Snitch raises his fists in the air, hooting and howling at the top of his lungs. His friends look at him with raised eyebrows, but say nothing. It's none of their business if Snitch has never been in a car before.

Jack, however, laughs and continues driving. This makes Snitch's heart flutter even more; he wonders, and not for the first time, if maybe he does have a chance with the Jack of 1942. A man with so many women has to be hiding something, right?

Or maybe he's just being hopeful

But he doesn't care, not right now. Right now, he's happy to enjoy the feeling of the wind running her long fingers through his curls, trying to knock him off his seat, feeling the power of going so fast and not being able to control it… to Snitch, this is the single most exhilarating feeling he's ever experienced.

But of course, Snitch is still a virgin, so he has little to compare it to.

Jack pulls up the curb to the quaint little house that Snitch recognizes as Lute's. The car trembles beneath them as Jack leans on the horn, signaling to Lute that her ride is here.

The girl runs out of her house and leaps into the car, waving over her shoulder to a pretty blonde woman with a redhaired toddler in her arms.

Once he's sure Lute is settled in her seat, squished between Race and the stuttering Bella, Jack hits the gas and takes off again, his sole mission to make sure that students of both schools get to their first class on time.

"Okay, so explain to me why the kid won't shut up?" Race asks, rolling his eyes as Snitch starts to holler again.

Jack grins. "He's never been in a car before, Race. Don't you remember your first time?"

"You make it sound like he lost his virginity," Pie Eater cackles.

Snitch blushes and shuts his mouth for a moment, not wanting to seem too excited.

But after a while, he just can't contain himself anymore. He lifts his arms in the air and shouts with contagious glee, making the entire car laugh.

"The kid's got a voice!" Jack cries, making Snitch's smile brighten. "Maybe he should do a little jivin' at the next party?"

Pie Eater hoists himself up beside Snitch and hoots as well. People are staring, but neither boy really notices or cares.

"Hey, Snitch! Let's do some jivin' now, Jackson!" Pie offers.

"What?"

"Sing!" Pie opens his mouth and sings brightly: "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!"

"Doo wat doo wat doo wat doo wat doo wat doo wat doo wat doo wah!" the others join in, laughing and giggling. "It don't mean a thing, all you gotta do is sing!"

Snitch feels a sudden jolt as his new friends keep singing, and he realizes he knows the song, though he can't remember ever having really heard it.

He grins a Pie, and starts to sing at the top of his lungs: "Makes no dif'rence if it's sweet or hot, just sing that thing give it ev'rything you've got, oh!"

The kids cheer as Jack turns to corner towards P.S. 136. Several scrutinizing glances are tossed their way, but the hepcats pay no attention. They are carefree teenagers, too old to not understand the war, too young to take part.

All they want to do is live life to the fullest.

Spikes Clayborne, a member of Race's class at P.S. 136, sits down at the wooden lunch table, a brown paper bag in his hand.

"Anyone wanna trade with me?" He asks. "Mama gave me tomato sandwiches again."

"I hate these goddamn limitations," his girlfriend, Dreamer, sighs.

"But if it's food from a Victory Garden," Chips James interjects, "It just tastes all the better."

"You're corny!"

"That's the Bible!"

Snitch, having forgotten to make a lunch, sits and watches enviously as Dreamer hands Spikes a pair of green apples for one sandwich. "I can't believe I forgot my lunch!"

"Not our fault, Pops," Pie comments, squishing into the small space between Sam and Hotshot.

Snitch pouts.

Crutchy, possibly the nicest guy at P.S. 136, gives Snitch a look of pity. "Mom keeps telling me to stop being so charitable, but…" He reaches into his bag and pulls out a large, round orange. "They grow on a tree outside my house. You want it?"

Snitch stares at Crutchy for a moment, then eagerly takes the orange into his boxy hands and peels it.

Pie Eater stares. "I never saw nobody peel an orange with their hands before…" he comments.

"When you live on the streets for eight years, you learn life skills others don't have," Snitch replies, placing a chunk of orange in his mouth.

"Live on the streets?" Sparker asks, taking a seat between Lute and Shad. "Did you live on the streets, Snitch?"

"I never heard that," Shad says thoughtfully.

"Don't surprise me!" Race interjects. "We found him outside the abandoned train station."

Snitch is blushing now. "Um… I don't really wanna talk about it, okay?"

"But, Snitch!"
"How'd you survive?"

"How did you collar your food?"

"Where'd you catch your cups?"

"Hey!" Lute stands up, holding her arms out. "Hey! Why don't you all shut up and leave him alone?"

Skam glares at her. "What's your problem, pidge?" He demands.

"He said he don't want to talk about it, so we won't talk about it," she replies, nodding. "And that's final."

"Well, you don't have to bust your conk about it," Skam mutters sullenly.

"Shut your mouth, Corey Ehrler!"

Spikes snickers. "Mama Lute strikes again!"

Lute blushes, but says nothing in reply.

There is a silence among the students for a moment as they eat and try to think of other topics.

"Well, that was a hard spiel," Crutchy says finally, making everyone laugh. "Come on, cats. I brought my git-box today. I could play a couple songs, we could-"

"That'd be absolutely too much!" Pie exclaims, getting up. "Where is the thing anyway?"

Crutchy reaches under the table and pulls out a battered, brown guitar case. Snitch watches curiously as the crippled boy carefully takes his instrument from it's case and strums a chord on it. "She's perfect." Crutchy says, grinning. "As usual."

"Killer-diller!" Pie cheers, making the others laugh. "Let's jam!"

