"Father, when can we go to the park?" Gabi asked. "I've been in this house for
most of the week." The only times Gabi was allowed out was under the careful
watch of Christopher Fox. Still, Gabi felt awkward around him, and still sensed
he was hiding something, but her father seemed to really like Christopher, and
for that reason alone Gabi continued to see him. The other night Gabi had
overheard her parents discussing her relationship with Christopher and how
Christopher's father had talked to Dietrich at work. Christopher was ready to
take a wife and Gabi was the girl he kept talking about. Gabi didn't think
anything of this, for surely her parents would let her decide if Christopher was
worthy enough for marriage, though part of her feared that her father didn't
know the full capability of Christopher and his family.
"Today Gabrielle," Dietrich smiled. "We're all going out this afternoon."
"Oh! Thank-you!" Gabi cried and leapt off the couch, embracing her father in a tight hug. She ran towards her room to prepare for their outing, leaving her father behind to chuckle and shake his head in amusement.
"New union formed! Workers plannin' on goin' on strike!" hawked a Newsboy down by the corner.
Gabi opened her window and smiled as the warm breeze kissed her face. She watched the Newsboy closely. Wonder what a day for him is like. No parents to tell him what to do, or all these rules to follow.
She watched the boy until he disappeared around the corner. Sighing, Gabi walked over to her bed and fetched one of the newest books she had been reading. In it, the gentleman wrote about these Newsboys, and described how they lived at a lodging house, were responsible for themselves and the well-being of their friends. To have friends like that seems impossible - always looking out for each other. It's too good to be true. Though Gabrielle was very thankful for her current life, and loved her family dearly, she yearned to be free of this sort of life.
"You and those windows," Viktor muttered from the doorway.
Gabrielle closed the window and turned to him. "What about me and those windows?" she asked.
"You've always got your head stuck out of one of them," Viktor observed.
"Viktor! Gabrielle!" their father called from downstairs.
"So?" Gabi shrugged and walked past him. "Come on, we're leaving."
Rolling his eyes, Viktor followed on the heels of his sister, eager to annoy her as much as possible on this trip.
Once outside, Kayla found it quite difficult to keep tabs on her children. Viktor would be fascinated by one thing, while Gabrielle marveled over something else.
"Children, come on!" Kayla pleaded.
Dietrich laughed. "Let them look around. It's their first trip outside of the house. It's to be expected."
"I just don't want them getting lost. This city is so big," Kayla sighed.
"We won't lose them," he assured his wife. "Viktor! Gabrielle!" he called.
The two ran towards their father's voice.
"Where's the park?" Gabi asked.
"Only a few more blocks. Come now, or we won't make it back before dark." Dietrich held out his hands and the two each took one. "Hurry along."
Gabi's eyes grew wide at all the sights to see. Soon her eyes fell upon the figure of a Newsboy in the distance. He wasn't selling papers, but instead he seemed to be fencing with some sort of walking stick. The nearest lamppost was getting beaten by this newsboy, who Gabi thought had pretty good moves for someone who probably never had the chance to take real fencing lessons. Paying no attention to where she was going, a gentleman walking the other way rammed into Gabi, causing her to lose her father's grip and for the necklace that fell delicately from her neck to be ripped from its chain.
The crowd was so heavy at that time of day that while her family was pushed in one direction, Gabi was pushed in the exact opposite.
Her mother, father, and brother pushed themselves out of the crowd and headed for a stoop to overlook where they had last seen Gabrielle.
"Father! Viktor! Wait!" she cried, but she couldn't see them any longer. She bent over, desperately searching for her necklace and was quite surprised when she saw it dangling in front of her face.
"Lookin' for this?" a boy grinned, his fingers holding tightly to the small trinket.
Her eyes widening, Gabi stood up and tried to snatch it out of his hands, though she wasn't quite fast enough.
"Nu uh uh," the boy shook his head. "Foist, what's the magic word?" he asked simply.
"Now," Gabi replied angrily.
"Ha! Wrong! Try again."
"Give it back you… you… boy!" Gabi yelled.
