Chapter 2: Race and Solitaire
By Aguachica
It was still dark when John woke, his wounds flaming. He saw a lonely looking newsie sitting at the card table, still playing a round of solitaire. The newsie, sensing someone watching him, scanned the room until his eyes fell upon John. Then, giving a small smile, he waved him over.
John climbed carefully down from the bunk, trying not to disturb Blink and Mush. Blink stirred slightly and rolled over, taking the blanket with him. Mush shivered and lashed out a little before taking the blanket back.
To John's horror, a minor war broke out between the two. The other newsie leapt from the table and moved silently toward the two. He slapped them both. "You'se dummies! Can't you see there's people trying to sleep?"
Blink and Mush stopped instantly. "Sorry, Race." Murmured Blink before he dropped back to sleep.
"Thanks," whispered John as he followed the newsie back to the card table.
"No prob." Whispered the other newsie, grinning a grin that reminded him of Blink's, only slightly more cunning and dangerous looking. "I'se Racetrack Higgins, by the way. Just call me Race. You'se John, right?"
John nodded. Race continued. "I'se heard all about you'se. Jack's been fumin', sayin' you'se a scab. But I knows your not. You ain't got a poker face at all. When you tell the truth, it's written plain on your face. Just like Mush, there."
John winced. "What's gonna happen to me?"
Race chuckled. "Nothin', for now. Jack ain't gonna throw an injured newsboy out of the Lodging House, that's for sure. He still think's you'se should be called 'Hot Shot', though."
"Why the nicknames, Race?"
"All of us newsboys has had tough lives. We became newsies to escape our pasts. We leave behind our old names and take new ones, so we's can't be tracked down by name. A name sorta reflects a person, ya know? I sell at the tracks, so I'm Racetrack. Kid Blink has only one eye. Mush has mush colored skin. Davey. he's real smart, like you. He's got schooling, so we calls him the Walking Mouth. If you wants to be a newsie, sooner or later you'se gotta have a nickname."
John thought about this for a moment. "Okay, but I'll need to think about it for awhile. I don't want to get stuck with something I'll hate. Can you give me any ideas?"
Race barely hesitated. "With a poker face like yours, there's only one game you can play. Solitaire. Now get some rest. You'se gonna need to get up in a few hours, anyways."
"What about you?"
"I'se don't sleep very much. The night's too quiet. I'se just gonna catch a little sleep over at the tracks tomorrow. Go on, Solitaire."
John walked back to his bunk and allowed himself to drift off. Solitaire. It had a ring to it.
THE MUSES SPEAK:
Blink!muse: Wow, that took a long time to get out. . .
Skitts!muse: Maybe that's because Aguachica is getting readjusted to school right now. She's a sophomore now!
Mush!muse: OMG! Aguachica, like, GRADUATED from ninth grade! That's incredible! OMG!
John!muse: I should personally make sure she never lives past tenth grade for making me a muse.
SHOUT OUTS!
TO DACIA:
Aguachica: Ah, my crazy best friend, it would be very boring without you. But as to your comment. . . *slaps Dacia again* And my muses have a little something to say to you.
Blink!muse: Blinkie blinkie?
Mush!muse: Mushy Wushy??
John!muse: Bonny Johnny???
*all three muses start after Dacia, with murder in their eyes*
Dacia: SAVE ME, EMS!!!
Aguachica: *laughs evilly*
TO INQUISITIVE INK:
John!muse: *takes lollypop and starts sucking on it. Suddenly he gets a very evil look on his face*
Aguachica: What are you looking at me like that for?
John!muse: *sticks lollypop in Aguachica's hair* TAKE THAT!
Aguachica: AAAHHHH! JOHN! YOU'RE EVIL!
*she chases after John, who runs*
John!muse: Luv ya, Ink!
TO ROADTRIP:
Aguachica: Awww! What a cute kitty! We shall name her Cookie! Because the author has a very darling kitty named Cookie, and thinks that Cookie is the best name you could give a kitty!
Mush!muse: OMG! That is SUCH a cute kitty! I love kitties! *cuddles kitty*
John!muse: ACHOOO!
Aguachica: *laughs*
TO PIXIE-GAV24601:
Aguachica: *looks around in fear of the gamine and starts typing madly*
John!muse: Yes, that WOULD be an appropriate name for me, wouldn't it? I AM hot, after all.
Aguachica: Newsies and neopet girls. There is a club at neopets run by Pixie-Gav, aka _navet_ . It is called "Carrin' the Banner". You should go there. You should go there NOW.
John!muse: ACHOOO!! *Roadtrip's sister's kitty, now called Cookie, looks up at John with love in her eyes* AGUACHICA! GET IT AWAY FROM ME!
Aguachica: *laughs*
TO spOtIsMiNeAnDoNlYmInE!
Aguachica: *is very impressed by name* I am very impressed by your name.
