Author's Notes: I am introducing two new characters: Jules and Sadie-they are newsgirls, and we'll see more of them in future fics that I intend to write.

You Don't Know Me
By: Stubby the Newsgirl

Chapter 3: What a Difference a Day Makes

It was the next morning, and Skittery could barely contain himself. He had to tell Pocahontas how he felt. As he saw her standing there, he felt all of his courage rising. He ran ahead of all the newsies to the distribution center

"Pocahontas!" he called out to her.

"Hi, Skittery, where is everyone?" she asked smiling.

Skittery knew that when she was asking, "where is everyone," she really meant, "where is Blink," but he was undeterred. The truth had to be told.

"Look, I have to tell you something," he said taking her hand.

"Um, what is it?" she asked, pulling her had away.

"I love you. I've loved you since the day we met, and… and you should be my girl, not Kid Blink's," Skittery said.

She looked at him in surprise.

"Oh, Skittery-" she said, when she was suddenly interrupted.

"Skittery! Come on! Snitch! Itey! Out of bed! Jules, get on up girly! Come on, Cowboy, wake up! Sell the papes! Boots, get up, ya lazy bum! Racetrack! Mush! Dutchy! Sell the papes!" Kloppman yelled as the newsies groaned.

Skittery bolted up out of bed in a cold sweat. It was all just a dream. He swallowed hard. All of the courage he felt in his dream had suddenly withered away as he got out of bed and began to get ready.

"Aw, Specs, you won't believe it! Do you know what the first thought was in my mind this morning?" Blink asked.

"It must have something to do with that Pokie-girl you were talking about all last night, judgin' from the stars in your eyes," Specs laughed.

"The first thing I thought was: I can't wait to see her. You know what? Today's gonna be a beautiful day!" Blink said slapping Specs on the back.

"I hope you're right," Specs said.

"Of course, I'm right!" Blink said.

"Hey, aren't you moving kinda fast, though?" Specs asked.

"Every hour that I'm away from her feels like a year!" Blink said.

"You really got it bad for her!" Specs said shaking his head.

"You know what? I think you're absolutely right," Blink said with a big grin.

Skittery was washing his face when he happened to hear conversations going around about Blink and "his new girl." It was enough to make Skittery sick.

"Didja hear the news, Cowboy? Blink wrangled himself an Indian, and he didn't even have to go to Santa Fe to do it!" Racetrack laughed.

"It was all he could talk about last night. Poke said this, or Poke said that. Sounds like he's falling for her," Jack said.

Skittery tried to ignore it all as he put on his shirt.

"I think it's so romantic the way Blink keeps talking about Poke," a newsgirl named Jules said to Itey as she braided her brown hair in pigtails.

"He's only known her for a day! Jeez, you girls will fall for anything!" Pie Eater commented.

"You wouldn't know romance if it came up to you and smacked you in the face," Jules retorted, throwing yesterday's paper in his face.

Skittery couldn't help but think of the day before. He had been too afraid to directly ask Pocahontas if she'd sell with him, and now it seemed like he'd lost his chance to tell her how he felt.

"Blinky's in love! Blinky's in love!" Mush said, swatting Blink with a washcloth as they both ran past Skittery.

"Don't tell her, though! She might think I'm moving too fast!" Blink said smacking Mush.

Skittery glared at his reflection in the mirror. What did Blink have that he didn't have? Was it Blink's blond hair and blue eyes, was it that idiotic patch that he wore? No. Skittery knew it was none of those. Skittery knew that it was his own fault, and that maybe if he had spoken up, Pocahontas would have been his girl and not Blink's.

"Damn you," he said silently to his reflection. He began to brood, "If only I had said something earlier! Then she would have been my girl, and I would have been the one who couldn't stop talking about her, and the newsies would have been talking about me, and saying what a lucky guy I was. I'm the stupidest guy alive! What is wrong with me? Why didn't I tell her?"

With his thoughts running a mile a minute, and all the newsies jabbering about Blink and "his girl," Skittery didn't know how long he could go without exploding.

"Hey, Skittery, did ya hear the good news?" Swifty asked coming behind him.

"There is no good news," Skittery said, annoyed.

"Our little Pocahontas got herself a permanent selling partner! Looks like she won't be needing us anymore," Swifty laughed heartily, oblivious to Skittery's temperament.

