The weird stuff that happened that night all started when Spot went to talk to Marble.

"Hey Dublin."

"Yea?"

"'Bout dat pokah game wit Harlem an' Midtown, I's don't want alla dem heah witout me, deys gonna tear da place apart."

"But Spot we've been plannin' this game for weeks. What'm I supposta tell them?"

"I dunno, jist cancel it or find some odda place ta play." That was the end of it. Spot left.

Dublin swore and kicked the wall, "Hey, Twitch come 'ere."

"What's up boss?"

"Don't call me boss," he said it out of habit even though he knew it wouldn't work, "Listen, Spot canceled the game so I need you to go tell the boys before they get here, alright?"

"Shoa t'ing boss." Twitch gave a quick salute and ran out the door.

At Harlem he found everyone in the street outside of the house getting ready to go, "Hold up Hawk, deres a change a plans."

"Hiya Twitch, what'd ya mean?"

"Da game's kinda canceled. Spot don't want nobody dere when 'e ain't 'round an' 'e ain't 'round."

It took Hawkeye a minute to get individual words out of the slurred message. "That sucks man. A couple of them were going to visit Blink so they're gonna head over there, ok?

"Blink ain't dere no more, 'es back in Manhattan."

The girl at his side spoke up, "Ya know Hawk da boys dere is always up fa a pokah game, an' I's shoa dat Jack won't mind."

"You told me he was out with his girl tonight Hazel."

"Won't mind, won't know, same difference."

Hawkeye grinned at his girlfriend, "Alright, Twitch go tell Brooklyn that the game was moved to Manhattan."

"Shoa t'ing Hawk, see ya dere." Twitch went down the street towards Midtown before heading back to Brooklyn.

The Harlem newsies went the other way down the street a minute later. Hazel grabbed one of her girls on the way. "Fox, run down ta Coney Island and tell Frannie not ta come home when she's done, she's gotta go ta Manhattan for da game. While yous dere tell Ace dat her an' da goils is invited."

Fox nodded and took off.

As she was running Twitch was getting back to Brooklyn, "Heya Dublin da pokah game was moved ta Manhattan so we bettah git goin or we's gonna be late. Harlem's gonna be dere but sumpthin' goin' on in Midtown an' I couldn't talk ta nobody."

"Thanks Twitch." he turned back to the boy we had been taking to, "Never mind Dodger, we's got a place to play. But I'm sure it'd be alright if the Bronx came."

"Thanks for the invite Dublin we'll be there."

"See ya." Dublin had no idea what he had said, all messengers talked too fast, but he didn't really care. Everyone who was still around went out the door and started walking slowly down the street. It would be a long time before everyone else made it so they didn't want to rush.

The group was spread out over three blocks, with Frick and Frack some where near the front, "Hey Frick, do you think Racetrack will be there? I have some money to win back from him."

"Oh please, do you actually think Race would miss a poker game, of course. But if you lose all of you money to him again don't come crying to me, I'm not giving you anything this time."

He pretended to be shocked, "What's this sister dear, you think I would prey on your good nature and generosity just for money? Shame on you for even considering that."

"You are so full of it. I'm not wasting any of my money on poker so don't even try to get your grubby little hands on it."

"So if your not 'wasting' your money tonight why are you coming?"

"I'm only going to see if Pips is alright. Excuse me for wanting to see my friends."

* * *

Fox arrived at Coney Island in record time and burst into the lodging house, "Hi, wheah's Frannie?"

"Upstaiahs wit Gail."

"Thanks."

Gail was the youngest girl at seven and she had gotten the flu a few days before. Frannie was the one who took care of all of the sick newsies so she had come down from Harlem to have a look.

She was talking to Ace at the top of the stairs, "Hey Frannie."

"'ello Fox. What's up?"

"Da pokah game was moved from Brooklyn ta Manhattan an' Blink's dere so yous kin look in on 'im when ya come." Her high pitched voice was as hard to understand as Twitch's gravelly one because they both talked at the same impossible speed, but most newsies were used to it because she was a regular messenger.

"Thanks Fox, if ya give me a minute ta get my things I'll come with you."

"Shoa. Ace, Hazel says yous an' ya goils is invited also if ya wanna come."

"Alroight, I'll tell dem den we can git goin'." Ace ran down the steps into the lobby.

The only person there was a small black girl of eleven sitting on the front desk trimming her nails. Her hair was done up in hundreds of braids sticking out in all directions and she was wearing an open black and white cow print shirt over another one of an eye wrenching blue. Her pants had once been brown shorts but legs had been sewn on, one yellow and one green and she wore a purple and pink patterned short skirt over it.

"Hey Ragbag, can ya do sumpthin' fa me?"

"Yea."

"Go let da goils know deres a pokah game in Manhattan an' we's invited."

