(I have no idea how to write an English accent so you'll have to use your imagination when it happens. Just so you know Tumbler is that little kid with the drums during the second part of std and Snaps is the guy who was snapping in his sleep, go figure.)

"You's a goil!!"

Marble had told all of the boys about Pips while the doctor was checking her. She had told them about the arranged marriage by her crazy father to an abusive drunkard and how she had run once she realized she was going to have his baby. The doctor told them that she would be fine once the stomach pains stopped, she just needed to rest for a while. The newsies had flooded the bunkroom to hear from her that she was alright. Once she had finally gotten them to calm down and believe her Jack had let himself get upset.

"Yous lied and tol' us you was a boy."

"I never said I was a boy, Race just assumed I was."

Jack paused for a second then decided to ignore it, "I's jist can't believe dis, yous been a goil all dis time an' ya ain't tol' nobody."

"No, I've only been a girl for two days and I told everybody but you." Obviously an injured Pips was a sarcastic Pips

"Jack leave 'er alone, this ain't a good time for her." Marble was kneeling beside her bed, offering a hand to hold whenever her stomach cramped up. Every time it happened all of the boys would jump and Jack would start apologizing for yelling at her until she told him that she was fine then he would start again.

"I can't believe yous a goil!" He turned to the other newsies, "Any a da rest a yous got some big ol' secret I's should know 'bout?"

"My brother and I are from England."

Everyone looked towards the door where Frick and Frack were supporting Kid Blink. Marble laughed at the expression on his face as he looked from one of them to the other with his mouth hanging open. He cracked up when they lowered him onto the bed next to Pips, a few other boys were also snickering.

It got louder when Frick spoke, in her real accent, "He could walk and nobody could stand him anymore so we're giving him back. What happened?"

Marble started explaining but Jack wasn't done yet, "Anybody else?"

After a second of silence Snitch spoke up, "I can't read."

Before anyone could question him Snipeshooter broke in, "I's eighteen."

Then Snaps, "I'm allergic to ink."

Then Specs, "I don't need me glasses."

Then Bumlets, "I only gots nine toes."

Then Snoddy, "I's thoiteen."

"Jake's jist me nickname."

"Itey's me real name."

"I don't even like pie."

Skittery finished it off, "Tumbler's my brother."

The small newsie almost fell off of his bunk, "Skittery! You ain't supposta tell nobody that." his sibling just shrugged.

By now most of the boys were laughing helplessly while the rest were doing their bests to hold it back. Jack put a hand over his eyes and shook his head, "How manya yous is lyin'?"He looked up to see Snoddy, Snaps, Jake, Specs and Snipeshooter raise their hands.(Way too many S's huh?) The others looked slightly embarrassed as they were questioned, especially Snitch when at least twelve boys offered to teach him to read.

Jack sighed and sat on the foot of Pips' bed, "I have da most messed up friend's in da woild." he laughed, "If anya dem said dey was goils I woulda soaked dem, but I'll let ya get away wit it cause I like ya."

"How very gracious of you Jack."

He winked at her, obviously missing the scarcasm, "No prob'." Then he joined the crowd of boys bribing and threatening Bumlets into showing them his feet." (Hi Naomi ^_^)

* * *

Marble kicked all of the boys out of the bunkroom after they had calmed down, to keep them from worrying too much about their friends. Racetrack was the worst, seeing his two best friends sick, so Jack took him to go tell Medda what had happened. Everyone else was either on the roof or the front steps staying out of the way.

Marble and Frick were still in the bunkroom talking while Blink and Pips rested, "So I take it ya ain't stayin' ta keep Blink company?"

"If I have to spend another minute with that obnoxious little..."

"I's still awake ya know."

They both looked at the pale boy lying on the bed with his eye closed. The walk from Brooklyn, even with two people supporting him, hadn't done him any good. He was strong enough to get back to work but he got tired easily and a terrible cough kept him from doing much. Sympathy, the reason she had helped Blink in the first place, crossed Frick's face but it was gone almost before it was there.

