The Queen's Race (Newsies | Sprace)

Chapter 1

"Spot!" Spot sprung up from his relaxed position in which he was resting on the pier. He watched as Jack ran down the dock with Much right behind him. Jack hardly ever came to Brooklyn; he would usually just send Race over. But the truth was Spot hadn't seen Race in a few days.

"Jack?" Spot questioned, standing up.

"Spot, have you seen Race?" Jack asked as he came to a stop, and Mush caught up to him.

"I haven't seen him in three days. Usually, one of my boys sees him, but no one has seen him," Spot said.

"Every other borough knows how important he is to both Manhattan and Brooklyn. Is Brooklyn involved with any others that would have taken him?" Jack asked.

"Queens has been breaking our borders lately," Spot confessed.

"Why would they do that?" Mush asked, finally catching his breath.

"Volt, the leader of Queens, has been trying to take some of Brooklyn's territory. Gill, one of my boys, came back two days ago, all beat up. I haven't got around to talking with him yet, to see if he might know anything," Spot said before walking further down the pier as Jack and Mush followed him.

"Gill," Spot called, climbing up a flight of stairs. Jack and Mush followed Spot into a room filled with bunk beds. The group stopped in front of a boy who was asleep.

Spot bent down beside the boy before shaking his shoulder, "Gill." The boy slowly opened his eyes.

"Spot? What are you doing up here?" Gill questioned slowly, sitting up as Spot helped him.

"Gill, do you remember anything that was said during your encounter with Queens, anything that would have to deal with Race," Spot asked as Gill looked at Jack and Mush.

"Who are they?" Gill asked casually.

"Gill, this is Mush and Jack. Jack is the Manhattan newsie leader, and he has become worried because one of his newsies, Race, has not been seen in a while," Spot explained.

"Well, the guys who beat me up said something about an Anthony and his parents wanting him back, but I have no idea who Anthony is," Gill said. Almost immediately, Mush's face fell white.

"Mush?" Spot questioned, looking at the boy, "Are you ok?"

"I know who Anthony is?" Mush said very quietly, "But I need to explain in secret."

"We can go to my room if you want," Spot suggested. The two boys followed Spot up another set of stairs and into a small room with a bed, bookshelf, and a small closet.

"Spot what is this?" Jack asked, picking up a cigar that the end had clearly been thoroughly chewed on.

"That would be Race's stress/backup cigar," Spot explained, "Now Mush, what did you need to tell us."

"Jack, you remember the first day I brought Race to the lodge, right?" Mush questioned.

"Ya, it was before I was in charge," Jack answered, not knowing where the conversation was going.

"But I never told you where I first meet Race. Race is actually from Queens; that's where I found him. I was walking home to Manhattan that night when a boy shorter than me ran past and into the alley. Me being me, I followed him. In that alleyway, I met the one and only Anthony Higgins or as all of you like to call him Race or Racetrack.

That night the scared little boy let me into his world. I know Race has never told you this, but he comes from a reasonably wealthy family. Race is the youngest of five children; actually, he's the unwanted sibling; they never wanted him. His mother and father wanted four children, but sometimes a miracle happens, and twins are born. Race has a twin sister named Annabelle.

Annabelle was born first, making her the fourth child, the perfect child in her parents' eyes. But then came Anthony, the one they never expected, the one they didn't want. He was reminded of hit every day in multiple ways, from the hateful names that filled his head to scars of a knife that adorn his sides.

Race that night was running away from the house that haunted him, and he found us. A family that wanted him in it for the first time. For about the first month Race was with us, he was always jumped about the littlest things. Jumpy like a horse at the races, therefore why his name was from that point on Race or Racetrack.

So, Anthony Gill was saying his parents wanted him back. That Anthony is our Racetrack, and those people are the people who made him jump at the littlest things in life."