Trapped Where There Ain't No Future

5.5

*Set in the timeskip of Chapter 5 (right at the beginning), sorry the timeline's a little messed up*

A couple days after I had moved into the Manhattan Lodging House with my brother, as I was getting ready for work, I had some visitors.

"Emma? Button?" I said as they trailed into the room behind Kloppman, who had let them in. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to get ya." Em linked her arm in mine and towed me towards the door.

"Why?" I asked.

"'Cause Sp- Ow!" Button broke off her statement as Em elbowed her in the side.

"BECAUSE if youse going ta be a waitress, youse needs some proper clothes, an' as none o' dese boys has da sense to see dat-" Emma waved her hand over her shoulder in the general direction of the bunkroom- "We've come ta help ya."

"I don't have much money..." I said doubtfully.

"Doesn't matter, Robinson's has cheap dresses, they's good too." Emma replied.

"But my job-" I protested.

"It's a'right, we've already explained ta yoah boss." Em said airily. "Now lets go!"

There was nothing I could do, so I followed the two Brooklyn girls down back end roads and through wide streets until we reached a small house-turned-shop that had some dresses showcased in the large front window.

"Mrs. Robinson! We's brought ya a new customah!" Button called. An elderly woman with a pink paisley dress on bustled out from a back room into the main area of the shop where we stood.

"Oh, aren't you a dear." She said, peering through her small round glasses at me.

I was unsure what to say, nobody had ever called me a 'dear' before...

"Hmm, I think green, no blue... yes, blue, with this grey..." The woman mumbled to herself as she flipped through a rack of shapeless dresses, pulling one out occasionally before shaking her head. I had never been to a dressmakers shop and I looked around curiously. There were strangely shaped scissors and swatches of fabric scattered around the worktables, which were surrounded by chairs with strangely patterned upholstery.

"Yes, perfect." The old lady pulled a dress off the rack and handed it to me. "Go on, back there, honey, try it on."

I stepped behind a folding screen and took off my old clothes, awkwardly buttoning it behind my back. It hung like a loose sack.

"I don't think it fits." I said, stepping out to the front parlor again.

"Nonsense dear, I just need to take it in." The woman took a sharp needle threaded with a fine grey thread and made a few small stitches in various places. Like magic the dress folded itself in to fit me perfectly. At least, I thought it fit perfectly. I hadn't worn a dress for 4 years, and I wasn't sure how it was supposed to fit me now that I had grown.

"Perfect." Mrs. Robinson said, which confirmed my thought.

I gave a little twirl, secretly loving how the pleated fabric of the skirt narrowed at the waist before filling out into a loose top. The dress was grey with a blue stripe of sorts down the front and hung down to just above my ankles.

"Beautiful!" Em clasped her hands together.

"How much?" I asked Mrs. Robinson.

"Fo- thr- two dollars." The old lady said, stumbling over the price. I thought it was a little strange, but handed her the required amount of money. As I went back to get the clothes I had been wearing before- who knew when I might need them -I thought I saw Emma slip the woman some money. But why would she do that? Besides, I got the feeling that if I confronted her about it she would deny everything.

"Thank you." I said to Mrs. Robinson, before heading out with the other two girls. We parted ways when we were close enough to the Lodging House I would be able to find my way back by myself.

"Thanks you guys." I said, hugging Em and trying to hug Button. She stiffly allowed the hug, but it was awkward. I stepped back and said "Thanks" one more time before leaving. As I turned around the corner, I peered back one more time and watched as the Brooklyn girls were joined by a boy. I couldn't tell who it was from the distance I was at, but they began walking back together. I shrugged it off and continued on my way.