"What chapters?" Amy asked Taren as they reached her room before grabbing her blue binder and handing it to the girl. "Yesterday's notes are the last four pages, forgive the doodles and someone's constant scribbles," she said looking to Spot with wary eyes.

"What I got bored and you didn't give me anything else to do," he said shrugging before Race whooped him in the stomach causing him to keel over to the floor, a funny sight for Amy to say the least but she did rush over to make sure he was alright. "What… was… that… for?!"

"Felt like it," Race replied walking away from the pained boy as Jack merely stared at him with shocked eyes. Apparently it wasn't one for Race to hit Spot, then again would you hit Spot Conlon? I wouldn't! "So um, why aren't we in school today? I was looking forward to Math," he said as he looked around seeing everyone's mouth pretty much drop in shock.

"If you want to do math so much you can do my homework," Suze said with a smile. "I don't mind," she added. Rose turned and looked at her.

"And how are you to pass the final exam, I'm pretty sure that no matter how hard we try we cannot make Racetrack Higgins, a boy look like Suzette, a girl!" she said rolling her eyes. "Amy really where did we find her?"

"In the lunch line from what I remember," she replied with a laugh.

"Hey that was a good lunch line, look at how we turned out!" she said looking around for Mush who had somehow disappeared from her side. "Where'd Mush go?" she asked. No sooner had she said his name when a cry erupted from below.

"SUZE HELP!"

The stampede that followed consisted of Suze leading with Jack, Rose, Spot, Race, Amy, Taren, Skittery and of course the dogs, bringing up the rear, running down the stairs as fast as the one in front could move. The thundering probably would've made it seem like an earth quake but only Amy's mom was home so it didn't really matter. "Mush!" Suze yelled before we skidded into the kitchen where Mush was standing holding a piece of bread and some coffee. "What the?" Suze asked looking from Mush to Todd and back.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked him before he turned around. "Todd really just go home alright, it's over, and you threatening Mush is not going to make things better," she said stepping forward to push him away.

"But he's the reason isn't he, he's the reason why you're leaving me," he rambled.

"Todd I would've left you anyway you're just not my type, I like more sophisticated guys that know what one plus one is," she said getting annoyed.

"Two," a voice came from the background.

"A guy that's not going to call me baby all the time, that will actually call me AMY since it is my name, and one that doesn't want to be around me just so I can be a naughty girl with him," she continued. "And one with a little more class than you, I want to do fun things, like go to the park not sit at home waiting for you to call, now just leave," she said before two boys came up and escorted him out of the room. "God guys need to learn that when a girl dumps them they're not going back that soon! What are you doing Mush?" she asked turning to look at him.

"I was hungry, sorry but popcorn and whatever else we ate last night doesn't fill a guy like it might a girl, actually I don't know how it fills you but I'm hungry so I decided to eat, I'll pay you back as soon as we get out there and sell the papes," he said with a goofy grin.

"Guys you can't sell papers here, we don't have newsboys anymore," Rose said looking from one boy to the next.

"So what are we going to do for money?" Jack asked reappearing with Skittery from the entry way. "I mean if we don't sell papes we can't make rent if we don't make rent we have no where else to live," he said thinking it all out logically, something Suze was very surprised by.

"Well Mush is staying at my place, rent free, so long as my parents are fine with it," she said a goofy grin on her face looking at the boy standing with the bread in his hands. He nodded cracking a small grin but not daring to go stand by her.

"And Spot and Race are at my house, if Skittery and Jack can hang around with you still," Amy said looking to Rose.

"I am going to kill him I swear," Rose said looking at Jack discretely. "But he can stay if he wants to," she said with a shrug.

"Rose no murder, we don't have a vat of syrup for him to drown in," Suze said rolling her eyes and adding, "unfortunately," under her breath.

"So who exactly are they Amy?" Taren asked looking around obviously confused.

"Well, on the down low their friends of mine from out of town, on the real, they're from about early 1800 ish area, back with Joseph Pulitzer and all those cool people, you know those old writer people," she said looking at her friend.

"No way did you ever meet Joseph Pulitzer he is supposed to the most amazing author out there, or at least that's what I've heard, well go on tell me about him is he absolutely amazing?!" she said her face literally lighting up with joy at his name.

"He's a jerk, a lowlife rich fellow that wouldn't give you two cents let alone a break when you were broke!" Spot said all too quickly glaring at the girl that was so happy to know about him. "Why would you ever want to meet him he's probably the worst person you'll ever want to meet in fact you shouldn't ever want to meet him just so you know," he continued shuddering not with fear but anger.

"Obviously we have some unresolved anger issues that we can figure out later, for now let's just focus on surviving until Christmas vacation, which is so far away!" Suze griped gently.

"It's only just a little over three months Suze, you'll live," Rose reminded her making Suze groan a ltitle louder sighing heavily. "Baby," Rose said softly.

"What's wrong with Christmas break?" Jack asked.

"Obviously you've never been to school, Christmas break is only the most amazing break ever, there's snow," Rose said.

"Rarely," Amy interrupted.

"Family times!"

"Occasionally," she said again.

"Amazing food," Rose tried again.

"Usually," Amy countered.

"CHRISTMAS!" Rose said or shouted standing there staring at Amy just begging for her to counter. In fact that entire room was looking at her as if it was a competition and it was her comeback time. She looked around slowly laughing inside of herself.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to argue with Christmas?" she asked truthfully wondering if she was supposed to or something. "Come on, I want to go shopping, I have a boyfriend to spend away," she said laughing.

"Where are we going?" Skittery asked warily.

"The mall," Amy explained in simple rhythm.