Newsgirl of New York

Chapter 2

I start getting frustrated quickly with the laundry. You'd think washing something small like socks would be easier until you remember socks come in pairs! So then I have to painstakingly match the socks together and then hang them up to dry. "Ughhhhh," I groan loudly, "I hate washing socks!" I yell in rage and slam a pile of socks into the steel bucket. That was a mistake, 'cause now the front of my skirt is soaked from splashing water. Great. Just. Great.

I try to pat my skirt dry with a dirty sheet while silently cursing to myself. I stop at the sounds of laughing and spun around. Louis, or 'Dice' as we called him, hopped off the fire escape and walked over. "If you wanted to cool off, I thinks you s'ceeded." He joked.

"Ha. Ha." I mocked sarcastically but still grinned. Dice is the kid who was left on the doorstep the night I found the Lodge. He's 13 now and 5'3, same as me but I swear this kid will not stop growing. His hair is curly brunette that sat on the top of his head. He was a pretty skinny 13 year old with copper skin and light freckles. Dice also had blue eyes that lit up when he smiled his crooked grin. He was wearing baggy shorts and a loose shirt with the buttons down further than modest. He really thinks he's a 'hot shot.' Please note the sarcasm.

"The bell's gonna ring soon. The odda's up yet?" I asked and continued to wash.

"Most of 'em." Dice replied and glanced at a few of the socks already hung up to dry. He grabbed a pair off the line and slipped them onto his disgusting bare feet.

"Hey! Couldn't you've waited till they's dried at least?" I scowled half-jokingly, my Jersey accent thickening. Waving a long sock at him in a threatening manner.

"Eh, they're mostly dry anyway!" He smirked and I swatted the sock at him. Dice laughed in response and ducked away from it. "Didn't hurt me." He mocked and I laughed. "You'd rather me go barefoot? Them streets is like burning coal in this heat Lily!"

"Youse telling me!" I joked. "I was meltin' in that basement." I rinsed out several socks and started hanging them up. "I'd rather be unda' the blaring sun then down there doing this!"

Suddenly the circulation bell ran in the distance. "Dice youse up there?" Patrick, 'Match Box' or 'Match' as we called him, yelled from the window bellow us.

"Yeah I'm here with Lily!" He answer back.

"Well get ya skinny bum down 'ere. We got a job ta do!" Match yelled and shut the window loudly. Dice gave me a nod a smirked before heading down the fire escape.

~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later I finished the two sock piles, which is a miracle. Thanks to the heat clothes dried a lot faster. I rolled them into their pairs, threw them back into the baskets, and lazily dropped them outside the boy's room for them to grab later. Freedom. I still had some sheets to fold up later, but for now freedom.

I unraveled my long brunette curls from the tight bun and let it lay loosely down my back. I pinned my hair out of my face and changed out of my work skirt into my other longer tan skirt. I love this skirt so much, it was just so flowy! I can be a girly-girl when I feel like it, sue me! I fixed my unevenly rolled up sleeves and slipped on my heeled boots. I greeted Mr. Hamson before I headed out the door.

I neva' really went anywhere in my free time. It was just nice to walk around the city. Every once in a while I'd catch sight of the boys and they'd wave to me or walk with me sometimes. It was just a good pass time to let my mind wonder. Of course it only ever wondered about one thing. I wanted to start fresh in a big city with big opportunities. Let's say New York perhaps, ever heard of it? The big Apple.