Rebuilt

Chapter 11

"You really wouldn't want to do that now?" Morris asks. "Would you?"

Elmer regains his balance and spits blood on the ground. "Don't doubt her," he says simply walking forward.

Morris struggles against my grip. I kept my grip on the knife, hovering it just above the skin of his throat. "You are goin' to regret this goil," Morris said. He stopped moving, allowing me to hear his labored breathing.

"No she wont," Elmer said speaking for me. He was leaning against the wall, paying no attention to his busted lip. Elmer stared at Morris, his eyes unreadable.

"You'se don't want my blood on your hands," Morris said. "Let me go."

"Stop soakin' us every time you'se see us then," Elmer said pushing himself off the wall. "We are tired of your pointless soakin's. Blades 'll let you go, if you promise to stop soaking me and the rest of da fellas'."

Morris straightened in my grasp. "You," he said carefully. "And all the fellas?"

"Yes," Elmer said. "You'se promise?"

Morris scoffed. "I promise to not harm you or any of the fellas." I loosen my grip and he pushes out of my grasp. Elmer spit in his hand, Morris following in suit.

"You break this deal Morris," Elmer warned. "You'se going to be real sorry."

Morris said nothing. He turned around and walked back through the mouth of the alley. The sun was setting in the New York sky, you could see fewer and fewer people walking by.

Collapsing the knife I hand it back to Elmer. "Keep it," he said closing it in the palm of my hand. "You can do more than I can with it."

I smile and grip the knife tightly. Elmer offers his hand, I take it as we walk down the alley onto the populated street.

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Elmer and I walked into the lodge house to be greeted by a pair of eager eyes. A ginger haired girl gasped when Elmer and I walked into the door.

She squealed. "Oh! You must be Blades!" She stuck out a hand. "I'm Kathrine." I smile awkwardly. "I've heard so much about you from the boys. They said you came from the Refuge? Is that true? I'm writing an article about the Refuge, would you like to make a statement? Crutchie made one, but reporters should alwa-."

Elmer held up a hand. "Kathrine," he said quietly. "I'm pretty posative Blades don't wanna be talking 'bout the place she was locked up in for years. Maybe another time." He placed a warming hand on my back and pushed me forward.

Kathrine frowned. "I understand. If you ever do want to talk about it though! Just let me know!" Her voice got quieter and quieter the farther we walked away.

"Sorry 'bout her," Elmer laughed. "She's become very popular once she wrote the front page story for the papes." We ascended the stairs that lead to the living area (a few couches and a table) and the bunks.

"Aye! Elmer!" Buttons called. "Come play cards wit us! And bring da goil to."

"I'se gotta name," I mutter quietly. Elmer turns around and walks into the living room. It seemed like every Newsies was in there. Albert, Specs, Mike, Ike, Smalls, Jack, Crutchie, JoJo, Buttons, Romeo, Henry, Tommy Boy, Race. All sprawled out on the couches.

"What do ya want," Elmer drawled waving a hand in the air.

"Come play wit us!" Race exclaimed. He waved a hand full of cards in front of Elmers' face.

Elmer sighed. "I dont want to play, but I'se sit in 'ere wit you'se." He walked over to the couch and plopped himself between Albert and JoJo. I walk over and stare.

"Sit in front of me," Elmer suggested tapping the floor with his foot.

Sighing, I sit on the floor between Elmers sprawled legs. I lean back gratefully into the comfy (yet tattered and teared) couch.

The boys talk on and on. Albert about a pretty girl he had seen selling today. "Not as pretty as Blades, though," he added at the end.

I felt myself get red as everyone else in the room added, "Blades is da prettiest goil in all of New York." I begin to nervously run my hands through my hair, gently working out the knots.

I feel another set of hands start to drag through my hair. I whip my head around to see Elmer with his hands in my hair. He turned red. "Sorry, I uh-" he stuttered.

I fluster myself. "No, you'se fine." I say just as quietly and just as awkward.

I turn my head back around facing the room. A brown busted up table in the center, and three couches surrounding it. One to the left, one to the right, and mine in the center.

Elmer kept running a steady hand through my hair, working out the knots. "Movin' fast Elmer, huh?" Jack teases.

"Keep ya trap shut, Jack" Elmer says tossing a dismisive hand. "You kissed Kathrine after knowin' her for two days."

Jack takes off his hat and tosses it across the room. I catch it and throw it back. "Blades has got some pep" he says laughing.

I turn my head and rest it on my knees as I bring them up to my chest.

The boys continue to talk. I feel myself getting more and more fatigued as the minuets go by. Elmers gentle strokes through my hair not helping me stay awake any longer.

"Alright boys." Jack says. "Gettin' late and we'se gotta banner to carry in da mornin'! Off ta bed!" he shouts before leaving the room. All the boys get up, wishing each other good night.

I stand up and find Elmer laying on the couch. "What are you'se doing?" I ask.

"I'se have to sleep on the couch. You'se takin' my bed, and there ain't no extra." Elmer said using his hand as a pillow.

I frown. Reminded of all the nights spent in the Refuge, tossed to sleep on the floor if there wasn't any space in the bunk. I offer a hand to Elmer. "Nu-uh. Just sleep in da bed with me."

Elmers eyes grow. "What? No, yous'e need your space."

"Get up," I say as I pull him off the couch. "You'se sleepin' in da bed whether you'se like it or not."

Elmer continued to protest, until finally complying mainly out of the fact that he was so tired.

I roll into bed thankfully, Elmer does the same discarding his shirt which I pretended like I didn't care. He climbs in bed with a sigh and tossed the thin blanket over the both of us.

A steady cool breeze flows in through the open windows. I shiver but keep my space from Elmer.

"You'se can do whatever you need to do to get warm," Elmer whispers in my ear. I ignore him, pretending to be asleep.

I hear an elongated, "aw," before a figure hoists himself above our bed.

I keep my space from Elmer, hugging the edge of the bed.  Doing my best not to fall off.  Years in the refuge taught me how to still be comfortable on a bed but take up as little space as possible.

Elmer falls asleep quickly.  As do the rest of the boys, evident by the lazy snores circulating around the room. 

Eventually, for the first time in a while, I drift off to sleep without a doubt in my mind.