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"So whatta we got here Jacky-boy?" a voice asked. It sounded like it was right next to my ears. I groaned and rolled over feeling nauseous and trying to ignore huge throbbing pain that called itself my head. I wondered what was in the beer last night because I had never had a hang over this bad and I was frequent friend of Jose and Jack. My family was Italian-Irish; I was born to be able to handle my liquor.
"Morai I don't care what you do with Jacky-boy, just leave me out of it." I grumbled not even registering it hadn't been a female voice.
"Who's Morai?" The voice was amused and it was still too loud. I pulled the pillow from beneath me and put it over my head.
"Don't know, don't even know her name." Another voice answered, I recognized it from the night before. They sounded like they were standing directly over me instead of right outside my tent. I felt a hand on my shoulder trying to get me to roll over. What were they doing in my tent? I distinctly remembered falling asleep alone. Peaking one eye out from the pillow I saw a face I didn't recognize. Beautiful blue-gray eyes, dark blonde colored hair, and a mouth that screamed kiss me. I would have remembered this guy. It took a moment it to sink in that I was not on my air mattress, but a real mattress. It was hard as a rock. Squeaking I jumped trying to sit up, my head collided with the bunk that was above me, sending me right back down, cursing and clutching my head.
"Oh God, make it stop and I will never drink again, I swear." I groaned my head in my hands. My eyes were watering in pain and I brushed at them wiping the sleep out of my eyes as I did.
"Never knew a girl who drank before, 'scept those that was workin girls." I heard the first voice say. I opened my eyes to glare at the owner, he was eyeing me with an interest I didn't like. So what if he was incredibly good looking I wasn't a piece of meat.
"Hey," I snapped trying to stand up. It took me a few tries, but I finally managed it and turned my wrath back on the two boys who stared at me eyes wide. "I don't know who the hell you are or where the hell you get off, but I am not a working girl....."
I trailed off intending to say something snappy about how the last guy who had said something along those lines had ended up with his balls in his throat, but a wave of nausea hit making my hand fly to my mouth instead.
"What?" the owner of the second voice asked. Jack was what Blue eyes had called him. He was looking at me worriedly with an equally beautiful set of hazel eyes. Great two really good-looking guys and I'm about to spew all over the place I thought. I knew I had to have suddenly turned a very unbecoming shade of green.
"Do you have a bathroom I think I'm going puke." I managed fighting to keep the contents of my stomach from going all over the floor as I spoke. He looked at me as if I had grown a tail and horns.
"Puke?" Blue eyes asked in confusion.
"Throw up, upchuck, vomit." I tried giving them a look of my own. Where had they been living a cave? Luckily a light went on in their eyes when I said vomit and they quickly ushered me into a room. It was filled with other guys all in various stages of dress, all getting ready for their day it looked like. Nearly twenty- five pairs of eyes looked at me in surprise for a moment it was as if time had suddenly stopped. Just as suddenly it started again, some of the boys still just stared at me; others eyed me curiously for a moment before going back to their shaving. Some of the guys dived for the cover of wooden stalls that had been set up against the wall. I had a glimpse of more than I really wanted to see at that point, before they disappeared behind the door. One of them looked around the door of his stall and glared at Jack. From what I could see of him had my stomach had not been churning so badly, I would have been very interested in that body before he dove.
"Oh, that was an over share." I cried before slapping my hand across my mouth again. Patches gave me an odd look before looking at Jack again who just shrugged. Jack and Blue eyes each had a hold of an arm and they hustled me into one of the stalls just before I was violently sick. I don't remember having ever been that sick before and I've had some pretty nasty bouts of the flu.
"Jack ya coulda warned us." Patches said in a muffled voice and I could hear him banging around as if his arms were too long for him to be changing in the stall, which looking at the confined area I was in I was sure it was.
"I wasn't thinkin about it." Jack yelled back " I was to worried about the mess she woulda made in the bunkroom. Next time I'll let the girl go and you can clean it up Blink."
"When we ever gonna get another girl in here?" a curly headed urchin asked and I could hear the laughter in his voice. "We's lucky findin this one outsida Medda's."
I ignored the rest of the conversation and leaned weakly against the wall staring at the toilet for a minute thinking about how it had to have seen cleaner days. I should have been disgusted, but at that moment it didn't matter. I smiled at Jack who handed me a cup of water to rinse my mouth.
I had just leaned back again closing my eyes not caring about the toilet, just happy that my nausea was fading, I realized that there was something off about the boys. I looked up at them to find they were looking down at me curiously. Studying them for a moment it hit me. They were not wearing "normal" clothes; they were dressed as if they were from the turn of the century. My mind drew a blank and I swallowed fearfully. Time travel was impossible wasn't it? Well at least they looked kind, my mind raced back to last night and what had happened. Then I remembered the gypsy lady and my conversation with Morai. Morai must have set this up I burst out laughing. I had been scared for a moment, but I got it now.
