Marble was so mad that she was having trouble figuring out what had just happened. It kept going through her head that she had just left Spot but her mind shied away form the thought. It was impossible, they were just fighting, but that thought didn't seem right either.

She sighed and tried to concentrate on what Skylar was saying, "Why don't you come back with us. You'd be a lot safer and I'd feel much better knowing that He couldn't get near you." Sky's contempt for Spot was clear in his voice, but it only irritated Marble that much more.

She desperately wanted to be alone, "I'm sorry I can't, it wouldn't seem right. I'm grateful for your help but now I have to get home."

"Would you like me to walk you?"

"No, I'll be fine, it's really not that far."

She started walking and he called after her, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'd like a little bit of time alone to think right now."

She kept walking and almost screamed when he called one more time, "Wait! When will I see you again?"

She turned and smiled, "Soon."

Marble turned down the nearest corner. His attempt to make her stay made him seem almost desperate and all she wanted to do was get away from him. He was nice enough but at the moment she would rather kill him than listen to him, it was his fault she was fighting with Spot.

She continued to wander around Midtown until a shadow detached from an alley and fell in beside her and a much smaller one landed on her shoulder. The cat was more interested in curling up and sleeping then her so she turned her attention to Frick, "How did he take it?"

"Slunk off into a corner and started, continued drinking himself stupid." Marble frowned at her, "Frack's trying to get him to pass out, it's the only way he'll get any sleep."

"He shouldn't be drinking."

"Yes he should, it's the only way he'll eat either. Marble he seriously thinks you left him. I personally think he's taking it rather well considering everything." She just shrugged uncomfortably, feeling guilty, "You shouldn't have kissed Skylar."

"I really shouldn't have kissed Skylar."

They walked on in silence until it became almost unbearable. Finally Marble cracked, "What happened ta Blink earlier?"

"He was talking to Luke and they kind of started talking about Pips. Blink thinks he hates Pips and Luke knows he likes her, so he hinted at some stuff and we all know how that ended up."

Marble grinned, "I think it's hilarious dat da only ones dat don't know are Blink and Pips." Frick only shook her head and sighed, "What?"

She sighed again, "You're talking like the rest of them more and more everyday and you don't even realize it. It makes you sound so ignorant."

"Ya makin' fun a da way we talk ya snoody Brit?" The girls both looked up and saw Harper standing in a doorway. They were at the Midtown Girl's House.

Hazel suddenly appeared, "She makin' fun a us? I say we soak 'er."

Ace joined them, "A soakin's too good for 'er. Let's kill 'er, da rivah's nice an' close."

"Or maybe you could talk me to death, the accents would really speed it up."

"Shuddup an' git in heah. Marble, why do I always hafta tell ya when to come outta da cold?"

"I only let'cha do it so you'll feel needed Harper." The five of them made their ways into the house.

The top floor was like any other lodging house but the first floor and basement were a maze of rooms and hallways. The building had never had any practical use except hiding things, or people. Nobody had bothered to explore all of the rooms and Harper swore there were bodies somewhere in the back of the basement. There was only one big room down there at the base of the stairs and it was full of tables, chairs, and couches. It had been the host of the best and longest parties in lower class New York.

At the moment it was crowded with female representatives from every borough, "What's going on down here?"

"I's hostin' a liddle git togethah ta plot against da boys."

"Fun."

They found Silk and Jess at a table and pulled up chairs, "Ohmygod! Marble I heard you just broke up with Spot! What's going on!"

"Jesus Jess, how'd you hear about that already?"

The girl blushed a little bit and looked at the table top, "I was there with Copper but I didn't really see what happened."

"What did you do, run all the way heah just ta tell everyone? Wait a minute, you were there with Copper?"

"I wasn't WITH HIM, with him, but he said he wanted someone he could rely on to be there, just in case, and he asked me to come." She was practically glowing as the others chorused 'Oohhhhh!'

"So I guess Danny-boy does like girls after all." Ace winked and Jess managed to turn an even brighter shade of red.

"Shuddup."

"Dis is all loverly but we's heah ta talk 'bout dat punk takin' ovah me turf. Da boy needs ta be taken down a few steps 'cause, ta be honest, he's too cute ta git rida." Harper had everyone's attention now, "Ya see Skylar's tryin' ta expand Midtown an' he's gonna be able to once he gits dat manpower. We all know how dat's gonna end, big brawl, lotsa us git hoit, lotsa us git locked up. Da boys is too stupid ta handle it any uddah way so we' gotta stop in afore dat happens. I's askin' alla yous ta help me"

"I think I'm going to volunteer Marble to do all of the work."

"Thanks Frick, that's what friends are for roight." Marble punched her friend in the arm.

"That was uncalled for."

"The two of you are just precious. I wish all of my friends were like you."

