A.N.- Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter, even though it was
so short. You guys helped me with this chapter a lot! I don't have time to
write a separate note for each of you, though, sorry! Moods, Megan, Kicker,
Spark, and Ali! Thank you all ever so much!!!!
Chapter 3:
Racetrack watched the races idly, chewing at his bottom lip. He was worried. Brooke wasn't anywhere around Sheepshead Races. He'd checked her poker setup hidden behind the boxes and between the stalls, but it was empty. She wasn't announcing the races, and Johnson told Race that she hadn't been harassing him all day to have a go at the mike. That was unusual, to say the least.
Mickie hadn't seen her either, so she wasn't helping groom the horses or prepare them for a race. Where could she be? Race glanced inadvertently over at the bookie stalls on the other side of the track. He searched for and found Brooke's father. Did he know? Behind that charming smile and pleasant voice was a man who hated life and hated his daughter especially. A man who thought nothing beneath him.
Race looked around once more and then reluctantly clambered down the stairs and began the walk to Tibby's.
^~*^~*^~*~^*~^*~^
*Who evah t'awt sellin' papahs could be so much woik???* Brooke wiped her brow and sighed. *Oh well, time fer a break anyways. I can sell da uddah half aftah lunch.*
As a last shot, Brooke called out one more headline, "Mayor goes ta business meetin', shakes hands wit' associate!"
She waited a moment, but no one walked over. Brooke sighed again, *Tibby's, heah I come.*
^~*^~*^~*~^*~^*~^
Race pushed open the door of Tibby's with his foot, his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his head down. His usual grin after a day at the tracks was missing from his baby doll face.
He trudged over to the table where Blink and Mush sat, flirting with the pretty blonde waitress. Plopping himself down into the seat, he interrupted the girl's high-pitched giggle, "Ham an' cheese sandwich, toasted, wit' a glass of watah. An' Blink, ain't ya awready got a goil?"
The waitress straightened, cleared her throat and excused herself while Blink ducked his head and glanced around to see if Calli had heard. Once he was sure it was safe, he glared up at Race angrily, "What'd ya say dat for? I ain't goin' out wit' Charm, ya know dat. She don't like me." A short pause followed before Blink realized what he had just implied.
"Oh, I don't like her eiddah," he added hastily.
Mush and Race looked at each other. Race rolled his eyes, "Blink, do you both a favah an' just ask her awready."
Kid Blink glanced around again, and leaned forward, hissing, "Wouldja keep yer voice down?"
"Why? It's not as if it's a big secret. Everyone knows."
"Dey do not!" Blink spluttered indignantly.
"Look-"
Mush cut in, laughing. "Hey, you two! Calm down. It's not woith getting' in a huge fight ovah."
Blink sank back against his seat as the waitress came back and set the food down hurriedly. The three boys watched as she made her way over to another table of newsies and began chatting away with them before finally taking their order. Blink turned his attention back to Race. "What's yer problem taday, anyways?"
Race mumbled something under his breath, quickly biting off a large piece of sandwich and eating it slowly.
A grin spread across Blink's face as he watched Race's discomfort. "What was dat? I didn't hear ya."
"I said- mmbrofmnnimahfff."
Mush frowned, "What?"
Race clenched his jaw, looked to the side, and then looked back at them, blushing slightly. "Brooke wasn't at Sheepshead taday. I'm worried 'bout her."
Blink laughed and grinned widely at him, "An' you t'ink I'm bad!"
Race scowled at him, "No, seriously. I couldn't find her anywhere. I dunno where she could be."
Mush broke in, pointing across the room, "Who's da new goil?"
^~*^~*^~*~^*~^*~^
Brooke tapped her fingernails on the table. Just seconds ago she had walked in and slipped into her booth, hoping Race would come shortly. Brooke felt eyes upon her, and deliberately held her gaze low at the table. People could get possessive of their territory, especially newsies. She wasn't sure how they'd respond to finding a newcomer in their midst.
Several minutes later, she slowly glanced up and locked eyes with a blonde girl sitting several booths over. The girl's green eyes stared curiously and a bit suspiciously into Brooke's brown ones. Brooke hesitantly smiled and gave a short little wave when all of a sudden she was picked up around the waist and spun around several times.
"BROOKE!" Race slowly set her down and stared at her, arms waving wildly, "where were you? I've been goin' crazy all mornin' lookin' fer youse, an' now yer at Tibby's? What's goin' on?"
