*Hey everyone, just so you know. It was taking me a little while because I had wen't over the last few chapters and corrected a few things. So that my new readers don't see all my mistakes. But anyway, here is the next chapter. I hope you like it and remember I love to know what you think. So remember to review, your opinions mean a lot to me. Also just so you know. For the next chapter or two (mainly next chapter) if Hanna seems a little bit emotional, remember its because her parents just died. I can't just have her parents die and she act like nothings wrong. Besides it helps bring her together with the boys. Well go ahead and read, remember to review!!!*

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the settings or characters from the newsies. Although I wish I did *grin*. Anyway everything else that you don't recognize it my own.

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Chapter Four

I found myself waking up the next day in an unfamiliar room. I was wrapped up in a rough wool blanket and could feel the metal springs jab into my back from the old mattress. My head ached profusely and the muscles in my legs throbbed painfully every time that I moved.

I sat up quickly and looked around. Lying at the foot of the bed was Mush, his head was in his arms and he was sleeping soundly. In a chair to the right was Race, who by the looks of it, had been laying in a rather awkward position with his feet hanging off to the side. While I sat starring down at the boys relaxing figures, I began to recall every bit of the day before and choked back a sob. I wouldn't cry, I would be strong for myself. I knew that if I broke down now, there would have be no returning.

"Ay, she's awake!" I heard someone yell from the left. I cringed at the loudness of there voice. My head felt as if someone was pounding on it with a hammer. I looked over and standing in the doorway was a small dark skinned boy. I remembered him from that day at the restaurant.

"Whatta ya tryin ta do Boots, give her a heart attack," Jack said as he appeared in the doorway.

"Sorry," the kid replied quietly.

This was all to much for me to handle. I groaned and laid back down on the pillow. But Boots had obviously awoken the others. Because I closed my eyes for a moment and when I opened them Mush was towering above me, looking down. His curly brown hair stuck up in odd places and there were dark circles under his eyes. I could tell just by looking at him that he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before.

"Ya scared me half ta death, ya know. Just passing out on the street like dat." Mush commented but there was a hint of sympathy in his voice. I smiled up at him apologetically to say I was sorry. But I think that it resembled more of a cringe than anything. I returned to a sitting position once more as the dizziness resided.

Racetrack by then was awake and alert. He too looked as if he hadn't gotten much sleep. I turned to him and asked "Where am I?"

Race cleared his throat and then answered. "Your at da Newsies Lodging House. We didn't know were else to take ya." I nodded my head in understanding. So this was where they all lived.

"We know it aint up to your standards and everything. But were not used to having people like yourself here. Just us most of da time." Jack said. If it had been a day like any other, that comment would have angered me. But somehow petty little comments like that didn't bother me anymore.

"I don't really think I have too many standards Jack…well at least not anymore." The situation had become rather uncomfortable and it was getting worse by the minute.

"Well I talked to Kloppman and he says ya can stay till ya find ya'self another place to go. As long as ya don't cause any problems. Some of da boys, dey pitched in to pay your first weeks rent. But unless ya gots money stored somewhere you may be sellin papes with the rest of us." Jack finished and starred down at me like an over affirmative older brother. I nodded my head to signify that I understood and he then turned to walk away.

"Thanks," I replied and Jack stopped for a moment before leaving.

Mush had taken a seat down at the end of the bed by my feet and Racetrack joined him. "Is Jack always so serious?" I asked them.

"Sometimes, only when he gots lots of things ta think about. Besides he probably feels kinda uncomfortable. Since we aint never really had a girl around here before." Race replied.

"So ya gunna stay or not?" Mush broke in and asked. I laughed to myself, he did always seem to have a way of removing the tension in a conversation.

"Well, I may have to return to school. At least to get my belongings. They will no longer allow me to attend my classes of course. Since my parents…since the school will no longer be receiving any payment." Oh what a pity, I thought to myself, looking down at my hands. "But yeah Mush, I guess I will be staying. At least until I find out what the city is going to do with me."

"Good, cuz, you see. Me and Race, we already talked to the boys. They promise to leave ya alone." I laughed, but it felt rather strange. Because there wasno feeling in it. I think the boys must have noticed it to, because they shifted uncomfortably in there seats.

"Yeah and if they don't. Just let us know and we'll soak em for ya," Racetrack said. I hadn't exactly understood what that meant. But I got the hint when Race pounded his fist into his hand.

"Thanks," I said once more.

