Lady of the Bronx- Newsies

Chapter Fourteen

Pov:Bambina

"Why were you on that bridge?" A familiar voice asks me.

I turn around to see her, Katherine Plumer, in all her glory. She must have followed me.

"Talking." I say, exasperated. 

"Really? Is that all you're going to say?"

I start to walk, my normal pace is more on the fast side- I've learned to keep up with all the Newsies. But now, Katherine has to jog to keep up with me.

"To you? Yes.

"No offence, Miss.Plumber, but I don't know you. And frankly, I don't have the time to. I'm too busy to be friends with anyone but Newsies."

She looks at me, brow furrowing. "But you're the only girl Newsie?"

"Yes." I say, slightly annoyed. I have to figure out a way to get her away from me; its not as if she seems like a bad person or anything, but I shouldn't want to get close to someone like her. 

"So, all your friends are boys?" She asks slowly. Explaining what I'm saying as if I were a toddler- as if the idea I hang out with boys is insane. I refrain from rolling my eyes. 

"Yes, they are. I live with a dozen of them." I start to walk faster, but she is still faithfully following me.

"I mean I guess thats not too odd, I hang out with Darcy all the time and-

"I beg your pardon?" Katherine starts, cutting herself off as she realizes what I said. 

I'm sure to the average person, one girl living with eleven boys-none of whom she is related to- may seem scandalous. I mean, in today's day and age, anyone seeing a girl's knees is reason for concern. 

"What, where else would I stay?" I challenge.

"Do you have your own room at least?" She says, giving me a look of pity. I feel a bit of anger bubble in me- I don't need her pity, or anyone else's for that matter. 

"What, does it look like I'm made out of money? Only Newsie leaders will get their own rooms, if they're lucky. I share with a whole bunch of guys."

She looks at me like I'm crazy. Or like I'm some unfortunate soul.

"Don't give me that look. The boys are nice. Nothing romantic is going on, Plumber. They're like my brothers." I explain.

"Do you sell papers with them?"

"Do you ever stop asking questions?" I shoot back, a bit of my annoyance shinning through. 

She huffs. "Fine. You can ask me a question. What do you want to know about me?"

"I want to know what I can do to get you to leave me alone." I snap. I'm not friends with anyone outside of the Newsies. And regardless of that, I'm keeping Manhattan at arms length now. I can't risk trusting anyone else.

"What is your problem?" Katherine snaps back.

"Il mio problema è che uno sconosciuto completo ha scoperto che sono una ragazza. E, se tu non fossi a conoscenza di Miss.Plumber, questo potrebbe farmi buttare nel dannato orfanotrofio! Se ti guardassi intorno, ti renderesti conto che noi senza un tetto sopra le nostre teste non abbiamo niente di facile. Soprattutto se sei una ragazza che lavora per strada! Quindi, per favore, apprezzerei se ti fermassi con l'interrogatorio!" I rant, slipping into Italian with my anger.

She just looks at me, wide eyed. "I....I don't know what you just said..." She whispers.

Sighing, I repeat myself.  "My problem is the fact that a complete stranger found out I'm a girl. And, if you were unaware Miss.Plumber, that could get me thrown into the orphanage! If you looked around, you'd realize that us without a roof over our heads don't have anything easy. Especially if you're a girl working on the streets! So please, I'd appreciate it if you stopped with the questioning." I say, this time in english.