The rain sloshed around the streets of New York combining itself with the muddy cobble stone and trash-filled alleys. My dress skirt was skimming through the puddles beneath me and my leather boots kicked up the dirty water. It was afternoon on a Tuesday and the sun was nowhere in sight. The city was empty for once as people crowded under awnings or in stores, trying to fight the storm. I was in no hurry, not really anyways. I was observing the buildings and streets I had been away from for so long. It hadn't really changed in the past six years. Everything was just as big, just as noisy, and just as adventurous. But none of it felt like it belonged to me. It used to. When I was eleven, I traveled the streets like I was the only person to walk them. I had secret alley ways that took me from one part of town to the next in half the time. I had friends…

I eventually made it to our house right along Fifth Avenue and climbed up the brick steps. Carol was inside knitting something, probably a baby's blanket, and looked up. In disgust, she quickly placed the knitting down and stomped over to me.

"Your dress!" She shouted as she examined the hem line. It was torn, muddy, and soaking the floor beneath me. The once coral coloring that probably took two poor seamstresses days to make was now a dirty brown. I sighed. "You were supposed to take the trolley. What happened to that, huh?" Shrugging, I began walking up the stairs.

"I liked walkin' better." I could hear her groan as I made my way to what was now called my room. We just moved into the vacant house and my room was filled with boxes of clothes and other knick-knacks. Virginia and New York were completely opposite, though the people themselves rarely changed. The people in my old town were just as vulgar as the people that trumped through New York. Except, the Virginians still referred to this state as "That damn Yankee state." And I'm sure there were names against Virginia too. I searched for a few cents and headed back down the stairs. Carol merely glanced up from her knitting.

"Where are you going, now, Lillian?" I hated when she used my full name.

"To buy a pape." Now she stood up.

"Excuse me?" She gave me her disapproving faces. "No, you will not. Especially if you don't learn to say it correctly. I will not have you be associated with those rats again. Do you understand?" I stared blankly at her and then gathered myself.

"You're right, Mom. I was out of line and will use proper etiquette. May I please buy a paper? I hear they have a section for comics now." I forced a smile and then offered the icing. "I'll even bring my umbrella." She smiled and kissed my cheek. Grabbing the umbrella, I opened it outside and headed back into the streets.

This time I felt even farther from the city. The umbrella somehow made me feel… disconnected; like I was suddenly a different class and didn't fit in. Which was true, I don't fit in, at least, not how I used to. I was upper class now. A woman among the class of wealth and style, even if my heart felt otherwise. Suddenly, I began to feel nervous and debated retreating back to the house. No. I couldn't. I sent him a letter that I would be here and now it was my time to prove it.

I rounded the corner and entered Washington Square. The arch that was recently built to honor President Washington loomed over me as I looked at it for the first time. It was recently built and had attracted a lot of attention to the part of town. A lot of upper class felt that it represented them. I think it represents the city as a whole, but who am I to talk? I waited patiently with my black umbrella looming over my head and stared at the arch. Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me and I turned around to a tall, shaggy blond. He smiled and ran a hand through his dirty blond hair as the rain poured down on him. He was drenched but completely at ease with himself. We stared at each other in silence until he suddenly grabbed me in an embrace and lightly spun me around.

"Cowboy," I said with a smile as he put me down.

"Lily." He stared at me for a while; taking it all in, I suppose. I couldn't blame him. I was staring right back. I couldn't help but wonder how in the world my best friend had grown into a man of strength and poise. He held himself with such strength and beauty; I couldn't get past it. His form had filled out. He used to be the tall, lanky kid. Now he was the tall and muscular man. He broke the silence with a low chuckle. "You're all grow'd up."

"I guess so. Trust me; you're all grown up too." I said with a sad smile. "Thank you for coming. I wasn't expecting you to." He looked at me blankly.

"Why? Coise I'se gonna come. Ain't no one crazy enough not ta show up fa yah!" He raised his hand as if he wanted to give me a playful shove and then decided otherwise and looked to the pouring sky. I tried to fight the pang it gave me and looked up with him. I forgot that I had my umbrella and sighed knowing he was wasting his only good clothes just to stand with me silently in the rain. His thin white shirt stuck tightly to his chest and his pants hovered above his ankles. He must be freezing. Especially because he lacked a coat.

"Let's go somewhere dry, eh?"

We walked to Tilly's. The small restaurant must have been over twenty years old because I remember so vividly eating every Friday afternoon with the guys. The cream colored walls with the brown diamond patterning and the red curtains that lined the ceiling were still as prevalent as ever. The only differences I could see were a few lopsided fans—perhaps from boys fooling around on them?—and green paneling that covered cabinet areas. The owner had taken very good care of the place. The rain splashed against the window and we were forced to sit in the corner of the restaurant for our clothes were drenched and leaving puddles everywhere we went. The waiter took our orders and Jack and I sat in silence for a while; covering the awkwardness with millions of thoughts swimming around our minds. When our food finally came, conversation seemed necessary.

"It's been so long." It was all I could think of saying. It was the truth. It has been so long. Six years apart from my best friend.

"Yeah. I… dunno what ta say I guess." He fumbled over his words and looked down at his food. I knew it was coming when he finally said, "How come ya never wrote till now?" I sighed and looked at him.

"I didn't know what to write. I…" I trailed off. "How's Manhattan?"

"Ya missed da strike." His tone was dry, but I could tell he didn't mean it. "It was crazy. All da bulls and scabs everywheres. I tell ya, if it weren't fo Spot-" He stopped abruptly and looked down. Another pang. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Tell me about the strike." For the next hour or so, Jack filled me in on the hustle and bustle of Manhattan and the way he led the biggest strike to ever happen to these boys. He went from meeting Davey, and how I'd get a kick out of him, and Sarah, his new love. I was definitely more interested in her and made him talk of her for at least an hour. He went on and on so much that by the end, all the awkwardness had quickly dissolved away. "You gotta come back and say hey ta da boys! I know ya said not ta tell no one, an' I didn't, but ya gotta see em."

I smiled softy and grabbed the check. He glared at me and snatched it back. "Okay, I'll say hi to them, only if you let me pay," I said as playfully as I could. In reality, there was no way I'd let him pay his week's change for the two of us. He agreed and soon we were walking out toward the lodging house. When we reached the door step, I stopped abruptly.

"Jack?" He turned around. "I don't think today's a good day. I think you should… warn em first. Can I see em tomorrow?"

"I uh, guess so." He paused and thought about it. "I guess you'se right. Tahmorrow would be best. I'll warn em tahnight and pick ya up tahmorrow to visit." He gave me an award winning smile and a warm embrace.

"And Jack?" He let me go and looked at me with his emerald eyes. They were glimmering. "Keep your promise. Don't tell Spot." He nodded his head and I left him standing on the lodging house steps as I headed back towards the mansions that awaited me on Fifth Avenue.