The Dangerous Wish

Chapter 2

"Oh my, Jimmy, are you fine?" Mrs. Tidings gasped as Skittery ran back inside the house. Skittery stared at her for a second, then backed away. He ran up to his…well, Jimmy's bedroom and threw himself on his bed. After a few minutes, he walked to the mirror and looked closely at himself.

"I look like myself," he told himself, checking for every little spot, blotch, and mole on his skin. His eyes and hair were still the same. Everything was the same. If he was the same, if he was the only one sane, then what was up with everybody else? He tried to remember more of what had happened.

Yes, yes, I know. Yesterday was the birthday party. I got that figured out already. He quickly flicked through his mind of all the scenes that had happened. Yes, I already know I blacked out…and then…I woke up. In this bed.

"This is not a dream, Skittery," Skittery told himself. This was no dream. This was just too real. Or maybe…there was never a Skittery. No, snap out of it. That's just plain dumb, there is a Skittery, I AM SKITTERY! Skittery felt dumb, telling himself that he's Skittery. Well, of course he was Skittery!

"It can't be that I'm sane and everyone else is insane. Maybe…I'm insane? No. Skittery existed. I existed! I've nevah been anyone else other than Skittery!" Skittery was yelling and suddenly frowned. Maybe someone had heard-

"Master Tidings!"

Skittery jumped a mile. He looked at the door to find the same old grouchy maid.

"What are you doing, yelling off like that!" she pushed him out of the room. "Go downstairs now to the dining room, and apologize to your parents! You scared them to death, and they thing you're mad, do you understand me? Mad! Now go!" the maid waggled her fat finger at Skittery.

"Ya know, ya ain't a maid, ya just an annoyin' fat gal who's woiking heah 'cause ya have absolutely no money and no hope in da woild! Who'se ya to ordah me around?" Skittery yelled back. Wow. Being 'Jimmy' has advantages.

"My, my, Master Tidings," the maid laughed mockingly, trying to look prim and proper when she was almost bursting with rage. "I've never seen you so-"

"I say yoah fired! Ya jus' get yoah stinkin' face outta heah!" Skittery roared.

The color from the maid's face ran out. She stood there, pale, breathless, and scared.

"W-what?" she asked in a meek voice.

"Youse fired! Ya doan't need ta say anything to me parents! Youse me maid, you obey me. You get yoahself outta heah, and doan't come back, ya heah me?" Skittery was actually enjoying himself. "I ain't mad, I'm jus' as sane as you are!" If she was sane...Skittery laughed to himself.

"I'm…fired? Master Tidings, I've been your maid since you were a baby-"

Skittery just glared at her. The maid sighed and waddled down the stairs. Soon enough, she walked out the door with two big bags. Mr. and Mrs. Tidings ran out from the dining room and up the stairs.

"Jimmy, what was all that commotion about?"

"I fired dat noisy lousy-"

"Jimmy!" Mr. Tidings said sternly. "Why did you fire Bertha? You should have talked with us! Was there something wrong?"

Skittery couldn't say anything. He walked past them hurriedly, leaving his 'parents' staring after him. Skittery ran out of the house once again, this time heading for the Lodging House. When he reached there, he burst in.

"Th-thiieef!!" Kloppman cried wildly, raising his arms up and down. "Where's my Newsies when I need them?" he demanded to himself. The old man was in a state of panic, walking around the whole place, now holding a stick to poke Skittery.

"Haha, Kloppman, I give up!" Skittery laughed, raising his hands in mock defeat.

"You'd better! Now get out or I'm calling the cops on you!" Kloppman eyed Skittery suspiciously.

"Huh? You kickin' yoah own Newsie out wid no place ta stay?" Skittery gasped. Kloppman walked closer to Skittery and stared at him.

"Hm? Whose you? Nah, you ain't Jack. You ain't Blink. You ain't Mush. You ain't nobody I know. Sorry, boy, but you'll have to find someplace else-"

"Kloppman! It's me! Skittery! Don't you recognize me?" Skittery grinned.

"Hm? You pretending to be a Newsie? Huh, Newsies now a days, tryin' ta find a place to sleep for free. Well, you ain't gonna cheat me! Get out, I say, get out!" Kloppman began to hit Skittery harder with the stick. Skittery hadn't known that the 70-year-old man was still that strong. Skittery ducked the final blow and ran away, leaving Kloppman feeling very proud.

Skittery kept running, looking back now and then, and without knowing, he hit into another boy.