"Okay Morai." I said through my laughter. She must have set up this practical joke to get me back for the fake spider I had dropped from a tree in to her corset. I had to admit this was much better than the spider. This had taken imagination, cleverness, and resourcefulness. I had to know how she did it, and she had to be hiding just around the corner waiting for my reaction so she could gloat. How had she gotten so many guys in one room for this though? And where was I? Jack and Blue Eyes looked down and me and I knew that they hadn't come from the Renaissance Festival I would have noticed them before. It wasn't that there weren't better looking guys at Faire, but both of these guys had an aura about them that demanded attention. "Funny, come out now. Where the hell did you take me and how did you get so many guys to get in on the joke?"
They kept looking at me as if I was an alien; I slowly stopped laughing and crawled out of the stall to look at the other boys who started at me too. Okay now I 'm use to people looking at me like I'm an idiot, but that many guys, it was too much I crawled back in. Blue eyes cleared his throat and I looked at him with what I was sure with eyes as large as saucers.
"Ya wanna let us in on the joke?" He asked kneeling down, he kept his distance though as if he were afraid I might suddenly attack him.
"What day is it?" I asked swallowing hard. There was this tightness in my chest it was making it hard for me to breathe. Fear was a tricky thing, I hoped I wasn't going to have a panic attack.
"Sunday." He told me slowly as if he were talking to a small child.
"No," I cried grabbing his arm my voice urgent. "What is the year?"
"1899." He said his eyes searching mine, still looking at me as if I had grown another head.
"Where am I?" I cried not liking the feeling that was welling up inside of me. "Wait, don't answer that, tell me what city and state is this?"
"New York." Spot replied. I looked at them for a moment my head was spinning, I had never passed out before, but I had come close when I had gotten my first tattoo. We found out then that my reaction to pain was to hold my breath and I remembered the feeling well.
"I think she's gonna faint." I heard the curly headed boy say as I struggled with my blacking vision. I took a few deep breaths and lay my head on the cold porcelain of the toilet ignoring the little voice in my head that told me just how dirty it was. I didn't care, I was not going to pass out. I felt someone rubbing my back and slowly I fought the feeling back down. Blue Eyes still had his hand on my back a look of worry on his face. I was surprised; he had looked so gruff before, now he had a look on his face that seemed almost soft. Almost, those piercing blue eyes still held a dangerous look about them. Once my head had cleared I stood and then I did the only thing I knew to do. I pushed past them and ran straight back into the room I had come from. The one Jack had called the bunkroom, which was aptly named since it was full of bunks. I threw myself onto the nearest bed and I pulled the blanket over my head. I closed my eyes and waited.
"Whatta ya doin?" I opened my eyes to find Jack there, one hand on the upper bunk leaning down so he was face to face with me.
"Going back to sleep." I told him firmly shutting my eyes. "I'll wake up in a moment and it will have all been a dream."
"Sweetheart, this ain't no dream." Jack replied, there was a bit of laughter in his voice. I was glad he was finding this amusing; I sure wasn't. Of course if I told him exactly what I was doing there he wouldn't have been laughing. He probably would have sat on me and told his pals to call the insane asylum.
"Shut up, you're keeping me from going to sleep." I growled. I felt strong hands close over my arms and pull me into an upright position. I cringed expecting to hit my head on the bunk above me, but I didn't my head just barely passed under it.
"Did ya escape from the crazy house?" he asked looking worriedly at me. He searched my face and I fought the urge to laugh. I had a feeling that would confirm his suspicions. "Ya not gonna kill us are ya?"
"Do you think I could?" I asked looking down at the hands that still held me knowing that he was a whole lot stronger. I struggled to mentally comprehend what had happened, to come to terms with the fact that this was not a dream that this was really happening.
"If we was sleepin ya could." Jack replied, not letting me go, but kneeling down in front of me.
"No, I did not escape from the crazy house." I replied truthfully unless you considered the Renaissance Festival a crazy house, I hadn't, but some did. I didn't say more, what could I say? Hello, I'm Briar and I actually live a little over a hundred years in the future?
"How about a name?" Blue eyes asked, I hadn't even seen him come up.
"Briar Fitzgerald." I told them looking from one to the other waiting, not knowing what else to do.
"Ya wanna tell us why we found ya in the alley next to Irving Hall?" Jack asked.
" I don't know." I replied. " I have no idea where I came from. Or what Irving Hall even is."
"She must have that thing Davy was talking about the other day." Blue eyes said to Jack "Amnea."
"Amnesia?" I asked trying not to smile. They both looked at me and I gave them a grin, trying for Jenny's approach to life. Smile and it will all be okay.
"She's smart at least." Jack said completely ignoring me. I glared, I hated being talked about as if I wasn't in the room. Enough of that B.S. I'll take this like I take everything.
