"Hey guys, met the third newsie to sell out on their foist day" Dave announced as we walked into the lodging house front room. "Or at least the ones you didn't drop on the ground as you ran," he added in a murmur to me.
"What?! Hey Angel you must be divine!" Someone shouted with their own riotous laughter.
"It was nothing... just playing a game" I said blushing.
"What?" Bumlets asked, confusion clouding his eyes.
"I'll explain later" I told him.
"So, Jack how did Les behave?" David asked Jack, who was lounging in a couch shooting paper balls at Race.
"Like a true little urchin, nothing but the best."
"Very funny"
"We are going to start up a poker game. You in David?" Race asked.
"Nah, I have to get sleepy head home."
"Do ya wanna stay Angel?"
"Yeah, I could walk ya to Dave's place later" Spot added.
"Or you could probably spend the night, there's an extra bunk under mine." Bumlets said softly.
"Thanks guys, I don't want to go to David's until I know his parents are okay with me bunking there." I answered, relieved.
"You don't have to wait" Dave said.
"I just don't feel right barging in on them" I insisted.
"How about I take Les home and ask my parents and then come get you?"
"And stay for a little poker?" Race piped.
"Sure why not?"
"Alright, see you later Davy"
"I'll be back Angel" David said walking a very tired and annoyed Les out the door.
"Go before ya mudder gets mad" Spot yelled after him.
We then broke out into a high spirited poker game, or rather I played one hand and then watched the poker game. I lost miserably. The boys bantered and laughed harder and truer then anyone I had ever met. My life had been so fake! All the girls cared about was who came to see who and the coming of the 18th birthday. Everything else was trivial. It was all about how much we were worth. I could hear the voices of my roommates' droll.
"Rose, I see that your dashing man has come again" Prissie drawled.
"Why are you so rude to him dear?" chirped up Lizzy.
"I would give anything for him to kiss me" Prissie sighed.
"Dear, oh dearie don't cry. It should be a sure thing on your
birthday. I wonder how much?" Lizzy said absent mindly. It threw me
for a whirlwind! They KNEW and they didn't care even!
"How do you know?" I gasped.
"You weren't the only one who talked to poor Celilia. She was always
a silly thing. No wonder she was only 100 dollars."
"You think this is alright?!" I sputtered astounded. Surely they
weren't serious!
"What else is there to life? Not everyone was educated like you and
not everyone is as lucky as you either"
"Next time Rose, let him kiss you. I want to know what it's like. He
won't give a look at any of us."
"I saw you throwing him glances"
"Well, I don't know why he persists on Rose when so many others would
let him do whatever..." It was then I realized I had to leave. There
was no one left to understand or care what happened to me.
Horror filled me and I cried out, "NOOOOO!"
"Angel, Angelface!" Spot yelled waving his hand in front of my face.
"Wha..." I started
"Hey, you weren't looking so good, pale as a ghost. Where were you?"
"I uh... just remembering my past"
"Yeah, we've all got those"
"I just wasn't prepared"
"Why do you think we laugh and gamble so hard? It is the best way to keep it off. You didn't think you are the only one with problems. The only one who's haunted. We laugh harder and talk louder than anyone. Come on, let's forget."
"Hey guys!" Shout David walking in.
"Mouth! Good to see ya" "Davey!" "Davey Boy"
"Good news, not only are my parents okay with it; they are ecstatic."
"Are you sure?" I said nervously.
"I know my family, it is better than sure"
"Any sign and I'm out of there"
"Don't worry there won't be"
"So are we going to play poker Dave?" Race popped in.
"Why aren't you guys letting Angel play?" David said as the circle closed up to include Dave.
"She don't wanna...Bad Poker Face" Race said with a pitiful mocking face.
"Race!" I exclaimed then grinned, "He's right."
"Hey Dave, Angel wasn't lookin so good just a second ago. I'm worried about her" I heard Spot tell David in a low tone.
The game went back into full swing. Only this time I let myself become part of the action and Spot finally quit fussing over me. I laughed as hard as anyone else that night and listened to their stories. I also learned a thing or two from watching them play. On what kind of people they were and what worried them.
"Well I'm beat, are you ready to go Ang?"
"Sure," I answered mid yawn.
"Hey, I'll goes with ya. I have to get back to Brooklyn. Jacky boy let me know if ya hear anymore about this hero. Don't let me boirds be quicker then you"
"Same here Spot, same here" Jack answered the Brooklynite.
"Hero?" I asked timidly as we walked out of the lodging house.
"Yeah, we'se got a mystery on our hands"
"There is this boy who seems to show up when ever people need help. Half the bullies in New York are scared" David explained.
"They ain't just scared. They'se quaking! Anyone who can do that needs to be seen to. Allie or Enemy. I would like to know this 'de thorns.'" Spot muttered.
"The Thorns?" I asked, incredously.
"Nah, DE Thorns. It's what he calls himself to these kids he saves."
"I wonder if DEThorns knows that everyone is talking about him" I couldn't believe what I was hearing, could it really be.
"He must" David said matter of factly.
"Angelface, been nice meeting ya. If ya ever need help, come to Brooklyn and ask for me, Spot Colon."
"Thanks Spot"
"See ya later Dave"
"Bye Spot!"
After Spot left, it got quickly quiet. It settled in quickly, like a thick heavy blanket. I glanced awkwardly over at David and realized that Madame would be HORRIFIED. Just like that in capital letters. To be walking with a boy, alone, at night; and him not owning a single mansion. I giggled in spite of myself. David looked over at me with a grin, our eyes locked. I quickly broke contact. "What are you doing?!" I asked myself horrified, "He's a boy!" It was then a cry rose in the darkness. A young voice, "Please, Please, don't hurt me!"