Bumlets gave her an innocent look. "Give what back? What do I have that you could possibly want?" He held up her silver locket on the broken chain and waved it back and forth.
"You know perfectly well what I want. Give me back my necklace!" The anger rising in her voice, Gabi tried to grab it back, but failed in each fleeting attempt.
"Ya couldn't possibly want anythin' from street rat like meself. I'll just be on me way." With that he pocketed her necklace and turned on his heel, quickly walking down the crowded New York street.
"Hey! Get back here with that!" Gabi called. She turned back around and frowned. Her family was no longer in view. Her parents must have been worried sick, but she knew the way back to her home, well she knew the address of her house. Surely a native New Yorker would give her directions. She whipped around and ran after the Newsie that had stolen her necklace.
"Gabrielle! Gabi! Where are you?!" her parents called out, unsuccessfully.
"Dietrich, where did she go?" Kayla asked, her voice filled with worry.
"Don't worry, she must be right around here. We didn't get separated by all that much. She must be in the crowd still."
Bumlets started skipping towards the corner with a wide grin spread across his face. Teasing this girl was much more fun than he had expected. He spotted a park just across the street and skipped towards it.
"You deaf?! Give it back!" Gabi screamed and scampered after him.
"Ha! Come and get it!" Bumlets ran into the park, darting through the trees like he had done so many times in the past. This was his beloved park. He knew it better than any of the newsies, and frequented it more than the rest as well.
"UGH!" Gabi was not going to give up. I'll show him. Gabrielle loved running. She could do it all day if she wished to. Running through the trees, she kept an almost even pace with him, though found it hard to catch up.
Bumlets could see how hard she was trying to keep up with him. Well she's got spunk, I'll give her that much. He didn't want their little game to end. Bumlets ran out from the trees and jumped up on a park bench. "Your too slow. Ya don't deserve this locket. I know someone who might like it though…" he trailed off.
"You wouldn't dare! Give it to me now!" Gabi screamed. Regaining her breath quickly, she ran towards the bench, but just as she reached it, Bumlets hopped down the other side. He failed to notice a slight dip in the grass, and as he landed, his foot slipped out from under him, sending him tumbling towards the ground.
Gabi saw her chance. Without hesitating she raced towards him and grabbed his arms as she kneeled besides the fallen figure. "Hand it over!"
"Woah! Take it easy!" Bumlets retorted. He was amazed to see this girl jump at him. Usually girls dressed like her would call the bulls and have them take care of the matter.
"Now!" she yelled and struggled to hold his arms. As she slowly lost the fight, she took things a step further and used her body weight to try and pin him down.
Bumlets wriggled one arm from her tight grasp and rolled over on top of her. "I don't take no orders from a prissy girl like yourself," he smirked. "Besides, ya ain't in no position to give orders."
"Oh?" Gabi questioned. She swiftly kneed him and while he agonized over the pain, she rolled over on top of him again. "I believe I am. Now give it back."
"Feisty, ain't we?" Bumlets grimaced. While he watched her grin over her small victory, Bumlets took the opportunity to even the score. Gripping her arms, he used his arms to push her to the ground, sending him back over her. "Like I said before, ya don't deserve this locket."
"Damn you!" Gabi cried.
The two wrestled back and forth for quite some time until finally neither of them had the energy to move. Both lay sprawled on the grass of the park, unable to get up.
"Give… it… back…" Gabi whispered, her chest heaved up and down, desperate for air.
"I… will… do… no such thing," Bumlets retorted, his own chest anxious for the ability to breathe normally again.
"Hmph!" Gabi huffed and aimed her fist for his arm, but missed and hit the ground.
Bumlets laughed. "Do ya ever give up?" He sat up slowly and shook his head.
"No. Do you ever stop being so annoying?" she retorted. "Or is it a permanent trait that people have to deal with on a regular basis?" Rolling her eyes, Gabi sat up as well. Her legs ached from all of the running she had just done. Since the move to Manhattan she hadn't had a chance to run at all. Her muscles were making her painfully aware that stretching would have been a good idea before she darted after this boy.
