It'll be our second day here in 1899. But, it was a very bad day for me to wake up into. I woke up late, but that's not the only reason.

"Oh, I-I am so sorry!!! I'll get ready right away!"

I rushed from here to there, trying in vain to go ahead on a rush getting ready. I've put on my clothes, put on my socks, and laced up my shoes. (I've borrowed a pair from one of them.)

"I am very sorry!" I kept bowing at them, showing how sorry I am from waking up late. But the girls and the newsies were looking at me with what I have suspected...muffled laughter.

"What? What is it?"

"Well, uh...ppfftt...Haylie, um, your hair..." Hallie sniggered. Why? What's wrong with my...oh no! I rushed to the mirror. And there it was...the horror, the horror...

"BED HAIR!" My hair was sticking up everywhere! I look like I've been mauled by someone! I can hear them laughing.

"He-hey! You're mean! It's not very funny, you guys!"

And Taylor, I can see her laughing as well.

"Taylor...you too?!?"

"Well, as soon as Haylie fixes up her hair, I think we can go." They all laughed again.

"You're all so mean!" I feel a bit annoyed. How mean they could be! I fixed up my hair. And finally, it's not the frizzy look of being out of bed anymore. As we were walking towards the Newsies Square, I thought of something.

"Hey guys, do you think we should have a 'newsie nickname'?" I've been thinking about it, and it seemed kinda cool if have one. I wonder if they'll approve?

"Why? What for?" Hallie asked.

"Well, I thought it'll be kinda neat if we all have one like the boys." I said.

"Yeah! I agree, you guys!" Gail said gleefully. I turned at Jack and asked his own opinion about it.

"Well, it's up to you if you wanna have one." He said. The other newsies nodded.

"Well, okay...let's think about it, you guys." I said. We took our time on the way to the distribution center. Hmm...I wonder what'll be good for me?

"Have you guys already thought about yours?" I asked.

"Oooh, I already have one! Okay, from now on, you shall call me...'Flips'!" Gail said, looking very proud of herself.

"Dat's nice, Gail!" Mush said. "Why 'Flips'?"

"Well, 'coz I can do this!" Gail executed a series of gymnastic moves. I think it goes on this sequence: Front hand spring, cartwheel, backhand spring, then another backhand spring, and a full twisting layout. Mind you, I learned all those terms from Gail. She's a hardcore gymnast. The boys looked mighty impressed, especially Mush and Pie Eater.

"Nice ones, Gail! Yer da foist goil I've met dat can do all of dat!" Mush said, clapping his hands.

"Thanks dude!" Gail said, blushing a little bit. Pie Eater patted her on the back. Gail looks pretty close to them both. Well, I think, probably everyone else. It seems that the newsies like her very much. It's very nice to think about it.

"Okay, your turn guys! Give out your names!" Gail said, grinning widely.

"My NN will be...'Gemstone'." Dawn said, flipping her hair.

"Okay...uh, why?" Gail asked.

"Well, 'coz according to my parents, I am their gemstone and I'm precious to them. So I think that suits me, like, so perfectly!" She said. Okay, that's...uh, something.

"Ooookkkaayyy...how 'bout you, Taylor?" Gail asked, turning at her. She looked reluctant to join in.

"Do I really have to?"

"Oh come on, Taylor! Get with the program!" Hallie said. We waited for her to speak up. I think she deserves a little bit of fun once in a while. She's too gloomy. At last, a devilish grin spread across her mouth and spoke up.

"'Demon Eyes'." She said. Umm, her nick's kinda scary...

"What?!? As in 'Demon Eyes Kyo'?" Gail looked at her, a mix of innocence and fear shone on her eyes.

"Who frickin' who?" Taylor said, looking irritated. Why she chose to name herself 'Demon Eyes' is a complete mystery to us. Her eyes are scary when she's mad, but demonic isn't really what you call it. It's our turn to give out our nickname. I haven't decided yet! I pulled my sister to a spot where we can talk out of earshot from them.

