A/N: Good news and bad news! This chapter could be slightly boring and uneventful, but the next chapter will not only have action, but a kiss! However, I will not tell you who it's between, only that one of the people is Skye/Lollipop. Hehehe. Reviews! Enjoy!

Chapter Seven


Morning came all too soon, with a rather unattractive looking "Jack Kelly" and Davey boy peering over the top of my bunk, and an amused Spot standing off to the side smirking. As usual. As soon as I registered who was staring in front of me, I wrapped my arms around them both. Jack for obvious reasons, and Davey because it was just so refreshing to see a familiar face that wasn't a part of Brooklyn. "Lollipop, you'se lookin' good," Jack grinned, hugging me full force back.

"You are," Dave agreed, returning the hug too, although a bit more bashfully.

Spot tapped his cane impatiently on the floor. "Alright, alright, dat's enough of reunions, we'se got a more serious matter at hand." Three pairs of eyes landed on Spot, and a more serious atmosphere overtook the careless one. He was right, of course. We were in the midst of a dangerous situation. Settling on my bunk, save for Spot who stayed standing, we went straight to discussion.

"So, what exactly happened?" David asked, raising an eyebrow.

Spot relayed the past day's events. Well, those that mattered. I tried hard not to remember our hostile fight and oddly neutral conversation at the docks afterwards, because that wasn't what we were here to remember. This was strictly a plan-making meeting. Nothing more. "Lollipop!" Spot shouted, probably not for the first time in the past minute, interrupting my thoughts of him. "We need you'se to pay attention, stop driftin'."

"I already got'a idea," I stated, folding my hands together on my lap. I did, actually, I had been thinking and strategizing since they first found me, and only last night did the idea finally come together. No one said anything, only stared expectantly. Yeah, like I'm suppose to know that means continue. I did anyway. "A Manhattan and Brooklyn ball at Medda's -" I had heard about Medda's from Jack and Dave on the way to Brooklyn, but Jack interrupted me before I could continue.

"Skye, this ain't really a time ta plan a ball -"

"Would'ya listen to me?" I cut in, crossing my arms gingerly over my chest. "A ball to lure them to us, 'cause honestly, don't ya think a ball fulla newsies is the poifect place to kidnap newsies? Anyways, we plan this carefully enough to get one newsie purposely captured, or a few, and by some means of contact, like Spot's boidies, we find out where the place is 'cause I don' remember. I was so little…anyway, aftah that we get all the areas together, De Bronx, Harlem, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, ya know. And overthrow dem. Ya get the point?"

Scratching his chin, David spoke up. "That's actually not a very bad idea."

"I agree wit' Davey boy, I could talk wit' Medda on dah way back from Brooklyn," Jack agreed, turning his attention to Spot. "Well Spot, what do you say?"

Spot didn't meet his eyes, but he did meet mine. He stared like staring enough could read into my mind and tell him if I could be trusted, but since that was impossible, he seemed to settle for the next best thing he was good at. Being intimidating. "I say dat I'm with yoah," he said to Jack, but turned to me. "But if yoah somehow playin' us and woikin' for th -"

"Spot, for the last time, you can trust me." I growled, narrowing my eyes.

He stiffened, but didn't say anything else. I expected a serious lecture on interrupting the leader of Brooklyn when Jack and Davey left. And soon enough, with a few strong hugs and a blushing David trying to compliment me, they were gone. Spot and I stood outside the Brooklyn Boarding house watching their retreating figures. Finally, he turned to me. "Yoah know, he likes yoah."

I raised an eyebrow in hilarity. "Yeah? Dat's funny right there."

"Can't see why, yoah don' look like anything special tah me."

Sending a glare towards Spot, I walked back into the building and towards the bunkroom. I would pack my things now, and leave when everyone was asleep. This is what I had wanted, right? For Brooklyn and Manhattan to have a plan for their safety, and once my job was done, I was gone. There was no place for me here, right? Right?

"Lolli!" Sunny's voice rang out, getting louder as he approached. Candy followed closely behind him. "We'se got you a present!"

"Yeah?" I asked, meeting them halfway. "What might dat be?"

"We was getting Candy her slingshot when we'se realized dat you still didn't have one," Sunny pulled out a plain wooden slingshot from his pocket. "So we'se got you one too. Yoah a real Brooklynite now."

My face lit up happily, grabbing the slingshot gently and holding it in my hands. I loved slingshots when I was younger, and grew up hitting people who angered me from afar with them. Although mine had always been crappy handmade ones… A real slingshot! I mean, sure I could add some decorations to it.

Then I remembered I was leaving tonight, and I was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of foreboding.

"Thanks guys," I told them earnestly, giving each of them a hug. "I think I'm gunna go for a walk though, I'll see you later tonight."

Or not.

When they nodded their understanding and took off, I snaked my way onto the fire escape. Lowering myself to a sitting position, overlooking the meek surroundings, I dug in my pocket for something to sling. There had to be something here… I mumbled things to myself before I finally pulled out a handful of pebbles from my pocket, grinning broadly. Don't know how they got there, but hey, I ain't complainin'.

Getting the pebble situated in the slingshot, I aimed and fired at a half-full beer bottle on another building across from this one. The pebble hit it in the center, causing it to shatter.

