They slowly came to a halt in front of a grand Victorian house adorned with plants. A small pathway surrounded by different flowers in every color imaginable led to the front door.
Rayanne sat in awe of the mansion oblivious to the fact that William was holding the door open for her after he had unloaded the bags. He smiled at the wonder in her eyes and grabbed her hand to get her attention.
Her terrified eyes looked at him in shock and he squeezed her hand reassuringly, "You can do it, Ray. It's now or never. I am not carrying your bags all the way back to North Carolina so you can tell me you want to come back." She let out a sigh of relief and smiled at his joke before stepping out of the carriage.
Rayanne let go of his hand and held her dress off the ground a bit to keep it from getting torn when she suddenly stopped causing William who had been following her to run into her and drop the bags. "Are you alright? What's wrong?" William grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face him. She looked... Terrified.
"I changed my mind. I want..." She glanced down the street remembering the little restaurant on the corner a few blocks down, "To eat first." William looked at her quizzically. "You want.. to eat? Now?"
She nodded furiously and started playing with her necklace, she played with it whenever she was nervous and both of them knew it. "Where?" He finally responded, though it came out more as a sigh than spoken words.
She smiled thankfully knowing he was just doing it to please her. "There is a little restaurant there on the corner about 2 blocks from here. It looked like a lot of..." She looked deep in thought, "Less privileged people at there though. Are you okay with that?"
"Whatever you want, Ray." He picked up the bags for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "But after that, we are going in there. These bags aren't getting any lighter." He smirked. She agreed and they began to make their way to the restaurant.
They made small talk along the way passing numerous people. They were both fine until suddenly a boy neither of them knew appeared to be calling to Rayanne. He had curly brown hair and was followed by another young man with an eye patch over his left eye.
The boys came to a halt in front of Rayanne and William with wide smiled splayed across their faces. "What are you'se wearin' dem hoity-toity clothes for, Sparks?" The one with brown hair asked her pointing to her dress.
"An' whose da guy?" the boy with the eye patch asked her. When Rayanne didn't respond and just stood there baffled and two boys looked at each other before the brown headed one waved his hand in front of her face.
"Ey! You awright? It's me, Mush. You'se remembah me, doncha?" He said with worry evident in his voice. Unexpectedly, William grabbed his wrist and lowered Mush's arm back to his side.
"Please do not address her in such informal manner. She is Miss Winter to you." He said to Mush sternly. He then turned to the boy with the patch, "That goes for you too. I think you have Miss Winter confused with someone else." The boys looked astonished and exchanged glances.
"Miss Winter 'ere shoah looks a lot like a friend o' ours, ey Blink?" Mush said eliciting a nod from Blink.
"We din't mean ta hoit nobody. We'se hones'ly t'ought she was one o' da newsies." William's look softened and he turned to Rayanne who still had the same expression on her face. He elbowed her softly and she quickly regained her composure.
"Can I meet her? The girl that looks like me?" Even William appeared shocked by her response but Mush and Blink smiled. "O' Coise! Follow us. We'se awl eat in Tibby's about now."
The boys started to walk off and Rayanne began to follow but was stopped when William grabbed her arm, "Are you sure?" Rayanne nodded and began to follow the two as William picked up the bags and grumbled about how heavy they were.
The four walked into the door of the corner restaurant Rayanne had wanted to eat in, which caused a bell to go off and attract all the attention in the place to them. Frightened, Rayanne turned around to look at William for support.
"If it ain't Blink an' Mush. Wha' are you'se two doin' bringin' dem kids in 'ere?" It was a girl, that much was clear and Rayanne knew those 'kids' she was referring to were William and herself. "You'se oughtta know this ain' a place fo' da rich types." The girl continued and Rayanne could feel her presence right behind her.
Rayanne became angry at the sound of these 'rich types' this girl was speaking of. She was about to confront this girl but when she turned around her breathe caught in her throat and she just stood there with her mouth hanging open. She heard William gasp and knew she wasn't just seeing things. She stood there face to face.... With herself.
