Rinoa opened her eyes to see the room was very dark. She loked around trying to adjust her eyes to staying open. She blinked a couple times. She looked at her left. Casey was there....of course.... and on her right Racetrack was there. She brushed the bangs out of her eyes which automatically fell back in her eyes. She sat up and saw that they were asleep and it was the middle of the night. The moonlight was shining through the window.
She sighed and layed back down. She was really tired. She thought about what happened but couldn't really remember. She knew that she got hit in the head...but she couldn't remember why. All the thinking made her head hurt so she fell asleep as soon as she stopped thinking.
---------------------
The next morning Rinoa woke up. But she didn't open her eyes. She could hear Casey And Racetrack talking. "So Race...how are you goin' to break it to Rinoa?" She could here Casey ask. "I don't know yet...but I'm so worried. She still hasn't woken up and it's been a week." Racetrack said sadly. "Well it's really sweet that you care....not many brothers are as nice as you are." Casey said. This last sentence made Rinoa's eyes snap open.
This drew Casey and Race's attention. they loked over at Rinoa. She sat up so quick that Casey almost fell off her chair. "Woah...not so fast." Race said trying to get Rinoa to lay back down. "Brother? Are you two related?!" Rinoa asked staring at them both. Racetrack glanced at Casey. "Um...no...I'm not related to her..." Race said. He didn't know how to break this to Rinoa. "Don't think I'm stupid...I just heard you!" Rinoa said staring at them both.
"So you heard...but you understood wrong... You see Rinoa....You and Race...you two are brother and sister...." Casey said. Rinoa stared wide eyed at Racetrack. "No...." She said in a whisper. "How do you know?" She demanded at Casey. "Um, you two share the same last name and the doctor's records have proved it. Race's real name is Anthony Higgins, and yours is Rinoa Higgins." Casey said slowly. Rinoa felt dizzy. She felt the world collapse beneath her. Racetrack was her brother. He was Anthony.
She couldn't help it. She fainted. "Oh good job Casey, she just woke up now she's out...AGAIN." Racetrack said in a joking manner.
-------------------------
"Welcome back Rinoa!" All the Newsies said welcoming Rinoa back as she walked into the bunkroom. "Hey guys." She said back. She walked over to the window and looked down. She saw Casey down there with Mush. That's all Rinoa really wanted to see right now was Mush. She still couldn't get over it. Casey was still trying to warm up to Rinoa. She had no reason to forgive Casey.
------------------------
That night Rinoa was sitting on the roof smoking her first cigarette in a long time. She watched as the smoke blew away in the wind. She let silent tears fall. She atlease was happy that she could still cry. She was getting darker by the day. She was hoping that she wouldn't get so dark that she just couldn't care about anything anymore.
"Well, haven't seen that in a while." Came a voice from behind her. She didn't bother turning around. She kept looking down at the people in the street. "Mind if I join you?" the voice asked again. Rinoa shook her head and took another drag off her cigarette. Rinoa looked over at the person who sat next to her on the side of the roof. It was Mush. "Aren't the lights beautiful at night?" Mush asked her.
Rinoa looked up at him with her electric blue eyes. "Yeah." She said very quietly. "Can you tell me why you're so sad all the time?" Mush asked scooting closer to her. "Well....I got no reason to be happy." She said throwing what was left of her cigarette down to the ground. "Yeah you do....we're all here." Mush said. "It's not enough...Ever since Casey came back...everythings been ruined." Rinoa said looking away from him.
"Casey's not trying to ruin anything. She came back and you really wanted to see her again. I remember how sad you were after she left. You were broken. You were sad...but you got happy remember? Remember when you were 10 and I was 12 and I used to carry you around Central Park on my back when we went sellin'?" Mush asked her. Rinoa actually smiled. "Yeah...I remember." She said feeling another tear fall. "You always used to say to me, Mush? When's Casey comin' back? I always said...." Mush waited until Rinoa remembered the rest. "And...you said....She's still in your heart...and she'll find the way back..." Rinoa finished.
"Back then you were so happy. What happened? I know it wasn't just Casey who did it. I know you're unhappy for another reason." Mush said. "You're in love with her." Rinoa said turing away from him slowly. She cried into her knees. The cold wind was strong. Rinoa could feel the cold through her big grey New York sweater. She was shaking from the cold. It soon began to snow. "Rinoa...I don't know if I'm in love with her..." Mush said lifting her face up by her chin. Her black hair was in her face and her bangs were blowing in her eyes. When he looked into her eyes he could see her pain inside them. He knew he couldn't see her like this anymore.
