In Line

[Cowgirl]

Cowgirl stood in line her back against the brick wall as she folded her arms across her chestg. Her black cowgirl hat was tipped infront of her eyes slightly as she waited for the line to move. She clicked her boots lightly as she sighed,"anudda day, anudda penny, not much really,"she murmured.

[Anthony Higgins]

((Both Manhattan newsies; I'll assume they know each other?))

As he grabbed his papers from the distribution desk, Racetrack said to Weasel with a mocking grin, "Yer a gentleman an' a scholar, Weasel." Before he could get yelled at (and before Weasel could find out Race had shorted him two cents) Racetrack turned away from the window and let the next newsie take his place. As he sat on the edge of the platform and opened one of the papers he noticed Cowgirl in the line.

He gave her a slight wave. "How goes it?" he called shortly, with a nod in her direction. Racetrack didn't think too fondly of everyone, but Cowgirl wasn't too bad. He would prefer her over some of the other muttonheads that walked around here, that was for sure...

[Cowgirl]

(of course ^^)
Cowgirl smiled and decided to step out of the line and sit beside him, she was rather fond of him actually, even if she wouldn't admit it,"Well it goes....how are da races lately Race?"she asked as she tipped her hat up and met his eyes with hers, a smile spreading beautiful across her face. She hadn't talked to him lately but she had meant to catch up with him.

[Anthony Higgins]

Racetrack shook his head in reply. "I don't hardly win enough back to lose again," he said. He would stay at the track often into the night until he won back something, but usually it wasn't too much. "Bum odds, y'know? But I'm feelin' like a lucky tip's comin' my way." He thought about those who supplied him with his tips, and was beginning to consider doing the opposite of whatever he was advised.

He lit his cigar butt and flicked through the paper. "So how's the headline treatin' ya, kiddo?" he asked, in an attempt to steer the conversation away from his bad luck. He glanced over the bold type, looking for a thing or two he could use or fiddle around with to make useful. He would need at least twenty or thirty cents if he was going to put down on the second, third and fourth today...

[Cowgirl]

Cowgirl looked down and shrugged,"Well not to good, but I'm sure I could help ya wit yer luck if you'd like...."she said as her hair curtained her face and she picked up one of his papes and flippedthrough it as well. "The headlines are slow dis week, it ain't normal, it jus ain't right ya know..."she said as she took her hat off and set it in her lap. She tilted her head and looked up at him again," ya have strategy dontcha?"she asked,"I'm sure I can help wit da races if ya wanna help me wit sellin...."she said in suggestion.

[Anthony Higgins]

"It ain't right," he agreed forcefully. "They'll put anythin' in the papes these days." He jabbed his finger at an article. "Whaddya make of this: Boy Saves Schoolmate From Falling Brick." He brandished the paper indignantly. "Wha'sat all about? You know who's gonna wanna read dis? Four people. Da boy, his schoolmate, and 'dere mudders." He flipped the paper shut with a loud snap.

"Course I got a strategy. Who don't got a strategy..." He said, perhaps still slightly disgruntled from the lack of good headlines. He glanced at her momentarily. "Huh. Ya know I wouldn've pinned ya ta know much about races..." He never thought that many of the other newsies knew much about betting or the tracks. It was something that Race had always done on his own. "But if ya wanted help with sellin', I say you don't need it. Ya move, what, fifty or more a day?" He wasn't sure what Cowgirl could sell, and didn't know if it was better to overestimate or underestimate.

[Cowgirl]

"Race, ya gotta tig or two ta learn, yer not da only one who knows bout da tracks, or bettin'..."she said as she folded her pape in half and looked down at the racing line up for Shepshead," look hereh..."she said pointing at the results and continuing her statement," dese tings are rigged.... see how yesteday numbas 3,5, and 7 won?"she asked rhetorically,"every other day they switch it up, so yas see... today it'll prolly be 2,4, an 6, and tomora it'll be 1,8, and 9...ya see where I'm goin wit dis?"she asked.

"And as fer me sellin average, about 75 a day, but depends on how well....uh convincin I can be, and not jus fer headlines, but about meself too..."se murmured.

[Anthony Higgins]

Racetrack grabbed the paper from her. "Yer kiddin' me!" he exclaimed, loud enough so that several others looked his way. "Not a chance! I been goin' to Sheepshead for two years! If the races were fixed I'd know!"

His eyes darted down the page. "I know da bookies get bribes...but how d'they fix every race?" He looked quizically at Cowgirl.

"Seventy five's better that I could do," he said. "I'm thinkin' yer doin' somethin' right if ya can move that many a day." He snuffed the last of his cigar on the platform. "Whaddya mean, convincin'?" he asked, not exactly sure what she meant. Anyone who moved seventy five a day had to be pretty convincing...

