"Dawn!"

I called out to the girl with shoulder-length blond hair, dressed in clothing which would not look strange in our own POV and in our own world, but would look out of place in this world.

"Girls! Oh my God! I thought I'd never find you guys."

She rushed over to us, a look of great relief visible on her face.

"Okay, first of all, where the heck are we?" she asked, putting her hands in her waist, stomping her left foot violently. Taylor, as usual, frowned at the sight of this.

"Do you really think any of us knows where we are, Dawn? Or you really are stupid?"

Uh-oh. Here we go again.

"Fuck you, beeyatch! I'm just asking a question. What the hell's your problem, you fugly hag?"

"You wanna get hurt?"
"Bring it on, bitch!"

Oh, come on! In all situation, they picked this time just to have a stupid fight?

"Knock it off, you two! Please! For God's sake, you two would pick anytime to fight, don't you? Taylor, she WAS just asking a question, so maybe you should've answered in a straight way. And you, Dawn. Stop asking stupid questions like this. None of us knows where we are. Come on, we have more important things to do. Let's look for Haylie.

And we did. As the time goes by, I've grown weary and tired. But the thought of my sister lost somewhere in this city, whatever it is called, is bothering me. No, I can't rest now, not a moment, not a second, not a minute. I have to find Haylie…

"Where is she?"

I was starting to worry even more. What if she's not here? What if she got left behind in our own world? Well, if that's the case, then it's good that she will be safe there. But I'll worry if we will be stuck in this place forever.

"Don't ask me! Do you think I know?" Dawn retorted. Huh? I wasn't asking her. I didn't even look at her. Oh, well, whatever.

"She's not asking you, Dawn. I think it'll be better if you would just shut your mouth & help us look for Haylie." Taylor's deep voice menacingly told off the spoiled brat. Seriously. These two could never get along. The only reason why Dawn and Taylor became "friends" is because of Gail. I don't really know what's the whole story with the three of them, but I'm not keen to find out all about it.

"Oh, come on, you guys! We should skip the fighting & keep looking for Hay-hay." Gail said, butting in their fight. I ignored them and kept looking for any sights of my sister. As they kept on fighting, I noticed a bunch of street kids looking at us. The way they stare at us is not in all…friendly. It was kind of strange, weird, bewildered. I knew why. It's what we look at and what we're wearing. Yet, I noticed something on the children. Their appearance…somewhat similar to those children we saw on those pictures in History class. Newsboys, as what they are called, since the topic focused on in History is the 1899 Newsboys' Strike in New York. Maybe, this is…

"Okay, let's get out of here. Those kids are looking at us weirdly." I said, pointing out the group of kids on the street. I was starting to feel awkward at the way they stare. I wanted to get out of here, stop dilly-dallying, and fulfill my directive. Unexpectedly, Dawn walked towards them and then shrieked at them.

"Didn't your moms ever taught you anything? Don't you know it's rude to stare? Scram, you pests!"

Startled, the little kids ran away crying "Help! Mother, help!". I could've sworn I heard one of them saying "Help! Evil witch! Mother, help! I'll be good, I promise!". It was very mean and rude for her to act like that, so I scolded her.

"Dawn! You can't blame those kids for staring at us like that!"

"Of course, I can! They are completely rude." Dawn answered in a highly offensive tone. True, she could be a good friend at times, but this is not one of them.

"But Dawn, just being here makes us outcasts! If back in our own…world, you aren't, well, now you know how it feels to be left out or to be different from everyone else!"

I have hit a nerve. Well, I will say what I want. Dawn's going too far with this whole 'snobby rich girl' business.

"How…how dare you! You have no right to speak to me like that! I'm-"

I know what she's going to say. Typical of her.

"Yeah, yeah. Dawn Madison, daughter of Phillip Howard Madison & Beatrix LeBlanche! That line's getting old, Dawn! And I have every right to speak in whatever tone I want 'cause I'm not one of your servants, you spoiled brat!"

Dawn was shaking in anger. Well, it's true, isn't it? It always looks like she has to be right at all times.

"YOU BITCH! HOW DARE YOU! NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE I BEEN SO INSULTED LIKE THIS!"