"You don't need to be sad anymore." He said still holding her face up. She closed her eyes and another tear slid out. "I wont let it happen." He said embracing her in a hug. She hugged him back and she cried into his chest. He was so warm. She didn't want to let go. This is the place she always wanted to be and she finally found it. He stroaked her hair and rocked her back and forth slowly. "Let the pain go." He whispered in her ear.
---------------------------
"Where's Mush and Rinoa?" Casey asked Race who was playing solitare. He looked up from his cards and saw they weren't there. "Well, I thought Rinoa was on the roof....I don't know about Mush though..." Race said. "Alright, thanks Race." Casey said getting up and climbing out the window to the fire escape. She was greeted by snow. It was falling slowly. Casey breathed deeply and started up the stairs to the roof. She walked up slowly and she saw Mush holding Rinoa and rocking her back and forth.
She felt her heart drop a little. She didn't know what it was either. Normally this would be what she wanted to see. She just felt different. She felt that no one loved her. She felt a tear run down her cheek. She wiped it away slowly. She took another glance at Mush and Rinoa and went back down the stairs and in the window. She went over to her bed and cried herself to sleep.
--------------------
"Carry the banner!" Kloppman yelled the next morning. Casey opened her eyes and saw it was still snowing outside. She got up and went into the washroom. In the mirror she saw Rinoa talking to Mush. She felt her stomach tighten and felt like she couldn't breath. She tried to shake it off and get ready. She put on a sweater, some pants and her long coat that came to her her ankles. She didn't bother with her hat. She also grabbed some gloves she had and started out the door before everyone else.
Once she got out the door she looked up and the sun wasn't even showing it was hidden behind all the clouds. She crossed her arms and walked shivering. Once she got to the newspaper office she was so cold that she felt like she couldn't walk anymore. "T-thirty papers...please." She said to Weasel shivering. He wrote it down and had Morris hand her the thirty papers. She walked away slowly. She heard a voice from behind her. "Wait up!" It called.
It was Oscar Delancey. He ran up beside her and saw there were tears in her eyes. "What's the matter?" He asked brushing away a tear that just fell. "Nothing." She said and walked a little quicker despite the cold. "Please wait....I've seen you at the Newspaper office and...I couldn't ever get up the nerve to talk to you. Until now that is..." He said taking her hand in his. "Give it up Delancey....You just never give up do you?" She asked speeding up again.
"No...Please give me a chance...Please." He said taking her hand again. For the first time Casey saw Oscar as something beyond what she thought he was. She didn't know what it was but she was actually going to give him a chance. "Alright Oscar, I'll give you a chance. Now first you got to tell me a little about yourself." Casey said walking with him.
--------------------
Mush was up on the fire escape with Rinoa when they looked down they saw the unthinkable it was Casey with Oscar. "You'd better get out of here before any one catches you here....I'll see you tomorrow ok?" She said running inside the lodging house while he walked away. Casey ran up the stairs and into the bunk room. "Hey guys!" She called. "Hey Casey." They said back. The window slid open fast and Mush came in followed by Rinoa. They both looked furious.
"Casey, what the hell is going on?!" Mush yelled. "Mush...what are you talking about?" She asked backing away from him. "You know damn well what I'm talking about!" He yelled. "What?!" She yelled pushing him away from her. "You and Oscar!" He yelled. "Mush..." She said staring up at him. "No, you tell me what this is about now!" He yelled. Was he mad or what?
"Mush, it's my buisness just leave me alone!" She yelled. "I'm not going to let you go and get yourself hurt!" He yelled. Every Newsies eyes were on them. "I don't Care!" She yelled. He looked at her with the meanest look and pushed her to the ground. Everyone looked at Mush who now looked like he just died. He was speechless. He really didn't mean to push her.
"I hate you!" She screamed through tears and ran down the stairs and out the doors of the Lodging House. She ran through the snow toward the newspaper office. She went up to the window to see Weasel just closing up. "Mr. Wiesel, do you know where Oscar is?" She asked. "Oh...He's back here Casey, do you need to see him?" He asked. "Yes sir...could you?" Casey asked. "Sure..." He said going and unlockeing the door and letting her in.
"He's back there. He said pointing down the hallway. "thanks." She said and walked down and saw him unloading a box of newspapers. "Casey...what are you doing here?" He asked standing up. She ran toward him and into his arms. She cried into his chest. "He walked with her into his room and sat down on his bed and held her. He ran a hand through her wet hair. "It's gonna be alright. I promise." He said lifting her face up and leaning forward into a kiss.
