Chpt.6
When Racetrack told Laces that the Delancey brothers were after him, she did everything she could to keep him safe. She owed him for a lot, not to mention, in her mind, he was her brother.
So how was she planning to help Racetrack? Distract Delancey brothers.
Oscar and Morris were waiting for Racetrack with brass knuckles gleaming on each fist.
Laces had scoped out the area, and then she did what she had to do.
She stole Morris' hat.
"Hey!"
"Catch me if ya can, bastards!" she shouted, and the two ran after her. If there was something Laces was good at, it was running.
The Delancey brothers loved their bowler hats, but Laces could never understand why.
Bowler hats were expensive, not to mention that they looked so strange to her, like they made someone's head look like an egg shape.
Laces could only go so far. She ran herself all the way to Brooklyn with the Delancey brothers nipping at her heels. Until finally they had her pinned.
Laces had gotten used to punches, being in multiple fights already. However, this was her first time experiencing brass knuckles. Not to mention that her family were nowhere nearby to help.
She simply had to bare it.
The girl grunted in pain, feeling the first blow hard.
"C'mon fellas, can't ya take a joke?" Laces smiled, but the Delanceys weren't having it as they continued to beat her.
"That's enough!" shouted a voice, and the Delancey brothers paused.
Standing behind them was a boy with red suspenders and a scowl on his face who had a tall muscular boy standing to his right.
"This ain't any of your business." Morris spat, recognizing the scowling boy.
"Yeah, this is a Manhattan newsie. Nothin' for you to worry about." Oscar added.
"Nothin' for me ta worry about?" the boy questioned. "You two boneheaded bastards chased a Manhattan newsie all the way ta Brooklyn and seein' that this is my territory, I have every right ta be concerned. Now scram." The boy spat.
Oscar and Morris didn't move.
"Did you two not hear me, or do I need to call down a few of my boys to knock some listenin' skills back into ya?" the boy growled, and with a glare, Oscar and Morris sauntered off, leaving Laces beaten and bloody on the ground.
Laces was drifting in and out of consciousness when she felt herself get hauled to her feet by one of the newsies of Brooklyn. He wasn't the one with the suspenders who was talking to the Delanceys but he was the tall boy next to him. He had short copper color hair and was so tall that he dwarfed her more than a good foot.
She tried to stand on her own, but it was no use.
Seeing how she couldn't stand, the tall newsie lifted her up with ease. In front of them stood the newsie with the red suspenders.
"You're Laces, right?" he questioned, poking at the shoe laces wrapped around her wrists.
Laces nodded slowly, her head spinning, and the boy seemed to realize how she looked like she was about to pass out.
"Pip, let's take our friend to Mary and get him patched up." The red suspender boy stated, and with a nod, the other newsie, Pip, carried her off. Laces vision blacked out before they reached their destination.
When she woke up, an old woman was dabbing cool water over Laces' face.
"I see you're awake, dearie." The old lady smiled sweetly, then turned her head around and shouted in a shrill voice,
"Boys! Your girl's awake!"
"G-girl?" Laces stuttered. "'m not a girl. I'm a boy. Name's Laces."
"I patched you up sweetie, I know you're a girl. The boys do too." The old woman informed in a gentle voice, contrasting significantly to how she spoke seconds ago when shouting for the boys.
Looking up from the cot Laces was lying on, she could see the tall boy and the boy with the red suspenders enter the room.
"How ya feelin'?" the tall boy inquired. "I've never seen a girl get a beatin' before. Can ya stand it?" the boy's tone held concern, but Laces still took his question as an insult.
"I can stand it just fine." Laces growled, glaring at the boy.
Laces refused to be disrespected. She could take a hit just as well as the other boys.
"And I'm a boy. I don't care what you've seen and heard. I'm. A. Boy."
"Calm down Laces. Pip don't know any better." The boy with red suspenders stated. "The name's Spot Conlon. Jack and me are friends which is how I know about you. You're his apprentice, right?"
"Yes, I am." Laces nodded. "Where am I?"
"You're in Brooklyn. That lady over there is Mary and we're in her house. She helps us out when we're hurt. How are ya feelin'?" Spot questioned.
"Better." Laces nodded, grunting as she sat up.
"Do ya need any help?" Pip questioned when he saw Laces sway when she stood to her feet, off of the cot.
"I'm fine." Laces snapped, then added in a grumble, "I ain't some dainty girl."
"We know." Spot nodded. "We're just concerned. Guy or girl, that looked like a rough beatin'. What'd ya do ta piss off the Delanceys?"
"I stole Morris' hat." Laces smirked, remembering the look of anger on the bastards face.