Bumlets used his arms to help propel himself from the ground. "I think it's a good trait the have," he grinned, not at all affected by her comment.
"Perhaps no one ever informed you that you are very wrong," Gabi snapped. She tried to move her legs, but they tensed up, sending her into incredible pain. "Shit," she muttered under her breath. She didn't want this boy to see her struggling. How would she ever get her necklace back if she couldn't even get up? Hiding her face as she winced, Gabi started stretching out her legs, hoping the muscles would soon be relieved of their tension.
"Ya alright Miss Priss?" Bumlets asked, unable to hide the slight concern in his voice.
"Fine! Now give it back or I'll have to…" She searched for anything in her power to do to the boy, besides call the cops. "Hurt you!" Gabi finally belted out. The pain in her legs was more prevalent than before. Both were cramping up at a rapid pace.
"Looks like your the one that's hurt." Shaking his head, Bumlets moved towards the injured girl. "Your all cramped up, aint' ya?"
"What do you care? Ya stole me necklace. What makes me think ya won't steal something else if I let ya get close enough. Just go away." Quickly Gabi rubbed her hands up and down her legs, frantically trying to relax her muscles. She wanted to cry. The chain of her necklace was broken. A boy she didn't even know had taken it from her, and she left her family behind somewhere on the street. But ya can't show that you're weak. He'll just take something else, or laugh at ya. She fought back the tears, rubbing her legs harder.
"That ain't gonna help. Here, lemme try." Bumlets slowly eased his hands over her leg. He watched for her reaction, and when she made no effort to protest, Bumlets continued his massage. As he felt the muscles relax, a small smile appeared across his face. "There, see. All better?" he asked.
"Yeah, great," Gabi responded. She started to get up. "Ow," she sighed. Her legs were quite weak after they had cramped up. "Please give me back the locket. It's getting late. I have to go."
"Miss Priss has to get back home to her parents? Aw, too bad. Well if ya can grab it, ya can have it," he smirked and held it up high out of her reach.
Gabrielle limped towards him. "Fine," she muttered in disgust. She made a move to jump, but it wasn't high enough. As her feet returned to the ground, her legs gave out, sending her to the ground. Her head had hit the ground hard. Gabi tried to focus on her surroundings, but everything was a huge blur.
"Shit, girl. Ya okay?" Bumlets asked and knelt beside her. He hadn't meant for this to happen.
"Yeah, just great," she muttered, unsure of her surroundings. Instead of one annoying newsboy she saw three. "Please just give it back so I can go home."
Bumlets could tell she wasn't alright. Instead of looking directly at him, she seemed to be focusing on something next to him, when there was nothing beside him at all. "Ya sure your alright?"
"What's with all the questions?!" Gabi snapped. Slowly she pulled herself off the ground, but in the midst of being dizzy, she faltered to stay upright.
"Liah," Bumlets stated. "Ya ain't okay. Come on." He gently took her arm, but she pulled away from him quickly.
"Don't even touch me," she warned.
Bumlets laughed. "Or what? Ya can hardly see straight, and ya think I'm scared of a priss like you? You probably don't even know how to get back to your home from here."
Gabi knew Bumlets was right and tried not to show that she was a little frightened of this situation now. She didn't have any idea how to get home from this park, and not only were her clothes covered in soot, but she stubbornly refused to go home without her necklace. "Give it back!"
"Nope." Bumlets could see that she really didn't know how to get home. "Well, gotta go," he said plainly and started walking, knowing she would follow.
"My necklace!" Gabi cried and fumbled after him.
Bumlets walked the entire way back to the lodging house with Gabi right on his heels. There were a few times where he wanted to just clobber her, for she would push him from behind and trip him, yet still she wouldn't call the cops, and that intrigued him.
Once the lodging house was in sight, Bumlets picked up his pace. He was annoyingly aware that Gabi had also picked up hers, citing that she would cause him lots of pain if the necklace was not returned soon. He didn't think about what would happen once he entered the lodging house until it was too late and Gabi followed him right inside.