"Hey, assholes, I'm right here." I snapped their heads whipped around looking at me in surprise.
Okay, I thought, Maybe that wasn't the best of ideas. You were trying for the not crazy approach, remember?
"Women don't talk like that." Blue eyes spoke with a scolding tone and I wanted to sock him. He looked like my grandmother would have if she had caught me cussing. It only fed my anger, he made me feel as if I should be ashamed.
"Where I come from, girls say a lot worse than that." I retorted. The both looked at me, then looked at my low cut chemise and smiled. "Don't even think it. What I meant is where I come from girls are allowed much more than your egotistical little brains could ever comprehend."
I knew they didn't understand half of what I had said and it took the joy out of insulting them. I wanted to scream, I couldn't even insult them in a way that I they would grasp. Well I could, but looking at them again I was kind of glad they hadn't understood.
"Spot, Jack what's with the girl?" I heard voice break in. He was definitely of Italian origin, I thought eyeing him. He eyed me back as if he were afraid I might bite.
"It's okay I've had my rabies shots." I told him. That earned me more looks and I bit my lip to keep from saying anything else. Had he had said Spot? I thought. That's Blue-eye's name? Spot? See Spot run. It was too much I started laughing, but stopped when I saw they were staring at me again. I was striking out at every turn, I would be lucky if they didn't have me carted off.
"It's okay Race, she may be a little crazy, but I'm pretty sure she ain't gonna hurt no one." Spot told him. Race? The Italian kid's name was Race, what had their parents been on when they named them? Not that I really should be talking, even for my time Briar was not a common name, but in an era of Johns, Pauls, and Jims these kids names were really odd.
"What makes you say that?" I asked, and then rushed on realizing how that sounded, "I'm not going to hurt anyone, I was just wondering what made you so sure."
"I ain't sure, but I'm bettin on it." Spot told me, "Ya just don't have that look in ya eyes an I don't get that feelin."
"Some people don't give you that feeling until they murder you in your sleep." I replied, looking at each of their faces I knew that they were pretty sure I was harmless despite my arguments. I just couldn't resist playing devils advocate. It was a trait that often annoyed my friend, but I couldn't help it there was nothing I enjoyed more than good debate.
"True, but we grew up on the streets, we're probably more used lookin out for those people than you." Race said and I had to admit he had a point. I knew I would never be able to fool them into thinking I had grown up on the streets, suburbia just hadn't prepared me for it. I found I liked the wry tone he had, he just chewed on the end of his stoogie as he looked me up and down. I knew I was being sized up and measured. I also knew this kid wouldn't be far off from what kind of person I was. Despite his baby face he had that old look in his eyes of a kid that has had to grow up too quickly. "From hearin ya talk I know ya ain't grown up on the street."
"Thought you didn't remember where ya came from." Jack broke in, returning to the previous subject. He crossed his arms and leaning against the bunk across from mine.
"Damn." I muttered "I meant I don't know how to get back to where I come from."
That was the truth, I didn't know how I had gotten there let alone how I was going to get back.
"So whatta we supposed to do with you?" Spot asked looking at me as if I should know the answer to his question.
"Hell if I know." The words came out before I could stop them. I mentally kicked myself again. Woman don't talk like that, I usually didn't talk like that, but cut me some slack. I had woken up in 1899, why couldn't have been the Renaissance I mentally whined. Probably because instead of looking at you oddly, they would have burned you at the stake I reminded myself. They were really good at burning people if they got spooked and the average Elizabethan spooked easy.
Of course unless I didn't remember my history very well, I didn't want them to take me to the loony bin either. They were horrible places where the mentally ill were not cared for and experiments were done on them. I shivered, well I was going to have to draw on all my acting skills, play on their sympathy, and hope for the best. With that plan of action I spoke
"Look I don't know how I ended up in the street, I don't know why I am here, but I am." I said softly looking up with those soft sad eyes that got usually got me a free lunch from an unsuspecting guy.
"Ya gotta do better than that kid." Jack told me smiling. I flounced back, what had happened, the eyes never failed. "Ya gotta family?"
I shook my head.
"Ya gotta a home?" again I shook my head. Not anymore, I thought about my apartment with its cozy little breakfast nook and the furniture I had saved and bought piece by piece. I wanted to be home, in my own bed, in my own home, in my own time and I had no way to get there.
"Ya got anyone lookin for ya?"
I felt tears gathering in my eyes. Oh yeah there were people looking for me, but they were never going to find me.
"So whatta we do with ya?" He looked appalled as if I cried he wouldn't know what to do. So looked away and tried to blink them back.
I shrugged biting my lip; I really, really wanted to repeat my earlier statement. How the hell was I supposed to know? I didn't know what I was going to do with me.
"I guess ya can come with me today." Jack sighed. " Until I know more ya ain't leavin my sight ya got that?"
