New Friends Made
By: Monday Crivelli
I knew my day wasn’t going to turn out right from the start. Don’t ask me how I knew I could just sense these things. That evening I was watching a few guys play poker, none of them seemed to be winning, if that was possible, when the mighty Spot Conlon called me into his room. I reluctantly removed myself from my seat on my bed and casually sauntered in. Spot was sitting on his bed so I plopped down on the floor preparing myself for the speech to follow even though I had no clue as to it’s subject.
“Listen,” Spot began, “ I t’ink you should know dat there was someone looking for a goil dat looked a bit likes ya.” He paused as I drew in my breath but hurriedly masked my response the best I could. “I also t’ink ya should know dat I didn’t know. Listen I’s your friend and would nevah give ya up, but I want to know why dey’s lookin for ya.”
I looked up as he said the word friends. I stared into his eyes and noticed that he actually seemed to be worried. What was I thinking? ‘No one has ever been a real friend and he’s probably just bluffing. Besides they’re getting to close.’ I knew then and there I had to get out so I nodded to him, got up, and walked out to my bunk not even answering his question. Question? Did I say question? Spot never questions he only orders. Once on my bunk I pulled my knees to my chest, put my arms around them, and laid my head down on them. I knew that half of the room was staring at me and wondering what Spot had done but I didn’t care. I heard Spot come out and walk over to my bunk.
“Monday?”
I sat there like that then slowly lifted my dry face only to be met with a shocked expression, he had obviously thought I had been crying. I stared at him like he was a stranger and I had no clue to who he was before answering him. “What?”
He was taken aback, he knew I knew what he wanted. He also seemed to know that I wouldn’t answer the question from before. So he turned right around went into his room and closed the door. The boys sat in silence staring at me. Once over the shock, whatever it was, they quickly went back to what they had been doing before I had entered. ‘I have to get out, and fast.’ With that last thought I slowly let sleep overtake me and closed my eyes to it.
I awoke with a start sitting strait up. It had been awful, the dream I mean. That was what had woken me from my slumber so violently. I looked around, it was still dark out and no one was awake. ‘Good, now is my shot to get out.’ I quickly and quietly slid out of bed and threw all of my belongings into my worn out bag. I opened the window taking one last look back. ‘They were almost my friends, almost.’ I rushed out of the window and into the shadows hoping never to be seen again.
The day was warm and bright. I was happy to be away but sad that I had to leave. They had all seemed so nice but I couldn’t trust them, I couldn’t trust anyone. Not now, not ever. I had gotten away nicely, managing not to wake anyone and was now on my way to Harlem. ‘Maybe I could get some work there. I could try governess.’ I could stand little kids. But going to Harlem meant a trip through Manhattan and I had run into some trouble the last time I was there. ‘Maybe I would get lucky and avoid them, but then again I had better keep a sharp eye out for trouble.’ I continued on my way until I came to Central Park where I sat down on a street corner to rest. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder pulling me out of my deep thought. I looked up to see the culprit only to be dragged away through the streets. I was soon dragged through a gate and into an old three story building. Being pushed into a chair I wondered where I was, I knew that this wasn’t the refuge, jail for kids, but it seemed to be a lot like it. I looked up to find myself in the presence of a little old lady with an incredibly disapproving scowl on her face. “You are in an orphanage,” she stated, “and thanks to a couple of friends of yours, you will stay here till you are of age.” ‘Great I knew they were behind this.’ “You will obey orders, receive breakfast, dinner, and supper, and attend classes. You will be escorted to your room and given suitable attire. Your grungy garb is suited only for a boy. I am the headmaster and if you have any problems you will take them up with me. Am I clear?”
“Crystal,” I muttered disagreeable to my situation. Then I was hastily pulled up a steep stairwell and into a rundown bunk room. I barley had time to assess my surroundings before being hulled over to a bed and given a dress. ‘A dress! I hate dresses! This is almost as bad as before. Gaw. I have to go around parading as a milksop in a dress. Ugh.’ I was soon pushed into another room to change into the dress. ‘UGH.’
When I came out my captor spoke up, clapping his hands together to get the attention of the 20 or so kids in the room. “Everyone, this is.....*whispering to me*..What’s your name, kid?”
