~*~

When the girls finally calmed down, someone new entered the room.

The Italian boy raised an eyebrow, and ran a hand through his thick dark brown hair, taking a drag off his cigar. "Jeez, looks like a tornado passed threw heah. Or at least a flock a boids." He took the cigar out of his mouth.

Mysty looked him over, and determined that he was very cute. "Who's that?" she whispered, elbowing Baby, the girl who happened to be right next to her.

"That's Racetrack Higgins," she whispered back. There was a catch in her voice, and she looked away ashamedly.

Mysty stared at her and then back at Racetrack. "Are you two---?"

"No," Baby answered shortly, and then stood up to leave the room.

Racetrack followed her with his dark brown eyes, longing and yearning deep within them. Then, he turned towards Mysty. "Heya. I'se Racetrack Higgins," he said politely, taking her hand in his and raising it to his mouth to kiss it. Mysty smiled widely. "Mysty. Pleased to meet you."

Just then, the rest of the boys decided to show up, as rowdy and noisy a bunch of monkeys. All the girls rushed to their boys, all giving them kisses and hugs. Mysty steadied herself in the stampede, still clutching on to Racetrack's hand.

"I don't think I could ever get used to that!" she muttered to him. He nodded.

"Every goil heah has a boy...even Jack and David. Well, except fo' Baby," Race looked down at the floor, a weird look on his face. Mysty let go of his hand.

A commanding presence entered the room, a boy about 17 or 18. He had brown hair and brown eyes, and a red, ratty bandanna was tied around his neck. Mysty couldn't help but stare at him. He had a kind of attitude that shone out even in a crowd, one that declared that he was a born leader.

"Mysty," he nodded briskly at her.

"Jacky-boy," she greeted back. "Thanks again for letting me stay here."

"No problem. Always room fo' one more. Have ya met Davey heah? Or as we like to call him, 'Mouth'?"

A boy with curly hair stepped forward from behind Jack. "I'm David Jacobs. And please don't call me 'Mouth' or I'll soak you," he was attempting to sound manly and rough, but he was failing miserably.

"Yeah right," a girlish voice scoffed. A girl with dark blonde hair and pale skin stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Kaa. I'm David's girl," she smiled sweetly.

"Where's your goil, Jack?" Racetrack teased. "Still ain't satisfied wid last night's performance?"

"All a me performances are da best, Race," Jack retorted. "She's still out, doin' sumptin'. I'se trust her, though." He turned around to hide a suspicious look on his face. "She betta not be at a bar," he muttered to no one in particular. Everyone struggled to keep a straight face. They all knew that Jack was having some problems with Slingshot, ever since he had to fish her out of a fist fight with the Delanceys. Sling's temper was atrocious when it was provoked, and most of the newsies knew not to aggravate her. All at once, the sudden silence evaporated as Jack yelped in pain. "Shit!" he cried, a hand flying to his backside.

"Tsk, tsk, Jack," someone spoke up. "How could ya doubt me like dat?"

"Please stop doin' dat, Slingshot!" he shouted.

A girl suddenly appeared on top of the stairs, tossing her light, brown hair over her shoulder. In one hand a slingshot was dangling, and she expertly twirled it around her fingers and then crammed it into her back pocket, like she was sheathing a sword. Her eyes were an artistic blend of blue and gray, and they glinted with laughter. "Ya know I'se can't 'stop doin' dat'...me slingshot is me life!" she jokingly argued, patting her back pocket self-assuredly.

Jack shook his head sternly, trying not to grin. Slingshot stepped forward and enveloped him in a tight embrace. His tough boy act dissolved as he smiled unexpectedly, and he ran a hand down her back, making her squeal.

Racetrack smiled and a hint of sadness shone through. "Heya, Mysty, is it?" She nodded, confirming his question. "Well, Mysty, know how ta play pokah?"

Mysty looked up to meet his gaze, and bobbed her head up and down excitedly. "I love playin' poker!" she said.

"Good, cuz we'se gonna have a game tonight. Everyone's gonna show up, newsies from Harlem and Queens and from Brooklyn."