"Not bad," a voice from behind me said, and I could almost hear him smirking. "Foah a goil."

"Spot," I greeted, not turning around.

"I see Sunny and Candy got you'se yoah slingshot."

"Yeah, they did."

A moment of silence fell over us, until he assumedly remembered his reason of coming to find me. "The ball will be tomorrow night," he said, glancing to the sunset. "I shoah hope you was planning to stick around one more night."

This time I did turn to face him, shocked that he knew. How did he? "How did you know I was planning to leave?" I voiced, trying to hide my widened eyes.

"Yoah like an open book Skye," he continued.

"Right." I remarked sarcastically.

Maybe I would stick around for one more night…


That night I fell asleep with a smile on my face, thinking of Sunny and Candy and how they were so new to me, yet so comfortable. Almost as if I'd known them longer than a week, give or take. My hair cascaded around my head when I finally fell asleep; breathing growing even.

I dreamt of that place again, but that's not news. I always dreamt of that place, ever since I'd had my encounter with them. They haunted my dreams, and as afraid as I was to admit it, my dreams weren't the only thing they were haunting anymore.


I wish I could say I woke up to birds singing, or people laughing, or even bright and smiling faces. But no, I didn't. I awoke soaking wet, glaring up at the Brooklyn Leader who had an empty bucket in his arms, and an all-knowing smirk on his lips.

"Spot!" bellowing, I rolled off my bunk and onto the floor. "Damnit!"

"Good mornin' tah yoah too," Sunny said grinning, helping me from the floor. "Seein' yoah soakin' wet in the morning nevah fails to make me smile."

"Didya think 'cause we had the ball tonight dat we weren't gonna carry the banner?" Candy asked, walking to stand beside Sunny.

I groaned, mentally cursing Spot in my mind. So I forgot, but was dumping cold water on me really necessary? Now I was soaking wet. Again. Spot only smirked, taking no time for pointless arguments so early in the morning with someone he didn't care about, and walked off to go do something a Brooklyn Leader does.

Probably dumping water on more unsuspecting victims.

"Yoah know, you'se the only one I've evah seen Spot do that too," Sunny told me, sitting on my bunk. Well, there goes that theory. Raising an eyebrow at him, I began ringing out my hair hoping it would dry quickly like last time. Sunny took this as a sign to continue. "Ya know, befoah Candy I would'a said dat he hates yoah, but now dat I'se got a girl's perspective, I tink you two'se gunna end up together."

I have never snorted as loudly as I just did in my entire life. My nose tingled after. Candy stood by Sunny's side, smiling knowingly, but I only shook my head. "I've known dah guy, what, a week at tops? And I foah sure know that I don' like him one bit, and he don't like me one bit, we don't like each odder one bit. Next ting I know, you guys are gonna tell me you're together?"

Candy bit her lip at this, and my eyes widened before she even spoke. "Well actually…"

"Oh my god, you've known each other a shorter time den Spot and me!"

Smiling sheepishly, Sunny draped an arm around Candy's shoulders. "We click is all Lollipop, shuah you understand."

"I'm shuah the only thing I understand is that yoah a player," I replied, tossing in an effective eye roll.

I only heard his reply of something like "Don't be like that!", though he knew I was joking around, I'm sure. Candy should too. If she didn't, Sunny would inform her. Glancing out the window as I left the bunkroom, I deduced that I already missed selling morning papes, and so I would go to Kal's, eat something, and then go sell afternoon papes.


When I walked into Kal's, many pairs of eyes landed on me, eyes I was unfamiliar with. Then, I realized, that some Manhattan newsies were here, including my brother. Jack heard me enter and waved me over to his booth, which had Spot, Skittery, an Italian boy with a cigar in his mouth, another boy with short black hair, and another kid with an eye patch. Pulling up a chair, I sat down next to Spot. Unfortunately.

"Skye, why are you'se wet?" Jack asked, his tone hinted with amusement.

Not mentioning he slipped with my name again, I glanced towards Spot before replying. "I had a unfortunate encountah with a rabid animal dis morning, the awful thing splashed watah all ovah me."

"Watch it." Spot murmured, but the only emotion he showed was amusement - far from agitation.

"Nice tah see you again 'Jack's little sistah'," Skittery said, reaching across the table to rap my shoulder. I grinned back.

"Oh right, dis here is Racetrack," Jack pointed to the Italian with the cigar. "And dis is Mush -" the black haired boy. "And den Kid Blink. Guys, this my little sistah Lollipop."

Mumbling our greetings not unkindly, we continued to talk from topics that ranged from poker, which Racetrack apparently was pro at (we had agreed to a game sometime in the future), to the ball. Suddenly thinking of the ball, I remembered David, and silently wondered where he was. It was surprising for him not to be glued to Jack's side.

"Heyah, Lollipop, since yah didn't sell yoah morning papes, I think yoah should go sell some afternoon ones." Spot ordered, nodding his head to the door.

Well great, time passed quickly, and I never got anything to eat. But unfortunately, Spot was right. I walked away without another word, fuming silently as Spot added "Lazy goil," loud enough for me to hear.

This would be a long day.

And an even longer night…