The sun had nearly set, and the natural light was all but gone when Clown and Ro finally reached the Jersey City Newsgirls Lodging House. They walked into the lobby and found one of the two leaders sitting on the stairs.
“Clown? What cha doin’ in me town, huh? Who’s yer friend?” she asked when she noticed the strange girl dressed all in black.
Ro offered her hand to the girl as she strode over to them. “You can call me Ro,” she replied, standing a half-foot above the leader.
The girl tried not to laugh. “Flickah McAleenan,” she introduced, shaking Ro’s hand. “So, what brings ya ta me town, Ro?” Flicker seemed to be surveying the new acquaintance: friend or foe?
Ro blinked slowly and looked at Flicker with the same cool gray eyes she’d grown so used to showing. “Let’s just say that I was welcomed to Brooklyn by a certain leader who didn’t take too kindly to me. I gave him a proper retort, taking down his ego a bit. They didn’t have the space for me at the newsgirls’ place there, so Alley sent me here with Clown,” she explained calmly, her voice oddly soothing.
Flicker smirked a bit. “Conlon hates ya, ‘n’ Alley sent cha heah? I didn’t know Brooklyn was so nice as ta send da best weapon ta Spot’s ego outta da territry. I didn’t know ya liked us dat much,” she noted, glancing over at Clown.
“Yeah, well,” Clown shrugged, looking down at the floor.
Flicker turned back to Ro. “So, ya wanna stay wit’ us den?” she offered hopefully.
“If you don’t need to keep strict tabs on where I am every hour of every day and don’t ask too many questions, I’d be glad to stay here with you,” Ro answered with no visible expression on her face.
Flicker balked a little at Ro’s seemingly icy eyes. “A coise, we don’t do none a dat,” she answered, almost hesitantly.
The edges of Ro’s lips turned up slightly. “I suppose I’ve found myself a home after all, Clown,” she put forth and turned to her friend.
Clown smiled a little. “I’m glad fer ya, but I do gotta git on back ta Brooklyn before it gits too late,” she apologized with a slight shrug.
“It’s been nice seein’ ya agin, Clown. Come back anytime,” Flicker smiled. Even if Brooklyn weren’t too fond of Jersey City, Flicker felt the need to be polite anyway. Clown just nodded and headed out the door. Flicker turned back to Ro. “C’mon. Let’s go intraduce ya ta ever’one.” She smiled and headed up the stairs and into the bunkroom.
Ro followed silently, her hands still clasped behind her back. Flicker explained a few things as they walked.
“Okay, we don’t really care where ya git da money ta stay heah, but, if it ain’t fer da li’l kids ta hear, don’t say nothin’ to ‘em. Also, we like it if ya tell someone ‘bout yer past so’s we can watch out fer ya ‘n’ all a dat. Ya can tell me if ya want. I’m real good at dat stuff,” she explained as they approached the open door to the bunkroom.
Ro just nodded her head once in compliance.
The bunkroom was full of chattering newsgirls and a few newsboys. Ro noticed that the window to the fire escape was open, and the same for the building across the alley. There seemed to be newsboys and newsgirls in the other building as well. Ro just raised an intrigued eyebrow. When they all began to notice the girl dressed in black next to their leader and friend, they quieted down.
“Hey, ever’one, we gots us a new lodgah!” Flicker announced loudly. There was a chorus of hellos and heyas. Ro just inclined her head, saying nothing to anyone. Flicker began to introduce everyone, telling a little something about each one. Ro just listened without a word.
A few of the others came up and greeted Ro. Some of the boys greeted her with a bit of an ulterior motive, but Ro didn’t much seem to notice. She just shook hands politely and then sat down on a bunk next to Flicker.
“You said you wished to hear about my past, Flicker?” Ro inquired, leaning over to her and speaking quietly.
“Ya don’t gotta tell me really, but I like ya ta tell someone. It’s so’s we kin watch out fer ya, ya know,” Flicker explained again.
“You’re as good a person as any I see here, but I do know you a bit more, if only by a few minutes,” Ro countered with a slight smirk. Flicker chuckled. Ro decided to continue. “There are two men whom you can look out for. One has dark hair, close to the color of mine, and kind, light-blue eyes. If he comes looking for me, either find me or tell him where to find me. The other is not to find me. He has dark brown hair and dark hazel eyes. You will know him when you see him. He looks handsome and gracious, but he is not; I assure you. One word from his mouth, and you can tell that he wants something out of you. His voice says nothing, but his eyes…” she trailed off and remembered his eyes.
“What’d dis guy do ta ya?” Flicker wondered curiously.