"I'd better be going before Spot sends someone to find us. He's going to hate himself for missing this." both girls grinned, "Hundred bucks says he comes over tomorrow because he thinks I'm lying."

"He'd better, I haven't seen him forever."

"Since when is t'ree days faevah?"

"Shuddup and go to sleep Blink. Anyway Frick I think the accents are a dead give away."

"Nope, he'll think we're faking. I might see you tomorrow but I have to make up for a lot of missed papes so I don't know. Bye."

"Later." Frick slipped out of the room to find her twin and go home.

Blink rolled over and looked at Marble, "D'ya t'ink she'll come back wit Spot tommora?"

"Maybe, but not ta see you."

"Why not? She adores me."

Marble smiled, "You're a jerk ya know that. Frick hates it when you pretend to flirt with her."

He smirked, "I know, dat's why I do it."

Marble laughed but stopped herself when Pips rolled over and moaned in her sleep, "We'd better keep it down."

"Is she gonna be alroight?"

"Yea, just give 'er a few days an' she'll be back to as normal as any crazy gets."

"Crazy? Her?"

"I'll tell ya some other time. Get some sleep." Marble left and turned off the light on the way out.

* * *



The world was warm, dark and perfectly satisfying. But something was wrong. It wasn't dark, in fact it was too bright. Pips let her eyes slowly open to the light. The bunkroom seemed different somehow. She struggled to figure it out as she sat up. It struck her once her feet hit the cold floor. She was alone. The only times she had ever been here it was dark and filled with boys. They must have been extremely quiet not to wake her.

Pips was enjoying being by herself for the first time in two weeks when she heard a noise from the bathroom. She stood up just as Kid Blink came out.

"You're not supposed to be out of bed." She said it without thinking. Last time she had seen him he had been much worse and it didn't occur to her that he was better now.

"Neitha are yous."

"Well, I, um I..."

He helped her out with a smile, "Had ta use da bathroom?"

"Yeah, sure." Pips knew that he was laughing at her as she walked past but she ignored it.

She stayed in there for a very long time. She took a bath and brushed her hair and did all sorts of things that girls do when they have unlimited time in the bathroom(you know exactly what I mean). By the time she was done Blink was back in bed and bored with a book

"Do I's even wanna know what took ya so long in dere?"

"Nope."

"Come 'ere."

"Why?"

"I wanna git a good look atcha." He smiled at her suspicious look, "Da last time I saw yous I was dyin' an' I's t'ought you was guy, so come ovah heah an' lemme see ya."

Pips walked to the foot of the bed and spun around for him. She was wearing brown pants with navy blue suspenders and a white and grey pinstriped shirt. Her short blond hair was darker than usual because it hadn't completely dried yet. She shook it out of her face, spraying water around the room with a grin.

Blink laughed, "I mean come so's I can see ya face."

She sat down on the bed across form him and tilted her head to the side, "Better?"

"Much."

She had large hazel eyes that she kept crossing to distract him and a small upturned nose. Her face was sprinkled with light freckles. The corners of her mouth were naturally up turned, making it look like she had a great secret that she wouldn't share

He grinned, "I's don't see how nobody mistook ya fa a boy. If I'd been 'round..."

"Blink leave dat innocent liddle goil alone." Jack came in with Racetrack and Mush. They all still had a handful of papes and were just stopping in to see how Pips and Blink were doing.

"It hoits dat ya don't t'ink ya can leave me alone wit an unattached goil, it really hoits Jack."

Race laughed, "I's hate ta break it to ya Blink but she's married."

"WHAT! She can't be married, she's only like twelve."

"I'm sixteen!"

"No ya ain't."

"God! You're stupid! You actually think I'm lying?"

"Well, don't forgit dat I ain't da one dat lied 'bout bein' a boy fa two weeks."

"Oh, so you admitted to not being a boy right away?"

Mush had tried to stop them once he realized that they were starting a fight but neither of them were listening to him, "Dat's it I quit, but if dey kill each odda it ain't me fault."

Jack listened to them for another minute before he burst out laughing, "Yous was roight Race, deys gonna git along just foine."