Elizabeth wrapped herself under her sheets, trying to fight off sleep, as
Lookout stitched up the holes in her dress.
"Stop fightin' it, just close ya eyes. I ain't gonna make off wit ya dress," Lookout laughed seeing Elizabeth try has hard as she could to keep her eyes, which felt like lead, open. Elizabeth gave a yawn, covering her mouth with her hand and allowed her eyes to shut this time, without any thought of trying to keep them open. When she did open them however, light was coming threw the musty windows, and her dress was lying at the end of her bed, all patched up.
Elizabeth looked up to see Athena's arm hangling down from the bunk above, so she carefully climbed out as to not to disturb her.
" Mornin'," Dainti smiled, stretching and looking over as Elizabeth pulled up a sheet around her. Dainti let out a giggle. " Like I ain't evah look at my body. Sweetie, ya ain't got nuttin' dat I don't got," She smiled, rolling over and giving Elizabeth privacy to put her dress back on. She carefully eyed the room before removing the sheet, as to make sure no one else was up and peeping.
" Goils!" A shirl voice shouted as Elizabeth jumped up slightly looking around. The whole bunkroom was now moaning and groaning as Gibby walked down the aisle, waking girls up who weren't yet stiring.
" I's swear Athena, if you don't get up!" Gibby yelled over at Athena who was now placing her head under her pillow.
" Go away, ya ol' hag," Athena mumbled under the pillow as Elizabeth stared at her taken aback. Gibby laughed and poked her in the side, causing her to jump and fall from the top bunk to the wooden floor below.
" Damnit, Gibby, dat's twice dis week!" Athena complained as she picked herself up off the floor and headed in the the flow of girls to the washroom.
" Sleep well?" Rain questioned, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Elizabeth nodded and looked around, trying to find Lookout to thank her for her handy work, but she was no where to be seen.
" If ya lookin' foah Lookout, she left," Torn whispered as if reading her mind. " She does dat. Loner, an' a wander 'er. Much like Preacher," Torn smiled as something clicked in her mind a the sound of that name.
" Preacher?" She questioned.
" Yeah, da newsie, Preacher. He's a real sweet kid. Wanders 'round da city helping kids, sick kids, lost kids, anyone really. He's a Bible hugger," Torn laughed, " you can always find him quoting it."
" You mean, he's not a street rat. A scab?" Elizabeth questioned as Torn laughed back at her.
" We talking da same kid here?" Torn giggled. " Preacher, da tall boy wit dat wears da black bolwer hat and vest?" Elizabeth nodded. " Heaven's no! The kid don't know what sining is!" Elizabeth's face turned pale.
" I met him, yesterday. I was awefully rude to him."
" Well, I'm sure we'll run inta him ta day, so ya can apologize. We's gonna go ta Brooklyn. Lookout said she was heading dare, an' she left something here dat she might want." Torn smiled showing Elizabeth a small pouch that had a thread in needle in it. " She's always having ta patch something up on her. Gets inta some trouble now an' den trying ta keep kids safe from da bulls," Torn shrugged. "Anyway, let's get cleaned up," she smiled leading Elizabeth into the washroom which was now crowded with girls.
" Gimmy dat!" Bailey jumped up trying to grab a towel from another girl. "Dollface, dat ain't fair!" Bailey shouted as Dollface let the towel drop into Bailey's hands.
" Knock it off," Angelina shooved Dollface as she grabbed another towel for herself.
" Have I met ya?" a girl questioned, walking over to Elizabeth and Torn.
" I'm not sure," Elizabeth replied frowing, trying to remember if she had talked to her the night before.
" Well, in any case, da names Taffee, you?" she asked, taking a bar soap in her hands and scrubbing the bottom of her foot.
" Eliz-- Latch," Elizabeth corrected herself as Torn gave her a reasuring smile and turned to the toliet stales.
" Nice ta meet ya Latch. So, how'dya get a name like dat? Good at pickin' 'em o' something?" Taffee questioned as Elizabeth blushed.
" Well, my sister used to call me Lachesis," Elizabeth started as Athena walked over.
