Ealasaid Una-Thank you! I love flashbacks too. They're very useful for telling stories, aren't they?
MinnieG-Thanks! I thought it would be an interesting oneshot idea. I'm sure you can make a good braid. It took me a while to get a French braid so I bet you could do it with some practice. Anyway, thanks (as always) for reviewing!
So I was driving home the other night and this idea popped into my head and right now I have time to kill so I thought I'd post this chapter. Hope you like it.
"Youse gotta see dis," Racetrack told his girlfriend one day. He grabbed her hand and dragged her outside where what looked like a horseless carriage was waiting. "Ain't it pretty?"
"What is it?" Ally asked. "It is a buggy but I think it is missing a part, no?"
"What is it missing?" Race walked around the car, carefully looking around to see if any parts were missing.
"The horse!" Ally laughed. She walked around the car with Race and looked at it. "It is missing the horse!"
"It don't need no horse. It's a horseless carriage," he explained. "Dis one runs on gasoline."
"What is gasoline? It is something you buy?"
"Yeah. Youse put it in dis thing here and da engine-dat's at da front-runs all by itself. It don't need a horse."
Ally looked amazed as she walked around the car again. She ran a hand over the leather seats and bent to carefully examine the wheels. "It is wonderful," she breathed.
"Wanna ride?" He held out a hand and she eagerly scrambled into the car. "Ready?"
"I think so."
Racetrack started the car and started driving out into the countryside. Ally laughed as the wind blew through her short dark hair. He draped a hand behind her seat and she started to lean in. Just then, a lone bird flew overhead, almost close enough to touch. Ally let out a shriek and ducked her head. She refused to sit back up the rest of the ride.
"So she screams and hides on da floor," Race recounted his and Ally's adventure to a group of newsies over a dinner of roast beef at Tibby's later that night. "Da boird flew away afta but Ally was too scared ta sit on da seat wit me."
All the newsies laughed at the image and Ally balled up her napkin to throw at him. "I do not like birds who come so close to me. It makes me scared inside."
"Ally, youse got no need ta be scared," Race told her. "Ise will protect ya."
"You did not protect me today. I think you want me to hit that bird." She grinned mischievously at him. "I think Castel will be upset when he learns of this."
Race immediately looked worried. "No! Don't tell him! Ise didn't mean ta! Really. Ise didn't know da boird would come so close! Honest."
Ally burst into laughter. She leaned forward and silenced him with a kiss. "It is okay, Antonio. I feel kind today, so I not tell my hermano what happened. But..."
"But wat?" Race still looked concerned.
"But you must bring me to eat gelato again. And bring my brother and Maggie."
Race laughed in relief. "Ise can do dat. Can we's take dem in da horseless carriage too?"
Ally shook her head firmly. "No. No more rides in that confounded contraption. Now eat your pie." She shoved a piece of pie towards Race as he laughed.