I nodded and stood, they all looked down at my chest. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at them.
"And ya might wanna wear this." Jack said taking off his over shirt. Looking down I remembered for the first time that my chemise was not exactly solid. I smiled gratefully, my cheeks flaming. I thought I had lost the ability to blush long ago..
"We ain't got nothing, but men's clothes so ya gonna have to make due for today." Jack told me as he rummaged through some clothes piled on the floor next to a bunk a little ways down. He handed me a pair of pants. "Those are me good pair so ya be careful with 'em."
"Thank you," I said hugging the clothes to my chest. It was a good thing I had been tired to take off my stockings and bloomers. Looking at my feet I realized I hadn't even taken off my shoes last night. Well at least I had been covered from the waist down. "Is there someplace I can change?"
Jack pointed to a door I hadn't noticed before; I smiled and walked to it. Opening it I found it was a small room, empty except for dust. I wondered what it had been used for. Quickly I stripped off my chemise, my bloomers and my stockings glad to be rid to of them. I didn't feel any cleaner than I had when I had fallen asleep. I had been planning on taking a shower that morning, but I doubted the accommodations offered such luxuries. I could hear them talking as I changed, Spot was arguing with Jack about taking me out selling with them. I wondered what it meant, for that matter where was I going with Jack today. Jack's pants were way too big, but they were better than nothing. They bunched at my ankles like elephants extra skin, at least I had a pair of suspenders to hold them up. I stepped out of the room to find that the boys from the washroom were leaving grabbing hats and other accessories as they left. Spot it seemed had left I couldn't see him anywhere. I felt a moment of disappointment and quickly pushed the feeling way. He was a cute guy they're a dime a dozen. I admonished myself as I ran my fingers through my hair; what I wouldn't give for a brush.
"Here." I looked to my left to see a boy with handlebars for ears looking at me holding out a comb. He had such a kind look I felt bad for my thoughts.
"Thank you." I gave him one of my best smiles. Another free lunch winner, there was a crutch next to him and I knew by looking at his leg that he had to use it to walk. I struggled not to pity him, by looking at him I knew he wouldn't appreciate it. "Your name is?"
"Crutchy." He told me smiling back. He had beautiful brown eyes, not like Jack or Spot's eyes, but beautiful in the way they shined from within. I knew right away he was someone I could trust.
"Yours?" he asked cocking his head like a curious bird.
"Briar." I replied holding out my hand, he shook it, his face glowing.
"Ain't never heard that name before." He said thoughtfully as I sat down on the bunk across from him and began running the comb through the hopeless rats nest my hair had become.
"Never heard the name Crutchy before either." I replied in kind. He just laughed and nodded. He looked so happy just to have someone talk with him. From the way the boys all called to him before they left I knew that he wasn't lacking for companions. They all seemed to treat him as if he were just like them. He was just one of those rare people who liked everyone.
"Ain't my real name, but we all got's our newsie names."
"Why and what's a newsie?" I was fascinated; while I was here I figured I may as well at least learn something. It would be something to take back with me once I figured out how I had gotten there.
"Most of us is runnin from something." Crutchy confided as he awkwardly pulled himself up. I longed to help, but I knew he was too proud to let me. "We give the new boys nicknames so they don't have to use their old ones anymore. It's kinda like.well, it helps 'em fit in."
"You mean like an initiation?" I questioned.
"If that means what I said then yeah." He said looking a little confused. I just nodded unsure of how to explain it to him.
"A newsie's a guy who sells papes." Crutchy enlightened me. I nodded as I tried to process that, what the hell were papes?
"So ya ready? Jack broke in coming up looking me up and down. I had folded my pants in so that they weren't sagging round my ankles, though since I was nearly six sizes smaller than Jack they hung on me like a flour sack.
"Boots has a couple of pairs of trousers." Crutchy told Jack as he looked at me too. I didn't know who Boots was I just hoped he was smaller than Jack. Jack disappeared to the other end of the room I could only see his head above the sea of bunks. He came back a moment later with a pair of pants that were blessedly smaller. Grinning I handed the comb back to Crutchy and hurried away to change. The pants were still a little too big, but it was better than nothing. I opened the door and Jack gave me a quick once over before he started for the door. I walked after him and Crutchy fell into step beside me he held an extra hat in his hand.
"Here." He said again handing it to me smiling in an impish way. He reminded me of Jenny, he was so innocently that's the word I had been searching for. It was the perfect way to describe him. "That way they won't know ya a girl."
"Why wouldn't I want them to know I was a girl?" I asked.
"They don't like it much when women try to be men." Crutchy told me. I was having a hard time remembering that although 1899 was not lacking in technology as much as say 1598, it was socially way behind. I was going to have to learn to remember it. What if I never got home? I shoved that thought down and continued to walk with Crutchy.