She sighed and layed back down. She was really tired. She thought about what happened but couldn't really remember. She knew that she got hit in the head...but she couldn't remember why. All the thinking made her head hurt so she fell asleep as soon as she stopped thinking.
---------------------
The next morning Rinoa woke up. But she didn't open her eyes. She could hear Casey And Racetrack talking. "So Race...how are you goin' to break it to Rinoa?" She could here Casey ask. "I don't know yet...but I'm so worried. She still hasn't woken up and it's been a week." Racetrack said sadly. "Well it's really sweet that you care....not many brothers are as nice as you are." Casey said. This last sentence made Rinoa's eyes snap open.
This drew Casey and Race's attention. they loked over at Rinoa. She sat up so quick that Casey almost fell off her chair. "Woah...not so fast." Race said trying to get Rinoa to lay back down. "Brother? Are you two related?!" Rinoa asked staring at them both. Racetrack glanced at Casey. "Um...no...I'm not related to her..." Race said. He didn't know how to break this to Rinoa. "Don't think I'm stupid...I just heard you!" Rinoa said staring at them both.
"So you heard...but you understood wrong... You see Rinoa....You and Race...you two are brother and sister...." Casey said. Rinoa stared wide eyed at Racetrack. "No...." She said in a whisper. "How do you know?" She demanded at Casey. "Um, you two share the same last name and the doctor's records have proved it. Race's real name is Anthony Higgins, and yours is Rinoa Higgins." Casey said slowly. Rinoa felt dizzy. She felt the world collapse beneath her. Racetrack was her brother. He was Anthony.
She couldn't help it. She fainted. "Oh good job Casey, she just woke up now she's out...AGAIN." Racetrack said in a joking manner.
-------------------------
"Welcome back Rinoa!" All the Newsies said welcoming Rinoa back as she walked into the bunkroom. "Hey guys." She said back. She walked over to the window and looked down. She saw Casey down there with Mush. That's all Rinoa really wanted to see right now was Mush. She still couldn't get over it. Casey was still trying to warm up to Rinoa. She had no reason to forgive Casey.
------------------------
That night Rinoa was sitting on the roof smoking her first cigarette in a long time. She watched as the smoke blew away in the wind. She let silent tears fall. She atlease was happy that she could still cry. She was getting darker by the day. She was hoping that she wouldn't get so dark that she just couldn't care about anything anymore.
"Well, haven't seen that in a while." Came a voice from behind her. She didn't bother turning around. She kept looking down at the people in the street. "Mind if I join you?" the voice asked again. Rinoa shook her head and took another drag off her cigarette. Rinoa looked over at the person who sat next to her on the side of the roof. It was Mush. "Aren't the lights beautiful at night?" Mush asked her.
Rinoa looked up at him with her electric blue eyes. "Yeah." She said very quietly. "Can you tell me why you're so sad all the time?" Mush asked scooting closer to her. "Well....I got no reason to be happy." She said throwing what was left of her cigarette down to the ground. "Yeah you do....we're all here." Mush said. "It's not enough...Ever since Casey came back...everythings been ruined." Rinoa said looking away from him.
"Casey's not trying to ruin anything. She came back and you really wanted to see her again. I remember how sad you were after she left. You were broken. You were sad...but you got happy remember? Remember when you were 10 and I was 12 and I used to carry you around Central Park on my back when we went sellin'?" Mush asked her. Rinoa actually smiled. "Yeah...I remember." She said feeling another tear fall. "You always used to say to me, Mush? When's Casey comin' back? I always said...." Mush waited until Rinoa remembered the rest. "And...you said....She's still in your heart...and she'll find the way back..." Rinoa finished.
"Back then you were so happy. What happened? I know it wasn't just Casey who did it. I know you're unhappy for another reason." Mush said. "You're in love with her." Rinoa said turing away from him slowly. She cried into her knees. The cold wind was strong. Rinoa could feel the cold through her big grey New York sweater. She was shaking from the cold. It soon began to snow. "Rinoa...I don't know if I'm in love with her..." Mush said lifting her face up by her chin. Her black hair was in her face and her bangs were blowing in her eyes. When he looked into her eyes he could see her pain inside them. He knew he couldn't see her like this anymore.