Without thinking, Skittery turned around and swung his fist into Swifty's face. There was a loud cracking sound as his fist made contact with Swifty's ocular area.

Swifty groaned as he found himself on the ground, unable to open his left eye.

"What is wrong with you!" he asked as he lunged at Skittery, and punched him back.

Soon, all hell broke loose, as the two wrestled to the ground, and the newsies gathered around to watch the fight.

"Hey! Knock it off! Skittery, Swifty! Cut it out!" Kloppman yelled angrily making his way through the crowd.

The newsies didn't seem to hear Kloppman.

"Don't just watch 'em! Stop 'em! Hold 'em back!" Kloppman yelled angrily at the newsies who were watching.

By the time the other newsies were finally able to pull the two apart, Kloppman was angrier than anyone had ever seen him.

"If you wanna kill each other, and act like street rats, you do it out there! Not in this lodging house! You two can pack up your things and stay somewhere else, 'cause you sure as hell can't stay here no more! Now get outta here and sell your papers! You can get your things in the evening!" Kloppman yelled at Skittery and Swifty.

Skittery couldn't believe what he was hearing. Just one day ago, he had such high hopes. He was going to sell with Pocahontas, and she'd be his girl, and they'd live happily ever after. But now, he had no girl, and on top of that, he was back on the streets.

"I wonder where they are," Poke said to Sadie, a red haired, freckle-faced newsgirl.

Like Poke, Sadie had to work in order to help out her family. They had already bought their papers and Sadie was waiting with Poke, so she wouldn't be alone.

"If they don't come soon, I may just have to leave you, I got papers to sell," Sadie said pointing to her thick stack.

"They'll be here soon, I'm sure. They've just gotta be!" Poke said anxiously.

"Have you got a hankering to see someone?" Sadie asked curiously.

Poke smiled shyly and nodded.

"Details, please!" Sadie said more as a command than a request.

Poke was more than happy to divulge the entire story.

"Wait, so he just kissed you, right there, in the middle of the street?" Sadie asked.

"Yep!" Poke nodded and giggled.

"Wow, you two sure rushed into it. I mean, no offense, or anything, but just twenty-four hours ago, you didn't even know the guy," Sadie commented.

"You think we're going too fast?" Poke asked worriedly.

"Darlin', I don't know the answers to those questions. It's only been a day since you've been 'his girl,' as they like to call it. Why do they say 'his girl,' anyway? I think they should say 'her guy,' instead. Everyone knows that it's the girl who holds all the marbles in the deck. It's ridiculous the way they try to own us, like we're cattle, or property, or something. Fact is: we own them," Sadie said.

Poke smiled at what Sadie was saying, but still… His girl. Blink's girl. She liked the way it sounded.

"Speaking of the cattle, here they come; you can hear 'em loud and clear! Well, I'm off! See ya round!" Sadie said, waving her goodbye.

Poke waved goodbye. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw Blink. As soon as their eyes met, she forgot all about what Sadie had been saying. She didn't care if she owned him or he owned her, so long as they were together.

"Hey, beautiful!" Blink greeted her happily. "Did you sleep okay last night?" he asked, then gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I tried to sleep, but I was thinking about you the whole night," she said.

"Yeah?" Blink asked interestedly. "What kinds of things about me were you thinking about?"

Poke wanted to tell him that she was thinking about the way he smiled and made her laugh, and the way he was so full of life, and the way she was quickly falling in love with him. But then Sadie's voice came flooding back to her mind, "Just twenty-four hours ago, you didn't even know the guy."

"Well," Poke began slowly, "I've only known you for a day, and really, I don't even know you at all… and yet, you've made me feel happier than I've ever felt before."

Blink smiled. "It's crazy, isn't it?" he asked

"What's crazy?" Poke asked.

"Being in love," Blink said.

"Are we in love?" Poke asked.

"I know it's only been a day since I've known you, but I love you," Blink admitted in a whisper.

"Extra! Extra! Kid Blink is IN LOVE!" Mush shouted out. He had been eavesdropping the whole time.

Poke smiled as Blink turned red as a tomato.

"Let's get our papes and get away from this crowd," Blink suggested.

Poke nodded in agreement, but she really enjoyed the attention. Blink saying that he loved her was the sweetest sound she had ever heard. After only one day, Blink was in love… with her.