"Gabrielle! Come down here please!" Dietrich called up the stairs.
"Coming!" she called and let Viktor have one final headlock before bounding down the steps.
Her father frowned, Gabi not quite making the first impression that he had hoped she would. Next to him stood a tall young man of eighteen years. His short blonde hair was neatly kept under a brown cap. Gabi noticed that the man seemed to have dressed himself up rather well just to come by and visit, but exactly who was he?
"Yes father?" she asked.
"Gabrielle, this is Christopher Fox. His father is the bank manager where I work."
Christopher walked towards Gabi and gently took her hand in his, planting a small kiss on her knuckles. "Pleased to meet you."
Gabrielle nodded her head, and curtsied, unsure why she was being introduced to this boy. "Nice to meet you as well." Gabi turned to her father, her eyes questioning.
"Well I think I'll leave you two to get acquainted," Dietrich smiled. He kissed Gabi's forehead and as he leaned back, gave her a stern look to behave.
Quite confused, Gabi watched after her father, who seemed to have a bounce in his step as he walked towards the kitchen. She turned to Christopher, who was smiling widely.
"Um, would you like to come and sit down?" she asked, unsure of why they were meeting.
"I'd love to," he replied rather suavely. Gabi could tell he was rather sure of himself, in both his behavior and his voice. Why exactly had father wanted her to meet this gentleman in the first place?
Leading him to the parlor, Gabrielle took a seat and watched as Christopher did the same. She took in his features. He looked to be just over six feet tall, and had quite an athletic figure. His shoulders were broad and he carried himself proudly. Christopher had short brown hair and deep green eyes. It almost looked as if he was hiding something behind those eyes, but Gabi felt it had to be the poor lighting of the room and dismissed the thought immediately. His suit looked as if it was brand new, and it probably was, since Christopher was the son of the bank manager. He seemed to have rather expensive taste to top it all off, and Gabi didn't much care for that.
The two sat in the parlor for over an hour, discussing their views on a good number of topics. Gabi couldn't understand why all Christopher did was agree with her. She was an outspoken women's rights activist at times, something her parents couldn't stand, and she had never met another man that would actually go so far as to agree with everything she pointed out. Perhaps he's just humoring me, she thought, but wasn't fully sure either way.
As the late afternoon was approaching, Christopher and Gabi decided to meet that evening and her father accepted the idea almost before she presented it to him. Kissing her hand, Christopher left to prepare for the evening.
There's something about him, Gabi mused. Why does father trust him so much? Walking upstairs, Gabi retired to her room, still baffled as to why she had met this man.
****
"Luna, hurry up already! We're gonna be late!" Key yelled into the washroom. Tapping her foot against the hard floor, she crossed her arms. "The girls already left!"
"Alright already!" Luna called from the washroom stall. Several seconds later she emerged with a frown on her face. "Do we really need to go?" she asked. "It's just some dumb party."
"Yes, we do, and not even you shootin' a marble in me ass is gonna stop ya from goin'. Now come on," Key stated and dragged Luna with her.
Once they arrived at Irving Hall, the newsies had already been mingling for well over an hour. With liquor in some of their systems, the party seemed rather laid back, with the few exceptions of some who were loud drunks.
Boots and Isis were out on the dance floor, far away from the alcohol. Race had long ago reserved a table for a serious game of poker, and Mayhem sat beside him, eager to beat him at his own game once more. Kitty Kelly and Crutchy had found a quiet corner in the back of the hall and were discussing their views on certain matters in between a kiss here and there. Raven and Dutchy had met up with Aurora and Pie Eater, and the four enjoyed a conversation at a table all to themselves. Goosey and Itey found their own secluded corner and concentrated on other matters besides Medda singing. Slinks and Specs had taken an interest in the dance floor as well, and Slinks was busy teaching Specs a salsa which he eagerly learned.
Meanwhile the poker game race had started raced on. Shamrock, Brooky, Dublina, and Spot had all gathered to play, and the stakes were higher than anyone had imagined. Race kept his poker face on the entire time, pleased with the way the game was going.
Key and Luna entered, and Snitch immediately came up to Key, taking her hand and smiling. He nodded to Luna, and before Key could say anything, Snitch whisked her off to another part of Irving Hall.
Sighing, Luna set her sights on the poker game, and that trademark smirk of Spot's. He always kept that same face on during a game, no matter what kind of hand he had. Spot had noticed her coming towards the group, and motioned for her to sit down beside him.
