Chapter 6
I searched for the kid who ran into me, only because he had stolen all the money I had earned selling my papers. I spotted the kid and followed a bit of a distance behind him so he wouldn't see me. He went to a table and emptied his pockets, dumping out coins and pocket watches. Another smaller boy stepped up and they started talking. I couldn't hear what they were saying so... I slipped closer and heard them talking about their next target, "So we gonna hit up Vigor tamarrah?" asked the smaller boy.
"Yeah, why not Stealth," answered the taller boy.
"A'right Munchkin." cheered Stealth.
I sat there for a few minutes thinking of what to do. "Should I tell Nova what they're planning? Maybe Vigor isn't even one of us…" I thought. Contemplating what I would do next I sat down looking around me for possible escape routes in case I needed one.
I decided to stand up for myself and take the money that was stolen from me back. I crept out of the corner I was in and walked over to the table that the two boys were at. No one really cared that I was in there, they all just looked at me and left me alone. "Its because Im a girl… that's why they ain't stoppin me," I thought looking at all the boys' faces.
"Hey boss we gots a new goil heah," said Stealth.
"So we do don't we," said Munchkin turning around and looking at me. "And wats a goil like you doin down heah? Youse lost er somtin?" he asked me mockingly recognizing me from earlier.
"I ain't lost. And I'm heah to git me money back," I said in a calm voice trying not to show the fact that I had never fought before.
"Oh ya, heah dat boys? She wants her money back!" shouted Stealth.
"I'll give ya yer money back… on one condition, you beat me," jeered Munchkin.
"A'right yer on!" I accepted the challenge.
"Ok you set da time and place den goil," he decided putting the money in his pocket.
"A'right." I turned around and walked out.
About two hours later I came to the lodging house. All the boys were back from selling. Nova and Tweak were sitting at the entrance. "Hiya Cards, hows it rollin'?" asked Tweak.
"Not too great. Some kid stole my money," I replied.
"Did ya git it back?" Nova asked.
"Nah, not yet… he called me out ise suppose to set da time and place," I replied walking in taking off my cap.
"Want some help?" Tweak asked.
"Nah dats a'right. Ise can handle it." I answered not looking at him, because I knew my emotions would show in my eyes. "A'right ise gonna get some sleep seeya latah guys," I called back going up the stairs.
"She must be tired, its only seven usually she goes ta sleep at midnight," noticed Nova.
"Yeah well she probably had to chase this pickpocket of hers," Tweak joked standing up.
"Well ise of to go see how Vigor is doin. Ise pretty showa she ain't got a place ta stay tonight, so ise gonna bring 'er back heah, catch ya later Tweak," said Nova holding his hand out towards Tweak.
"A'right beet-it already," joked Tweak spitting in his hand and shaking with Nova.
Nova walked away and Tweak walked inside and asked Marcos "Where did Cards run off too?"
"I think she went to the bunkroom with Sage," Marcos muttered while reading his book.
"T'anks Marcos."
Tweak walked up the stairs to the bunkroom and opened the door.
"Heya Sage where's Cards?" he asked looking at Sage.
"I dunno ise just came up and she left through da window," Sage stated not willing to change her answer even though she knew more.
"T'anks Sage," mumbled Tweak while Sage left the room. Tweak looked around the room then went out to the ledge.
He heard a noise on top of the roof and started to climb the fire escape. Once he got up to the top Tweak saw a figure sitting with its back towards him.
"Cards?" he asked.
"Yeah it's me," I answered, making no effort to look back at him.
After a few minutes of silence he asked me "Are you a'right?"
"Yeah I was jist thinkin' dats all," I replied closing my eyes and lifting my face to look at the stars.
"Wat ya thinkin' 'bout?" he asked sitting down next to me.
"I was thinkin' bout me past," I replied looking at the streets below me, watching the people walk through the night.
"Nova told me dat you cant remembah yer past," he stated.
"Well ise jist now rememberin' everythin," I mumbled. Pulling my legs in and wrapping my arms around them.
"So wats yer real name den?" Tweak asked.
"Cassandra…McCarthy," I hesitated.
"Well my name is Patrick," he replied.
