Used and thrown away

[Fabel]

((Ask first. ))

The children scuttled away when their parents came to fetch them from Fabel's story telling. Fabel smiled politely to them and then moved on her way, not wanted to get involved with adults. She could handle them alright when she needed to, but it was difficult when you were as ratty looking as Fabel was. Fabel sighed as she looked down at her torn brown dress that she had been wearing for longer than she could remember. She couldn't afford a new one - or even an old one for that matter. Fabel wasn't one to steal unless it was entirely necessary, and was normally able to make due with things that were not the best quality.

Fabel turned onto Broadway street, scuffling her holey black boots on the cobblestone road as she walked, still limping slightly from an injury she had acquired a ways back. She didn't really know where she was going, or why she had turned onto Broadway. Maybe it was because of her previous thoughts and concerns about needing a new dress that drove her there? She couldn't afford even half of one of the fancy dresses that they displayed in the windows on this street, but it was still fun to look.

Fabel stopped in front of one window in particular with simple, yet elegant gowns displayed. Her eyes lingered on a cherry blossom red one, but then were averted to a commotion that was going on in the store. There seemed to be some sort of argument happening between a fat woman and what she presumed to be the store clerk. She inched her way into the doorway so she could catch the last snatches of the argument;

"I cant fit a dress to a girl that isn't here, Ma'am!" the Clerk barked to the fat lady.
"Why cant you just use your imagination?" the indignant lady asked pompously.
"I HAVE to have the girl here to know her size! We don't have dress dummies that fit the description your giving me!" the Clerk yelled out angrily.
The woman let out a "humph" and began to look around. She moved towards the doorway and spotted Fabel, who was now about to make a run for it.

"You - girl...If thats what you are...Yes, you look like a girl.." the lady muttered incoherently, "Come here." she ordered, pointing to a place in front of the clerk.

Fabel cowered, not knowing what to do. She couldn't run away fast enough with her still tender leg, but if she didn't do as the lady asked, the police would surely be sent after her. Fabel moved slowly over to her, noticing that she was a good 2 feet taller and weighed about 150 pounds more than Fabel.

"Fit it to her." the woman stated firmly gesturing towards Fabel.
She is about the same size as my Christy." she said as she turned Fabel in a circle on the spot, looking her up and down. Fit it to her..? Fabel thought nervously. Next thing she knew, the clerk and the woman were undressing her right there, in front of the window!

"What is this thing? A dish towel?" the woman asked holding Fabel's dress up. "Disgusting." she added, throwing it into a rubbish bin. Fabel's eyes grew wide in shock and then fright. What would she do when they were done with her?! She now had no clothes to wear! She was standing, shivering with her bare skin exposed in many places in the middle of a shop while a woman threw away her clothes and a man began fitting bolts of material onto her.

Once they were done, the woman paid for the dress and left, leaving poor fabel standing with the clerk in her undergarments. The clerk sighed apologetically and went over to the counter. He pulled out a small piece of fabric, big enough to wrap around Fabel once, and said, "I'm sorry, this is the best I can do for you."

Fabel accepted the fabric, feeling she had no other choice, and wrapped it safely around her. Once she felt covered enough, she walked out of the store, turned, and came face to face with someone unsettlingly familiar to her. How utterly embarrassing.

[Anthony Higgins]

Usually, Race didn't go down Broadway unless he was having a particularly bad selling day. The high-brow folks who went around these streets wouldn't look twice at a newsboy peddling papers. On a normal day he would get all his selling done in Central Park, but apparently that was what half the newsies in Manhattan decided to do as well. Disgruntled at the fact that every customer in the park seemed to have a paper already, Racetrack made his way over to Broadway.

On a street where there were lots of people, it was better for a newsboy to stay in one place and hawk headlines while people came up and bought, and then were on their way (it annoyed Race sometimes how rich folks always looked like they were in a hurry to go somewhere). He chose a spot between a hat shop and a shoemaker's shop, across the street from a dress store. People weren't buying all that much. Dumb snobs.