"Hey! You watch where you're goin-"

Skittery was cut off when the boy looked up. Skittery gaped. The boy looked just like Skittery, except this boy was skinny, almost like a skeleton. His hair was not fine and nice like Skittery's- it was pretty thin and looked unhealthy. His eyes were paler than Skittery, but he could have been mistaken for a Skittery that had not eaten in a long time. The boy met Skittery's eyes and smirked for a second. Then he slowly disappeared, still having a sly smile on his face.

Skittery was gaping with his mouth wide open when he heard a voice behind him.

"Y-you alright?" he turned around to see a girl around his own age, who was trying very hard not to laugh. She was obviously rich, with all that lace and that fancy dress. She was smiling nicely, but her eyes were roaring with laughter. "Um…you were staring into space with your mouth open…I thought I'd want to tell you that other people are…watching you too, you know," the girl's eyes were laughing at Skittery. Skittery tuned back into reality and looked around. She was right. Other people, old men, young girls, middle aged men…even the DOGS were staring at Skittery. Skittery blushed incredibly and shrugged. He quickly waved to the girl and walked away quickly, trying to ignore the stares of the other pedestrians. The girl quickly caught up with Skittery.

"You're Jimmy Tidings right? Your father is so rich. How did he get that rich?" the girl raised an eyebrow and looked at Skittery. Skittery shrugged.

"Um…I don't know," Skittery managed to reply. Who was that boy? Was it a ghost? All sorts of questions were in his head right now, and yuck. He gets this annoying girl.

"You don't know? He went on a trip to South America and brought all sorts of priceless items back and sold them! I love that idea, maybe I'll try it next time," the girl's eyes shined. Skittery blinked.

"If you knew, why didja ask me?" Skittery looked at the girl.

"Hm, just making conversation," she said, flipping her blond curls over to one side. Ugh, she's trying to look pretty. Skittery couldn't help rolling his eyes.

"What?" the girl suddenly stopped walking. Skittery flushed. She saw him rolling his eyes.

"Oh…uh…no…nothing…I jus' wanted to…"

"Ask me out?" the girl fluttered her eyelashes, trying to look flattered.

"NO!" Skittery couldn't help yelling. The girl looked very disappointed. "Erm, sorry, uh…so I meant no…I mean I didn't mean…er…" Think! Think of a good way to get rid of this…

"That's alright, you don't have to be shy," the girl gently touched Skittery's arm. "You know you want to ask me out…" her voice faded off as she looked at Skittery, who was desperately thinking of a good way to escape from this girl.

"I ain't wasn't gonna ask you out or anything…c'mon, I don't even know your name, hey, you know, now isn't a very good time to…howja say it…be with me…?" Skittery tried to say in his politest manner.

"I'm Jennifer. Call me Jenny if you like," the girl smiled.

"Did…you hear what I said jus' now?" Skittery raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, you asked for my name, didn't you?" Jenny answered.

Sigh. Just ask her out, Skits. Buy her a drink and dump her.

"Ya wanna go foah a drink?" Skittery asked reluctantly.

"Drink? Sorry, I don't drink. I'm quite surprised you do, you being Jimmy Tidings," Jenny said quietly.

"ARGH! For the love of strawberry sundaes with fruit and cereal sprinkles and onion soup with garlic bread, jus' go!" Skittery cried out.

"My, you're quite poetic," Jenny replied. At that, Skittery ran for his life. He was always a fast runner, and he ran as far as he could. He found a secluded place where he could be alone. Jenny wouldn't find Skittery here.

Trying to catch his breath, he thought about that boy he saw. Who was that…? He remembered the boy's smirk. His haunting eyes. Worst of all, he looked just like Skittery, and that scared Skittery even more. And…he disappeared? Skittery laughed nervously. No, it was all just an imagination. He stared into the dark alley, imagining what would happen if the boy came suddenly-

A cold hand touched Skittery's shoulder. Skittery yelped and jumped around, and saw Jenny. Jenny stared at Skittery with big, blue eyes. Her eyes looked weird and fake.

"How did you get here that fast?" Skittery gasped. Jenny stared at him. Then, the ice broke.

"W-what?" Jenny blinked. There. Her eyes became normal again. Jenny blushed. "It's not that far you know. Anyone could walk here easily."

"Yeah right. It was far from where we were," Skittery smirked. "Who are you anyway? Yoah ain't human. I saw yoah eyes. Doan't think you can fool me. If you and da other starved guy who looks like me are in the same team trying to kill me, ya woan't…"

"What do you mean about my eyes?" Jenny smiled. Fakely. Skittery scowled and slapped her face hard. Skittery got a shock when he felt her face. It was cold, as if she was dead or something. It wasn't just, cold, it was icy. Terribly icy. Jenny turned red.

"Ya see! Ya tell me da truth right now or…"

Jenny suddenly grabbed Skittery's arm and jerked it behind his back.