The next week just seem to go downhill like a runaway carriage.

It grated on my nerves to hafta wear Dave's old jacket, and putting it on the morning after our argument just made me cringe. I was in a bad mood to rival Skittery's worst days. I knew it as well as the rest of the fellas, but felt justified. Ya know? Yeah, yeah, I know. It was a stupid thing to let get to me, and I shouldn't have taken it out on the other guys.

It's easy to say that now. Not so easy to see then.

I spoke as little as possible as we all pushed and shoved in the washroom, and when I did speak it was to snap at someone. I left before anyone else and hurried to the World to get my papes. For once, I was the first in line. Jack and the others were horsing around by the gates, behind me. Jack, laughing at something Blink said, started to automatically stand in front of me in his customary place. I gave him such a look of hatred, though, that he simply frowned at me and went to stand second in line. Rotten, ain't I?

Anyways, I got my papes and headed off to City Hall Park. By myself. I was in no mood to sell with anyone, and nobody offered to go with me. I'm a loner by nature, so I was actually starting to feel a little better by the time I got to City Hall. I gave it everything I had that morning, using every trick in the book. It worked, too. Though it was cold, the skies had cleared some so that people were a little more willing to stop to buy a newspaper.

I'd done so well, in fact, that I had a lot of time to kill until the evening edition. I walked through the streets, aimlessly. No real destination in mind. Christmas decorations were starting to go up everywhere, and I killed almost an hour looking in the window of Kincaid's Toy Emporium. Boy, you wouldn't believe the things they got in there. Model airplanes, balls of all shapes and sizes, toy animals, bicycles, marbles of every color you could imagine, and some of the neatest tops I've ever seen.

Maybe we could scrape up enough coins to get a ball or two, and some marbles, for the little kids this Christmas. They'd have to share the balls, but at least it would be somethin'. I'd hafta remember to tell Jack about it. Oh, yeah. Jack.

Well, that pretty much took care of my good mood. I shoved my hands into my pockets and started walking again. I didn't get too far when I realized how hungry I was. I looked around to get my bearings then crossed the street and turned left to walk over to Goldman's Deli. Crutchy had introduced me to the place back in the spring. The food was good and it was cheap.

I couldn't believe who I bumped into at the counter. Mrs. Jacobs. Who, of course, had to mention the jacket.

"Racetrack, what a surprise to see you. Oh, the jacket looks very nice on you. Fits very well, doesn't it?"

She fussed with the collar and smiled at me. Jeez, I couldn't very well tell her I hated wearing Dave's jacket. "Yeah, it does. Thanks for thinking of me, Mrs. Jacobs."

"No trouble at all young man. I just hated to think of you out in that weather with no warm jacket." She gave the collar one last pat and stepped back. "You should drop by for dinner some night. I know Les thinks very highly of you and says your ability to play the harmonica is just the best thing ever."

She laughed at that and it was such a musical sound. A distant memory floated through my mind, but it was like a wisp of fog. No substance. I couldn't get a grasp on it and it quickly floated away again. But I knew it was about my mother. Something to do with the way she laughed, I thought.

I remembered she'd said something to me and gathered my scattered thoughts. "I'd like to, Mrs. Jacobs, but with Jack gone most nights somebody's gotta keep the younger kids in line. Tell Les he's always welcome to come play with Snipeshooter and the others."

"I'll do that. Speaking of Les, he's waiting for me at home so I guess I'd better hurry along. You take care of yourself, young man."

And I could tell by the shift in tone that she meant it. My well-being actually meant something to her. "You too, Mrs. Jacobs."

You too.

I grabbed a bite to eat after she left then headed back out into the cold. By the time I got back to the distribution center, the papes were ready for us. I got fifty and headed out to hit the pubs. Not to drink, though I'd probably get a little beer from the guys that thought I was too young to drink it. In that kinda cold, at that time o' day...the pubs were the best bet for a large group of people who'd probably buy a pape.

I guess it was payday, 'cause there was sure a lot of guys out drinkin' that night. And generous to a poor newsie out tryin' to sell his papes. I was wishin' I'd bought more than fifty, but didn't want to hoof it back to the World for more. I sold my last pape to an angry drunk that was probably on his way home to beat his wife and kids, the bastard. He gave me a dime for the pape and I gave him four pennies and slug as change. The drunk didn't even noticed he'd been cheated.

I didn't want to be anywhere nearby when he did figure out, though, so I headed back to the lodgin' house. Things hadn't gone as well for some o' the others.

When I got there, I could hear angry voices from the bunkroom all the way downstairs at the front desk. I paid Kloppy my six cents, signed the book and raised my eyebrows at him in question.

"You'll see. Jack ain't back yet, so I think Blink could use a hand."

With a sigh, I trudged up the worn wooden stairs and wondered what had happened now. I had to push some kids aside just to get through the door to the bunkroom. "Hey, Blink! What's goin' on?"

Once I'd made it through the crowd, though, I knew what was up. Crutchy was sittin' on Boots' bunk, holdin' a handkerchief to his bloody nose. Just knowin' some scabber had soaked a crip like Crutchy had my blood boilin'. Somebody was gonna pay.

"Crutchy, what happened?"

The poor kid was a pitiful sight, but he sat up straight as he could and tried to make it seem like it wasn't as bad as it looked. "Ah, it's nothin', Race. Some kids jumped me when I was on my way back. I think I broke one kid's arm with my crutch."

"Good for you, Crutchy. You see those kids again, you tell us and we'll make sure they don't soak anybody again."

Blink pulled me aside as the others crowded around Crutchy to get the blow- by-blow of the fight. "Race, they took his coat and his gloves."

Damn. Crutchy would die out there without a coat. "We got any extras?"

"None that'll fit him." I could hear the worry in his voice, even in a whisper. "I tried to offer him mine, but you know how he is. He wouldn't take it."

"Well, we'll use money from our winter fund to get him one."

Blink shook his head, running his fingers through his hair in a gesture of frustration. "I tried that, too, Race. He won't let us. Says that money is for all the newsies, not just one."

"Stubborn kid's gonna die from his pride."

Pride gets us all, don't it?

"Well, we'll just hafta figure somethin' out. No two ways about it."

"What do we do?"

An idea began to form. "What else? We gamble."

~~~~~***~~~~~

Shout-outs. Well, shout-out. lol

The Second Batgirl: Glad you're enjoying it. I don't know why I like to give Race and Jack a little confrontation. I guess because they're both such strong personalities. Anyways, it's fun. lol

I'm getting near the end, I swear.