Brooke shrugged calmly, the exact opposite of his distraught appearance. "I had ta leave, so I came ta find youse. I saw ya dis mornin' at da Distribution Office , but you were awready headin' ta Sheepshead, so I sold papes an' waited fer you."
Race looked around and noticed a small crowd of newsies surrounding them, curious. He cleared his throat and glanced at Brooke. "Um, everyone, dis is Brooke Linders, a friend of mine from da racetracks."
Brooke smiled at them, "Nice ta meet the famous newsies of Manhattan Race an' Blink talk about all da time."
Blink walked over and hugged her, not noticing her slight flinch when his arm touched her raw back. She pulled away, and saw Race watching her, concerned. She shook her head slightly and then turned her attention back to Blink. "Heya, Kid, how ya been?" She spit in her hand and then held it out. They shook and grinned at each other.
Blink rolled his eyes at her, "Pretty good, but Race was goin' mad a minute ago. Ya shoulda seen him, he was worried sick!"
Brooke looked over at Race, catching him making a face at Blink. She opened her mouth but someone else shoved through the crowd and ended up standing right next to Blink. The green-eyed girl she had linked eyes with earlier was now watching her, curiousity gone and suspicion filling her eyes.
Kid Blink glanced down at her guiltily and then up at Brooke, "Brooke, dis is Calli or Charm, whichevah ya prefer. Calli dis is Brooke."
Brooke stuck her hand out, minus the spit, "Glad ta make yer acquaintance."
Calli shook hands, still eyeing her, Mush, Blink and Race. "Likewise."
Author's Note: Well, now, I'm pretty proud, I finally got this chapter up! Yay!!!! I really need reviews and comments and suggestions, cause I'm completely at a loss. If anyone has any ideas about an overall plot for this story, please tell me. I have no idea where I'm going with this. And if I do end up using your idea I'll give you credit. ( I suppose I better write more while I have the chance. Thanks!
UPTOWN LH!!!!! I'm gonna keep putting this reminder up about Uptown for several more chapters, or until we get a reasonable number.So, if you've already read it, why not read it again and refresh your memory?
For those of you who don't know yet, me and Spark are starting up a website, called the Uptown Lodging House. We can't post it up until we get more lodgers, so if yer interested in joinin', send me a review and ask for the application. Include your email address in the review and I'll send an app. to you. Trust me, you won't regret being in this website. It's gonna be really cool. So far, for lodgers we have Vix, Amber (Kicker), Slick, Moods, Spark, and myself. Send a review!
Chapter 3:
Racetrack watched the races idly, chewing at his bottom lip. He was worried. Brooke wasn't anywhere around Sheepshead Races. He'd checked her poker setup hidden behind the boxes and between the stalls, but it was empty. She wasn't announcing the races, and Johnson told Race that she hadn't been harassing him all day to have a go at the mike. That was unusual, to say the least.
Mickie hadn't seen her either, so she wasn't helping groom the horses or prepare them for a race. Where could she be? Race glanced inadvertently over at the bookie stalls on the other side of the track. He searched for and found Brooke's father. Did he know? Behind that charming smile and pleasant voice was a man who hated life and hated his daughter especially. A man who thought nothing beneath him.
Race looked around once more and then reluctantly clambered down the stairs and began the walk to Tibby's.
^~*^~*^~*~^*~^*~^
*Who evah t'awt sellin' papahs could be so much woik???* Brooke wiped her brow and sighed. *Oh well, time fer a break anyways. I can sell da uddah half aftah lunch.*
As a last shot, Brooke called out one more headline, "Mayor goes ta business meetin', shakes hands wit' associate!"
She waited a moment, but no one walked over. Brooke sighed again, *Tibby's, heah I come.*
^~*^~*^~*~^*~^*~^
Race pushed open the door of Tibby's with his foot, his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his head down. His usual grin after a day at the tracks was missing from his baby doll face.
He trudged over to the table where Blink and Mush sat, flirting with the pretty blonde waitress. Plopping himself down into the seat, he interrupted the girl's high-pitched giggle, "Ham an' cheese sandwich, toasted, wit' a glass of watah. An' Blink, ain't ya awready got a goil?"
The waitress straightened, cleared her throat and excused herself while Blink ducked his head and glanced around to see if Calli had heard. Once he was sure it was safe, he glared up at Race angrily, "What'd ya say dat for? I ain't goin' out wit' Charm, ya know dat. She don't like me." A short pause followed before Blink realized what he had just implied.
"Oh, I don't like her eiddah," he added hastily.
Mush and Race looked at each other. Race rolled his eyes, "Blink, do you both a favah an' just ask her awready."