Mysty's eyes widened in shock. "From...from Brooklyn?" she whispered, "When?" she asked, looking around, searching for a hiding place.

"As soon as dey wanna. Dey could be showin' up perdy soon or an houah from now," he said, nonchalantly, not noticing how her eyes jumped from one wall to the other. As if on cue, two figures stamped up the stairs, and Mysty sprung up guiltily.

"Heya, da pokah game started yet?" the brown haired boy whom she identified as Skunk asked.

Mysty sank down by Race's side as she saw who the other person was. Enchanted...her close friend from the Lodging House.

Enchanted scanned the room with her piercing chocolate brown eyes, searching for only one girl. She picked her out in the crowd easily; she was the only one who wasn't clamoring around the gigantic crate they were going to use for the game. She hurriedly pushed Skunk out of the way and rushed forward to where Mysty was cowering right next to a nonobservant Race.

Race finally noticed how Mysty was whimpering fretfully and how she was cringing behind him. "Hey," he asked, turning around, "Whad's wrong?"

"Help," she mouthed at him as Enchanted marched closer. She pointed a trembling finger at the girl who stormed towards her.

"Mysty!" Enchanted bellowed, "MYSTY!"

Race recognized the girl from Brooklyn. She was always by Spot's side, one of his closest friends. They had once gone out, but of course, they broke up a week later. Enchanted wasn't at all fazed, she knew they weren't meant to be. "My temper with his pride?" she had once confided to him, "Yeah, like that's ever gonna work out!" He also knew that she had one of the worst dispositions, one moment she could be all bright and cheery, the next she would be on her feet, distributing shiners to any unlucky guy who happened to be near. He jumped up and restrained her, holding on to her shoulders.

"Anthony 'Racetrack' Higgins," she spat at him, using his real name. "Let go of my shoulders and let me talk to Mysty, all right?!"

Mysty whimpered once again. "You're not...mad at me are you?" she asked quietly.

"I'm mad that you dumped Spot and didn't tell me all about it, and I'm mad that you decided to run off to Manhattan and not warn the Brooklyn newsies about it! I've had search parties goin' on everywhere until Jacky-boy told us you were here!" Enchanted screamed.

Strands of Enchanted's long, shiny, black hair was getting in Race's mouth as she struggled to get past him. "Ugh," he spat out the numerous hairs. "STOP IT! I'll let ya go by if Mysty says it's all right."

Mysty opened one eye to gauge her friend's anger. When she finally decided she wasn't going to explode, she nodded tensely. Race stepped back and gingerly let go of her shoulders. Mysty scampered backwards as Enchanted stormed forward, and raised her arms. She thought she was going to clobber her, and Enchanted was one hell of a fighter. Spot had taken it upon himself to teach each and every one of the newsgirls of Brooklyn how to fight and use a slingshot, and Enchanted was one of his best students. She hunched over in a ball, eyes closed, expecting the worst. She was pleasantly surprised when Enchanted swooped her up in a hug.

"Damn, girl, don't worry me like that! You scared the hell out of me!" she criticized harshly.

"Is...is Spot comin'?" Mysty whispered, her mind only on one thing.

"Um, in an hour, I think," Enchanted answered. "Why?"

"Enchanted!" Mysty shouted, "I just dumped the guy! I don't want to see him anytime soon!"

"Oh, crap. Um, Race?" Enchanted called.

Race was busy staring at Mysty in skepticism. "You'se dumped Spot?" Mysty rolled her eyes in aggravation. She had heard that question too many times that day.

"Yes, she did, Race," Enchanted interrupted, "And in case you're deaf, I was talking to you!"

"Whad do ya want?" he groaned.

"Is there a place where me and Mysty can talk in private?"

"Um..." he examined the room, looking for a place where he could squeeze in two people. He skipped over the bathroom, the closet and the fire escape outside. "I'se t'ink dat all da places are gonna be occupied tonight. 'Specially da closet," he scratched his head. "I'se wondah if Blink and Switch are gonna use it tonight."