"Mayhem, are ya cheatin' or somethin'? It's impossible to win that many hands 'a pokah!" Race frowned. He had been losing to Mayhem all night, as had the rest of their poker group, which included Slinks, Specs, Dublina, Brooky, and Shamrock.
"Shut it Race. Quit your whinin'. It just ain't your day," Mayhem grinned and collected her winnings, stuffing them in her pocket. "I ain't playin' with such a sore loser no more."
"Aw May, come on," Race pouted. He slid his arms around her and gazed into her green eyes. "I'll make it up to ya latah if ya play one more hand with me." He buried his face in her neck, trailing a soft line of kisses down it.
"You would resort to such low measures the get me to play ya know," Mayhem sighed, very aware that she was about to give in to his touch.
Racetrack pulled back and ran a hand through her hair. "I know," he grinned. "So is that a yes?"
"Aww, would ya look at dose two," Slinks whispered to Specs.
Specs slid his arm around Slinks' shoulder. "I'd rathah look at you," he smiled and kissed her cheek.
Shamrock nudged her best friend in the side. "Specs, where do ya come up with dese lines?" she teased.
"It ain't a line, it's da truth!" Specs protested. He pulled Slinks closer.
Shamrock laughed. "If you say so." She shook her head.
Dublina and Brooky looked at each other and started coughing, hoping to hurry up the start of this next round of poker.
"You better pay me back fer dis. And it better be worth me time," Mayhem added quickly. She glared at Dublina and Brooky who were smirking at her.
"Anytime today loveboids," Shamrock announced hastily.
"Alright already." Race quickly shuffled the cards and dealt them out to the table.
Bumlets made for the stairs, thinking this would be the point where the girl would threaten to call the police, and he would hand over the necklace and be done with her. However he was mistaken, as silently she climbed the stairs behind him.
"Bumlets, who the heck is that?" a girl with long, curly brown hair and brown eyes asked from the stairwell.
"It's uh…" Bumlets faltered, not entirely sure how to answer her.
"Your name is Bumlets?" Gabi asked and laughed. "How fitting!"
"Who is that?" Itey asked rather loudly as he bounded down the steps laughing. He had just had a playful fight with Boots up in the bunkroom and hadn't quite calmed down yet.
Goosey turned to Itey and shrugged.
"What the hell? Bumlets, who is that?" Mayhem asked, annoyed that her winning streak had been interrupted by some strange girl following Bumlets.
Bumlets frowned at Itey. "Good goin'," he muttered, having not wanted to come home to an interrogation.
Itey sighed. "Sorry." He slung an arm around Goosey and pouted. "I didn't mean to."
Smiling, Goosey kissed his cheek. "It's alright. I still love ya."
Bumlets started up the stairs, past Itey and Goosey who were too entranced with each other to notice him further. "No one," he called to Mayhem.
"Well 'no one' looks like a girl the me," Mayhem retorted.
"Four of a kind! I win!" Race shouted and jumped up, sending his chair crashing to the ground.
Mayhem rolled her eyes. "Not the mention sore winnah." She shook her head, as did the rest of the newsies gathered around the table. They all proceeded to get up, leaving Race at the table hugging his winnings.
"Bumlets! Who is that?!" Mayhem called up the stairs.
Annoyed that this girl kept demanding to know who she was, Gabi turned around and crossed her arms. "Gabrielle Adler. What's it to ya?" she asked, leaving her educated manner out on the street.
The lodging house quickly grew silent. Everyone knew it was a bad idea to mess with Mayhem, that was, except this girl. Slowly Mayhem started up the stairs. "Well Gabrielle Adler, I'm Mayhem Powell, and before ya get your heart set on following Bums any further, let's go over a few things. One of those bein' respect fer someone who can pound your little face in."
Glaring Gabi walked down a few steps to look Mayhem in the eyes. "You think I'm scared of some little Newsie living here?"
Anticipating trouble, Bumlets walked back towards Gabi, knowing this would break out in a fight if Gabrielle didn't shut up soon.
