It was eight o'clock. I was walking down the street with Faith and Race. The streets seemed far less crowded then usual. But than again that could have just been to my untrained eye. They talked about the newspapers and headlines. They seemed to be the biggest things to them (or most of the newsies) . They were talking about an older story I remembered my father yapping about one day at dinner... Funny how something can come up later in life that you haven't thought about in so long.
"I mean it hasn't been in the papers for a week, that means they did not solve the case." Race explained.
"Didn't solve the case yet."Faith corrected.
Race sighed.
"Didn't solve the case yet." He repeated.
"Good job." Faith patted him on the back.
Racetrack turned back to me and said, "We're almost there."
I gave him a thumbs up.
"Thanks." I smiled.
"Hey,"Race said. "you want try at a cigar?"
He held one of the cigars out to me. I could remember my father smoking with his worker colleges on our patio in New Jersey. The thought made my stomach churn.
"No thanks." I muttered.
He nodded, "More for me than."
I wanted nothing to do with my father. I wished I could just forget about him and mother. Just let them slip away. One day they'd probably be gone. Maybe they would go back to New Jersey or upstate New York. Maybe then I could have peace, finally. That is if they'd leave me alone.
We managed to get to Tibby's in a little bit. I remembered the deli from the breakfast I'd had with Jack. I smiles. We sat down in our seats.
"What you getin' ?" Racetrack asked no even touching his menu.
"I don't know." Faith shrugged. "What you getting?"
"Same as always." Race said.
"Why am I not surprised?" She laughed.
I stared at the menu.
"Get something cheap." Race instructed me. "You'll save more money."
I'd been so used to getting whatever I wanted, regardless of the cost. The life of a newsie was so much different. It was all unfamiliar. I looked down at the menu again. Soup wasn't so much. Besides soup was always a warm, descent meal.
"Thank you Anthon-" I started.
"Racetrack." He corrected.
He gave me a smile.
"I'm sorry Racetrack."
"Nah, don't worry about it!"
A waiter walked over to our table. He was young maybe fourteen.
"Any drinks?" He asked holding a small notepad in front of him with a pencil.
"I'll have water." I said.
"Same for the rest of us." Faith said.
Quickly John scribbled our answers down. Faith looked around the room, it was nearly empty.
"Slow night John?" She asked the waiter.
He nodded his head, "Yeah. Lucky seeing you here. How you doing Race?"
"I'm alright. This is the newest addition to the Manhattan newsies, Maria or Porcelain."
"Nice to meet you." He smiled. "I'll be back with your drinks shortly."
He turned and walked off to the kitchen in the back.
"Faith you haven't been to Brooklyn for a while hows everything doing?" Race asked stiffly.
Faith got quiet.
"Spot has just been busy... He's fine, we're fine." She mumbled.
Faith looked down. I thought of the how close Faith and Spot had been the last time I saw them together. I could tell based on the bay she was speaking and how she was slumping down in her seat and trying to make herself look small that nothing was "fine". What could have happened?
John was back with our drinks. He set each glass of water down on the table in front of us.
"What are you guys having to eat?"He asked.
He held out the notepad and pencil out on front of him once again.
"I'll have..." Faith paused to inspect the menu. "I'll have a roast beef sandwich."
John looked at her oddly.
"You hate roast beef." John snickered.
"I want to try something new!" Faith protested.
"I think you should get something else, just to be safe."
Faith sighed, "Fine, fine. I'll get a bagel with butter."
John wrote it down on the notepad.
"I'll have the soup." I said giving him a smile.
He nodded and wrote it down.
"Salami sandwich, right Race?" John asked.
"You know it,"Race smiled. "like always."
"You'll have your food in a moment."
He walked off to the kitchen.
"So," Racetrack said. "first day on the job. How does hit feel?"
"It was great! I had a lot of fun. Faith is a really good teacher." I exclaimed.
"Well she learned from the best!" Race shouted.
He wrapped his arm around her and pulled he in.
"Race... c-can't... breath..." She stuttered.
Racetrack had grabbed her from behind the neck. Race let her go and laughed. Faith gasped for air. Then she pushed him.
"Stop doing that damn it!" Faith laughed (even though she was trying to be serious) "It gives me bad flashbacks."
I laughed a little bit to. But "bad flashbacks"? What did she mean? It seemed there were things I didn't know about her...
"By the way you didn't teach my anything. Hell, you learned from me." Faith announced proudly. "And Maria is a good learner. She still has some things to perfect, but other than that not to shabby."
He laughed and gave me a thumbs up. John was back with our food. Soup for me, a buttered bagel for Faith and a salami sandwich for Race. Race slowly raised his glass.
"I propose a toast!"He exclaimed.
All of us raised our classes.
"To a new beginning."
This chapter was celebrated with The Dark Knight Rises and spare ribs.