Chapter 12

Alex had just passed the statue near the lodging house when Blink ran up to him.

"Hey, Alex!" he called. Alex turned around, saying, "Yeah?"

"Howse ya doin?"

"Whatchu mean?"

"How ya doin? I mean, yas been here bout two months now, you able ta fend fer yeself?" he asked. Alex nodded, saying, "Yeah, I'm doin' aight, Blink, whydja ask?"

"Jack was kinda worried boutcha. You know, you losin sleep and all," he said. Alex sighed, and said, "Just been havin nightmares lately, I guess." Blink nodded, and said, "Ya know, if youse got any problems, we're all here for ya." Alex smiled, and said, "Tanks, Blink. See ya." He headed down the street to sell his papes.

"Hey, hey! Lemme go! I didn' do nothin'!" Alex cried. Snyder threw him into the room with all the other kids that were thrown into the refuge.

"Shut up!" he yelled, and slammed the door so hard the window in it shook. Alex sat on the floor, his hair (which had grown out over his eyes) covering his eyes, and sighed. Struggling to stand up, Alex felt someone slide underneath his arm. He looked over and saw Ten-Pin standing there.

"Heya, Alex. Back again, I see?" he asked. Alex smiled, and said, "Thanks, Ten-Pin."

"No prob. A pal a Jack's is a pal a mine," he said, sitting her on the bed. Alex pulled himself back up against the pillow, and said, "I am so tired…and now my dern ankle hurts!" A boy jogged over, and said, "What's yer name?" Alex looked up, and said, "Alex."

"Jack's here to see you…he's hangin' outside the window," the boy said. Alex stood up and walked over to the window.

"Heya, Cowboy. Whatcha doin' here?" she asked, smiling.

"We came ta bust you out…"

"We?"

"Yep. Me and Blink. He's holding me up on the roof," he said. Alex nodded.

"Get your things, we're gonna get you outta here." Alex nodded, and headed back to the bed. He came back no more than a moment later in his clothes.

Alex once again slid between the bars, and scaled the wall up to the roof, without Jack's help. "Wow…"

"What?" he asked.

"I dunno, I guess you just remind me of my sister…she used to love to do that," Blink said. Alex sighed, and crept across the roof. They followed her over the building, down the railing at the other side, and then through the streets back to the boarding house.

"Thanks, guys, for coming to get me…" Alex began, and then slipped: he walked right on the edge of the sidewalk and street, and hurt his ankle. He hit the ground, and grabbed his ankle. Jack turned around, and said, "Are you aight?"

"Do I look aight? Me ankle hurts," he said. Blink stared at Alex. Jack watched confused as Alex put a lot of pressure on his ankle, and sighed a sigh of relief.

"You aight now?"

"Me ankle don' hurt no more…" Alex said, pulling himself up. It was then he noticed Blink was staring at him.

"What?"

"You really have begun to remind me of my sister…"

"Now dat's creepy."

"Why?"

"A guy reminds you of a goil. Dat's creepy," Alex said.

Alex sat on the statue the next morning with Jack, staring up at the clouds.

"What's wrong, Alex?" he asked.

"What do ya mean?"

"You've not been sleepin' lately…" Alex shrugged.

"Iunno. I used ta have these nightmares about me muddah, you know, so now I'm afraid ta go ta sleep cauz I don' wan' em no more," he said.

"Just sleep, Alex. Maybe dey've disappeared," he said. Alex nodded, and yawned.

"Now, go lay down. Blink and I can covah your route taday," he said. Alex got up and stumbled into the lodging house.

Jack found Alex sitting on the roof later that night, and said, "You know how ta fight?" Alex looked up, and said, "Nope. Why?"

"Want me ta teach ya? You need it for dis business," he said. Alex nodded, and said, "Aight, why not?" Alex and Jack stood facing each other, and Jack said, "This may take a while…"

"Ima patient person."

"That's good cauz ya gonna need patience to do dis," Jack said. Blink shoved open the door, and said, "What're you guys doin up here?"

"I'm teachin 'im how ta fight, Blink. Why?"

"Lemme help ya," he said. Alex smiled, and followed Jack's movements. Occasionally Jack would fix the way he stood, or threw a punch, but never fooled with his kicks: Alex was the only person to ever kick someone with their leg so straight, and not hurt themselves.

"Very good, Alex. We'll all come up here every night and teach ya, hows that sound?" Jack asked. "Aight, sure." Jack headed down the steps, followed by Alex, followed by Blink, and went to bed. Alex, though, lay there, staring at her brother two bunks over, as he slept facing her. I wish I could tell him, she thought, before closing her eyes and dozing off. Jack smiled, glad Emmy was finally able to sleep.