"So whatta we got here Jacky-boy?" a voice asked. It sounded like it was right next to my ears. I groaned and rolled over feeling nauseous and trying to ignore huge throbbing pain that called itself my head. I wondered what was in the beer last night because I had never had a hang over this bad and I was frequent friend of Jose and Jack. My family was Italian-Irish; I was born to be able to handle my liquor.
"Morai I don't care what you do with Jacky-boy, just leave me out of it." I grumbled not even registering it hadn't been a female voice.
"Who's Morai?" The voice was amused and it was still too loud. I pulled the pillow from beneath me and put it over my head.
"Don't know, don't even know her name." Another voice answered, I recognized it from the night before. They sounded like they were standing directly over me instead of right outside my tent. I felt a hand on my shoulder trying to get me to roll over. What were they doing in my tent? I distinctly remembered falling asleep alone. Peaking one eye out from the pillow I saw a face I didn't recognize. Beautiful blue-gray eyes, dark blonde colored hair, and a mouth that screamed kiss me. I would have remembered this guy. It took a moment it to sink in that I was not on my air mattress, but a real mattress. It was hard as a rock. Squeaking I jumped trying to sit up, my head collided with the bunk that was above me, sending me right back down, cursing and clutching my head.
"Oh God, make it stop and I will never drink again, I swear." I groaned my head in my hands. My eyes were watering in pain and I brushed at them wiping the sleep out of my eyes as I did.
"Never knew a girl who drank before, 'scept those that was workin girls." I heard the first voice say. I opened my eyes to glare at the owner, he was eyeing me with an interest I didn't like. So what if he was incredibly good looking I wasn't a piece of meat.
"Hey," I snapped trying to stand up. It took me a few tries, but I finally managed it and turned my wrath back on the two boys who stared at me eyes wide. "I don't know who the hell you are or where the hell you get off, but I am not a working girl....."
I trailed off intending to say something snappy about how the last guy who had said something along those lines had ended up with his balls in his throat, but a wave of nausea hit making my hand fly to my mouth instead.
"What?" the owner of the second voice asked. Jack was what Blue eyes had called him. He was looking at me worriedly with an equally beautiful set of hazel eyes. Great two really good-looking guys and I'm about to spew all over the place I thought. I knew I had to have suddenly turned a very unbecoming shade of green.
"Do you have a bathroom I think I'm going puke." I managed fighting to keep the contents of my stomach from going all over the floor as I spoke. He looked at me as if I had grown a tail and horns.
"Puke?" Blue eyes asked in confusion.
"Throw up, upchuck, vomit." I tried giving them a look of my own. Where had they been living a cave? Luckily a light went on in their eyes when I said vomit and they quickly ushered me into a room. It was filled with other guys all in various stages of dress, all getting ready for their day it looked like. Nearly twenty- five pairs of eyes looked at me in surprise for a moment it was as if time had suddenly stopped. Just as suddenly it started again, some of the boys still just stared at me; others eyed me curiously for a moment before going back to their shaving. Some of the guys dived for the cover of wooden stalls that had been set up against the wall. I had a glimpse of more than I really wanted to see at that point, before they disappeared behind the door. One of them looked around the door of his stall and glared at Jack. From what I could see of him had my stomach had not been churning so badly, I would have been very interested in that body before he dove.
"Oh, that was an over share." I cried before slapping my hand across my mouth again. Patches gave me an odd look before looking at Jack again who just shrugged. Jack and Blue eyes each had a hold of an arm and they hustled me into one of the stalls just before I was violently sick. I don't remember having ever been that sick before and I've had some pretty nasty bouts of the flu.
"Jack ya coulda warned us." Patches said in a muffled voice and I could hear him banging around as if his arms were too long for him to be changing in the stall, which looking at the confined area I was in I was sure it was.
"I wasn't thinkin about it." Jack yelled back " I was to worried about the mess she woulda made in the bunkroom. Next time I'll let the girl go and you can clean it up Blink."
"When we ever gonna get another girl in here?" a curly headed urchin asked and I could hear the laughter in his voice. "We's lucky findin this one outsida Medda's."
I ignored the rest of the conversation and leaned weakly against the wall staring at the toilet for a minute thinking about how it had to have seen cleaner days. I should have been disgusted, but at that moment it didn't matter. I smiled at Jack who handed me a cup of water to rinse my mouth.
I had just leaned back again closing my eyes not caring about the toilet, just happy that my nausea was fading, I realized that there was something off about the boys. I looked up at them to find they were looking down at me curiously. Studying them for a moment it hit me. They were not wearing "normal" clothes; they were dressed as if they were from the turn of the century. My mind drew a blank and I swallowed fearfully. Time travel was impossible wasn't it? Well at least they looked kind, my mind raced back to last night and what had happened. Then I remembered the gypsy lady and my conversation with Morai. Morai must have set this up I burst out laughing. I had been scared for a moment, but I got it now.
