The strongest bond is built by danger

Hazards make friends unite

All you need is a daring stranger

To let the risks ignite

The next day, I actually woke up before Kloppman came upstairs. The sky was still dark, but I had the weirdest urge to get up and start selling. Of course, I couldn't buy my papers for about another 3 hours, so I decided to walk around New York for some air. Jackal was awake too, but was still in bed. The boys didn't mind having her around, but I think she was a bit anxious sleeping so close to them, so she slept on the mattress above mine.

"Come on…" I hissed, nudging her. "I'm goin' for a walk. Wanna come?"

Jackal smiled sleepily and pulled herself up, draping a sheet around her shoulders. Her teeth were chattering as she jumped down. Jackal yelped when her feet touched the freezing wooden floor.

"Cripes, can't they heat this place?" she said.

I shook my head. "It's too expensive, and we'd have to pay a lot more money to stay here if we got heating. Speakin' of money, ya gotta start sellin' today if ya wanna stay here. It costs about a nickel a night."

"Maybe I shoulda got that factory job…" she joked. "' Kay, I'll meet ya downstairs in about seven minutes."

"Seven? Why not five or ten?"

"Because everyone else picks that amount of time. I don't like bein' like everyone else. Plus, if ya pick five minutes, youse usually late. Ya pick ten and youse early. When ya pick seven, youse right on time."

"Nice logic."

Seven minutes later, Jackal met me at the statue outside the lodging house. She looked a lot better than she had yesterday morning. Her hair was still sorta messy, but a lot tamer. Her clothes were neat and free of wrinkles.

"I'm ready," she said.

Like yesterday, Jackal chose to lead the way. It didn't seem like she knew which direction she was going, but I could tell she was determined to get somewhere. A few minutes later, she stopped.

"Where's Brooklyn?" she asked.

"Why do ya wanna know?"

"Because I do, that's why."

"We ain't goin' there…"

There was no way I was going to Brooklyn. I was terrified of Spot Conlon. I mean, everyone was antsy around him, but I was always on the verge of a nervous breakdown. A panic attack, like Jackal had described. With Irish bravado flowing in his blood, Spot always had to prove himself to his boys. And that meant beating the shit out of me. I hated that racist bastard, but I had a feeling that Jackal would like him. She would like anyone who was belligerent and malicious.

"Yes we are, Boots."

"No, we ain't goin' there, Jackal. We ain't ever gonna go there."

"But there's someone I gotta see."

I bit my lip. Rapture, she already knew about Spot.

"Who?"

"Some guy name Hull."

"Wait a minute," I said as relief swept through my body. "Hull-Shore? Caleb 'Hull-Shore' Riley?"

Jackal's face lit up.

"Yeah! Do ya know him?"

"Yes. He doesn't live in Brooklyn though."

"But when he left Massachusetts he said he was goin' there."

"Ya lived in Massachusetts?"

"Yeah, I lived in Southie. Hull's my cousin."

"Huh. He works in a factory here in Manhattan...'Cept..."

"What, Boots?"

"He was put into the refuge a few months ago."

"The what?"

"It's like jail for kids."

"What! What was he arrested for?"

"Nothin'."

It was true; Hull was thrown in the refuge for no reason. Well, actually, Spot had lied to a policeman and had him incarcerated for assault and prostitution. Spot and Hull used to be good friends, but something happened between them and they became enemies. Naturally, I was pissed when Hull was taken away, not because he was my friend, but because of what Spot did.

"Ya can't get locked up for doin' nothin'" Jackal argued.

"He did."

Jackal frowned.

"Can we go to the refuge then?"

"What! Hell no!"

"I gotta see him."

"Aw, Jackal."

There was no point in protesting. Jackal had already begun sprinting down the street. I remembered why I hated mornings and dogs so much. They're both unpredictable.

"See, we can't get in, Jackal. The gate's locked."

We were standing outside the entrance of the refuge and Jackal was ticked off.

"Why would they lock it!"

I laughed. When Jackal was mad, she didn't use any common sense. Then again, no one can think clearly if they're angry.

"The refuge is like prison, do ya think they'd just leave the gates open for people to come and go?"

"Oh shut up, Boots," Jackal said with a roll of her eyes. "Is ya sarcasm helping to open the gate?"

"No."

"So shut it."

"Stop being such a hypocrite."

"Stop being such a toddler."

"Stop being such a girl."

"Stop being a boy."