We looked at each other and then ran towards the voice.
"What?! Hey Angel you must be divine!" Someone shouted with their own riotous laughter.
"It was nothing... just playing a game" I said blushing.
"What?" Bumlets asked, confusion clouding his eyes.
"I'll explain later" I told him.
"So, Jack how did Les behave?" David asked Jack, who was lounging in a couch shooting paper balls at Race.
"Like a true little urchin, nothing but the best."
"Very funny"
"We are going to start up a poker game. You in David?" Race asked.
"Nah, I have to get sleepy head home."
"Do ya wanna stay Angel?"
"Yeah, I could walk ya to Dave's place later" Spot added.
"Or you could probably spend the night, there's an extra bunk under mine." Bumlets said softly.
"Thanks guys, I don't want to go to David's until I know his parents are okay with me bunking there." I answered, relieved.
"You don't have to wait" Dave said.
"I just don't feel right barging in on them" I insisted.
"How about I take Les home and ask my parents and then come get you?"
"And stay for a little poker?" Race piped.
"Sure why not?"
"Alright, see you later Davy"
"I'll be back Angel" David said walking a very tired and annoyed Les out the door.
"Go before ya mudder gets mad" Spot yelled after him.
We then broke out into a high spirited poker game, or rather I played one hand and then watched the poker game. I lost miserably. The boys bantered and laughed harder and truer then anyone I had ever met. My life had been so fake! All the girls cared about was who came to see who and the coming of the 18th birthday. Everything else was trivial. It was all about how much we were worth. I could hear the voices of my roommates' droll.
"Rose, I see that your dashing man has come again" Prissie drawled.
"Why are you so rude to him dear?" chirped up Lizzy.
"I would give anything for him to kiss me" Prissie sighed.
"Dear, oh dearie don't cry. It should be a sure thing on your
birthday. I wonder how much?" Lizzy said absent mindly. It threw me
for a whirlwind! They KNEW and they didn't care even!
"How do you know?" I gasped.
"You weren't the only one who talked to poor Celilia. She was always
a silly thing. No wonder she was only 100 dollars."
"You think this is alright?!" I sputtered astounded. Surely they
weren't serious!
"What else is there to life? Not everyone was educated like you and
not everyone is as lucky as you either"
"Next time Rose, let him kiss you. I want to know what it's like. He
won't give a look at any of us."
"I saw you throwing him glances"
"Well, I don't know why he persists on Rose when so many others would
let him do whatever..." It was then I realized I had to leave. There
was no one left to understand or care what happened to me.
Horror filled me and I cried out, "NOOOOO!"
"Angel, Angelface!" Spot yelled waving his hand in front of my face.
"Wha..." I started
"Hey, you weren't looking so good, pale as a ghost. Where were you?"
"I uh... just remembering my past"
"Yeah, we've all got those"
"I just wasn't prepared"
"Why do you think we laugh and gamble so hard? It is the best way to keep it off. You didn't think you are the only one with problems. The only one who's haunted. We laugh harder and talk louder than anyone. Come on, let's forget."
"Hey guys!" Shout David walking in.
"Mouth! Good to see ya" "Davey!" "Davey Boy"
"Good news, not only are my parents okay with it; they are ecstatic."
"Are you sure?" I said nervously.
"I know my family, it is better than sure"
"Any sign and I'm out of there"
"Don't worry there won't be"
"So are we going to play poker Dave?" Race popped in.
"Why aren't you guys letting Angel play?" David said as the circle closed up to include Dave.
"She don't wanna...Bad Poker Face" Race said with a pitiful mocking face.
"Race!" I exclaimed then grinned, "He's right."
"Hey Dave, Angel wasn't lookin so good just a second ago. I'm worried about her" I heard Spot tell David in a low tone.
The game went back into full swing. Only this time I let myself become part of the action and Spot finally quit fussing over me. I laughed as hard as anyone else that night and listened to their stories. I also learned a thing or two from watching them play. On what kind of people they were and what worried them.
"Well I'm beat, are you ready to go Ang?"
"Sure," I answered mid yawn.
"Hey, I'll goes with ya. I have to get back to Brooklyn. Jacky boy let me know if ya hear anymore about this hero. Don't let me boirds be quicker then you"
"Same here Spot, same here" Jack answered the Brooklynite.
"Hero?" I asked timidly as we walked out of the lodging house.
"Yeah, we'se got a mystery on our hands"
"There is this boy who seems to show up when ever people need help. Half the bullies in New York are scared" David explained.
"They ain't just scared. They'se quaking! Anyone who can do that needs to be seen to. Allie or Enemy. I would like to know this 'de thorns.'" Spot muttered.
"The Thorns?" I asked, incredously.
"Nah, DE Thorns. It's what he calls himself to these kids he saves."
"I wonder if DEThorns knows that everyone is talking about him" I couldn't believe what I was hearing, could it really be.
"He must" David said matter of factly.
"Angelface, been nice meeting ya. If ya ever need help, come to Brooklyn and ask for me, Spot Colon."
"Thanks Spot"
"See ya later Dave"
"Bye Spot!"
After Spot left, it got quickly quiet. It settled in quickly, like a thick heavy blanket. I glanced awkwardly over at David and realized that Madame would be HORRIFIED. Just like that in capital letters. To be walking with a boy, alone, at night; and him not owning a single mansion. I giggled in spite of myself. David looked over at me with a grin, our eyes locked. I quickly broke contact. "What are you doing?!" I asked myself horrified, "He's a boy!" It was then a cry rose in the darkness. A young voice, "Please, Please, don't hurt me!"
We looked at each other and then ran towards the voice.