She shook her head. "Look Powell, you don't fool me with your little attitude problem, and I'm far from scared of the likes of you."
Not wasting a second, Mayhem popped her in the nose with one swift punch. Gabi fell backwards into Bumlets' arms and grabbed her nose in anguish.
"Not scared huh?" Mayhem walked up the stairs, not caring to give the newsies' shocked looks a second thought.
"Today Gabrielle," Dietrich smiled. "We're all going out this afternoon."
"Oh! Thank-you!" Gabi cried and leapt off the couch, embracing her father in a tight hug. She ran towards her room to prepare for their outing, leaving her father behind to chuckle and shake his head in amusement.
"New union formed! Workers plannin' on goin' on strike!" hawked a Newsboy down by the corner.
Gabi opened her window and smiled as the warm breeze kissed her face. She watched the Newsboy closely. Wonder what a day for him is like. No parents to tell him what to do, or all these rules to follow.
She watched the boy until he disappeared around the corner. Sighing, Gabi walked over to her bed and fetched one of the newest books she had been reading. In it, the gentleman wrote about these Newsboys, and described how they lived at a lodging house, were responsible for themselves and the well-being of their friends. To have friends like that seems impossible - always looking out for each other. It's too good to be true. Though Gabrielle was very thankful for her current life, and loved her family dearly, she yearned to be free of this sort of life.
"You and those windows," Viktor muttered from the doorway.
Gabrielle closed the window and turned to him. "What about me and those windows?" she asked.
"You've always got your head stuck out of one of them," Viktor observed.
"Viktor! Gabrielle!" their father called from downstairs.
"So?" Gabi shrugged and walked past him. "Come on, we're leaving."
Rolling his eyes, Viktor followed on the heels of his sister, eager to annoy her as much as possible on this trip.
Once outside, Kayla found it quite difficult to keep tabs on her children. Viktor would be fascinated by one thing, while Gabrielle marveled over something else.
"Children, come on!" Kayla pleaded.
Dietrich laughed. "Let them look around. It's their first trip outside of the house. It's to be expected."
"I just don't want them getting lost. This city is so big," Kayla sighed.
"We won't lose them," he assured his wife. "Viktor! Gabrielle!" he called.
The two ran towards their father's voice.
"Where's the park?" Gabi asked.
"Only a few more blocks. Come now, or we won't make it back before dark." Dietrich held out his hands and the two each took one. "Hurry along."
Gabi's eyes grew wide at all the sights to see. Soon her eyes fell upon the figure of a Newsboy in the distance. He wasn't selling papers, but instead he seemed to be fencing with some sort of walking stick. The nearest lamppost was getting beaten by this newsboy, who Gabi thought had pretty good moves for someone who probably never had the chance to take real fencing lessons. Paying no attention to where she was going, a gentleman walking the other way rammed into Gabi, causing her to lose her father's grip and for the necklace that fell delicately from her neck to be ripped from its chain.
The crowd was so heavy at that time of day that while her family was pushed in one direction, Gabi was pushed in the exact opposite.
Her mother, father, and brother pushed themselves out of the crowd and headed for a stoop to overlook where they had last seen Gabrielle.
"Father! Viktor! Wait!" she cried, but she couldn't see them any longer. She bent over, desperately searching for her necklace and was quite surprised when she saw it dangling in front of her face.
"Lookin' for this?" a boy grinned, his fingers holding tightly to the small trinket.
Her eyes widening, Gabi stood up and tried to snatch it out of his hands, though she wasn't quite fast enough.
"Nu uh uh," the boy shook his head. "Foist, what's the magic word?" he asked simply.
"Now," Gabi replied angrily.
"Ha! Wrong! Try again."
"Give it back you… you… boy!" Gabi yelled.
Bumlets gave her an innocent look. "Give what back? What do I have that you could possibly want?" He held up her silver locket on the broken chain and waved it back and forth.
"You know perfectly well what I want. Give me back my necklace!" The anger rising in her voice, Gabi tried to grab it back, but failed in each fleeting attempt.