"Well, you are now." I responded cockily. Let's see how she fights back.

At my surprise, she didn't. She walked away. Gail, who probably has had enough of us fighting, chased after her.

"Hey, I told you guys to stop fighting!"

"Make me, skeez!" Dawn said meanly.

"Hey! Don't call me that!" Gail said, her already high-pitched voice rising to higher levels.

"Don't bother, Gail. Come on, let's keep looking for Haylie." Taylor said. Gail turned away from her, and we walked away. Dawn won't last long there. Pretty soon, she'll follow us because, oh, she's scared that we'll leave her there.

"Guys, wait for me! Don't leave me here!"

Told you. None of us turned around to look at her. We just kept walking.

"Hey, guys…hey."

We're not listening. If you wanna follow us, then, fine. Go ahead. After all, you're Dawn Madison, right? You can do anything you want.

"Hey! I'm not gonna waste spit here just to make you turn around and listen to me!"

"Then don't." I said, not taking even a glance at her. "Remember, you're the one who acted like a bitch. You should be sorry. But, then again, you're Dawn Madison, aren't you?"

I heard Taylor snicker. Dawn did not hear her, though.

"We-well, I…uh…"

"Come on, let's go. We might be wasting the princess' time" I said.

Suddenly, the two-word phrase that rarely comes out of Dawn's lips has been said.

"I'm sorry! There, you wanted it, you got it."

Dawn, saying 'sorry'? My word, the world is coming to an end!

"Oh, really? I thought you never believed in apologies, Dawn! Why start now?"

"Oh, come on! I apologized. Just forgive me!" She demanded. You know…

"Apologies are asked, not demanded, Ms. Dawn Madison."

"Okay, okay! I haven't done this before, I'll tell you that. I…I…I'm a-ask-k-king for…for…what's the word?" Dawn said, grasping and struggling to ask us to forgive her. Why, I find this rather entertaining.

"Forgiveness, Ms. Dawn Madison." Taylor said, a mischievous half-smile across her lips.

"Oh…right, forgiveness." Dawn said, relieved. Hmmm….

"I don't know. We think you're not sorry enough." Gail said, probably enjoying Dawn's demise on asking an apology.

"Guys, come on!"

"We'll think about it, for, about, forty-eight years!"

This is becoming more fun as the time passes by!

"Hey! You guys are making fun of me!"

"No, we're not!"

We laughed at her funny attempt to apologize. Then, as bad as the situation is, it started to rain.

"Oh my God! Take cover. I don't wanna get wet!" Dawn shrieked. We ran for cover to a nearby shelter escape the fall of the rain. It was a theater house named Irving Hall. Wait…Irving Hall…why, I've seen this before! When she was a little girl, our great-grandmother has a picture of herself in front of this very place! She took a vacation on New York after her school year in London has ended. If I'm correct, this world is none other than-

"19th century New York!" I blurted out. The others were startled at me.

"What?"

"I know where we are! This is 1899 New York. We went back into time!"

It was a good thing it was, I think, past three in the morning. No one else heard me except my friends. But if anyone did hear what I just said, then, they probably would have the same facial expression my friends have now.

"Hallie, are you on crack! 'Coz if you are, I'm advising you to stop. Drugs aren't really cool, you know." Gail said, looking at me bewilderedly.

"Yeah. I think you should go on therapy." Dawn said, the same facial expression can be seen on her face. Hello? I would never, ever take drugs. I wouldn't even give it a thought!

"Okay, first of all, I'm not on drugs (eww.) Second, I'm right. Look around you! Doesn't anyone of you pay attention in History class?"

"Uhhh, no."

"It's, like, totally boring."

"I sleep at History class."

Of course, again, I'm the only one who thinks this is fascinating.

"sigh…Just take a frickin' look at the signboard over there." I sighed, pointing at the signboard just across the entrance to Irving Hall. They did. For a moment, they looked at it, then, they turned at me, their faces white.

"OH-MY-GAWD! This is so insane!"

"Maybe we are insane!"

"…"

Okay, that, you may call a commotion. And it attracted someone's attention. Someone spoke from behind us.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"