"Alright, keep the game movin' girls and boys. Ya gonna raise or not Brooky?" Race asked, perturbed that the game had been interrupted by another member to the group. He had a killer hand, and wanted to win that game a little too much.
"Keep your pants on Race," Brooky shot back at him. "I'll call, and I'll raise ya another two bucks," she grinned and slapped her earnings down on the table.
Skittery and Dreamer passed by the table and shook their heads. The high-stakes game was not worth it in their opinion. Retiring to a corner of Irving Hall, the two listened to the music from afar, enjoying each other's company and the absence of another newsie for at least ten feet.
"Two bucks? Damn Brooky. Whatcha got? Royal flush or sumptin'?" Dublina asked and immediately folded her hand. "Too rich for me blood," she sighed and continued to watch the game.
Brooky watched as most of the newsies at the table did the same; One by one folding their hands, as two dollars was way too much money for most of them to spend on a poker game. Looking over at Race, she smirked when the Italian placed his last two dollars in the center of the table. 'Well Race, looks like it's just you and me."
"Yeah, yeah, cut da drama and show me your cards," Race snapped, tense by how much was at stake. He'd be begging from his friends to lend him some change for the next week if he didn't win this hand.
Showing no emotion whatsoever, Brooky slowly placed her cards face up on the table, revealing four queens. "Four of a kind," she announced coolly before crossing her arms.
Dropping his mouth, Race threw his hand on the table in disgust. Amidst his tantrum lay a full house, three tens and two kings. "Damn it," he muttered before rising from the table.
Mayhem shook her head in disgust and chuckled to herself. That boy never learns. Standing up, Mayhem subconsciously slid her hand in her pocket, making sure she had her money with her, since surely Race was headed to the bar next, even in his broke state. Jingling the coins in her pocket, May sauntered to the bar, sitting on the stool next to Race once she was there.
"Ya beat him, didn't ya?" Spades' Fia asked with Brooky.
Grinning, Brooky nodded. "Yep. That boy never knew what hit him" she replied and shoved the winnings in her pocket.
"Poor boy," Blue chuckled and squeezed Spades' Fia's hand, leading her towards the dance floor.
****
Later that evening the
newsies began to regroup before heading back to the lodging house together.
"Ya gonna be alright?" Key asked Luna, who remained behind, still sitting at the table where Brooky had one the poker game.
Nodding, Luna smiled sadly. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Go on home. Me and Spot gotta talk first."
"Okay," Key answered hesitantly. "But ya got your slingshot right? Just in case?" she asked. "It's pretty late out there," Key explained.
"Yeah, a coise," Luna replied and patted the pocket that held her trusty weapon.
"Alright. See ya back at the Bridge den." With that Key walked over to Snitch, and gave her best friend one last wave before heading outside with the other newsies.
"I'm sorry the keep ya," Spot said softly as he sat down beside Luna. "I just needed the talk real quick."
"What's wrong Spot?" Luna asked.
"Well, I gotta ask ya sumptin'," Spot sighed and took her hand in his.
Luna looked up into his eyes, desperately hiding how good it felt to hold his hand.
Spot took his hand from hers and pulled out his slingshot, looking down at it. "I used the think I was nothin' without dis slingshot - like it was all that I had. I was invincible with it, and no one could harm me when I was aimed with me slingshot." Sighing, Spot held the slingshot up. "I wanna get rid of it. I don't wanna deal with the memories it brings back any longer. I wanna just throw it away and forget it ever meant something to me."
"No wait," Luna interrupted. "You can't just throw it away like that," she argued. "It also has a lot of good memories to it."
"But da one that sticks out da most is bad. I should toss it away right now," he furthered. Spot should have used his slingshot to kill Fox that night, thus saving Peter, and to this day Spot felt his brother's death was his own fault.
Easing the slingshot out of Spot's hand, Luna shook her head. "I won't let you do that."
"Alright, then you keep it," Spot reasoned. "But I don't want to carry it around any longer."
Luna carefully put the slingshot in one of her back pockets. "I'll keep it safe 'til the day comes that ya miss it. Den you come and find me right away, ya hear?"
Nodding, Spot offered Luna his arm and the two stood up. "Allow me to escort ya home then, since your doin' me a big favor."