"But…if ya do end up stayin. There are a few rules you gotta follow." Mush said and I listened intently. "At night ya gotta stay in your room. We can't have ya roaming around while we are sleepin. Not that we don't trust ya, its just that we don't know you all dat well."

"I understand," I said and he continued.

"Second, you will hafta wait in the morning to use the bathroom. Cuz as much as we like ya and all. I don't think some of the boys would want you walkin in on us when we are changin." I nodded my head once more to signify that I agreed with the rules.

"That's fair enough. But I have some conditions of my own."

"Well what are they?" Race asked.

"I don't want anyone to just walk in here whenever they feel like it. Nock first and wait till I tell you that its ok to come in. Second, I want it made perfectly clear. That I will not tolerate any boys sleep walking and accidentally winding up in my room. Because as much as I trust you two…I don't trust them." Mush and Race grinned widely at my comment but then nodded. I held out my hand to each of them. "Agreed?"

"Agreed," they responded in unison.

After we shook hands Mush said goodbye and left. He was going to try and make an early start that day. All that remained was me and Racetrack. I turned to him. "Why are guys doing this for me?" I asked confused.

"I don't rightly know," He replied truthfully. I looked down at my hands, feeling rather dejected. Race paused for a moment and then continued. "But I think its cuz we know you's a good girl. Trust me when I tell ya, see… Jack, he don't take in nobody. We survive cuz we look out for ourselves and eachotha. But you ain't like da others. You treat us wit respect an that's more en I can say for da rest of um."

It felt like a slap in the face as I listened to his words about me treating them with respect. If Race had only known the thoughts that had been running through my head the first day I met them. I hadn't seen them as normal people, just lowly street boys who were worth nothing more than a good time.

"Race…I don't deserve your respect." I stated about ready to cry. "I'm no different than the rest of them. I don't deserve it." I tried to stand up off the bed but Race grabbed my arm forcefully.

"You are different," He said. But I refused to listen. I know that I was acting irrational. My mind was overrun with emotion and it was become increasingly harder to remain calm.

I just stood there and shook my head frantically as I gave up trying to get free. "No, I'm not. Race you don't understand. I hate my life! I hate everything about it. The people, the places, even the sounds. But most of all, I hate myself. I hate the way they made me into something that I'm not. I have been fighting my entire existence just to remain myself, but they corrupted me anyway." By then I had begun pacing the room. Race didn't say anything, he just sat and listened, for that I was grateful. Besides I don't think he wanted to jump into the middle of a battle I was having with myself.

I finally stopped pacing and turned to him. "I know that I don't have any right to be complaining to you. I mean look at your life. To you, my life must look like heaven. But I'll tell you this Race, its hard on both sides of the track."

He just nodded his head in agreement. I knew that Race probably thought I was insane, but he just listened anyway. "I realize now, that you and me, were not really all that different. For instance, everybody looks down on you because your…um…" I thought about how I could explain this without insulting him.

"Poor," Racetrack replied and then smirked.

"Yeah well, lets just say underprivileged. But you see… high class people, they don't care how you got there. They just look at your way of life and decide that it somehow brands you as lower than themselves. Because their up there sitting all high and mighty in there large extravagant houses while you remain here having to fight everyday just to survive."

Race took out a cigar from his pocket and leaned up against the bed post. "That's true…" he said nodding.

" But I would rather have a hard life…than no life at all. When your rich Race, every day you have someone breathing down your neck, telling you that everything your doing is wrong. Your friends, teachers and parents," I paused for a moment. But then I got my composure back. If I could just make him understand, there would be some purpose to my meaningless rambling.

"The moment you are brought into this world they begin to drill into your brain how to walk, talk and eat, properly. They try to shape you into the perfect human being. You try to fight to remain and individual, but you don't want to disappoint those who care for you. So you give up and eventually…" I picked up a stick off the table and twirled it around in my fingers. "They Break you." I snapped the stick over my knee and threw the pieces into the corner. "And you become just another part of the crowd."

"But you aint just anotha part of da crowd. Like I said before…" Race stood up straight and walked over to me. He had put his hands on my shoulders and forced me to sit down in a chair. "Look dollface, Ya different than them. Because you gave us the time a day. Do ya think any of dem woulda. Take ya friend for example, she practically fainted when ya started talkin ta me at Tibbys. But you didn't care. That didn't stop ya, because your different." I just sat there and took in everything that Racetrack had just said. He was right of course and in my mind I knew it. But I know it would be a matter of time before I made my heart believe. I looked up at Race and gave him a real genuine smile.