Enchanted frowned and there was a slightly disgusted look on her face. "Thanks for that enlightening piece of information, Race," she quipped, "Any time I wanna hear if the closet is gonna be in use, I'll make sure to go to you first."

"I'se so informative, ain't I?" he teased back, ruffling her hair. She elbowed him in the ribs, and he grunted in pain. "Um...I'se t'ink da roof is empty tonight," he offered, coughing agonizingly.

"Good," Enchanted grabbed Mysty's hand and dragged her to the window.

"Jeez, En," Mysty muttered, using her nickname, "Your temper is getting a lot worse." She crossed her arms as Enchanted struggled with the window.

"UGH!" Enchanted shouted, "Stupid window!" It finally opened whiningly, going up with a creak. It smashed loudly as it reached its highest point. Enchanted exhaled huffily, and got a hold of herself. "I learned it from you," she retorted, before stepping out onto the metal fire escape and escalating the flight of stairs that led to the roof.

Mysty smiled and shook her head in admiration. That was Enchanted for you. Before she stooped down to go under the window and join her on the roof, she paused and gave the bunk room one more look.

Gears was conversing with Crutchy, both were resting calmly on a bunk bed, her head on his chest. It looked like a deep subject by the way they would just drift off and stare at each other's eyes. As Mysty watched, Gears waved her hands passionately, still talking heatedly about whatever they were discussing. She was sure Crutchy wasn't listening, he seemed lost in Gears blue eyes. Then, he interrupted whatever she was saying mid-sentence by giving her a quick yet emotional kiss. Gears grinned and whispered something in his ear, and they both went into a fit of giggles.

Tapper was sitting in Skittery's lap, her head tilted to gaze in his eyes. Mysty restrained laughter. 'Yeah. They haven't been doing anything mushy,' she thought maliciously as Skittery pulled her towards him and she rested her head on his shoulder for one moment.

Blaze was laughing with Bumlets over something that the rest of them could not even hope to get. Mysty observed as Bumlets ran a loving hand over Blaze's long curls, and as he gazed in her blue eyes. Soon, they would join in the game along with the rest of the newsies, but right now, they were plenty busy.

Kaa and David were playing a round of two-hand poker, while Slingshot was in one corner, Jack's cowboy hat on her head. Jack, consequently, was playing around with her slingshot. He fitted a marble to it and was drawing it back to let it go when Slingshot hurriedly snatched it away from him. "Uh-uh, Jack, ya remembah whad happened da last time ya held a slingshot," she said, wincing at the memory.

Jack merely smiled and clasped her close. "Good t'ing you'se were heah ta help me clean up."

"Help you clean up? I'se was da only one who cleaned t'ings up dat day!" she argued indignantly. This started a heated argument over who did the most work that fateful day, which was briefly discontinued when Jack swooped down for a long kiss. She broke it by pushing it away. "Don't ya dare change da subject on me, Francis Sullivan!" Slingshot cried.

"Don't call me dat!" Jack shouted back, starting another argument between them.

Mysty shook her head, a faint smile on her face. "Just perfect," she whispered, the smile widening. She moved on to where Smalls was messing around with Dutchy's hair, and to where IF and Snitch were talking. IF rolled her eyes and walked over to the crate where Skunk had just joined in the game. "David, can I'se join da game? Snitch says he's finally gonna beat me tonight, but I'se got me doubts," IF directed the last comment towards him. Switch and Blink were nowhere to be found. They were probably already in the closet, using whatever time they had to spend it together.

Mysty felt a twinge of jealousy. It seemed like everyone had a 'real' relationship here. And the people who didn't were very happy with themselves. Mush and Itey and Race...well, where was Race anyhow? She searched the room once again, and found him looking right at her. She blushed and averted her gaze to the floor. He was rather cute... cuter than Spot in some ways. And she felt like she could really get to know him, unlike Spot, who always kept a certain distance, who always had a thick veil around himself. She still felt his gaze upon her as she bowed down once again to go underneath the window and easily scaled the flight of stairs.

Race smiled haltingly. Mysty had a certain kind of beauty, a certain kind of flair. And he had never met a girl who actually had the guts and the class to dump Spot Conlon...he shook his head to snap himself out of it. Time to join in the game. "Heya guys," he yelled, "Deal me in, wouldya?"

