Disclaimer: I don't own the newsies. I do own Splash, Mock, and Slick. Stress, Dragonfly, Spin, Prankster, Fearless, Hades, and Bottle Cap own themselves

Chapter 13

Slowly the ferry landed at the dock, and dazed, Charlotte stepped off. The sky was beginning to get dark, with streaks of pink and red running across it. She smelled the air, and it was familiar, nothing like the mountain air of upstate.

She blindly led the way down alleys and roads, just looking at the place she called home.

Eventually, though she somehow, as though embedded in her mind, made her way to Tibbys' with Slick and Mock trustingly following her.

Timidly, she peered in the windows; an unknown shyness working it's way throughout her body.

"Wait," she told the boys.

Silently, they slid into the shadows of a nearby building, being able to see, yet not being seen.

Laughing Jack, Mush Meyers, Blink Flanagan, and Race Higgins came out, laughing and bubbly, accompanied by girls Charlotte had never seen before.

Jack had his arm around the waist of a tall girl, with long curly blond/brown hair. Her hair was tucked under her gray hat, and something gold around her neck flashed when it came in connection with light.

"Stress," he sighed, "Youse are one amazing goil."

She blushed deeply, then punched Jack lightly on the shoulder, "Shaddup, ya scabber." But,her grin was ear to ear, and her eyes sparkled.

Blink had his arm slung across the shoulders of a shorter girl, whose blue eyes were almost the same shade as his. Her auburn hair was in a ponytail hanging down her back, with a khaki hat jauntily placed upon it.

Her eyes were gazing up into Blink's and a slight smile played across her lips.

Charlotte shuddered. To be so different, yet so alike the boys they had been four years ago had scared her, yet made her feel sad at the same time.

Mush's curly brown hair was being twirled around the finger of a medium height girl with long brown hair, a black hat haphazardly placed on.

Race however, was just walking along with his girl, not particularly doing anything romantic, just feeling the presence of one another's company. His girl had black hair with these cool red and brown highlights. She was tall, a little taller than him, and it was cute how he had to look up to talk to her. A brooch was on her white shirt, and Charlotte heard Race call her "Dragonfly" so she figured that must be what it was.

"Hey Jacky-boy," Blink called out of the blue, "When ya gonna git her back?"

Jack's eyes creased and he just tiredly looked at him, "Wen she becomes a layd, ya hear?"

"Aww come on." Mush whined, " We all really need her back. She was our best friend."

" Definitely," Race commented, lighting up a cigar, " I haven't had a good game a poka since she left. She was my biggest rival, asides dat Queens guy."

"Who's she?" Blink's girl Bottle Cap cautiously asked.

"She's jist Jacky-boys sistah." Said Mush

"So, was she as good at pokah as our friend Racey here?" Mush's girl Hades snorted.

Before Race could reply, Dragonfly gave a squeal. "My brooch! It fell!"

Race bent down to pick it up for her, and Charlotte giggled, pulling out her slingshot from her back pocket. She picked up a rock from the street and took aim.

As Race was on his way up, he felt something sharp hits his behind.

"I'll soak ya, ya doity rotten scabba!" he yelped, running in the direction of the rock.

Charlotte took one look at his livid face, and screamed, grabbing Slick and Mock, and running.

Jack, Stress, Mush, Hades, Blink, Bottle Cap, and Dragonfly, looked awfully confused, but followed Race.

Splash, Mock, and Slick ran very fast, in whatever direction they figured would shake them off. After about ten minutes of running, Race tired, and looked at his chums.

"Let's cheese it."

Charlotte turned around and soon bumped into three people. They were all standing under a light post, so their features were clear.

The shortest girl was leaning against the post, giving a look that could kill at Charlotte.

Her blue eyes gleamed maliciously, and she fixed the gray hat that was on her brown hair, "Well, well what do we have here?"

"Ken ya tell me where da Manhatten Boy's Lodgin House is?"

A girl with curly red hair butted in, " Whatcha need dere?"

"Gotta git me bruddah" Charlotte was unaware of the sarcasm and bemusement in their voices.

Another short girl with Strawberry blond hair and hazel eyes walked up to the two girls, "Aww.calm down.lets figure out wat she wants."

"Listen," said Splash, getting impatient, "Ken ya tell me where it is? Or do I hafta go someplace else?"

The girl with the blue eyes looked at her and flatly said, "Who's ya bruddah?"

Her honey eyes lit up, "Why, he's Jack Kelly?"

The girl with the strawberry blond hair was clutched over laughing, "Ya kiddin me, right? Jacky- boy ain't got no family."

"Yeah, well he's in for a rude awakening."

The girl smiled, and spit in her hand and stuck it out, "Da names Prankster. An da one wit da red hair is Fearless, and da uddah one is."

"I ken introduce meself." She took a drag on her cigarette, " Da names Spin."

"Well, I'se Splash, and dese are me pals Mock an Slick."

"We'll take ya back," Prankster said, walking down a street, and beckoning the girls and guys to follow.

Spin whispered to Fearless as she stood up from the post, "Wat is dat, da thirteenth goil ta claim ta be Jacky's sistah? She's gonna be heartbroken wen he turns her down"