"Heya Stupid." His signature smirk settled onto his face.

"Hey Jerk." She rushed forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. The door slammed shut behind her.

"You have a boyfriend and you didn't tell us?!" Hyper threw his hands up, he listened through the door. "This is absolutely ridiculous."

"Absolutely ridiculous," Sparkles repeated in a mocking voice.

"I missed you," Anastasia mumbled into Race's neck.

"I- I did too," Race murmured back.

"How's Manhattan?" Anastasia smiled, pulling back from the embrace.

"Well..." Race trailed off.

"What did you do..." Anastasia crossed her arms.

"It's more like what someone else did." Race huffed. "Pulitzer raised the price of papes, as ya know. So, we's on strike!"

"Ya on what now?" Anastasia's eyes widened.

"You heard me the first time sweetheart." Race crossed his arms before turning bright pink after he recalled that one Valentine's Day.

"Sweetheart huh?" Anastasia grinned dismissing the bright red on her face, circling Race. "What? Ya Mister Playboy now?"

"Not really-"

"Get a load of this!" Anastasia chuckled, waving her arms around. "Extra! Extra! Sweet little boy goes from a sweetheart to a playboy in the timespan of four and a half years!"

"Shut up Stupid." Race was still a gleaming shade of pink.

"Oh yeah? Ya don't wanna call me a sweetheart again?" Anastasia cackled, going on the balls of her feet to get close to Race's face.

If it was possible, Race got redder.

"At least you don't look like a child anymore." Race shrugged. "Growing up sure did ya well."

It was Anastasia's turn to flush bright red.

"You don't look half bad yourself." Her voice stumbled. (uGh, sO cRiNgy)

"What? Can't take a compliment Redwood?" Race laughed, getting all up in her face.

"Well if I can't, you certainly cannot." She pushed him back by his shoulders.

"Alright alright! We're getting off track heah." Race waved his hands around.

"Right." Anastasia nodded. "Strike huh?" She circled Race. "Has Jackie Boy lost his godd*mn mind?"

"Pfft." Race snorted. "He lost his mind before you left."

"Fair point."

"C'mon Stais, why don't ya join us? Stop The Woild and all the jazz."

Anastasia chuckled softly. "You still pronounce 'world' wrong."

"And erster." Race shrugged. "Old habits die hard, Stupid."

"Not Sweetheart?" Anastasia blinked, elbowing the taller boy.

"It slips out one time," Race grumbled.

"Just don't expect me to call you something like that." Anastasia crossed her arms.

"Wouldn't count on it." Race winked.

Anastasia made a gagging motion.

"It suits you though," Race commented, looking off absentmindedly. "Always have been, except for when you're mad."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Anastasia looked at him hesitantly.

"Who's that guy?" Snapper went on the tips of his toes, leaning atop of Ace staring out the window.

"Will ya get ya hands of my head?" Ace grumbled.

"Not a chance." Sparkles grinned, joining Snappers on the tips of his toes.

"I hate my life." Ace grumbled, crossing his arms. "Why do I have to be the shortest!" [AHDAJWHWHEH ACE]

"Because you're the baby." Sparkles patted Ace's head.

"Am not. I'm more mature than you!"

"Sure." Snapper laughed.

"YEAH? THAT WHY YOU DON'T WANNA JOIN THE STIRKE? RIGHT REDWOOD?" Race screamed, anger suddenly pulsing through him. Everyone's attention snapped back to the two frenemies.

The Queens newsies who were eavesdropping doubled.

"YEAH THAT'S WHY I AIN'T GONNA JOIN THE STRIKE!" Anastasia yelled back, frustrated with how Race was acting.

"You're such a coward." Race shook his head.

"Oh yeah? Yeah? I'm not the one walking up and about New York asking for help!" Anastasia frustrating ran her hand through her hair (which was currently down seeing as everyone was getting ready). "Not even normal help! This is Cavalry help Race!"

"If some of the guys like Crutchie ends up hurt it'll be your fault." Race angrily poked her shoulder.

"No, if some of the guys like Crutchie gets hurt it's your fault." Anastasia poked back. "I'm not the one striking Racer."