"Sure t'ing, Race," Slingshot shouted back, "We'se was waitin' fo' ya ta come and make da game excitin' anyways!"

Race smiled and joined the boisterous crowd in the middle of the room.

~*~

Enchanted sighed. "Jeez, girl, I have never seen Spot like this before. Ever. He's all bent over the fact that you dumped him, cuz---"

"No one's ever dumped him before, right?" Mysty asked, already knowing what she would say, "He deserved it."

"Skunk told me he hauled a prostitute up there in his room. That right?" Enchanted inquired, as she positioned herself to get the last few rays of the setting sun.

"What are you doing?" Mysty asked suspiciously.

"Just getting warm," Enchanted answered, shrugging her shoulders. She soon gave it up as she realized that not even the sun could dispel the cold that was coming for the winter. She went to the very edge of the roof and peeked over to glance at the street below. "So, is it true that Spot had a prostitute in his room?" she persistently asked, not to be swayed from the subject.

Mysty nodded, acting as if she didn't care. Enchanted looked right through it, and slowly put an arm around on Mysty's shoulder, a rare act of compassion for her. "Hey, you'll get over it, all right? Spot's always been a jerk." She swiftly balled a hand into a fist, and punched the air in front of her. "God, I didn't think he'd do anything as rash and idiotic as that, though."

"Well, that's Spot for you," Mysty shrugged nonchalantly.

Enchanted gasped as she looked over the ledge of the roof.

"What? I just said---"

"No! Spot, look, it's Spot!" she whispered loudly and gestured animatedly. She bent down for a closer look. "Damn, he's got that look, Mys," she said in hushed, reverent tones. 'That look' meant the wild animal expression that seemed to grace his pretty little face whenever he was enraged.

"Oh, God, hide me!" Mysty dashed around the roof, looking for a suitable place to conceal herself.

Spot restrained himself from actually kicking in the door to the Lodging House. He marched in past a flabbergasted Kloppman and ran up the stairs, where he barged in on a poker game in full swing. "Whea is she?" he all but growled.

"Whea is who?" Jack asked confusedly. Instantaneously, silence spread around the room. They had never seen Spot so enraged and irate. Even his eyes seemed to scream at each and every one of them.

"Whea is Mysty?!"

Tapper covered up a taunting smile. "Whad's wrong, Spotty boy? Pride bruised a liddle?"

Spot turned to where he had heard the voice. "Shutup Tappah, unless ya wanna see me fist in ya face."

Tapper couldn't resist a retort. "I'se t'ought ya nevah hit goils befoah. Oh, but t'ings have changed, right? Ain't no goil evah dumped ya befoah eidder."

In a flurry, Spot rushed forward, fists already raised, ready for a fight. Skittery promptly jumped in front of the girl, prepared to defend her. Mush and Blink leapt to both sides of Spot and held him back. The rest of the newsies recoiled as Spot struggled to take all of his rage out on Tapper.

"Calm down! Just calm down, aw right?!" Blink bellowed in his ear.

"Spot, stop it, don'tcha dare lay a damn hand on her!" Skittery shouted.

In the midst of it all, Sling managed to pull out her trusty slingshot and load a marble into it. Roughly, she drew the marble back. "SHUT DA HELL UP!" she yelled, rendering all people motionless for a fraction of a minute. When they focused their attention on her, they all froze. Sling was deadly with a slingshot... "Jack, ya idiot, ain't ya da leadah heah?!"

"Oh, yeah," Jack snapped out of his frozen, immobile state. "Spot, you'se ain't got no right ta come in a Manhattan Lodging House and threaten ta soak a Manhattan newsgoil. You'se gawd--- you'se need ta calm down, aw right? Calm down."

Spot took several deep breaths and stopped struggling. Blink and Mush cautiously let go of his arms and hurriedly took a step away from him. Spot took more deep breaths and he composed himself. In a few moments, he was back to his normal self, only his eyes showing that wild animal look. "Whea is she?" he asked, his voice trembling; however this time it wasn't from anger.

