Chapter 4
Penny awoke with a startle. She glanced around. After a few moments she realized everything that had happened the night before, except for one thing. She rubbed her eyes and yawned a few times, forgetting that Racetrack was sleeping on her. He hopped up and made fists with his hands. "Wha'? Where?" he bellowed.
Penny eyed him curiously. "Sorry," she yawned.
"Oh." Racetrack kicked at the floor aimlessly. He felt awkward after what the two had gone through. "Uh, so, uh, what are you'n, uh, da kid plannin' on doin', uh, taday?" he inquired, looking at Penny's forehead instead of clicking with her eyes.
"I guess dat's up ta him," she stated, getting up and fluffing her dress back out again.
Racetrack now looked at Penny. "You'd give him da choice?" he asked her.
She nodded.
"Wow."
"Wow what?" Penny asked nervously.
"Well, wow. I mean, most Mudda's would want der kids ta come home, at least dat's what 'd tink." He shrugged and cleared his throat, changing the subject. "Uh, I'se got some money if ya wanna get some breakfast."
Penny glanced at the tiny, dirty window that was above the large, front door. "Well, I guess we could. What time is it?" she asked.
Racetrack pulled his golden pocket watch from his pocket. "Let's see. It's 6:30. Da boys should be getting' up soon."
Penny twisted her arms back and cracked her back. "Sure, but I'se got money, so ya ain't gotta pay."
"But I…"
Before Racetrack could retort, a group of newsies came running down the stairs. "Der's da two'a dem!" Jack cried out, arms flying.
Ben plodded down the creaky stairs, a frown on his face. He glared at Penny. "You're here one night and you already find a way to intertwine your work." He looked disgusted as he brushed his shoulder with hers.
Penny grabbed his hand. "What?" she boomed.
He cringed. "You heard me."
"For your information mista' know-it-all, Race and I'se was talkin'…"
"Just like everyone else starts out."
Racetrack was dumbstruck. He shook his head and stated, "Ben, ya Mudda' and I… We's WAS jus' talkin'."
Ben chuckled and then said with a serious frown, "She's not my 'Mudda'." He pulled away from Penny and pushed his way through the cloud of newsboys.
Penny sighed and flopped down on the couch again. "I need some lessons in bein' a Mudda'," she mumbled.
Racetrack motioned for Jack to go after Ben. "Will do," Jack promised, heading out the door.
Racetrack flung his arm around Penny and let his arm gently drop on her shoulder. "I'se sure you'se is a great Mudda'. You'se let Benny-boy do all he wants, which is what kids dese days need."
Penny chuckled, "Right. All us parent need is our kids out in da streets startin' trouble wit da bulls."
"Well, you'se is a good Mudda', so shuddup." Racetrack stared at Penny's long, blonde hair and then turned her towards him, starring deeply into her green eyes. "Why don't ya do sumpin' about bein' a Mudda' den if you'se is complainin'?" he inquired.
"Yeah right…"
"Nah, for real, I…"
Penny shot him a "look" and bellowed, "No, you don't understand. You'se is still a kid yaself!"
Racetrack looked hurt, but stated, "We's all kids inside." He took her hand and patted it, then stood up, and walked out the front door to catch up to Jack, and talk to Ben. Race, being 25, the same age as Penny, always got the same response about everything. He may have looked younger, but he was older than some of the people he had met in his past times in Manhattan. But he could deal. He didn't know if he could from Penny though, since he was thinking of asking her to go for a walk. 'She'll prolly tink I'm too much of a baby ta go out wit,' he thought.
More to come!
Penny awoke with a startle. She glanced around. After a few moments she realized everything that had happened the night before, except for one thing. She rubbed her eyes and yawned a few times, forgetting that Racetrack was sleeping on her. He hopped up and made fists with his hands. "Wha'? Where?" he bellowed.
Penny eyed him curiously. "Sorry," she yawned.
"Oh." Racetrack kicked at the floor aimlessly. He felt awkward after what the two had gone through. "Uh, so, uh, what are you'n, uh, da kid plannin' on doin', uh, taday?" he inquired, looking at Penny's forehead instead of clicking with her eyes.
"I guess dat's up ta him," she stated, getting up and fluffing her dress back out again.
Racetrack now looked at Penny. "You'd give him da choice?" he asked her.
She nodded.
"Wow."
"Wow what?" Penny asked nervously.
"Well, wow. I mean, most Mudda's would want der kids ta come home, at least dat's what 'd tink." He shrugged and cleared his throat, changing the subject. "Uh, I'se got some money if ya wanna get some breakfast."
Penny glanced at the tiny, dirty window that was above the large, front door. "Well, I guess we could. What time is it?" she asked.
Racetrack pulled his golden pocket watch from his pocket. "Let's see. It's 6:30. Da boys should be getting' up soon."
Penny twisted her arms back and cracked her back. "Sure, but I'se got money, so ya ain't gotta pay."
"But I…"
Before Racetrack could retort, a group of newsies came running down the stairs. "Der's da two'a dem!" Jack cried out, arms flying.
Ben plodded down the creaky stairs, a frown on his face. He glared at Penny. "You're here one night and you already find a way to intertwine your work." He looked disgusted as he brushed his shoulder with hers.
Penny grabbed his hand. "What?" she boomed.
He cringed. "You heard me."
"For your information mista' know-it-all, Race and I'se was talkin'…"
"Just like everyone else starts out."
Racetrack was dumbstruck. He shook his head and stated, "Ben, ya Mudda' and I… We's WAS jus' talkin'."
Ben chuckled and then said with a serious frown, "She's not my 'Mudda'." He pulled away from Penny and pushed his way through the cloud of newsboys.
Penny sighed and flopped down on the couch again. "I need some lessons in bein' a Mudda'," she mumbled.
Racetrack motioned for Jack to go after Ben. "Will do," Jack promised, heading out the door.
Racetrack flung his arm around Penny and let his arm gently drop on her shoulder. "I'se sure you'se is a great Mudda'. You'se let Benny-boy do all he wants, which is what kids dese days need."
Penny chuckled, "Right. All us parent need is our kids out in da streets startin' trouble wit da bulls."
"Well, you'se is a good Mudda', so shuddup." Racetrack stared at Penny's long, blonde hair and then turned her towards him, starring deeply into her green eyes. "Why don't ya do sumpin' about bein' a Mudda' den if you'se is complainin'?" he inquired.
"Yeah right…"
"Nah, for real, I…"
Penny shot him a "look" and bellowed, "No, you don't understand. You'se is still a kid yaself!"
Racetrack looked hurt, but stated, "We's all kids inside." He took her hand and patted it, then stood up, and walked out the front door to catch up to Jack, and talk to Ben. Race, being 25, the same age as Penny, always got the same response about everything. He may have looked younger, but he was older than some of the people he had met in his past times in Manhattan. But he could deal. He didn't know if he could from Penny though, since he was thinking of asking her to go for a walk. 'She'll prolly tink I'm too much of a baby ta go out wit,' he thought.
More to come!