While walking home from Irving Hall that night after the show, she
adopted her usual city stance, her hands tucked deep into her pockets and
her head down. She walked briskly, trying to discourage any possible
attackers with her purposeful gait. She didn't look around her, only at
the cobblestones under her feet, and only the crown of her head was
illuminated by the streetlamps above as she hurried along.
The night's show had been fairly uneventful with no unwelcome visitors afterwards in the green room. She only had to put up with mild teasing from Toby about her supposed affair with Jack Kelly, and she silenced him fairly quickly with a swift kick in his overlarge backside. She was just thinking over her good fortune when she heard a familiar voice jeering at her.
"You left pretty quick after the show. Meeting someone?" She looked up to see the gangly figure of Skittery lounging up against the walls of the tenement building she was passing. His hat was pulled down low over his eyes, but she could still see him smirking at her in the dark.
"The only things I was planning on meeting tonight were a cup of hot tea and my bed. You had to go and spoil those plans didn't you?" He shrugged. "What are you doing out here anyway? Get sick of the boys putting you in your place over at the lodging house?"
She could tell this last comment stung him. He left the shadow of the brick wall and strolled towards her in the circle of light made by the streetlamp. "Maybe I've come to collect."
She snorted derisively at this. "Collect what exactly? I have nothing to give you."
"Well it don't seem to me like you're in much of a position to be refusing anybody anything right now, all alone in the middle of the night in a city like this."
"Try me," she spat back, trying to hide her growing discomfort as she began to walk again.
Before she could make it as much as two feet away from him, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Maybe I will," he growled threateningly. He tried to kiss her again, but before he could get a good grip on her, she stomped on his unprotected foot and made him drop her hastily. While he was cursing and hopping about, she turned and walked away briskly. She didn't run. If she'd learned anything about Skittery in the past couple of days, it's that he wouldn't chase.
Gratefully, she reached her apartment building and sighed as she locked the door securely behind her. As she leaned with her head against the solid wood door, thinking over her day, she fingered the small pile of pennies in her apron pocket she had earned for her needlework. Kevin's peaceful snores reminded her that as poorly as the day had turned out; she had done something important for herself that day. She knew immediately what she would do with her first day's income from the newsies. She would buy a writing tablet on which to record her musings and notes about the boys and the strike.
The night's show had been fairly uneventful with no unwelcome visitors afterwards in the green room. She only had to put up with mild teasing from Toby about her supposed affair with Jack Kelly, and she silenced him fairly quickly with a swift kick in his overlarge backside. She was just thinking over her good fortune when she heard a familiar voice jeering at her.
"You left pretty quick after the show. Meeting someone?" She looked up to see the gangly figure of Skittery lounging up against the walls of the tenement building she was passing. His hat was pulled down low over his eyes, but she could still see him smirking at her in the dark.
"The only things I was planning on meeting tonight were a cup of hot tea and my bed. You had to go and spoil those plans didn't you?" He shrugged. "What are you doing out here anyway? Get sick of the boys putting you in your place over at the lodging house?"
She could tell this last comment stung him. He left the shadow of the brick wall and strolled towards her in the circle of light made by the streetlamp. "Maybe I've come to collect."
She snorted derisively at this. "Collect what exactly? I have nothing to give you."
"Well it don't seem to me like you're in much of a position to be refusing anybody anything right now, all alone in the middle of the night in a city like this."
"Try me," she spat back, trying to hide her growing discomfort as she began to walk again.
Before she could make it as much as two feet away from him, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Maybe I will," he growled threateningly. He tried to kiss her again, but before he could get a good grip on her, she stomped on his unprotected foot and made him drop her hastily. While he was cursing and hopping about, she turned and walked away briskly. She didn't run. If she'd learned anything about Skittery in the past couple of days, it's that he wouldn't chase.
Gratefully, she reached her apartment building and sighed as she locked the door securely behind her. As she leaned with her head against the solid wood door, thinking over her day, she fingered the small pile of pennies in her apron pocket she had earned for her needlework. Kevin's peaceful snores reminded her that as poorly as the day had turned out; she had done something important for herself that day. She knew immediately what she would do with her first day's income from the newsies. She would buy a writing tablet on which to record her musings and notes about the boys and the strike.