Hey… sorry I havent written anything in a while… been pretty busy. Anyway, I had a little time today, so I decided to write some. Sorry its so short. I'll try to get some more writing in this weekend when I have time… anyway, here's chapter number 4:

Shay stood outside of the lodge house, his back against the cold bricks. He took a long drag on his cigarette and blew out a cloud of smoke. The rain was starting to finally let up, and the thunder wasn't as loud anymore. Shay stood there, thinking about Jack and his strange behavior lately. He had noticed a change in his friend over the past weeks. Jack seemed to be hiding something… big. As Shay thought to himself, Lark was finally coming back to the lodge.

"Heya Lark" Shay said as she walked onto the porch.

"Hey" she said as she wrung out the water from her short brown hair. "Jack get back yet?" Shay nodded.

"Yep. Little while ago. He beat ya, huh?"

"What?"

"The race. He said he was racing you back to the lodge."

"No he wasn't."

"He wasn't?" Sway asked, getting confused. Lark shook her head.

"No. Well, we were running here, but there was no 'race' back to the lodge." she said. She then shook her head. "There's something up with that boy. And I'm not joking, either." Shay nodded.

"So you noticed too, huh?" he asked. He then took another drag on his cigarette.

"He's hiding something, I know he is!" she said. "Before, when we were running, one of those books that he reads all the time fell out of his pocket."

"And that shows he's hiding something… how?" Shay asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"No, not that part, the next part" she said. "I picked it up for him, and when I handed it to him, something fell out of it."

"What was it?"

"I couldn't really see exactly what it was, but I think it was a ticket… a train ticket, perhaps."

"A train ticket?" Shay said, sounding interested. Lark nodded.

"Yes! I know it sounds weird, but it looked just like one. He then jumped at it and picked it up before I could really see it." Lark said. Shay then snubbed out his cigarette on the ground.

"Maybe 'es thinking bout leavin da city?"

"That's what I'm thinking, but why?" Lark asked. "I mean, if he wanted to leave, wouldn't he tell us?" Shay shrugged.

"I dunno. Maybe 'e don't wanna tell no one so no one can make 'im change 'is mind about goin 'er somethin?"

"I don't know. And another thing, how could he ever be able to afford a train ticket in the first place? I mean, he's a newsie, like the rest of us, and I highly doubt he's made enough money for a ticket to go anywhere. Especially the way he gambles with it with the others and loses it all the time."

"Maybe he snatched da ticket off'a someone?" Shay put in. Lark shook her head.

"I doubt it. I never really see him steal from anyone. The last thing I saw him steal was a cigar from Race, and that's a long way from stealing someone's train ticket."

"Who knows, its still possible. Maybe 'e told Davey bout it? We could always ask 'im, 'er anyone else if dey know anytin bout it." Lark shook her head.

"I don't think we should go off and asking people about it. I don't want to go off and start rumors up about Jack. I say, unless someone says something about Jack, we don't say anything." Shay nodded.

"Good idea." he said. He then yawned. "Look, it's late. I think we better be gettin some sleep" he said. "I say we try ta find more out bout dis tomorra." Lark nodded in agreement.

"Alright" she said. They both then walked into the lodge. They walked up the wooden stairs and into the bunkroom. It seemed everyone was sound asleep, even Jack. As Lark was going over to her own bunk, she was called to by a whisper.

"Lark!" said the whispering voice. Lark shot her head around and found the whisperer.

"What is it, Lo?" she asked her. Lo sat up in her bunk.

"You jus comin in?" Lo asked as she gave a yawn. Lark nodded.

"Yea" she whispered back. "I was filling in over at Irving Hall. Finished really late."

"Oh," Lo whispered. She went back down and went to try to fall asleep again, but Lark stopped her.

"You see Jack when he came in?" she asked. Lo turned over in her bed.

"Yea. He was… killing a spider in the washroom or something…" She said, slowly drifting back to sleep. She yawned again. "Why?" Lark shrugged. She didn't want to get into the whole conversation about Jack with someone who was about to fall asleep on her, especially since her and Shay made a pact not to mention anything.

"Oh, no reason." she said. She wasn't sure if Lo had heard her because she had fallen back to sleep. Lark gave a laugh. She then went over to her bed and fell fast asleep.

So yea, like I said, it was short… o well it was the best I could do right now… anyway, r&r please! And feel free to still enter a character into the casting call… that's all for now! Ctb!