Nowhere to Turn: Part 2
By: Echo


I was walking down the street on my way to the Lodging House the next day. An hour ago Skittery and Dutchy ran into Tibby's to tell Jack that one of the littler kids had been found lying in an alley. He was in the hospital now and the doctors said he would be okay, but he had been soaked pretty good.

I looked up as someone brushed by me and saw Kristen running down the street. I started chasing her and managed to corner her in an alley eventually. "Who are you?!" I asked angrily.

She glared at me. "It ain't none a yer business!"

I grabbed her arm. "It is my business if your tryin' ta hurt my friends."

She pulled her arm away and rubbed it. "I'm not trying to hurt anyone."

I stared at her. "So ya aren't from the Boury?"

She looked down. "I told you I wasn't tryin' to hurt anyone."

I glared at her. "Are you the leader's goil?"

She jumped a little. "No."

"Are ya from the Boury?"

She looked around nervously. "Look, just let me go. I'm not going to hurt your friends."

"No, you're not. Yer just gonna have your boyfriend and his gang do it for you." I said sarcastically.

"Please, let me out of here." She said, on the verge of tears.

I rolled my eyes. "That act isn't gonna work on me."

She looked at the entrance to the alley and backed up against the wall as a guy twice my size walked in. "Hey dere Psycho, how ya doin'? Red's been lookin' fer ya."

"Well I don't want to see him." She said as she glared at him. He sneered and ran towards her. Before I could even blink she dodged out of the way, grabbed my arm, and started running. We stopped a few blocks later when we had finally lost him.

I leaned up against a building to catch my breath. "Who was that?"

She sighed. "One of Red's favorite goons. I wouldn't have helped you if I knew he wouldn't have soaked you."

I sat down. "So you are his girl?"

She glared at me. "Not anymore. I couldn't stand the creep so I left. That's why that jerk was chasing me. You shouldn't have followed me... Red won't be happy when that guy tells him I was with you. In fact, he'll be pissed."

"What are you sayin'?" I asked in disbelief.

She glared at me. "I'm saying you screwed up. When Red finds out I was with another guy, he'll break a few bones at the very least."

I closed my eyes. "This is bad. This is so bad."

"No kiddin'." A girl's voice said.

I looked up and saw Echo standing a few feet away. "What are you doin' here?"

She rolled her eyes. "I was just walking by when I heard you talking to someone. You've got some problems Brian."

Psycho glared at her. "You were spying on us?!"

Echo frowned. "No... I like to call it conveniently listening. You're that girl from the Boury everyone hates, right?"

Psycho jumped up. "Who are you?!"

Echo held her hands up in surrender and smiled. "Hey, calm down! I didn't mean anything by it. I'm Echo." She spit on her hand and held it out but wiped it off when Psycho didn't shake with her. "Okay, I get it. You aren't really the friendly type."

Psycho glared at her. "Jack Kelly's girl."

Echo cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Well, yeah. But I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"If you're his girl, you can tell him you saw me." She said coldly.

Echo thought for a minute. "Yeah, I guess I could. But I don't think you mean any harm."

Psycho stared at her coldly. "What are you saying?"

I smiled. "I think she's sayin' she ain't gonna tell anyone she saw ya because your not gonna cause any trouble."

Echo frowned. "Well, not exactly. I was thinking more along the lines of, if I told Jack what was really going on, he could help you."

Psycho laughed bitterly. "Tell me you are kidding." Echo shook her head. "He'll never believe you."

"Yes he would! If I told him what you just told Brian..."

Psycho glared at her. "Are you crazy?! You can't tell him!"

Echo glared back. "Why not? It's not like I'm trying to get you soaked!"

"He'll just think I lied to you both! Even if you do convince him it's the truth, he'll just tell Red where I am!"

Echo frowned. "Jack wouldn't do that."

I cleared my throat nervously. "Actually, I think he would. He hasn't been on the best terms with Kristan and Red won't hesitate to soak the guys to find her... Jack would tell Red where she is if it would keep the guys safe... or just for revenge."

Echo looked down. "I hate it when people are right about these things."

Psycho nodded. "He'll probably just soak me himself."

"Red would get pretty pissed off if Jack was tryin' ta soak his girl too. He isn't known for fair fights and Jack wouldn't stand a chance." I added.

Echo rolled her eyes. "That would suck."

I smiled. "So you're not gonna tell 'im?"

She nodded. "I won't tell a soul. If Jack finds out I knew and didn't tell him... I'll just say it was for his own good."

Psycho didn't stop glaring at her but seemed relieved. "If you tell him that he won't be mad?"

Echo gave her a look that seemed to say, 'Are you out of your mind?!' and then replied, "Of course not! He'll be pissed if he finds out I didn't tell him!"

I stared at her in amazement. "And you'll keep it a secret anyway?"

She smiled innocently. "It's for his own good."

I was still staring at her, completely confused. "You would risk your relationship with Jack?"

She shrugged. "He won't find out... and if he does, he'll get over it."

I kept staring at her. "What if he does find out and doesn't get over it?"

She glared at me indignantly. "Then there won't be anything I can do. But everything will turn out all right so stop being so pessimistic!"

Psycho hit me on the arm. "No kidding! What are trying to do?! Talk her into telling Cowboy? That's what we're telling her not to do!"

Echo smiled. "Don't worry, I won't tell. I'm insane, not stupid."

Psycho glared at her. "I'd say that's still up for-" I elbowed her and then said, "She's really glad you aren't going to tell."

Echo shrugged. "I know what she was going to say and I can understand why she doesn't trust me." She looked at Psycho and smiled. "I won't tell anyone. I swear I won't."

"Yeah right, I didn't trust you before but I'll trust you know because you're giving me your word. No way." Psycho said coldly.

Echo sighed. "Well, you have a good point. But I won't break my promise, I swear on my father's grave. If I lie may you pull out a gun and shoot me." She spit on her hand and held it out. "Friends?"

Psycho stared at her suspiciously and then shrugged. "What the heck, I don't have anything to loose."

Echo looked surprised but managed to smile. "I have to get back to the Lodging House now, but it was nice meeting you Psycho."

I looked at Psycho nervously as Echo walked away. "So, ya gotta place to stay?"

She glared at me. "Why?"

I shrugged. "Just wondering... why don't you trust me?"

She started to walk across the street with me following behind her. "I'll trust me when you give me a reason to trust you."

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Part 3
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