No one answered. "Hey, uh, Spot, when I'se got heah, I'se didn't see her," Skunk submitted.

"Well, Skunk, obviously ya weren't lookin', ya dope! She is heah. Whea are ya hidin' her, Jacky-boy?" Spot turned to Jack again. Jack donned his cowboy hat.

"You'se right, Spot. She came heah about 6:00 in da morning, lookin' ta be a Manhattan newsie. I'se dunno whea she is at dis very moment, though," Jack responded.

"Well, someone does. Whoevah it is, dey betta speak up," he glared at everyone in the crowd, including all the Harlem and Queens newsies that showed up just for the poker game.

Race uncomfortably cleared his throat. He reached into his pocket for a cigar and realized he didn't have matches. Swearing underneath his breath and gathering his courage he stood up. "Spot? She's up on da roof."

Tapper glowered at him, not believing he had given her hiding place away. "God damn lil..." she muttered. All around the room, most of the other girl newsies who had gotten to know Mysty were doing the same thing. Before anyone could stop him, Spot dashed towards the window and found it was open. He stepped up on the fire escape and heard whispering. 'So they are up there!' he thought feverishly and scaled the flight of stairs to the roof.

Gears was about to jump up and follow him, when Crutchy seemingly read her mind. He tugged on her arm. "Uh-uh," he shook his head, "It's dere own business, we shouldn't git involved in it," he said wisely. Gears frowned and crossed her arms.

"All right," she agreed, a pout on her face.

Enchanted and Mysty stared at the flight of stairs peeking over the edge of the roof. Mysty uttered a silent prayer, while Enchanted squared her shoulders in anticipation.

Spot reached the top and easily swung a leg over. He got to his feet, and acknowledged the two girls standing side by side with a terse nod. "Enchanted," he greeted. "Mysty..." his voice held a touch of longing.

"Spot," she addressed coldly. Her mind was set and there was nothing he could do to change it. Enchanted glanced from Mysty to Spot, muscles all bunched up, still waiting for the noisy outburst that was to come. She knew Mysty, and she knew Spot. They both had very bad tempers...

"Mysty, ya know I'se said I'se was sorry!" Spot suddenly cried out. She gave him an once-over look, her brown eyes flickering with amusement. Was he actually begging?

"Wake up, Spot! Has it reached past your damn pride that some girls just aren't interested?" she replied coldly, "Especially since I caught you with a prostitute, Spot! How could you?! Were you trying to send me a signal saying I'm not good enough for you?"

Enchanted kept silent as the tension level on the roof started to increase. Spot's eyes had that look. She had learned not to cross Spot when he had that frenzied, wild expression in his eyes.

"Why are you trying to get me back anyway? To prove to all of New York that you can? To show everyone that you can get back at me for dumping you in the first place?" Mysty babbled on. Enchanted was looking at the floor, and when she uttered those words, she looked up quickly.

"Mysty..." Enchanted whispered warningly. Mysty didn't pay any attention. She rambled on and on, her words getting sharper, all of her comments pointed towards Spot.

"And, another thing. I'm not going back to Brooklyn. I like it here, and I'm staying here!" Finally, Spot erupted. He started forward, clenched fists up and ready.

'She shouldn't say those things about me! She don't know me at all,' he thought heatedly.

"What, you're gonna hit me now?" Mysty rolled her eyes, not thinking he would truly do so.

Spot opened his fists and slapped her against the face. She turned her head and gasped in a mixture of pain and shock. Her hand flew up to her already reddening cheek. Spot was about to slap her again when Enchanted flew into action.

"Back off, Spot!" she shouted, coming to her friend's defense. She pushed him forcefully, "Back off!" Spot flew backwards, not expecting her to push him so hard.

"Ya support her decision?!" he shouted, getting up off the hard concrete of the roof and spurting to where Enchanted was still standing. He pushed her even harder than she had pushed him.

