Shannyn rushed back towards the boarding house she called home. She stopped at the front desk and asked for a key to her room. The woman handed her the key and she dashed into the room and collapsed on the bed, laughing to herself. When she finally rose to her feet, Shannyn removed the stained white shirt and tossed it into the corner of the small room, pulling out the washbasin Jayce had filled in her absence. After splashing water on her face to wake her up, Shannyn proceeded to clean the cuts. Knowing the white shirt was worthless with the stains she ripped into even shreds of cloth. She hastily wrapped the cuts so they were no longer visible. Twenty minutes later, she was clean and slipping into Chris' dark blue shirt. It was oversized, but it would have to do. She glanced into the mirror and nearly smiled at her cleaner look. After running her hand through her hair one more time she grabbed a key and stuffed it into the small change purse she carried around with her. With that she was ready to go back out. From the position of the sun it was probably only six o'clock, meaning she had two hours to kill before going to work that night.

"Out again already?" the lady at the front desk asked Shannyn.

Shannyn turned around in the threshold and faced her. "Out to waste time before work," she replied.

"I see," the woman answered. Shannyn noticed her glancing at the man's shirt she wore. "So, who's shirt is that?"

"Chris."

"Who's Chris?" the nosy lady persisted.

Getting more than slightly annoyed, Shannyn replied, "Just a guy I work with. Now if you'll excuse me I have some stuff to do." She walked out the door without waiting for the lady's reply.

Out on the street she was greeted with the hustle and bustle of the big city. Having only arrived in NYC two days previously she still wasn't accustomed to the crowds. She heard someone shouting "Mayor has deadly disease!" and went over to investigate.

She wasn't the only one drawn to the sound of an exciting headline. Five or six other people were surrounding a tall boy wearing a cowboy hat over his dirty blonde hair. He was carrying nearly seventy-five newspapers under his arm and was exchanging them with the people for a penny. She knew he was a newsboy and thought maybe he would know Chris enough to give her some background on him.

"Excuse me," she said to the boy. "Do you happen to know a boy named Chris - I mean, Mush?"

"I know a Mush Meyers. He's a newsie like me an' he woiks in a nightclub part-time. Why are you'se wonderin'? He love ya an' leave ya, too?" the tall boy asked as if this was a common occurrence.

"No, I just work with him," she answered back.

The boy looked only slightly embarrassed before recovering from his blunder. "Oh, sorry 'bout dat. It's just Mush's got quite a head fah usin' da ladies, ya know?" I nodded and he started talking. "Listen, I'd really like ta talk ta ya but if ya wanna we'se gonna have ta keep walkin' as I sell cos I need ta get dese papes done. Mush's makin' us come ta meet da new waitress." As soon as the words left his mouth a sudden realization dawned on him. "You'se da new waitress, ain'tcha?"

"Correct," she said. "I was just wondering if you could tell me anything about him."

Jack grinned. "You inta him or somethin'? Cos he ain' exactly da best da hang 'round. He ain' too good at stayin' still in relationships," he warned.

"I don' know enough 'bout 'im ta like 'im. I'se jus' wonderin'," she said.

"Don' have ta do wit' 'is abs, does it?" he asked as if he'd been through this situation quite a few times.

"Well.." she said, not being able to answer straight. The clock ringing eight o'clock saved her. "I'm supposed to be at work right now!" she exclaimed. She didn't want to be late for the job on her first night.

"Den I guess ya bettah haul off ta da club. I'se gonna be dere in a few minutes, jus' got fifteen papes left ta sell taday."

As he faded into the crowd Shannyn broke out into a bit of a run towards the nightclub until she saw the painted sign announcing her place of work. She slid into the door just as the clock proclaimed eight ten. "Sorry I'm late!" she said as she burst into the room. The restaurant area seemed empty save two businessmen.

Mush looked at her. "What took ya so long?"

"I was talking to one of your newsie friends and forgot to watch the clock," she explained.

"Well, Shann, you're lucky, but don't let it happen again." He noticed her giving him a weird look. "What?"

"No one's called me Shann since--" she cut off.

"You're hiding something from me, aren't you?" Mush asked her. He grabbed her hand so that his large hand engulfed her own.