"Why'd ya do somethin' stupid like that?" Pip questioned.
"Because the Delanceys were plannin' ta soak someone else and I was the distraction." Laces stated, glaring at Pip again.
She didn't like him. To her, Pip came off as arrogant and the fact that he treated her like she was weak also angered her.
"Someone else, huh?" Spot questioned with a small smirk. "Can I guess that it was Race?" Laces chuckled at that.
"I don't think Racetrack can get it through his skull that gamblin's a dangerous activity."
"Well, Race and I go way back. Send him my regards." Spot smiled, then looked more concerned. "Think you can make it back after that beatin'?"
"Shouldn't be hard." Laces nodded.
"Well, I'll send Pip with ya just in case the Delanceys are still hangin' around." Spot stated.
"Thank you for the help." Laces grinned, spitting into her hand. Spot spat into his hand and the two shook hands. Meanwhile Pip stared at the girl in shock, clearly never seeing a girl partake in their type of handshakes before.
While Laces limped out of the house after thanking Mary, Pip followed closely behind like a shadow.
"So, why do ya have a lot of shoe laces?" he questioned.
"They come in handy for a lot of things." Laces answered as she continued limping forward.
"Have ya ever been in a fight before? Do ya want me to carry ya back?" Pip inquired. Laces turned around, grabbed Pip by the lapel of his shirt and dragged him down to be at her level.
"Listen up and listen good. I. Am. Fine. I have been in plenty of fights and I will continue to get inta fights in the future. Now quit treatin' me like a girl. I already told you, I'm a boy." Laces growled, and then released his shirt.
"But now that I know I can't just forget." Pip stated with a frown. "I mean, yeah, I heard negro women are more resilient but still-" Laces pulled him back down and then punched him in the face.
Pip looked at her in shock, not actually expecting her to be able to throw a powerful punch.
"If you can't forget that I'm a girl, then I'll hit ya so hard that I'll make ya forget." Laces hissed with teeth clenched, and Pip nodded slowly.
"Yes sir." He whispered, and once again, Laces released him and then continued to limp back to Manhattan.
The rest of the walk was silent and then finally Laces made it back to the Lodging house, where several newsies, including Jack and Racetrack, were lounging around.
"Laces, what happened?" Jack questioned, running up to the girl with worry. Laces hadn't looked in the mirror, but by the look on Jack's face, she knew she probably looked horrible.
"'S nothin'. The Delanceys just soaked me is all." Laces stated, and Jack frowned.
"Why'd they soak you?" he questioned, then looked up at Pip. "And who's he?"
"I stole Morris' hat and then he an' his brother chased me ta Brooklyn. Spot Conlon and this guy, Pip, helped me out." She then looked up at Racetrack. "By the way, Spot Conlon sends his regards." She informed.
Racetrack walked over to Laces with a look of guilt on his face.
"My god… it's my fault-"
"Don't go blamin' yourself. They would've done the exact same thing ta you if I wasn't the distraction. I'd rather it be me than you." She grinned and Racetrack shook his head.
"You're too good. Anybody tell ya that?"
"There ain't no such thing as too good." Laces chuckled and Racetrack sighed.
"C'mon, I'll help ya into your bed and have Mush get some ice."
"Ya don't have ta-"
"This is my fault so I'm gonna help ya get better." Racetrack stated firmly and he helped Laces up the steps to the building. She then turned around before she entered the building to look at Pip.
"Thanks for makin' sure I got back in one piece, Pip. An' don't forget what I told ya." She smirked, and then walked into the building with Racetrack at her side.
Jack turned to look at Pip, who was staring wide eyed as Laces disappeared behind the door.
"Thanks for helpin' him out. Laces is the youngest of us, so's we tend to worry 'bout him." Jack stated, breaking Pip out of his stare.
"Uh, no problem. Not at all." Pip stated quickly, and Jack eyed the boy, then questioned,
"So, what exactly was it that he told ya?"
"He? He who?" Pip questioned, looking puzzled.
"Laces. What was it that he told ya not ta forget?" Jack questioned again.
"Oh… oh." The boy seemed out of it. "Uh… Laces told me that if I couldn't forget that she was a girl, then she'd hit me so hard that she'd make me forget." He explained and Jack chuckled.
"I'd listen to him." he laughed, but there was an edge to it. An unspoken threat. "Tell Spot I say thanks for lookin' after my apprentice."
"Oh, so you're Jack Kelly."
"In the flesh." Jack smirked.
"Then I'll make sure to tell Spot Conlon." Pip nodded, then headed back to Brooklyn.
Jack watched the boy leave, then headed into the building to check in on Laces.