Frankie glared at Spot and tried to hold on to her manly voice. "I see its ok to sweet talk me sister but when things don't go my way I'm automatically a cheater." She growled stepping away from the table. She wanted to grab the rest of her money but decided against it. She was not in a friendly group. "Lets just calm down. There has to be a reasonable explination for this." David said moving to the front of the crowd. "Shut your mouth Brainiac. Aint nobody talking to you'se." Spot said spitting a loogey at his feet.
Frankie rolled her eyes as Spot turned to talk to one of his crew. Before she knew it, he had turned around and punched her in the gut. She bit her tongue at the sharp tongue. The roar of the cackling fire filled her ears along with the sound of blood pumping. She saw bright white dots floating in her vision as her legs buckled. "You hit me!" she said as she struggled to breathe.
She struggled to her feet and looked at the group. Spot was close enough for her to land a blow. She whipped her leg around and connected to his side. She kicked her other foot into his gut and swung two wide hooks, only one landing on the end of his jaw. The rough sound of bone hitting bone sent chills down her spine as the pain sent a heated sensation up her arm. Before she could stop herself she shot her leg out and connected between his legs. He let out a gasp and dropped. Spot was sprawled out on the ground, coughing and holding his groin.
"He hurt Conlon! Get him!" The crowd roared trying to land punches on her. She curled up in a pile and let her sides and back take most of it, protecting her middle. She cried out and felt the sobs come. She tasted the blood as it oozed out of her lip and jaw. The old bruises sprung back to life, sending white bursts of lighting into the black of her closed eyes. The assault stopped suddenly but she stayed curled up. "Francesca?" Jack said coming to her side. Frankie's head slowly rose to see a bewildered Spot Conlon and a surprised group. "Who is Francesca?" David asked. Jack and David were both sporting nasty welts and the beginnings of black eyes. Les's shirt was ripped. "She's Frankie's sister." Les said with a angry look. He turned to Spot and the group. "You beat up a girl?!" He yelled.
"I didn't know she was no girl. She didn't dress like no girl. Thought she was that snake brother of hers." Spot said holding his hands up. "I am Frankie." She hissed through the pain. "You're a boy." Racetrack said. "No you buffon. There was no Frankie, was there Francesca? Frankie is Francesca. You dressed up like one of us." Jack said helping Frankie to her feet. She nodded holding her side. They left after that, David and Jack helped her make it to the theater, where Medda was waiting. "Oh my goodness, what happened to her now?" Medda said with a sad shake of her head. "You knew she wasn't a boy." Les asked. "Of course I knew." She said pulled a wet rag out of a bowl of water. She wiped the dirt off Frankie's face and dabbed at her lip. "Second day and you get bea up again. I told you, when you dress like a boy, you'd get treated like one." Medda said , brushing dust out of her hair. "What do you mean, again?" David asked, putting down the feather boa he was holding.
"Remember when Conlon said he saw a spy the other night. Him and his boys pelting some guy with marbles as he ran out of Brooklyn. I think that was Francesca." Jack said putting his head in his hands. Frankie just stared blankly at the floor. She had no more tears to cry and everything hurt. "I'm tired," she said, of pretending, the last part to her self. "I think you boys better leave. She's had a long day. You can come back tomorrow if she wants you to."Medda said shooing them out of the room. Frankie crawled into the bed she had been sitting on and fell asleep instantly.