Rebuilt

Chapter 16

Elmer and I headed out towards the circulation gate with the rest of the boys, Jack claiming Katherine had something to do for a story. It was an overcast day, cool and breezy. All of the boys had grabbed the closest things they could get to jackets, Jack gave me one of his older cover ups, claiming it was "better than nothing."

"Aye Blades! Who you'se sellin' with today?" Mike —or Ike— asks.

I shrug my shoulders, "I'se got no clue, maybe I'll just go alone."

"No, not an option," Jack says. "You ain't got a good track record for goin' out alone."

I frown.

"So that brings up the same question," Mush asked. "Who you'se sellin' wit?"

I preferred to be alone, Elmer and the rest of the guys were great, but it was just less pressuring when I was alone. I didn't feel like I would let anyone down if I didn't sell all of my papers. Maybe I could go and find Oscar again, selling with him last time was nice. Though I don't really know how the boys would feel if I said I was going to sell with Oscar.
I think of a name I've heard many times before, "where's Crutchie?"

"Nu-uh," Jack said. "I didn't say pick my sellin' partner."

I roll my eyes and shrug, "fine, then I'll just go alone." I push to the front of the line and tell Morris I want 50 papers. I slap down my change and wait for Oscar to count out the papers.

"Okay! Okay! Ya can sell with Crutchie today. But just for today." Jack practically spits the last part.

I smile triumphantly and take my papers from Oscars grinning face. "Hey, Delancey. Keep ya eyes to yaself, you here?"

Jack really was a dad.
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Crutchie told me he was going to take me to the best selling spot in the city, I walked by his side and he limped his way through the city.

We don't walk long until Crutchie set down his papers and turned towards me. "So any creative ideas for the headline?"

"Wha-er... I'se was waiting to see what you came up with." Internally I scale myself for struggling with an excuse.
Maybe I should just tell him...no. Then he'll tell everyone else.

Crutchie nodded, "I'se was thinkin' maybe 'New York Sun risking millions of dollars'!"

I nod and pick up my papers, walking down the street from Crutchie. I screech out the headline, selling about a third of the papers I bought in about an hour and a half.

"Hey Blades, ready to go meet the fellas for lunch?" I jump at the sudden voice, though I recover quickly and nod.
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By the time we arrived for lunch, most of the other guys were already there, seated in the booths munching on bread.

"Heya Blades," JoJo waves me over with a mouth full of bread. Crutchie heads over towards Jack, smiling when he finally sits down.

JoJo was sitting with Mush, Race, and Smalls. I readjust my cap and slide into the booth next to Smalls, immediately reaching for some bread. Race slides his topped off water to me then promptly takes JoJos. JoJo frowns, but signals Jacobi for another glass.

I sip on the water gratefully and continue to munch on the bread, having a full stomach is not something I've had in...well forever.

Smalls notices how I'm stuffing my face with food, he takes the plate of bread away from my hands and chuckles. "Careful, if you eat to much you might get sick."

"So Blades," Race starts. "What's the deal with you'se and Elmer?"

JoJo takes the cap off his head and hits Race across the top of his head. "It's none of ya business Racetrack."

He holds up his hands defensively, "I'se was just curious."

"Yuh, 'cause you wanna know if the goirls single," Smalls say taking a sip of his water.

I shrug my shoulders, "I'se got no clue. Why don't ya just ask Elmer."

Race shrugs, "okay." Shoving JoJo out of the booth, Race saunters over to Elmer, who's sitting with Mush, Specs, and Albert.

JoJo scoffs from the floor, I find myself horsey laughing at JoJo as he still is sitting on the ground, frowning. Smalls joins in, and soon before the three of us know it, we're a laughing mess. I lean into Smalls as he wipes a tear from his eye.

JoJo sits back in the booth and roles his eyes, "yeah, yeah," he mocks.

Smalls and I finally control out laughter and sigh. "That's the funniest thing I'se seen in 12 years."

Smalls chuckles again, "she's probably not wrong."

Race waddles back to the booth, JoJo stares at Race and raises an eyebrow. "Why you'se walkin' like that?"

Race looks down at his crotch, opens his mouth, then pauses. "Elmer...uh. Kicked me."

I look Races body up and down, "where?" I ask with a smirk.

"In the, uh. Area. Yuh, know."

JoJo, Smalls, and I all launch into snickering laugh.

"Ha!" JoJo shouts. "Elmer kicked ya in da nuts!"

"Shhhhh, shhh," Races jumps on top of JoJo and covers his mouth with his hands. "Be quiet."

JoJo ripped Race's hand off his face. "Yuh, okay."

"Boys," I scoff. "So sensati-"

"Alright fellas!" Jack starts.

"And Blades!" Someone adds.

Jack rolls his eyes, "alright fellas, and Blades. Let's sell the rest of these papes!"

Choruses of whoops erupt from the diner, as the boys all file out of the restaurant. I make my way over to Crutchie and smile as he notices me. He hands me a stack of papers that I had given him before starting lunch.

"You'se ready to start da second half of the day?" He asks readjusting his cap.

I nod, "ready as I'll ever be." I swallow a burp, Crutchie laughs.

"You'se fine, better than all the others guys," he admits.

I laugh and start to thank Smalls in my head for taking the bread away from me.

We exit Jacobi's, all the boys jumping and hollering.

"Pssst, Blades."

I hear my name and look around.

I see no one.

"Psssst, Blades. To ya left."

I let Crutchie get slightly ahead of me, and then squint my eyes down the alley to my immediate left.

I see someone leaning against the brick alley wall, I turn towards Crutchie. "Hey Crutch! I'se forgot something in the diner! I'll be right back."

He turns back and gives me a thumbs up, "Finch is still in there cleaning up! Try to meet up with him so you'se ain't alone!"

"Sounds good."

I turn back towards the alley and cautiously walk down it, keeping Elmers blade slack in my hand.

"Hey, hey doll." I hear a familiar voice say. "It's just me."

I turn towards the voice, and release a sigh of relief.

"Oh, its just you."