It was late at night. I was staring over the city from the fire escape. Something I often did at night when I couldn't sleep.

"Faith." I heard someone say.

"Race! What are you doing up?"

He looks over at me with the same old smile. He was my best friend. Best friend my age that is. We where friends ever since I became a newsie about eleven years ago. I was five witch meant me and Race where the youngest newsies in the boarding house. Because of that we made a friendship quickly.

"Sometimes I can't sleep too doll face." He said crawling through the window. He walked up to me and elbowed me.

"Damn it Racetrack how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me doll face!"

He laughed. I look up at the sky. It's cold and black with no stars showing.

"I'm just going to keep calling you that, you know."

"It's annoying!" I say turning to him.

Even though I'm trying to be serious there is still a smile across my face. It is to hard to be serious with Racetrack.

"We should get inside it's almost six." He said.

"Already?" The sun was rising but i didn't think it could be any later than five o'clock!

He nodded. I sighed dramatically. I just wanted a bit more time!

"If we don't Jack will be pissed! You know how Jack is sometimes." He whispered tugging on my shirt "Come on."

Inside some of the really early risers are up like Kid Blink and some others. But it isn't long until everyone else is up to. Within the next hour everyone is ready to sell papers.

"Hey Faith, so I've been thinking about that poker game tonight." Jack said starting up conversation with me as I was getting ready.

"What about it?" I asked.

"I'm thinking of inviting Spot Conlon."

I rolled my eyes.

"Not that pain in the ass, son of a-"

"I know you don't like him but could you go tell him for me?"

"But Jack first of all every time you play Spot you lose! You know he is just going to flirt!"

"He likes you he'll say yes to you!"

"But Jack I-"

"Come on for an old friend!" He said.

"How can I say no to you?"

He starts to walk away but then turns.

"By the way Spot usually hangs out-"

"By the docks I know!"

Jack is the best friend that isn't my age. Even though I am closer to Racetrack I'm also close to Jack. We meet when I ran away from my family in Staten Island. My mother died in childbirth having me and my dad was a drunk. He targeted all his anger at me because of my mothers death. He'd say that I killed her and would beat me so I ran away. If you don't believe me I have scares to prove. Jack introduced me to the newsies and I've been a part of them ever since.

On the way out of the boarding house and to buy the newspapers I talked to Race. All that he could think about was the poker game tonight. That kept making me think of Spot. I didn't want to talk to Spot, not that day!

"So I heard that Spot is coming. Is that true?" He asked me.

Just him being brought up in a conversation annoyed me!

"Well he might but nobody has asked him yet."

"Well whats taking 'em?"

"She's talking to you, thats whats taking 'em!" I laughed.

"You're asking Spot! Why?"

"Jack asked me to. What else would I say? After all he's done for me!"

"I'll go and ask him you can stay in Manhattan."

"No, I should go. I promised Jack."

"Just remember not to play with Spot okay, it just fuels him." He told me. He always told me this every time Spot is even brought up in a conversation.

"I know! I know! Like you always tell me 'He loves games because he always wins' right?"

"Right." He said taking another puff of the cigar in his mouth. At the time Racetrack had a saying for just about everything.

When we finally got near to the front of the line to buy our papers Race asked:

"How many you getting?"

"Well because I'm going to Brooklyn soon I'll just get fifteen papers."

"Okay fifteen papers on me."

"I'm sixteen I think I can pay for my own newspapers!"

"Look you have enough to deal with. I'll pay."He said flashing me a big grin.

How could I say no to that smile?

"All right fine!"

When Race gets to the front he buys me my papers and his. After that the rest of the day was kind of like a blur 'till I got to Brooklyn. I sold all of my papers quickly and thanks to a good headline i didn't have to make up anything. Just before I left I remember Jack saying:

"Faith, be careful. Be back before dark."

I'd read the headline a young woman was killed in the city. Older than me, but still Jack was always protective that way.

I walked along my way bumping into people going the opposite way. Eventually I reached the Brooklyn Bridge. I started to make my way across. What was I going to say to Spot? He hadn't seen me since the last Poker game ( the last one that I cared about) and that was many months ago. We had only talked once! Did he even know my name? He was such a pain in the ass! A self absorbed, over confident flirt, who wouldn't leave me alone!

I made my way from the bridge to the docks. They did't seem very crowded... At least not as crowded as usual. Probably because it was working time. Which made me worry that Spot may not be there.

"Hello sweet face, what brings you here?"

I know the voice, it's Spot. I turn to see him. He'd grown a bit taller. It had been a long time maybe he had changed.

"Came here for me?" He said his devilish smile spreading across his like that I felt all the anger rushes back.

"I only came to tell you Jack is holding a poker game tonight he wants you to come. It's at the boarding house in Manhattan."

He looked at me with his cold blue eyes.

"Will you be there?" He asked.

"Maybe..." I answered hesitantly trying to hold all of my frustration in.

"I'll be there." He takes a step forward.I take a step back. Race always said not to play with Spot like this it just fuels him. He kept staring at my and the awkward feeling began to sink in. I tried to walk passed him but he caught my elbow.

"Oh but I was having such fun!" He hissed.

He has a tight grip that I couldn't manage to get out of!

" I didn't come for you Spot! I wouldn't have come if Jack hadn't made me! Why the hell do you have to treat everyone like crap?"

With that he lets smile has faded from his face.

"I didn't mean to... Sorry." I saw sincereness in his face for once in my life. "Tell Jack I'll be there, all right."

Sure enough the smile spread back across his face.

"You will be there won't you?" He said.

"I already told you... maybe."