"You don't need to be sad anymore." He said still holding her face up. She closed her eyes and another tear slid out. "I wont let it happen." He said embracing her in a hug. She hugged him back and she cried into his chest. He was so warm. She didn't want to let go. This is the place she always wanted to be and she finally found it. He stroaked her hair and rocked her back and forth slowly. "Let the pain go." He whispered in her ear.
---------------------------
"Where's Mush and Rinoa?" Casey asked Race who was playing solitare. He looked up from his cards and saw they weren't there. "Well, I thought Rinoa was on the roof....I don't know about Mush though..." Race said. "Alright, thanks Race." Casey said getting up and climbing out the window to the fire escape. She was greeted by snow. It was falling slowly. Casey breathed deeply and started up the stairs to the roof. She walked up slowly and she saw Mush holding Rinoa and rocking her back and forth.
She felt her heart drop a little. She didn't know what it was either. Normally this would be what she wanted to see. She just felt different. She felt that no one loved her. She felt a tear run down her cheek. She wiped it away slowly. She took another glance at Mush and Rinoa and went back down the stairs and in the window. She went over to her bed and cried herself to sleep.
--------------------
"Carry the banner!" Kloppman yelled the next morning. Casey opened her eyes and saw it was still snowing outside. She got up and went into the washroom. In the mirror she saw Rinoa talking to Mush. She felt her stomach tighten and felt like she couldn't breath. She tried to shake it off and get ready. She put on a sweater, some pants and her long coat that came to her her ankles. She didn't bother with her hat. She also grabbed some gloves she had and started out the door before everyone else.
Once she got out the door she looked up and the sun wasn't even showing it was hidden behind all the clouds. She crossed her arms and walked shivering. Once she got to the newspaper office she was so cold that she felt like she couldn't walk anymore. "T-thirty papers...please." She said to Weasel shivering. He wrote it down and had Morris hand her the thirty papers. She walked away slowly. She heard a voice from behind her. "Wait up!" It called.
It was Oscar Delancey. He ran up beside her and saw there were tears in her eyes. "What's the matter?" He asked brushing away a tear that just fell. "Nothing." She said and walked a little quicker despite the cold. "Please wait....I've seen you at the Newspaper office and...I couldn't ever get up the nerve to talk to you. Until now that is..." He said taking her hand in his. "Give it up Delancey....You just never give up do you?" She asked speeding up again.
"No...Please give me a chance...Please." He said taking her hand again. For the first time Casey saw Oscar as something beyond what she thought he was. She didn't know what it was but she was actually going to give him a chance. "Alright Oscar, I'll give you a chance. Now first you got to tell me a little about yourself." Casey said walking with him.
--------------------
Mush was up on the fire escape with Rinoa when they looked down they saw the unthinkable it was Casey with Oscar. "You'd better get out of here before any one catches you here....I'll see you tomorrow ok?" She said running inside the lodging house while he walked away. Casey ran up the stairs and into the bunk room. "Hey guys!" She called. "Hey Casey." They said back. The window slid open fast and Mush came in followed by Rinoa. They both looked furious.
"Casey, what the hell is going on?!" Mush yelled. "Mush...what are you talking about?" She asked backing away from him. "You know damn well what I'm talking about!" He yelled. "What?!" She yelled pushing him away from her. "You and Oscar!" He yelled. "Mush..." She said staring up at him. "No, you tell me what this is about now!" He yelled. Was he mad or what?
"Mush, it's my buisness just leave me alone!" She yelled. "I'm not going to let you go and get yourself hurt!" He yelled. Every Newsies eyes were on them. "I don't Care!" She yelled. He looked at her with the meanest look and pushed her to the ground. Everyone looked at Mush who now looked like he just died. He was speechless. He really didn't mean to push her.
"I hate you!" She screamed through tears and ran down the stairs and out the doors of the Lodging House. She ran through the snow toward the newspaper office. She went up to the window to see Weasel just closing up. "Mr. Wiesel, do you know where Oscar is?" She asked. "Oh...He's back here Casey, do you need to see him?" He asked. "Yes sir...could you?" Casey asked. "Sure..." He said going and unlockeing the door and letting her in.
"He's back there. He said pointing down the hallway. "thanks." She said and walked down and saw him unloading a box of newspapers. "Casey...what are you doing here?" He asked standing up. She ran toward him and into his arms. She cried into his chest. "He walked with her into his room and sat down on his bed and held her. He ran a hand through her wet hair. "It's gonna be alright. I promise." He said lifting her face up and leaning forward into a kiss.