Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie "Newsies." The only character I claim ownership over in this story is Shadow.

AHH school is being such a pain in my ass. The amount of homework and studying right now is unbearable, but I only have three more days of classes left. That's 27 periods. Or 18.45 hours. Or 1107 minutes. Or 66420 seconds. Could you tell I'm counting down? Then there's a week and two days of finals, but whatever. The point is, I'll be done soon and then I can write allll summer long. God, I can't wait.

So here goes. Not an extremely long one, but not extremely short either. Still, a lot gets cleared up in this chapter. Enjoy :)

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"I would never hoit ya on purpose, Shadow. I promise." Skittery's words lingered in the air and in my mind for the next few silent minutes. Still, neither of us moved.

We heard the sound of the newsies running upstairs. Kloppman must have told them they had to get some sleep. "Neither would the udda newsies." Skittery said, adding on to what he said a few minutes ago. "You'se got a few days before Kloppman lets ya leave anyway, so ya might as well at least jus' think about it..." he whispered.

Skittery let go of me and walked to his bed. He sat down just as the other newsies filed through the door. Knowing nothing about what happened, they noisily got ready for bed.

Even after I was sure everyone else had fallen asleep, I still couldn't. My eyes were tired, but my mind wouldn't let me fall asleep. What had happened to me? I was fine before all this. I never brought up my past and I chose to forget it.

I was a loner. I didn't let people talk to me or even make contact with me in any way. I liked it better that way and I was fine by myself. And then he comes along.

After hiding all of this for years, he comes along and I spill out my entire heart to him. 16 years of things I kept hidden from the world, Why had I let him hold me like that? I asked myself. I hate Physical contact. It makes me uncomfortable. I told myself ...or at least it always did.

Why was everything different with him? Why did I get that sad empty feeling in the pit of my stomach when he let go of me? Why did I feel comforted instead of nervous when he talked to me? And most of all...Even after I had tried to convince Skittery I didn't want to stay... Why did I know deep inside that it was a lie?

I didn't want to think about this anymore. I closed my eyes tightly and tried to force sleep to come.

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I didn't talk much to Skittery in the next few days. I didn't want to get even closer to him since I knew I would be leaving soon. I sat alone in the bunk room while the others sold their papes all day.

On the third day of being in the lodging house, I was sitting by myself in the room. It was about noon by that time. I had woken up around 8 o'clock, and the newsies were already gone by that time. They must have left really early every morning.

The weather outside that day was horrible. Even though the rain was on and off, the clouds still refused to leave.

Kloppman entered the bunk room carrying a large broom. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. Then he took a deep breath and mumbled something about "not used to having people there with him during the day."

"How do ya feel, Shadow?" he asked, starting to sweep the wood floor. I shrugged. He sighed and continued cleaning. When he had a large pile of dust collected in the corner, he leaned his broom against the wall and came over to me.

"A'right, hold still..." He ordered. Despite my mind telling me to move away, I stayed where I was. He unwrapped my bandaged arm for the first time and looked at the cut. It was almost healed. I would still get a dull pain every time I moved it, but it was dull enough that I could ignore it.

"Hmm... Very good. Okay, you'se free to go." He said. I had a feeling he would let me go that day. Kloppman told me I didn't have to stay more than a few days, and it had been three. Still, his words caught me by surprise.

"When you're ready and ya got your stuff togedda, come down and tell me. Then you'se free to leave. " Kloppman said, sweeping the dust into a pan and grabbing his broom before going downstairs.

I sat there for a while, just letting it sink in. What's the matter with me? I thought I'd be happy when I could leave this place? I thought I would be running for the door as soon as I was allowed to go.,,

Taking my time, I slowly washed my face and brushed through my thin hair with my fingers. I changed back into my old ripped up clothes that had been washed for me. Laying Skittery's clothes on his bed, my mind buzzed with thoughts.

I told Skittery I would think about staying. But I never let myself. I never let myself picture what it would be like to be a newsie. Because I knew that part of me might have actually wanted to stay.

As I placed the clothes I had borrowed from Skittery neatly on his bed, I let myself think about it for once. I pictured myself selling papers for a living, and not having to steal food anymore. I pictured myself living at the lodging house. It was my home and they were my friends. The newsies.

Then I pictured myself living on the streets again. I would have to go back to being alone and unbothered. I thought that's what I wanted, but then Skittery came to my mind. If I left, I couldn't just meet him on the roof anymore. It wasn't that simple anymore. Going back on the streets meant rarely seeing or talking to him anymore.