‘Kid! He had the nerve to call me kid! I can’t believe it. I have a notion not to tell this scum just for that, not even including everything else.’ I flatly refused to even say a single word to him.
He looked at me nervously and annoyed before continuing. “This is ummm........Marie Johnston.” I blew out my breath loudly and mumbled, “Dumbass wuss name.” He either didn’t hear me or just chose to ignore my comment. “She is new here so I want you to treat her well and show her around, okay?” he then left, leaving me there with 20 kids who I didn’t know staring at me. ‘How sweet of him.’ I looked at them, gave an inaudible laugh along with my famous half smile half smirk, and flopped down on the bed designated as mine hoping that they didn’t come over to question me. However, luck was not with me (as if it ever is), they immediately came over throwing questions at me in a confused mass of words.
The crowd was soon silenced as a tall, slender boy came out of the washroom rubbing his hands in a towel, “Hey, quiet,” He ordered, “I said QUIET! Now, What is going on here?”
“Umm...We got a new one.” someone in the mass of faces said as they parted to let the tall boy through.
I was laying on my bed with my legs Indian-style and my eyes closed as he approached. I couldn’t really see him but I could sense him there.
“Hey, kid, who are ya an’ what are ya doing here?” he asked me.
Standing up gracefully I answered, “You call me kid again and I will through you out the window.” At my full height I noticed that I was only a few inches shorter that him and smiled menacingly. He narrowed his eyes at me and sized me up. I stood there for a few seconds with an eyebrow raised before flopping down on my bed sideways and grabbing my bag from the other side. I had things to do and didn’t need these people bothering me. Pulling out my notebook and pencil I started to draw the room I was in and the people in it.
“Hey ya little beggars time for your lessons” an ugly and massive man said as he stopped by the door. This caused many of the kids to scurry out the door beside him. But I, however, did not budge from my bed. “Hey,” the man yelled at me, “I said ya gota go ta your lessons.”
“And do what?” I questioned nonchalantly.
The man growled, “to learn proper English.”
“Proper English? Are you inferring that I do not know proper English.” I stated with a perfect English accent.
“I said get out here Girl!” the man yelled in a rage “No smart mouthing to me ya hear!”
I continue to sketch ignoring him completely. In doing do I managed to further fuel his rage. In a few quick strides he crossed the room grabbing my sketchbook and throwing it across the room causing it to smash into the wall apposite me. He pulled me up and harshly slapped me across the face. That was it. ‘I have had it with this stupid place. No one got away with slapping me with out getting something in return.’ So then and there I slugged him causing him to stumble over. I smiled sweetly at him and strolled out of the room, following the swarm of kids to their classroom.
Looking around the ‘classroom’ I found a few small tables with chairs around them facing a huge blackboard. I casually strolled over to an empty chair and plopped into it slumping down as far as I could without falling out. In walked a man I guessed was the teacher and then the headmaster and man I had slugged following angrily
“That’s her,” the horrid man said pointing towards me.
Then the headmaster stalked over to me with a scowl upon her face. Pulling me up harshly she said, “Violence is not approved of here in this establishment. You shall be punished severely.” Then without another word she dragged me out of the room and down the hall to receive my punishment.
Later that night I sit in my bed rubbing my sore shoulders trying to shut out the pain of them and the noise of the room. But unfortunately I wasn’t succeeding for I heard one of the other captives come over to me and felt them sit down beside me. The captive then spoke a simple word, “Here,” and began rubbing away the soreness in my shoulders.
At this unfamiliar action my eyes snapped open and I turned my head to come face to face with the boy from earlier.
The boy smiled at me and said, “People call me Snapshot. I guess I’m the leader of the kids here since I’ve been here the longest. You still never told me your name.”
“I don’t really tell my name.” I stated hoping he wouldn’t ask any more.
“Aww...Come on I gave you mine. Besides you have to or you will be forever known as the nameless girl who survived punishment.”
I frown but none the less gave in, “Monday....Crivelli.”
“See, that wasn’t so hard. Now was it?” he said smiling at me.
I frowned and nodded. It was hard for me. All of this was. Everything I went through seemed to weigh down on me twofold as it would others. This including, so I leaned back into Snapshot’s massage closing my eyes and ignoring all else. At least I could have some peace in mass confusion. I was good at that. It was the only way for me to keep from going crazy.
to be continued.....
