THANK YOU, MY FANTASTIC REVIEWERS!

Ok, I know I said this was going to be a one-shot, mostly for shock value. But I've decided, why the hell shouldn't I make it a series? All the newsies have dirty little secrets, and after a while, I might do a real story with their unhappy little lives.

Disclaimer: I don't even own myself anymore. See, I played poker with Spot, and then.

*****

I can't stand this life.

Everyone asking about my family, who they are and where they are now.

I can't stand the lies.

For the longest time, everything that anyone knew about my history was a lie. Lies about my parents, lies about my childhood. Lies to cover up the existence of my brother. His history was one big lie, too. We just couldn't let anyone know. Because we hate our lives.

I can't stand my mother.

She abandoned us, my brother and father and me. She was the smart one. I wish she had taking us with her. The least she could have done was save us from our father.

And sweet Jesus, I cannot STAND my father.

He made the most lies of all of us. He lied about being married-no, my paternal twin brother and I were illegitimate. He lied about us even existing-his co-workers, when he had them, thought he had no children. I can't even tell you how many times he lied about being sober.

I can't stand being famous.

People come up to me in the street and ask if I am who they think I am. I joke about it, but every night I cry to myself that it should be my just ten minute younger brother getting this attention. It should be Jake. I did it all for him. I can't stand attention.

I can't stand watching my brother starve.

He's slowly wasting away. I can tell by the way his overalls get looser and looser each day. He never seems to eat. The others haven't noticed yet.

I can't stand watching my brother cut himself.

He doesn't do it on his wrists-customers might notice. He cuts on the lines of his palms, so they blend in and go unnoticed unless you look closely.

God, I hate watching my brother destroy himself.

I hate having to stand by and watch as my BROTHER wastes away.

And I utterly despise being myself, notorious thief and strike leader, wanted by his father the Warden Snyder for being the type of illegal activity that can lose him his job.

I hate being Francis Sullivan.