"I haven't thought of anything yet!"

"Well, neither have I!"

"Hmm...how about we use Japanese words for nicks?"

"Why?"

"So we can be different and unique from them."

"Okay, that's a good idea."

I thought of all things Japanese I could think of and come up with. Oh, what am I gonna pick?

Yume...

Yume? That means 'dream'...Hey, that seems to be okay. I think it suits me, with all these dreams I've been having. 'Yume'...I think that's it.

"I've decided. It'll be 'Yume'." I said to Hallie. I think that she already came up with her own nickname too.

"Okay. I'll be 'Negai'." She said. It means 'wish' in English. Hmm, 'wish' huh? Does she have one? I wonder...

"Have you guys already decided on what to call yourselves?" Gail said. Oops, I think they have been waiting for too long.

"Uh, yeah. I'll be 'Yume'-"

"And I'll be 'Negai'."

The girls looked at us approvingly and, of course, the newsies didn't understand.

"That's neat! You two are the only ones with Japanese nicks!" Gail squealed. Dawn and Taylor (surprisingly!) smiled at us.

"What does dat mean?" Jack asked. He has this puzzled look that made me stare at him again. He looks really cute.

"'Yume'? Oh, it means 'dream'. It's a Japanese word." I replied.

"Yoo-mey? It sounds weird." He said, mispronouncing it.

"No, no. It's pronounced 'you-meh'. Now, you try."

"You-"

"Yes, go on."

"-meh. 'Yume'."

"Yes, that's it."

It's kind of fun teaching him how to pronounce 'Yume' correctly. It has made me remember about him again. I taught Frank to speak Japanese. He couldn't get the hang of it. He keeps mispronouncing words...I can't take this anymore! Every time he comes into my mind, I feel the pain. I don't want to feel this anymore. I'm so tired of it.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Jack looked at me and asked. I shook my head.

"No, it's nothing."

"Oh. Come on, let's get our papes."

We walked inside the distribution center and lined up. Soon, it was our turn to get our papers.

"How many, uh, what's yer name?" Mr. Weisel asked. I decided to use my newsie nickname.

"My name is Yume, sir."

"Yoo-mey? Now that's a weird name! So, how many?"

"50, sir."

"Okay, 50 fer, uh, what's that again?"

"Yume."

"50 fer Yoo-mey! Next!" Next in line was my sister. It also went the same. Weisel also mispronounces her nick.

"What, nee-gay?"

"It's Negai, sir."

"Whatever. How many?"

It was kind of difficult to have a Japanese newsie nickname. But it's funny how people mispronounce it.

"Well, Yume, do you wanna sell wid me?" Jack offered to help me with my dismal selling problem. I tried to refuse, because the others don't have the experience as well, and I think that they should come too.

"I...uh...well, Hallie and the others should also come. They don't have experience in selling papers too." But it looks like they were plotting something.

"Oh no, we're fine Jack. We're fine. We'll sell with the other guys instead. Haylie needs your guidance in this one, Jack. She really sucks at it!" Hey, I know I do! You're mean!

"Well, uh...okay. C'mon, let's go, Haylie." He took my hand and we started to walk away. I looked back at Hallie and the others. They were waving at me and kept blinking their eyes in a very annoying way.

"'Bye, Haylie! Have fun!" Hallie mouthed these words. I clicked my tongue at them.

"I hate you guys!" I whispered. It came out as a loud hiss.

We went to a place where there was lots of people. They kept bumping at me, shoving me off their way. How rude! But I can feel Jack's hand holding my hand very tightly and never letting go. I feel very secured.

"See, dis is where you should be sellin' papes, Haylie." He said, still not letting go of my hand. I just nodded.

"Oh, uh, we shouldn't be tawkin' heah. Dere's too many people." We walked towards a larger space in the road to avoid the hustle and bustle of the crowds.

" I hope we don't get separated. It's a lot of people down there." I said, looking at the thick crowds of people.

"Okay, I'll teach ya somethin'." He put his fingers on his mouth and let out a whistle.

