Hey guys, sorry for the pause in the story! Had some life changes going on. Anyways, here you go! Please R/R –Fighterr

The next morning, I awoke to Owl curled around my waist like a belt. I silently untangled myself from him and went to the bathroom for solitude. I climbed back into bed, and slowly watched the bunkroom come to life. Half of us- including myself- were silent. We were pensive and concerned. The other half were vocal about their excitement and got dressed like warriors going into combat. The boys, including Jack, reminded me of the Dothraki tribe, preparing to sack a village. Owl held on to me.

We made our way to the distribution office, where our strike would happen. We waited out front until Jack initiated the strike.

The entire thing was a blur. I don't remember having such panic and anger in my chest- not since I saw Mack cheating on me. I couldn't breathe, watching the strike happen all around me. I had convinced Owl to stay behind at the house, so I stood there, unmoving, amongst the jostling crowd. Maybe I was in shock because I saw them taking away Crutchy- his limp wouldn't allow him to move like the rest of us. Maybe I was in shock because Spot never showed up. Or maybe I was in shock when I saw Umberto fighting with a group of Queens newsies that had shown up to help us.

I saw his face, his rippling muscles towards the right of me. I just stared at him, trying to make sure this was for real and not a figment of my imagination. But he was real- or as real as this weird time-traveling-dream-state could get. I felt my stomach drop, but he didn't look my way. And once the police came, I ran with a group of boys back to the lodging house. There, of course, the entirety of all of the newsies that fought in the morning (with the exception of Crutchy) came back to discuss the strike.

I hid on the fire escape, close enough to the window to hear, but furthest away so I could not be seen. The only conversation that was happening was of the strike and of Crutchy. My heartbeat didn't settle until I knew that Umberto had left, and even then, I couldn't settle down. I stayed out on the fire escape, my arms wrapped around my knees, my forehead laying on top of my arms. What was I going to do now? What was I going to do about anything?

"Hey, Prize," Bumlets said, putting a warm hand on my back as he climbed out next to me. I held back my emotions.

"Hey," I replied. We silently looked at the sky together. We stayed like that for a few minutes. I took a shaky breath. "When did everything get so fucked up?"

"Everything," Bumlets began. "Is always going to be fucked up. No matter where you go. The only thing we can do is find people who make things less fucked up."

I was overwhelmed- I wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms and his embrace, like I embrace Owl. I wanted to feels his arms around me, I wanted him to kiss my forehead and tell me everything was going to be all right. But, I was Enzo. I was Prizefighter. I wasn't Elena anymore. So instead, I nodded my agreement, and urged my heart to quiet.

"Everything is going to be okay in the end," He said, his words applicable to my situation in more ways than one.

"If it's not okay, it's not the end," I replied, quoting my MySpace page from middle school. He smiled.

"That was wise. You should patent that," Bumlets joked. I smirked. If only he knew the things I could patent.

"Thank you, for everything," I said, for what felt like the thousandth time I thanked him in the small time I knew him.

"I'm glad you didn't get hurt today."

I wasn't hurt by the police brutality, but my security of my entire disguise, my entire life and my friends was in jeopardy because of stupid Umberto. I needed to make it through the strike without meeting face to face with him.

Oh, and except for that date thing I had with him. Face to face. As a girl. Great.