It was a long walk to Brooklyn and by the time we got to the bridge it was dark. From the bridge it was only a short walk to the Brooklyn Newsies' Lodging House. We walked inside, Jack leading the way.

"Well, if it ain't Cowboy." a tall muscular boy said walking up to him.

"How's it goin Sketch? We're lookin fer Spot. He around?"

"No...We haven't seen Spot since las night." the boy named Sketch replied with a guarded expression.

"Whudd happened? An whudd 'bout Angel?" Jack asked. "Dey were supposed ta meet us fer lunch taday."

"Well were not exactly sure whudd happened. But a group of de Crypts showed up late last night lookin fer some goil. I have no idea who she is but I think Spot did. Dey're was a big fight but I don't exactly how it was started. Spot disappeared wid Angel and nobodys seen em since."

Right then the door opened and Spot walked in carrying Angel. We all stared at them for a moment and Bailey moved first.

"Angel! Spot is she hoit?"

"Yea.", Spot looked exhausted. "She twisted her ankle and is a little bruised up too. She's sleepin now."

All of a sudden I felt really guilty. This wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for me. All I was doing was hurting the people who had come to be my friends in the few days I had known them.

"Where'd ye go?" Jack asked Spot.

"We've kinda been just around Brooklyn fer de entia day, lyin low. We didn't know if dey'd still be lookin fer us."

"Who was it?" Race asked.

"Shadow o course along wid da Crypts." Spot replied. "Look, I gotta get her in te bed." he said indicating Angel. "Let discuss dis in de moinin."

"Alright. Do ye need help?" Jack asked as Spot walked to the stairs and began to carry Angel up them.

"Naw, whudd good would I be if I couldn't even take care o me own goil?" he said with a little smile.

After Spot had gone upstairs we decided we obviously had to stay at the Brooklyn Lodging House. Since there was a shortage of beds Race and me were put together since Bailey was sharing one with Jack. This was kinda strange for me and as the beds were kinda small and really meant for only one person, Race and me ended up kind of pushed together. Not that I really minded though... I had begun to realize I had feelings for my pretty much constant companion who was Race. He was really funny, strange, and much different from anyone I had ever met before. And on top of that he was a sweet, understanding person as well even though he might not seem that way when you first meet him. Though life had gotten very strange and confusing in the few days since my mother's murder I was glad because I now knew Racetrack.

As I was lying there in the dark, Race so close to me I could feel his breath on the back of my head, I thought of something.

"Race?"

"Yea?"

"Whudds yer real name? I mean, ye do have one right?"

"Yea I do have one. Me real names Anthony or Tony...Higgins. Dats whudd dey called me before I came ta Manhattan an became a newsie."

"Whos dey?" I asked curious.

"Me fadder." he said shortly.

I wasn't sure if I should pry into the topic or not. But then he knew all about my life, I wanted to know about his.

"Umm...wheres he?"

"Don't know, don't care."

"Why?"

"Let's just say he wasn't de kinda dad a kid wants. Not da paternal type i guess. Anyways I ran away."

"Whudd about yer mudda?" I felt bad prying but for some reason I still pressed on.

"Dunno...all my memory o her is when I was a baby I think. I rememba her singin to me. But I'm not sure whudd happened to her...me fadder neva told me." He said a little sadly.

"Oh." I said and rolled over so I was facing him in the dark. "I'm sorry if dis makes ye sad... I just want te loin about ye."

There was a pause.

"He beat me."

Those simple words just made my heart ache for Race. No kid should have to go though that no matter what they did or how bad they were.

"I left when I was eleven. I hopped a train den came te Manhattan and made friends wid Jack who helped me te become a newsie."

One tear had leaked out of my eye and I managed to keep back the rest. But this time my crying wasn't for me, like it mostly had been for the past three days, it was for Race. I put my arms around him and held on to him without saying anything.

"Ye don't have te be sorry for me. I got over it." But nevertheless he put his arms around me a held me back.

"Well...I guess I can't help but feel sorry since I'm too late to do anythin else."

"How can ye care so much about odda people and not so much about yerself?"

I didn't have anything to say to that and I wouldn't have been able to because right then he leaned forward and kissed me. It was brief but sweet and he had caught me off guard.

I cleared my throat. "Whudd was dat for? I asked a little bewildered about what had just happened.

"I dunno...fer bein you, because I felt like it."

"Ok.", I replied and content with that I kissed him again and we lay there a while, silent, before we fell asleep in each other's arms.