Disclaimer: I don't own any characters or places from Newsies and that make
me incredibly sad.
CHAPTER TWO: BUSINESS
Elusive sat on the top rail of a fence at the racetrack, watching Lightning hustle some short, brown-haired boy. She watched them with a calculating eye, then gave up on trying to figure out what her companion was feeding the kid. Lightning was part Chinese or Korean or something like that- he never discussed his heritage with anyone and she wasn't learned enough to figure it out, and was more than learned enough to know not to bring it up. One of his parents was probably an American, so as a result Lightning stood about six-five with handsome Asian features and straight black hair. Elusive was jarred back to the world when he said something to the boy and walked over to her.
He leaned against the fence and for a while they said nothing, just watched the racehorses prance towards the starting gate. "So.which hoss's da best?"
"Color Me Pretty." He said without hesitation, then a second later he elaborated. "But she's jus' a lil' filly, so it don't seem loike it. I'se been tellin' dem all that Texas Sky's the best hoss. He could be, if he had a different jockey-one that didn't wear him out so early. But he ain't and he don't so I'se gonna be getting' alotta cash."
Elusive laughed good-naturedly.
"'Ey Lightn'in." the brown haired boy from before walked up.
Lightning rolled his dark eyes. "Whad'da ya want, Higgins?"
"I'se needsta talk ta ya." The Higgins boy and Lightning looked at Elusive.
She rolled her eyes and hopped off the fence. "Aiight, aiight. But I's loike ya ta know dat I'se was 'ere foirst." She said, holding her hands up in an 'I surrender' position.
The girl ducked, laughing, as Lightning took a swing at her. She walked away, still chuckling to herself. He wasn't angry so he wouldn't follow- the guy had business to do, anyway. Business, she mused, some business.
Elusive took a seat near the fence and watched as the racehorses exploded from the starting gate. The bay Texas Sky was in the lead, followed closely by the little light gray filly that could only be Color Me Pretty. They duked it out for a while, struggling for the lead far ahead of the rest of the pack. Soon, as Lightning had predicted, the colt grew tired and began to fall behind. She watched as Color Me Pretty cleared the finish line ahead of the rest of the racehorses.
She stood as the crowd behind her cheered or groaned and she laughed as she heard a couple of comments that ran along the line of "I'm gonna soak dat liar Lightn'in."
Elusive wove though the crowd to the spot where she had left Lightning and Whatever Higgins. She came to the fence and Lightning was gone. She groaned and ran a hand through her dark hair. "God dammit."
"Don' worry sweethart. He'se jus' gone collectin' his winnins." He took a drag from his cigar, then extended a hand to Elusive. "I'm Racetrack Higgins."
"Elusive." She said, shaking his hand. He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it, and grinned as she laughed, amused by antics that seemed second nature to him.
"So whatsa pretty goil like you'se doin with a brute loike Lightn'in'?"
She sighed good-naturedly. "I'm stuck with him until I get outta this place."
"New York?" he asked.
"No." She stared at him. "Sheepshed Races. Oi loike it in New York."
He laughed. "Mosta da time it's the opposite. Kids loike us wantin' ta get outta here."
This city's a haven for me, she thought to herself, bewildered, why would I want to leave it?
But instead she responded, "Yeah. Oi hoird."
"Hey! 'Lusive! Come on, let's go." Lightning's hand gripped her shoulder as he appeared outta the crowd and began to steer her away.
"See ya Lightn'in', 'Lusive." Racetrack nodded.
She followed Lightning out of the Races and onto the street. Lightning pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "So." He said, taking a long drag. "D'ya wanna get somethin' ta eat? My treat."
She raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Jeez, you'se sure happy, ain't ya? How much money did ya get?"
He laughed, though like all his laughs it was a laugh without joy, as if laughing was just a habit. "'Nough to last a week or so."
She followed him inside the small bar on the corner. "Aiight, but don' blow it all on drinks."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elusive rolled her eyes from her seat in a booth at Lightning and his chum, Roan, chuckling drunkenly at the bar. Groaning she threw her napkin down on the table and stood, walking over to Lightning. "C'mon, Lightn'in, we'se gotta go."
"'Ey, 'Lusive." Roan slurred, wrapping his arms around her waist and dragging her onto his lap. "No greetin's for ya old pal?"
"'Ey, letteh go, Roan." Lightning growled, drunk though still aware that if his friend did anything to the girl, he'd be killed by Juniper and Slipknot- and hey even Hawkeyes might join into the fray.
"Yeah, Roan, lemme go." Elusive pried his arms from around her waist. Roan shrugged and turned his to talk to a blond girl sitting next to him.
"Let's go, Lightn'in'." she repeated.
