Johnny yanked open the door of the Manhattan lodging house. He stormed past the old man at the front desk and burst into the parlor. The noisy room fell silent upon Johnny's arrival. A short Italian boy looked up from his game of poker. He frowned at Johnny. Removing the cigar from his mouth he said "I, uh, tink you're a little lost." Johnny shook his head slightly and looked at the Race as if he were seeing him for the first time. "Jack," he said breathlessly, "I need to see Jack. Now." The last word carried an ominous tone to it. Race looked at Johnny uncomfortably. Something was very wrong. Johnny had a eerie faraway look on his face and he didn't like it. He turned to a smaller boy on his left and nudged him. The boy turned and motioned for Johnny to follow him up the stairs.

Jack sat on the wooden bunk, absently toying with his cowboy hat. He thoughtfully fingered the brim of the hat. "Jack. Jack!" Lynn looked at Jack questioningly. Jack's head snapped up and he looked at her. "Yeah? Ya say somethin'?" Lynn sighed an rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I've been talkin' to ya fer dat past five minutes," she grumbled.

"Huh?" Jack glanced back up at Lynn. "Oh-yeah, sorry �bout dat. So what was ya sayin'?" he said distractedly. Lynn threw her hands up in the in the air in defeat. "Forget it." She rolled her eyes again. Jack hadn't even heard her. He just keeps playing with that stupid hat, she thought, annoyed.

Jack and Lynn both looked up as someone clattered up the stairs. Boots appeared at the landing. "Jack, he-"

"Excuse me." Johnny said, cutting him off. He stepped around Boots and staggered over to Jack.

"Hey Johnny, ya don't look so good." Jack frowned at him. Johnny was out of breath and looked like he hadn't slept in days. There were dark circles under his eyes and there was cut on his left cheek.

Johnny rolled his eyes at Jack's comment. "Yeah, well, I'm not doing so good either." He sat down on the bunk across from Jack. "It's kinda late. What're ya doin' hea' anyway?" Lynn interjected. Johnny ran on hand over his weary face.

"Ahhh, where do I begin..." Johnny sighed. "Angela is not taking the idea of moving to Boston very well. Not that I can say that I'm thrilled about the idea either because I'm not. I'm also very upset. But anyway," Johnny's face clouded over as his gaze floated over the room, "This past week our house has been a battlefield. Just constant fighting. Finally, I-I just couldn't take it anymore. I just snapped. Lost control," He shook his head absently, his brow furrowing, "I got into a fight with Angela. And I wouldn't let go of her arm. I didn't even know what I was doing! Until she whacked me across the face. See?" Johnny turned his head and gestured toward the cut. "And then she left. I don't know where she went. I tried to follow her but..." Johnny suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing. "Angela's gone and my father just left for Boston." he said intensely.