"Ya couldn't possibly want anythin' from street rat like meself. I'll just be on me way." With that he pocketed her necklace and turned on his heel, quickly walking down the crowded New York street.
"Hey! Get back here with that!" Gabi called. She turned back around and frowned. Her family was no longer in view. Her parents must have been worried sick, but she knew the way back to her home, well she knew the address of her house. Surely a native New Yorker would give her directions. She whipped around and ran after the Newsie that had stolen her necklace.
"Gabrielle! Gabi! Where are you?!" her parents called out, unsuccessfully.
"Dietrich, where did she go?" Kayla asked, her voice filled with worry.
"Don't worry, she must be right around here. We didn't get separated by all that much. She must be in the crowd still."
Bumlets started skipping towards the corner with a wide grin spread across his face. Teasing this girl was much more fun than he had expected. He spotted a park just across the street and skipped towards it.
"You deaf?! Give it back!" Gabi screamed and scampered after him.
"Ha! Come and get it!" Bumlets ran into the park, darting through the trees like he had done so many times in the past. This was his beloved park. He knew it better than any of the newsies, and frequented it more than the rest as well.
"UGH!" Gabi was not going to give up. I'll show him. Gabrielle loved running. She could do it all day if she wished to. Running through the trees, she kept an almost even pace with him, though found it hard to catch up.
Bumlets could see how hard she was trying to keep up with him. Well she's got spunk, I'll give her that much. He didn't want their little game to end. Bumlets ran out from the trees and jumped up on a park bench. "Your too slow. Ya don't deserve this locket. I know someone who might like it though…" he trailed off.
"You wouldn't dare! Give it to me now!" Gabi screamed. Regaining her breath quickly, she ran towards the bench, but just as she reached it, Bumlets hopped down the other side. He failed to notice a slight dip in the grass, and as he landed, his foot slipped out from under him, sending him tumbling towards the ground.
Gabi saw her chance. Without hesitating she raced towards him and grabbed his arms as she kneeled besides the fallen figure. "Hand it over!"
"Woah! Take it easy!" Bumlets retorted. He was amazed to see this girl jump at him. Usually girls dressed like her would call the bulls and have them take care of the matter.
"Now!" she yelled and struggled to hold his arms. As she slowly lost the fight, she took things a step further and used her body weight to try and pin him down.
Bumlets wriggled one arm from her tight grasp and rolled over on top of her. "I don't take no orders from a prissy girl like yourself," he smirked. "Besides, ya ain't in no position to give orders."
"Oh?" Gabi questioned. She swiftly kneed him and while he agonized over the pain, she rolled over on top of him again. "I believe I am. Now give it back."
"Feisty, ain't we?" Bumlets grimaced. While he watched her grin over her small victory, Bumlets took the opportunity to even the score. Gripping her arms, he used his arms to push her to the ground, sending him back over her. "Like I said before, ya don't deserve this locket."
"Damn you!" Gabi cried.
The two wrestled back and forth for quite some time until finally neither of them had the energy to move. Both lay sprawled on the grass of the park, unable to get up.
"Give… it… back…" Gabi whispered, her chest heaved up and down, desperate for air.
"I… will… do… no such thing," Bumlets retorted, his own chest anxious for the ability to breathe normally again.
"Hmph!" Gabi huffed and aimed her fist for his arm, but missed and hit the ground.
Bumlets laughed. "Do ya ever give up?" He sat up slowly and shook his head.
"No. Do you ever stop being so annoying?" she retorted. "Or is it a permanent trait that people have to deal with on a regular basis?" Rolling her eyes, Gabi sat up as well. Her legs ached from all of the running she had just done. Since the move to Manhattan she hadn't had a chance to run at all. Her muscles were making her painfully aware that stretching would have been a good idea before she darted after this boy.
Bumlets used his arms to help propel himself from the ground. "I think it's a good trait the have," he grinned, not at all affected by her comment.