Kid Blink glanced around again, and leaned forward, hissing, "Wouldja keep yer voice down?"
"Why? It's not as if it's a big secret. Everyone knows."
"Dey do not!" Blink spluttered indignantly.
"Look-"
Mush cut in, laughing. "Hey, you two! Calm down. It's not woith getting' in a huge fight ovah."
Blink sank back against his seat as the waitress came back and set the food down hurriedly. The three boys watched as she made her way over to another table of newsies and began chatting away with them before finally taking their order. Blink turned his attention back to Race. "What's yer problem taday, anyways?"
Race mumbled something under his breath, quickly biting off a large piece of sandwich and eating it slowly.
A grin spread across Blink's face as he watched Race's discomfort. "What was dat? I didn't hear ya."
"I said- mmbrofmnnimahfff."
Mush frowned, "What?"
Race clenched his jaw, looked to the side, and then looked back at them, blushing slightly. "Brooke wasn't at Sheepshead taday. I'm worried 'bout her."
Blink laughed and grinned widely at him, "An' you t'ink I'm bad!"
Race scowled at him, "No, seriously. I couldn't find her anywhere. I dunno where she could be."
Mush broke in, pointing across the room, "Who's da new goil?"
^~*^~*^~*~^*~^*~^
Brooke tapped her fingernails on the table. Just seconds ago she had walked in and slipped into her booth, hoping Race would come shortly. Brooke felt eyes upon her, and deliberately held her gaze low at the table. People could get possessive of their territory, especially newsies. She wasn't sure how they'd respond to finding a newcomer in their midst.
Several minutes later, she slowly glanced up and locked eyes with a blonde girl sitting several booths over. The girl's green eyes stared curiously and a bit suspiciously into Brooke's brown ones. Brooke hesitantly smiled and gave a short little wave when all of a sudden she was picked up around the waist and spun around several times.
"BROOKE!" Race slowly set her down and stared at her, arms waving wildly, "where were you? I've been goin' crazy all mornin' lookin' fer youse, an' now yer at Tibby's? What's goin' on?"
Brooke shrugged calmly, the exact opposite of his distraught appearance. "I had ta leave, so I came ta find youse. I saw ya dis mornin' at da Distribution Office , but you were awready headin' ta Sheepshead, so I sold papes an' waited fer you."
Race looked around and noticed a small crowd of newsies surrounding them, curious. He cleared his throat and glanced at Brooke. "Um, everyone, dis is Brooke Linders, a friend of mine from da racetracks."
Brooke smiled at them, "Nice ta meet the famous newsies of Manhattan Race an' Blink talk about all da time."
Blink walked over and hugged her, not noticing her slight flinch when his arm touched her raw back. She pulled away, and saw Race watching her, concerned. She shook her head slightly and then turned her attention back to Blink. "Heya, Kid, how ya been?" She spit in her hand and then held it out. They shook and grinned at each other.
Blink rolled his eyes at her, "Pretty good, but Race was goin' mad a minute ago. Ya shoulda seen him, he was worried sick!"
Brooke looked over at Race, catching him making a face at Blink. She opened her mouth but someone else shoved through the crowd and ended up standing right next to Blink. The green-eyed girl she had linked eyes with earlier was now watching her, curiousity gone and suspicion filling her eyes.
Kid Blink glanced down at her guiltily and then up at Brooke, "Brooke, dis is Calli or Charm, whichevah ya prefer. Calli dis is Brooke."
Brooke stuck her hand out, minus the spit, "Glad ta make yer acquaintance."
Calli shook hands, still eyeing her, Mush, Blink and Race. "Likewise."
Author's Note: Well, now, I'm pretty proud, I finally got this chapter up! Yay!!!! I really need reviews and comments and suggestions, cause I'm completely at a loss. If anyone has any ideas about an overall plot for this story, please tell me. I have no idea where I'm going with this. And if I do end up using your idea I'll give you credit. ( I suppose I better write more while I have the chance. Thanks!
UPTOWN LH!!!!! I'm gonna keep putting this reminder up about Uptown for several more chapters, or until we get a reasonable number.So, if you've already read it, why not read it again and refresh your memory?
For those of you who don't know yet, me and Spark are starting up a website, called the Uptown Lodging House. We can't post it up until we get more lodgers, so if yer interested in joinin', send me a review and ask for the application. Include your email address in the review and I'll send an app. to you. Trust me, you won't regret being in this website. It's gonna be really cool. So far, for lodgers we have Vix, Amber (Kicker), Slick, Moods, Spark, and myself. Send a review!
