The Only Girl Newsie

Chapter 4: Getting Hurt

I walk away from the boys, unsure exactly where I'm going. It's normal for me to go out into town without saying much to the boys, but Davey doesn't understand that.

Why does he have to act like that?

Why can he not see that I am fine on my own?

Why did he have to come here in the first place?

As I think to myself, I start getting mad again, and as I walk, I kick a few strange things on the ground, trying to get my anger out. It doesn't work, and as I start thinking more about Davey, I get madder.

I get mad enough that I punch a wall. The wall takes the impact and breaks a little, but I feel my knuckles split open and start to bleed from the impact. Dang, it!

I run before anyone realizes I broke a wall. I make my way to an alleyway and sit for a second. I look at my hand to make sure I didn't break it. It doesn't seem broken, just bruised and cut. Good, I can handle that. I close my eyes for a second and just think over things. I think about my day and how peaceful life was before Davey decided to antagonize me.

Well, that second ends up being hours. I open my eyes and realize the sun has gone down, and it's dark out. Great, the boys will be worried—another thing to worry about. I get up and start heading towards the lodge when someone bumps shoulders with me.

"Oh, sorry, didn't see ya, sir," I say, trying not to cause another problem today.

He looks up at me, and a shiver runs down my spine, and before I can react, he throws a punch at me square in the face. I try to stay standing and sort of compose myself. He looks ready to hurt me or grab me, so I turn and run at full speed to the lodge in the most chaotic path I know. I can hear him yelling behind me, trying to catch me, but I know how to lose a tail. I lose him somewhere in the process and finally make it back to the lodging house.

I run inside and close the door as quietly as I can. I go up the stairs and open the door, hoping everyone is asleep. But when do things ever go my way?

"What happened?!?"