A/N- I wanted to apologize to all of you who are reading my story. I feel
so bad that I haven't had a chance to update for over a month. I felt so
bad I wrote two chapters for you guys and dedicate them to you! I promise I
will update every weekend now. Merp, Angelfish7, anUNDERCOVERnewsie, and
Sarah Kate, I would like to give a special thankz to you guys, and I
promise I will give you like chocolate or something really good if you guys
keep reviewing! Lol. Ok I think I babbled on long enough; I hope you like
it!! Sorry I forgot to do this on the first chapie, but I had to add an
A/N. Ok, know enjoy!!
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"Huh?" I now actually gave a look at who I had run into. It was Racetrack.
"What are youse doing here in Manhattan?" he asked giving me a curious look.
"Uh. I don't know, but I don't want to go back to Brooklyn," I said sort of shakey. My mind was still over flowing with thoughts and emotions that I felt like I might burst.
"What happened?" Race said sounding concerned.
"Nothing. Look, Race, please don't say anything to Spot if he comes, ok?" I didn't feel like explaining my situation, but I also did not want to deal with Spot anytime soon if not ever.
Race nodded looking confused but didn't question me.
"Do you have room in the lodging house? I was kinda wondering if I could stay with you guys for awhile." I didn't really want to stay out on the strees, but I also hated asking for things like this. I knew, however, the wouldn't have a problem with me. Or at least I HOPED they didn't.
"Ise tink so."
Race took me to the Manhattan lodging house. He directed me to a bunk that did not look occupied.
"Here's where youse'll sleep. Me bunk is two down, and Jack's is da one to ya right," Race said point to his bed and then to Jack's.
I nodded and sat on my new bunk. I reached into my pocket to retrieve my journal. "Oh hell no.." I had forgotten to take my journal out of my pillowcase that morning. That meant my journal was still in Brooklyn.
"What is it?" Race asked looking at me.
"I forgot my journal in Brooklyn." My heart sank. I lost my only true friend, for there was no way in hell I was going to go back to Brooklyn.
"Well, wese should go see Jack and da odder boys sose dey know what's goin on." He offered me his hand to help me off of the bunk. I took it.
We were walking on the street in silence for awhile when a question struck me. "Where are we going?"
"Oh, ta Tibby's," Race answered in a nonchalant tone. But in answering my question, he aroused another.
"What's Tibby's?"
Race looked at me a bit taken aback by my lack of knowledge. "It's a restaurant."
"Oh, okay."
When we got toe Tibby's, I recognized a few faces from the poker night in the Brooklyn lodging house. I saw jack sitting at a table with Kid Blink, I recognized the eye patch.
"Hey, Cowboy," Race said walking to the table where Jack and Blink were seated. I fallowed obediently. "Look who's here."
Jack looked at Race and then to me. He smiled a sweet and gorgeous smile. "Heya, Lightenin. What youse doing here?"
I shrugged. I wasn't certain as to why I ran to Manhattan. I just know I ran from Brooklyn, and I did NOT want to go back. "I need a place to stay. I was wondering if it I could stay with you guys, and Jack, please, if anyone from Brooklyn comes around say you haven't seen me, please."
Jack and Blink both looked at me curiously, but neither asked any questions. "Alright," Jack said.
"Thanks, Jack." I turned to face Racetrack. "Hey Race, do you think you coulde show me around Manhattan so I can get used to it and kinda know where I am going when I am selling?"
His face lit up in a smile. "Sure, Ise'll take ya where eva ya wanna go."
"Race, youse know when ta be back, sose mak sure ta be back." Jack said commandingly.
"Sure ting, Jackey. We'll se ya lata."
"Yep, see ya round Jack!"
When we got outside of Tibby's, Race turned to me and asked, "Wheres do ya wanna go?"
"I don't know. Any good places in particular?"
"Yeah." I saw Race's face light in excitement. "Sheep's Head Races. Ya wanna go?"
"No. I don't care much for horse racing," I said in a quiet voice. The terrible memory of my family came into my mind. My parents loved to bid on those races.
Race looked little hurt. "Okay, well den I'll just show ya round the streets and Central Park."
"Sound's great. Sorry about not wanting to go to Sheep's Head Races." I felt bad because I could tell he took it to heart. Must have been how he got his nickname.