Spot!muse: O.o
Aguachica: *dishes out story As Quick As Possible*
It was still dark when John woke, his wounds flaming. He saw a lonely looking newsie sitting at the card table, still playing a round of solitaire. The newsie, sensing someone watching him, scanned the room until his eyes fell upon John. Then, giving a small smile, he waved him over.
John climbed carefully down from the bunk, trying not to disturb Blink and Mush. Blink stirred slightly and rolled over, taking the blanket with him. Mush shivered and lashed out a little before taking the blanket back.
To John's horror, a minor war broke out between the two. The other newsie leapt from the table and moved silently toward the two. He slapped them both. "You'se dummies! Can't you see there's people trying to sleep?"
Blink and Mush stopped instantly. "Sorry, Race." Murmured Blink before he dropped back to sleep.
"Thanks," whispered John as he followed the newsie back to the card table.
"No prob." Whispered the other newsie, grinning a grin that reminded him of Blink's, only slightly more cunning and dangerous looking. "I'se Racetrack Higgins, by the way. Just call me Race. You'se John, right?"
John nodded. Race continued. "I'se heard all about you'se. Jack's been fumin', sayin' you'se a scab. But I knows your not. You ain't got a poker face at all. When you tell the truth, it's written plain on your face. Just like Mush, there."
John winced. "What's gonna happen to me?"
Race chuckled. "Nothin', for now. Jack ain't gonna throw an injured newsboy out of the Lodging House, that's for sure. He still think's you'se should be called 'Hot Shot', though."
"Why the nicknames, Race?"
"All of us newsboys has had tough lives. We became newsies to escape our pasts. We leave behind our old names and take new ones, so we's can't be tracked down by name. A name sorta reflects a person, ya know? I sell at the tracks, so I'm Racetrack. Kid Blink has only one eye. Mush has mush colored skin. Davey. he's real smart, like you. He's got schooling, so we calls him the Walking Mouth. If you wants to be a newsie, sooner or later you'se gotta have a nickname."
John thought about this for a moment. "Okay, but I'll need to think about it for awhile. I don't want to get stuck with something I'll hate. Can you give me any ideas?"
Race barely hesitated. "With a poker face like yours, there's only one game you can play. Solitaire. Now get some rest. You'se gonna need to get up in a few hours, anyways."
"What about you?"
"I'se don't sleep very much. The night's too quiet. I'se just gonna catch a little sleep over at the tracks tomorrow. Go on, Solitaire."
John walked back to his bunk and allowed himself to drift off. Solitaire. It had a ring to it.
THE MUSES SPEAK:
Blink!muse: Wow, that took a long time to get out. . .
Skitts!muse: Maybe that's because Aguachica is getting readjusted to school right now. She's a sophomore now!
Mush!muse: OMG! Aguachica, like, GRADUATED from ninth grade! That's incredible! OMG!
John!muse: I should personally make sure she never lives past tenth grade for making me a muse.
SHOUT OUTS!
TO DACIA:
Aguachica: Ah, my crazy best friend, it would be very boring without you. But as to your comment. . . *slaps Dacia again* And my muses have a little something to say to you.
Blink!muse: Blinkie blinkie?
Mush!muse: Mushy Wushy??
John!muse: Bonny Johnny???
*all three muses start after Dacia, with murder in their eyes*
Dacia: SAVE ME, EMS!!!
Aguachica: *laughs evilly*
TO INQUISITIVE INK:
John!muse: *takes lollypop and starts sucking on it. Suddenly he gets a very evil look on his face*
Aguachica: What are you looking at me like that for?
John!muse: *sticks lollypop in Aguachica's hair* TAKE THAT!
Aguachica: AAAHHHH! JOHN! YOU'RE EVIL!
*she chases after John, who runs*
John!muse: Luv ya, Ink!
TO ROADTRIP:
Aguachica: Awww! What a cute kitty! We shall name her Cookie! Because the author has a very darling kitty named Cookie, and thinks that Cookie is the best name you could give a kitty!
Mush!muse: OMG! That is SUCH a cute kitty! I love kitties! *cuddles kitty*
John!muse: ACHOOO!
Aguachica: *laughs*
TO PIXIE-GAV24601:
Aguachica: *looks around in fear of the gamine and starts typing madly*
John!muse: Yes, that WOULD be an appropriate name for me, wouldn't it? I AM hot, after all.
Aguachica: Newsies and neopet girls. There is a club at neopets run by Pixie-Gav, aka _navet_ . It is called "Carrin' the Banner". You should go there. You should go there NOW.
John!muse: ACHOOO!! *Roadtrip's sister's kitty, now called Cookie, looks up at John with love in her eyes* AGUACHICA! GET IT AWAY FROM ME!
Aguachica: *laughs*
TO spOtIsMiNeAnDoNlYmInE!
Aguachica: *is very impressed by name* I am very impressed by your name.
Spot!muse: O.o
Aguachica: *dishes out story As Quick As Possible*