"Yeah? Yeah?" Race got up in her face like he used to when they were younger. "I don't know why we were friends in the first place." He turned his back.

"I don't know why either!" Anastasia huffed. Race started to walk back to Manhattan. "You're- you're just gonna walk away huh? Yeah! Yeah, go ahead after four and a half years of never seeing each other and this is how you're gonna end it? Okay! Yeah! Go ahead Racer!"

Race stopped, clenched his fists and grit his teeth, "I hate you." He then mumbled something incoherent.

"What's that Racer?" Anastasia sneered, trying to keep a steady voice.

"I HATE YOU!" Race yelled, turning back to Anastasia. "I- I- I WISH I LET THE COPS TAKE YOU!" [me: shattered] [heart: broken] [race: angry] [anastasia: also angry] [hotel: trivago] (I spent two minutes trying to read this 🤣) (I read it as "me: shattered heart" then ":broken race:" "angry Anastasia" "also angry hotel" "trivago") [SMH I DID TOO] (LOL) (I sEe yOu fiXed iT)

Anastasia felt as if she got punched in the gut. Race realized what he just said and immediately tried to take it back.

"I mean- I meant-"

"WELL I WISH I HADN'T TRIED SO HARD TO BE YOUR FRIEND!" Anastasia yelled back, holding in tears.

"Me too." Race mumbled, before turning back to Manhattan.

Anastasia lowered her head in shame of all the things she just said.

"Oh who am I kidding," Race grumbled to himself. "I never forgot you." He turned his head back to the fifteen-year-old.

"Neither did I," Anastasia whispered, voice cracking at the end.

Race's gaze softened, but he still turned back to Manhattan.

He had his shot, and he didn't take it. What's the point in trying if you're gonna miss?

"Let's go guys," Anastasia whispered softly, opening the door to the Queens lodging house knowing everyone was eavesdropping. She didn't feel like tying her shoes, or tucking in her hair, or really doing anything.

"Guess he wasn't her boyfriend." Hyper blinked. [NO SHEEP SHERLOCK] (jeez) (sO aNgrEh) [iM nOt AlwAyS aNgRy!] [.....sometimes i'm sarcastic and sometimes i'm sleeping] (truer words have not been spoken)

"Not the time Hype." Rowan narrowed his eyes.

"You okay?" Books asked in his 'big brother' voice.

"When am I ever?" Anastasia chuckled darkly, plopping her hat on her head and adjusting it. "I'm okay I guess. Some things are just too good to be true." She sighed. 

"I hope you don't expect us to pull something like that." Hyper joked while slinging an arm around Slip, lightning the mood. Rowan rolled his eyes, walking next to Books.

"Nah, you guys never met the expectations of 'too good to be true'." Slip cracked a grin.

"I'm wounded Sli- AH!" Hyper slipped on a newspaper.

Books and Anastasia cracked a couple grins before bursting into laughter.

"That's payback for yesterday!" Slip laughed.

"Karma." Books shook his head.

Rowan just grinned a small grin which only made Books's brighter. [ROWAN IS MY FAVORITE OKAY EVERYONE ELSE CAN GO HOME] [except you davey because i love you] [and anastasia because she's a queen] (hehe) (the leader of queens is a queen-)

"I have the meanest friends ever," Hyper groaned. [me] (me too)

"You love us." Slip stuck out her tongue.

"Whatever helps you sleep Slip." Hyper rolled his eyes but still grinned, knowing his and Rowan's plan to cheer her up worked.

AND THAT'S A WRAP PEOPLES!

Oof- this chapter was short today.

aNywAys,

✨ d r a m a ✨

bUt I'lL sEe yOu gUys nExT wEek oN lEaDer oF qUeens

cAusE iM piChuIzZy! aNd yOu'rE wAtChiNg diSnEy cHanNel *insert wand waving*

a gOod bYe

WAIT WAIT WAIT-

BEFORE YOU GO!

Don't forget to....

VOTE!

SELL YOUR PAPES!

COMMENT!

FIGHT MONSTERS!

SAVE THE WOILD!

AND TRY NOT TO DIE!

This is Izzy,
Over and out