A commotion from the large dress shop window caught his eye. Since the crowd had thinned, he took a second to look: a woman who was vaguely the size of a gorilla was yelling at the tailor, and suddenly yanked a girl in a brown dress off the streets. Race was slightly indignant. Did people think they could do that to street kids? But he forgot about it when the girl's dress was taken off in front of the window, for the whole world to see. Race felt his cheeks grow hot, cursed under his breath, and looked away, putting his energy into selling.

A while later, as Race was passing the dress shop on his way to find a new selling spot, the door opened. Race glanced up, and gasped to see the girl who'd been dragged off the streets wearing nothing but a bolt of cloth. Her arms were bare, which people considered a scandal. He looked her in the face, and his eyes widened when he realized he knew her too well. "Evelyn!" he exclaimed, almost dropping his papers.

[Fabel]

"Evelyn!"

Fabel sucked in a breath of air as her cheeks went crimson. She felt humiliated and completely unlucky to be in her current situation. She could have run into anybody, and who does she run into? Race Track. Her savior from the tracks. Fabel didn't know what to say or do, as hot tears of embarrassment began forming in her eyes. She quickly turned her back to him as she wiped them away.

She hated everything right now. The stupid woman who had used her like she was some doll to be pulled off of a shelf, the tailor for being so stingy, herself for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Race for seeing her. What a wretched day.

Fabel was faced with a current situation. She wanted more than anything to stay and talk to Race, but what she was clad in was indecent. She didn't want him to think that she didn't care, and leaving him right then and there would surely emit that mood. Her friendship with him won over the argument in her head about whether she should run or not, and she turned back very slowly to face him.

She covered herself as best as she could in her current "Dress", wrapping her arms tight around her. She didn't know what to say, and she was afraid that if she started talking, she might start crying. She was feeling unnaturally unlike herself that day. She had been emotionally tried by embarrassment in more than one way. First, when she was stripped by strangers, and second when Race saw her. What a day.

"Why do you always find me in the worst situations?" she asked, not grinning, but still meaning it as a bit of a joke.

[Anthony Higgins]

"Why do you always find me in the worst situations?"

She was making a brave attempt at humor. Race could understand that, but couldn't even bring himself to crack a joke. If it was someone he liked a lot less in a position like this, he would be on the floor with hysterical laughter and cracking insult after insult. This was one of the funniest things he'd seen, but everything changed once he'd seen it was Evelyn. With nothing but a bolt of cloth covering her, he felt sorry for her, honestly sorry. Nonetheless he offered a grin and said, "It's a gift, I guess."

He glanced in the dress shop, where the clerk was busy scrawling some things down at the front desk. "What the hell happened?" he couldn't keep himself from asking. Then he disregarded the question. He'd seen what happened, as embarrassing as it had been for her...and he had to say, him as well. He didn't need her to recount everything. "Where's yer old dress? The gorilla lady swipe it or what?"

With a glance into the store, Race felt his pocket. There was about forty cents, hardly enough for a dress. But dammit, this guy had just grabbed Evelyn off the street and used her as a human mannequin! And then he dumps her out wearing a bit of cloth that would maybe make a shirt? The thought made Race indignant. "People these days drive me up the wall." He took Evelyn's hand and pulled her toward the store entrance. "Get over here...we're gettin' ya a damn dress, whether the tailor likes it or not..." Race pushed open the door to the dress shop and pulled Evelyn inside.

[Fabel]

"It's a gift, I guess."

Fabel managed a weak smile.

"What the hell happened?"

Fabel looked at him in slight disbelief as if to say, "Whats it look like happened..?" but instead said, "Hello to you too..."

"Where's yer old dress? The gorilla lady swipe it or what?"

Fabel shook her head, the anger and humiliation rising again. "She...Threw it away." Fabel said frowning. "Not that it was worth keeping..but..It was all I have." she added, looking away. "It's obviously better than...this.." she said quietly, gesturing down to her makeshift "Dress".

