Come on with the reviewing, ladies! Am I unloved? I've been listening to a lot of Rufus Wainwright and Taproot, as strange a combination that may be, lol. So here's what's coming of this!

- - - - - -

Chapter Four.

Shine and I had gone back to our beds, and we sat on them in silence, twiddling our thumbs aimlessly. Kid Blink sat beside Shine, smiling. "Hi." He nudged her slightly, and she got up and sat next to me. Blink wondered, "What'd I do?"

I said, "Hey, I think ya scared her." Then I laughed, and leaned over to pat him on his shoulder. I hopped off the bed, and held Shine down. "Sit here, I'll be right back." She seemed uncomfortable, but sat still.

Smiling to myself, I walked to Cinch and pretended to have a conversation with her, while really just trying to eavesdrop on Shine and Blink. "Hi Spa—Hi... How are you?" I asked, catching myself before calling her anything. I looked back and saw that Blink scooted on the bed that he was on, trying to get closer to Shine, who was still on my bed.

"Not much, I'm pretty bored so far as today goes," Cinch was saying, "'Course, the day hasn't started yet! We gotta be out paperin' and all that crap." She didn't sound very enthused.

I could hear Blink talking, and I motioned Cinch to stop talking as we both listened. "So like, I have a friend, and he has this girl that came in his life and he thinks that maybe he likes her. But see, he knows that she don't like him, but he can't help but think about her anyway." Blink was starting to sound like my thoughts, which didn't make any sense coming from him. He let it sink in with Shine, though I doubt she understood what he was saying at all. "So I guess it's pretty obvious I'm talkin' about me and you." I could just sense that Shine was confused. "I know I just met you and we ain't really even talked... but I get this feeling with you, where I'm all... Do you know what I'm sayin'?" Shine shrugged her shoulders. "You bein' all... like, since you're... what you are, ya know..." Shine and I caught on to what he was implying at this point.

Blink had us confused, and thought that Shine was the lesbian.

As I was going to intervene and save Shine from this moment between someone she really was attracted to, I was flipped around and Spats kissed me. Her lips were soft, but her breath tasted like pretzels. I pulled away, in shock. "What's that all about?" I gasped.

She shrugged. "We're both gay, it's only normal!"

I shook my head and ignored this sudden and forceful intimacy. As I walked to Blink though, it was clear that he had seen Spats kiss me as well, and now realized that he had had Shine and I backwards. "Oooh," he cooed, "I see." He got up and nodded at Shine, and then smiled at me. "Oooh," he said again, as he walked down the stairs to start his newsie day.

Shine laughed at me as I sat down. I crossed my arms and then glanced up at Spats, who was looking awkward to me now. "A violation of my bodily rights," I told Shine, who laughed out loud in response. "What are you laughing at? Blink thinks we're both lesbians, so now you're in a jam." Shine begged me for help with her eyes, but I shook my head. "Shine, this is all on you. If you like Blink, it's all in your power to open your mouth!" She sunk on the bed and fell back on it.

I shook my head, deciding to give in, feeling bad now. "Okay, what am I tellin' him? – Wait, I'll tell him you're madly in love with him, and that he's gone and changed you, and you've decided to leave the lesbian life behind, all because of him!" I exclaimed. After a second, I sighed. "Right." We had our understanding.

Suddenly, my mind reverted back to what had just happened minutes ago with Spats. I had been kissed by her. And it was not pleasant for me. At all. "Shine, I got Blink, and it's up to you to get that girl off my back," I told her.

She shook her head and sat back up. I nodded. She shook her head. Then I nodded, but this time toward myself. "Why am I the one who has to do everything?" She put a finger to her lips. "Right," I said. We had another understanding.

Jack walked up us. "So are you and Spats gettin' married?" he asked with a smirk.

"You have dreams about bein' a nun, Jack. I really wouldn't laugh at this point."

He crossed his arms. "Anyway, are you girl's newsies, or flirty little girls?"

Shine and I got up. "We're goin'." We walked down the stairs of the lodging house, to begin the newspaper selling day.

- - - - - -

Um, I'm not a huge fan of this chapter, so I'm going to dwell and dwell a bit until I write the next one. I hope it is okay for now. I'll take any criticism, no matter how harsh, to try and get some more readers.

Oh, and just so you guys now, I've gone through a moment just like between Spats and Loops. A few friends of mine came out to me, and then made it like I was their new girlfriend. Why does this not happen with straight people?

"Hi Bob, yes, I'm straight." - Kissing attack! - "You must like me, because you're straight too. Yay us!"

Okay, I'm finished with thinking, lol.

Loops