asked.
“I’ll give you tinhat!” he shouted, “cheeky little bitch! You got anything to eat?”
“nah”, she said, had my breakfast a while ago.”
“What d’you have”, he asked, licking his lips.”
“Dunno”, she replied shrugging, “just some brown slop. Didn’t like it.”
“Hmm”, I’ll have it if you got it with you.”
“I don’t”, she replied, “Chucked it in the bin.”
“Wasteful little brat”, he shouted, looking her up and down, “looks like you could use a dinner.”
“Yeah”, she said
“Got any money?” he asked.
“Yeah”, she answered, “five bucks for cigarettes”
He blinked in amazement,
“You’re spending five bucks on cigarettes”, he said , where’d you get money like that.
“From Bernice”, she replied, “The cigarettes are for her. Not for me. I gotta bring the change back cos she’ll check.”
“Then you are a dumbass”, he said, “A real wise little bitch would be going home with the cigarettes and twenty bucks in her pocket. Unless she wanted to give ten of it to her new friend.”
He pointed at himself.
“How’d I do that” she asked?
“God they don’t make kids like they used to”, he tutted, beckoning her down the alley, you sure are a little dumbass”
Lol didn’t move.
“Well”, he shouted, exasperated with her now, “you comin or aintcha?”
“You gonna have sex with me”? she shouted back, “I know what goes on in alleys, and I ain’t doin that. Bernice told me that.”
His face was full of shock at what she’d said. Such a lack of innocence.
“No”, he said softly, “with me, you’re safe. Course, if you give cheek and keep acting like a dumbass I’ll belt you back of the head.”
Lol smiling, followed him down the alley now.
“Guy who runs the home says that’s what I need”, she said, “a good belt back of the head.”
He whacked her hard then on the back of her blonde head with his calloused hand.
“Hey!” she shouted.
“That’s for not listening to your betters and following some old guy down an alley” he grumbled, “honestly, this isn’t worth the ten bucks I’m getting for the trouble.”.
They walked along till they came to a small elementary school at the end of the warehouse district. One of the lots had been cleared and a makeshift car park was built on the remains. The little kinds were all in class. Tinhat turned to Lol,
“What d’you get in school, dumbass” he said.
Lol thought,
“Teachers and kids”, she replied curtly.
“And what do kids have in their pockets?” he continued.
“I dunno”, she replied, how the hell would I know?”
“Dumbass”, he shook his head with disgust.
“Stop callin me that”, she said crossly, “If I’m that dumb, how come I’m the one with the five dollars in my pocket?”
“I’m a victim of circumstance”, he harrumphed, “cruel vindictive circumstance inflicted upon me by an uncaring and corrupt government.”
Lol didn’t know what those words meant.
“I’m gonna call you Groucho”, she said with a smile.
“Yeah” he said, “you do and I’ll push you in front of a truck”
He smiled as he said this. The word Groucho had made her smile. He hadn’t seen the kid smile so far. Not his job to nursemaid a kid, ain’t his problem, but there were enough miserable people in this world without the kids being that way too. Besides, she reminded him of his little lost tinkerbell. And Groucho was no worse than Tinhat.
“Let’s get to business”, he said, “What those little kids have got in their pockets in money. A dollar, two if we’re lucky. Pocket money.”
“So what”, Lol nodded, “We gonna beat up little kids for their money?”
“I swear”, Groucho shook his head in disbelief, “you are the dumbest kid I ever met. No. Go get the cigarettes for your Bernard or whatever the hell the name was.”
“Bernice”, Lol corrected.
“Yeah, whatever, go get
“I’ll give you tinhat!” he shouted, “cheeky little bitch! You got anything to eat?”
“nah”, she said, had my breakfast a while ago.”
“What d’you have”, he asked, licking his lips.”
“Dunno”, she replied shrugging, “just some brown slop. Didn’t like it.”
“Hmm”, I’ll have it if you got it with you.”
“I don’t”, she replied, “Chucked it in the bin.”
“Wasteful little brat”, he shouted, looking her up and down, “looks like you could use a dinner.”
“Yeah”, she said
“Got any money?” he asked.
“Yeah”, she answered, “five bucks for cigarettes”
He blinked in amazement,
“You’re spending five bucks on cigarettes”, he said , where’d you get money like that.
“From Bernice”, she replied, “The cigarettes are for her. Not for me. I gotta bring the change back cos she’ll check.”
“Then you are a dumbass”, he said, “A real wise little bitch would be going home with the cigarettes and twenty bucks in her pocket. Unless she wanted to give ten of it to her new friend.”
He pointed at himself.
“How’d I do that” she asked?
“God they don’t make kids like they used to”, he tutted, beckoning her down the alley, you sure are a little dumbass”
Lol didn’t move.
“Well”, he shouted, exasperated with her now, “you comin or aintcha?”
“You gonna have sex with me”? she shouted back, “I know what goes on in alleys, and I ain’t doin that. Bernice told me that.”
His face was full of shock at what she’d said. Such a lack of innocence.
“No”, he said softly, “with me, you’re safe. Course, if you give cheek and keep acting like a dumbass I’ll belt you back of the head.”
Lol smiling, followed him down the alley now.
“Guy who runs the home says that’s what I need”, she said, “a good belt back of the head.”
He whacked her hard then on the back of her blonde head with his calloused hand.
“Hey!” she shouted.
“That’s for not listening to your betters and following some old guy down an alley” he grumbled, “honestly, this isn’t worth the ten bucks I’m getting for the trouble.”.
They walked along till they came to a small elementary school at the end of the warehouse district. One of the lots had been cleared and a makeshift car park was built on the remains. The little kinds were all in class. Tinhat turned to Lol,
“What d’you get in school, dumbass” he said.
Lol thought,
“Teachers and kids”, she replied curtly.
“And what do kids have in their pockets?” he continued.
“I dunno”, she replied, how the hell would I know?”
“Dumbass”, he shook his head with disgust.
“Stop callin me that”, she said crossly, “If I’m that dumb, how come I’m the one with the five dollars in my pocket?”
“I’m a victim of circumstance”, he harrumphed, “cruel vindictive circumstance inflicted upon me by an uncaring and corrupt government.”
Lol didn’t know what those words meant.
“I’m gonna call you Groucho”, she said with a smile.
“Yeah” he said, “you do and I’ll push you in front of a truck”
He smiled as he said this. The word Groucho had made her smile. He hadn’t seen the kid smile so far. Not his job to nursemaid a kid, ain’t his problem, but there were enough miserable people in this world without the kids being that way too. Besides, she reminded him of his little lost tinkerbell. And Groucho was no worse than Tinhat.
“Let’s get to business”, he said, “What those little kids have got in their pockets in money. A dollar, two if we’re lucky. Pocket money.”
“So what”, Lol nodded, “We gonna beat up little kids for their money?”
“I swear”, Groucho shook his head in disbelief, “you are the dumbest kid I ever met. No. Go get the cigarettes for your Bernard or whatever the hell the name was.”
“Bernice”, Lol corrected.
“Yeah, whatever, go get
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