Here is chapter Twenty-Four and the countdown to the end is beginning. We have Six chapters left to go. Which means six more weekends of updates. Thank you so much to all of my reviewers. I never would have continued this if it wasn't for you and your wonderful (and helpful) comments. Well keep reviewing and I hope to hear from you soon.

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from the Newsies movie. I wish I did, but I sadly don't. So I will just have to stick with my character, Hanna. Who belongs entirely to me.

Chapter Twenty Four

Two days went by and I had begun casually coming out of my room every so often. Of course I knew that Racetrack wouldn't let me stay locked up forever, even if I wanted to. The boys had started to become more accustomed to having a girl around again and things had started to go back to how it used to be. I was happy to see that they didn't ignore me anymore and most of them would speak to me whenever we passed each other. I think it had to do with the conversation that Jack and Racetrack had with them one night, down in the room below me. When I listened closely, I could hear parts of it, but nothing came out clear.

As I sat alone in my room, I began to realize just how much I missed the company of my friends very dearly and that I was tired of secluding myself from the world. So with all my might, I tried to block out any thought of Spot Conlon and Brooklyn altogether. Sometimes it was harder than others and I would loose the cheerful misdemeanor that I had adopted over the last two days.

Today started out rather dull as I woke up with the commotion of the boys getting up to go selling. I tried to block it out because I had a late night talk with Race up on the roof and didn't get to sleep until a few hours before. We hadn't talked about anything important really, just small things. But he would always do his best to cheer me up when he felt like I was falling back into a depression. Somehow I always knew that no matter what happened I would always have Race there to help me and I would be forever grateful for his companionship over the short time that I had known them.

I stood up off the bed and yawned while stretching out my arms in the air. It didn't take me long to pull my curly blonde locks back with a ribbon and I slipped on a robe before walking out into the bunk room. Most of the boys were downstairs getting ready to leave but of course Racetrack was sitting on his bed waiting for me. Even with my door closed he knew that I always woke up at the same time as everyone else.

"Hey Race," I said walking over and sitting down on the bed. I propped my feet up on the one next to us and looked over at him with a smile.

"How ya feelin Dollface?" Race asked as he finished tying his boots and got to his feet.

"I'm feeling a little better," It wasn't entirely a lie because I was feeling better than I had been. But it wasn't completely the truth either. My stomach was hurting still and I got dizzy allot when I walked around but I was no longer nauseated and had begun eating every once in awhile.

"Dat's good, ya look allot better also." I smiled at him and stood up to go into the bathroom. "I gotta go sellin but don't go anywhere I gotta a surprise for you when I get back." Race said as he turned around and walked down the stairs.

I began wondering what this surprise could possibly be. The Newsies weren't exactly the best at keeping secrets. So if it was something big I would have heard about it by now. Since I didn't, it must have been something that was planned recently. Racetrack seemed rather excited about it, so I just smiled and went to clean up.

To my surprise Jack was still in the washroom wiping off his face. When I walked in, he looked up and grinned. "Glad ta see ya walkin around," he said as he washed the rag in the sink and then sat it down on the counter under his mirror.

"How come you are not out selling with everyone else. Your normally the first at the distribution center." I asked as I walked down to my sink.

"I decided ta take the day off and spend sum time wit Sara," I smiled, understanding how much his girlfriend meant to him.

I walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "You're a good guy Jack," I said, smiling weakly at him.

There was a small pause and then Jack made me look into his eyes. "Spot's a good guy too," he said and I looked away as hurt flashed in my expression.

"I know," I replied, sighing sorrowfully. Jack patted me on the back in return and then left the room. I stood there for a few seconds and then walked into the bunk room where I plopped down on Racetracks bed.

I liked the bunk room better than my own because there were more windows and the sun shown in brighter. My room felt like a prison to me now. I was still wore out and didn't realize I had fallen asleep until I felt someone shake my arm gently. I opened my eyes and saw Racetrack staring down at me with a grin on his face. "I wish I could come in everyday and find a beautiful goil in my bed." He said jokingly.

I sat up laughing. "I bet you do, Race." I threw his pillow at him playfully. "So how was selling today?"

"Da headline sucked! I only sold thirty papes." Race replied as he sat down at the foot of the bed. He just rested his back up against the headboard and smirked at me.

After a few minutes of a staring contest, I gave in. "What?" I asked.

"I gotta surpise for ya," Race said tauntingly.

"Oh really," I said, trying not to sound anxious. "What is is?"

Race just shook his head. "I'm not telling."

I got a pouting expression on my face. "Please?"

"Nope," he replied, propping his feet up on the bed beside me and crossing his arms across his chest.

I growled impatiently. "Just tell me."

