*

*Chapter 17*

"I ain't nevah seen Spin treat somebody dat badly." Jack shook his head in disappointment as he spoke softly to the newsies playing cards. They had all seen the arguement in Tibby's, and now they were witnessing the chilly glares and ridiculing whispers which Spin so willingly offered to anyone that would hear.

"Yeah, I nevah thought she could be so..." Chipper searched for a word without results.

"So like Spot?" Mush offered with a chuckle.

"Don't let her heah ya say dat," Hades warned, hiding her smile, "She'll soak ya."

"She needs ta lighten up. She don't know anything 'bout Caps, 'cept for her last name." Jack said before adding, "Go fish."

"What do ya mean, she don't know nothin'?" Race asked, looking over his cards as if the game was actually important. "Dey's sistahs. Twins even!"

"Spot said dey nevah met b'fore." Jack shrugged, "He didn't really say anything else 'bout it."

"Dat's so weird." Dragonfly interjected, impatiently waiting for her boyfriend to finish with his game. "Race, just go. It ain't like ya bet money on Go Fish." She urged, receiving a chorus of quiet chuckles, accompanied by an ashamed Race face.

"Well..." He began, avoiding eye contact.

"Racetrack Higgins!" Dragonfly stomped her foot at him, "I can not believe you bet on a game of Go Fish!"

"Believe it." Illusion giggled, obviously amused. Dragonfly popped Race in the back of the head before heading off, looking for something to keep her busy while Race lost more money.

"I saw them as clear as day, Silver." Bottle Cap spoke very softly, cautious of unwanted ears.

"What was dey doin'?" Silver Fists asked, her face showing pure interest.

"They were crying." Bottle Cap explained, "They were talking about me as if I were dead. I tried to tell them I was there, but they couldn't hear me. The worst part is, they were yelling at each other, blaming each other. I couldn't take it."

"Dat's why you'se was cryin' an' stuff?"

"I guess so." Caps shrugged, "I hope she thaws out eventually." She threw in, seeing Dragonfly approaching them out of the corner of her eye.

"Me too!" Dragonfly exclaimed as she plopped down beside the two. "She's even more moody now dat you'se heah."

"I don't know if she'll ever like me." Bottle Cap sighed, looking over to Spin, who was corrupting another newsgirl's mind with mean things about Bottle Cap.

"She was a whore, dat's why I nevah liked 'er." Spin whispered to True.

"Spin, are you sure?" True asked, not believing a word of it.

"Yeah, I'm sure! She's my sistah, remembah?"

"Yeah, but Spot said..."

"Don't talk about him to me." Spin glared, "He's a liah." With that, True nodded, not willing to get on Spin's bad side.

"Time for bed, girls!" Kloppman shouted up the stairs, knowing they were all crowded into the boys room. Groans and yawns accompanied the girls as the streamed across the hall and fell into bed.

Bottle Cap lay awake for a long time, almost fearful of what would appear behind her eyes if she let them close. She was beginning to feel at home in Newsie Land, but she knew that a part of her was still back in reality, lost.