"YOU THIEF!" She roared,moving in on me.I held my hat,backing up and watching her,puzzled. "Wh-wha-" I started but she cut me short. "You give me back my money!" She kept moving until I hit the back wall.I blinked then stood up straight.

"Now wait just a minute-"

"I don't want to waste another minute on you,Racetrack!"

"Then tell me what you're yellin' at me fer!"

"Gimme me money.." She held out her hand.

I glanced at her hand. "Hey,look.I didn't steal no money!You'll have to search someone else cuz I ain't got nothin'."

I pushed past her to leave but she stopped me again.

"You get back here!I know you got it!"

I stopped and turned. "Hey,you can't just assume it was me!Cuz it wasn't!"

"You're the only one who would be likely to take it.." She growled.

"I got no reason to be takin' your money.And besides,what you got against me any way?Eh?"

She moved in on me again.She glared up at me,our faces so close our noses almost touched. "I ain't got nothin' against ya's..Exept for the you stole me money!" She pushed me.

I took a step back and blinked.At that moment I learned this wasn't a normal girl.

I growled and thrust my hand in my pocket."Here!" I opened her hand and ground a dime into it.

She looked at it with a frown while I left before she could keep pestering me..


*~~~~*|*~~~~*|^|*~~~~*|*~~~~*

-Suddenly the tables turn (had to say that) and we now view the story thru Natalie's eyes..-

*~~~~*|*~~~~*|^|*~~~~*|*~~~~*


I smiled and put the dime in my pocket.It clicked against my other 50 cents.I had always been

good at irritating people.And getting money out of them was my specialty.I knew it wasn't right,

but ever since I became an orphan I had to fend for myself one way or another.Besides,I didn't care about all that

"Choose the Right" crap.I suppose the Brooklyn newsies didn't help much either.

I counted a couple of my coins in my palm,put them back and left the boarding house.I heard someone

behind me and looked back.It was Kid Blink and Jack.Behind them was the little one they called Snipeshooter,

who was busy kicking up dust.I narrowed my eyes and let them pass,watching.Both Jack and Blink

smiled at me as they walked by.I just shot them glares.I didn't seem to like these Manhattan newsies

so much.Actually,the only boy I had really been taken with was from Brooklyn.They called him Spot Conlon.

I didn't seem to care for him much anymore.Not like I was gonna see him again anyways.They caught up

with Racetrack and stopped as he spoke to them.I knew very well that he was telling them what happened.

I didn't give care and just kept on walking past with my nose in the air.

"Only a hundred papers left." The old man behind the counter announced when I got to the front.I never bothered to learn his name.

The line was damn long and I was relieved to be there finally.I looked behind me,Racetrack stood there,the last in line.

I put my money on the counter. "A hundred papers please." I knew I didn't need all of them.I looked back

at Racetrack,a smug smile on my face.Racetrack stared,his mouth hanging open.He really looked like

he was going to explode.I shrugged at him and started to walk off. "Wait just a minute!" He followed after me.

"I know you did that one on purpose!" I stopped and looked at him. "I did not.And besides,how would you know?"

He pointed at the sky,staring at me angrily.I looked up at the dark rain clouds as if it were the

first time I noticed them. "Tut,tut.Looks like rain.." I said.

"You can't sell all those in this weather!There won't be enough people out!" It had already started

pouring before he could finish his sentance.Just my luck. "Here,I'll buy fifty of 'em." He pointed

to my papers.The offer was tempting,but I knew I would get more money out of the kid later if I

kept him on an enemy basis. "No.They're mine and I plan to sell them all." I started to walk off again.


*~~~~|*~~~~*|^|*~~~~*|*~~~~*

-Looking back through Raetrack's eyes...-

*~~~~*|*~~~~*|^|*~~~~*|*~~~~*


I watched her for a moment then started to walk after her again. "Wait,wait,wait." I grabbed her

arm to stop her.She stopped and glared at me but didn't pull away.I was blinking so much to keep

the rian out of my eyes that I could barely see her. "You can't sell nothin' in this weather.Not

even Jack could sell a hundred papes.The races will be canceled and I won't have no money."

She glared for a moment then pulled her arm away. "That's your problem.How I spend my money and whether

I sell all my papers is buisness of my own." She faced me and looked me hard in the eye.I recognized

that look.It was the look girls gave me when they were gonna give me a lecture. "Just because you got

all your pals that stick up for ya and give ya papes doesn't mean I'm going to.Even if you do pay

for them.I'll buy my papes and what I sell-" I kissed her.