Spot's bat hit the ball with a loud smack. Kylie bended her head back and watched the baseball soar through the air. But it bounced out of bounds, almost hitting Izzy in the side. "Geez, careful!" She yelled.

"Foul." Race said.

Spot got ready again. Kylie rolled her eyes, and pitched it.

Mush picked up the rolling ball. "Foul ball." He called.

Another pitch. "Try again." Five more followed.

"Foul ball." Blink said, after the seventh foul in a row. Two more pitches, the same result.

Kylie wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. Another pitch. "Foul ball." Race said, growing bored.

"Foul ball." Mush said, again, picking up the eleventh pitch and throwing it back to Kylie.

Five more pitches. Foul ball. Pretty soon, the shadows on the field disappeared and the street lamps came on. Kylie moved her shoulder a few times to get the circulation going. Spot looked at his calloused hands from swinging the bat.

"Uh, batter?" Kylie asked, pretending to not know his name.

Spot looked at her, annoyance in his eyes. "Yeah, what?"

"I was wondering if you wanna call it a draw."

Spot smirked. "If you're getting scared of the dark, sure."

Kylie straightened and glared at him. "I'm not scared!"

"Ky?" Avery called from left field.

"What is it Avery?!" Kylie yelled, annoyed.

Avery bit her lip. "Well, why don't we just share the park. It's gonna get dark."

Jack nodded and turned to Spot. "Spot, ya knows the cops don't like us playing baseball after dark."

"Kylie, the dark can be scary." Zoe said.

"So can the cops..." Race said under his breath.

"Okay." Kylie gave up.

"Fine, we'll share." Race sighed.

"Spot, it's almost curfew!" Mush called.

Spot reluctantly dropped the bat. He walked over to Kylie and held out his hand. His manner was not at all fierce. His face was sweaty from swinging the bat with such force. His voice was mild, not at all what Kylie had expected. Almost, it might have been thought that he was shy.

"Let's call it a draw, yeah?" He asked in his thick Brooklyn accent.

Kylie stared at his hand, and reluctantly shook it. "Agreed." The others on the field began walking towards those on the sidelines.

"What now?" Sophie whispered to Ella. Ella shrugged.

The group stood there, awkwardly staring at either side. "Well, uh, goodnight." Avery said, trying to smile. The girls looked hesitantly towards the dark, empty streets. Dogs barked, and policeman strolled through the alleyways, swinging their clubs and whistling under the dimly lit street lamps. Only a few people remained on the barren streets loitering. They had no idea where they were gonna stay.

Mush followed the girls' frightened gaze. His eyes grew wide. "Do, you girls not have a place to stay?"

Izzy looked sheepishly at him. "No, but I'm sure we'll think of something. We're, uh, from out of town, if you will."

Mush, being the sentimental one, looked shocked. He turned to the other newsies. "We can't allow these poor girls to roam the streets at night at the mercy of strangers. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to them."

Race rolled his eyes, and Jack lightly punched him in the arm.

Blink nodded. "Yeah, how's 'bout they's stay with us."

Jack shook his head. "I don't know..."

Ella stared directly at Race and made a sad, puppy-dog face. His expression softened. "We do have some extra bunks."

Jack walked over to the group. "Do ya girls have any money?"

Avery pulled ten cents out of her pocket, and handed it to him. He nodded. "Welcome to Manhatten."

Mush, Race, and Blink grinned. "Then it's settled! You'll stay with us." Mush said, excitedly.

"Come on, let's go before Kloppman locks us out." Blink said. They began walking towards the street.

Spot nodded. "See ya around guys, girls." He said, before walking towards the bridge.

A strong December wind stung their faces as they made they're way to the Lodging House on Duane Street. Just as the group was making a turn down sixteenth street, a policeman dressed in a black uniform and hat, stepped in their way, club in hand. He had a black mustache arched over his upper lip, and a pale complection. "Hey, you kids! You know the law: no hanging around after dark."

Jack straightened. "We ain't hanging around, Officer. We're walking back to the Lodging House."

Race nodded. "Yeah, late night selling papers is all."

The officer frowned. "Yeah, well I suggest ya move it quicker, or else I'll have you all arrested for loitering."

Mush rolled his eyes. The officer noticed, and his frown deepened. "Be reasonable kids and move along, yeah? Come on, everybody, let's go. Move! Let's go, let's go!" He said, shooing them along. "Hurry up! No loitering."

The group trudged along rather quickly. Luckily, the Lodging House loomed ahead at the next corner. The big grey building looked sturdy and solid and welcoming.

"Here we are," said Blink as they walked up the steps.

Julie took a deep breath once they were inside. "Something smells like smoke." She said.

Mush nodded understandingly. "Some of the guys smoke, is all." He explained.

"Okay, first we'll find Kloppman. Then, we'll show you around." Jack lead them down a small, unswept hallway. There was one sitting room in the front entrance with a moth eaten couch and a small fireplace. Kloppman had an office, but he was hardly ever in it. The boys knew they would most likely find Kloppman at his desk. Sure enough, there he was near the sign-in book.

Kloppman was an elderly gentlemen in his late sixties, with white hair, and a small cane. He smiled with an amused surprise upon seeing the boys accompanied by the seven girls, and waved. "Well, if it isn't Cowboy and the gang." Kloppman's eyes sparkled. "I'm glad to see you. We missed you for dinner tonight." He turned his attention towards the girls. "And who are these beautiful young ladies, hmm?"

