Race and Bam remained on good terms, although she refrained from telling Fleet and Jinx. They had known how much she disliked Race, and she didn't feel up to explaining her sudden change in opinion, especially since she wasn't completely sure if she could trust him. Race consistently met Bam at the tracks, and continued to make an effort to be friendly with her, so after a week's time, Bam was fairly confident that he was being honest with her. Race was proud that he was able to follow through on his prior idea of trying to be nicer to Bam, and what actually somewhat thankful that Jack had asked him to watch out for her. They both came to realize that the other wasn't as bad as they had originally thought, although they still didn't completely trust each other.
"I've been hearin' t'ings from lil boidies, Bam…." Jinx said accusingly, as she crawled out the bunkroom window to the fire escape where Bam and Fleet were smoking before going to buy their afternoon papes.
"What da hell are ya tawkin' about?" Bam glared at her friend.
"I hoid dat someone's been walkin' ya home from da tracks every night for da past week!" Jinx giggled. "I t'ought da two of you'se hated each odda?"
"Ya mean Race has been walkin' ya home?" Fleet was surprised. Bam felt her cheeks turn pink as she nodded. "Why?"
"I dunno, we've been gettin' along lately… He walks wid me on his way back ta Manhattan," Bam trailed off.
"It ain't on da way ta Manhattan! Not from da tracks!" Fleet cried. Bam thought for a minute, and then realized that she was right. She had never really thought about it all that much. "Why would he walk ya home every night when it ain't on his way?"
"Oh!" Jinx suddenly spoke, her face lighting up. "So dat was Jack's plan!"
"Plan?" Bam questioned.
"Don't get mad now," Jinx started. "We kinda told Jack about you gettin' soaked, and 'bout how Fleet hoid Spot and Knox tawkin'. He said dat he would come up wid somet'ing ta keep ya safe!"
"Looks like he got Racey dere ta tail ya, ta make shoa you ain't gettin' into any more trouble," Fleet added.
"Why'd you tell Jack?" Bam exclaimed. "I can take care of myself, damn it! And what's da big deal about Fleet hearin' Spot and Knox tawkin'? Dey'se tawkin' all da time! Who cares?" Fleet and Jinx exchanged glances before either spoke.
"I hoid dem tawkin' about you. About how Knox was da one dat soaked ya. And Spot planned da whole t'ing," Fleet said reluctantly.
"Why didn't ya tell me dat before?" Bam yelled. "You let me live in da same house as him? As dem? What kinda friends are you guys?"
"Calm down, Bammie!" Jinx suggested in a soothing tone. "We didn't wanna tell ya cuz we knew you wouldn't stay heah no more, and you ain't got anywhere else ta go." Bam pushed past Fleet and Jinx, making her way down the fire escape onto the street. She wandered around for a little bit, thinking about what she had just learned and getting angrier by the minute. She could understand why Fleet and Jinx didn't tell her sooner, but she couldn't understand how Race could lead her on like that, making her start to trust him, when the whole time he was only doing it because Jack told him to. She felt like a fool for letting her guard down.
Somehow, Bam managed to find herself at the tracks. Deciding she had nowhere better to go, she headed inside.
"Hey dollface!" a cheerful voice called out to her.
"Come off it, Race. I'm not up for any of your bullshit today. And don't call me dollface," Bam snapped.
"Huh? Sorry!" Race was startled by her nasty temperament.
"Look, you can stop followin' me around. I'm a big goil and I can watch out for myself." The color drained from Race's face. "I know dat Jack put ya up ta dis. So I'm lettin' ya off da hook. You don't hafta be nice ta me anymore."
"Dat ain't da reason I'm bein' nice ta ya!" Race protested. "Honestly, goil! Dat tempa of yours is gonna get ya in trouble one of dese days! Jack asked me ta watch out for ya cuz he was worried about ya."
"Like I said, I'm a big goil," Bam repeated.
"You ain't big enough ta protect ya self from Spot. Trust me."
"Yeah, well, t'anks for da advice. If I need any t'ing, I'm shoa Jack will force ya ta help me," Bam stated bluntly. "He put ya up ta da whole t'ing, didn't he? Dat's da only reason why ya tried to make nice wid me. Well, I ain't fallin' for it no more."
"Geez, Bam, dat ain't da only reason I was tawkin' to ya! I told ya da truth before! I am sorry dat we got off on da wrong foot!" Race yelled. "Now will ya just accept dat I'm tellin' ya da truth and drop da damn t'ing?" Bam didn't answer, but instead simply walked away, leaving a bewildered and frustrated Race.
Bam's next stop was the Manhattan Lodging House, where she planned to give Jack a piece of her mind too. She walked up the familiar steps and pushed open the wooden door to find Jack chatting with Kloppman.
"Lucky! Long time no see!" Kloppman exclaimed.
"Hey Kloppman… Jack, can I tawk ta you outside?" Jack nodded and followed Bam out onto the steps.
"Where do you get off puttin' Race up ta bein' my guardian?" She yelled, not even trying to control her anger.
"Bam, I was worried, ok? I didn't wanna say nothin' to ya until I had a plan woiked out. I couldn't have ya come back heah on account of Race, but I was noivous about ya stayin' in Brooklyn wid Spot and Knox. So I figured I'd have someone watchin' out for ya. But now dat you and Race ain't fightin' anymore, I was plannin' on askin' ya ta come back ta Manhattan. So wudda say?"
"I ain't comin' back. I ain't gonna be in da same house as Race," Bam said stubbornly.
"But you two are all friendly-like now, ain't ya?" Jack asked.
"Only cuz you forced him ta be. Da two of you made a fool outta me. I was startin' ta t'ink I could actually trust him, but den I find out its all bullshit."
"Bammie, dat ain't true. He was plannin' on bein' nicer to ya anyway. I just gave him a kick in da ass wid da whole t'ing," Jack assured.
"Ya swear ta dat?" Bam spit in her hand and offered it to Jack.
"I swear," Jack spit in his hand and shook Bam's. "Now will ya come back ta Manhattan?"
"I got nowhere else ta go," Bam said grudgingly.