Laces breathed in deeply and prayed her brother would not be home at his
Brooklyn apartment. She slowly walked up the stairs and found her
brother's room. Sucking in all her courage, she knocked on the door when a
young woman with a child at her side opened the door. The lady looked
disheveled and seemed as if she needed a day off. Laces instantaneously
felt horrible.
"Heya Anne." She said quietly.
"Christine? Why you look. . . dreadful! Please, come in." The woman smiled. "Gilbert's not here right now. . . "
"That's perfectly fine with me. He's probably still moaning about the fact that a few of my friends almost beat the crap out of him." Laces thought. She only nodded and entered the apartment. Her sister in-law's home was looking shabbier than usual. "How old's the kid?" She said.
"Oh, he's about two weeks old now. His name is. . . it's Charles. After your father."
"You don't think I'se know that?" Laces angrily replied. Her family had meant everything in the world to her, but now all that was left of it was an alcoholic brother, a pale, sickly, sister in-law, and a new nephew that probably wouldn't last the month. He was coughing and crying pitifully. Christine knew both the mother and child needed a doctor, but what could she do? "I'm sorry Anne, I didn't mean ta huirt 'cha feelins. It's dis stupid mouth o' mine. I just can't keep it shut when I need it to da most, I guess."
"What happened?" Anne said, referring to the bruise on Laces' cheek.
"Well, it could have been Gilbert that gave it to me." She thought. Laces shrugged. "It's nothin', really. Listen, I'd really love ta stay an' talk, but I'se gotta get goin. . . "
"How about you stay and get cleaned up? I'm sure you haven't washed up in a while, and perhaps you want to change your clothes or have you already gone crazy?" Anne joked.
"Well, I'se really got udda stuff ta do an' I'se only came ta pick up da money I'se left 'ere." Anne set the baby in his little crib and motioned for Laces to come over next to the bookcase. Anne had taken it from where she had used to live with her parents. The selection of books, however, was quite sparse. "They must have sold some books to make ends meet, I guess." Christine thought. Anne pulled out a book and opened it to where several bills were held.
"Sorry, but if you want the money, go and at least get changed. You can use one of the dresses in that drawer over there, I can't fit in them anymore." Laces sighed. When she realized Anne was trying her hardest to act motherly, she gave in. "There's some water in there you can use to wash up, I'm sure you don't want to walk around all day with flour on you." Laces smiled and went in her brother's room, freshened up, and changed. She stuffed her brother's old clothes that she had been wearing into the bag she had brought and left the room for Anne to "inspect" her.
"Why, you look much better now. Here you go." Said Anne as she handed over the money. The girls hugged and parted at the door, after Laces said goodbye to her nephew.
"Maybe I'll try ta come an' see youse two sometime. Goodbye, and tanks fer everythin'." Laces said, waving at the door. She left the apartment feeling very refreshed. Just as she was about to cross the Brooklyn Bridge, she saw Spot and a few other Brooklyn newsies passing her. She grinned because Spot didn't recognize her in a dress.
Later that night, Laces passed the Manhattan Newsboy Lodging House. She decided it was time to see her friends again and walked up to the desk where Kloppman was standing.
"Heya. I'se looking fer a couple o' newsies. . ." She was cut short.
"Go on upstairs. I assume they're playing poker or something." Kloppman smiled. She nodded and went up the stairs. She entered the room where about six newsies were getting badly beaten in poker by none other than Boots.
"Geez, Boots. Whaddya got up dose sleeves, huh?" Skittery said.
"Hey, I ain't doin nuthin you guys ain't. I'se just lucky, dats all." Boots defended as he threw down his cards. Mush stood up and noticed Laces standing at the door.
"Hey Laces!" He welcomed. She smiled back. Boots went over to the door.
"Hey! Welcome to our 'umble abode, Laces!" He said.
"Care to join da game?" Race asked.
"No tanks. I just wanted to. . ." Laces started.
"O' course ya do, Laces!" Boots said. Skittery walked over to her and whispered something in her ear. They both laughed hysterically. "What's so funny?"
"He said that Race hasn't been winning at all, you'se have! All youse wanna do is steal all da money I have left!" She joked. "I only came to see how youse guys were doin, dats all."
"Cowboy almost got caught again." Bumlets offered. He was sitting on his bunk.
"Really? How an' why would he get caught?" Laces asked.
"He's been runnin' from da Refuge for a while now. He escaped on Roosevelt's carriage." Mush said.
"Ah, da wonderfull Refuge." Laces said. She had never been stuck in there, but she had met many who had. Tracks, for instance, had been put up in there for two months for reasons he never understood. "Well, I'se guess I'll let 'cha get back to da game now. I'll see alla youse tomorrow. G'night." Laces said as she left the room. While walking down the street, she fingered the money in her pocket.
"Now's my chance to start over. Maybe they'll be some money left when the debt for Sam's funeral is paid, and maybe I can find a job sometime soon." She thought as she headed over to Central Park.
AN: Yeah, another short chapter. I guess I'm just a bad, bad girl. Yes, I just noticed the similarity between Tracks and Racetrack's names. Ooops. I don't see how I missed it. I love reviews. I will give a Reese's' Peanut Buttercup (No, I don't own them. **Sigh** Besides, my name is NOT Reese.) to all my reviewers! So, do so now before Sarah comes and steals Jack away forever! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!