"We are Jess." Hazel jabbed her in the side and she laughed.

"That's great. So Harper what do you think we should do?"

Silk answered for her, "We're going to box them in. We know those boys and they aren't going to fight us, so we need girls to sell all along the boundaries. They won't pass us without a fight and not a single one of them will touch a girl, they won't be able to go anywhere."

"So yous askin' us ta fill in da gaps where ya ain't got enough goils ta do it?"

"Yes."

There was a moment of silence, "Yea alroight."

"Why not."

"Sounds like fun."

"Got nuthin' bettah ta do."

"I'm actually kinda busy." Everyone looked at Marble and she held up her hands defensively, "I'm takin' care a Skylar remember? We can't do this forever, we need to housebreak him if we're going to keep him. Somebody has to teach him some manners."

"Right, well then you're excused from working, but you have to gives us all the dirt."

"Frick there isn't going to be any dirt. I'm not going to do anything with him." All of the girls shared a look and started laughing, "Hey! I'm serious. I'm not.....ugh!" She buried her face in her hands and waited for them to stop.

A while later the room hit one of those quite moments that just kind of happen sometimes and during it they heard some shouts, a brief scuffling then laughter from upstairs. One of the girls came pounding down the stairs then, "Hey everybody, look what da cat dragged in."

Frack came down the steps with a struggling body slung over his shoulder, "Hey ladies." Girls looked at him whispering and giggling as he crossed the room, but he just smiled at them, making some blush. He stopped in front of Marble and put the body on its feet, "I believe this belongs to you."

Bit tried to get free but he had learned from losing her upstairs and kept both hands firmly on her shoulders, "Let me go!"

Marble looked up at Frack cluelessly, "What?...."

"I found her wandering around earlier. She says she's running away.'

"I am, now let go!"

"Why do you want to leave? And where will you go, all of the runaways come to us."

The little girl suddenly started crying and threw her arms around Marble, "It's not fair. He likes her, but he doesn't like me. She's not even nice to him, but he likes her better. Not fair."

"Bit who are you talking about?"

"Blink! He likes Pips more than me!"

"Oh." She looked at the girls at the table and tried not to laugh, "I'm sorry sweetheart but there's' nothing you can do about it and running away won't help. You'll just make everyone worried, and there would be nobody to take care of Dorry."

"Anyway, Blink's too old for you. The best thing to do now is get over him, and place a bet."

All of the others looked at Frick and laughed but Bit frowned, "On what?"

"On which one of them realizes they like each other first."

"They don't' know?"

"Nope."

"Oh."

Harper grinned, "I bet deys gonna git in a big fight an' one a dem's gonna blurt it out."

Ace shook her head, "I say dey's fightin' an' dey git too close to each oddah den end up kissin'"

Silk smiled and joined in the conversation, "I think Blink's going to go too far in a fight, feel bad, then when he goes to apologize he's going to realize it."

(Hey, I recognize the fact that I'm writing a cliche plot, at least I admit it and can make fun of it)

They continued to offer suggestions and Marble stood up, "Hey Frick, I's gonna take Bit home. It's late."

"I'll see you later."

Frack sat next to his sister in the abandoned seat, "I don't like you being alone in Manhattan."

"I don't like you following me everywhere. I'm staying there to watch out for Marble, she's really upset about Spot. You need to stay in Brooklyn to watch him. He's going to drink himself stupid if you let him."

"I still don't see what their bloody problem is. Spot asked her to do it and he's upset because she's doing it. And Marble's upset because he asked her, but she's doing it anyway, just to make him mad, but it's still what he asked her to do. Does this make any sense to you?"

Frick shrugged, "They're Americans."

* * *

The next morning all Pips wanted to do was hide inside and worry, but the boys had other plans, Blink in particular.

There were a few minutes of normal morning noises then the room went dead quiet. For a while she tried to ignore it, but her curiosity was too much. Pips opened her eyes and looked around. With a small scream they were closed again and a pillow was clamped over her face.

Her bed was surrounded by a wall of bare newsie butts and written across the cheeks was, 'Rise and Shine. You're missing a full moon.'

Pips just lay there, too shocked to laugh, until she felt someone pawing at her arm. She peeked cautiously from under her pillow. There was no sign on the boys, just Marble. She was leaning against the bed post, eyes still half shut, nudging Pips' arm absently.

"Pardon my choice of words, but I'll handle the rebuttal. I caught the sunny side of that little prank." They met each other's eyes and cracked up.

(I hope you're happy, my chinchilla has a dirty cage, I didn't do my homework, I'm probably going to be late to school tomorrow, my friends think I'm retarded, I really need a shower, and I didn't get to finish watching Newsies tonight but the chapter is up. I kinda hit one of those off weeks and didn't do anything to the story but I typed it up this weekend just for all of you so be proud of me and review whether you liked it or not.)