The next day was slow. I had placed half of what I collected from the races in the community can. We use the contents of that to buy food and other essentials that would be used by everybody. The rest of the money went into a can that I kept in my closet. Since today was Clove's turn to take from the the betting boxes at the racetrack, I was forced to either pickpocket strangers or take the day off. There wasn't a race today, so Clove had to scavenge for forgotten coins and bills. On our days off during a race, a lot of us encourage the bets made by the fans. It's become fairly lucrative. I decided to take a portion of what I had in my can and go to the market. 

It was still overcast when I went out. Since I wasn't disguising myself or working, I wore a shorter skirt and tucked in old polo-shirt. That shirt was a hand-me-down from Hugh. My skirt went down to the middle of my calves. The shirt was dark brown and the skirt was a dark khaki color. I left my hair down. My dagger was in the pocket in the skirt. 

At the market, my eyes landed on a booth with an Irish flag. Their sign read "Genuine Irish Ale." I decided to see if it was legitimate, so I spent a ten dollars on two bottles of the ale. They went into my bag and I continued to browse the market. After deciding that maybe of the things being sold today, I either couldn't afford or didn't need. My final destination was the saltwater taffy stand. 

"Hi, Liza." (Pronounced like "Eliza" but without the E.) The attendant, Mrs. Hostenkowski, greeted me warmly. Her shop is right beside the East River. She lives in the loft above the shop. She collects salt water from the river, steams the salt out and mixes it with some concoction to make the taffy. All her flavors are natural, and lucky for me, she has a soft spot for poor immigrants, since she herself grew up in New York after being shipped from Warsaw. "Candy for those siblings of yours?"

"Yes please, ma'am." I said with a smile. I had told her that the young Irish kids on the street are my siblings. It's easier than explaining that we're all here illegally and living in an abandoned building. She only makes me pay half of what she charges people with ample amounts of money. Mrs. Hostenkowski then handed me a basket filled with taffies of all different colors. I paid, thanked her, and left. It started sprinkling again while I was on my way home. I made sure to find Fifi, Saucy, and Nettie to give them each a taffy before going to the building. I also ran into Vinnie, so I gave him one as well. When I got back, I hid the basket in my closet so that nobody took any while I was elsewhere. 

The rest of the day droned on as though it knew I was nervous for the plans I had made for that night. The rain picked up and did not cease by the time I was to meet Riff. 

I had a murky feeling sprouting from my stomach and blooming in my chest. I decided to change into a boyish disguise. I braided my hair and tucked it into a cap. I wore one of Ray's old shirts and a pair of Vinnie's pants. The shirt was dark blue with light and dark stains. My dagger went into my pocket. When the clock struck midnight, which marked twenty-four hours since Riff was on the fire escape with me, I left.

Rain whipped across my face as I began to trek to the closed deli. It was in a part of town that I had steered clear of. To put it simply, I was to waltz straight into Jet turf in the dead of night. Instead of turning back, I clenched my jaw and kept walking. Jet turf had wider alleyways and emptier streets, so I knew when I was there. There was a group of guys walking the opposite direction of me, just on the other side of the road. I turned my face away so as to not draw any attention. But my effort was in vain, since they noticed me.

"Hey!" One of them called. I stopped, took a shuddered breath, and approached them. I was faced with a bulky guy with curly brown hair and the bluest eyes I had ever seen. Again, disobeying Ronan, I stood my ground and puffed my chest out and drew a confident persona. He sidled over to me. We were standing about a foot apart and the rest of the guys behind him were watching. They may as well have been snapping their fingers, because me and the brunet guy looked like we were about to have a dance fight. "You lost?"

"No." I said with a shake of my head. "I'm meeting up with Riff."

"What's Riff want with an Irishman like you?" He asked, looking me up and down mockingly. Since my clothes were all baggy, there was no way for anybody to see any feminine developments. My hair was tucked into the hat.

"I don't know, I guess he'll tell you later." I said. I maintained eye contact as I removed my cap and tossed my hair behind my back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to see Riff." And I walked away. The guy whistled and followed after me. The group was right behind him. 

"So, is you and Riff like... making faces?" He asked, walking next to me. "Name's Mouthpiece, by the way."

"Birth-given?" I asked, not addressing his question of whether or not Riff and I are sex-buddies.

"No, 'course not." He shook his head. "What business do you got with Riff?"

"It's private." I said. The boys around me hooted and hollered. "Shut up! It is confidential. I'm sure Riff will discuss it if need be."

"Alright," Mouthpiece said. The rain still hadn't subsided. "Listen, there's a lot of guys here that's gonna see you and think some pretty gruesome things. They ain't gonna give you a chance to say you're lookin' for Riff. But they see a pretty girl like you? It's game over, kid."

"What's your point?" I asked. "And I'm flattered, but I'm a legal adult."

"Put this on, whoever sees you is gonna think you're a Jet." He said, taking off his jacket and thrusting it toward me. 

"Thank you." I said after taking it. I then tucked my hair back into my cap and put the jacket on.

"Anytime," Mouthpiece smiled. He gave my hand a shake and continued talking. "And hey, tell Clanner I said hi."

"So it was you that busted Clanner." I said, giving a short laugh. 

"You know it." Mouthpiece said proudly. "I like your little group—the Celts—but that kid just needs to be knocked down a couple pegs."

"I will be sure to tell him." I smiled. "I really should be going. I don't want to keep him waiting."

"Smart." Mouthpiece nodded. "I'll see you later."

I nodded and finished the trip to the deli. When I got there, I noticed that the chain lock on the door had been busted open. I entered the deli and locked the door behind me, just to be safe. 

"Riff?" I called. I heard something shift below my feet. There must be a downstairs portion. I carefully scoured the dark building. The sound of pouring rain was constantly in the background. Finally, I came across a door in a hidden area behind the counter. Upon opening the door, I saw the set of stairs that would lead me to either Riff or my demise. Or, if life truly was a sick joke, then I would meet both. Even so, I started down the stairs. My footsteps made light tapping sounds as I slowly went down. When I was downstairs, the only sign of life was the single lightbulb keeping the room dimly lit. The corners and separate room and divots in the wall were pitch black. I went to examine the area around the lightbulb to try and determine if Riff was actually here, when I suddenly felt a hand clasp over my mouth and an arm pull me back into the darkness.

Demise.