Race, Blink, Skittery and a several other boys were in the corner playing the usual game of poker. Race noticed everyone come in and excepted Moneybags to come over to him like she normally did. But when she didn't, he began to become a little aggravated. So they finished up the poker game and Race went over to Spot, Bitter and Sara. Jack was just joining them, he was talking to Hothead, who looked like she was up to no good. "How's it goin'?" Race asked everyone.

"Well, it's been a long day to say the least ." Jack trailed off. That remark was never a good one from Jack, particularly when Moneybags and Spot were together.

"I see. I'll be upstairs if any one needs me." Race rolled his eyes and trudged up the stairs. This was the last straw.

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Jack was about to go after Race, he looked pretty mad, but changed his mind and walked back over to Spot. He could at least try and apologize for today.

"Hey, Sara!" Books called to her. "Ya look a lil' lonely, why don'tcha join us?" Sara walked over, joining Books, Snoddy, Jake and Bumlets.

"Hey guys, what's goin' on?" Sara nodded to each of them.

"How'd ya like ya first day o' sellin'?" Snoddy asked, "Da headline wasn't dat good tiday."

"I dunno . it's different, dat's fer sure." Sara thought back on the day's events. "It's better den workin' in da factory."

Jake leaned in closer. "What happened tiday, between Spot and Moneybags?"

"Well, they don't get along good, but you'se already knew dat." Sara started. She really didn't want to get into it, she felt bad talking about people.

Bumlets interrupted. "You don't' have to tell them if ya don't wanna." Bumlets playfully punched Jake. "Dey's just curious."

"Naw, dat's okay. Ya see-" Sara was interrupted by Jack's loud voice that broke through all the little conversations that were going on.

"Guys, we'se got a problem, an' I want all o' you'se ta help me." When Jack was sure that he had everyone's attention, he continued. "We'se gotta find a nickname for good ol' Sara here. So I want all o' you'se ta think o' one name and tell me before da night is over. Undahstood?"

A chorus of "yes" 's echoed throughout the room. Sara walked over to Jack. "You didn't have ta do dat fer me. I like me name da way it is!" she playfully said. Jack didn't take the joke and looked a little hurt. "I'se just kiddin', I really wanna nickname. Actually, I thought o' one for meself."

"What?"

"Holiday, or Holly. Whatever." Noticing the look from Jack that said 'explain' she went on. "Ya see, when I was younger, I loved the holidays. An some of me happiest memories are when I was wit my family . especially at da holidays." She hoped her excuse would be a good enough one for Jack.

"Hey, dat's pretty good. An ya have a good reason, normally I don't let me own newsies pick deir own names, but you'se da exception. Don't tell nobody though, okay?" Sara or Holiday from now on nodded her head. "What's wrong Jack?" She asked him, he didn't look that good.

Oh, I guess I'se just a lil' preoccupied." Jack zoned out again.

"About tiday? Wit Moneybags and Spot?" Holiday suggested.

"Yeah. Dey fight so much, I hate ta see me friends fightin'."

"Ahh, it's okay. I'm sure dat dey'll woik things out soon enough." Holiday tried to look on the bright side of things.

"Naw, I'se afraid dey ain't evah gonna talk ta each other again . you'se really don't know Moneybags an Spot till ya see dem fight." Jack tried to explain. "I'se gonna go over and talk ta Spot."

"Okay." I guess I'll go back over and talk to Snoddy an Books and Bumlets. So Holiday walked over, and was greeted again by them. "Hey, guess what my new name is?" They all took one guess, and then she told them. "Nope, you'se all wrong. It's Holiday. Because I wanna remember da happy times dat I had with me family, and I had da most on da holidays."

A look of recognition spread over the faces of her listeners. "Ahh, I was thinkin' dat maybe ya were born on a holiday err sum'thin." Bumlets chimed in.

"Yeah." holiday trailed off. "Does anyone know if dere's a poker game goin on some place?"

"Naw, but we can start one if ya want." Snoddy told her. "Just fin' where ever Race went an ask him fer his cards."

"Okay, but where'd he go?" Holiday looked around to see if he was in the lobby.

"I think he went upstairs." Books implied.

"A'aight, I'll check dere." Holiday headed for the stairs. "If I ain't back in 15 minutes, considah me dead an' have a party."

"Aww, we love you Holiday!!!" Bumlets called.

"Holiday? Who's Holiday?" Mush questioned.

"Dat's Sara." Jake filled everyone in on her new name. "An' don't forget it!"

"Where'd did she go anyway?" Princess inquired.

"Uhh, she went up to look for some cards to get a poker game started." Bumlets mentioned. "she was lookin for Race, ta get his cards, but I dunno where he is."

"I think he's up stair wit Moneybags." Princess replied. "Which can't be good. I'd better go get Sar- err Holiday." So Princess left and headed for the stairs. She could hear people talking, most likely Race and Moneybags.

As she reached the top, she found Holiday standing outside the door. "I didn't wanna go in an disturb dem." Holiday said quietly so she wouldn't be heard.

"I think dat Swifty's got cards downstairs, we'll play wit his." Princess turned to go back down, when she heard the talk getting louder from the room that she guessed Race and Moneybags were in. Yup, dey are in dere a'aight. Dat's Moneybags yelling if I evah heard it. So that made Holiday and Princess hurry down the stairs even faster. As they got to the lobby, where everyone was hanging out, they saw that a black jack game had already been started up. "Thanks fer waitin fer us, guys!"

