*The next day, just after noon*
Anya picked up pace as she headed toward the lady with the open purse. As she passed her, she reached in and took out some bills. Just as she was walking away, the lady cried out:
"That girl took my money! Someone stop her! Police!"
Anya glanced back to see the police heading her way. She took off running when she bumped into someone. She glanced up and immediately recognized the face.
"Jack! Cheez-it, it's da bulls! Dey're afta me!" She told him and he grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowded streets and down an alley. They were able to duck inside a building without being seen. Anya saw that they were at the bottom of some apartment stairs.
"Well, if it ain't good ol' Sparks. Haven't seen youse around in a while." Jack finally spoke, although in a whisper so as not to be heard.
"Yea, well, it's been rough. Just tryin' ta start ova. 'Sides, as a pick-pocket, I'se gotta keep movin or I'se'll get caught."
"True." He replied as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"I mean, just yesta'day I'se jacked some newsie from Da World. He's gotta patch ova one eye. You know him?"
"Youse picked Blink? Dat takes guts." Jack looked surprised.
"Why? Da kid's gotta patch, dat's a sign of easy prey."
"Blink usta be a pick-pocket hisself before he became a newsie. He's strong, too."
"Until ya knee him where it counts." Anya smirked.
"Ya did dat?! Last night he said he's was sore." Jack gave a laugh.
"Yea, well, I's was hungry. Jus' like now. How 'bout I treat ya ta lunch?"
"Nah, a gentleman always treats a lady."
"Jack." Anya held out her hand and showed him the $3 she had swiped from the woman.
"Okay den. Your treat."
"Well, where do ya wanna eat?" she asked, leading the way out of the building and the alley.
"How 'bout Tibby's?"
"Jacky-boy you-" She was cut off by Jack.
"Don't. Don't eva call me dat again."
"Sorry Jack. You know I don't eat at dat place for da same reason I's don't hang around da lodgin' house."
"Yea, but all da newsies ate and are back out sellin papes. No one'll notice ya."
"Dey'll notice you."
"Sometime or anudda you'll have ta face 'em. Let's go." He pulled Anya along and they headed to Tibby's.
When they got inside, they noticed that there really wasn't anyone around.
"Told ya." Jack said as they slid into a booth. Anya had her back to the door. "Ya jus gotta trust me…"
"I ain't trustin' nobody an' I'se ain't getting attached." Anya shot at him.
A waiter then came over and took their orders. They had a nice chat over lunch and Anya even had some money left over.
"Tanks a mill Sparks, I owe ya one." Jack said, finishing his pop.
"I'll put it on ya tab." Anya said slyly. Just then, they were interrupted by the jingling bells over the door, signaling that someone was coming in.
"Cheez-it. It's Blink." Jack whispered. Anya lept up and ran past Blink and out the door. She ran all the way around the building and slipped in the back door and quietly hid behind the main counter to listen to their conversation.
"Dat goil's always runnin. She's worse den you Jack." Blink said. He and another boy joined Jack at the booth. The boy with Kid Blink had a cigar hanging out of his mouth.
"She's also a lot purddier den Jack." The boy with the cigar said. They laughed a bit and Anya smiled.
"Who is she Jack?" Blink asked.
"You mean you don't know?" Jack asked, pretending to be surprised. The other two shook their heads. "Only New York City's best pick-pocket who just happens ta be an old friend of mine."
"Yea, well, she ain't that good if I caught her. She ain't very nice edder. She keeps runnin away. How can she be a friend? She seems like a little brat." Blink said and as he finished, Anya jumped up.
"Hey! It's not nice ta tawk behind mah back! You gott problem wit' me, ya say it ta mah face!"
"What the?" Blink looked over, confused.
"Oh yea, she's also da city's best snoop and eavesdroppa'. Guess I forgot ta mention dat." Jack laughed.
"I'se didn't appreciate you stealin mah hard earned money." Blink told her.
"Hard earned my butt! Youse got it easier den some people. Plus, I's was gonna pay ya back sicne youse was so nice tawkin 'about me ta Kloppman yesta'day. Here, here's your money. Wit interest." She slapped a dollar on the table.
"Youse know about dat?" Blink asked.
"I's was visitin mah old buddy when you had ta barge in. I's barely had time ta slip out da back door. I stuck around jus' incase it was only Jack."
"Where's Fox?" Jack spoke up.
"Fox your boyfriend?" Blink asked. Jack and Anya laughed.
"Ya could say dat." Anya went just outside the door and called for the dog. She pulled him inside and to the booth. "Dis is Fox."
"I'se don't tink I caught ya name Miss." The boy with the cigar said to Anya.
"Anastasia Larson. Anya ta some, Sparks ta oddas. You are?"
"Racetrack Higgins. Pleasa' ta meet ya." Racetrack extended his hand and Anya shook it.
"Kid Blink?" Anya turned to him and shook his hand.
"Told ya dey weren't bad." Jack said.
"Guess you're right dis time Jack." Anya nodded. "Let's head out. I'se don't wanna hang 'round any longa den I's gotta." So they all headed out.