"Heya Anne." She said quietly.
"Christine? Why you look. . . dreadful! Please, come in." The woman smiled. "Gilbert's not here right now. . . "
"That's perfectly fine with me. He's probably still moaning about the fact that a few of my friends almost beat the crap out of him." Laces thought. She only nodded and entered the apartment. Her sister in-law's home was looking shabbier than usual. "How old's the kid?" She said.
"Oh, he's about two weeks old now. His name is. . . it's Charles. After your father."
"You don't think I'se know that?" Laces angrily replied. Her family had meant everything in the world to her, but now all that was left of it was an alcoholic brother, a pale, sickly, sister in-law, and a new nephew that probably wouldn't last the month. He was coughing and crying pitifully. Christine knew both the mother and child needed a doctor, but what could she do? "I'm sorry Anne, I didn't mean ta huirt 'cha feelins. It's dis stupid mouth o' mine. I just can't keep it shut when I need it to da most, I guess."
"What happened?" Anne said, referring to the bruise on Laces' cheek.
"Well, it could have been Gilbert that gave it to me." She thought. Laces shrugged. "It's nothin', really. Listen, I'd really love ta stay an' talk, but I'se gotta get goin. . . "
"How about you stay and get cleaned up? I'm sure you haven't washed up in a while, and perhaps you want to change your clothes or have you already gone crazy?" Anne joked.
"Well, I'se really got udda stuff ta do an' I'se only came ta pick up da money I'se left 'ere." Anne set the baby in his little crib and motioned for Laces to come over next to the bookcase. Anne had taken it from where she had used to live with her parents. The selection of books, however, was quite sparse. "They must have sold some books to make ends meet, I guess." Christine thought. Anne pulled out a book and opened it to where several bills were held.
"Sorry, but if you want the money, go and at least get changed. You can use one of the dresses in that drawer over there, I can't fit in them anymore." Laces sighed. When she realized Anne was trying her hardest to act motherly, she gave in. "There's some water in there you can use to wash up, I'm sure you don't want to walk around all day with flour on you." Laces smiled and went in her brother's room, freshened up, and changed. She stuffed her brother's old clothes that she had been wearing into the bag she had brought and left the room for Anne to "inspect" her.
"Why, you look much better now. Here you go." Said Anne as she handed over the money. The girls hugged and parted at the door, after Laces said goodbye to her nephew.
"Maybe I'll try ta come an' see youse two sometime. Goodbye, and tanks fer everythin'." Laces said, waving at the door. She left the apartment feeling very refreshed. Just as she was about to cross the Brooklyn Bridge, she saw Spot and a few other Brooklyn newsies passing her. She grinned because Spot didn't recognize her in a dress.
Later that night, Laces passed the Manhattan Newsboy Lodging House. She decided it was time to see her friends again and walked up to the desk where Kloppman was standing.
"Heya. I'se looking fer a couple o' newsies. . ." She was cut short.
"Go on upstairs. I assume they're playing poker or something." Kloppman smiled. She nodded and went up the stairs. She entered the room where about six newsies were getting badly beaten in poker by none other than Boots.
"Geez, Boots. Whaddya got up dose sleeves, huh?" Skittery said.
"Hey, I ain't doin nuthin you guys ain't. I'se just lucky, dats all." Boots defended as he threw down his cards. Mush stood up and noticed Laces standing at the door.
"Hey Laces!" He welcomed. She smiled back. Boots went over to the door.
"Hey! Welcome to our 'umble abode, Laces!" He said.
"Care to join da game?" Race asked.
"No tanks. I just wanted to. . ." Laces started.
"O' course ya do, Laces!" Boots said. Skittery walked over to her and whispered something in her ear. They both laughed hysterically. "What's so funny?"
"He said that Race hasn't been winning at all, you'se have! All youse wanna do is steal all da money I have left!" She joked. "I only came to see how youse guys were doin, dats all."
"Cowboy almost got caught again." Bumlets offered. He was sitting on his bunk.
"Really? How an' why would he get caught?" Laces asked.
"He's been runnin' from da Refuge for a while now. He escaped on Roosevelt's carriage." Mush said.
"Ah, da wonderfull Refuge." Laces said. She had never been stuck in there, but she had met many who had. Tracks, for instance, had been put up in there for two months for reasons he never understood. "Well, I'se guess I'll let 'cha get back to da game now. I'll see alla youse tomorrow. G'night." Laces said as she left the room. While walking down the street, she fingered the money in her pocket.
"Now's my chance to start over. Maybe they'll be some money left when the debt for Sam's funeral is paid, and maybe I can find a job sometime soon." She thought as she headed over to Central Park.
AN: Yeah, another short chapter. I guess I'm just a bad, bad girl. Yes, I just noticed the similarity between Tracks and Racetrack's names. Ooops. I don't see how I missed it. I love reviews. I will give a Reese's' Peanut Buttercup (No, I don't own them. **Sigh** Besides, my name is NOT Reese.) to all my reviewers! So, do so now before Sarah comes and steals Jack away forever! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!