Jackal snickered.

"Fine, this is the one argument I'll ever let ya win. Come on, let's go."

"It's locked."

"Ever heard of climbing?"

There was no stopping Jackal. She grabbed the black metal of the gate and pulled herself up. I watched her intriguingly as she maneuvered up the fence. She dropped down to the other side and cringed from the shock the fall sent up her ankles. She jerked her head forward, signaling me to follow. I exhaled deeply. We could get arrested for this…Not that I hadn't been in risky situations or anything, but after Jack's description of the refuge, I wasn't dying to go there.

"I'll be there in a sec."

The metal was freezing and blistered my palms as I scrambled up the fence. When I reached the top and swung my leg over the side, a sharp pain entered my groin. I'd forgotten about that. I swiftly plunged to the ground, landing on my feet and then buckling over.

"What happened?" Jackal asked. "Package get damaged during delivery?"

"Be quiet!" I snarled while I limped over to her.

"Relax, Boots. This is no big deal."

"Uh, yes it is."

"Don't exaggerate the situation. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Ya could bite someone again."

"I won't, trust me. I was under the influence."

"Huh? Wait, were ya drunk?"

"Not that kind of influence. I sorta have a temper…"

"No shit."

"And I couldn't help it. So cut me some slack."

"How can I be sure that won't happen again?"

"I told ya I was like a jackal; I'll only attack if a friend of mine is threatened or something."

"We're friends?"

"We ain't enemies."

"So what are you in for?"

I sat in the corner of the room, grumbling to myself. I couldn't believe Jackal had gotten us caught.

"We broke in."

"Why would you want to break into the refuge?"

"My cousin is in here and I wanted to see 'im."

"Oh…And your friend?"

"What about 'im?"

"Was he with you?"

"Yeah."

"So what happened?"

I stood up and grinded my heel on the floor, feeling tense. I looked around the room and saw a sea of children, eager to hear Jackal's story.

"Well, we got over the gate, right? And then outta no where comes this cop. So he starts threatenin' us and Boots runs back towards the gate. But I stayed there and started persuadin' the cop to let me in and see my cousin. 'Cept the guy keeps yellin' at won't shut up. So then I got mad and told 'im to shut up and kicked him in the crotch."

The room erupted with laughter and I rolled my eyes. Jackal was amplifying the story.

"Then the guy takes out his riot stick and starts screamin, so then Boots comes back and tries to get me to leave, but I really wanted to find my cousin. So I grab Boots and drag him past the cop, and by then five of 'em come outta no where on big black horses."

"Really?"

"No, not really," I interjected. Jackal glared at me as I walked to the center of the room. "The truth is, as soon as we got over the gate, the cop came, and Jackal started running to get away. She tripped and fell, and twisted her knee, so we have to stay here 'till it gets better."

The kids looked disappointed and went back to playing marbles, uninterested with the reality of the story. Jackal limped over towards me and slouched against the wall.

"Why couldn't ya just let me say what I wanted?" she asked.

"Because ya should only lie when ya life depends on it, Jackal. Don't make up things just to make ya life seem more exciting."

"I'm so sick of everyone saying that!"

Jackal slammed her fist against the granite colored wall, swearing as her knuckles collided with the stone. I watched in horror as she punched the wall several more times until her hand bled.

"Jackal! What the hell?"

"I can't stand it, Boots!"

"Can't stand what?"

By then her shouting had attracted more children, but I swatted them away.

"Nothing ever happens to me. I don't have a tragic past like some of the others."

"Why would ya want that?"

"All the other girls in the city have excuses to be distraught. They've all been beaten or raped."

"Yeah, that's bad. Ya shouldn't wish for stuff like that."

"I have no reason to be so fucked up. Nothing traumatic has ever happened to me."

"I don't get it."

"The panic attacks, Boots! The fucking panic attacks are seriously screwin' me up! I have no reason or explanation for why I get them. That's why I'm always lookin' for trouble; I need an excuse to be scared. "

I gaped at Jackal. The sudden confession puzzled me, she didn't seem like the time who'd reveal something like that to a stranger. Plus, this had nothing to do with our conversation. Jackal was definitely spontaneous and volatile.

"How's ya knee?" I said in an attempt to change the subject. Jackal didn't answer. She sighed heavily, over and over again, like she was hyperventilating. A group of felon kids were staring at her like she was insane.

"My knee is fine. It's my reputation that's damaged."