"Do ya knows how ta whistle?"

Come to think of it, no. I never tried to learn to whistle. Hallie said it's inappropriate.

"No, I don't."

"Umm, heah, I'll show ya. Put yer two fingers like dis in yer mouth."

"Like...this?" I said, my voice muffled because of my fingers on my mouth.

"No, like this." He put his fingers on his mouth again and blew out a whistle. I tried to do the same.

"Like this?"

"Yeah, and den just blow." I followed his instructions. But what came out wasn't a whistle. It was just a wet whoosh of wind from my mouth. He chuckled.

"It's not working." I said, feeling a bit stupid.

"Ahh, don't worry. You'll learn how ta whistle. Just woik on it." I nodded. Then, he looked at me and said, "If we should gets separated, just whistle, 'kay? Then, I'll come runnin', I promise."

"Yes, sir!"

He took my hand again and we walked through the crowd. With him, I got a little better in selling my newspapers. (only because he made up the headlines for me.) I wanted to try this own my own and be able to sell it on my own. I spotted a kind-looking man with short flaming red hair and a rather large body standing outside a small shop. He was wearing a white shirt, a vest and necktie. I approached him and tried to sell my newspaper to him.

"Good morning, mister. Wanna buy a newspaper?"

"Oh, uh, okay, miss." He said without taking a single look at me. He dug deep inside his pockets and took his wallet from it.

"How much?" He asked, rummaging his wallet.

"Only a penny." I said and took a newspaper and gave it to him."

"Oh, thanks, mi-" Suddenly, he looked weird. His face was ashen. He was staring at me with his rather small brown eyes widening.

"Mi...mi...milady! Wh-what are you doing here?!?" The, he kneeled and bowed at me, like I was some kind of a princess or something.

"E-excuse me?"

"Oh I can't believe it! Lu, come here! The Lady's here!!!" He kept kneeling down and bowing his head. It was becoming more and more embarrassing now.

"Pl-please stand up! Who, or what are you talking about?!?"

"Lucille!!! Come! She's here! She's here! She finally awake!"

Suddenly, a woman came rushing out the door of the small shop. She has wavy long jet-black hair tied up with a bun, bangs covering her left eye and she was wearing a black dress. She looked scary and reminded me of Taylor.

"What is it, Walter?" she said, her voice sounding very mysterious.

"She's here! She's here! Can't you see?!? She's here!" This man called Walter kept bowing down at me. I feel very embarrassed now. The woman looked at me. For a second, she looked surprised to see me. But, it didn't last long.

"It's not her, Walter." She said, looking a bit disappointed.

"Whaddaya mean it's not her?!? Look at her!"

"Stand up, Walter. It's not her. It's impossible. She can't be awake now."

"But.."

"It's not her, Walter. Now go inside."

Walter stood up (finally.) and walked inside the shop, looking disappointed. The woman's mysterious brown eyes looked at me from head to toe.

"It's true. You do look like her. But something seems to be a little off."

"Excuse me, but who..." I tried to ask, but she wouldn't answer that. She just looked at me.

"Excuse my husband. He's a little...strange." She said.

"That's okay."

"I'm Lucille, and that oaf is my husband."

"I'm Haylie. It's very nice to meet you." I said, and bowed at her. At my surprise, she bowed back.

"It's very nice to meet you too, Haylie." She said, her voice sounding mysterious than before. Then, I remembered that Walter forgot to take his paper.

"Oh, um, your husband bought a paper from me and forgot to take this." I handed her the newspaper, and she took it.

"Thank you."

"Well, I...I gotta be going now." I said, bidding goodbye to her.

"Alright. It was nice meeting you, Haylie." She said and bowed again. I smiled and bowed back. I ran off to find Jack. Well, I have to practice whistling now. I can't find him. But that's not what bothers me. It's how that man, Walter, acted in front of me. He kept calling me "Milady". But his wife Lucille told him that I'm not what he thinks I am. Who did he mistook me from?