"Katie, I'd like ya ta meet our very good friend Riley."
"Hiya!" She smiled, and shook my hand. Much like Raven, she had dark, bold looks; her tan skin accentuated her blue eyes.
"Hello," I smiled. She immediately made me feel comfortable and accepted even though I had never been inside Tibby's before.
After almost an hour of helping me "hawk headlines," as she called it, my tutor had decided to call it a day. "I need food," she had announced, taking a fierce hold on my arm and dragging me off towards the square. It was amazing to watch her try and hide her frustration when I wasn't quite the natural she had hoped for. I could almost hear the "Good God, what've I gotten myself into?" run through her mind.
And now I was standing in the midst of a dozen newsboys, two newsgirls, and a waiter who looked very disoriented and flustered. "Must be new," Raven muttered, pointing in his direction. "Bill's used to us makin' a madhouse outta dis place."
But with Bill nowhere in sight, the young waiter bounced from table to table like a ping pong ball.
"'Ey, you! T'ree sodas, huh?"
"Ovah heah! Wheah's our hot dogs?"
"Wanna give us our drinks already?"
"What's takin' so long?!"
"I-I'm sorry-! They'll be ready in..in a minute." The poor boy wiped his hands on his apron, before scurrying, frightened, over to our table. I remember thinking that a good-looking boy like him should have exuded confidence, but he merely appeared nervous and exhausted and wouldn't stop shaking! It was impossible not to feel pity for him.
Riley was concluding her order. "..an' how 'bout a Scotch on the rocks, 'ey buddy?" His face only turned a brighter shade of pink when she winked. This boy clearly had no control over his emotions - his face gave everything away. 'He must find her very attractive,' I mused. 'Either that or he's never been winked at before.'
"Oh - I'm very sorry, w-we don't serve alcohol at this estab-" It was as if his lips refused to carry out his mind's orders.
The girl released a comfortable, mirthful laugh. "I'se only jokin', ya bummah! Just gimme whatevah they're havin', an' I'll be fine."
Since Jack and Raven had already ordered, the boy turned to me, still shaking slightly. "M-miss?"
"Wheah's Race?" Jack interrupted, lifting himself off the chair, setting his hands on the table so as to support himself while perusing the crowd.
"Si'down, Cowface, he'll be heah any minute." Raven, who was sitting closest to him, put one hand on his shoulder and thrust him back down into his seat. His bottom hit the chair with a seemingly uncomfortable thump. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Listen, Muscles, it was his idea to get togethah taday an' I don't wan' him missin' it." I noticed Riley holding back a small snicker at Jack's new nickname for Raven. The dark-haired beauty shot her a look, but did not address her.
"Well, dya wanna wait foh him or somethin'?"
Jack's eyes cruised the crowd of boys again. "Well..nah, he'll find us. An' if he don't show up, we'll do some'in' tomorrah."
Meanwhile, I was having fun with the waiter. "So.what do you have that's good here? Any duck? Lobster? Oooh, I love your vest!" Smiling playfully, I took the liberty of placing a hand on his chest and feeling the fabric of the garment. I thought his face was about to explode; he was positively purple with embarrassment, the poor thing!
I glanced over at my new comrades as they struggled to stifle their laughter. One of Jack's hands was covering his open mouth, and Riley's forehead was rested on the table, the rest of her body shaking with giggles. Raven, however, was apparently not so amused; she was hunched over next to Cowboy, staring blankly into space. 'What's wrong with her.?' Since there was obviously nothing I could do about it at the present, I resolved to catch her alone later and find out what the trouble was.
I smirked and turned my thoughts back to the waiter. 'This is fun!'
"Uh..uh..M-Miss..w-would you - uh.." His eyes darted all over me. He licked his lips and tried to speak once more. "W-we - we don't have..ha.."
"'Ey, Race! Ovah heah!" Jack stood up, waving him down.
I released the waiter.
The dark-haired boy was standing not two feet from the restaurant door; the bells were still jingling from when he had walked in. His hands were not in his pockets, his hat rested a little crookedly on his head, and his mouth was opened ever so slightly so you could see parts of his front teeth. His face was different from when I had last seen him, though - the brows were furrowed, but the expression they formed was not angry. Instead, for a split second I could have sworn I saw excitement in his eyes, but when I blinked it was gone. The eyes now bore a profound disappointment and..could it have been? Pain.
I cast my eyes downward as he walked over.
"Heya, Jack." He stopped at his friend's chair and put his hands in his pockets. He licked his lips.
The waiter took this opportunity to escape. "Uh - sir..? Will you be - ordering anyth-thing?"
Race looked at me. I quickly glanced elsewhere and started biting my nails. It was a nervous habit.
"Nah, I ain't hungry."
"But Race, y-" Jack stood up and started to gesture toward us.
"I toldja, I ain't hungry! I'm goin' to da track. See ya latah." And without so much as a last glance, he was out the jingling door.