Rayanne sat in awe of the mansion oblivious to the fact that William was holding the door open for her after he had unloaded the bags. He smiled at the wonder in her eyes and grabbed her hand to get her attention.
Her terrified eyes looked at him in shock and he squeezed her hand reassuringly, "You can do it, Ray. It's now or never. I am not carrying your bags all the way back to North Carolina so you can tell me you want to come back." She let out a sigh of relief and smiled at his joke before stepping out of the carriage.
Rayanne let go of his hand and held her dress off the ground a bit to keep it from getting torn when she suddenly stopped causing William who had been following her to run into her and drop the bags. "Are you alright? What's wrong?" William grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face him. She looked... Terrified.
"I changed my mind. I want..." She glanced down the street remembering the little restaurant on the corner a few blocks down, "To eat first." William looked at her quizzically. "You want.. to eat? Now?"
She nodded furiously and started playing with her necklace, she played with it whenever she was nervous and both of them knew it. "Where?" He finally responded, though it came out more as a sigh than spoken words.
She smiled thankfully knowing he was just doing it to please her. "There is a little restaurant there on the corner about 2 blocks from here. It looked like a lot of..." She looked deep in thought, "Less privileged people at there though. Are you okay with that?"
"Whatever you want, Ray." He picked up the bags for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "But after that, we are going in there. These bags aren't getting any lighter." He smirked. She agreed and they began to make their way to the restaurant.
They made small talk along the way passing numerous people. They were both fine until suddenly a boy neither of them knew appeared to be calling to Rayanne. He had curly brown hair and was followed by another young man with an eye patch over his left eye.
The boys came to a halt in front of Rayanne and William with wide smiled splayed across their faces. "What are you'se wearin' dem hoity-toity clothes for, Sparks?" The one with brown hair asked her pointing to her dress.
"An' whose da guy?" the boy with the eye patch asked her. When Rayanne didn't respond and just stood there baffled and two boys looked at each other before the brown headed one waved his hand in front of her face.
"Ey! You awright? It's me, Mush. You'se remembah me, doncha?" He said with worry evident in his voice. Unexpectedly, William grabbed his wrist and lowered Mush's arm back to his side.
"Please do not address her in such informal manner. She is Miss Winter to you." He said to Mush sternly. He then turned to the boy with the patch, "That goes for you too. I think you have Miss Winter confused with someone else." The boys looked astonished and exchanged glances.
"Miss Winter 'ere shoah looks a lot like a friend o' ours, ey Blink?" Mush said eliciting a nod from Blink.
"We din't mean ta hoit nobody. We'se hones'ly t'ought she was one o' da newsies." William's look softened and he turned to Rayanne who still had the same expression on her face. He elbowed her softly and she quickly regained her composure.
"Can I meet her? The girl that looks like me?" Even William appeared shocked by her response but Mush and Blink smiled. "O' Coise! Follow us. We'se awl eat in Tibby's about now."
The boys started to walk off and Rayanne began to follow but was stopped when William grabbed her arm, "Are you sure?" Rayanne nodded and began to follow the two as William picked up the bags and grumbled about how heavy they were.
The four walked into the door of the corner restaurant Rayanne had wanted to eat in, which caused a bell to go off and attract all the attention in the place to them. Frightened, Rayanne turned around to look at William for support.
"If it ain't Blink an' Mush. Wha' are you'se two doin' bringin' dem kids in 'ere?" It was a girl, that much was clear and Rayanne knew those 'kids' she was referring to were William and herself. "You'se oughtta know this ain' a place fo' da rich types." The girl continued and Rayanne could feel her presence right behind her.
Rayanne became angry at the sound of these 'rich types' this girl was speaking of. She was about to confront this girl but when she turned around her breathe caught in her throat and she just stood there with her mouth hanging open. She heard William gasp and knew she wasn't just seeing things. She stood there face to face.... With herself.