" I know dat! She's one o' dat three fates in Greek mythology!" Athena smiled. " I love Greek mythology," she added, blushing slightly.
" Whose Lachesis?" A short shy girl asked, biting her finger nail as she walked over.
" Latch, this is Whisper," Athena introduced. " Whisper, Lachesis was one of the three fates in Greek mythology. She was none as the spinner, or "giver" for furtune. She said who got how much." Athena smiled proud of her mythological knowolege.
" So, Latch," Torn smiled coming out of a stale, " Ya wanna head ta Brooklyn?" she asked, as a bunch of girls looked over.
" Can I come?" Fantasy asked, looking over at them. I" haven't been back ta Brooklyn in awhile," she added.
" Sure, come one," Torn said.
" Can I at least fix my hair?" Elizabeth asked, looking at herself in the mirror. " Ugh, look at this mess!" she sighed, trying to brush out the nots with her finghers.
" Here, let me help," Dollface smiled, pushing everyone out of the way.
" Here, why don't ya let someone, a little more qualified do dat," Jade's voice came from behind Dollface as she frowned. She pulled out a cigarette and lit it, stepping closer and taking ahold of Elizabeth's hair. Within seconds Elizabeth's hair was pulled into a braid at the top and wrapped into a nice little bun. The rest of her hair hung down and seemed to be less tangly than before and slightly curlier.
" Here," Dollface said, shooving Jade back out of her way and wetting the hair that was left hanging. It curled more when she did this and Elizabeth turned and hugged her.
" Thank you," she whispered in her ear and turned to thank Jade, but she was gone.
" Don't mind her, really," Riley laughed coming around the corner. " That's just the way Jade is...jaded. She's different', but don't let her bother you."
" I just ignore her," Dollface smiled and walked out into the bunkroom.
" Ready?" Torn asked as Elizabeth looked over herself on last time in the lone mirror.
" Ugh... if my mom saw me now, she'd dorp over dead." Elizabeth frowned turning on her heel to follow Torn and Fantasy out the door and towards Manhattan.
" She'd deserve it too," Torn winked at Fantasy as she joked back giggles so that Elizabeth couldn't hear what they were talking about.
"Stop fightin' it, just close ya eyes. I ain't gonna make off wit ya dress," Lookout laughed seeing Elizabeth try has hard as she could to keep her eyes, which felt like lead, open. Elizabeth gave a yawn, covering her mouth with her hand and allowed her eyes to shut this time, without any thought of trying to keep them open. When she did open them however, light was coming threw the musty windows, and her dress was lying at the end of her bed, all patched up.
Elizabeth looked up to see Athena's arm hangling down from the bunk above, so she carefully climbed out as to not to disturb her.
" Mornin'," Dainti smiled, stretching and looking over as Elizabeth pulled up a sheet around her. Dainti let out a giggle. " Like I ain't evah look at my body. Sweetie, ya ain't got nuttin' dat I don't got," She smiled, rolling over and giving Elizabeth privacy to put her dress back on. She carefully eyed the room before removing the sheet, as to make sure no one else was up and peeping.
" Goils!" A shirl voice shouted as Elizabeth jumped up slightly looking around. The whole bunkroom was now moaning and groaning as Gibby walked down the aisle, waking girls up who weren't yet stiring.
" I's swear Athena, if you don't get up!" Gibby yelled over at Athena who was now placing her head under her pillow.
" Go away, ya ol' hag," Athena mumbled under the pillow as Elizabeth stared at her taken aback. Gibby laughed and poked her in the side, causing her to jump and fall from the top bunk to the wooden floor below.
" Damnit, Gibby, dat's twice dis week!" Athena complained as she picked herself up off the floor and headed in the the flow of girls to the washroom.
" Sleep well?" Rain questioned, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Elizabeth nodded and looked around, trying to find Lookout to thank her for her handy work, but she was no where to be seen.
" If ya lookin' foah Lookout, she left," Torn whispered as if reading her mind. " She does dat. Loner, an' a wander 'er. Much like Preacher," Torn smiled as something clicked in her mind a the sound of that name.
" Preacher?" She questioned.