"Hiya!" She smiled, and shook my hand. Much like Raven, she had dark, bold looks; her tan skin accentuated her blue eyes.
"Hello," I smiled. She immediately made me feel comfortable and accepted even though I had never been inside Tibby's before.
After almost an hour of helping me "hawk headlines," as she called it, my tutor had decided to call it a day. "I need food," she had announced, taking a fierce hold on my arm and dragging me off towards the square. It was amazing to watch her try and hide her frustration when I wasn't quite the natural she had hoped for. I could almost hear the "Good God, what've I gotten myself into?" run through her mind.
And now I was standing in the midst of a dozen newsboys, two newsgirls, and a waiter who looked very disoriented and flustered. "Must be new," Raven muttered, pointing in his direction. "Bill's used to us makin' a madhouse outta dis place."
But with Bill nowhere in sight, the young waiter bounced from table to table like a ping pong ball.
"'Ey, you! T'ree sodas, huh?"
"Ovah heah! Wheah's our hot dogs?"
"Wanna give us our drinks already?"
"What's takin' so long?!"
"I-I'm sorry-! They'll be ready in..in a minute." The poor boy wiped his hands on his apron, before scurrying, frightened, over to our table. I remember thinking that a good-looking boy like him should have exuded confidence, but he merely appeared nervous and exhausted and wouldn't stop shaking! It was impossible not to feel pity for him.
Riley was concluding her order. "..an' how 'bout a Scotch on the rocks, 'ey buddy?" His face only turned a brighter shade of pink when she winked. This boy clearly had no control over his emotions - his face gave everything away. 'He must find her very attractive,' I mused. 'Either that or he's never been winked at before.'
"Oh - I'm very sorry, w-we don't serve alcohol at this estab-" It was as if his lips refused to carry out his mind's orders.
The girl released a comfortable, mirthful laugh. "I'se only jokin', ya bummah! Just gimme whatevah they're havin', an' I'll be fine."
Since Jack and Raven had already ordered, the boy turned to me, still shaking slightly. "M-miss?"
"Wheah's Race?" Jack interrupted, lifting himself off the chair, setting his hands on the table so as to support himself while perusing the crowd.
"Si'down, Cowface, he'll be heah any minute." Raven, who was sitting closest to him, put one hand on his shoulder and thrust him back down into his seat. His bottom hit the chair with a seemingly uncomfortable thump. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Listen, Muscles, it was his idea to get togethah taday an' I don't wan' him missin' it." I noticed Riley holding back a small snicker at Jack's new nickname for Raven. The dark-haired beauty shot her a look, but did not address her.
"Well, dya wanna wait foh him or somethin'?"
Jack's eyes cruised the crowd of boys again. "Well..nah, he'll find us. An' if he don't show up, we'll do some'in' tomorrah."
Meanwhile, I was having fun with the waiter. "So.what do you have that's good here? Any duck? Lobster? Oooh, I love your vest!" Smiling playfully, I took the liberty of placing a hand on his chest and feeling the fabric of the garment. I thought his face was about to explode; he was positively purple with embarrassment, the poor thing!
I glanced over at my new comrades as they struggled to stifle their laughter. One of Jack's hands was covering his open mouth, and Riley's forehead was rested on the table, the rest of her body shaking with giggles. Raven, however, was apparently not so amused; she was hunched over next to Cowboy, staring blankly into space. 'What's wrong with her.?' Since there was obviously nothing I could do about it at the present, I resolved to catch her alone later and find out what the trouble was.
I smirked and turned my thoughts back to the waiter. 'This is fun!'
"Uh..uh..M-Miss..w-would you - uh.." His eyes darted all over me. He licked his lips and tried to speak once more. "W-we - we don't have..ha.."
"'Ey, Race! Ovah heah!" Jack stood up, waving him down.
I released the waiter.
The dark-haired boy was standing not two feet from the restaurant door; the bells were still jingling from when he had walked in. His hands were not in his pockets, his hat rested a little crookedly on his head, and his mouth was opened ever so slightly so you could see parts of his front teeth. His face was different from when I had last seen him, though - the brows were furrowed, but the expression they formed was not angry. Instead, for a split second I could have sworn I saw excitement in his eyes, but when I blinked it was gone. The eyes now bore a profound disappointment and..could it have been? Pain.
I cast my eyes downward as he walked over.
"Heya, Jack." He stopped at his friend's chair and put his hands in his pockets. He licked his lips.
The waiter took this opportunity to escape. "Uh - sir..? Will you be - ordering anyth-thing?"
Race looked at me. I quickly glanced elsewhere and started biting my nails. It was a nervous habit.
"Nah, I ain't hungry."
"But Race, y-" Jack stood up and started to gesture toward us.
"I toldja, I ain't hungry! I'm goin' to da track. See ya latah." And without so much as a last glance, he was out the jingling door.