He was staring deeply into her eyes and she couldn't bear to look at him any longer. She jerked her hand out of his grasp. "Please, don't make me."

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear.

Before either could say anything, voices broke the silence. "Mush! You'se flirtin' already?" the one from earlier said. Behind him a shorter boy with crystal blue eyes was laughing.

Mush was blushing as he answered back, "I think you'se confusin' me wit' da infamous Spot Conlon. He's da one wit' a different goil in bed each night."

"I resent that!" Spot interjected, but everyone ignored him.

"As opposed ta every othah night like you?" the taller boy joked.

"Enough, Jack," Mush said, sensing that Shannyn was uncomfortable. "Time to get this party started," he joked. "Lemme show ya da basic ropes," he told Shannyn, and he did. She learned the basics for waiting and just as they wrapped up nine o'clock came and the people began to pour in.

"What would you like?" she asked two men who looked as if they'd just gotten off work. They appeared to be in their thirties and were most likely married with children.

"I think you know what we want," one of them said, looking her up and down.

She slowly backed away a few steps and bumped into Mush. "Sirs, I think you're at the wrong club if that's what you're looking for. This is just a bar with live music," Mush said sternly to the two men. Despite his young age, the two men heeded Mush's comments without much of an argument. The two stood up and left. Mush called out after them, "The red light district is to the left, if you were wondering."

"Don' tell me all guys in this city are like this?" she asked, waiting for the answer.

Mush pondered for a moment before answering. "They ain' all like dat. Most of us newsboys ain' as bad as dey make us out ta be - sleepin' 'round an' all. Well, 'cept Spot heah, he's a manslut."

"What're ya sayin' 'bout me?" Spot called from the other end of the club.

"That you're one fine looking piece of newsboy," Shannyn joked, letting some of her sarcasm leak out for the first time in over a month.

"Well, of course I am," Spot said before turning back and talking to Jack again. Mush and Shannyn started to laugh uncontrollably until another table called her over to wait.

"I'll take a bear and some steak," the man asked. And so began her first night of work. For five hours she waited tables. Finally, the shift ended at two in the morning.

"You wanna come an' party wit' me an' da boys annudah night? Spot's havin' a party soon an' he's invitin' all da boroughs. You'll getta me da Queens goils too," Jack offered, slipping his hat back onto his head, about to make his exit.

"I'd love to," she replied. "When?"

"In three or foah days, I'll tell Mush ta give ya da details," Spot cut in.

Shannyn grinned slightly. "I'll be there."

"All right then," Jack said, smiling at her. "We'll see you there." With that he walked out, followed quickly by Spot. The owner walked out the door a moment later, leaving Chris and Shannyn to clean up themselves.

"I'll wipe down da tables, you go back an' dry 'em. Sound good?" Mush offered. Shannyn nodded and caught the cloth he tossed at her. As they cleaned, the two carried out a conversation. "So, what do ya think of Jack an' Spot?"

"They seem like nice people. I don't really know them that well," she answered as she wiped the table dry.

"Ya inta dem?"

"As in romantically?" Mush nodded. "I don't even really know them!"

"Its just dat dey's da ones every goil wants an' every boy wants ta be. Dey's got goils all ovah dem every day, an' you ain' flippin' out ovah their appearance," he explained.

"Did you think I was that shallow?"

He had trouble thinking of what to say before answering with a decisive "No, it's just unusual that's all."

"Well, I prefer the more romantic types," she said, looking deep into his eyes as she spoke.

He grinned. "Well I hope ya meet da romantic you'se lookin' foah."

"Thank you," she said before returning to drying the tables. After that, Mush escorted her back to the boarding house to make sure she made it okay.

"Goodnight," Mush said, standing on the doorstep facing her.

"G'night," she replied, smiling eagerly.

Just as he began to turn as if to leave, he turned back towards Shannyn. Without any words, he leaned in and kissed her; she returned the kiss until he backed away. Silently, he walked into the night.

"Definitely a good night," she whispered to herself as she snuck back into her bedroom and laid down in her bed, exhausted.

A true smile crept across her face for the first time since - well, since then.

A/N: Thank you all of you for your reviews! I'm way too tired for shout- outs today but I promise them with the next chapter. : )