Ta da! Here's one of the "mysterious" chapters! Since i'm here slaving away for my finals, i thought i'd give all of you something to make you happy. ^^ hahah, did that make sense? ah, don't mind me... i just went over seven chapters of Spanish. i just came online to have a quick break and post this up. really, i'm going to be swarming under index cards and textbooks by next week...

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Fear

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Hey there. Done selling papes today? That's good then. You're getting better. Now, if you'd only write during your free time and focus on selling papes. It'd really help if you want to make more money, alright?

Hahah, sorry about that. I just wanted to make sure that everybody's doing fine. So you're going to ask me a question? Wouldn't you want to ask the other boys instead? Okay then, I guess you're getting an answer from me.

So fear, huh? I can answer that question in a minute. No doubt about it. Hah, you should see the look on your face. I bet the others didn't answer too quickly, did they? It's not really that hard if you think about it. I've been managing this Newsboys Lodging House for years and I've seen all of you grow to what you are now.

I've seen all of these boys go through this door, write their name on this here notebook, and walk in with their past buried inside them. I guess you could say that they were my children, and they practically are.

Do you know how glad I am to be standing here in this position right now? Who would've thought that being the owner of a Newsboys Lodging House could bring such warmth and happiness to an old man's heart? I honestly thought that all I was going to do was baby-sitting a bunch of boys. Looking after those raggedy boys after they came home from the streets. Waking them up every morning to see another day. Making sure that they had done their chores and are at home at curfew. It all seemed so different when I started… and it turned out just as different as I thought.

Really, what were you going to expect? How can you not fall in love with these boys living under this roof? You don't expect to sulk in a room all day with nothing to do, can you? You end up talking to them, watching them, and becoming a part of their lives as they grow.

The stories and memories that I have right now are just as memorable as the ones I know I will have in the future. Having no family of my own, I don't need to ask anymore… because they're right here, in front of my eyes. Yes, even you.

Now, I know I'm starting to get all mushy here, but that's the way it is. I'll never forget the day when Race finally beat Jack at poker and won all the money in the pot. I'll never forget the day when Spot turned down a girl… any girl, in that case. I'll never forget Itey's dancing and singing in the lobby as he would go outside to sell his papes. I'll never forget Mush and Blink's antics, bringing joy everywhere they went. I'll never forget when Skittery came out of his shell and showed his true self. I'll never forget the day Jack and David became a team, the force that drove the newsies to their greatest possibilities. Now, think about it… will you ever forget them? 'Cause I sure won't.

I know I shouldn't have favorites or anything, but the boys living here right now are the best that I have seen. Best, how you say? Best overall. The things that they seen, heard, and lived through gave them the strength that they needed everyday. They slowly built upon that as they got physically and mentally stronger, experiencing the possibilities of what could happen outside the streets of New York. They had gone through love and heartbreak worse or better than anyone had ever seen. They experienced the greatest and most terrible events that were handed to them by the world.

They still have a lot to go through, since most of them are still growing up. But you can see the feelings and emotions that had made them what they are now. I glowed with pride and joy that day they won the strike. They were close to giving up then. But they pulled through. They were determined and strong. That's what happens when you believe in something.

Now, my point is, they can do anything they want. Right now, they have the world in the palm of their hands. Well, not exactly. A better home and more money would help, but they don't know what they have right in front of them. And I can't really blame them; New York these days isn't exactly paradise.

My fear would be them not becoming all that they can be. You saw and heard all those things they went through. They're still breathing, aren't they? But they coped and went through it. They didn't just throw all of those memories away… it became a part of them.

I'm scared that they won't be able to do what they want to do. I'm scared that one day, I'll walk down the streets and see them still begging for money. I'm scared that they won't achieve their dreams. Because I know they can. I know that they can work through it.

They all fulfilled one dream for the working children of New York. And that was bringing hope and optimism to the hearts of children… telling them that they can fight for what they can believe in if they only work hard at it. Yes, I'm talking about the strike.

Now, do you see? I want them to be able to become lawyers, doctors, teachers… anything, as long as they're happy. Plain and simple. Happiness and reaching their dreams. I know it sounds impossible, but very little is needed to make a happy life*. That's what you learn when you become a newsie. All the money in the world just can't take away your dreams, memories, and experiences.

Just remember this… reality is wrong. Dreams are for real**. You know why? 'Cause you can always change reality. That's what the newsies did.

-Kloppman

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....one more chapter to go!

*very little is needed to make a happy life - Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

**reality is wrong. dreams are for real. - Tupac Shakur

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now, do all of you remember that little shoutout i made to oneconfusednewsie, justduck, and frenchygoil? yup, that one? well, i'm still needing one more character for my "surprise" since maybe one of the people i am asking a profile from still isn't replying. i'm going to wait a few more days, then if she doesn't reply back, i will choose one of you (yes you) to be in it. mmk? if you wanna know more, just tell me your email in your review and i'll send you the details.

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Shout-outs

Sagey: Hahah, yeah, who would've thunk? Aw, sagey, now don't go killing off ALL of the newsies! *points and shakes finger* tsk tsk. hahah.

Runaway: Nah, that's alright. Its the same thing that Sage told me too... with my tenses. lol. ends up that i always have problems with that. :P thanks, though! i'm usually more comfortable when i give a speech to people i don't know rather than people i know... because... i know them. hahha, does that make sense?

Oneconfusednewsie: hahah! psh, lucky girl! i wanna stay home from school... the only problem is the amount of work i have to make up for it. :P ooh, that happens to me too when i eat a lot of chocolate!

Hazel: *huggles* thanks! ^^ my stories are always up here at ff.net, so feel free to read 'em when you can!

Sapphy: lol! well, for starters... hahah, jk! oh and thanks for the extra xmas info!

Joizey Jacobs: Ah, now that i reread it about five times, i see where you're coming from. i'm sorry about that... just another one of my mistakes. :P its usually just tenses for me, but this is the biggest one i had so far. sorry that it was confusing. i meant to say that he just thought he was going to be selling papers during summer, that's all. hope i cleared up the confusion.

Frenchygoil: yup! crutchy! ^^ ah, that would've been scary if snyder was crutchy's father. *shiver* ooh! yummy! ^^ ah, that's alright about the review... ff.net can get annoying at times. :P i was kinda getting worried that you weren't going to see the new chapter, but you did! heheh. so no worry!