"Okay Morai." I said through my laughter. She must have set up this practical joke to get me back for the fake spider I had dropped from a tree in to her corset. I had to admit this was much better than the spider. This had taken imagination, cleverness, and resourcefulness. I had to know how she did it, and she had to be hiding just around the corner waiting for my reaction so she could gloat. How had she gotten so many guys in one room for this though? And where was I? Jack and Blue Eyes looked down and me and I knew that they hadn't come from the Renaissance Festival I would have noticed them before. It wasn't that there weren't better looking guys at Faire, but both of these guys had an aura about them that demanded attention. "Funny, come out now. Where the hell did you take me and how did you get so many guys to get in on the joke?"
They kept looking at me as if I was an alien; I slowly stopped laughing and crawled out of the stall to look at the other boys who started at me too. Okay now I 'm use to people looking at me like I'm an idiot, but that many guys, it was too much I crawled back in. Blue eyes cleared his throat and I looked at him with what I was sure with eyes as large as saucers.
"Ya wanna let us in on the joke?" He asked kneeling down, he kept his distance though as if he were afraid I might suddenly attack him.
"What day is it?" I asked swallowing hard. There was this tightness in my chest it was making it hard for me to breathe. Fear was a tricky thing, I hoped I wasn't going to have a panic attack.
"Sunday." He told me slowly as if he were talking to a small child.
"No," I cried grabbing his arm my voice urgent. "What is the year?"
"1899." He said his eyes searching mine, still looking at me as if I had grown another head.
"Where am I?" I cried not liking the feeling that was welling up inside of me. "Wait, don't answer that, tell me what city and state is this?"
"New York." Spot replied. I looked at them for a moment my head was spinning, I had never passed out before, but I had come close when I had gotten my first tattoo. We found out then that my reaction to pain was to hold my breath and I remembered the feeling well.
"I think she's gonna faint." I heard the curly headed boy say as I struggled with my blacking vision. I took a few deep breaths and lay my head on the cold porcelain of the toilet ignoring the little voice in my head that told me just how dirty it was. I didn't care, I was not going to pass out. I felt someone rubbing my back and slowly I fought the feeling back down. Blue Eyes still had his hand on my back a look of worry on his face. I was surprised; he had looked so gruff before, now he had a look on his face that seemed almost soft. Almost, those piercing blue eyes still held a dangerous look about them. Once my head had cleared I stood and then I did the only thing I knew to do. I pushed past them and ran straight back into the room I had come from. The one Jack had called the bunkroom, which was aptly named since it was full of bunks. I threw myself onto the nearest bed and I pulled the blanket over my head. I closed my eyes and waited.
"Whatta ya doin?" I opened my eyes to find Jack there, one hand on the upper bunk leaning down so he was face to face with me.
"Going back to sleep." I told him firmly shutting my eyes. "I'll wake up in a moment and it will have all been a dream."
"Sweetheart, this ain't no dream." Jack replied, there was a bit of laughter in his voice. I was glad he was finding this amusing; I sure wasn't. Of course if I told him exactly what I was doing there he wouldn't have been laughing. He probably would have sat on me and told his pals to call the insane asylum.
"Shut up, you're keeping me from going to sleep." I growled. I felt strong hands close over my arms and pull me into an upright position. I cringed expecting to hit my head on the bunk above me, but I didn't my head just barely passed under it.
"Did ya escape from the crazy house?" he asked looking worriedly at me. He searched my face and I fought the urge to laugh. I had a feeling that would confirm his suspicions. "Ya not gonna kill us are ya?"
"Do you think I could?" I asked looking down at the hands that still held me knowing that he was a whole lot stronger. I struggled to mentally comprehend what had happened, to come to terms with the fact that this was not a dream that this was really happening.
"If we was sleepin ya could." Jack replied, not letting me go, but kneeling down in front of me.
"No, I did not escape from the crazy house." I replied truthfully unless you considered the Renaissance Festival a crazy house, I hadn't, but some did. I didn't say more, what could I say? Hello, I'm Briar and I actually live a little over a hundred years in the future?
"How about a name?" Blue eyes asked, I hadn't even seen him come up.
"Briar Fitzgerald." I told them looking from one to the other waiting, not knowing what else to do.
"Ya wanna tell us why we found ya in the alley next to Irving Hall?" Jack asked.
" I don't know." I replied. " I have no idea where I came from. Or what Irving Hall even is."
"She must have that thing Davy was talking about the other day." Blue eyes said to Jack "Amnea."
"Amnesia?" I asked trying not to smile. They both looked at me and I gave them a grin, trying for Jenny's approach to life. Smile and it will all be okay.
"She's smart at least." Jack said completely ignoring me. I glared, I hated being talked about as if I wasn't in the room. Enough of that B.S. I'll take this like I take everything.