[Cowgirl]

She looked at him and down at the paper,"it's true Race, da races are fixed, I've been checking the section of this pape fer awhile now, and it's true, but sometimes dey switch it up, ya jus' gotta be on top of tings like dat,"she said as she looked down and her hair curtained her face as she sighed hearing his question of her convincg.

Cowgirl was silent for a moment, which was never a good sign but then she spoke," well da ting is is dat alot of bein' convincin ain't jus da headlines Race, it's got alot ta do wit gettin what ya want, and sometimes ya gotta do wat ya gotta do.....and alot of people pay good money if ya talk da right way, or walk da right way, sometimes ya gotta use what ya have..."she said.

[Anthony Higgins]

Racetrack shook his head again. "I don' believe it. Nothin' doin', Cowgirl, that's way too obvious for them to do that all the time. I'da known! I'da seen if it was jus' the same numbahs winnin' day to day. Wouldn'ti've?" He thought back to the racing cards he got every day. The pamphlets and cards told him the winners from the past week and the odds of a win. He always bet place (win was a sucker bet if he ever saw one) and he couldn't remember whether or not Cowgirl was telling him something legitamate.

In responce to her explination, he shook his head. "Yeah, ya gotta use what ya got. But you don't need no more, I knows it. Everyone knows it. Look." He shifted to angle himself towards her. "Bein' a newsie ya need t'ree things. Ya need t'be able ta yell over crowds. Ya need t'twist dem rotten headlines inta somethin' you can use. And ya need people to feel bad for ya, but that don't always work. So you'se got what it takes! Why d'ya need my help when you can sell more'n me?"

[Cowgirl]

Cowgirl bit her lower lip, he had a point with telling her she didn't need his help, but lately she'd find any excuse just to be around him, but she wasn't ready to admit that quite yet,"I jus' thought maybe we'd be betta off selling togeda than alone...."she said, which was also a very good point on her part, normally two newsies selling together made more than one on their own.
"we'd make a great team Race, yous and me, and if ya really don't believe me on da races, I can still help ya win, if we both bet, and split the earnings, I can bet on half and you bet on da udda half,"she said.

[Anthony Higgins]

It might have been true that most newsies sold better in groups or pairs than alone. But Racetrack considered himself an exception. He worked alone and it suited him just fine. There was no dispute over who got the odd penny (especially with a job where every penny counted), and no one to argue with. Selling with someone just created more problems than it solved. Race looked at Cowgirl skeptically. "I don't think we'd sell better together. People like newsies who're alone, anyways. Less, ah, whaddya call it...intim'dation? Yeah..."

"I didn't know you even knew nothin' about bettin', kiddo..." he said honestly. He had never known Cowgirl to have much interest in the races, and although he knew something about horses that wasn't always it. Sheepshead Bay Racetrack may have been full of crooks and bookies that took bribes, but their horses were all the best.

[Cowgirl]

Cowgirl nodded and understood his perspective on seeling partners,"ok, well sellin' togedas outta da question, but would I honestleh lie ta ya bout bettin' Race, I wouldn't lie ta ya about sometin that is yer whole life almost, it's fine if ya don't believe me bout dem bein' rigged, but would ya at least lemme help ya wit bettin on da horses, ya can't lose dat way...."she said.

Her gaze averted down and her hair fell into her face again as she sighed, she knew alot, and it seemed that alot of people didn't think she knew as much as she truely did, it hurt a little that Race didn't think she knew as much.

[Anthony Higgins]

He could see he had offended her. He hadn't meant to, and he rolled his eyes and tried to reconcile. "Look...I ain't sayin' I don't believe ya. And I ain't sayin' you don't know what you'se is talkin' about. But...the only thing is...I don't bet not to lose. I bet to win. An' bettin', it's all chance and luck. If we goes out and bet on every horse...that ain't luck. They got names for fellas like that at the track, and they ain't too nice names, either."

He was talking too much, even by his standards. "Look. If ya wanna, you'se can come down to the track with me a few times a week. But yer bettin' yourself. Cause that's how it's 'sposed to be, you know?" Something that Race loved about the track and the races was that there was an order, a special brand of rules that had to be obeyed. He was against anything that went against those rules, and as much as Cowgirl was his friend, betting pools were one of them. There was no sign anywhere that stated it, but it was one of those things you just didn't do. There were scumbags who did it, for sure, but Race prided himself on not being one.

[Cowgirl]

Cowgirl nodded,"ok, ok, we'll do that den, I'll bet on my own and you on yer own, that's fine,"she said as she stood and offered her hand to him,"where ya headed now?"she asked as she looked down at him and figured she'd just change subjects, it was not going to help if they started fighting, she would never fight with him,Spot, or Jack, those were the three people she refused to argue with, because she never wanted to lose them in any way.

She looked down at the ground before meeting his gaze again,"wanna get sometin ta eat?"she suggested. She looked up at the sky abit in distraction,"so many people ya know? I meet a new person every day it seems, and each one is different, everyone unique, it's amazing to stop and think sometimes,"she muttered.