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Short Round looked around. Her stomach was growling. She had gotten used to hunger, but she'd need to get something to eat soon.
It was in times like these that she actually missed the Russells.
After the Bad Thing (and she always referred to what had happened to her parents and siblings as that in her mind, never willing to dwell on it more) when Short Round have been just a little baby, the couple working as Christian missionaries in Shanghai had taken her in. From what Short Round had gathered she had been brought in by a relative, an uncle maybe, but she had no idea who.
All she knew was that she had been taken in by the couple who had held Christian services in their small house and who had taught her English and math and things about Mister Jesus.
She had been clothed, and warm, but she couldn't stay there.
Mrs Russell had patted her on her head and told her she was a very pretty girl and that she was lucky to avoid having her feet barbarically bound. And yet the way she had talked about her, the clothes she had made her wear, the Christian prayers she had made her say, it all had felt at least as restricting as the horror stories she had been told about baby girls having their feet mutilated.
She had needed a new fresh start, and so one night had climbed out of the window and fled to the streets.
The Russells had called her 'Jill', a butchered version of her real given name, but now that she was free to start a new life she just told everyone to call her Short Round, the name she had found in an American movie. Everything had looked up.
But something still bothered her.
But first things first, she needed food.
Shorty sneaked towards the stall. The scent of dumplings made her mouth water. She reached out a hand-
A cane came out of nowhere and Shorty managed to just pull her hand away in time.
Mrs Liu, the short and angry owner of the stall, lifted her cane again, ready to strike. But Shorty was long gone, and disappeared into the crowd. She knew the streets well, and slipped between the small space between the buildings into a backyard.
“Hey.”
Shorty turned around. “Zhang."
The boy, maybe a year older than her, smiled. "Come on, gimme."
"Gimme what?"
Shorty stood as straight as she could. Just last year she had been taller than him, but the boy had gone through a growth spurt recently.
Zhang reached out his hand. "What you took. Gimme half of it. I'm hungry."
"Everyone's hungry,” Shorty met his eyes. “Besides, I didn't manage to get any."
"Really? Caused a ruckus and didn't even get anything from the old crone. Are you that dumb? Dumb little girl."
Shorty twitched, and she saw the flash of realization in Zhang's eyes.
He grinned: “Little princess, gonna go cry to-”
Anger welled up in Shorty's chest. Anger at him, but also at herself for letting him know how to hurt her. She pushed him hard. "Shut up!"
Zhang stumbled against the wall but recovered fast. He swung his fist at Shorty.
Luckily for her he was still unstable and it connected with her stomach with little force. Shorty doubled over nevertheless, but used the chance to pick up a rock.
Before Zhang had time to react Shorty swung the rock at him. Even as she was swinging it, she looked him in the eye. He was startled, maybe even afraid. Good. But-
I can't hit him in the head.
The rock connected with Zhang's side and he yelped in pain.
Shorty turned to run.
"Just wait!" Zhang called after her. "You little-"
The slur slipping between his lips was far less polite than 'princess'.
Shorty fled.
Short Round peeked behind the barrels on the street at the entrance of the Gung Ho Bar. She knew the cook and if she played her cards right she might let her have some of the food she was going to throw away anyway.
Shorty surveyed the crowd. Something caught her eye.
A tall stranger. A man in a fedora and a leather jacket. His whole appearance reminded Shorty of the cowboys he had seen when sneaking to watch American movies at the Tai-Phung Theater.
He was definitely not from around here.
Shorty watched the satchel he was carrying and had an idea. Why settle for scraps when she could pickpocket the tourist and live like a king for a while?
She sneaked towards the man, who was reading something. Hopefully his attention would be elsewhere-
Shorty's hand slipped into the satchel and quickly away again. To his disappointment all he had managed to pull out was some papers. Quickly, he reached into the satchel again, hoping that the man would think she was pressing against him due to the crowd of drunk party-goes that was passing them.
Her fingers brushed against something metallic-
"Hey!"
Shorty looked up, and met the man's eyes.
She cursed, and pulled away. The man's yell had alerted the people on the street and it was emptying surprisingly quickly. People in these parts of the town knew to stay away from trouble.
Short Round picked a direction and ran. For a fraction of a second she actually thought she got away.
But a loud crack echoed on the street and Shorty found herself trapped. She stumbled, confused by the rope around her. Was he really a cowboy? With a lasso?
The man-who-was-maybe-a-real-cowboy smirked and pulled her close.
He reached out his hand, and spoke, in fluent Mandarin: "Give it back, little boy."
Shorty opened her mouth, in awe.
She closed it again.
The man frowned, and asked again, in slightly awkward Shanghainese. "Give it back."
Short Round struggled to her feet, and responded in Mandarin. "Sorry, Sir. I was mistaken."
The rope (Or not a rope?) uncurled around her, but the man took hold of her wrist to keep her from running.
"Mistaken? Sure.” The man had switched back to Mandarin, the language he seemed more familiar with. “Give me back my map."
"There's no need to act rough, Sir," Shorty informed him, pulling out the paper she had taken from the satchel. "It is yours, take it back."
The man let go of her arm and took the map. Shorty watched it disappear into his pocket.
"Don't try that again, kid." The man turned around and started walking towards the bar.
Shorty ran after him. "Sir, do you need a guide? I can help. I know everyone around here, I know where to get opium, I know where to get girls. Pretty Chinese girls. Or boys, or both-"
"Not interested. Besides I'd never trust the taste of a- how old are you? A ten year old boy?" The man laughed. "I don't need a kid to tell me where to go."
There it was again, that feeling of elation. She knew people confused her to a boy sometimes but lot of the people around the bars she hung out in knew her by now-
But this total stranger did not. For him Shorty was a boy.
Shorty pointed at his chest. "I am a man, basically. Almost 12! I see now you are not a tourist. But I can still help!"
She switched to English. "My name is Short Round. I speak English too I am useful, very useful. Need a body guard? I will fight!"
“Short Round, huh?” The man gave her an amused look. Finally he tipped his hat. "Doctor Indiana Jones."
"Doctor?"
"Not the kind of doctor you are thinking of." He turned once more, but Shorty skipped after him, determined to get him to take her with him.
"I won't be expensive. I can be a spy! Need someone to find out things? I listen well, no one notices!"
"Listen, kid, aren't your parents waiting for you?"
Shorty stopped. "No."
Doctor Jones seemed to realize something was wrong. He looked away awkwardly. "Listen, maybe I will have some errands for you to run later, okay?"
Shorty saluted. "Yes Sir!"
She gave his hat and rope (or was it really a whip?) an another look. "Are you a real cowboy, Sir? An American cowboy?"
Doctor Jones gave Shorty an amused look. "A cowboy? Not really. I am from America though."
Yes!
Shorty needed a fresh start, and if she went to America with Doctor Jones-
Doctor Jones who was convinced she was a boy-
But why not? You could be anything you wanted in America, that was what the movies had said. So why would Shorty not just be a boy, then?
He gave his hand to Doctor Jones. "You shake on it! A promise between men."
Doctor Jones smiled. But he took Shorty's hand. "Promise."
Shorty squeezed his hand as hard as he could and nodded. In any case he was determined to keep an eye on Doctor Jones so he wouldn't leave him, but he had a plan now.
He would go to America and work for Doctor Jones.
And maybe become a cowboy.
A real fresh start.