Bound To Rain

A Kitten

By now, Elmer and I were walking down the street at 3:00 in the morning. Before we left, he had tossed me his dark gray Newsie cap.

"Why's I need a cap?" I had asked after catching it.

"You's is gonna want ta tuck ya hair into it." Elmer had advised. "The creeps tend ta go afta the goils."

"Got it." I had tied my hair into a ponytail with the dark purple ribbon, slipped his hat on my head, and pushed my dark brown hair into the hat. "Thanks."

There's almost nobody on the streets at this time. Elmer was standing pretty close to me, as if to protect me.

"Head down." He hissed, his voice not so childish anymore. I obeyed, studying the cracks in the pavement as we walked. I glanced over at Elmer's arm. He looked tense.
"What is it?" I murmured.
"Delancey's." He responded in a whisper. "They's is gonna try and soak the both of us if they'd recognize us."
After a moment, two voices appeared.
"Ehe! Ya should've seen da look on 'er face when she lost!" One guy laughed.
"Pfft. Nah, Mr. Farril almost coulda fainted!" The other snicker. Then they're voices disappeared out of earshot.
"That was close." He sighed.
"Who's the Delancey's?" I asked, raising my head back up to see his jaw clenched.
"They sell us papes, but dey like ta make a game of soakin' us." He explained, catching my eye.
"Maybe we's should head back." I yawned.
"Yeah." He smiled warmly.
Right before we walked into the door of the lodging house, I heard something. Like a small cry.
"Didja hear that?" I stopped him.
"No?" He paused to listen. It happened again, just louder. "I's heard that one!"
"I's is gonna find it." I whispered to him, determined to find it. After shifting a few boxes, we discovered what it was. There was a fluffy kitten. It was mostly white, and it's back had black and orange smudges. It had light yellow eyes.
"Holy crap." Elmer gawked. I held out my hand for it to sniff. It rubbed its fluffy head against my hand. I then scooped up the purring kitten.
"Should we take into the lodging house?" I asked.
"Asolutely!" He whisper shouted. I giggled at the mispronunciation.
"C'mon." We went into the house silently, and back to Elmer's room. He went over and lit a candle, placing it on his wardrobe. If illuminated the room.
"It's lookin' like it's about a month old.
"I's think it's a girl." The black haired boy commented. I nodded in agreement. It didn't have the 'nuggets'.
"So she looks healthy." I told him. He couldn't take his dark brown eyes off the kitten.
"We needs a name!" He claimed excitedly.
"Clover?" I offered.
"Maybe Belle." His brows furrowed in concentration.
"How 'bout Honey?" I out my hand on my cheek, my elbow on my side of my knee. (Criss cross).
"Which does ya like betta?" He tore his gaze off of the kitten to look at me.
"I think Honey." I admitted.
"Then let meet in da middle." He stroked the kittens back, causing her to purr. "Honeybelle."
"Brilliant!" I clapped my hands excitedly, but then winced when I remembered the time. Then I yawned again.
"I's think ya should go back to sleep." Elmer failed to stifle a grin.
"Where's Honeybelle gonna sleep?" I looked around the room for a cloth or something.
"With me?" He plastered a confused look on my face.
"You's gonna crush her!" I laughed quietly.
"Nu-uh!" He laughed as well.
"How's about this: whoever she's goes ta is who she sleeps with." I suggested. Elmer nodded. She made eye contact with him and climbed up his pants, onto his lap.
"The cat has spoken!" He smiled triumphantly.
"Ugh, fine!" I grinned. "But I's get her tomorrow."
"Deal." Elmer gently picked up Honeybelle, laid down on the bottom bunk, and placed her on his chest. She curled up and fell asleep. Only a minute later, he nodded off too. After taking off his cap and blowing out the candle, I climbed up to the top bunk and tried to sleep.