"No…" He said laughing and I sighed. "I think I will just let er' tell ya herself."

I looked at Race confused and then I heard a few footsteps behind me. When I looked up, my mouth fell open. "OLIVIA!" I said shocked.

I couldn't believe she was there. After I stopped going to work for Medda, I was sure that I would never see her again. But here she was standing in front of me and I was completely speechless. "Hey, Hanna." Olivia said smiling. It was once again strange to me to hear someone calling me by my real name.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, still not completely over the shock of seeing her in the Lodging House.

"Racetrack came to the theater and he said that I could come and see you here." Olivia replied as she sat down on the bed facing the both of us. I looked down at Race and then back at her. She just laughed at my oblivious expression and then hugged me tightly. "Its so good to see you again."

When her arms were around me it finally snapped me out of my daze and I hugged her back. "I can't believe you are here. It's so good to see you again!"

Olivia pulled away from me and smiled. "I was so scared that something had happened to you, when you didn't show up to work that day. Then Race stopped by a little later and told us about what happened. I was so relieved." I looked over at Racetrack and he smiled cautiously, then shrugged his shoulders.

I was to excited to care about anything that had happened before, so I just ignored her last comment. "I'm alright," I replied happily.

"You have to tell me everything!" She said excitedly. I nodded my head and then looked over at Racetrack who just smiled.
"Ok, but lets go up on the roof." I replied. "The rest of the boys should be returning soon."

Olivia nodded, her frizzy brown hair bobbing up and down. I smiled over at Racetrack and then led her into my bedroom. We climbed out the window and up the stairs onto the roof. It was around noon and the sun was shining brightly in the sky above. I could feel the heat radiating off of the black tar lining the building and rolled up the quarter length sleeves of my dress.

I walked over and sat down on the brick fireplace, remembering the last time I had been up here. It was around two weeks ago when Spot had first asked me out. I sighed deeply and then looked over at my friend. It was really strange to finally, once again, be in the company of a female. Especially since I had gotten so used to being completely surrounded by boys. "It's nice to talk to you again." I replied.

Olivia just smiled understandingly. "So…how come ya never told me about you and Spot? I don't know him personally but around here, everyone's heard his name."

I think she saw the hurt flash in my eyes as I quickly turned away to look at the ground. I really didn't really want to talk about it and the only person who truly knew my feelings was Jack…but that had been by mistake. Yet somehow I found myself wanting to confide in Olivia, to have somebody who isn't friends with Spot, comfort me. Don't get me wrong, I was sure that I could trust the newsies to listen when I talk. But boys are not the most sympathetic creatures on the planet. I know that they can see that I am hurting deeply, but in a way they just couldn't understand. "Well how much did Racetrack tell you?" I asked.

"Just dat ya ran off with Spot Conlon and would be stayin there for awhile." I just laughed. Leave it to Race to make it seem like Spot and I had eloped or something.

"It didn't exactly happen like that, you see…" and there I found myself delving into an intense recount of what had really happened.

I told Olivia everything, from the first day Spot and I met at Tibby's and how I thought he was an arrogant jerk. To how he showed up in my room and asked me out to dinner. The more I talked, the more I felt a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders. Olivia just sat there and listened intently, just smiling and nodded at the appropriate times. When I finally reached the end of my story, I knew that I was crying but I didn't stop until I was completely finished.

Olivia sat there in silence after the story came to and end. Then she reached over and pulled me into a hug. "I am so sorry!" She exclaimed.

I sniffed my nose and then nodded my head into her shoulder. Finally we pulled apart and she gave me a handkerchief to wipe the tears off my face. I took a deep breath and tried to get my composure back. "What am I going to do Olivia? I don't think I can take much more of this."

She just wrapped her arm around my shoulders and sighed. "There is nothing you can do. Ya just gotta wait and see how everything works out."

"I was afraid you were gunna say that." I replied.

We sat there for a few minutes without talking until we were distracted by the sound of someone climbing up the fire escape. I turned around and my mouth fell open. Standing at the edge of the roof, looking at me with deep brown eyes, was Booker.

"What are you doing here!" I practically yelled as I jumped to my feet.

"We need da talk," Booker replied.

My mouth opened a little bit more as Racetrack made his way up onto the roof. I looked over and glared at him. He put his hands up defensively. "Don' look at me! I didn' invite em'."

I turned back to Booker and glared at him. "I don't want to talk to you right now!"

He stepped forward urgently, "Please, just give me a chance."

I glared at him even more violently. "I said, I don't want to talk to you!"

I saw the hurt in Bookers eyes and I felt slightly guilty for the way I was treating him. But that still wasn't enough to take away the anger that was boiling up inside me. Racetrack sighed "Jus' give em' a chance ta talk."
"Why should I!" I screamed.