"It don't matter. Now let's get goin so we can get back to da lodging hose by dark."
I nodded and we headed off. I had a lot of fun with Race. He showed me around Central Park, and he took me to the distribution center. When we were heading back to the lodging house near the end of the day, I found myself pouring my heart out to Racetrack without even realizing what I was doing.
"I ran from home because no one there cared for me. Spot let me stay in the lodging house and be a newsie. After awhile I started to like that arrogant bastard. He told me I was beautiful and that he cared for me. He found me crying at the pier, and I ended up telling him all of how I felt. Later he stole my journal because he knew I was depressed and wouldn't tell him. When he confronted me, I broke down in tears again. He claimed he cared more than any of my family did. I was gullible enough to believe that shit! Then, a new newsis named Faith came. She IS absolutely perfect to any guy tht sees her, but Spot didn't seem to take notice, until I found the kissing on the crates at the Brooklyn Pier today," when I finished I was out of breath from talking so fast. It felt good to get my feelings out. However, I was on the verge of tears.
"Now Ise Understand why ya don't want us ta say antin ta Brooklyn about youse being here," Race said in a comforting voice and wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
"Yeah," I said simply. I didn't understand. What had I done wrong, first my family, now Spot? Everything is just falling apart.
"Youse didn't do anything wrong," Race said. He stopped walking and put his hands on both of my shoulders. I looked at him baffled. How did he know what I was thinking?
"Spot goes trough goils pretty fast. He breaks a lotta hearts." He let my shoulders go and straightened himself. "Ise not surah if he even really relizes how me he led ya, but it was coitenly clear at da poka game."
"W-what?" I was totally surprise at that coment.
"Yeah, he was telling us about how wondaful ya were before he called youse over. Neva hoid him brag about a goil like dat, and when youse sat on Cowboy's lap. Ooooo did he look likeh e was gonna pelt him, but coise he held back da oige."
My jaw dropped, but then my heart sank. "But that was like a month or so ago Race. Now he met Faith. I'm nothing." I trailed off getting absorbed in seeing that kiss play back in my head. Damn it hurt to think about; I basically felt my heart breaking.
"Ise don't tink dat's da case," Race said screwing up his face in an expression I couldn't make out.
"Huh?" I didn't get it. If Race saw Faith, he would know why I felt like this.
"You'll see. Now, let's get bad to da lodging house so Jackey-boy can't kill me."
_________
"Huh?" I now actually gave a look at who I had run into. It was Racetrack.
"What are youse doing here in Manhattan?" he asked giving me a curious look.
"Uh. I don't know, but I don't want to go back to Brooklyn," I said sort of shakey. My mind was still over flowing with thoughts and emotions that I felt like I might burst.
"What happened?" Race said sounding concerned.
"Nothing. Look, Race, please don't say anything to Spot if he comes, ok?" I didn't feel like explaining my situation, but I also did not want to deal with Spot anytime soon if not ever.
Race nodded looking confused but didn't question me.
"Do you have room in the lodging house? I was kinda wondering if I could stay with you guys for awhile." I didn't really want to stay out on the strees, but I also hated asking for things like this. I knew, however, the wouldn't have a problem with me. Or at least I HOPED they didn't.
"Ise tink so."
Race took me to the Manhattan lodging house. He directed me to a bunk that did not look occupied.
"Here's where youse'll sleep. Me bunk is two down, and Jack's is da one to ya right," Race said point to his bed and then to Jack's.
I nodded and sat on my new bunk. I reached into my pocket to retrieve my journal. "Oh hell no.." I had forgotten to take my journal out of my pillowcase that morning. That meant my journal was still in Brooklyn.
"What is it?" Race asked looking at me.
"I forgot my journal in Brooklyn." My heart sank. I lost my only true friend, for there was no way in hell I was going to go back to Brooklyn.
"Well, wese should go see Jack and da odder boys sose dey know what's goin on." He offered me his hand to help me off of the bunk. I took it.
We were walking on the street in silence for awhile when a question struck me. "Where are we going?"
"Oh, ta Tibby's," Race answered in a nonchalant tone. But in answering my question, he aroused another.
"What's Tibby's?"
Race looked at me a bit taken aback by my lack of knowledge. "It's a restaurant."
