"Are these them?" James replied walking back in with the Daggers.

"Yup, oh and dese dem." Daggers corrected while taking her knifes from him. "Let's go."

Flame didn't say anything as they started climbing out the window, and onto the rope Flame had tied to the window sill.