"People these days drive me up the wall." "Get over here...we're gettin' ya a damn dress, whether the tailor likes it or not..."

Once again, Race to her rescue. Fabel had to admit that it was pretty brave of him to waltz into a dress store with a girl who was only wearing a piece of fabric. None the less, she followed him in (not that she had much choice - he had a hold of her hand) and lingered hesitantly in the doorway.

"How..Exactly..Are we going to get this dress?" Fabel asked raising an eyebrow. There were few options; one being that they could put what little money they had together and get another bolt of cloth, and two that they could steal one. Fabel would go for the first option as much as possible.

[Anthony Higgins]

"Hello to you too..."

He gave her a look. "I thought hello's were implied, but a'right. Hello." The look was replaced by a smile. "Sorry I ain't as cordial as I could be, but I don't usually see ya in such a state..." Well, he had seen her in some odd circumstances, there was no doubt about that. But this was definitely a new kind of awkward. He hadn't seen her in a long while, an this was some way for them to meet back up...

"She...Threw it away."

"Threw it away?!" he exclaimed. "My God, what a royal pain in the ass!" He couldn't believe that lady had the gall to take Evelyn off the street, throw her dress out and leave her there without anything. People had no consideration. "If ya ask me, the coppers is wastin' their time goin' after us newsies. It's them high-brow grafters they should be lookin' after..."

"Not that it was worth keeping..but..It was all I have. It's obviously better than...this.."

"You kiddin'? Anything would be better than what ya got..." Race was consciously trying not to look at Evelyn too much. He knew he shouldn't stare, but she was a sight, that was for sure. He wanted to help her, definitely, but at first he wasn't sure how. The solution struck him, however, and he pulled her into the tailor's shop.

"How..Exactly..Are we going to get this dress?"

Race shushed her, as gently as his current choler would allow. He came up to the front desk where the tailor sat and put a hand forcefully on the tabletop. "Listen, mister...ya pull this girl in, take her only dress an' throw it in the dustbin. Ya use her like a human dummy an' then when she's standin'' there with nothin'...ya give her that?!" He pointed a finger back where Evelyn stood, indicating the bolt of cloth. "With all due respect, mister...what in the hell is wrong with you?" His eyes were zealous and fiery, and although he was only a teenager he spoke with all the authority of a grown man.

[Fabel]

"You kiddin'? Anything would be better than what ya got..."

Fabel turned an even darker shade of red, if that was at all possible, then she had already been. It was the most embarrassing thing that had happened to her in a very long time. Of course her moment wouldn't have been as embarrassing if Race wasn't there, but he was, and what was done was done.

"Listen, mister...ya pull this girl in, take her only dress an' throw it in the dustbin. Ya use her like a human dummy an' then when she's standin'' there with nothin'...ya give her that?!"
"With all due respect, mister...what in the hell is wrong with you?"

Fabel stared, wide eyed and mouth slightly agape as Race acted way beyond his years and social status. He certainly had a way with words...

The clerk stared at him for a moment, just as surprised as Fabel had been when she was pulled inside. He blinked a few times, adjusted his round spectacles that had seen better days, and began fiddling with the stack of fabrics on his desk. He seemed lost in thought for a moment, then began to speak; "Why should I give her anything?" he inquired nervously. "She's just a street rat." he added, a bit more confidently than he felt.

Fabel stayed cautiously in the doorway, listening. She didn't know what she could do to ever repay Race Track for his kindness and just sticking up for her in general. He had done so much for her, and what had she done for him? Nothing. As she listened to their conversation, she began to worry that Race might hit the stupid little man, getting them both in trouble. If it looked like it might come to that, Fabel decided in her head, she would jump into action and keep the peace.

[Anthony Higgins]

"Why should I give her anything? She's just a street rat."

Racetrack glared at the tailor full in the eye, drawing himself up to stand tall, his poker face a professional, cold blank. "Just a street rat, eh?" he said, and his voice rose in accusation. "Well, she wasn't just a street rat when you dragged 'er in here, was she? Once she's no use to you, then she's a street rat, right? Lemme tell ya why you should give her somethin'. You took her dress. Used her. And then threw her out on the street with that to wear?"