As I left the bunk room and walked down the stairs, I thought of something. I reached into my pants' pocket. It was still there, somehow managing not to fall out. My hand clasped around it and I pulled out the old dime. I had found it lying on the sidewalk months ago and picked it up.

I thought about using it for food. So I could buy my food for once instead of stealing it. But instead I thought I would save it, incase I needed it for something really important.

Kloppman saw me walking down the stairs. He nodded at me. "I'll cross your name off in da book." He said, looking down and dragging his finger across the names searching for mine. "You'se can go." He said, keeping his gaze down at the book.

Instead of heading for the door, I stopped at Kloppman's desk. He looked up at me and pushed his glasses up further on the bridge of his nose. "Is there something else you need?" he asked, confused.

I put the dime on the desk and slid it towards him. "This enough for da week? At least until I get more?" I asked. A smile spread across his face. "Shoah, dat's enough. But keep it for papes tomorrow. You'se can pay later. Glad to see you'se changed your mind."

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Despite the horrible weather outside, I was in a really good mood. There really was nothing to do while the other newsies were working, so I just lied in my bed for a while. The rain outside started to get harder until each drop hit the window with a loud noise.

I couldn't wait for Skittery to get back so I could tell him. I figured I would pass some time by sleeping, but the loud thunder outside kept me awake.

Sometime around 5 o'clock PM I heard a few sets of feet running up the wooden stairs. I sat up and saw Snitch, Dutchy, and Kid Blink enter. Their clothes were soaked through and through from the rain. They were the firsts to come home from selling, and they came up to the bunk room to change into dry clothes.

Kid Blink's bunk was next to mine. I saw him searching through his bedside drawer for a dry shirt. Even though he slept a few feet from me, I still hadn't spoken more than a few words to him since I'd been there.

I figured I might as well try to become friends with the rest of the newsies, since this was my home now and all. I was going to try to leave the street life behind and start off fresh. To try and forget everything that happened between my childhood and the first time I met the newsies. That meant at least attempting to trust people.

I still didn't feel so comfortable talking to the others, but I took a deep breath and tried to push past that. Here goes... I thought.

"Hey..." I said, looking over in Kid Blink's direction. He glanced up at me with a surprised look on his face. His mouth opened a little and he arched an eyebrow at me. "You talkin' to me?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah..." I replied, shrugging as if it weren't a big deal. He cleared his throat and stood up, grabbing a shirt out of the drawer. He was quiet for a second while he eyed me suspiciously. "Why?" he asked finally.

"I'm not allowed to say hi?" I responded. "'Course you can say hi... but uh, you sorta... don't talk to anyone 'cept Skittery. So I was just kinda surprised is all." Blink said, shrugging.

"Yeah, um... 'bout that... I'se sorry I'se been so cold towards ya guys. I just ain't... used to bein' around people much. But I guess I gotta get used to it..." I said.

"You mean you'se stayin?" Blink asked, sounding taken aback. "Yeah... why, is dat a bad thing?" I asked. He laughed. "Nah, 'course not. I just thought you wanted to get outta heah soon as ya could."

I shrugged. "I did, but... Guess I just changed my mind. Besides, sellin' papes can't be too hard, can it?" Blink grinned. "You'll do fine. Welcome to da newsies, Shadow." He said, taking his clothes into the washroom to change.

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For the next few hours, newsies filed in and out of the bunk room . When they were done changing, they went down to the lobby. I stayed upstairs, though, waiting for Skittery. He was one of the last to come in.

He walked with his head down and his hands in his pockets. He reached his bed without even noticing me, opening his drawer for a change of clothes.

"Heya Skittery." I said, sitting up in my bunk. He looked over at me, surprised. "Shadow! You'se still heah!" He said. "Why aren't ya gone yet?"

"Whadda ya mean? Am I supposed to be gone?" I asked. "This mornin' before I left Kloppman told me was gonna let ya go today. Didn't he tell ya?" Skittery replied, walking over to me. "Yeah, he told me a few hours ago."

"Oh... figured you'd wait 'nd say goodbye, then?" Skittery said, his smile disappearing again. I waited for a second before I shook my head. "Nah, I ain't sayin' goodbye."

"You'se stayin' heah?" Skittery asked in disbelief. "Yep. Me foist day as a newsie starts tomorrow." He stared at me for a while, grinning. "Good, I'se glad. I don't think I was ready to say goodbye, anyway." He finally replied, walking over to look for dry clothes again.

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Thanks for reading! Please review if you get the chance, and, as always, I should have another chapter up tomorrow.

ImaSupernaturalCSI, ktkakes, NarniaRulz-- thanks for reviewing the last chapter, you guys :D Much appreciated.