"Aiight, aiight." He paid the tab and walked with Elusive out of the door and into the black night.
CHAPTER TWO: BUSINESS
Elusive sat on the top rail of a fence at the racetrack, watching Lightning hustle some short, brown-haired boy. She watched them with a calculating eye, then gave up on trying to figure out what her companion was feeding the kid. Lightning was part Chinese or Korean or something like that- he never discussed his heritage with anyone and she wasn't learned enough to figure it out, and was more than learned enough to know not to bring it up. One of his parents was probably an American, so as a result Lightning stood about six-five with handsome Asian features and straight black hair. Elusive was jarred back to the world when he said something to the boy and walked over to her.
He leaned against the fence and for a while they said nothing, just watched the racehorses prance towards the starting gate. "So.which hoss's da best?"
"Color Me Pretty." He said without hesitation, then a second later he elaborated. "But she's jus' a lil' filly, so it don't seem loike it. I'se been tellin' dem all that Texas Sky's the best hoss. He could be, if he had a different jockey-one that didn't wear him out so early. But he ain't and he don't so I'se gonna be getting' alotta cash."
Elusive laughed good-naturedly.
"'Ey Lightn'in." the brown haired boy from before walked up.
Lightning rolled his dark eyes. "Whad'da ya want, Higgins?"
"I'se needsta talk ta ya." The Higgins boy and Lightning looked at Elusive.
She rolled her eyes and hopped off the fence. "Aiight, aiight. But I's loike ya ta know dat I'se was 'ere foirst." She said, holding her hands up in an 'I surrender' position.
The girl ducked, laughing, as Lightning took a swing at her. She walked away, still chuckling to herself. He wasn't angry so he wouldn't follow- the guy had business to do, anyway. Business, she mused, some business.
Elusive took a seat near the fence and watched as the racehorses exploded from the starting gate. The bay Texas Sky was in the lead, followed closely by the little light gray filly that could only be Color Me Pretty. They duked it out for a while, struggling for the lead far ahead of the rest of the pack. Soon, as Lightning had predicted, the colt grew tired and began to fall behind. She watched as Color Me Pretty cleared the finish line ahead of the rest of the racehorses.
She stood as the crowd behind her cheered or groaned and she laughed as she heard a couple of comments that ran along the line of "I'm gonna soak dat liar Lightn'in."
Elusive wove though the crowd to the spot where she had left Lightning and Whatever Higgins. She came to the fence and Lightning was gone. She groaned and ran a hand through her dark hair. "God dammit."
"Don' worry sweethart. He'se jus' gone collectin' his winnins." He took a drag from his cigar, then extended a hand to Elusive. "I'm Racetrack Higgins."
"Elusive." She said, shaking his hand. He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it, and grinned as she laughed, amused by antics that seemed second nature to him.
"So whatsa pretty goil like you'se doin with a brute loike Lightn'in'?"
She sighed good-naturedly. "I'm stuck with him until I get outta this place."
"New York?" he asked.
"No." She stared at him. "Sheepshed Races. Oi loike it in New York."
He laughed. "Mosta da time it's the opposite. Kids loike us wantin' ta get outta here."
This city's a haven for me, she thought to herself, bewildered, why would I want to leave it?
But instead she responded, "Yeah. Oi hoird."
"Hey! 'Lusive! Come on, let's go." Lightning's hand gripped her shoulder as he appeared outta the crowd and began to steer her away.
"See ya Lightn'in', 'Lusive." Racetrack nodded.
She followed Lightning out of the Races and onto the street. Lightning pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "So." He said, taking a long drag. "D'ya wanna get somethin' ta eat? My treat."
She raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Jeez, you'se sure happy, ain't ya? How much money did ya get?"
He laughed, though like all his laughs it was a laugh without joy, as if laughing was just a habit. "'Nough to last a week or so."
She followed him inside the small bar on the corner. "Aiight, but don' blow it all on drinks."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elusive rolled her eyes from her seat in a booth at Lightning and his chum, Roan, chuckling drunkenly at the bar. Groaning she threw her napkin down on the table and stood, walking over to Lightning. "C'mon, Lightn'in, we'se gotta go."
"'Ey, 'Lusive." Roan slurred, wrapping his arms around her waist and dragging her onto his lap. "No greetin's for ya old pal?"
"'Ey, letteh go, Roan." Lightning growled, drunk though still aware that if his friend did anything to the girl, he'd be killed by Juniper and Slipknot- and hey even Hawkeyes might join into the fray.
"Yeah, Roan, lemme go." Elusive pried his arms from around her waist. Roan shrugged and turned his to talk to a blond girl sitting next to him.
"Let's go, Lightn'in'." she repeated.
"Aiight, aiight." He paid the tab and walked with Elusive out of the door and into the black night.