Race raised an eyebrow. "Calm down Dollface, I'm not against ya here. But he did come all dis way and ya two need ta work dis out." I looked over at Olivia for recognition. She just nodded her head with a weak smile.

"Fine," I said shortly.

Racetrack motioned for Olivia and they both walked back down into the Lodging House and so I was once again left with Booker. We stood there in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before he finally spoke.

"How are you?" he asked politely. I just huffed and sat down on the fire escape.

"I have been better," I said staunchly. He nodded his head, knowing that he wasn't going to get any more of an answer out of me. I just couldn't understand how Booker could have done something so stupid. I sat there once more in silence before I finally broke.

"How could you have done that!" I yelled. "Why didn't you talk to me first? Why didn't you tell me how you felt?"

Booker lowered his head and shrugged his shoulders. Unlike Spot he was shy and more reserved when it came to confrontations. "I don't know. I guess I just wasn't thinking."

"Of course you weren't." I yelled, still venting my anger.

"I know what I did was stupid and I am extremely sorry for hurting Spot because he was a great friend." I cringed slightly at his name. "But I do not regret kissing you." Booker said sternly.

I looked up at him with harsh eyes. "Why?"

"Because I love you," Booker replied and I sighed.

"You don't even know what love is," I said sadly. "What I felt for my parents was love, what I felt for Spot was love…what you feel for me is just an attraction, nothing more."

Booker smiled weakly, "Maybe so, but I don't regret anything that I said to ya and I won't take it back."

"UGH! What is it that you see in me?" I asked exasperatedly. "I don't understand… how can think that I am worth loosing a friendship over?"

Booker just looked at me and smiled brightly for the first time since we had been together. "Because, your beautiful and smart. You always had a certain jubilant expression towards life that made everyone else around you feel joyful. I loved how you dreamed about your future and didn't need to fit in to feel excepted. You carried yourself differently than all the other girls I had ever know. You laugh when there's nothing funny and you don't just cry when your sad, you cry when your really happy as well. I love everything about you Doll and in my eyes, your worth the world."

When Booker finished speaking, I was at a loss for words. Never in my life had I ever heard anything so sweet. But the most amazing part about it was that he truly meant every word that he spoke. Just then the guilt came rushing back to me and I felt horrible for ever doubting how much he cared for me. Booker was the first person in my life to ever give me such immensely gratifying compliments. I was so use to being ridiculed about everything and told that I needed to improve, even when I was at my best. So to have Booker tell me that I was beautiful when I looked my worst was rather unnerving.

I looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you," I said softly. "That was the kindest thing that anyone has ever said to me."

"Really?" Booker asked surprised.

Suddenly I remembered dinner by the river and my heart sunk. "Yes, except for when Spo…" I stopped short, feeling rather awkward about the way the conversation was going.

We fell into a short silence and then Booker spoke. "You really love him, don't you?"

I looked up, startled at his sudden bluntness. But then I relaxed, knowing in my heart that I shouldn't lie and just to tell him the truth. "Yes, I love Spot very much." Saying this brought tears to my eyes.

Booker placed his hand on my shoulder comfortingly. "I really am sorry that I hurt you."

I nodded my head and wiped the tears away. "I know," I replied. After I finally got my composure back I looked up at him. "Now that we are on the topic of Spot. How is everything going back in Brooklyn?" I asked curiously. Hoping that it wouldn't be as bad as I thought.

"Things are a little rough. Spot hasn't spoke to me since. I don't know whether to be happy about that or worried. But he has been taking his anger out on the boys. It seems that he has no control over his temper anymore." I nodded my head as I gritted my teeth together.

I knew that I had hurt Spot more than anybody ever had and that his behavior was due partly to me. But I couldn't understand why he had to be so stubborn about it. I was worried because I knew how bad his temper could get. But I was also angry because he wasn't being rational and he wouldn't just stop for a second and listen to what I have to say. So the more I thought about it, the angrier I became.

If he wanted to be the same arrogant leader of Brooklyn, that everybody thought he was. Then so be it, but I wasn't going to sit around and wait for him to make up his mind. How dense could I possible get. There was a perfectly wonderful boy sitting in front of me who thought I was everything and I blew him off without even a second glance. If Spot wouldn't give me a chance, then why should I give him one?

I turned to look at Booker. "No, I'm sorry. I should have given you a chance to say how you felt. You're a wonderful kid and you mean a lot to me. So to make up for it, how would you like to go to Medda's Party with me?"

