Arrow walked down to The Circulation Window on his own the next morning, he avoided eye contact with Suitcase; she seemed to not want to talk to him. He couldn't help the urge, but to glance at her. The side view of her face seemed to show no emotion. She had moved her head and he looked away; she in turn glanced at him with somewhat of a sad look in her eyes. Arrow was in front of her buying his papers but he lingered around afterwards instead of walking directly out to sell his papers. Just as she had turned around, Arrow started to walk out of the door, Rain had been right behind her along with Smash.

"Arrow! Wait! Please!" She called after him with desperation in her voice running towards him her arm outstretched. She meant to grab his arm instead she brushed it with the tips of her fingers.

"No." Arrow said promptly he stopped dead in his tracks but kept his back to her. By this time, Smash and Rain had pulled up alongside her. Snack next in line, he watched from a distance the scene that was unfolding between his friends. The rest of the newsies occasionally looked askance towards the group, but mostly they merely ignored the scene. They didn't want to be involved, instead walked past the group and headed to their selling spot.

"Please, Arrow, please listen to me." She said walking closer to him she was three inches away from him. His head slightly moved so he could look sideways at her but otherwise there was no other indication he was going to face her fully. Snack walked up in between Smash and Rain watching as the other two were intently doing so.

"Arrow."

Arrow's chest welled up, it hurt inside, and his eyes glassed over, as the corners of his mouth fell downwards towards his chin.

"Arrow" she repeated softly. "Please. I'm sorry."

"I don't think youse sorry at all." Arrow's voice cracked with emotion.

Most of the room had already cleared with a couple of newsies still lingering around, counting their papers making sure they had received the correct amount and moreover to listen to the conversation a little more. Finally, the lingering newsies left, finding the emotional tension in the room as too much. Arrow, Suitcase, Smash, Rain, and Snack were the final kids in the room their papers under one arm.

Suitcase closed the three inches and placed her free hand on his shoulder.

"Why youse push me last night, Case? Why?" He whispered this for only she could hear it.

"I'm sorry Arrow. I didn't mean. I was upset. I mean. Well. It isn't youse fault."

"Youse not mad at me for bringing all that up?" Tears started to roll down his face, but he was not crying, his attempt to hold it back was crumbling with her every touch her every word. She now was rubbing him affectingly his upper back.

"I'm sorry. I just need to go and talk to Mush after we's done selling papes. I promise youse, youse can come with me with us."

He couldn't hold it back anymore, he started to cry and he turned to her.

"I thought youse were mad at me. Youse pushed me and I didn't like seeing youse cry, Case!"

"I don't like seeing youse cry, either."

Smash, Snack, and Rain looked at one another then decided to leave to their spots nodding their good byes to Suitcase. Suitcase hugged Arrow, he had come down to a snuffling and a hiccupping kind of stopping. Instead of feeling the welling up of sadness in his chest, his heart leapt, beating faster with her embrace. She let go of him pulling herself away from the hug; she looked up at him and smiled.

"Let's go sell our papers get it over with and go and see Mush and Jack Kelly."

He smiled at her and they walked out and out to the corner, they went their separate ways. Smash had found his own corner.

The group had met up, Rain had decided to stay to go and see Mush and Jack Kelly. The day seemed to be uneventful except for what had happened in the morning. The walk was in the brisk air of New York, the group didn't talk much as they walked. An hour later they finally arrived to their destination the Newsies Lodge House. Mush was sitting outside, when he saw Suitcase he came running up to her, running into her fairly hard and tackling her in a hug to the ground. The boys hadn't seen her smile bigger, Mush kissed her briefly. Rain gave a slight smile, Smash chuckled a little, but Arrow his face contorted with discomfort and then it was gone. A pang of jealousy rushed through him. Mush got up, putting a hand to help her up.

"Hey, Cowboy!" he ran over to the door to summon Jack Kelly. "They're here! And they've got a new kid with 'em too!"

Jack came barreling out to see the group, his cowboy hat around his neck.

"How've you been?"

