"Sorry," Spencer Rosetti said, briefly, as she accidentally walked into some newsboy. She didn't want to turn around because, well…she knew him, and she was pretty sure he didn't want to see her. It wasn't like he could even recognize her, after she colored her hair black, cut it a little shorter, and changed her name. She was now known as: Ava Ricci, the gorgeous, dancing waitress at some bar in Manhattan.

"It's okay, wait a minute…" The newsboy, Racetrack Higgins, said. Spencer looked over her shoulder, and could tell he was going to want to talk. Dammit, he knew it was her!

"Uh…yeah…?" Spencer managed to get out. If Race knew it was her, she was ruined.

"Do I know you; I could've sworn I've seen your face before." He said. Spencer's head was getting hot, which happens when she is nervous.

"Um, no I don't think we've met. I have a very common face you know and, um…" Spencer couldn't think of anything else. She tried to walk away, but he called after her again.

"Okay, well…I'm Racetrack, who are you?" He asked. Spencer wanted to say, I know who you are. Don't you know me, it's Spence!

"Uh", I'm Ava Ricci." Spencer lied. Everyone in Manhattan knew her as Ava, so she was pretty sure that no one would tell him anything.

"Ava…so, where ya from, it can't be here because I know pretty much everyone, and if you say we haven't met…" Spencer laughed. Racetrack always rambled on when he was trying to impress a girl. He never did this to her though, which meant she was completely safe.

"Uh, Queens. Yeah, born and raised there..." Spencer kept on lying. Racetrack stared at his feet. He was trying to think of something cute to say, Spence knew his routine with the ladies.

"So you want to go out sometime?" His head was down, which Spencer saw as her opportunity to leave, she was going to be late for work. She started walking off but of course, Race stopped her.

"Wait," He yelped. Spencer groaned and turned around again. "I know I'm not that good looking but…I'm a great guy and I think I'll make you happy…" Racetrack said. Spencer sighed. She felt bad for the guy, he didn't get many dates.

"What time?" She tried to sound excited. Spencer tried to hurry it along, if her boss was mad at her for being late, she was done.

"How about you can meet me at Tibby's tonight, say…8:00" He asked, hopefully.

"Sure, see ya." Spencer ran off, trying to make it on time for her job.

"Yes!" Racetrack cheered after Ava left. He had gotten a date with a gorgeous girl, and it was tonight. He was gonna brag to the boys like there was no tomorrow. Jack, Mush, or even Spot for that matter had probably never gotten a girl like that before.

"Heyya Race," Racetrack heard Jack say.

"Hey Jacky boy. Guess what!?" Racetrack could barely hold it in. It was so awesome.

"I think I know what, I saw you talking to Ava Ricci." Jack didn't sound so impressed, so maybe Ava was bad news.

"Yeah, and we're going out tonight!" Race said. The two guys started walking all around Manhattan, selling a few papes every few seconds, and while they talked, they shouted out phony headlines.

"I wouldn't man, she's like…do you know where she works?" Jack asked. He looked worried.

"Uh, no…" Racetrack was all worried now. What if she was like, something bad?

"She's a dancing waitress at Brett's." Jack said, looking Race straight in the eye. "The guys in Brooklyn, Bronx, everywhere have gotten her already. You'll just be another one of them…" Jack was serious. Ava Ricci, now he recognized the name. The guys always talked about her, and they all wished they could get her.

"Oh…well I think it would be rude to break a date, you know? We're only going to Tibby's." Racetrack said. He felt cheated, and lied to. He didn't even know the half of it.

"Just warning you man," Jack patted Race's shoulder. They went back to the Lodging house, and that gave Race about 10 minutes to freshen up. When he decided he looked good enough, it was 7:45. The boys bothered him some more about Ava, and he shrugged it off and ran out to Tibby's.

Spencer smoked a few puffs on her cigarette, outside of Tibby's, waiting for Race. She saw him running up to her.

"Hey!" He smiled, and she smiled back. They walked in, and sat down at a table.

"So," Spencer said. "I'll have some water." She told the waiter, who winked at her.

"Same," Racetrack said, still smiling at Spencer. After the waiter left, Racetrack started talking. "So, the boys talk about you."

"Oh yeah? What do they say?" Spencer snapped. She knew what they said. She was basically a prostitute, and that's why everyone knew her.

"They say you're pretty," Race lied. He looked, dreamily at Ava. She was so pretty, so he wasn't really lying…kind of.

Spencer unknowingly wrinkled her nose, an annoying habit she's taken to since she was little.

Race stared at her, confused. "Wait," he said. "Do that again."

Spencer's eyes widened.

"Do what?!" She demanded, knowing she was busted. "I did noth-"

"Spencer Rosetti." Race shook his head, and placed his hand on his head. "Spence," He looked so angry. She tried to get up and leave. "No! Sit down!" He said.

"Hey, Race!" She smiled, phony-like, sitting down again. "Miss me?"

"You wish, Rosetti!" Okay, he was very angry. "What the hell are you doing back in town, and as a whore no less!" He shook his head. She blushed, and frowned.

"Um, well I needed a job. There was no work in Brooklyn, and Spot kicked me out, said I couldn't have romantic entanglements with Spikes." She rolled her eyes.

"Romantic entanglements? You mean… you and Spikes...?" Race almost screamed.

"Shh, we went on for a little until Spot found out and got pissed. Then I heard they needed a new waitress at Brett's and thought, why not? I didn't know it would turnout like this! Now…I'm a slut." She was almost crying, and hid her face in her hands.

"Well, you got some nerve coming back here after what you did!" Racetrack pointed out. He was referring to the incident that happened last year. Spencer had been going out with Skittery, and then was caught kissing Oscar Delancey, and she was run out of town by the Manhattan newsies. She was told never to come back again.

"I'm sorry, you know I am!" She defended herself. "I needed a job, and this was the best offer, okay? Don't you think that is punishment enough?!" She yelled, and Race had to feel at least a little sorry for her. Didn't he? Spencer leaned back on her seat, and Race watched her cry for the rest of the date…