Thanks for the reviews last time! They rocked my socks!

David: How can something "rock your socks"?

Because…They just can!

David: But it's not physically possible

Dutchy: Did you mean rocks IN your socks?

Blink: Why would she PUT them in her socks?

Dutchy: (shrugs)

Race: Maybe she likes the feel of them under feet

Jack: That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Rocks are pointy-

Race: Sometimes

Jack: Right. But even if they aren't, they can still hurt when you walk on them. Haven't you ever had one in your shoe?

Race: Nope

Jack: My point exactly, you wouldn't know.

David: I'm still confused…

Stop being so analytical! It's not getting you guys anywhere except stalling on the story! (turns to her audience) Excuse them, they are in a very…odd mood. :D

Enjoy chapter 5!

As I walked away from Blink, my hand slipping subtly into Jack's, I felt sorry for him. Yes, I know that I am clueless, but can you blame me for not noticing? I really don't pay attention to that kind of stuff unless it involves me. Which, until a recent turn of events, had never been done. Siren and I have our own separate love lives, thank God otherwise we would be really confused.

"Okay there, Lucky?" Jack's voice floated down to me. I guess I was too caught up in my own world and Jack must have guessed it. I cocked an eyebrow up at him.

"Aw, bandana boy, I didn't know ya cared," I said sarcastically. Okay so I'm new to the whole relationship thing. Give me a break! I'm Catholic! My religion permitted me from dating until I turned sixteen and even when I did I was still wary of guys. Besides, I'm still convinced that they have cooties. Jack glanced down at me.

"Sorry, I was just wonderin'," I sighed and I stopped him. We faced each other and I took both of his hands in mine.

"No, Jack, I'm sorry. There's just a lot of things on me mind right now."

"Can I help?" Jack asked, looking me deep in my eyes. I suddenly felt naked, like he was looking into my soul, exposing my secret. I'm not sure if Blink wanted the others to know about the letter. Has he already told everyone? Well, everyone except Siren obviously. Jack's going to eventually find out from Blink anyway, even if he had to beat it out of him. Jack would do it, too.

"I don't think so. You can try, but I doubt it'll help anything." So I proceeded to tell him everything that Blink told me. His reactions were exactly as I pictured they would be. He listened intently, hung his head, and when I was done he ran a hand through his hair (I love it when he does that) and sighed.

"An' so now he's gone off to tell 'er?" I nodded. "Damn. This ain't gonna be good."

"Not at all. I know Siren won't be too happy about it."

"Do ya think he'd go?"

I sighed. "I dunno. For one thing, he's gettin' older, and maybe it's time to move on."

"Yeah but just pick up and leave Siren like that?" Jack asked incredulously.

"Well, he does gotta choose. I would bet my life that he'd choose her over anythin' like this." I said confidently. Jack stared me down again and I stared right back. A small grin was playing over his lips that finally took over. He grabbed me into a hug and me, startled by this, I had no choice but to hug him back. Which I didn't mind, by the way.

There was no doubt in my mind that Blink wouldn't leave Siren. He loved her too much. When he looked at her, he got this wonderful expression on his face and you knew immediately that he had more than just a thing for her. When they first met, Siren told me that she had gotten a huge crush on him. At first I thought it was just a puppy crush, but Blink told me the same thing and both of them were too stupid to act upon their feelings. Fast forward a year and you're here.

Oh, how very wrong I was.

The very next day, Samantha's eyes opened wearily, her vision slightly blurry. She blinked a few times to get them to focus and when they were, she groaned. She stretched her legs beneath her sheets and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Her window revealed brilliant morning sunlight, around six-thirty she guessed.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, memories of the events of the night before came back to her. She remembered being in the park with Blink, feeling totally at peace, not even prepared for what he had been about to spring on her. Mixed feelings and emotions swept over her: Sadness, anger, and hurt were just a few words to described what Samantha had, and still, felt. The old affections of when she used to have a crush on Blink came back to her, but this time it was much stronger. She couldn't really describe it. She kept thinking about him more and more ever since that day at school, wanting to be around him, with him, in his arms again. Her crush hadn't really gone away, it was just stored in a deep part of her heart that had suddenly reawakened again. If this was love it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

She had walked back to the lodging house slowly while mulling over what had just occurred, when she ran into Lucky and Jack. Lucky saw the distressed look in her best friend's eyes and began asking what was wrong. Samantha told her, shakily, that Blink was leaving. That he had chosen his father and a new life. Lucky had been sympathetic and hugged her, Samantha crying on Lucky's shoulder while Jack stood in the background, letting them have their space.

