Scotts arrived at the Newsboy Lodging House later into the night after finishing her dinner with the Jacobs. Seeing that kid, David, with a family made Scotts glad, knowing that kid had somewhere to go at the end of the night. Being around them made her feel happier, reminding her of a time before she became the leader of the Manhattan newsboys, a time when she was around family.

The exposed brick looked dark and warm with the dim street lamp lighting it up. As she came near the entrance, she saw Racetrack Higgins kicking around some pebbles on the sidewalk, the smell of cigarette smoke around him as she saw a small puff of smoke floating in the air. Racetrack looked up to the sound of her footsteps and one of his wise cracking smiles spread across his face.

"Hey Scotts, where you've been? Causing trouble?" He asked and Scotts chuckled, grateful for the distraction from the thoughts in her head.

"Oh you know me, always running off to places I shouldn't." Scotts said as she came close to him, lightly punching his arm.

"Always a trouble maker, huh?" He joked, discarding the pebbles on the ground, walking over to sit on the front steps to the lodging house.

"Hey, I'm the leader of the Manhattan newsies, I don't cause trouble." She stated, proudly. Racetrack rolled his eyes at her comment and took another drag from his cigarette. Scotts plopped down next to him and nudged his shoulder.

"Hey, got another one?" She guestered to his cigarette. Racetrack hesitantly drew another cigarette from his carton and held a lighter up to Scotts.

"Thought you quit smokin?" He asked, knowing fully well the conversation she had with Blink awhile back about how she was going to cut back on smoking.

"I did." She responded rather curtly. "Don't tell Blink." She commented, sensing that her first comment was a little too aggressive. Racetrack chuckled, knowing that if Blink was here, he would be reminding her about her promise.

"Jesus Christ, he's like a mother sometimes." Racetrack said, making the two of them chuckle.

"He just takes his job seriously." Scotts said. Kid Blink was many things, protective, serious but above all, he took his job seriously. Scotts couldn't imagine anyone else as her second.

"Or that he takes you seriously." Racetrack nudge and Scotts looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, Jesus Christ. Don't start that again." Scotts groaned.

It was a well known fact that Kid Blink had feelings for Scotts. Even a blind guy could see that Blink wanted Scotts. Scotts had hoped that his feelings for her would dissipate after she had been at the lodging house for a while, the novelty of her presence would wear on him but as time went on, her presence seemed to make his feelings grow stronger, even after she was named leader and no matter how much she tried to ignore it, there were moments that it was evident that Blink still held feelings for her.

Scotts had made it openly clear she wouldn't date a boy while she was leader. Feelings cloud your judgement, they're a distraction, affecting your decision and above all, they become a liability and Scotts couldn't risk that, not for anyone.

"So." Race drew another puff from the cigarette. "Where were you?" He asked Scotts. She usually was home by sundown, making sure everyone had enough for their bed tonight.

"Remember that kid David? From this morning?" Racetrack nodded. "I had dinner with him and his family." She said, drawing her own cigarette.

"What was that like?" Race asked, curious to know more about the newest newsie.

"Weird." Scotts said, looking out into the dark street. Race looked at her funny.

"How so?" He asked.

Scotts shrugged. "Just like...seeing a family, that's...you know, happy and together." Scotts started. For almost everyone in the lodging house, family was scarce, if not nonexistent. Seeing a family like David's made Scotts feel strange, she wasn't used to seeing a family so...perfect.

Racetrack chuckled. "A happy family? What's that like?" He asked. Scotts shook her head. "Hell if I know."

Racetrack gave her a look. "Hey, well, at least you family." He pointed out and Scotts gave her a look.

"Doesn't count if he doesn't want anything to do with me." Scotts pointed out.

"He's a kid, he'll get over it." Racetrack assured Scotts. He knew that her family was a rather sore subject but then again, family was a sore subject for anyone in the gang.

"Ya." Scotts said, absentmindedly. "So how was the tracks today?" She asked.

"Remember that hot tip I told you about?" Racetrack started. "Nobody told the horse." He grumbled and Scotts chuckled, taking amusement in Racetrack's comment.

"You're gonna gamble away all your money if you spend any more time there." She cautioned and Racetrack waved away her comment.

"Na, I just got a bum tip. My new guy tells me that the horse running next week is guaranteed to win." Racetrack explained and Scotts shook her head, knowing it was a lost cause to talk Race out of going to the tracks.

"You got enough money for lodging tonight?" She asked, jutting her head towards the door. The newsies had to pay a room and board fee each week to stay in the lodging house. As leader of the newsies gang, it was Scotts job to make sure that all her newsies had a place to sleep at night and she would often offer to pay their board fee if someone couldn't make the fee that week.

Racetrack shook his head. "Na, I'm good. Put away some of the money before going to tracks in case the tip was a dud." Scotts smiled, proud that Race didn't gamble away all his money.

Racetrack flicked the butt of his cigarette onto the cobblestone and stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants. "I'm gonna go in, you comin?" He asked Scotts.

Scotts threw the butt down and stomped it out. "Ya, give me a second." Racetrack nodded before disappearing into the house. Scotts could hear the faint laughter of the boys who were still up.

As Scotts finished the last of her cigarette, her mind drifted to David's family, thinking of how happy and perfect his life looked. Far from what she remembers of her family. Seeing David's parents made her think of her own, who were much like the Jacobs. But Scott knew that it wasn't important to dwell on the past, she had a new family, a family she chose and that was better than anyone she grew up in.