Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies, Empress of the World, or and other media references I may make.

Emperor of the World

June 16th, 9:30 pm, The River

After dinner is over and after I finish the paper work to switch classes to World History I come down to the river and sit, facing it with my back against the hill so that I can partially see the sky, which is filling with stars. In the bottom of my vision, I can see the river, flowing by smoothly and enticingly.

I sit up suddenly and look around. Behind the bushes in front of me I can see the even scatterings of lights. Like from a building.

I sigh and lean again with my back against the hill. I shut my eyes and listen to the darkness. I can hear the soft serenade of crickets and the crunching of pine needles, releasing the smell of them into the air. If I strain, the sound of the cafeteria door opening and closing is heard, as well as the people coming from it, laughing and chattering loudly.

For a while I lay like this, eyes shut and ears open.

Someone calls me.

"Dutchy?"

I sit up, aware that there is a large amount of pine needles in my hair. At the top of the hill stands a figure, silhouetted in the cafeteria's incandescent light. He makes his way down and sits beside me.

"Hi Race," I say, lying down again, hands behind my head, chest moving in, breathing.

"Is this the river?" he asks.

I nod, my eyes shut and listening to the crickets again.

I can hear some shuffling and after a second, light splashing. When I open my eyes, Racetrack is in the water, ankle-deep.

"This is cold," is the first thing he says.

"Strange place to go for a run," is the second.

I shrug. "It was an accident that we found it," I explain

He grins knowingly. "Everything happens for a reason. Nothing is a mistake," he tells me.

This is very clichéd, but it makes a lot of sense. Most of the time. Not right now. Right?

Racetrack steps out of the water and puts his shoes back on. Then he lies down beside me and looks up at the stars.

"So, why'd you come back?" he asks next.

"I don't know. Just to think, I guess," I say, though unconvincingly. And not believing it myself.

Racetrack rolls over so his face is inches from mine, with his elbow on the ground and his hand propping his head up behind his ear.

"Dutchy, have you even kissed a boy before?" he asks.

I get that lurching feeling. Again. I shake my head no.

Racetrack smiles and laughs softly. "A girl?"

I nod. "Does truth or dare count?"

Racetrack laughs appreciatively, but stops quickly. "Seriously, Dutchy, have you?"

I nod again. "Yeah, I had a girlfriend last year."

"And why did you like her?" asks Racetrack, still very close to me, so that I can feel his breath on my brow. "Because she was hot or because 'everyone else had a girlfriend'?"

My brow furrowed. "Neither. She was nice and I liked talking to her."

Racetrack's face broke into a goofy grin. "Do you mind if I try something?" he asks, and, without waiting for an answer, he leans over and kisses me, full out, on the mouth.

To be honest, if I didn't know it was Race, I wouldn't be able to tell who was kissing me. Kissing him was no different than when I kissed my girlfriend last year. The same rounded, even lips, the same forcefulness behind them. The same feeling of nothing.

Racetrack draws away a studies my face.

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" I ask.

Racetrack sits up again and nods. "Yeah, his name's Simon, but we call him Spot."

"But you just...you just..." I gasp, wiping my mouth.

Racetrack shrugs and leans back onto the backs of his hands. "Kissed you? Don't worry, Spot would understand. How did it feel though?"

I blink at his insane lack of concern. "It felt..."

"Better or worse than when you kissed your girlfriend?"

"Kind of the same," I admit.

Racetrack nods as if he expected it. "You're bi," he tells me simply, standing up and brushing himself off.

Shocked, I stand up and follow him. "How do you know that?" I ask.

Racetrack faces me, grinning that goofy grin again. "You don't care what gender someone is, you just want to feel the attraction towards them. You said you liked talking to your girlfriend, right?"

I nod, not sure where this is going.

"Well, I assume you like talking to me, right?"

I nod again.

"Dutchy, if I were a girl, would you have asked me out?"

I shake my head. "No, you have a boyfriend."

Racetrack laughs and asks again, rephrasing his question. "If I were an honest to God straight, single girl, would you ask me out, based on our relationship alone?"

"I guess, maybe," I say, not liking where this is going.

Racetrack smiles. "Exactly. You only like people because you think you're supposed to."

I shook my head. "No, Race, that's not true."

He nods confidently. "Yes it is."

I stand on the hill and watch Racetrack disappear over it. When I'm sure he's not there anymore, I walk over it too and go to my dorm.

June 17th, 3:30 am, Specs's and My Room

I lay awake in bed most of the night, staring at the ceiling. Specs's breath comes out, even and heavy, assuring he's asleep. My clock flashes the time and I roll over, frustrated at not being able to sleep. Outside the window a light in the courtyard is flickering steadily.

I pull the screen off and sit out on the windowsill, with my legs pressed against the brick wall.

The air is cool and there are a few bugs flying around the light. In the near distance I can see the river flowing steadily behind the hill. I reach to my bedside table and pull out my sketchbook.

I begin to draw the river, arching its way around the hillside. Then I draw the light, bathing the courtyard in yellowing light. I draw the buildings in the background and, at first, a discarded pair of shoes, looking strangely like mine, beside the riverbed. Soon there are socks in those shoes. And then a pair of shoes like Skittery's. In the end we are both in the river. It is an action shot, he is splashing me and I am ducking from the water.

In the picture I am smiling, like I am enjoying myself. Was I? I study the picture, as if searching for the answer. Yes, I think I was.

The only difference from reality about the picture is that here it is nighttime, as if I am still at the river, right now.

When I bring my legs back into the room and try to fall asleep again it is simple. I have a dream about lying under water beside Skittery, my head immersed, holding my breath.

What does this mean?

End Chapter

((So...Race kissed Dutchy, eh? Interesting. Does Race seem...extreme in this? I think he just wants to kiss Dutchy. No, that's not true. Don't listen to this author's note. Just review and read the shoutouts.)) ((Oh, I updated fast because...I wanted to.))

Shoutouts:

Jacky Higgins—personally, I would say 'good choice' too. Everyone likes Skittery! He's tall and...nice to look at! (but I still love my Itey!!!)

Madison Square—sorry, I don't know what the sequel's called, but I have the Sarah Ryan's email if you want it. She told my friend, that's how I know! Also, that line was spawned from the mind of yours truly. Yes, me.

Charile!Muse: was it really? I thought it was in the book!

Me: no, you know that's a lie! I totally made it up!

Charlie!Muse: oh really...

Me: yes, they don't even have nicknames in Empress of the World!

Charlie!Muse: (is dragged away by Peter!Muse)

Me: thank God.

Erin Go Bragh—I thought of those lines too!

Charlie!Muse: (tries to make comment)

Peter!Muse: (holds hand over his mouth)

Me: excuse me, my muses are fighting. Again.

Nakaia Aidan-Sun—your name is very anime. In grade six I had a huge anime obsession. My name was Hakura D Detori. No jokes, I even drew a picture of it and I could do Guilmon's voice from Digimon! In fact, I have the transformer!