Chpt.5

"Crutchy? What are ya doin'?" Laces questioned, seeing the familiar newsie sitting in an ally. As Laces got closer, she noticed that the boy's eyes were red from crying, and his crutch was nowhere in sight.

"What happened?" Laces inquired, sitting next to her friend.

"A group of guys… they took my crutch. They took my crutch and my papes and my money. I tried ta run after them. God, I tried. But…" Crutchy looked ashamed and tears threatened to spill from his eyes again.

"Hey, hey, it's alright." Laces stated. "Guys like that… well, I like ta believe that karma's gonna bite 'em in the ass one day."

"karma?" Crutchy questioned, and Laces was happy that the tears in the boy's eyes seemed to stall for a moment.

"It was in a pape that Racetrack was havin' me read. Karma is like, when someone does somethin' bad, somethin' bad 's gonna happen ta them. And when ya do somethin' good, along the way somethin' good is gonna happen ta you." She explained.

"That's a nice concept." Crutchy nodded with a small chuckle.

"I think it is too." Laces smiled. "Do ya want me ta help ya up? We can go buy ya a new crutch." Laces stated, but Crutchy frowned.

"But they took my money."

"They didn't take my money." Laces stated, giggling a bit, but Crutchy shook his head.

"Laces…"

"Lemme do this, Crutchy. Ya need a crutch. Alright?" she smiled at him comfortingly, and silently Crutchy nodded.

Crutchy knew that Laces was girl. All the newsies knew, but they called her a boy for her protection. However,

Crutchy couldn't help but feel that even though Laces was younger than him, she was like a mother. She cared just like all the other newsies did, but just the type of ways her caring came through… the warm tone of voice was something that only a woman could have.

It comforted Crutchy more than anything, but he would never tell Laces.

Laces had made it very clear how she rejected woman things because she now saw herself as a boy, and nobody could make her feel any different.

Nevertheless, there were still moments where Laces feminine tendencies showed. It was just that none of the newsies would tell her about it.

Helping her fellow newsie up, Laces was used as Crutchy's temporary crutch and she helped him to a shop that sold some crutches.

She paid for the crutch, and her and Crutchy were out the door, heading back to the lodging house.

"Thanks for everythin' Laces." He grinned. "You're… you're a good friend."

"Not a problem." Laces grinned. She'd hug him if they weren't in public.

She and Crutchy continued walking while talking about some small stuff like how Laces was starting to get better at reading and how Crutchy might be able to see a show opening on Broadway since he knew a guy.

"No kiddin'. I didn't know ya liked theater."

"Well, it's entertainin'. I like watchin' people dance the most." Crutchy smiled. Before Laces could say anything, a group of older boys across the street started to laugh and point at them.

"What a sight. A negro and a crip walkin' side by side. Certainly don't see that every day." One of the boys laughed. Laces glared at the group.

"Look at that Crutchy. It's a pack of asses." Laces laughed, loud enough for the group of boys to hear.

"Whaddya say?" one of the boys questioned, approaching Crutchy and Laces.

"Laces." Crutchy whispered with worry, but Laces didn't look worried one bit.

"Poor bastards, they must be deaf too." Laces stated. "I said that you boys are a pack of asses."

Before the boys could do or say anything, Jack and Racetrack approached them.

"Laces, Crutchy, what's goin' on here?" Jack questioned, shooting the group of boys a glare, and the slunk off.

"Those boys givin' ya trouble?" Racetrack questioned.

"They just feel like they can shout stuff and expect to keep walkin' without an insult flung back." Laces muttered, her arms crossed over her chest.

Since Laces was getting more confident, she often hurled back insults when they were thrown at her, meaning that she was getting into more fights than usual. However, Jack had taught her a thing or two about fighting and when it was one on one, she was fairly skilled. There were a decent amount of times that Laces would come back to the lodging house with a black eye, but she could bare it.

It worried Jack, but he trusted Laces enough to not get herself killed and shout for help if she was outnumbered.

There were already some occasions when he and Laces were fighting people. However, Jack would admit that he had started some of those fights.

The group started walking back and Laces handed Jack the half she owed him.

"I had ta spend some money today so I'll pay ya the extra bit that would be half when we get back." Laces informed and Jack raised an eyebrow. Laces usually made it a habit to give Jack her half before buying things. Jack didn't have any problem if she didn't, but it was so unlike Laces that it made him curious.

"What'd ya buy?" Jack questioned, and Laces just shrugged.

"Stuff." She didn't want to explain what happened to Crutchy because she knew that Crutchy was ashamed that it even happened in the first place and he didn't want to make a big deal out it.

"Stuff, huh?" Jack stated, looking at Laces with curiosity as to why he was given such a vague answer.

"Yup." Laces nodded. Before Jack could further question her, Racetrack inquired,

"Hey Crutchy, is that a new crutch?" Jack's attention went from Laces to Crutchy.

"Uh… yeah. It is." The boy nodded slowly.

"What was wrong with your old one?" Racetrack questioned and Crutchy just shrugged.

"It… uh… it broke."

"It broke?" Jack questioned, looking Crutchy in the eye, but Crutchy couldn't possible lie to Jack and return the look. Staring at the ground, Cutchy stated,

"Yeah. It was old and it broke."

"I see." Jack nodded, and he dropped it and quickly changed the subject before Racetrack could continue questioning him.

Jack didn't have all the details, but he could guess that Laces probably bought Crutchy a new crutch because something happened to the old one and that somehow Crutchy didn't have any money to buy himself one.

Did Jack figure that Crutchy most likely got robbed of his Crutch and money? Yes, he did. But if Crutchy didn't want to talk about it, and Laces agreed to keep it hushed, then he wasn't going to say anything further.

The next day Laces and Crutchy went selling their papers together and by the end of the day, Laces had gotten into another fight.

This time it was a fight with a group of boys and she came out victorious. Granted, she was bruised up a bit, but Laces said it was worth it.

"What did the guys do?" Jack inquired. Laces opened her mouth to say something, but after glancing at Crutchy, stopped herself. After a quick pause, she said,

"They just rubbed me the wrong way."

Jack caught the lie, but smiled at Laces, and laughed.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side."