"Good. Just had a little tussle last night, though." Suitcase admits.

"Oh? About what?" Jack asks.

"Well, I pushed Arrow down to the ground" Mush gave her a look of concern and shot his attention to Arrow.

"No, no. It wasn't his fault. I just was saying how people won't buy from me sometimes. How they say it because I'm a girl. Arrow just asked if that made me mad I said no, not really. Then it all overcame me."

"Well, maybe you should have Rain here, cut your hair short." Jack suggested. "It'll make you look like a boy and maybe they won't be so harsh. I mean….well, they'll still know you're a girl though, but maybe you could give it a try?"

"I'll think about it." She said with a wan smile.

"Well, I think you'd look pretty with short hair." Mush said suddenly. "You do complain how you always try to take care of your hair but it's so tangled there isn't a use. Just cut your hair I think it'll make you feel better. Don't mind what they say. They don't even know you like we all do."

The boys nodded and murmured in agreement.

"Well, should we go out to get a bite to eat? Oh." She turned towards Smash.
"This is Patrick…or Smash. He got a gimp knee. Chased by that Jacob character; he cut a corner too short and smashed his knee. Youse see his name and all."

"Cruchy will love him! He asked me this morning if his limp looked fake. Said there were plenty of fake cripples out there. I told him that his gimp didn't look fake. Now he has another real gimp. No offense." Jack turned to Smash.

"None taken." Smash replied.

"Well, I guess I ought to go gather up the boys then." Jack said the sprinted back into the lodge house.

A few minutes later, they started walking to eat. Crutchy caught up with the limping Smash.

"How you hurt your knee?"

"I ran into a wall real good. Got chased for stealing bread."

"Well, I had polio but it's gone know. It's a reason for my gimp." Cruchy smiled at Smash.

"I'm Cruchy." He held out his hand and Smash took it.

"Smash." He said firmly.

They walked in a short silence the rest of the way, then walked into the eating establishment. They sat at a long table, then ordered some of the cheaper things on the menu.

Smash had been separated from his group, sitting next to Crutchy who sat silent next to him. Their food had finally come, some chicken soup for most of them. They ate among them muffled talking; as each person finished their food. The noise level started to raise; they were now the loudest table in the establishment.

"Good soup, huh?" Crutchy said.

"I haven't ever had soup like that." Smash replied.

"It's good…but can get a little pricey."

Someone had thrown a left over bread roll across the table it hit Crutchy right square in the side of the head. He threw it back in the general direction, lifting his crutch in the air with victory as it hit someone in the face. Shortly after, the entire group had been kicked out due to rowdiness.

Suitcase decided after they had left the establishment, they had to go back home, the sun was starting to set.

"Need to get back before dark." She said.

"Well, we ought to see each other again." Crutchy said clasping Smash's hand in a handshake.

"I'm looking forward to it." Smash smiled genuinely

"Off we go, boys." Suitcase said.

Excited chatter on the events during dinner surged among the group, the travel home a lot more talkative than on the way there. Especially now they had food in their stomachs even though it made their pockets a bit lighter.

"When are we going to go back?" Smash asked"

"Probably a couple of weeks or so. It depends how we do selling papers. Youse taking a liking to Crutchy, huh? Youse two could become best friends! Youse be like brothers" Smash said smiling.

They approached The Lodge, decided to forgo the Dining Room and headed straight to bed.

"See youse tomorrow, boys." Suitcase said, yawning, she headed to the Girls Sleep Room. The boys headed to their sleep room together; the room was filling with the rest. In no time at all, it was lights out.

Arrow laid in bed, having trouble getting to sleep, trying to figure out the feelings he had when Suitcase hugged him. The feeling he had when she hugged and kissed Mush and her words of apology in the morning; his breaking down and crying in front of everyone. There was so much going on in his head he had his head spinning. He closed his eyes, the thoughts came rushing back,he tried to clear his mind taking a deep breath and relaxed. Finally he fell asleep all through the night.

A/N: There'll be a much longer more elaborate time their next meeting, promise.