No matter how depressed she felt, Samantha still needed to go to school. Reluctantly leaving her bed, she stumbled out of her room and into the kitchen where she found her mother and father already having breakfast at the table, Samantha's plate of bacon, scrambled eggs, toast and a small glass of orange juice awaiting her. She trudged across the room and plopped herself in the chair, picked up her toast, and took a tiny bite. Mr. Hart's paper ruffled and he peered at her over the edge.

"Something wrong, Samantha?"

"Nothing, Father. Why do you ask?"

"You don't seem yourself this morning."

"I'm sorry, I'm just tired is all." Mrs. Hart flicked a glance at Samantha, who was poking at her eggs with her fork. A moment later, Samantha sighed and put down her fork. "May I be excused?" Mr. and Mrs. Hart gave each other a look and they nodded. Samantha nodded her thanks, stood up, and slowly walked back to her room to get ready.

Stepping off a curb, Samantha held her books and lunch pail in the same hands as she's always done. Taking her mother's advice, she decided to leave her hair down; she didn't have the energy to make it a braid anyway. Instead of stopping off at the distribution center like she did every morning, she purposefully avoided it, even walking past the lodging house.

Arriving at the school, it looked deserted. None of the students really started to show up until seven fifteen or even a few minutes before the bell. Walking across the grounds, she came upon a figure sitting on the many steps that led up to the door. They were huddled in their light blue sweater and a small novel sat in their lap.

"Allie?" Samantha said. Allie looked up and blinked.

"Oh. Hello," she responded and went back to her book. She must be really mad at me,Samantha thought.

"Look, Allie, I'm sorry about the other day. I didn't mean to get angry at you," no response. "I'll understand if you would rather not be friends anymore. It might be for the best, I'm pretty upset about some things right now." Allie's gaze shifted back on Samantha again.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because something happened last night and it...It's twisting my life upside down. I don't know what to do."

Allie closed her book. "Tell me?" Samantha nodded and launched into the events of the night before as she had done with Lucky. Allie listened and gasped in the right places and she truly did look sympathetic when the story was finished. "I'm sorry, Sam. I had no idea that you liked this boy that much."

"Do you...do you think what he chose was right?"

"I don't know. It's his life after all. I mean, you're still in school and he doesn't have much time left before he must leave the newspaper business."

"You're right," Samantha sighed and sat down beside Allie. "I wish I hadn't met him, then maybe none of this would have happened and my heart wouldn't have broke in two."

"Better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all."

"How poetic," Samantha breathed.

"It's true. If you hadn't met him, you would have never experienced true love. But not everything ends happily ever after,"

"I wish it does. Love should always be like a fairy tale. Like those romance books I read! The main characters always get in trouble but then the book ends with a passionate kiss and everything is solved. I wish my life was like a romance novel," she said and she flicked a rock.

"It will be someday."

"So...are you still mad at me?" Samantha asked timidly after a moment.

"No. I forgive you," Allie grinned, so did Samantha, and the two embraced in a hug. "And I'm sorry what I said about...What was her name? Lucky?" Samantha nodded. "I've never really had to work and so I guess I just didn't understand. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course. Maybe if I get the chance I'll introduce you to a few of them after school."

"Oh, but don't you have to work?"

"Not today. You can come swimming with us if you want to." Samantha added brightly. Allie smiled.

"That would be lovely." The two of them chatted a few more minutes until the principle glided by and unlocked the doors to let them inside. They walked to their classroom and waited patiently while the other students arrived a while later and the day began.

So Sam and Allie worked out their differences. See, guys, I TOLD you that Allie would get better!

Newsies: (grumble)

David: Well thank goodness

(beams) I'm glad you approve.

Well sorry to cut this short but it's getting pretty late here and I need my sleep. So please REVIEW and I will love you forever. Thanks!