"Latch?" Torn's eyes opened wide, as if now remembering something ever
so important.
" Yes," Elizabeth smiled, bending her right leg under her left as she sat down.
" Did you're sister call ya Latch?" Torn's question suddenly striking a nerve as Elizabeth burried her head in her arms.
" I wonder if they've come back to find me. What if they can't come back right away? What if the next train back doesn't leave for days?" Elizabeth's world suddenly came crashing back, unlike moments ago when suddenly the thought of running around on the street with a new name made everything better, her life new and fresh. But now she realized it, she didn't belong there, she belonged back in the big house, with the expensive clothes, the nice things, and the watchful eyes of the butler and her parents on her every move.
" They'll be another train, Latch," Torn smiled, carefuly pausing before saying her renewed nickname from childhood.
" But--how are they going to find me in the mess? Look at me!" Elizabeth cried, pulling at her hair. " My hair is messy, in tangles and becomeing dirty and greasy. My dress," she sniffled, tugging at the mudd stains and picking at the small holes and tatters around the bottom of it, " My dress is ruined. This was one of my best! If my mother saw me right now--"
" But she can't see you right now," Torn replied firmly, sitting up and grabbing ahold of Elizabeth by the shoulders firmly. " She can't. She's not here, she can't boss you around, punish you for something that is so pointless. Like she can't afford another dress!" Torn huffed, standing up and now pacing between her bunk and the next.
" Would it help if I was ta patch it up?" A voice called from behind as the girls turned to see a newsgirl leaning on door to the washroom.
" Lookout, what ya doing here?" Torn asked raising an eyebrow and walking over to her.
" Oh, I was in da neighbah-hood, figured I'd drop by," She smiled, twirling her hat in her hand and placing it back o her head.
" Bulls again?" Torn half laughed as Lookout shook her head smiling.
" I's had ta warn da boys. Damn Racetrack Higgin's drunk worse dan a snuck! If da bulls saw dat, dey'd have eaten him up!"
" Ya should have left 'em! Race ain't nuttin' but--" Torn started, only to be cut off by Lookout's prostiting.
" What did Race evah do ta you, sides maybe cheat ya out some money in a pocker game?"
" You's just got too big o' heart foah dat rat," Torn stated pointing her finger at Lookout who shook her off and turned her attention towards Elizabeth.
" So, whose da new goil?" she asked nudging her head in Elizabeth's direction.
" Me childhood friend, Elizabeth Westfall," Torn introduced.
" Westfall ya say?" Lookout questioned raising an eyebrow.
" Yes," Elizabeth replied, standing up and whipping the now drying tears from her face as she tried to smoother out her dress and extended her hand to shake Lookouts. Lookout spit her hand and extended to take ahold of Elizabeth when she suddenly pulled it back.
" What's da mattah?" Lookout asked offended, trying to keep her voice low.
" That's so---dirty," Elizabeth frowned shuttering at the thought of what it would have been like if she would have actually shook hands with the girls' spit covered hand.
" She's da rich type," Torn winked, trying to explain as Lookout nodded.
" Well, I figured wit dat name. Been hearing it all ovah da city ta night," Lookout said, stepping back and whipping her cheek on her shoulder.
" What?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes growing wide with hope.
" Yeah, seems so Judge thinks he saw ya--" Lookout coughed a bit as Torn leaned in.
" Da Judge is her grandfather." Torn explained.
" Da one dat you?" Elizabeth whispered back as Torn nodded turning back to Lookout with a smile.
" So, ya want me ta fix dat dress?" Lookout questioned.
" Yes," Elizabeth smiled, bending her right leg under her left as she sat down.
" Did you're sister call ya Latch?" Torn's question suddenly striking a nerve as Elizabeth burried her head in her arms.
" I wonder if they've come back to find me. What if they can't come back right away? What if the next train back doesn't leave for days?" Elizabeth's world suddenly came crashing back, unlike moments ago when suddenly the thought of running around on the street with a new name made everything better, her life new and fresh. But now she realized it, she didn't belong there, she belonged back in the big house, with the expensive clothes, the nice things, and the watchful eyes of the butler and her parents on her every move.
" They'll be another train, Latch," Torn smiled, carefuly pausing before saying her renewed nickname from childhood.
" But--how are they going to find me in the mess? Look at me!" Elizabeth cried, pulling at her hair. " My hair is messy, in tangles and becomeing dirty and greasy. My dress," she sniffled, tugging at the mudd stains and picking at the small holes and tatters around the bottom of it, " My dress is ruined. This was one of my best! If my mother saw me right now--"
" But she can't see you right now," Torn replied firmly, sitting up and grabbing ahold of Elizabeth by the shoulders firmly. " She can't. She's not here, she can't boss you around, punish you for something that is so pointless. Like she can't afford another dress!" Torn huffed, standing up and now pacing between her bunk and the next.
" Would it help if I was ta patch it up?" A voice called from behind as the girls turned to see a newsgirl leaning on door to the washroom.
" Lookout, what ya doing here?" Torn asked raising an eyebrow and walking over to her.
" Oh, I was in da neighbah-hood, figured I'd drop by," She smiled, twirling her hat in her hand and placing it back o her head.
" Bulls again?" Torn half laughed as Lookout shook her head smiling.
" I's had ta warn da boys. Damn Racetrack Higgin's drunk worse dan a snuck! If da bulls saw dat, dey'd have eaten him up!"
" Ya should have left 'em! Race ain't nuttin' but--" Torn started, only to be cut off by Lookout's prostiting.
" What did Race evah do ta you, sides maybe cheat ya out some money in a pocker game?"
" You's just got too big o' heart foah dat rat," Torn stated pointing her finger at Lookout who shook her off and turned her attention towards Elizabeth.
" So, whose da new goil?" she asked nudging her head in Elizabeth's direction.
" Me childhood friend, Elizabeth Westfall," Torn introduced.
" Westfall ya say?" Lookout questioned raising an eyebrow.
" Yes," Elizabeth replied, standing up and whipping the now drying tears from her face as she tried to smoother out her dress and extended her hand to shake Lookouts. Lookout spit her hand and extended to take ahold of Elizabeth when she suddenly pulled it back.
" What's da mattah?" Lookout asked offended, trying to keep her voice low.
" That's so---dirty," Elizabeth frowned shuttering at the thought of what it would have been like if she would have actually shook hands with the girls' spit covered hand.
" She's da rich type," Torn winked, trying to explain as Lookout nodded.
" Well, I figured wit dat name. Been hearing it all ovah da city ta night," Lookout said, stepping back and whipping her cheek on her shoulder.
" What?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes growing wide with hope.
" Yeah, seems so Judge thinks he saw ya--" Lookout coughed a bit as Torn leaned in.
" Da Judge is her grandfather." Torn explained.
" Da one dat you?" Elizabeth whispered back as Torn nodded turning back to Lookout with a smile.
" So, ya want me ta fix dat dress?" Lookout questioned.