"Hey, assholes, I'm right here." I snapped their heads whipped around looking at me in surprise.
Okay, I thought, Maybe that wasn't the best of ideas. You were trying for the not crazy approach, remember?
"Women don't talk like that." Blue eyes spoke with a scolding tone and I wanted to sock him. He looked like my grandmother would have if she had caught me cussing. It only fed my anger, he made me feel as if I should be ashamed.
"Where I come from, girls say a lot worse than that." I retorted. The both looked at me, then looked at my low cut chemise and smiled. "Don't even think it. What I meant is where I come from girls are allowed much more than your egotistical little brains could ever comprehend."
I knew they didn't understand half of what I had said and it took the joy out of insulting them. I wanted to scream, I couldn't even insult them in a way that I they would grasp. Well I could, but looking at them again I was kind of glad they hadn't understood.
"Spot, Jack what's with the girl?" I heard voice break in. He was definitely of Italian origin, I thought eyeing him. He eyed me back as if he were afraid I might bite.
"It's okay I've had my rabies shots." I told him. That earned me more looks and I bit my lip to keep from saying anything else. Had he had said Spot? I thought. That's Blue-eye's name? Spot? See Spot run. It was too much I started laughing, but stopped when I saw they were staring at me again. I was striking out at every turn, I would be lucky if they didn't have me carted off.
"It's okay Race, she may be a little crazy, but I'm pretty sure she ain't gonna hurt no one." Spot told him. Race? The Italian kid's name was Race, what had their parents been on when they named them? Not that I really should be talking, even for my time Briar was not a common name, but in an era of Johns, Pauls, and Jims these kids names were really odd.
"What makes you say that?" I asked, and then rushed on realizing how that sounded, "I'm not going to hurt anyone, I was just wondering what made you so sure."
"I ain't sure, but I'm bettin on it." Spot told me, "Ya just don't have that look in ya eyes an I don't get that feelin."
"Some people don't give you that feeling until they murder you in your sleep." I replied, looking at each of their faces I knew that they were pretty sure I was harmless despite my arguments. I just couldn't resist playing devils advocate. It was a trait that often annoyed my friend, but I couldn't help it there was nothing I enjoyed more than good debate.
"True, but we grew up on the streets, we're probably more used lookin out for those people than you." Race said and I had to admit he had a point. I knew I would never be able to fool them into thinking I had grown up on the streets, suburbia just hadn't prepared me for it. I found I liked the wry tone he had, he just chewed on the end of his stoogie as he looked me up and down. I knew I was being sized up and measured. I also knew this kid wouldn't be far off from what kind of person I was. Despite his baby face he had that old look in his eyes of a kid that has had to grow up too quickly. "From hearin ya talk I know ya ain't grown up on the street."
"Thought you didn't remember where ya came from." Jack broke in, returning to the previous subject. He crossed his arms and leaning against the bunk across from mine.
"Damn." I muttered "I meant I don't know how to get back to where I come from."
That was the truth, I didn't know how I had gotten there let alone how I was going to get back.
"So whatta we supposed to do with you?" Spot asked looking at me as if I should know the answer to his question.
"Hell if I know." The words came out before I could stop them. I mentally kicked myself again. Woman don't talk like that, I usually didn't talk like that, but cut me some slack. I had woken up in 1899, why couldn't have been the Renaissance I mentally whined. Probably because instead of looking at you oddly, they would have burned you at the stake I reminded myself. They were really good at burning people if they got spooked and the average Elizabethan spooked easy.
Of course unless I didn't remember my history very well, I didn't want them to take me to the loony bin either. They were horrible places where the mentally ill were not cared for and experiments were done on them. I shivered, well I was going to have to draw on all my acting skills, play on their sympathy, and hope for the best. With that plan of action I spoke
"Look I don't know how I ended up in the street, I don't know why I am here, but I am." I said softly looking up with those soft sad eyes that got usually got me a free lunch from an unsuspecting guy.
"Ya gotta do better than that kid." Jack told me smiling. I flounced back, what had happened, the eyes never failed. "Ya gotta family?"
I shook my head.
"Ya gotta a home?" again I shook my head. Not anymore, I thought about my apartment with its cozy little breakfast nook and the furniture I had saved and bought piece by piece. I wanted to be home, in my own bed, in my own home, in my own time and I had no way to get there.
"Ya got anyone lookin for ya?"
I felt tears gathering in my eyes. Oh yeah there were people looking for me, but they were never going to find me.
"So whatta we do with ya?" He looked appalled as if I cried he wouldn't know what to do. So looked away and tried to blink them back.
I shrugged biting my lip; I really, really wanted to repeat my earlier statement. How the hell was I supposed to know? I didn't know what I was going to do with me.
"I guess ya can come with me today." Jack sighed. " Until I know more ya ain't leavin my sight ya got that?"
