Chapter Two
Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been really busy, and then, well, life is busy. Other than that, there are no other announcements. TeamJacob1998: Yes, I do like to ruin characters' lives and then bring them back up again. And pull at people's heart strings. Nah, I don't like doing that, I just have a taste for drama. Anyway, here we go!
Race didn't come around for a bit, but when he did, he found that he was still on the cold, hard floor. He hardly remembered what had happened until he did. And in the meantime, he saw all the newsies staring at him or moving about. Blink was struggling to get up, and when he finally did, he grimaced at Race. Race rolled his eyes at him, and then managed to get his body half way off the ground when Jack appeared.
"Help me heah or I ain't gonna evah pay youse back." Race threatened to Jack, but was sneezing the next thing he knew.
"Alrigh', heah." Jack said, and grabbed Race, pulling him up off of the ground. Race sighed and leaned on Blink when he nearly fell over.
"Ya bettah be happy dat we's did dat. I ain't gonna get outta bed now for a few days. Is gonna be sick." said Race.
"Is didn' make ya do dat. Ya wen' an' did it. Now come on." Jack replied, and Race and Blink went on into the room. Race made a beeline for his bed.
Across the room from him was Crutchy, who was still unconscious. Kloppman was with him. Bumlets had been returned as well, but he was moving about and talking softly, but still, at least he was functioning. Race lay down in his bed moaning, wondering how on earth anything could be this sick.
Itey still wasn't back. Jack seemed to be worried about all of them. He was running around like a crazy person, like a mother hen trying to find her chicks or something. Race watched him for a while, then looked over at Blink who was lying in his bed, fast asleep. Race wondered what would happen if his girl didn't understand why he wasn't at the races tomorrow. Would she come into the lodging house? She was a Brooklyn newsie, and most of the guys in here would recognize her.
Her name was, well, her newsie name was Nosey. She was nosey, but most of the time Race called her by her real name, Elizabeth. He did call her Nosey sometimes, but really only when Spot was around. Spot, unfortunately for Race, was in love with Nosey, or Elizabeth. Spot always got what he wanted. So Race had no chance. Actually, that whole part of them going together was made up. They weren't. Race imagined they were. He made bets with himself all the time, things like "I bet dat she gonna come runin' up ta youse today an' make dat 5 cents." It was sort of a sad life to live. But Race loved her, and even though she didn't love him back, it didn't change his attitude towards her.
He only knew her real name because she had told him one day. She didn't sell at the races, but one day, she passed by and stopped to talk to him. He'd used his charm and his wits to get her attention. He was no Romeo, but Race could make a girl swoon at his feet if he felt like it. Not that he needed it.
Suddenly, disturbed from his thoughts at the same moment, the door to the hall burst open and in came Mush dragging Itey behind him. Jack had come in with Bumlets, and Skittery had gone in with Jack. Mush was swearing under his breath. Itey was complaining that he had to be dragged home. Jack immediately, as far as Race could tell, asked Mush where Itey had been.
"Dis stupi' kid's been hidin' in da bakery wid da chief payin' attention ta him 'cause he pay' for it!" yelled Mush, so that everyone could hear. Race almost sat straight up. Since when did Itey have any extra money?
Jack shoved Itey into the wall and reminded him what he was supposed to do with extra money. Race laughed to himself. It was funny, watching Jack attack Itey. When Jack heard the laughter, he looked at Race, who just lifted his hands and rolled his eyes. Jack rolled his back, and Race saw him look back at Itey. Jack wouldn't attack or try to reason with Race at all, and Race knew it.
Once Itey was sorted out, Jack came over to Race.
"Youse feelin' bettah?" he asked, sarcastically and pointlessly.
"Naw, I ain't betttah. Jus' listenin' ta youse lecture Itey gits it's kicks." Race replied, and looked away from Jack.
"What's da mattah wid youse, Race? Ya been actin' more... more stranger dan usual. What is it, some goil bodering ya?" asked Jack. Race looked away. "Yeah, it's a goil, ain't it?"
"Look, mind youse own personal life, 'kay? Is git 'nough torture outta dat dastardly Brooklyn an' he nose it as well as Is do. Is can like a goil, so can youse, tink 'bout Sarah, Jack!" answered Race, looking in Jack's face.
"Spot's gettin' on youse nerves, eh?"asked Jack.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ya know Jack, dere's one ting I nevah told ya 'bout how Is mighta turned out in Brooklyn."
"What's dat?"
"If Spot weren't dere, or if he hadn't gotten inta a small fight wid me, I'da been da Brooklyn King. Bu' I dunno, Is don't need dat. I didn' wan' it. But Is was given a choice. An' Is fought him, an' Is ran. Ta heah. 'Cause I ain't needin' dat. Manhattan's different, dere ain't no fights ta decide whose leader all da time. Bu' let me tell youse, in me home, dere's more fights den alley cats git every week." said Race. He'd said this loud enough for others to hear, and he didn't really care. He was tired, cold, and felt like a sick pig.
There was silence for a while. Race fell asleep. Jack left him, and Race couldn't have cared any less than he did. He was asleep, finally.
The morning, though, brought Race awake to Kloppman's yelling. He didn't feel good at all, and gave Kloppman a look when he came by. The old man got the message and went on. Race looked over at Blink, who was just as wiped out looking as he felt, and then at Crutchy, who was conscious again but looked pretty bad. Race then heard the talking.
Had he known that the rest of the newsies were going to hear him, and every word, and then spread a rumor, he might've been more protective. But Race wasn't, and he didn't. He also didn't get up that morning. How he wished... wait, what? "Was that a , a wish? Since when did we wish?" he thought. Another part of him answered: "Since now. How you wish to be alone with Nosey, how you wish that Spot didn't always fall for the same girl as you. How you wish that the fight that you had with him wasn't over a girl. How you wish that the argument had kept you from Brooklyn. But no. You went back. And he forgave you. And now, you're gonna end up in some very deep, hot water."
Race thought about these wishes. The word wish was strange. Race had never liked it. He was a bet placer, and didn't bother with wishes. But now, he was making wishes again. The last time Race had made a wish, it hadn't ended very well.
Author's Note: So there's chapter two, I hope you enjoyed it! I'm creating a background to Race that probably hasn't been used before because it's my idea, and it's going to be an interesting history for Race here. I'm excited for the next chapter, and, oh yeah, Cliffhanger! Yay! Okay, enough of that... please review, ideas/suggestions are welcomed warmly and I can take all that I need! So please, review, review, review!