Jack and the boys looked quizzically at the girls, for they too hadn't learned their names yet. Avery stepped forward. "My name is Avery, and this is Kylie, Julie, Sophie, Izzy, Zoe, and Ella." The girls smiled.

Kloppman grinned, and connected the newsies to the girls with his reading glasses in the air. "You their girls?"

The boys faces flushed and they shot Kloppman death glares. Kloppman chuckled and shook his head. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. Will they be staying the night?"

"Yes, for a while." Race said, lighting a cigar.

Kloppman nodded. "That's fine. That's fine. But they will need to sign in." He gestured towards a large book. "Please put you're name on that list. If you can't write, make an x." The girls stepped over to the sign in book, and signed their names in their own bubbly signatures. The boys watched, impressed by their handwriting.

Race nodded. "Alright, let's get you all settled in." He bounded up an old wooden staircase, closely followed by the others. Jack pushed open a door and led the girls into what looked like some sort of dormitory. Rows and rows of bunk beds lined either side of the walls. A huge washroom was off to the right. About twenty or so teenage boys were in the room playing cards, arm wrestling, napping, or just hanging out. They all stopped dead when they saw the four boys come in with the girls. A few catcalls and whistles were made.

"Ey, Jack. Who's ya friends there?" asked a kid with a crutch.

"Alright! Everybody listen up, cause I'm only gonna say this once!" Jack yelled to the room. "This is Kylie, Ella, Izzy, Julie, Zoe, Avery, and Sophie. They'll be stayin' with us for a while, so no funny business, ya got that?"

The boys nodded. Behind them, a boy with a pink shirt holding a baseball in one hand, and a younger boy with a cigar in his mouth entered the room. They both stopped dead when they saw the girls standing there.

"Whoa, pretty girls at twelve o'clock." The older one said, smiling at the girls. Sophie looked away and blushed.

The younger one rolled up his sleeve to reveal a watch. "I'd say more like eleven thirty, eleven twenty-five, eleven-" The older boy swatted his arm away.

"This is why you'll end up livin' alone with a cat." He said, shoving the baseball in the younger boy's hands. He walked casually over to Sophie. "Hey beautiful,"

She turned around to face him, smiling slightly.

"I don't always smell like this," he continued, then with another thought. "Unless ya like it." He said seriously.

She rolled her eyes and held out her hand, which he shook. "Sorry, my name is Sophie."

Jack walked over quickly. "Skittery, like the dessert card at the Plaza Hotel, she's off limits. They all are."

The boy with a cigar in his mouth laughed. "Well, Skitts, that's one girl you're not gonna get."

"Snipeshooter." Izzy whispered to Ella.

Skittery picked up a pillow. "And I'm not going to throw this pillow at ya, either." Then, he chucked the pillow at the boy, who ducked.

Sophie laughed and waved at Skittery, he waved back. Skittery turned to the boy who ducked. "Look, she's smiling at me!"

The boy smirked and tossed the pillow back. "Because ya missed."

Skittery rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Jack clapped his hands and turned to the girls. "Okay, now. I'm Jack, or Cowboy, and I'm the leader of the Manhattan newsies. The guy with the eyepatch is Kid Blink, you'se can call 'em Blink. The one with the crutch is Crutchy. The smaller ones are Tumbler, Snipeshooter, and Boots. Specs and Dutchy have the glasses. That's Snoddy and Bumlets over there. This here is Racetrack or Race and Mush. Here's Pie Eater and Snitch. You've met Skittery, and that's Itey. And that's Swifty. And you've already met Spot Conlon at the park."

The girls nodded, even though they knew everyone's name already. "If youse girls are gonna by stayin' with us, youse gonna need a newsie nickname."

The girls grinned. "Cool." Ella said, smiling.

"Cool? Is it cold in here or something?" Race asked, confused. Ella realized she was causing ripples in the fabric of time.

"I've said too much." She whispered.

"Okay, what kind of names?" Kylie asked.

The boys all looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, what makes you unique?" Mush asked.

Avery shrugged. "I like to run."

Jack snapped his fingers. "How about Dash?"

Avery grinned. "Dash will work."

Mush looked over at Izzy, who was smiling. "How about Smiles, since you're always smiling."

Izzy smiled even wider. "Kay-kay!"

Blink studies Julie. "Blondie?"

Julie laughed. "I like it."

Race took a drag from his cigar, looking at Ella. "I don't know why, but Bubbles."

Ella smirked. "Love it."

Skittery looked over a Sophie. "Your eyes are so pretty, they glitter. So, I like Glitter, it fits you."

Sophie blushed. "Thanks."

Jack turned to Zoe. "You're kinda shy, and I think Wonder would be good for you."

Zoe smiled. "I like."

Kylie stood there, her eyebrows raised.

"You're a tough one." Race said. "How about Strong Girl."

"No." Kylie said, blankly.

"Princess?" Blink tried.

"Nope." Kylie wasn't that amused.

"Mental Chick!" Skittery said from across the room. Kylie turned to him. "What?" He asked, innocently.

"Shortie?" Jack asked.

"Nah." Kylie said.

-Thirty Seven Nicknames Later-

"Girl Who Can't Make Up Her Mind When Newsies Try To Give Her A Nickname?" Asked Mush.

"Try fitting that one on a name tag." Kylie answered.

"Well, how about Cat? Since your sassy." Race huffed.

"Not bad. I like Cat." Kylie smirked.

"And I like my bunk bed. Good night." Race said, flopping down on the bed.