The group, Bitter, Snoddy, Jake, Bumlets, and Swifty looked up, and Swifty explained, "We got tired of waitin for you'se!"

"Oh, I wasn't dat long. You can't fool me Swifty." Princess went over by Swifty.

"Don't say anythin about me hand." Swifty gave her a quick peck on her cheek.

"Hey, I'se thought dat we were playin poker!" Holiday said, joining the group. "I leave far one second, an da whole world changes."

Bumlets beckoned for Holiday to come over. "What, ya don't know how ta play blackjack?"

As a new round started, Holiday proclaimed "Hit me," and just smiled at Bumlets.

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"Why do ya gotta mess everythin up? We just got everythin settled wit Brooklyn an you gotta get in a fight wit Spot." Race was saying. Moneybags was silent, for the time being anyway. She couldn't hold it in much longer. "Jack ain't happy, an now I'se gotta go down an apologize fer ya actions. Make me look like da fool."

"You don't have to go down and apologize." Moneybags stated, slipping into her native New Jersey accent for a second. "That's your choice not mine. And you're not responsible for anybody's actions but your own."

Race reached his hand back to strike her and before he knew what he was doing, he had already punched her several times. Suddenly he found himself on the floor, apparently Moneybags had kicked his leg so he would stop. Race was getting a good look at the floor, but when he regained his senses, he got up and he picked Moneybags up and flung her across the room. She looked up and all the Race could managed to say was, "We'll deal wit dis latah. Right now I'se goin down an hangin wit da boys." Race couldn't think of anything to say and just walked out of the door.

Now Moneybags was alone, and he head was pounding from being thrown into the wall. "We?" She spoke out loud to herself. "There is no we. Maybe there was, but there ain't no more." Moneybags knew what she had to do. Moneybags went to the Girls' Washroom and took her brush, an a few other belongings. She brought them back to her bunk, and flung the items on her bunk while she went to her nightstand. She opened the drawer and took out several pairs of socks and underwear and tossed them on the bed as well. Soon afterward she grabbed a pair of pants and an extra shirt. As she got to the bottom of the drawer she found what she was really looking for, a medium sized bag. She laid the carelessly thrown items that were on her bunk into the bag. Now that Moneybags was all packed, she could only think of one last thing to do. But that would have to wait till she was ready to leave. I'll stay here until Kloppman goes to bed, den I'se gonna get outta here. And I gotta stop talking with that stupid accent; it'll give me away in a heartbeat. That's better. Ohh, I'll see if my sister notices that some of her money is gone. Sides, it'll help me along the way . she won't even miss it. So Moneybags went around the room looking for her sister's money, and any other of her miscellaneous possessions.

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"Hey Race! Wanna join da game?" Holiday asked. Race had just entered the lobby after returning from a walk. "We were just about ta start anudda game o' poker." During the time that Race was out, the blackjack game had changed to a poker game

"Sure, I'se in." Race replied. He was still in a bad mood, but he had cooled down a lot. And he regretted hitting Moneybags so much. He promised himself when he left his house 10 years ago that this would never happen to him or anyone else that he came into his life. And he just broke his promise. He'd go up later and apologize to her. So he pushed these thoughts out of his mind and concentrated on the game.

"Spot, look I'se really sorry bout tiday . and if dere's sum'thin dat I can do ta make up fer it, I'll do my best ta do it." Jack was trying to talk to Spot, but so far, nothing was getting through.

"What somebody needs ta do is ta teach dat goil a lesson. Hit her err sum'thin. She ain't never gonna listen ta you or anybody else if ya don't do somethin soon." Spot calmly stated, but still clearly annoyed.

"Ya know dat I don't believe in hittin goils. I thin-"

"I don't eiddah. But when thin's are goin like dis . well dat would leave me to no other choice." Spot was watching Race; he seemed to be thinking about something else and listening in on their conversation.

"Well den what do ya wanna do?" This discussion was going no where. "Ya said ta hit her, and den not ta. Will ya make up yer mind?" Spot said nothing, which didn't help matters get any better. "So you want me ta go up and hit her, dat right?" Jack saw Race flinch then looked back to Spot, who was looking there also. "If you'se askin' me ta go an mess wit his goil, den you'se got da wrong guy." And with that Jack walked off.

There was another card game going on among Mask, Slash, Bitter, and Princess. Books and Feisty were talking about Snoddy and Snitch, and everyone else were in their normal groups. The rest of the newsies were in a great mood, so from upstairs in the lodging rooms and through out the house could be heard the laughter of the newsies. Around 10 o'clock Kloppman came in the lobby and notified the newsies that everyone that it was now time for bed. Some of the newsies sighed, and trudged up the stairs, while the younger ones complained that they weren't tired and didn't want to go to bed. But eventually Kloppman got everyone upstairs and in bed.

"Princess!" Jack called, before he said his final good nights to Mask.

"Yeah?" Princess said, stopping short in front of the door. "Sorry guys,'' she told Books and Spadey as they were walking behind Princess. "What do ya want, Jack?"

''Two bits says dat I got my guys ready before yer goils." Jack smiled.

"When will you evah learn?" Princess playfully punched Jack, smiled and went into the bunkroom. "Mask, don't take all night now ." Mask just smiled, knowing that Princess wouldn't really care how long she took as long as she didn't get caught by Kloppman.

As Race walked by the door, he saw that Moneybags was already in her bunk, already in a sound sleep, he assumed. I'll talk ta her in da mornin . she's always up early. So he passed the door and proceeded to his room.

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