I nodded and stood, they all looked down at my chest. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at them.
"And ya might wanna wear this." Jack said taking off his over shirt. Looking down I remembered for the first time that my chemise was not exactly solid. I smiled gratefully, my cheeks flaming. I thought I had lost the ability to blush long ago..
"We ain't got nothing, but men's clothes so ya gonna have to make due for today." Jack told me as he rummaged through some clothes piled on the floor next to a bunk a little ways down. He handed me a pair of pants. "Those are me good pair so ya be careful with 'em."
"Thank you," I said hugging the clothes to my chest. It was a good thing I had been tired to take off my stockings and bloomers. Looking at my feet I realized I hadn't even taken off my shoes last night. Well at least I had been covered from the waist down. "Is there someplace I can change?"
Jack pointed to a door I hadn't noticed before; I smiled and walked to it. Opening it I found it was a small room, empty except for dust. I wondered what it had been used for. Quickly I stripped off my chemise, my bloomers and my stockings glad to be rid to of them. I didn't feel any cleaner than I had when I had fallen asleep. I had been planning on taking a shower that morning, but I doubted the accommodations offered such luxuries. I could hear them talking as I changed, Spot was arguing with Jack about taking me out selling with them. I wondered what it meant, for that matter where was I going with Jack today. Jack's pants were way too big, but they were better than nothing. They bunched at my ankles like elephants extra skin, at least I had a pair of suspenders to hold them up. I stepped out of the room to find that the boys from the washroom were leaving grabbing hats and other accessories as they left. Spot it seemed had left I couldn't see him anywhere. I felt a moment of disappointment and quickly pushed the feeling way. He was a cute guy they're a dime a dozen. I admonished myself as I ran my fingers through my hair; what I wouldn't give for a brush.
"Here." I looked to my left to see a boy with handlebars for ears looking at me holding out a comb. He had such a kind look I felt bad for my thoughts.
"Thank you." I gave him one of my best smiles. Another free lunch winner, there was a crutch next to him and I knew by looking at his leg that he had to use it to walk. I struggled not to pity him, by looking at him I knew he wouldn't appreciate it. "Your name is?"
"Crutchy." He told me smiling back. He had beautiful brown eyes, not like Jack or Spot's eyes, but beautiful in the way they shined from within. I knew right away he was someone I could trust.
"Yours?" he asked cocking his head like a curious bird.
"Briar." I replied holding out my hand, he shook it, his face glowing.
"Ain't never heard that name before." He said thoughtfully as I sat down on the bunk across from him and began running the comb through the hopeless rats nest my hair had become.
"Never heard the name Crutchy before either." I replied in kind. He just laughed and nodded. He looked so happy just to have someone talk with him. From the way the boys all called to him before they left I knew that he wasn't lacking for companions. They all seemed to treat him as if he were just like them. He was just one of those rare people who liked everyone.
"Ain't my real name, but we all got's our newsie names."
"Why and what's a newsie?" I was fascinated; while I was here I figured I may as well at least learn something. It would be something to take back with me once I figured out how I had gotten there.
"Most of us is runnin from something." Crutchy confided as he awkwardly pulled himself up. I longed to help, but I knew he was too proud to let me. "We give the new boys nicknames so they don't have to use their old ones anymore. It's kinda like.well, it helps 'em fit in."
"You mean like an initiation?" I questioned.
"If that means what I said then yeah." He said looking a little confused. I just nodded unsure of how to explain it to him.
"A newsie's a guy who sells papes." Crutchy enlightened me. I nodded as I tried to process that, what the hell were papes?
"So ya ready? Jack broke in coming up looking me up and down. I had folded my pants in so that they weren't sagging round my ankles, though since I was nearly six sizes smaller than Jack they hung on me like a flour sack.
"Boots has a couple of pairs of trousers." Crutchy told Jack as he looked at me too. I didn't know who Boots was I just hoped he was smaller than Jack. Jack disappeared to the other end of the room I could only see his head above the sea of bunks. He came back a moment later with a pair of pants that were blessedly smaller. Grinning I handed the comb back to Crutchy and hurried away to change. The pants were still a little too big, but it was better than nothing. I opened the door and Jack gave me a quick once over before he started for the door. I walked after him and Crutchy fell into step beside me he held an extra hat in his hand.
"Here." He said again handing it to me smiling in an impish way. He reminded me of Jenny, he was so innocently that's the word I had been searching for. It was the perfect way to describe him. "That way they won't know ya a girl."
"Why wouldn't I want them to know I was a girl?" I asked.
"They don't like it much when women try to be men." Crutchy told me. I was having a hard time remembering that although 1899 was not lacking in technology as much as say 1598, it was socially way behind. I was going to have to learn to remember it. What if I never got home? I shoved that thought down and continued to walk with Crutchy.