"Perhaps no one ever informed you that you are very wrong," Gabi snapped. She tried to move her legs, but they tensed up, sending her into incredible pain. "Shit," she muttered under her breath. She didn't want this boy to see her struggling. How would she ever get her necklace back if she couldn't even get up? Hiding her face as she winced, Gabi started stretching out her legs, hoping the muscles would soon be relieved of their tension.
"Ya alright Miss Priss?" Bumlets asked, unable to hide the slight concern in his voice.
"Fine! Now give it back or I'll have to…" She searched for anything in her power to do to the boy, besides call the cops. "Hurt you!" Gabi finally belted out. The pain in her legs was more prevalent than before. Both were cramping up at a rapid pace.
"Looks like your the one that's hurt." Shaking his head, Bumlets moved towards the injured girl. "Your all cramped up, aint' ya?"
"What do you care? Ya stole me necklace. What makes me think ya won't steal something else if I let ya get close enough. Just go away." Quickly Gabi rubbed her hands up and down her legs, frantically trying to relax her muscles. She wanted to cry. The chain of her necklace was broken. A boy she didn't even know had taken it from her, and she left her family behind somewhere on the street. But ya can't show that you're weak. He'll just take something else, or laugh at ya. She fought back the tears, rubbing her legs harder.
"That ain't gonna help. Here, lemme try." Bumlets slowly eased his hands over her leg. He watched for her reaction, and when she made no effort to protest, Bumlets continued his massage. As he felt the muscles relax, a small smile appeared across his face. "There, see. All better?" he asked.
"Yeah, great," Gabi responded. She started to get up. "Ow," she sighed. Her legs were quite weak after they had cramped up. "Please give me back the locket. It's getting late. I have to go."
"Miss Priss has to get back home to her parents? Aw, too bad. Well if ya can grab it, ya can have it," he smirked and held it up high out of her reach.
Gabrielle limped towards him. "Fine," she muttered in disgust. She made a move to jump, but it wasn't high enough. As her feet returned to the ground, her legs gave out, sending her to the ground. Her head had hit the ground hard. Gabi tried to focus on her surroundings, but everything was a huge blur.
"Shit, girl. Ya okay?" Bumlets asked and knelt beside her. He hadn't meant for this to happen.
"Yeah, just great," she muttered, unsure of her surroundings. Instead of one annoying newsboy she saw three. "Please just give it back so I can go home."
Bumlets could tell she wasn't alright. Instead of looking directly at him, she seemed to be focusing on something next to him, when there was nothing beside him at all. "Ya sure your alright?"
"What's with all the questions?!" Gabi snapped. Slowly she pulled herself off the ground, but in the midst of being dizzy, she faltered to stay upright.
"Liah," Bumlets stated. "Ya ain't okay. Come on." He gently took her arm, but she pulled away from him quickly.
"Don't even touch me," she warned.
Bumlets laughed. "Or what? Ya can hardly see straight, and ya think I'm scared of a priss like you? You probably don't even know how to get back to your home from here."
Gabi knew Bumlets was right and tried not to show that she was a little frightened of this situation now. She didn't have any idea how to get home from this park, and not only were her clothes covered in soot, but she stubbornly refused to go home without her necklace. "Give it back!"
"Nope." Bumlets could see that she really didn't know how to get home. "Well, gotta go," he said plainly and started walking, knowing she would follow.
"My necklace!" Gabi cried and fumbled after him.
Bumlets walked the entire way back to the lodging house with Gabi right on his heels. There were a few times where he wanted to just clobber her, for she would push him from behind and trip him, yet still she wouldn't call the cops, and that intrigued him.
Once the lodging house was in sight, Bumlets picked up his pace. He was annoyingly aware that Gabi had also picked up hers, citing that she would cause him lots of pain if the necklace was not returned soon. He didn't think about what would happen once he entered the lodging house until it was too late and Gabi followed him right inside.
"Mayhem, are ya cheatin' or somethin'? It's impossible to win that many hands 'a pokah!" Race frowned. He had been losing to Mayhem all night, as had the rest of their poker group, which included Slinks, Specs, Dublina, Brooky, and Shamrock.