"Yes, I do!" she screamed, almost losing her balance. Her arms beat at the air, trying to find something to grab on. With a grunt, Mysty dove for her and snatched her up. Enchanted shoved her away and continued shouting. "Spot, you've gone too far, you idiot! You never, ever hit a girl! Never! And if Mysty, my close friend," she spat, very much like a rattlesnake, "Wants to stay here in Manhattan, far, far away from you, and I wouldn't blame her, then she will!"

"Don't push it, Enchanted," he warned in a growl, before turning once more to Mysty. "You'se ain't gonna stay heah, Mysty. You'se comin' back ta Brooklyn wid me!" he ordered.

"No," she refused simply.

"I oughta---" he started for her again, but Enchanted raised her fists and valiantly jumped in front of Mysty.

"Please, Spot, we're on a roof," she panted, trying to catch her breath, "It isn't exactly the best place to duke it out."

Spot glared daggers at her. "Ya agree wid her decision ta stay heah?" he inquired in quiet tones. Somehow, this scared Mysty more than it had scared her when Spot was bellowing loudly.

"Yes, Spot. I agree. And how are you gonna force her to come back with you? Kidnap her?" she scoffed.

"If you'se agree wid her so much, why don'tcha move in wid her?" he muttered.

"If you're kickin' me out, Spot," Enchanted said, a steel edge to her voice, "I can always go to Queens. Harem would be glad to set me up at her Lodging House there."

"A coise she would," Spot replied, a hint of mirth in his cold voice, "She's ya slut sistah aftah all."

Mysty gasped. Not many people knew that Enchanted's sister was a prostitute, and that she had been raped; she only told people she trusted. Mysty knew the truth about her sister from the second day she had arrived at the Lodging House, when Enchanted had confided in her as moonlight streamed in the window. She imagined Spot knew about it, they were invariably very close. But now, Spot had taken that trust and thrown it in her face, with one snide, thrown-out, careless response.

Enchanted's eyes glittered with unshed tears, not believing what she had just heard. "My sister..." she whispered, her voice full of emotion, "is not a slut. And it's not her fault someone raped her." She flashed him a look of disbelief and utter hatred. He slightly recoiled. Enchanted tried not to break down in tears there in front of two people, and hurriedly walked to the flight of stairs still waiting at the edge of the roof. She passed a seemingly aloof Spot and dropped to the fire escape. There she let a few tears slip out, before she rubbed them away. Feelings tore within her, anger, hatred, and grief. They all gathered together in the pit of her stomach, and she slid down on the wall to rest tiredly on the metal grating of the fire escape.

Mysty watched Enchanted walk past Spot and literally throw herself onto the fire escape below the edge of the roof. Her cheek ached from where Spot had struck her, but she was determined to stick it out. She wasn't going to yield an inch until he gave up. "I meant what I said, Spot, and no amount of abuse is gonna make me change my mind."

Spot glowered at her; if looks could kill, she would have been long dead. Finally, he surrendered by shrugging his shoulders, and placing his palms so they faced the sky. "Fine," he growled, "Don't come runnin' ta me when ya find out dey don't give a crap about you."

Mysty beamed proudly at her small victory. "Thanks, Spotty. Oh, and another thing..." she briskly walked over to him and laid a soft hand on his cheek. Then, she balled her other hand into a fist and punched him on the opposite cheek. "That was for me," she snarled, anger evident in her voice, "And that---" she smartly cuffed him on the other cheek while he was still reeling from the blow, "Was for Enchanted." She swiftly turned on her heel and descended the stairs, where Enchanted was still waiting.

"Didya get him?" Enchanted murmured, her eyes closed.

"For the both of us, En," Mysty declared proudly. She laughed then, her giggles sounding crisp and clear. After a few moments, Enchanted followed suit and started laughing.

The two girls entered the Lodging House again through the window, both in high spirits.

"Whad happened?" Gears asked, speaking for all of the curious newsies in the Bunk Room.

"Oh, let's just say you'll see the results later..." Enchanted mysteriously said. Mysty let out a loud laugh, and both girls were on the floor cracking up.

"Let's play!" Dutchy shouted suddenly. Everyone agreed and the poker game continued as if there hadn't been an interlude in the first place.

~*~