" Yeah, da newsie, Preacher. He's a real sweet kid. Wanders 'round da city helping kids, sick kids, lost kids, anyone really. He's a Bible hugger," Torn laughed, " you can always find him quoting it."
" You mean, he's not a street rat. A scab?" Elizabeth questioned as Torn laughed back at her.
" We talking da same kid here?" Torn giggled. " Preacher, da tall boy wit dat wears da black bolwer hat and vest?" Elizabeth nodded. " Heaven's no! The kid don't know what sining is!" Elizabeth's face turned pale.
" I met him, yesterday. I was awefully rude to him."
" Well, I'm sure we'll run inta him ta day, so ya can apologize. We's gonna go ta Brooklyn. Lookout said she was heading dare, an' she left something here dat she might want." Torn smiled showing Elizabeth a small pouch that had a thread in needle in it. " She's always having ta patch something up on her. Gets inta some trouble now an' den trying ta keep kids safe from da bulls," Torn shrugged. "Anyway, let's get cleaned up," she smiled leading Elizabeth into the washroom which was now crowded with girls.
" Gimmy dat!" Bailey jumped up trying to grab a towel from another girl. "Dollface, dat ain't fair!" Bailey shouted as Dollface let the towel drop into Bailey's hands.
" Knock it off," Angelina shooved Dollface as she grabbed another towel for herself.
" Have I met ya?" a girl questioned, walking over to Elizabeth and Torn.
" I'm not sure," Elizabeth replied frowing, trying to remember if she had talked to her the night before.
" Well, in any case, da names Taffee, you?" she asked, taking a bar soap in her hands and scrubbing the bottom of her foot.
" Eliz-- Latch," Elizabeth corrected herself as Torn gave her a reasuring smile and turned to the toliet stales.
" Nice ta meet ya Latch. So, how'dya get a name like dat? Good at pickin' 'em o' something?" Taffee questioned as Elizabeth blushed.
" Well, my sister used to call me Lachesis," Elizabeth started as Athena walked over.
" I know dat! She's one o' dat three fates in Greek mythology!" Athena smiled. " I love Greek mythology," she added, blushing slightly.
" Whose Lachesis?" A short shy girl asked, biting her finger nail as she walked over.
" Latch, this is Whisper," Athena introduced. " Whisper, Lachesis was one of the three fates in Greek mythology. She was none as the spinner, or "giver" for furtune. She said who got how much." Athena smiled proud of her mythological knowolege.
" So, Latch," Torn smiled coming out of a stale, " Ya wanna head ta Brooklyn?" she asked, as a bunch of girls looked over.
" Can I come?" Fantasy asked, looking over at them. I" haven't been back ta Brooklyn in awhile," she added.
" Sure, come one," Torn said.
" Can I at least fix my hair?" Elizabeth asked, looking at herself in the mirror. " Ugh, look at this mess!" she sighed, trying to brush out the nots with her finghers.
" Here, let me help," Dollface smiled, pushing everyone out of the way.
" Here, why don't ya let someone, a little more qualified do dat," Jade's voice came from behind Dollface as she frowned. She pulled out a cigarette and lit it, stepping closer and taking ahold of Elizabeth's hair. Within seconds Elizabeth's hair was pulled into a braid at the top and wrapped into a nice little bun. The rest of her hair hung down and seemed to be less tangly than before and slightly curlier.
" Here," Dollface said, shooving Jade back out of her way and wetting the hair that was left hanging. It curled more when she did this and Elizabeth turned and hugged her.
" Thank you," she whispered in her ear and turned to thank Jade, but she was gone.
" Don't mind her, really," Riley laughed coming around the corner. " That's just the way Jade is...jaded. She's different', but don't let her bother you."
" I just ignore her," Dollface smiled and walked out into the bunkroom.
" Ready?" Torn asked as Elizabeth looked over herself on last time in the lone mirror.
" Ugh... if my mom saw me now, she'd dorp over dead." Elizabeth frowned turning on her heel to follow Torn and Fantasy out the door and towards Manhattan.
" She'd deserve it too," Torn winked at Fantasy as she joked back giggles so that Elizabeth couldn't hear what they were talking about.
