Trapped Where There Ain't No Future

8

"Red-Eva-would youse like ta be my goil?" Spot said, more timidly than I had ever seen him before.

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Blink shook me awake the next morning. "Red. Red. Eva. Wake up."

"I'm awake, I'm awake." I groaned, opening one eye. "Whatzamatta?"

"I needs yoah help." He said. That woke me up. He was asking for my help?

"What's wrong?" I said, sitting up.

"Nothin's wrong." My brother said. "... Ise just needs some help."

"Wit' what?"

"...Ise goin' ta ax Samant'a if she'd like ta go out wit' me taday." he mumbled.

"Who's Samantha? Oh, that girl from da market, right." I yawned. "Why did that make you wake me up?"

"'Cause I needs help! How do I do it?"

"Well, where do you want ta take her?" I asked, trying to stifle another yawn as I lay back down.

"Um, da park? Maybe?"

"Alright, so just ask her." I rolled over.

"What if she says no?" Liam said.

"She won't." I rolled back over so I was facing him.

"How do you know?" He said plaintively.

"What, you gonna make me say it?" I groaned. "It kills me to say so, but... You ain't half bad lookin', Blink. She'll go out with you at least once. Just don't mess up this date, and you'll probably get another."

"Ey, ya mean it Eva?" My brother grinned.

"Yes I do. 'Specially when ya smile like that. So just go for it."

"Youse sure?"

"No. It's too early to be sure. Go whine to Mush or somethin', I bet he knows how to help you."

"Okay. Thanks Red." Blink's head disappeared from the side of my bunk and I sank back down to my pillow to try to catch a few more minutes of sleep. All too soon though it was time to get going.

"Hey Red, why so tired?" Race asked as I got ready. "Somethin' happen when Spot walked ya home?"

"No, somebody decided to follow us back." I said, looking over at Blink. It was true, he had tailed us all the way back to the Lodging House and cleared his throat loudly every time Spot looked like he was even thinking about kissing me.

Race laughed and carefully parted his hair.

"Seein' Jocelyn again, hey Race?" Mush said, purposefully bumping into him as he walked past.

"So what if I am?" he said, throwing a fake punch in Mush's general direction.

"All of youse talkin' 'bout yoah goils." Jack shook his head and I 'ahem'ed loudly.

"An' boy." he said, nodding to me. "Youse all too young foah dis!"

"Hey Jack, ya hear Les went out wit' a goil last night?" Snipeshooter called.

"What? An' Davey let 'im?"

"Dey's 'just friends', but Les says 'e kissed her hand an' she didn't soak him. So he reckons dey're datin' now." Boots chimed in.

Jack shook his head again and put his hat on as he left the bunk room.

"I'm going now." I said to Blink, giving him a side hug before I left. "Good luck."