�Where are you going?� Arrgggh. So close.

�Out.�

�Alone?� Please don�t make Johnny come with, please don�t make Johnny come with. . .

�Johnny, go with your sister.� Grrrr.

�But I haven�t eaten lunch yet!� my brother protested. �We�ll buy something on the way.� I said, dragging him out the door

�Why did you want to come here?� Johnny asked, surveying the open-air market near Greely Square.

�Why not? What�s wrong with it?� Johnny shrugged. �I dunno, I just didn�t think you liked this sort of thing.�

I�m close to my brother but there are some things he just doesn�t understand. We walked past the market and came to the center of the square. There was a statue of Horace Greely, adorned with pigeons, sitting in the square. I crossed the street and sat down on some steps in front of a building. A boy eating a hot dog strolled by. Johnny followed him, asking where he�d gotten it. Johnny holds food in very high regard.

�Hey Ange, I�m gonna get a hot dog, ok?�

�Yeah, ok. I�ll be waiting here.� I watched Johnny jog down the street. I leaned back on the steps and closed my eyes, feeling the warm sun on my face. I heard yelling nearby. I opened my eyes and sat up.

A short, dark haired boy was yelling �Heya Cowboy! Cowboy!�.

A tall, sandy haired boy turned. I recognized him from yesterday. �Heya Race, how was ya day at da tracks?�

�Good. It was real good.� replied Race with a smile. He then proceeded to reach into his pocket and pull out a cigar and pop it in his mouth. They exchanged a few more words then parted ways. Cowboy. Hmmm. I decided I needed a newspaper. I stood up and headed down the street.

�Hey Cowboy.� He turned to see me and smiled. He had a great smile. It was infectious too.

�Buy you last paper?�I smiled. He just kept smiling at me as if he hadn�t heard a word I said. I looked at him and cleared my throat.

�Oh!� He suddenly came back from wherever he had been. �Sorry �bout dat!� he said, embarrassed. He handed me the paper.

�That�s all right.� I said, pressing the penny into his palm. We locked eyes for a moment. Then we both looked away. Suddenly the pavement seemed incredibly interesting. Boy, this was embarrassing. Finally he ran his hand over his wavy hair and looked up.

�So, uh, I haven�t soon youse �round dese parts much.�

�Yeah. We just moved here.� I replied, staring into his hazel eyes.

�Yeah? Whea� from?�

�Hong Kong.� His eyes widened. �Really. My father works for the government. We travel a lot.�

�Wow. Whea� else ya lived?�

�Ummm, London, Rome, Paris. . . just about everywhere.� He nodded and looked into my eyes as if he was searching for something. Slowly he asked, �Have you eva� been ta Santa Fe?� Why in the world would he ask that?

�Yes. Why?� He kind of shrugged and I knew it was none of my business to pry.

�So ya like New York?� I smiled.

�I think I do. I think I do.� He smiled back at me.

�Oh, hey, you don�t even know me name! I�s Jack Kelly. Dey call me Cowboy, but �chu can all me Jack.�

�Angelina DeLanci.� I extended my hand. �Call me Angela.�

�It�s real nice ta meet cha, Angela.�Jack said warmly, taking my hand. He bent down and kissed it. He was so sweet.

�DeLanci,� he said, wrinkling his forehead, �is dat any relation to an Oscar and Morris Delancey?� Oscar and Morris? I shook my head. Jack nodded, looking relieved.

�Hey, Jack!� A tall boy with curly brown hair waved at Jack. There was a small boy of about nine or ten, with him.

�Jack!� the younger boy cried and came running to Jack�s side.

�Hey Les. I haven�t seen ya for a while.� Les grinned up at Jack, in a rather adoring way, I noticed.

�Heya Davy,� Jack greeted the other boy, �How was ya day?�

�Pretty good.�

�Oh hey, Davy, Les, dis hea�s Angela. She just moved ta New York. Angela,� Jack turned to me, �dis hea is Les,� he gestured to the younger boy, �an dis is his brudda, Davy.� he gestured to the other boy.

�He�s olda.� said Les.

�No kidding.� What a strange little boy. We exchanged greetings and shook hands. Les was looking at me and suddenly he said �How come your hair�s so short?�

�Les!� cried Davy. But Les was right. My hair was short for a girls. It�s an inch or so above my shoulders. I looked Les right in the eye and said �Because I cut it.�

�Really?� Les was in awe.