I laughed at the shocked expression on his face. There was a lot of things that I knew he was probably thinking that I could say and that was not one of them. He looked cautious at first but then began to speak. "But, umm what about Spot?" 9/3/04

I gritted my teeth together once more. "I'm a seventeen year old women. I think I can handle making decisions on my own. Spot had his chance. I care about him but that doesn't mean that I don't care about you also."

Booker thought about it for a moment and then nodded his head. "Alright then, I mean its just a party." I smiled and kissed him quickly on the cheek. Then he stood up, to leave. "Well I better get going."

I stood up also and followed him down the fire escape and into my room. "I really am glad that you stopped by." Booker smiled and then left.

With a sigh of relief I walked over and flopped down on my bed. I laid there for hours just staring at the ceiling. Even though my heart was telling me otherwise, I still couldn't help being angry at Spot. Why should I always be the one to make sacrifices in our relationship. Its about time that he realized that I am not going to be around forever and he better get his act straight or I'll be gone for good.

Thank you:

OcdChick- Thanks so much! I know the chapter was depressing. I hate when I have to write those but it is a depressing story. I don't know why I get sucked into writing those. Anyway keep reading and I hope you liked this chapter. Next chapter things get a little bit more interesting.

C.M. Higgins- I can't believe I haven't had the time to talk to you. With school and everything it is so busy. I sent you the chapter but you may just end up reading this first. Anyway, Thanks so much! I am really happy that you love my story. Of course I had to make Race win at poker, he has to! Well I will talk to you whenever I see you online. Lylas!

Splashey- Every review you give me is so nice! I know what you mean about liking Booker better right now, that was everything that I was trying to get at. You will like him even better after next chapter. Thank you so much for all of your nice comments. I can't believe it. Just six more chapters to go. I will be really sad when I have to end it. But thanks for being such a constant reviewer. I know this chapter wasn't very exciting but I had to bring in Booker again, somehow. This is where Hanna starts to hang around Booker just to make Spot angry. But things don't exactly go the way she plans. I can't tell you anymore but you will see once I post the next chapter.

Dimonah Tralon- Hey! I am glad that you understood about not having a lot of time to write. School just started so I didn't have a lot of time now either. But I will make sure to get everything done. I am so happy that you like my story and I hope to hear from you again. This chapter wasn't the best but next chapter will be really good.

Swimade333- Yeah I am sorry about not updating last Friday. If I was home I would have. This chapter is a little dull but there will be more exciting stuff happening next chapter. It's Medda's Party! I really appreciate you saying that my story is one of the best on I don't know if I could agree with you there, but it still means so much to me.

Spunkz- I am glad you liked the last chapter. I understand about the hurricane and I hope everything turns out ok. So if I don't hear from you I will know what happens. This chapter wasn't the best, but next chapter will be great!

NadaZimri- Thanks so much! Yeah I was happy when I got to make Race and Hanna make up. I hated having to write about when they were fighting. It seems like she can never win in this story and be friends with both of them. Anyway thanks for the compliments and I hope you liked these last two chapters.

Joker is Poker with a J- Thank you! I am really glad you liked the last chapter. I can't exactly confirm you guess. Because I don't wanna spoil the rest of the story. But I will say that you just have to wait and see…Well I hope to hear from you soon! The next chapter will be fun!

Koodles4You- Wow that was such a nice review! I was happy for days after I read it. I know I should think more highly of my story, but I see all of the imperfections. I am very happy that you think I did a good job of showing how Hanna is deteriorating basically. I was trying to make it slower just to make it seem more realistic. Yeah things are gunna get a lot worse starting with the next chapter. As I told many people who read my stuff, I don't know why but I just tend to write sad stories. But I can't say that it will be all horrible. There are still six more chapters to write. I hope you keep reading and let me know what you thought of this chapter.

The Good Girl- Hey, well I am so so glad that you like my character and its alright if you thought she cries allot, because its true. I have been trying as hard as I can not to make her a Mary Sue and I am so happy that I accomplished it. I really don't like it very much when people write stories where the main character is completely perfect. I mean sometimes you want to write them like that but I think its best if you don't. It makes the character seem more realistic. I am really glad that you think my story is Kick Ass, lol. I have been reading back over it and there are so, so many things that I need to fix in the beginning. So I in six more weeks when I am finished I will be going back and changing some things. I am so happy to always hear what you think of every chapter. So I hope to keep hearing from you. I can't believe I only have six more chapters left, that's crazy!

Crazer57- Hey! I am so happy to see that I have a new reviewer. I am glad that you chose my story as the first one to read in about a year. Actually I know exactly what you mean about just having to have newsies. I started reading Harry Potter for awhile but then I just had to come back to newsies. I am really happy that you find my story exciting and I hope to hear from you soon.

Luv ya all,

BlackWiltedRose