"Whateva ya say, Ace." She jumped off of the desk and was out the door in a second. She pulled out the tin whistle that she kept on a string around her neck and started jogging down the street. Every few blocks she would stop and play a few notes in a code only the Coney Island girls knew. One stop was right at the entrance to the track. There weren't many people there because it was getting cold and dark outside and they all wanted the comfort of home or a nice warm bar. Only a few die hard gambling fanatics were still there. Two of them were newsies.

"Hey Charm, where ya goin'?"

"Oh, Hiya Race, I didn't know ya came back. I's t'ought you was spendin' da day wit Blink."

"Naw, I's can't stand watchin' 'im an' Pips fight. Where ya goin'."

"To da pokah game."

"What pokah game?" Race perked up a little at the mention of his favorite game.

"You don't know?" Charm asked, startled.

"No, what's goin' on?" Now he was confused.

"Dere's a pokah game in Manhattan."

"Since when?"

"I dunno but I jist hoid 'bout it. Ya mean yous didn't know?"

"Naw, I nevah hoid nuthin' bout it. I's bettah git back an' see what's goin' on."

"Alroight, I's gonna talk ta Ace 'bout it an' I'll see ya dere."

"Latah."

"Bye."

Charm left and Racetrack headed back to Manhattan, where Marble, Blink and Pips were sitting out on the front steps of the lodging house.

"You know that that's going to kill you someday. Not that I mind, but I don't want to come with you when you die."

Blink just glared at Pips and blew the smoke from his cigarette towards her. For a second it seemed like she was going to smack him, but instead she moved to the other side of the steps and sat down, so Marble was between them.

Marble was sitting with her head in her hands, "I swear ta God if da two a you don't quit bitching at each other I'm gonna kill both of you and throw the bodies in the river."

Neither of them said anything after that and she thought she had actually gotten them to stop, but when she looked through her fingers she saw that they had settled into another glaring contest. She sighed, looked towards heaven and mouthed 'why me?' then looked around the street wondering if there were too many witnesses around for her to get away with murder when she saw the most wonderful thing in the world.

"Spot!" Marble was down the street and in his arms in a second, kissing him wildly before burying her face in his shoulder, "Make them stop, please just make them stop."

"Make who stop what?"

"Them stop that!" She pointed accusingly at Pips and Blink where they were still glaring at each other.

"Dey seem ta be hittin' it off poity well." He sounded so serious that Marble stared at him for a minute before laughing.

"They've been like this all day and they just won't stop, it's driving my nuts."

"Ya poor t'ing." Spot didn't sound very sympathetic, "So is dat da goil dat we's t'ought was a boy?"

"Yup, she's a bit uptight but she's a good kid, so don't be too offensive."

"Me, offensive? I's nevah offensive." He pinched her butt and winked.

Marble jumped and slapped him lightly across the face but she laughed, "Come on, let me introduce ya."

Pips and Blink finally broke eye contact when Marble and Spot were only a few feet away.

"Spot this is Pips, Pips, Spot."

Spot put on a charming smile, "It's a pleasuah ta meet such a beautiful goil in sucha ugly place. Yous shouldn't try ta hide sumpthin' so lovely dressin' like a boy. It's a shame dat oddahs hadta miss out seein' ya poitty face when it lites up da whole street."

Marble was trying her best not to snicker and Blink was rolling his eyes until Spot kissed her hand then he made a gaging noise. Pips yanked her hand free and smacked him in the arm.

"Hey!" He swung at her but Spot swatted his hand away with the knob of his cane.

"No hittin' goils."

Pips looked at him smugly and stuck out her tongue so Marble smacked her upside the head, "Play nice. So, Spot what took ya so long gettin' here?"

"I came ovah once I's sold alla me papes."

"Then were did you stop?"

"How did ya know dat I's stopped?"

"Why are you avoiding my question?"

"Why are ya askin' so many."

"Wha'd ya git me?"

"Why should I tell yous?"

"Why don't you hand it over?"

"I's don't t'ink ya desoive it."

"Ah-ha so you admit that you stopped to get me something."

"Maybe."

"Give it."

"Make me."

"Spot! Be nice."

"Foine. If, ya tell me how ya knew dat I stopped somewheah."

"Hiya Race." Blink and Pips said in unison then started glaring at each other again. Race almost turned around again but this was too important so he decided to ignore them and only talk to Marble.

"Heya Spot, Marble, what's dis I heah 'bout a pokah game tanite?"

"Where'd you hear about it?"

"Coney Island."

"Wow, So where'd you stop?"

"I didn' stop but I did git chased by da bulls fa a while for stealin' a cigar. Wait a minute, how'd ya know?"

"Come inside and I'll tell both a yous." She walked up the steps and leaned back against the door with her hand on the knob, "I knew you two stopped because neither of you are that slow and the other newsies can't fly."

She opened the door and all five of them walked in. Spot and Race were overwhelmed with greetings. The room was packed, "Harlem, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Coney Island with the Bronx on the way."

Blink tapped her shoulder and pointed out the door, "Never mind, they're here."