She continued to walk slowly away from the distribution center until she had rounded the corner, and ran as fast as she could away from that creepy guy- and her life as a newsie.
* * *
Snoddy glanced up at the sky from where he stood on the busy street corner. The sun seemed to have disappeared behind a cloud, but he could still feel its heat on his face.
"It's way too hot out here. I need to sit down before I fall down," Snoddy thought to himself. He pushed his old, worn, gray hat further up his brow before whipping the sweat off his tanned forehead and yelling, "I'm taking a break!" to his selling partner and old friend, Skittery.
Skittery nodded his head in understanding and yelled back, "I'm just gonna finish selling the rest of my papes. I'll meet you at Tibby's in 20 minutes."
Snoddy waved goodbye to his friend and turned the corner, anxious to get out of the burning sun.
All of a sudden like a lightning bolt, something or someone came hurtling around the bend and smacked into Snoddy.
"Oomph!" came the startles cry.
Snoddy peered down and came face to face with none other than Calandra.
"Hi!" Snoddy at started nervously. "I don't think we're met before. I'm Snoddy."
"Calandra," the girl replied, pushing her sparkling raven hair over her shoulder. "I've seen you around."
Snoddy's face broke out into a wide grin.
"She knows who I am!" he thought happily to himself.
"Uh, so, uh, do you think maybe you'd want to go get a bite to eat with me, so I can say sorry about running into you?"
Calandra gave an agitated sigh and looked him straight in the eye.
"Look, I've been having a bad day and if you're only taking me out because you think you've got a chance with me, you had better be joking."
"No, no!" Snoddy quickly said. "I'd never do anything like that. I'm like the most reliable, dependable and honest guy in all of New York!"
"How can I know for certain?"
"You can't. You'll have to trust me."
A brief pause overcame the two as they stood in the middle of the crowded sidewalk.
"Okay."
Snoddy gazed back once again into Calandra's riveting eyes.
"Really?"
"Really. Son now where were you thinking of taking me?"
Well, I know this little place over on fourty-fourth and second…"
* * * * * *
As the hours passed, Calandra found herself liking Snoddy more and more.
"He's so perfect! We share all the same interests, and he talks to me like a real live person!" she thought to herself as she gazed across the small, wooden table to Snoddy.
Across the table, Snoddy was having similar feelings.
"I never knew that it was possible to meet someone so nice, smart and funny!"
He reached across to take Clandra's small hand in his, but his gesture was delayed, as his sleeve got caught on the edge of the table and pushed his worn shirt up his tanned arm.
Calandra drew in a sharp breath as she looked at his forearm.
That was it! That was the tattoo!" she screamed to herself as she looked at the faded black circle that curved around Snoddy's wrist. "I've got to get out here!
Calandra stood up abruptly and excused herself from the table.
She smiled warily and walked quickly towards the bathroom. Calandra turned to see if Snoddy was watching her anymore. He wasn't, so she snuck out the front door of the restaurant.
The warm air from outside rushed up to her and embraced her as she started walking briskly down the street, eager to get away from Snoddy and the tattoo.
"I thought I had gotten away from all of that," she thought to herself. "I guess it'll never go away."
* * * * *