New York Royalty

By: PrinceOfNewYork

Chapter Thirteen: A Poker Face

Summary: In the world people are viewed in several different ways. Some are leaders, some are followers, some are somewhere in the middle, and some just get power through possessions. The concept of royalty can take on more than just one form.

Disclaimer: Most of these guys are mine, except for the few that ain't. And, if ya don't know which ones those are then you better go watch Newsies again.

A/N: Alright, this is my first shot at a Newsie fic, but I've been messin' with this character for over a year now, and it's about time she had her story put down (before I completely forget it all!) Thanks a bunch to all of ya who read this!

Also, I'm not sure if anyone is familiar with the musical 'Violet' but if you are I stole a few phrases from it, specifically the song 'Luck of the Draw' for this chapter. Thank you!

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"So… do you know all da Manhattan boys?

"Well," Avalanche said taking the cigarette out of his mouth. "I know OF all of them, and I can tell one from da other, and I can tell you whose who, but I'm not sure if 'know' is da right woid here." Prince was instantly confused.

"What he means," Dash explained to her, "is that he knows almost all da newsies in da city… dey just dunno him."

"Oh… right," she said understanding a bit more now. It was her, Avalanche, Dash, Keys, and Million who were walking across the Brooklyn Bridge as they talked. Actually, Prince found it rather strange that nearly all the levels of command were with them. Avalanche, the leader was there, Dash, the second in command, not to mention Million, Avalanche's own brother who took control in emergencies. Keys… must have been there because he was too hyper to stay home or something and she knew she was going because she said she wanted to get out of Queens. She just wondered who was in charge back at the lodging house. And she really hoped it wasn't Two-step.

"Okay, so I got another question," she said. "Do ya think I should be a boy or a goil?"

Avalanche thought about that for a second. "I'd say stick to bein' a boy. Dese guys dunno you're a goil, an'… it's just safah dat way. I trust da Manhattan boys an' all but… bettah safe den sorry."

She nodded, that was defiantly something she could handle. "Alright."

"Say… Avalanche…" Dash said. "Don't you still owe me two bucks from two weeks ago."

"Oh… yeah… heh, sorry I forgot." Though it appeared as though he wasn't going to repay the money.

"Prince… what's that one thing you said once."

"What, you mean, ní dhíolann dearmad fiacha?"

"Yeah… that! What she said," Dash said.

"What's it mean Prince?"

"A debt is still unpaid, even if forgotten," she said with a sly smile.

Avalanche sighed and reached into his pocket and pulled out the two bucks. "I dunno why I'm givin' this to you. I'm just gonna win it back anyway."

"Yeah… but at least you know we're square for now," he said smiling as they walked up the stairs to the Manhattan Lodging house.

Avalanche walked through the door first. "Hiya boys!" he called with a smile.

"Well looky looky… if it isn't the man who'd cause a natural disastah," someone said. "How ya doin' Avie?"

"I'm good," he said with a nod. "Look, youse guys all know Dash, Million, an' Keys heah, but lemme intraduce ya to a new addition to da Queens ranks." He grabbed hold of Prince's hand and pulled her in front of him. "Dis heah, is Prince," he said as he placed his hands on her shoulders She raised her hand tentatively and gave a little wave. There were a lot of unfamiliar faces in that room, and she didn't like it at all.

One of them looked from her to Avalanche. "Dat's Prince huh?" he said as he stood up from a chair and walked over to her. He was about Avalanche's height and looked really strong, and not very nice. His dark hair was cut short, but with a smile he looked rather congenial. She could tell that you didn't want to be on his bad side. He spat in his hand and offered it to her. "Name's Engine… I'm da leadah of da Manhattan newsies. Pleased ta meetcha Prince." She spit in her hand without hesitation and shook his firmly.

"Yeah, yeah, 'nuff chit chat. Hey, you boys ready ta lose some money?" a boy called from the table. He was sitting with a deck of cards in his hands. Dark eyes gleamed from benieth dark hair, and he looked Italian.

"Yeah, we're comin, but Race, youse oughta know, Prince heah ain't nevah played poker before."

That was Race? The short Italian? That was Racetrack Higgins? "Well well… alright Prince, youse can lean ovah my shoulda for a while. Lemme talk ya through the game foist," Race said with a smirk.

"Now, he's gonna teach ya how ta play draw poker," Avalanche said just to let her know. "Good clean way ta lose some money. And it'll give ya somethin' ta do with us boys," he said laughing a little, which made the other Queens boys chuckle too, but the Manhattan boys didn't understand.