“It’s not important. The first man knows where I am, or will once I tell him, but the second does not. He thinks I’m dead, or I hope he does anyway. He shouldn’t come around, but, if he does, you don’t know me. If he sees me, I will deal with him. There is no reason for any of you to risk your lives for me,” Ro continued.
Flicker smiled a little and sighed. “Ro, we look out fer each oddah. We always fight fer each oddah if we need ta. Ya one a us now. We’ll fight fer ya,” she assured her.
“No,” Ro stated quickly. Flicker looked at her oddly. “You cannot fight him. He’s too strong for you, too vicious really.”
“But you kin fight ‘im, right?” Flicker replied, not liking how the conversation was going.
“I don’t mean to say that you’re weak, but Stefano would kill you all in an instant were you to stand up against him. As I understand, Spot Conlon is the best fighter in your ranks. Stefano is far better. He’s ruthless, malicious, and even seductive when he fights. You wouldn’t stand a chance against him.” I nearly didn’t, she added in her mind.
Flicker was silent for a moment, letting the description sink in. “How’d you do it?” she wondered.
“I’m a good actress at such things. I also jumped off a bridge,” Ro answered with a slight smile.
Flicker laughed at that. “We’ll watch fer dis Stefano guy den. What’s da name a da guy ya wanna see anyhow? He yer boyfriend er somethin’?” she said.
“Avery and, no, we’re not dating. You should know him. He’s proud and kind. You’d probably find him good-looking,” Ro elaborated.
Flicker grinned. “Den I guess we hope ta meet ‘im, huh,” she laughed.
“Hey!” one of the boys said, walking over to the two girls.
“Heya, Robbie,” Flicker cooed, smiling when she saw him. “If ya don’t ‘membah, Ro, Robbie’s me guy.” Both parties grinned when she’d said that.
“Hello again, Robbie,” Ro greeted with a mild smile.
Robbie turned to Flicker. “Who ya lookin’ forward ta meetin’ dat’s good-lookin’, huh?” he asked, almost hurt that she didn’t seem to really like him much in that statement.
“My brother,” Ro replied dryly, speaking before Flicker could. Flicker’s gaze shot over to Ro instantly. She hadn’t realized that the two were related. Robbie decided to let the matter drop at that.
That was when Mockery sauntered over to them. He had a sly grin on his face. Ro glanced up at him, noticing his green eyes and dark brown hair. He certainly looked like he was the biggest flirt of them all. Ro would soon find out that she was right.
“Heya, Flickah, Robbie… Ro,” Mockery greeted, looking Ro over as she lay on the bed, leaning on her elbow.
Ro sat up, looking over at him, her eyes as cool as stones. “What was your name again?” she asked, crossing one leg over the other and placing her hands on her knee. It was an attempt to show little interest.
Mockery just smiled. “Jared St. James, but dey all call me Mockery. How ‘bout chu? What do dey call you?” he replied, still smiling and trying to look suave and alluring to her.
“Ro.”
“Don’t cha got like a real name er somethin’?” he wondered.
“I have, but you will neither use it nor call me by it, so I see no reason to tell it to you,” she replied as she rose to her feet, only two inches shy of Mockery’s six feet.
Mockery chuckled. “It’s gotta be real bad den, if ya ain’t even gonna tell nobody,” he laughed.
Ro stepped right up to him, looking him almost in the eyes, her face only inches from his. “Your name may be based upon your ability to jeer and ridicule people, but do not try it with me, especially about my name. I would hate to scar that handsome face of yours,” she replied, raising her fingers to his face and sliding the tips down his cheek softly as she said the last sentence.
Mockery just stood there, unsure of what to do. The rest of the room looked on, interested in what was going on between the two. “Yeah, but ya don’t got a name like Jared dat gits mocked no mattah what happens. I mean, Ro, it’s short, ta da point, real nice,” he nodded.
Ro instantly turned around to face Flicker. “Please tell me that I’m not the only single girl here,” she demanded, very much hoping that there were other people for him to annoy.
“Well, Aspen, Jibbers, Melody, and Respect’re all single,” Flicker replied, standing up. “Why, ya don’t like our friend Mock’ry, heah?” She was the one mocking him now.
“Hasn’t he someone else to irritate… one who can’t break his arm with her finger,” Ro continued, glancing back over her shoulder at Mockery. He laughed nervously and walked away from them, keeping one eye on Ro to make sure she didn’t do anything to him.
The others chuckled, though not very loudly because they didn’t want to mess with her temper. Ro just went back to chatting with Flicker and Robbie until it was time to go to sleep.