All of a sudden Jack appeared in the doorway to the room, "So dollface, ya up to sellin papes wit us today." I looked over at him and Jack raised a questioning eyebrow. Then I looked back at Racetrack who seemed to be slightly anxious, as he continued to puff on his cigar.

"Oh, alright!" I gave up and threw my hands in the air. I still felt as if I was about to fall apart. But I knew that sitting in a room, wallowing in my own self pity, would do me no good. I think some people may find me to be cold and unfeeling but I was far from it. Outside I was as hard as a rock, but inside my heart was slowly breaking.

I think the reason that I have been able to act so calmly, may be due to the fact that I have spent four weeks apart from my parents. I haven't seen them or spoken to them because the school didn't permit visiting hours for the first years. It may have been because the full force of what really happened, hasn't hit me yet. Right then, it just felt like my parents were still back at home and I was just waiting until the end of the month before I could see them again.

Race reached out a helping hand and I took it gratefully. He pulled me to my feet and I walked with him out of what seemed to be a back room and into one of a significantly larger size. The walls were lined with multiple bunk beds and clothes laid sprawled around on the dull wooden floor. Most of the beds were empty but here and there boys were sitting around, smoking and gambling. When we walked into the room, they all looked up. A kid who was about two inches taller than myself and had a patch over his right eye, walked up to us. I remember hearing someone call him Kid Blink.

"Hey Race, feel like spotting me a two-bit? Lost of bet to Skittery last night, so I aint got no money for papes taday." I looked over at Race who put a hand under his chin and thought about it for a moment. Then he reached into his back pocket and flipped a coin into Blinks hand.

"Dis is the last time I'm lendin any of ya chumps money. Ya hear!" All of the boys nodded with wide grins on there faces. From the looks of it, this had not been the first time they had heard this threat before.

Blink was about to leave when he turned to me and tipped his hat. "How ya doin doll face?" he asked.

"Fine thanks," I replied casually. Then a young boy around four years old ran up to me, holding out a piece of paper.

"Dolly, Dolly, Do ya know how ta write? I need ta send a letta to me mudda, but none of da boys will write it for me. So dey said I should ask you." I helped the little boy named Jumper, write the letter to his mother. Then returned to Racetracks side.

"Do none of these kids know my name?" I asked him quietly. He just shook his head and then laughed.

"Well I guess ya got yourself a nickname. Welcome to da club." Race patted me on the back and then walked down the stairs.

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Emotions: Thank you so much, I am glad you enjoy my writing style. It's means a lot to me when you compliment me on my writing. But then I go back and re-read the story and I find all these mistakes. It's because I am really critical of myself. Yeah I was trying to make this chapter sad, so that you could sort of picture how she was feeling. I don't know what I would do if I lost my parents either. I can't say it enough, thank you again for your compliments.

CiCi: thanks bunches for the compliment. I am glad you are enjoying my story. I was so happy when I found out people really appreciate my work, that I was like jumping around my house singing. I guess I answered your question about whether they were going to take Hanna to the lodging house. I figured that it was a good way to get her more involved with the newsies.

NadaZimri: Thanks *hugs* I love getting good reviews. It helps to keep me motivated to write. When I don't get reviews I start to slack off. But Yes, I too love good angst stories. I mean I cant help putting in a little bit of drama. There would be no feeling in it if I didn't. Here is my update. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as you had the other ones.

Splashey: Urgh! I hate it when ff.net says that it is experiencing heavy traffic. That does that to me all the time. But I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Its good that you felt bad for Hanna, because that means that I did my job at making it sad. Sometimes I'm not very good at creating a very depressing moment. But I hope that I did alright. Anyway here is the next chapter. I hope that you enjoyed it.

Elvenrarehunter: Well I'm glad that I have one more person that likes the story. I hope you liked this chapter as much as you had the other ones. I feel bad if I disappoint people. Even though this chapter was just to get her more equated with the boys. I hope you continue reading and let me know what you think.

Coin: Yes, I love drama. Wouldn't be a good story if there wasn't a little bit of feeling in it. Hope you liked the new chapter, review and let me know.

Patch530: Well here is the next chapter. What did you think? There wasn't a fight in this chapter with Spot and Hanna, but don't worry I have a couple things planned out. Not next chapter but soon, I promise.

Bookey Elliot: It's ok about the whole car thing. You were just trying to help and I really appreciate that. I'm not very good with historical stuff, one of my other reviewers told me about that. But I'm glad you liked the next few chapters and I hope you liked this one as well. Review whenever you can and let me know what you think.

Thanks once again, *hugs*

Leila3