"Alright, foist what cha gotta know is royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair and-"

"No pair at all," Engine said cutting into Race's show, which made the entire place burst out into laughter.

"Yeah, but High Card's never one a pot that I can remembah," he said with a shrug.

"Wait," Prince stopped him, "so… what's the pot?"

"We'll get dere," he said with a smile. "Alright first ya got the ante. We play a penny. But b'fore we start playin' ya gotta ante up," he said as he tossed a penny into the middle of the table. Avalanche, Dash, and Engine all tossed in a penny as well. "Ya just need one," he told her. "Then ya deal." He dealt each of the boys five cards.

"Hold on, what's a flush?" Prince asked.

"Any five cards of the same suit. But, if it's King, Queen, Jack, Ace and Ten then it's royal. But if their any but those cards and in order then its straight."

"And what's a full house?"

"Two of one kinda card, three of another… like two fours, and three sevens… or whatever."

"That sounds hard."

"Not really, it's all in the luck of the draw kid." Race really was the best teacher in New York… as far as poker was concerned anyway.

They played a few hands. As the game progressed a few more boys joined in the ante, boys who included Keys, Million, Kid-Blink, who was a boy with an eye patch and blonde hair, and a boy named Mush, who was kinda cute and had dark curly hair. Other boys played too, but either Prince never caught their names, or they didn't play long.

"Hey," Prince said tapping a boy on the shoulder who was watching the game. "Do… you understand poker?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I usually play, but… I ain't in da mood."

"Could youse explain somethin' den?"

"Sure, what's ya problem?"

"Okay, so… once they get goin' heah… none of 'em smile, or frown… or hardly move until da games ovah, or dey fold… why?"

The boy laughed. "It's a poker face. Dat's what it's called… a poker face. See, if when you're dealt cards and ya smile people know ya got somethin' good, or dat ya liein', and you ain't got nothin'. So… to avoid any confusion, and ta stick to a strategy, most people don' even smile… or anythin'. Dey jus get deir head's in da game… an'… dey dun think about much else."

"Oh…" she said nodding. "I get it. I think," she laughed a little. "Thanks."

Avalanche won the current hand and Prince pulled up a chair. "Lemme take a whack at dis game."

Avalanche looked at her. "Ya sure?"

"Sure, I'm sure, now deal me in."

"Ante up!" Race said as Engine, Avalanche, Race, Prince, Million, and Mush threw in pennies, the rest of the boys were sitting a hand out.

He dealt the cards out, and looked at everyone's face. Suddenly she seemed like she was in a whole other world. People were glancing at her, looking at the back of her hand, and looking at their own cards.

The hand played out, and Prince figured she was doing alright. It came down to her, Race, and Avalanche. "Raise… dime," Race said putting ten cents into what Prince had learned to be the pot.

"Call," Avalanche said tossing in a dime himself.

"Call," Prince said with a nod as she added ten cents herself.

"Alright…" Race laid down his cards. Full house. Two tens and three Aces.

"Sorry Race… looks like lady luck was favorin' me tanight. Four of a kind," he said laying down four tens, and a three." Truth be told, Avalanche had only won three or four other hands that night. Over all, Race had been the one winnin' the most.

Prince shrugged. "Flush," she said laying down a four, six, seven, five and eight of clubs.

Avalanche smiled at her. "You did alright kid," as he took the money from the middle of the table.

"He had a bettah hand than I did," Engine said with a smile.

"Nothin' ta be ashamed of. Rare someone wins on deir first hand," Mush said.

"Yeah," Race piped up. "'Sept for me… but…"

"Shove it Race," Kid-Blink said hitting his friend lightly on the arm.

Avalanche glanced at the clock. "Getting' late boys, and we have a paper to sell tomorrah."

"An' halfa city ta walk through tanight," Dash added.

"So we had bettah get goin'! What do you boys say? Same time next week?"

"Sure, an' bring Brooklyn with ya next time." Engine smiled, "Spot owes me some money."

Avalanche laughed. "Will do… see ya!" he said and the Manhattan boys waved goodbye as the Queens kids left their lodging house.

"What'd ya think Prince?" Avalanche asked when they were half way down the street.

"I think Race cheats."

"Youse'd be surprised how many people say dat," Avalanche said laughing. "But he don't... not that I know of."

"But ta be honest… can I come again next week?"

"Sure kid. Ya might as well."

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And that's the chapter for this monday. Read it real careful, and maybe you'll catch somethin' that the newsies missed... that's the only hint I'll give ya. See ya on friday for the next chapter!