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Post by Roger Matthews on Mar 15, 2008 20:00:43 GMT -5
Roger slid out of bed with a groan. His hair was everywhere and his head throbbed. Having tossed and turned all night had taken a toll on him. His whole body ached with lack of sleep. He groaned once more and crawled to the bathroom. He got ready for work, not really wanting to, and finally made it to the door. He glanced at his watch and his eyes widened. Losing track of time had now made him over thrity minutes late. He rushed down the stairs and out of the apartment building.
Sprinting down the street made his aching joints ache worse. His lungs burned and his breaths were shallow and hard. Not being able to run any further, he slowed to a stop. 'I really need to get an apartment closer to work...' He thought absently. He looked to his right and saw his reflection in a shop window. His short blond hair, which was once neat and brushed, now looked like he had just gotten out of bed. His clothes were wrinkled and crumbled. He sighed and ran a and through his hair. He was sure to get an ear full from his boss this morning.
He turned around and started down the street again. As he made his way toward work, more and more people began to appear. It was now the morning rush and the streets were getting crowded. He pushed and shoved, determined to not be more than an hour late. He got yanked from behind and then shoved forward, which made his feet get tangled. He went sprawling to the ground and brought someone with him. They both landed in a puddle and were soon covered in mud and water.
Roger pushed himself up and shook his head, sending water and mud everywhere. He really wasn't in a hurry anymore, he wasn't going to make it to work now, there was no way. He glanced at the person next to him, who held the same fate as he did, and found it to be a young girl. He scrambled to his feet and held out his hand to help her up. "I am sorry. Are you alright?"
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Post by Dreamer on Mar 15, 2008 20:18:40 GMT -5
Dreamer was running down the street in the Bronx, occasionally looking back to see if anyone was coming after her...It didn't look like it, but she could still hear some shouts.
She had gotten into a little scuffle with a bunch of newsies who weren't very nice to anyone earlier. When she asked for directions back to the Manhatten territory, they just circled her like a predator would for his prey, and shoved her around
No one told her that there were some bad guy in the Bronx.
Somehow, she had managed to get away with only a cut above her right eye, but she never noticed. For some reason, Dreamer always seemed to be in th wrong place at the wrong time. Shoving past people in the crowded streets, she started sprinting, but then BAM!
Down she went with another person, into a really nasty puddle of mud and water. Brown splotces of wet dirt covered her cheeks and clothes as water dampened her hair to the pont of it beind soaked. She was surprised at first at what happened, and looked up to find the person who brought her down with him. A boy with blondish hair holding out a hand to help her up.
"I am sorry. Are you alright?"
Dreamer accepted the hand and started to stand up, almost slipping again multiple times.
"Yes," she answered softly. "I'm fine. Thank you,"
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Post by Roger Matthews on Mar 15, 2008 20:32:47 GMT -5
Since they both were wet and slippery, he struggled to help her up. Once she was up, he got a good look at her. Through all the mud he saw long blondish, brown hair and blue eyes. She was attractive through the mud, but Roger didn't dwell on this. Glancing once more at her, he realized that they both looked horrible. "Why don't we go to my apartment and get cleaned up?" He, who had still had her hand, started down the street to his apartment. He knew he was being pushy, but he figured anyone in her postition would accept his invitation. Some people might have thought it was a line, but he really did feel bad about knocking her down. He turned to her, once they were out of the crowds, and started, "Sorry about that, I just wanted to get out of the crowds." He glanced around and then let his eyes rest back on her. "Like I said before, why don't we go get cleaned up?" Realizing how weird that sounded, he added quickly. "My names Roger..." He thought maybe an introduction may help things seem less awkward. //Sorry, this post stinks. I don't like this at all. I just thought maybe getting cleaned up at my apartment might be a good story line, but it did not turn out like I wanted... //
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Post by Dreamer on Mar 15, 2008 20:52:27 GMT -5
((Your post is fine, don't worry about it))
Finally, Dreamer was able to stand up straight in the muddy puddle, and looked over herself and the boy. Both of them were caked in thick mud. She gave off a little embarassed smile.
"Why don't we go to my apartment and get cleaned up?"
Before Dreamer could answer and accept his offer, the boy was already pulling her down the streets and out of the crowds. It was kind of at a fast pace, but at least Dreamer was away from those guys. When they finally got out of the crowds, they started walking at a normal pace
"Sorry about that, I just wanted to get out of the crowds."
Dreamer gave off a bit of an uncomfortable smile. She wasn't that social around people. Especially strangers, one of the things she was afraid of.
"Like I said before, why don't we go get cleaned up?"
Before Dreamer could answer, the boy introduced himself quickly in one breath.
"My names Roger..."