Smiling, Luna nodded and held onto his arm. Walking out of the empty hall, the two proceeded back towards the lodging house in silence.
"Coming!" she called and let Viktor have one final headlock before bounding down the steps.
Her father frowned, Gabi not quite making the first impression that he had hoped she would. Next to him stood a tall young man of eighteen years. His short blonde hair was neatly kept under a brown cap. Gabi noticed that the man seemed to have dressed himself up rather well just to come by and visit, but exactly who was he?
"Yes father?" she asked.
"Gabrielle, this is Christopher Fox. His father is the bank manager where I work."
Christopher walked towards Gabi and gently took her hand in his, planting a small kiss on her knuckles. "Pleased to meet you."
Gabrielle nodded her head, and curtsied, unsure why she was being introduced to this boy. "Nice to meet you as well." Gabi turned to her father, her eyes questioning.
"Well I think I'll leave you two to get acquainted," Dietrich smiled. He kissed Gabi's forehead and as he leaned back, gave her a stern look to behave.
Quite confused, Gabi watched after her father, who seemed to have a bounce in his step as he walked towards the kitchen. She turned to Christopher, who was smiling widely.
"Um, would you like to come and sit down?" she asked, unsure of why they were meeting.
"I'd love to," he replied rather suavely. Gabi could tell he was rather sure of himself, in both his behavior and his voice. Why exactly had father wanted her to meet this gentleman in the first place?
Leading him to the parlor, Gabrielle took a seat and watched as Christopher did the same. She took in his features. He looked to be just over six feet tall, and had quite an athletic figure. His shoulders were broad and he carried himself proudly. Christopher had short brown hair and deep green eyes. It almost looked as if he was hiding something behind those eyes, but Gabi felt it had to be the poor lighting of the room and dismissed the thought immediately. His suit looked as if it was brand new, and it probably was, since Christopher was the son of the bank manager. He seemed to have rather expensive taste to top it all off, and Gabi didn't much care for that.
The two sat in the parlor for over an hour, discussing their views on a good number of topics. Gabi couldn't understand why all Christopher did was agree with her. She was an outspoken women's rights activist at times, something her parents couldn't stand, and she had never met another man that would actually go so far as to agree with everything she pointed out. Perhaps he's just humoring me, she thought, but wasn't fully sure either way.
As the late afternoon was approaching, Christopher and Gabi decided to meet that evening and her father accepted the idea almost before she presented it to him. Kissing her hand, Christopher left to prepare for the evening.
There's something about him, Gabi mused. Why does father trust him so much? Walking upstairs, Gabi retired to her room, still baffled as to why she had met this man.
"Luna, hurry up already! We're gonna be late!" Key yelled into the washroom. Tapping her foot against the hard floor, she crossed her arms. "The girls already left!"
"Alright already!" Luna called from the washroom stall. Several seconds later she emerged with a frown on her face. "Do we really need to go?" she asked. "It's just some dumb party."
"Yes, we do, and not even you shootin' a marble in me ass is gonna stop ya from goin'. Now come on," Key stated and dragged Luna with her.
Once they arrived at Irving Hall, the newsies had already been mingling for well over an hour. With liquor in some of their systems, the party seemed rather laid back, with the few exceptions of some who were loud drunks.
Boots and Isis were out on the dance floor, far away from the alcohol. Race had long ago reserved a table for a serious game of poker, and Mayhem sat beside him, eager to beat him at his own game once more. Kitty Kelly and Crutchy had found a quiet corner in the back of the hall and were discussing their views on certain matters in between a kiss here and there. Raven and Dutchy had met up with Aurora and Pie Eater, and the four enjoyed a conversation at a table all to themselves. Goosey and Itey found their own secluded corner and concentrated on other matters besides Medda singing. Slinks and Specs had taken an interest in the dance floor as well, and Slinks was busy teaching Specs a salsa which he eagerly learned.
Meanwhile the poker game race had started raced on. Shamrock, Brooky, Dublina, and Spot had all gathered to play, and the stakes were higher than anyone had imagined. Race kept his poker face on the entire time, pleased with the way the game was going.
Key and Luna entered, and Snitch immediately came up to Key, taking her hand and smiling. He nodded to Luna, and before Key could say anything, Snitch whisked her off to another part of Irving Hall.
Sighing, Luna set her sights on the poker game, and that trademark smirk of Spot's. He always kept that same face on during a game, no matter what kind of hand he had. Spot had noticed her coming towards the group, and motioned for her to sit down beside him.