Anya picked up pace as she headed toward the lady with the open purse. As she passed her, she reached in and took out some bills. Just as she was walking away, the lady cried out:
"That girl took my money! Someone stop her! Police!"
Anya glanced back to see the police heading her way. She took off running when she bumped into someone. She glanced up and immediately recognized the face.
"Jack! Cheez-it, it's da bulls! Dey're afta me!" She told him and he grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowded streets and down an alley. They were able to duck inside a building without being seen. Anya saw that they were at the bottom of some apartment stairs.
"Well, if it ain't good ol' Sparks. Haven't seen youse around in a while." Jack finally spoke, although in a whisper so as not to be heard.
"Yea, well, it's been rough. Just tryin' ta start ova. 'Sides, as a pick-pocket, I'se gotta keep movin or I'se'll get caught."
"True." He replied as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"I mean, just yesta'day I'se jacked some newsie from Da World. He's gotta patch ova one eye. You know him?"
"Youse picked Blink? Dat takes guts." Jack looked surprised.
"Why? Da kid's gotta patch, dat's a sign of easy prey."
"Blink usta be a pick-pocket hisself before he became a newsie. He's strong, too."
"Until ya knee him where it counts." Anya smirked.
"Ya did dat?! Last night he said he's was sore." Jack gave a laugh.
"Yea, well, I's was hungry. Jus' like now. How 'bout I treat ya ta lunch?"
"Nah, a gentleman always treats a lady."
"Jack." Anya held out her hand and showed him the $3 she had swiped from the woman.
"Okay den. Your treat."
"Well, where do ya wanna eat?" she asked, leading the way out of the building and the alley.
"How 'bout Tibby's?"
"Jacky-boy you-" She was cut off by Jack.
"Don't. Don't eva call me dat again."
"Sorry Jack. You know I don't eat at dat place for da same reason I's don't hang around da lodgin' house."
"Yea, but all da newsies ate and are back out sellin papes. No one'll notice ya."
"Dey'll notice you."
"Sometime or anudda you'll have ta face 'em. Let's go." He pulled Anya along and they headed to Tibby's.
When they got inside, they noticed that there really wasn't anyone around.
"Told ya." Jack said as they slid into a booth. Anya had her back to the door. "Ya jus gotta trust me…"
"I ain't trustin' nobody an' I'se ain't getting attached." Anya shot at him.
A waiter then came over and took their orders. They had a nice chat over lunch and Anya even had some money left over.
"Tanks a mill Sparks, I owe ya one." Jack said, finishing his pop.
"I'll put it on ya tab." Anya said slyly. Just then, they were interrupted by the jingling bells over the door, signaling that someone was coming in.
"Cheez-it. It's Blink." Jack whispered. Anya lept up and ran past Blink and out the door. She ran all the way around the building and slipped in the back door and quietly hid behind the main counter to listen to their conversation.
"Dat goil's always runnin. She's worse den you Jack." Blink said. He and another boy joined Jack at the booth. The boy with Kid Blink had a cigar hanging out of his mouth.
"She's also a lot purddier den Jack." The boy with the cigar said. They laughed a bit and Anya smiled.
"Who is she Jack?" Blink asked.
"You mean you don't know?" Jack asked, pretending to be surprised. The other two shook their heads. "Only New York City's best pick-pocket who just happens ta be an old friend of mine."
"Yea, well, she ain't that good if I caught her. She ain't very nice edder. She keeps runnin away. How can she be a friend? She seems like a little brat." Blink said and as he finished, Anya jumped up.
"Hey! It's not nice ta tawk behind mah back! You gott problem wit' me, ya say it ta mah face!"
"What the?" Blink looked over, confused.
"Oh yea, she's also da city's best snoop and eavesdroppa'. Guess I forgot ta mention dat." Jack laughed.
"I'se didn't appreciate you stealin mah hard earned money." Blink told her.
"Hard earned my butt! Youse got it easier den some people. Plus, I's was gonna pay ya back sicne youse was so nice tawkin 'about me ta Kloppman yesta'day. Here, here's your money. Wit interest." She slapped a dollar on the table.
"Youse know about dat?" Blink asked.
"I's was visitin mah old buddy when you had ta barge in. I's barely had time ta slip out da back door. I stuck around jus' incase it was only Jack."
"Where's Fox?" Jack spoke up.
"Fox your boyfriend?" Blink asked. Jack and Anya laughed.
"Ya could say dat." Anya went just outside the door and called for the dog. She pulled him inside and to the booth. "Dis is Fox."
"I'se don't tink I caught ya name Miss." The boy with the cigar said to Anya.
"Anastasia Larson. Anya ta some, Sparks ta oddas. You are?"
"Racetrack Higgins. Pleasa' ta meet ya." Racetrack extended his hand and Anya shook it.
"Kid Blink?" Anya turned to him and shook his hand.
"Told ya dey weren't bad." Jack said.
"Guess you're right dis time Jack." Anya nodded. "Let's head out. I'se don't wanna hang 'round any longa den I's gotta." So they all headed out.