" 'ey, Blink, youse gonna pay up or what?" Racetrack said with a sly
grin. Blink sighed, he knew better then to play against Race at poker but
boredom wore away at him and now he's down four cents. "Double or nutin'"
Blink said hopefully. Race nodded and dealt the cards. He put two cards
down and drew two more maintaining his poker face at all times. Blink
exchanged three cards grinning slightly. Blink always grinned like that
when he didn't think he could win and Race knew it. "Wha'd'ya got" Race
said smugly. "Pair of jacks. What you got?" Blink replied. "A pair of
jacks.... pair of jacks" Race said sadly "What a waste of a poifectly good
hand! Full house, ya bum! Pay up."
Snickering could be heard from a nearby bunk where Mush had been watching. Blink tossed his hand down and dug unhappily through his pockets for coins. "Ise got a dime. Youse got two cents?" Race shook his head "Nah, Ise don't got any money." Blink glared at Race "You were playin' wit out any money?!" "What can I say?" retorted Race "Youse just paid for dinnah."
Blink stared at Race. Had he ever seen anyone more pleased with themselves. Nearby Mush was roaring with laughter. Skittery quickly leaped out of the way as a half laughing, half yelping Mush toppled out of his bunk, apparently having rolled the wrong way in his amusement.
Mush got up and gingerly rubbed the area on his arm where he had landed. " 'ey if youse gonna go get dinnah Ise'll come wit'cha." "Wha'd'ya say, "Race said turning to Blink "Split that dime ovah dinnah?" "Alright" Blink sighed "lets go ta Tibby's n' eat der" "Youse read minds now Blink? " Race said grinning.
Blink and Mush were the first out of the Lodging House. Race slowed down to light a half-smoked cigar he had been saving and nearly walked into Snipeshooter who had just come in still carrying three papes.
Mush bummed off of Race's cigar and Blink could be heard muttering to himself, but none of them really spoke to each other on the way. They walked into Tibby's in the same way and helped themselves to a table in the back.
"So..." Race said breaking the silence "How'd youse two do taday?" "Not bad, sold sixty papes taday down in Central Pawk." Mush said "Sixty papes? Wit taday's headline? Mayor finds lame dog on lawn?" Race said questionably "No, wit dis headline," Mush cleared his throat "Nude mayor confronted by rabid dog!"
A waiter walked up to the table and the three gave him their orders, Race taking a second to try to gamble his way out of the bill.
Blink glanced around the room looking for familiar faces. He skipped from face to face until he spotted Sparks, Waffles, and Hiccups. He didn't know Waffles very well... in fact no one really did, but he didn't care to know either. His gaze shifted to Hiccups, the ex-newsie. All he knew about her is that she could sing better then anyone he knew and that she had left the newsies to work for Medda who had offered her a place to stay and pay better then she had known as a newsie so that she could write new material for Medda and the girls who worked there. Then he looked towards Sparks, who was she? In all the time she spent with the newsies he had never taken the time to get to know her or learn her story. It was obvious that he was interested in her, he just lacked the confidence to say anything.
A waiter walked briskly towards Blink's trio, obviously in a hurry. He set food in front of them and poured coffee for them all, but in the waiters rush he dropped the pot of coffee sending coffee all over Blink. "HOT HOT!!" Blink yelped as he jumped out of his seat brushing coffee off of him frantically. Sparks, filled with concern for a fellow newsie, ran to Blink's aid with all the napkins she could grab off the table. She had just made it to Blink when Mush picked up a glass of water and splashed Blink with it, getting the majority of it on Sparks. The end result: A relieved Blink and an infuriated Sparks both of which soaked and exchanging glances of surprise.
"Wha'd'ya say we get outta here?" Blink said to Sparks who was about ready to soak Mush. "Yeah," Sparks said trying not to sound angry "lets get outta here and back to the Lodging house."
The two walked out patting themselves dry with napkins as the remainder of both groups watched looking both shocked and amused. Outside it started to rain heavily. The two tables went back to their meals and watched the rain silently.
Snickering could be heard from a nearby bunk where Mush had been watching. Blink tossed his hand down and dug unhappily through his pockets for coins. "Ise got a dime. Youse got two cents?" Race shook his head "Nah, Ise don't got any money." Blink glared at Race "You were playin' wit out any money?!" "What can I say?" retorted Race "Youse just paid for dinnah."
Blink stared at Race. Had he ever seen anyone more pleased with themselves. Nearby Mush was roaring with laughter. Skittery quickly leaped out of the way as a half laughing, half yelping Mush toppled out of his bunk, apparently having rolled the wrong way in his amusement.
Mush got up and gingerly rubbed the area on his arm where he had landed. " 'ey if youse gonna go get dinnah Ise'll come wit'cha." "Wha'd'ya say, "Race said turning to Blink "Split that dime ovah dinnah?" "Alright" Blink sighed "lets go ta Tibby's n' eat der" "Youse read minds now Blink? " Race said grinning.
Blink and Mush were the first out of the Lodging House. Race slowed down to light a half-smoked cigar he had been saving and nearly walked into Snipeshooter who had just come in still carrying three papes.
Mush bummed off of Race's cigar and Blink could be heard muttering to himself, but none of them really spoke to each other on the way. They walked into Tibby's in the same way and helped themselves to a table in the back.
"So..." Race said breaking the silence "How'd youse two do taday?" "Not bad, sold sixty papes taday down in Central Pawk." Mush said "Sixty papes? Wit taday's headline? Mayor finds lame dog on lawn?" Race said questionably "No, wit dis headline," Mush cleared his throat "Nude mayor confronted by rabid dog!"
A waiter walked up to the table and the three gave him their orders, Race taking a second to try to gamble his way out of the bill.
Blink glanced around the room looking for familiar faces. He skipped from face to face until he spotted Sparks, Waffles, and Hiccups. He didn't know Waffles very well... in fact no one really did, but he didn't care to know either. His gaze shifted to Hiccups, the ex-newsie. All he knew about her is that she could sing better then anyone he knew and that she had left the newsies to work for Medda who had offered her a place to stay and pay better then she had known as a newsie so that she could write new material for Medda and the girls who worked there. Then he looked towards Sparks, who was she? In all the time she spent with the newsies he had never taken the time to get to know her or learn her story. It was obvious that he was interested in her, he just lacked the confidence to say anything.
A waiter walked briskly towards Blink's trio, obviously in a hurry. He set food in front of them and poured coffee for them all, but in the waiters rush he dropped the pot of coffee sending coffee all over Blink. "HOT HOT!!" Blink yelped as he jumped out of his seat brushing coffee off of him frantically. Sparks, filled with concern for a fellow newsie, ran to Blink's aid with all the napkins she could grab off the table. She had just made it to Blink when Mush picked up a glass of water and splashed Blink with it, getting the majority of it on Sparks. The end result: A relieved Blink and an infuriated Sparks both of which soaked and exchanging glances of surprise.
"Wha'd'ya say we get outta here?" Blink said to Sparks who was about ready to soak Mush. "Yeah," Sparks said trying not to sound angry "lets get outta here and back to the Lodging house."
The two walked out patting themselves dry with napkins as the remainder of both groups watched looking both shocked and amused. Outside it started to rain heavily. The two tables went back to their meals and watched the rain silently.