"Dreamer," Dreamer introduced herself softly. "...And yes, I would love to get dried off. Thank you, I appreciate that,"
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Post by Roger Matthews on Mar 15, 2008 20:58:03 GMT -5
Roger smiled and nodded. "Okay, follow me..." He turned and once more pulled her along. They made their way to his apartment in no time and he led her up the stairs. He unlocked it and showed her in. He gave her an embarassed smile as he noticed his apartment and the shape it was in. He glanced at her awkwardly and then down at his feet, "So, you just wanna take a shower?" He looked back at her. Her whole body was covered and she would need some clean clothes. He had all this and didn't care about letting her borrow some. "The bathrooms to the right and there are some towels in the closet next to it. Everything you will need it in there." He smiled sheepishly and waited for her to say something. //There was not much to say... //
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Post by Dreamer on Mar 15, 2008 21:13:50 GMT -5
"Okay, follow me..."
Dreamer wasn't surprised when he started pulling her along. Roger seemed to be in a rush of some sorts, but she didn't think it was any of her business to wonder. When they finally got to the apartment, she looked around the apartment...
...It was tidier than the Manhatten newsboy's lodge, that was for sure.
"So, you just wanna take a shower?"
Dreamer looked at herself, and held out her arms a bit, as if in a shrug.
"I guess that would help," she said softly. "That would be nice,"
"The bathrooms to the right and there are some towels in the closet next to it. Everything you will need it in there."
"Thank you"
Dreamer nodded, and went into the bathroom, locked the door, and took a shower. The hot water felt good, minus the stinging it gave her cut, but she was all right. Usually, in the morning, she has to rush to get ready for the day, and never had that much hot water, so she just thought she would treat herself. After about 10 or 15 minutes, she grabbed a towel and quickly covered herself up, and wrapped her hair in another towel, coming out of the shower. When she noticed that the only clothes she had were the muddy ones she fell in. She didn't want to bother Roger so much, but she didn't want to go out in just a towel. She'd be deathly embarassed!
She opened the bathroom door just a crack, and called out to Roger in a timid voice.
"Hey, um, Roger..." she started shyly. "Do--Do you think that...you have some clothes I could borrow?"
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Post by Roger Matthews on Mar 15, 2008 21:21:35 GMT -5
Roger, who had taken a short nap on the couch, jumped slightly at the soft voice that came from the bathroom. He had totally forgotten about the whole clothing situation and now Dreamer was asking for some. He jumped up and ran to his bedroom while shouting over his shoulder, "I'm getting some now!" His voice had a trace of a smirk, which was echoed by the smirk on his face.
He grabbed some clothes and headed back to the main room. He held the clothes out in front of him and turned his head, as not to embarrass Dreamer. "Here you go..." He continued to hold the clothes out for her and waited for Dreamer to grab them.
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Post by Dreamer on Mar 15, 2008 21:29:39 GMT -5
Dreamer quickly grabbed the set of clothes
"Thank you," she said before closing the doors.
Roger had gotten a white shirt, and a pair of black pants for her. Something that was all right to Dreamer, unlike most girls. As she got dressed, she saw her reflection and the cut above her eye. It was still bleeding, but she didn't worry about it too much. After tossing her hair dry with a towel, she slipped out of the bathroom and back into the main room of the apartment. Wrapping her arms around herself, she spoke to Roger.
"Thank you," she said politley. "Um, that was nice for you to offer some help...What about you? Are you all right? I mean, I didn't hurt you when we fell down, did I?"
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Post by Roger Matthews on Mar 15, 2008 21:45:51 GMT -5
Roger looked up as a noise from the bathroom was heard. Dancer appeared in the doorway and thanked him meekly. "No problem..." he replied hesitantly. All of the sudden it got awkward, and he shifted his gaze to the wall behind her. His eyes snapped back to her as she said the last part. "No, no I am fine..." His eyes caught sight of the cut above her head. "Are you sure your okay? That is a nasty cut..." His eyes filled with concern as he stood.
He walked over to her and touched her arm softly, "Why don't you sit down...." Figuring she was hungry or thirsty, he asked, "Do you need anything? Something to drink or eat?" He glanced to the door that led to his kitchen. He really didn't have enough to feed both of them, but he figured he could figure something out.
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Post by Dreamer on Mar 16, 2008 21:04:20 GMT -5
"Are you sure your okay? That is a nasty cut..." His eyes filled with concern as he stood.
Dreamer felt the cut above her eye, still finding some sticky blood on her fingers. It was pretty nasty, true to what Roger had commented.
"Um..." she wondered aloud, thinking about what she felt about the cut
He walked over to her and touched her arm softly, "Why don't you sit down...."
Dreamer was a bit hesitant, but she sat down anyway, carefully as if she sat down too fast, she would fall.
"Do you need anything? Something to drink or eat?"