Race shook his head at the man. He was trying to be imposing, but he was also expressing what he really felt about the situation. Since this was an adult he was dealing with and not some other newsboy, he tried to refrain from using foul language and bad grammar, like he usually did. This was about dignity, and he couldn't make an impression on this slight man without at least pretending to be an adult along with him. "That disgusts me. That girl came into your shop with a dress. She came out with a piece of fabric. Considering the nature of this establishment..." Race realized that he'd pronounced the word as estab-ish-ment, but he ignored the error. He wished he knew better words and knew how to use them right. "I'm thinkin' this is a dress shop. An' to have someone come in wearing a dress and come out wearing fabric...that wouldn't be too good for my business, if I was you."

[Fabel]

"Just a street rat, eh?" "Well, she wasn't just a street rat when you dragged 'er in here, was she? Once she's no use to you, then she's a street rat, right? Lemme tell ya why you should give her somethin'. You took her dress. Used her. And then threw her out on the street with that to wear?"

The man grimaced, looking Race up and down, trying to figure out who he was, and why he was a spokesman for the ragged girl. He was about to retort, but was cut off by the boy ranting a bit more.

"That disgusts me. That girl came into your shop with a dress. She came out with a piece of fabric. Considering the nature of this establishment..." "I'm thinkin' this is a dress shop. An' to have someone come in wearing a dress and come out wearing fabric...that wouldn't be too good for my business, if I was you."

The mans expression changed into a somewhat horrified look as he noticed the papers under the boys arm for the first time. A newsie. He had been a newsie once, and was well aware of the capability they had for spreading word around New York. The nervous little clerk scowled indignantly and bent down to dig around in the scrap under his counter. He pulled out what appeared to be some sort of over sized dress for a rag doll, and put it on the counter. It was baby blue, and patched in many places, but long enough for Fabel. It would be a bit wide in her waist, but what wasn't?

"For her services..." the man muttered sharply as he pushed it across to the boy.

Fabel exhaled softly, happy about the turn of events. She ambled over Race Tracks side, gave the man a sharp look, and took the dress. "I'm sure my father, the Mayor, will be interested in today's happenings." she said, sounding very well off and sophisticated. It wasn't entirely a lie - Her father was the mayor of the smallest town in the South of the United States. It got the clerks attention and a frightened look swept over him for an instant.

"Please turn around, sir." Fabel said to the Clerk, gesturing for him to face the back wall. She wanted to put her dress on, and she didn't want him to watch her again. She let the piece of cloth drop and quickly pulled the dress on over her head.

"We should go, now, I think." she said turning to Race. She wanted to thank him for his charade, but not in front of the twitchy little man.

[Anthony Higgins]

"For her services..."

Race didn't take his eyes off the tailor as he took the dress and held it out behind him to Evelyn. "Your damn right, for her services," he retorted sharply. "An' ya better think twice before ya try to cross a friend of mine, mister..." The threat was slightly empty. Race was trying to make it sound like he was a somebody, but of course he wasn't anybody. But the last thing he wanted to see was a friend of his cheated. An avid card player, nothing sickened Racetrack more than someone who cheated. He always made sure he got justice, whether he used words to had to use fists.

"I'm sure my father, the Mayor, will be interested in today's happenings."

Race strangled his laughter and kept it down, especially at the look on the tailor's face. He wondered if the tailor was really dumb enough to believe the girl who had come in wearing a raggedy brown dress was really the daughter of the mayor. But he said nothing and tried to keep up Evelyn's facade as best he could. "I'll be sure to tell him everything, miss, don't you worry..." he said to Evelyn, making it sound like he was a sort of escort for her.

"Please turn around, sir."

