When Skittery and I got back to the Lodging House we both split up.
"We're playin' poker tanight down in the main room, if ya wanna watch." Skittery said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Watch?" I scoffed. "Tsk tsk, Mr. Skittery. It is my sincerest intention to show you boys how to really play poker." I teased. I did know how to play, but I just wasn't that good. I'll call that last statement ... bluffing practice.
"Ha, I don't think so." He said while I started up the stairs. I shook my head 'no' without turning around.
Little and another girl were in the bedroom. The one who I hadn't met yet was laying on her bed with her head hanging over the end. She had blond hair that was covered with a pink bandanna and blue-green eyes that were currently studying the ceiling while Little read a newspaper. "Heya Navy." Little said from her perch on top of the wooden headboard of her bed. "Dis is Trip."
Trip brought her head up and slapped her hand against her forehead. She muttered, "Ouch, too fast." to herself. She quickly got off the bed and held hand out to me, not before spitting in it though. I just shrugged, spit in my own hand and shook her hand.
"Did I hear you come in with Skitts?" Little asked.
"Skittery? Uh yeah, unless that's a bad thing. If it's a bad thing, I didn't." I said.
Laughing, Trip said, "You sound just like Russia!"
"Did you just tell me I sound like a country?" I asked skeptically.
"No," Trip and Little were both laughing now. "Russia is another newsie."
"What are ya sayin' bout me, Trip?" Asked another girl with dirty blond hair and a foreign accent who had just walked up the narrow stairs to the attic. Her dark blue eyes stood out against her pale skin. She slid her hair out of her face and exposed a deep scar on the left side of her jaw.
"Nothing. Just that you're-" Little started.
"RUSSIA! FROM RUSSIA!" Both Little and Trip screamed at the top of their lungs. In turn Russia dealt them both a pillow to the head. They were laughing too hard to fight back.
"Am I allowed to ask what that was all about or will I be hit upside the head with a pillow?" I asked from my seat on the bed that Little had made up for me while I was out.
"Oh, Jesus Christ! Who are you?" She cried in shock. I guess she didn't notice me. Oops.
"Er, I-I'm Navy." I stuttered, taken by surprise.
"Ah, I see. Well these two have already introduced me." Russia said sarcastically, before joining in Trip and Little's laughter.
Trip, who had managed to settle down enough to talk, straightened out the pink bandanna on her head and said, "When Russia came here from, where else, Russia she didn't speak any English and was always yelling out 'RUSSIA! FROM RUSSIA.' Call us mean, but all the newsies thought it was hilarious. She doesn't like it when we do that." By this point I was laughing too.
We were still laughing when two more girls entered. For some reason beyond me, Russia tackled one. "Russia, hun, you're sitting on me ... again." The girl on the floor choked out.
"Yeah, I know."
"Could you get off?" She had a bit of southern drawl.
"Yes."
After a few seconds the girl on the floor continued, "You aren't getting off."
"I know. You asked if I could get off and I can. If you asked if I would get off- oorf." Russia's statement was cut short as the girl shoved her off.
"Violence isn't the answer Slight."
"You're the one who tackled me."
"Prove it." Russia added bluntly. She stood up and straightened out her black skirt.
"First of all I would like to say, you are all insane. Secondly," Little said. "Slight, Kiki, this is Navy. 'Er fadda is in da Navy and he's away so 'til then, she's stayin' wit us." I waved to Slight, who was pretty tall, at least 5'9 and like all the others, besides me and Little, had blond hair. Her gray eyes were flecked with bits of color putting my plain brown ones to shame. Kiki was short, had a small, upturned nose, and fair skin with light freckles.
"'Ey Kiki, are any a' da guys home yet?" Trip asked. A look of hope flashed through her pretty eyes.
"Yeah they are. We should go introduce Navy." Kiki said quietly. Looking at the floor.
Little, who seemed to be a leader amongst the group, chuckled. "Kiki, Navy is gonna be livin' wit us so really der's no need ta be shy. We all know yer crazy around us and Navy 'ill pick up on that, too." Kiki's head shot up and revealed she was blushing. The other girls started to head down stairs and me and Kiki followed behind.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to seem rude. I'm just kind of shy." She said still blushing.
"Don't worry about it. You didn't seem rude at all." I smiled warmly.
"Snoddy!" We both looked up as we saw Russia run up to a tall boy with a handsome, dished face. "Were you a good boy, today?"
"Uh, yes?" He seemed unsure and nervous. Russia nodded and stood up on the tip of her toes and reached up to pat his head. Snoddy looked confused, and in Russia's eyes, absolutely adorable.
"Hey ya bummas!" Trip yelled out over the chatting boys. "Dis here is Navy. She's new."
"No duh." An Italian boy with slicked back hair called out.
"Shuddup Racetrack." Little said protectively. She was on a couch with her feet propped up on a table looking relaxed. "Navy," She turned towards where I stood next to Kiki at the bottom of the stairs, "This is Racetrack, Kid Blink, Jack, you already know Skittery, Bumlets-" It was a seemingly unending list of names I would have a hard time remembering. "So basically dat's all a' dem. Don' worry 'bout it if ya can't remember da names – dey all answa ta 'Bumma' or 'Ey You.'"