"I'm fine, thanks," Dreamer spoke shyly. "...You know, you don't have to do all this for me,"
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Post by Roger Matthews on Mar 16, 2008 21:12:58 GMT -5
his eyes followed her as she sat. She was such a delicate, almost innocent thing. He looked at the cut and realized how deep it was. "Let me get some stuff to clean that up." He walked to the bathroom and continued to talk. He was trying to be as welcoming as possible, and didn't want her to feel weird or anything.
"No, no! It's fine! Don't worry about it." he practicaly had to yell from his bathroom. He made his way back to her and leaned down beside her. He started to clean her cut, careful not to hurt her. "This is a nasty cut. Did you get that from our fall?" His voice was very curious. Their fall was not that bad, and she must have gottan that from somewhere else.
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Post by Dreamer on Mar 16, 2008 21:23:46 GMT -5
Dreamer kind of winced when Roger started to clean to the cut. It was stinging, but just a little bit. She tried not to show it that much.
"This is a nasty cut. Did you get that from our fall?"
Dreamer smiled sadly a bit, and shook her head.
"Actually," she started. "...A couple of guys who looked like they were a few years older than me kind of roughed me up a bit earlier. I got a bit lost and made the mistake of asking one of them if they knew the way back to Manhatten. That's where I'm from. I live with Jack Kelly's newsies. Have you heard of him?"
Dreamer hesitated a bit, and continued her story in a soft voice.
"Anyway, they had me in the middle of this circle they were walking around me, and kind of pushed me around...I think I bit the guy who had me last on the arm, but everything else is just a blur, up until we bumped into each other,"
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Post by Roger Matthews on Mar 17, 2008 13:58:03 GMT -5
"Actually," she started. "...A couple of guys who looked like they were a few years older than me kind of roughed me up a bit earlier. I got a bit lost and made the mistake of asking one of them if they knew the way back to Manhattan. That's where I'm from. I live with Jack Kelly's newsies. Have you heard of him?"
Roger furrowed his brows as he listened to her tale. He wondered how some one so innocent and sweet could have gotten herself mixed up in something like this. It just didn't seem right to him. Roger had always thought it weird that girls would become newsies, but he never thought of them any differently. But when it came to girls getting beat up over something like this, it made him angry. He look from her eyes back to her cut. He clenched his jaw until it ached. "Yeah, I know him. Well, I have heard of him..." He replied stiffly.
Anyway, they had me in the middle of this circle they were walking around me, and kind of pushed me around...I think I bit the guy who had me last on the arm, but everything else is just a blur, up until we bumped into each other,"
Roger let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Something about this tale just didn't fit. "So, they just started beating on you?" He asked curiously, still cleaning her cut. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, it just seemed odd for a few random guys to beat up on a small girl like herself.
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Post by Dreamer on Mar 17, 2008 17:43:15 GMT -5
"So, they just started beating on you?"
Dreamer nodded a bit, wincing again at the cut.
"Yeah," she said softly. "Just out of the blue. I guess they were those kind of guys who like to get people like me into trouble,"
When Dreamer looked at Roger's face, she felt that he was feeling a bit misguided. She didn't want him to think that she wasn't lying or anything. That wasn't Dreamer's style. If you were one of those people that knew Dreamer all your life, you would know that lying wasn't a habit she got herself into on a daily basis. She only lied if it was a life and death situation.
Telling her story to Roger wasn't a life and death situation.
"All they did was push me around and kind of wolf whistle at me a bit," she said again, before pointing to her cut that he was cleaning. "I fell down in the middle of it and got this when I hit my head,"
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Post by Roger Matthews on Mar 17, 2008 18:19:49 GMT -5
Roger nodded, deciding to drop it. He figured she was telling the truth, and even if she wasn't that was her problem. She seemed trustworthy. He sighed when she said something about them wolf whistling at her. Some guys could be so stupid at times. Did they really think that turned girls on? Roger knew better, and it frustrated him when guys did that. It was as bad when girls flirted shamelessly. All they did was make idiots out of themselves.
"Guys can be such idiots sometimes...." He thought out loud.
He finally cleaned her cut, and in the process got both of them wet and his hands bloody. He stood up and stretched. His body creaked and groaned in protest. He sighed and looked at the young girl next to him. She looked so innocent with her hands in her lap. He sighed once more and made a grab for the towel that was sitting a few feet from him. He wiped his hands off and then tossed it to her. "I'm gonna go wash my hands and then see what we have to eat..." He made his way toward the kitchen and to the sink.
Washing his hands, he looked around. His kitchen was small, but perfect for a young man living on his own. He flicked the water from his hands, droplets flying this way and that. He wiped them on his pants, while still looking around. He absently opened each cabinet, not really expecting finding anything. Pleasantly surprising to him, he found some food. He stuck his head out of the kitchen door and looked at her. "Do ya wanna come in here and help me?" He really didn't know how to cook, even if he worked at a restaurant.
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