The tailor faced the wall as Evelyn changed into her new dress. Thinking he better to the same, Racetrack found interest in the rolls of fabric coming from the wall. He thought for a moment that he could do with some new clothes himself, but pushed the thought away. There were other things he could buy, and the stuff he had was fine with him. Being a newsie, you didn't have much choice when it came to your clothes day to day. After all, when you lived out such a meager existence, the need for food was greater than the need to say in the morning, "Should I wear the red vest or the blue?"

"We should go, now, I think."

She was still trying to seem like the mayor's daughter. Race obliged and offered her his elbow. "I'll escort you back to the mayor's house, miss. Glad to be of service..." He resisted throwing a smirk over his shoulder at the tailor as he walked out of the shop.

((Pretty blah...sorry...))

[Fabel]

((Blah..? Heck no! It's good!))

"I'll escort you back to the mayor's house, miss. Glad to be of service..."

It wasn't hard for Fabel to mask her amusement. Whenever she was with Race, she ended up telling some tall tale and he would catch on and back her up on it. The two of them could get away with anything, together. She accepted his arm, raising her chin defiantly and let him lead the way out.

Once they were outside the shop and out of earshot of the Clerk, Fabel pulled away, replacing her mask of regal authority with her embarrassed and timid expression. Her posture slumped slightly from her once tall and confident stance. She began to smooth down the wrinkles in her "new" dress, as her face began to burn again.

"Thanks," she began, lowering her face to the ground, "..Again.." she continued, "For, ah...Ya know.." she stumbled over her words, fiddling with her dress. She was nervous. It was more or less because of the way she had acted last time she had been with him.

"That was Humiliating..." she said hotly, avoiding looking him in the eye.

((Talk about blah....))

[Anthony Higgins]

"Thanks...Again...for, ah...Ya know.."

Race grinned. He knew she was thinking the same thing he was: he seemed to be around whenever she got herself into a predicament. He shook his head. "Don' mention it. Someone's gotta be there for ya..." In reality he didn't mind so much. After all, he considered Evelyn a good friend. They had definitely been through more than most people he knew in such a short amount of time. "An' besides that," he added with a grin, "I'm always glad to help out a friend."

"That was Humiliating..."

He laughed. "Was humiliatin'...but now ya got a frock for y'self." He indicated her new dress. "Wasn't exactly how I planned it to look. If ya didn't run outta there, Evelyn, I'da made him put a ribbon or somethin' on it..." He smirked. He would have thought the little tailor would be more obliging and give Evelyn something a little nicer. But he had to admit, it was an improvement. Her old dress, he knew, had seen a lot. And he figured that most of it was from the last time he and Evelyn they had seen each other.

He asked her suddenly, "Where've ya been since I saw ya last, Evelyn? Been a while, eh? How's the knee?"

[Fabel]

"Don' mention it. Someone's gotta be there for ya..." "An' besides that," he added with a grin, "I'm always glad to help out a friend."

Fabel returned his grin feebly, but inside she was jumping for joy. He still thought of her as a friend! That was good news for someone who was having a bad day.

"Was humiliatin'...but now ya got a frock for y'self." "Wasn't exactly how I planned it to look. If ya didn't run outta there, Evelyn, I'da made him put a ribbon or somethin' on it..."

Fabel could easily see Race venturing for more than needed, terrorizing the poor little man, and it made her laugh. She hadn't laughed in quite a while, and the feeling of it coming from the dark pit inside her seemed to lighten her up.

"Where've ya been since I saw ya last, Evelyn? Been a while, eh? How's the knee?"

Fabel subconsciously rubbed the leg that was injured. "I've been...Everywhere really." she started, "In Manhattan lately though." she paused, "I have been trying to get my knee back to normal - and the walk from Harlem to here is good for it." she explained. "It's still...Eh...Sore...But not too bad. I can still get around." Fabel said in reply to his question of how her knee was.

True, it was getting better and had healed over a bit, but it still pained her so much in the night sometimes, that she would end up waking half the other newsies with her cries of pain.

"What have you been up to?" she asked, "Hawkin' headlines, betting and making trouble, I s'pose?" she added slyly. She had only been around him for a short period of time, but she had seen enough to know quite a bit. she was very observant.