"Shut it Race. Quit your whinin'. It just ain't your day," Mayhem grinned and collected her winnings, stuffing them in her pocket. "I ain't playin' with such a sore loser no more."
"Aw May, come on," Race pouted. He slid his arms around her and gazed into her green eyes. "I'll make it up to ya latah if ya play one more hand with me." He buried his face in her neck, trailing a soft line of kisses down it.
"You would resort to such low measures the get me to play ya know," Mayhem sighed, very aware that she was about to give in to his touch.
Racetrack pulled back and ran a hand through her hair. "I know," he grinned. "So is that a yes?"
"Aww, would ya look at dose two," Slinks whispered to Specs.
Specs slid his arm around Slinks' shoulder. "I'd rathah look at you," he smiled and kissed her cheek.
Shamrock nudged her best friend in the side. "Specs, where do ya come up with dese lines?" she teased.
"It ain't a line, it's da truth!" Specs protested. He pulled Slinks closer.
Shamrock laughed. "If you say so." She shook her head.
Dublina and Brooky looked at each other and started coughing, hoping to hurry up the start of this next round of poker.
"You better pay me back fer dis. And it better be worth me time," Mayhem added quickly. She glared at Dublina and Brooky who were smirking at her.
"Anytime today loveboids," Shamrock announced hastily.
"Alright already." Race quickly shuffled the cards and dealt them out to the table.
Bumlets made for the stairs, thinking this would be the point where the girl would threaten to call the police, and he would hand over the necklace and be done with her. However he was mistaken, as silently she climbed the stairs behind him.
"Bumlets, who the heck is that?" a girl with long, curly brown hair and brown eyes asked from the stairwell.
"It's uh…" Bumlets faltered, not entirely sure how to answer her.
"Your name is Bumlets?" Gabi asked and laughed. "How fitting!"
"Who is that?" Itey asked rather loudly as he bounded down the steps laughing. He had just had a playful fight with Boots up in the bunkroom and hadn't quite calmed down yet.
Goosey turned to Itey and shrugged.
"What the hell? Bumlets, who is that?" Mayhem asked, annoyed that her winning streak had been interrupted by some strange girl following Bumlets.
Bumlets frowned at Itey. "Good goin'," he muttered, having not wanted to come home to an interrogation.
Itey sighed. "Sorry." He slung an arm around Goosey and pouted. "I didn't mean to."
Smiling, Goosey kissed his cheek. "It's alright. I still love ya."
Bumlets started up the stairs, past Itey and Goosey who were too entranced with each other to notice him further. "No one," he called to Mayhem.
"Well 'no one' looks like a girl the me," Mayhem retorted.
"Four of a kind! I win!" Race shouted and jumped up, sending his chair crashing to the ground.
Mayhem rolled her eyes. "Not the mention sore winnah." She shook her head, as did the rest of the newsies gathered around the table. They all proceeded to get up, leaving Race at the table hugging his winnings.
"Bumlets! Who is that?!" Mayhem called up the stairs.
Annoyed that this girl kept demanding to know who she was, Gabi turned around and crossed her arms. "Gabrielle Adler. What's it to ya?" she asked, leaving her educated manner out on the street.
The lodging house quickly grew silent. Everyone knew it was a bad idea to mess with Mayhem, that was, except this girl. Slowly Mayhem started up the stairs. "Well Gabrielle Adler, I'm Mayhem Powell, and before ya get your heart set on following Bums any further, let's go over a few things. One of those bein' respect fer someone who can pound your little face in."
Glaring Gabi walked down a few steps to look Mayhem in the eyes. "You think I'm scared of some little Newsie living here?"
Anticipating trouble, Bumlets walked back towards Gabi, knowing this would break out in a fight if Gabrielle didn't shut up soon.
She shook her head. "Look Powell, you don't fool me with your little attitude problem, and I'm far from scared of the likes of you."
Not wasting a second, Mayhem popped her in the nose with one swift punch. Gabi fell backwards into Bumlets' arms and grabbed her nose in anguish.
"Not scared huh?" Mayhem walked up the stairs, not caring to give the newsies' shocked looks a second thought.