Bound To Rain

And Shot Smalls!

Almost the entire crowd left, except for a few people in the back. Then most of the other people on stage left. Pamela, Evelyn, Will, Frank,Rose, David, Peter, Elmer, and I stayed.

"First place prize!" Miss Medda called excitedly, handing a huge basket of chocolates and muffins to the group of four.

"Second place," She gave Elmer a smaller basket full of the same thing.

"And third." Third place got a little basket of these thing.

"Thank you, and goodnight!" She smiled warmly at all of us, and we all went to change. Once we were finished, Elmer and I were greeted by Jack, Crutchie, and Albert. Crutchie had Honeybelle on his shoulder.

"Ya did good, kid." Albert pulled Elmer into a hug.

"Nice job." Jack told me warmly, and Crutchie nodded in agreement.

"Thanks." I smile, noticing a stranger hanging on his shoulder. 

"Hey, I gots someone I want ya to meet." He put his arm around the ginger girl. "Meet Katherine Pulitzer. Kath, this is Olive."

"Nice to meet you." Katherine held out her hand for me to shake.

"You too." I smiled warmly, eyes widening. "You's Joe Pulitzer's kid?"

"I am." She nodded warmly.

"Wow!" I breathed.

"Jack, we's gotta go home now." Albert nudged Jack with his shoulder. The boy nodded.

" 'Night, Miss Medda!" He called as we left. Elmer was carrying the basket.

Once we got back the House was in hysterics. Finch was pacing quickly around the room. Race was stress smoking in the corner. Chairs and tables are on their sides. Mush was shaking in the corner. The rest of the boys were sitting in a circle behind the table, whispering fervently. Mush looked up from his corner, tears streaking down his cheeks.

"What da hell happened?" Jack shouted. Finch stopped.

"While you was gone," the boy said urgently. "Snyder and some otha guy came and --"

"Dey took Buttons, Specs, and Romeo!" Mush wailed. I noticed a few small holes in the walls. "And shot Smalls!"

"Is he okay?" I gasped.

"I's fine!" Smalls piped up, voice cracking.

"Did Snyder or the otha guy say anythin'?" Jack asked, grabbing Katherine's hand tightly.

"Snyder was talking to the otha guy."  Race said, voice husky from his cigar. "He said 'Drew, get as many as you can, then we meet underneath the Quiet Place.' Then da otha guy said 'Do not call me Drew.' Then he said that his name was Kailem."

My blood went cold.

"Ain't dat the guy who took ya sista?" Elmer hissed in my ear. I nodded the tiniest bit. 

"Quiet Place." Jack muttered to himself.

"Maybe some abandoned house?" Albert suggested.

"Or a hidden place in the park?" Crutchie offered, stroking Honeybelle. Jack nodded subconsciously.

"Okay, okay, I will talk to my father, and Jack," Katherine began quickly and assertively. "You go to Davey's house, his father is a cop now, right?"

"His fatha's a bull now, yeah." Jack nodded.

"Well, you go to Davey's house and tell his father." She walked around the room. "Race, Finch, you both are in charge. Keep everyone else safe. Crutchie, you help Smalls. Henry, Albert, Tommy Boy, Olive, Kid Blink, Mush, Jojo, and Elmer, you all arrange the furniture into a sort of fort just in case. And keep all the lights low, windows closed, and doors locked. No-one goes on the roof."

Most of the boys nodded.

"No, no." Jack shook his head. "Albert, you go Katherine. Jojo, you's with me."

Albert was already standing over with us, and Jojo hopped over the table.

"Ow, sh-" A boy yelped. "Ya kicked me!"

"Sorry." Jojo peered over the table.

"Don't do it again." The other boy growled.

"I won't!" Jojo held his hands up, attempting to grin, but it dropped. Then he went over to us. Jack lowered the light and leaned in to whisper something to Albert.

"You keep dat girl safe." The boy hissed.

"I will, I swear on it." Albert promised. Katherine seemed to hear, so she leaned in to whisper to Jojo.

"You better keep that boy safe, or it's off with your head." She murmured, smiling a little bit.

"I swear on it!" The dark haired boy snickered. Jack glared at both of them.

"Okay, let's go." The four people left, and I carefully locked the door behind them, also sliding the safety chain into its place.

"Smalls?" Crutchie called. The boy popped his head out from behind the table, then came over. Crutchie and him both sat down, and the lame boy peeled the bloodied bandages off of Smalls arm. I looked away, saving myself from the sight.

"Okay, boys, we's gonna build a fort." Finch told us. The swarm of boys flooded out from behind the table to help. Together, we moved the old sofa to align with the couch and stacked the chairs on top of it. It was the seat part that was blocking everything. Then, we took the older thin blankets and layered them over the top of everything. And some older pillows were lined up against the wall. Someone put wads of newspapers into the bullet holes to cover them. Mush came out of the kitchen with three knives, and about ten cowbells in his hands.

"Everyone gets a bell, and if you's in danger, ring it." He passed everyone a bell. Mostly everyone put theirs into their pocket. Then once Crutchie finished fixing up Smalls' arm, which was only skimmed, we all gathered in the fort. Luckily, the floor was carpet, so we weren't uncomfortable.

"What could 'Quiet Place' be?" Tommy Boy looked around the group.

"It could be somewhere upstate." Henry put his head in his hands.

"Well how's 'bout anywhere you's gotta be quiet?" Elmer asked. While everyone was pondering, Kid Blink snapped his fingers.

"Library!" He exclaimed.

"That could be it." Race flicked his cigar, which he was still smoking. "But Snyder said to go underneath." 

"My sister and I used ta spend winter nights in da Library's basement. Dey don't use it anymore, and I's thinkin' it's all blocked up now." I added, seeing the boys' faces light up.

"That makes sense!" Finch exclaimed.

"The Library!" Smalls leaned back against the couch.

"We'll tell Jack once he gets here." Race said somberly. I've never seen him so serious. Granted, I've only known him a few days.