I searched for the kid who ran into me, only because he had stolen all the money I had earned selling my papers. I spotted the kid and followed a bit of a distance behind him so he wouldn't see me. He went to a table and emptied his pockets, dumping out coins and pocket watches. Another smaller boy stepped up and they started talking. I couldn't hear what they were saying so... I slipped closer and heard them talking about their next target, "So we gonna hit up Vigor tamarrah?" asked the smaller boy.
"Yeah, why not Stealth," answered the taller boy.
"A'right Munchkin." cheered Stealth.
I sat there for a few minutes thinking of what to do. "Should I tell Nova what they're planning? Maybe Vigor isn't even one of us…" I thought. Contemplating what I would do next I sat down looking around me for possible escape routes in case I needed one.
I decided to stand up for myself and take the money that was stolen from me back. I crept out of the corner I was in and walked over to the table that the two boys were at. No one really cared that I was in there, they all just looked at me and left me alone. "Its because Im a girl… that's why they ain't stoppin me," I thought looking at all the boys' faces.
"Hey boss we gots a new goil heah," said Stealth.
"So we do don't we," said Munchkin turning around and looking at me. "And wats a goil like you doin down heah? Youse lost er somtin?" he asked me mockingly recognizing me from earlier.
"I ain't lost. And I'm heah to git me money back," I said in a calm voice trying not to show the fact that I had never fought before.
"Oh ya, heah dat boys? She wants her money back!" shouted Stealth.
"I'll give ya yer money back… on one condition, you beat me," jeered Munchkin.
"A'right yer on!" I accepted the challenge.
"Ok you set da time and place den goil," he decided putting the money in his pocket.
"A'right." I turned around and walked out.
About two hours later I came to the lodging house. All the boys were back from selling. Nova and Tweak were sitting at the entrance. "Hiya Cards, hows it rollin'?" asked Tweak.
"Not too great. Some kid stole my money," I replied.
"Did ya git it back?" Nova asked.
"Nah, not yet… he called me out ise suppose to set da time and place," I replied walking in taking off my cap.
"Want some help?" Tweak asked.
"Nah dats a'right. Ise can handle it." I answered not looking at him, because I knew my emotions would show in my eyes. "A'right ise gonna get some sleep seeya latah guys," I called back going up the stairs.
"She must be tired, its only seven usually she goes ta sleep at midnight," noticed Nova.
"Yeah well she probably had to chase this pickpocket of hers," Tweak joked standing up.
"Well ise of to go see how Vigor is doin. Ise pretty showa she ain't got a place ta stay tonight, so ise gonna bring 'er back heah, catch ya later Tweak," said Nova holding his hand out towards Tweak.
"A'right beet-it already," joked Tweak spitting in his hand and shaking with Nova.
Nova walked away and Tweak walked inside and asked Marcos "Where did Cards run off too?"
"I think she went to the bunkroom with Sage," Marcos muttered while reading his book.
"T'anks Marcos."
Tweak walked up the stairs to the bunkroom and opened the door.
"Heya Sage where's Cards?" he asked looking at Sage.
"I dunno ise just came up and she left through da window," Sage stated not willing to change her answer even though she knew more.
"T'anks Sage," mumbled Tweak while Sage left the room. Tweak looked around the room then went out to the ledge.
He heard a noise on top of the roof and started to climb the fire escape. Once he got up to the top Tweak saw a figure sitting with its back towards him.
"Cards?" he asked.
"Yeah it's me," I answered, making no effort to look back at him.
After a few minutes of silence he asked me "Are you a'right?"
"Yeah I was jist thinkin' dats all," I replied closing my eyes and lifting my face to look at the stars.
"Wat ya thinkin' 'bout?" he asked sitting down next to me.
"I was thinkin' bout me past," I replied looking at the streets below me, watching the people walk through the night.
"Nova told me dat you cant remembah yer past," he stated.
"Well ise jist now rememberin' everythin," I mumbled. Pulling my legs in and wrapping my arms around them.
"So wats yer real name den?" Tweak asked.
"Cassandra…McCarthy," I hesitated.
"Well my name is Patrick," he replied.