A/N: Okay, I actually finished this like 30 min ago. But whatever. lol Hey! 30 minutes! And it's Chapter 30! Wow, can you believe that already? I know I can't. Anyway, I should've said earlier or maybe yesterday with Chapter 28 that I'll probably be posting faster from now on since we're climaxing and getting towards the end of the story (I think…I hope…lol) Anyway, happy reading!

Chapter Thirty: Friends versus Enemies

Criss-Cross climbed up the hanging vine under the new girl's bunkroom in the Brooklyn lodging house, grateful that it had not been cut back since her old days as a Brooklyn newsie. The room had formerly belonged to the owner of the lodging house, Mr. Holt, but she guessed that he had left the place to the kids when Tigger had taken it over. He and Spot had gotten along just fine, but anyone who murdered Spot would not be on his list of friends.

Shoving the window open, she crawled in quickly and began to yank the clothes she'd been wearing earlier out of her bag. She'd stashed the letters behind a loose brick, so as not to be caught with them. Yanking her suspenders off her shoulders, she began to pull the skirt on over her pants. A sudden voice behind her caused her to whip around, nearly tripping on the long skirt.

"One woid. Busted," Bittah said, giving her a grin.

A distressed look coming over her face, she gave Bittah a pleading look and begged, "Bittah…Listen…You'se don' know me. An' dere's t'ings dat's in my past, but I sweah I'se ain' bad. An' if yas only knew da truth yas'd undahstand…"

She grinned and nodded. "I'se know kid. I'se recognized yas da moment yas step foot in heah. An' I'se ain' gonna tell Triggah who yas really are. Don' worry 'bout it. I'se know it all. Aby…Advantage," she corrected herself, "told me everythin'."

Sighing in relief, Criss-Cross remembered that Trigger and Griff were hot on her heels, and would soon be arriving. Yanking the skirt all the way up, she hooked the back, and began to yank off her boots. A gentle hand pulled her hat off as she bent over, and she felt Bittah's hand straightening her hair kindly.

She was about to shove the high-button boots on her feet when she heard a commotion outside the door. Jamming the window shut, she shoved her hat and normal boots into her bag, and throwing her quilt sloppily over the bed, she yanked out a pencil and pad of paper, and began messily drawing Bittah's picture, looking like she'd been there the whole time.

As she heard a pair of shoes stomping up the steps, she took a moment to arrange herself perfectly and calm her thoughts, creating a serene look on her face. Wiping a hint of sweat from her forehead, she frowned, realizing her breathing was still hard. Biting her lip, she tried to calm it as Trigger burst through the door. Biting the inside of her cheeks so as to look perfectly tranquil, she gave him a puzzled look as he came over and yanking her off the bed by her upper arm, threw her against the wall. She felt a nail that was sticking out bite into the flesh on her shoulder blade, but didn't so much as wince.

"Got somethin' ta tell us 'Kattie'? Like how you'se really from New Yawk an' a Conlon!" he shouted at her, his face red in anger, and his grip on her upper arms shook with pure, blind fury.

Criss-Cross furrowed her eyebrows at him, giving off an air of utter confusion, though, she really wanted to just shout out that it was the truth. She was sick of hiding her bloodline. She'd been hiding it for the last four years, and just wanted the running of the past to be over with, and the playing of a different character every couple of weeks to be gone, but right now she had one last role to play.

"What are you talking about Trigger?" she asked, holding perfectly still and giving him a questioningly look, as though she was truly confused.

"You'se know what I'se talkin' 'bout!" he raged, back-handing her hard. She fell to the floor, but immediately picked herself up.

"Trigger, I'm a fourteen year-old girl who's in a big city for the very first time in her life, and doesn't have a clue what you're talking about. So either explain yourself or calm down. Or both would be nice."

Trigger back-handed her hard again, sending her hard into her bed. He screamed at her, "You dn btch! Stop pretendin'! I'se know who yas really are! Now jus' stop pretendin'!"

"I'm not pretending Trigger! My name is Katrina Sassparilla Charing. Called Kattie or Sass. I'm from Colorado! I came out east with the boy I was with whose name was Fella Barnes! I'm not pretending!" she said back passionately, before stepping towards him, a pleading look in her eye. "Why don't you believe me?"

Criss-Cross planted a kiss hard on his lips, grabbing him by the front of his shirt as she did. She hoped it would calm him down, but it only did slightly. He shoved her off, and took her upper arm back into his fearsome grip.

"An' how's do I knows you'se ain't lying! Huh!" he said in a deadly voice, his face only an inch away from hers.

"Cuz… I ain't," she said in a slightly New York accent, realizing what she'd done too late. Trigger raised his hand to back-hand her again, and this time she knew it would break her neck, because she's fall over her own bed, and tumble head first into Bittah's.

However, the blow never hit, and looking at his hand confused, she realized that Bittah had it in a strong grasp.

"Leave her alone, Triggah," she said in a nasty tone. "She's told yas dat she's got no idea what you'se talkin' 'bout. An' dat she's really who she's says she is. Now leave her alone."

Trigger growled and shoved Bittah away, but the brave Chicago girl stepped in between he and Criss-Cross, and gave him the death glare, saying, "I'se said 'Leave her alone'. An' I'se mean it. Now leave her alone. A would yas like me ta give yas anuddah black eye a a fat lip ta go wit' yer evil heawt?"

She shoved him backwards, and he tripped from the unexpected push, and fell flat. Criss-Cross had to duck behind Bittah to keep from giggling to hard.

"Now get outta heah an' back ta Ruckus! Yas know she won' be happy if someone, let's jus' say a poisen in dis lodgin' house, let's her know you'se been hittin' on anuddah goil…Tsk…Tsk…"

Bittah shot him a smirk, and she and Criss-Cross watched as he left. When he was gone, Criss-Cross gave Bittah a grateful smile and spitting into that palm of her hand, held it out to her newest friend.

"I'se don' t'ink we's been foimally intrahduced. I'se Criss-Cross Kat Conlon. An' I'se in diah need a somebody like you'se."

Bittah grinned, and extended her own palm with spit in it, shaking Criss-Cross's. "Nice ta meet yas. I'se Bittah. An' what da yas need?"

Criss-Cross graced the girl with a smirk, and began to tell Bittah everything, including the notes, and exactly what needed to happen. She was just glad that she'd made a good friend, who, from the looks of it, was just as good as any Conlon could be.

A/N: What did you think! Please review! Love ya muchles! CTB! Criss-Cross

Shout Out:

Skater: Hey, it's okay. I'm glad you reviewed now though! lol And I know! He's alive! It makes me happy. lol I just wish I could bring Blink back to life…tear And it's okay. I think about it a good bit myself. Anyway, keep reading and reviewing! hugs