In the morning, Ro showered and dressed with the others, shaking the water out of her hair and letting it hang messily about her face. She pushed it out of her eyes and headed out into the streets. She wasn’t yet sure what she wanted to do for the money issue, but she didn’t particularly see being a newsgirl as satisfying. She would think about it on her way back to Brooklyn. She had to visit Avery.
In Brooklyn, Ro walked with her head high and her hands clasped behind her back. The second in command, River Chambers, of the newsboys walked up in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.
“Ya ain’t s’posed ta be in Brooklyn, miss,” the boy said forcefully.
Ro surveyed him carefully. “Am I to assume that a certain Spot Conlon has told you of his hatred for me and has also proclaimed that I am not to be allowed to walk around the streets of ‘his’ territory?” she replied, folding her arms across her chest, her muscles flexed.
“Yeah, he wants cha outta ‘is way,” the boy declared plainly.
Ro let her arms drop to her sides as she stepped closer to the boy. “No one tells me where to be and what to do. You take that message to Spot. If he doesn’t like it, he can take it up with me himself. I’d be more than happy to give him another black eye,” she informed him, her eyes dark and icy.
The boy gulped and stepped out of her way, not particularly wanting to explain any injuries inflicted by a girl. Ro took it as an opportunity to disappear into the shadows and avoid any other obstacles. It wasn’t until a minute later that the boy came to his senses and began looking for her, feeling the need to stop her. Ro was long gone by then.
Ro hurried up to her brother’s apartment after slipping in through the door in the alley beside the building. Avery was sitting on his bed reading a book when she walked in. “Reading again, Av?” she inquired, plopping down almost on top of him.
Avery scooted out of the way quickly. “Raleigh! Where have you been?! Have you any idea how hard it is to find you, especially when every street kid hates you?” he exclaimed, dropping his book and forgetting to put a marker in it. He hugged her tightly.
Ro coughed. “Geez, Av, you’d think you haven’t seen me in years. I’ve only been gone for one night. Besides, I found a place to live,” she replied.
Avery released her and put her at arms’ length. “What’s wrong with staying with me? Just because that Conlon fellow doesn’t like you is not a good excuse,” he said, demanding a proper response from her.
Ro smiled innocently. “I think, perhaps, your late-night friends might have a problem with my staying with you.” He rolled his eyes at that. “Besides, I think that a space across the river in Jersey City would be better because I might actually be able to find a job without a certain someone ruining it for me,” she replied.
“I’d never ruin your chances at making a living!” Avery replied, hurt that she’d imply that he would.
“I didn’t mean you, Avery. I don’t think Spot Conlon would let me keep a decent job in this city, and I don’t particularly wish to work in a brothel either.”
“Oh, well, I’m glad for that. What are you going to do for money?”
“I haven’t figured that part out yet, but I did come back to tell you where I’m living. It’s in the Newsgirls Lodging House in Jersey City. I’ve told them that, if you come looking for me, to let you in, but to tell Stefano that they don’t know me at all.”
“You told them about Stefano!?!?!” he exclaimed, shocked that his sister had revealed that. It had taken her a long time to tell him that she had been with Stefano in the first place.
“I only told them what he looked like and not to let him near me and that I would deal with him if he were to find me. One of the girls said that they like to know about your past if only to watch out for you. I decided that I would tell only what he looked like, nothing more. They don’t know what he’s done to me or to anyone. All they know is what he looks like and that his name is Stefano. I’m not stupid enough to tell them everything, Avery. Don’t think that I am,” she replied, giving him a warning look.
“I know you’re not, Raleigh. I just want you to be safe,” he replied, holding her shoulders, reassuring her.
“Avery, I can take care of myself just fine. You needn’t look after me anymore. I’m older than you are-“
“Only by a few minutes,” he interrupted playfully.
She swatted at him and rolled her eyes. “I just came back to let you know where I am and to tell you not to worry. Come over whenever you feel the need,” she continued.
“Don’t be surprised to see me around then. I just want my little sister to be careful and watch out for Stefano.”
“Big sister, Avery, and don’t you forget it.”
They both laughed. “Who could forget anything with you around, Raleigh,” he chuckled. She groaned and headed out of the apartment.
“I’ll stop by and visit from time to time, Av. Maybe I won’t even come to Brooklyn just to visit you. Maybe I’ll come to irk Conlon. I’m sure his ego won’t mind the thrashing. It’s big enough as it is. It won’t hurt it any,” she joked.
He laughed and waved her on her way. “Aw, dang! I lost my place!” he exclaimed when he turned back to his book. He sighed and picked it up, leafing through the pages.