"Oh, okay."
When we got toe Tibby's, I recognized a few faces from the poker night in the Brooklyn lodging house. I saw jack sitting at a table with Kid Blink, I recognized the eye patch.
"Hey, Cowboy," Race said walking to the table where Jack and Blink were seated. I fallowed obediently. "Look who's here."
Jack looked at Race and then to me. He smiled a sweet and gorgeous smile. "Heya, Lightenin. What youse doing here?"
I shrugged. I wasn't certain as to why I ran to Manhattan. I just know I ran from Brooklyn, and I did NOT want to go back. "I need a place to stay. I was wondering if it I could stay with you guys, and Jack, please, if anyone from Brooklyn comes around say you haven't seen me, please."
Jack and Blink both looked at me curiously, but neither asked any questions. "Alright," Jack said.
"Thanks, Jack." I turned to face Racetrack. "Hey Race, do you think you coulde show me around Manhattan so I can get used to it and kinda know where I am going when I am selling?"
His face lit up in a smile. "Sure, Ise'll take ya where eva ya wanna go."
"Race, youse know when ta be back, sose mak sure ta be back." Jack said commandingly.
"Sure ting, Jackey. We'll se ya lata."
"Yep, see ya round Jack!"
When we got outside of Tibby's, Race turned to me and asked, "Wheres do ya wanna go?"
"I don't know. Any good places in particular?"
"Yeah." I saw Race's face light in excitement. "Sheep's Head Races. Ya wanna go?"
"No. I don't care much for horse racing," I said in a quiet voice. The terrible memory of my family came into my mind. My parents loved to bid on those races.
Race looked little hurt. "Okay, well den I'll just show ya round the streets and Central Park."
"Sound's great. Sorry about not wanting to go to Sheep's Head Races." I felt bad because I could tell he took it to heart. Must have been how he got his nickname.
"It don't matter. Now let's get goin so we can get back to da lodging hose by dark."
I nodded and we headed off. I had a lot of fun with Race. He showed me around Central Park, and he took me to the distribution center. When we were heading back to the lodging house near the end of the day, I found myself pouring my heart out to Racetrack without even realizing what I was doing.
"I ran from home because no one there cared for me. Spot let me stay in the lodging house and be a newsie. After awhile I started to like that arrogant bastard. He told me I was beautiful and that he cared for me. He found me crying at the pier, and I ended up telling him all of how I felt. Later he stole my journal because he knew I was depressed and wouldn't tell him. When he confronted me, I broke down in tears again. He claimed he cared more than any of my family did. I was gullible enough to believe that shit! Then, a new newsis named Faith came. She IS absolutely perfect to any guy tht sees her, but Spot didn't seem to take notice, until I found the kissing on the crates at the Brooklyn Pier today," when I finished I was out of breath from talking so fast. It felt good to get my feelings out. However, I was on the verge of tears.
"Now Ise Understand why ya don't want us ta say antin ta Brooklyn about youse being here," Race said in a comforting voice and wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
"Yeah," I said simply. I didn't understand. What had I done wrong, first my family, now Spot? Everything is just falling apart.
"Youse didn't do anything wrong," Race said. He stopped walking and put his hands on both of my shoulders. I looked at him baffled. How did he know what I was thinking?
"Spot goes trough goils pretty fast. He breaks a lotta hearts." He let my shoulders go and straightened himself. "Ise not surah if he even really relizes how me he led ya, but it was coitenly clear at da poka game."
"W-what?" I was totally surprise at that coment.
"Yeah, he was telling us about how wondaful ya were before he called youse over. Neva hoid him brag about a goil like dat, and when youse sat on Cowboy's lap. Ooooo did he look likeh e was gonna pelt him, but coise he held back da oige."
My jaw dropped, but then my heart sank. "But that was like a month or so ago Race. Now he met Faith. I'm nothing." I trailed off getting absorbed in seeing that kiss play back in my head. Damn it hurt to think about; I basically felt my heart breaking.
"Ise don't tink dat's da case," Race said screwing up his face in an expression I couldn't make out.
"Huh?" I didn't get it. If Race saw Faith, he would know why I felt like this.
"You'll see. Now, let's get bad to da lodging house so Jackey-boy can't kill me."