"Alright, keep the game movin' girls and boys. Ya gonna raise or not Brooky?" Race asked, perturbed that the game had been interrupted by another member to the group. He had a killer hand, and wanted to win that game a little too much.
"Keep your pants on Race," Brooky shot back at him. "I'll call, and I'll raise ya another two bucks," she grinned and slapped her earnings down on the table.
Skittery and Dreamer passed by the table and shook their heads. The high-stakes game was not worth it in their opinion. Retiring to a corner of Irving Hall, the two listened to the music from afar, enjoying each other's company and the absence of another newsie for at least ten feet.
"Two bucks? Damn Brooky. Whatcha got? Royal flush or sumptin'?" Dublina asked and immediately folded her hand. "Too rich for me blood," she sighed and continued to watch the game.
Brooky watched as most of the newsies at the table did the same; One by one folding their hands, as two dollars was way too much money for most of them to spend on a poker game. Looking over at Race, she smirked when the Italian placed his last two dollars in the center of the table. 'Well Race, looks like it's just you and me."
"Yeah, yeah, cut da drama and show me your cards," Race snapped, tense by how much was at stake. He'd be begging from his friends to lend him some change for the next week if he didn't win this hand.
Showing no emotion whatsoever, Brooky slowly placed her cards face up on the table, revealing four queens. "Four of a kind," she announced coolly before crossing her arms.
Dropping his mouth, Race threw his hand on the table in disgust. Amidst his tantrum lay a full house, three tens and two kings. "Damn it," he muttered before rising from the table.
Mayhem shook her head in disgust and chuckled to herself. That boy never learns. Standing up, Mayhem subconsciously slid her hand in her pocket, making sure she had her money with her, since surely Race was headed to the bar next, even in his broke state. Jingling the coins in her pocket, May sauntered to the bar, sitting on the stool next to Race once she was there.
"Ya beat him, didn't ya?" Spades' Fia asked with Brooky.
Grinning, Brooky nodded. "Yep. That boy never knew what hit him" she replied and shoved the winnings in her pocket.
"Poor boy," Blue chuckled and squeezed Spades' Fia's hand, leading her towards the dance floor.
"Ya gonna be alright?" Key asked Luna, who remained behind, still sitting at the table where Brooky had one the poker game.
Nodding, Luna smiled sadly. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Go on home. Me and Spot gotta talk first."
"Okay," Key answered hesitantly. "But ya got your slingshot right? Just in case?" she asked. "It's pretty late out there," Key explained.
"Yeah, a coise," Luna replied and patted the pocket that held her trusty weapon.
"Alright. See ya back at the Bridge den." With that Key walked over to Snitch, and gave her best friend one last wave before heading outside with the other newsies.
"I'm sorry the keep ya," Spot said softly as he sat down beside Luna. "I just needed the talk real quick."
"What's wrong Spot?" Luna asked.
"Well, I gotta ask ya sumptin'," Spot sighed and took her hand in his.
Luna looked up into his eyes, desperately hiding how good it felt to hold his hand.
Spot took his hand from hers and pulled out his slingshot, looking down at it. "I used the think I was nothin' without dis slingshot - like it was all that I had. I was invincible with it, and no one could harm me when I was aimed with me slingshot." Sighing, Spot held the slingshot up. "I wanna get rid of it. I don't wanna deal with the memories it brings back any longer. I wanna just throw it away and forget it ever meant something to me."
"No wait," Luna interrupted. "You can't just throw it away like that," she argued. "It also has a lot of good memories to it."
"But da one that sticks out da most is bad. I should toss it away right now," he furthered. Spot should have used his slingshot to kill Fox that night, thus saving Peter, and to this day Spot felt his brother's death was his own fault.
Easing the slingshot out of Spot's hand, Luna shook her head. "I won't let you do that."
"Alright, then you keep it," Spot reasoned. "But I don't want to carry it around any longer."
Luna carefully put the slingshot in one of her back pockets. "I'll keep it safe 'til the day comes that ya miss it. Den you come and find me right away, ya hear?"
Nodding, Spot offered Luna his arm and the two stood up. "Allow me to escort ya home then, since your doin' me a big favor."
Smiling, Luna nodded and held onto his arm. Walking out of the empty hall, the two proceeded back towards the lodging house in silence.