Crutchy starts playing a tune on his guitar, and the Ehrler twins crack up when they recognize it: 'Jersey Bounce'. Skam, a percussionist, starts to pound the backbeat on the table, and the others whoop in delight, getting up to dance. Chips, an occasional singer at the clubs, starts the song up in her light voice:

"They call it that Jersey bounce
A rhythm that really counts
The temperature always mounts
Wherever they play, the funny rhythm they play."

"Woo-hoo!" Pie Eater jumps onto the table, then flips right back off, causing the others to laugh and applaud.

Snitch watches, feeling Skam's beat and grinning with anticipation of the next daring move these strange but lovable kids of the future try to pull.

"What a blip!" Misprint cries, taking Sam's hand as she shimmies slightly, curling the white dress of her uniform around her knees.

"It started on Journal Square
And somebody heard it there
He put it right on the air

And now you hear it everywhere," Chips continues, smiling and dancing a little herself. For the most part, Snitch is enjoying himself. His foot taps in time with the music, and he can't keep himself from grinning,

How did I ever live without such lively music? he asks himself.

"Hey! Keep it down over here!"

The music stops abruptly, and Snitch lifts his head to watch, curiously. A new group of kids has settled around their party, but they don't look happy.

Pie Eater scowls. "Oh, shut up, Itey," he says. "This ain't your place."

Itey? Snitch glances at the dark-haired boy. Dear God! He looks just like Its! But… Snitch bites his lip.

"Your stupid music is ruining my lunch!" Itey shouts back.

"Fuck you and fuck your lunch!" Race cries, gathering applause from his fellow hepcats.

A dark-haired girl hesitates before jumping in. "Um, guys, really… don't fight, please?"

"Oh, stay out of it, Polecat," Pie spits. Polecat, looking a little hurt, steps back.

A fragile-looking girl shakes her head. "Don't let them get to you, Poley," she reassures.

"Thanks, Amethyst." Polecat replies.

Snitch starts to wonder what this is all about. He pokes Shad's shoulder and asks.

"All of them?" Shad explains, pointing at the new faces. "They're ickies. They hate our music, our jive, our dancing… why? Don't know. They just do."

"All of them?"

"Absolutely, gate. Specs don't like us (even though he's dating Hotshot), Itey don't like us, Polecat… well, Poley and Amethyst are okay, I guess, but they're just square. That's their problem. Anyway, Skinflint and Slash don't much like us either, even though Mani and Slash have been dating for almost a year now." Shad shrugged. "Slash blames the whole swing thing on Lute, and Lute keeps accusing Slash of trying to steal her best friend, but they put up with each other. 'Cause they have to, I think."

Snitch shrugs.

The final icky girl rolls her eyes. "This is pointless, fellas," she says.

Itey glares at her, then looks at the boy behind him, a Specs lookalike, Snitch notes with curiosity.

Specs scowls. "You start playing that stuff again and we'll be over here to kick your asses."

"Like you'd even want to try getting dirt under your fingernails, pansy!" Race accuses. Specs jerks as if to attack, but is caught by Amethyst and Hotshot. The latter girl says goodbye to her hepcat friends and goes over with Specs in an attempt to calm him down.

"Well, since we can't jive right now," Spikes pouts, "I say we go to Harlem for a party tonight. What says you guys?"

Sparker's hand shoots into the air. "I'm in!" She cries. Snitch notices some glances of pity behind her back and wonders the reason behind them.

Sling Nicoll claps her hands. "I'll go. No problem."

The Ehrler twins glance at Lute and Mani, then turn back to Spikes. "Us too!" They all four shout in unison, making the others laugh.

Plans are made to meet in Harlem that night at seven. The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch.

Snitch and Pie pass notes back and forth through class, discussing the party that night. Snitch is both embarrassed and pleased when he realizes Pie is correcting the spelling and grammar in his notes; he hates that it is being noticed, but likes the fact that Pie is taking the time to help him.

Snitch feels appreciated for the first time in a long time.

Sulley is upset when Snitch says he is going to Harlem with his friends that night.

"Stop getting to know these people!" Sulley insists. "It'll just make things harder when you have to go back to 1899!"

Snitch refuses to reply to these comments. He's still not quite sure if he wants to go back or not.

It is Ange who convinces Sulley to let their young ward go out and have a good time. Snitch grins at this. Itey was always able to get Snitch to do anything. That was just the way his crafty Italian mind worked.

Snitch heads off to Harlem when Pie, Race, and Dutchy pick him up that afternoon. The boys walk leisurely for an hour, discussing their favorite artists (Snitch is left out of this conversation, but is happy just to listen; this topic is interesting to him) and their favorite girls.

This is a topic Snitch wants left out of, but isn't.

"Fuck it, Race, you know you're all over Misi," Dutchy teases before turning his blue-eyed gaze to Snitch. "Whaddabout you, New Kid? You got a wren you wanna take for a twirl?"

"N-… not really," Snitch replied uncomfortably.

"C'mon, Snitch!" Pie Eater encourages. "Don't lie, now!"

"I ain't lyin'!"

"I saw you dancin' with Lute the other night," Race comments slyly. "You want her to be your main squeeze?"

Snitch blushes bright. "No!"

"Yes he does," Pie counters. "And if he don't, he should, 'cause Lute likes him."

"She does?"

"Of course she does!" Pie replies, looking surprised. "I've known that girl forever; she don't usually take to guys as fast as she took to you."

Snitch thinks on this for a moment.

Race nudges him. "Well? Do ya?"

Snitch blushes, trying to think of how to answer. It doesn't seem like any answer would really get him out of a good teasing, but he doesn't really want to be teased.

Luckily, he is saved from having to answer the question by a car pulling up beside them in the street, Jack in the driver's seat.

"I heard about the party in Harlem from Sparker," he says, smiling. "You gates want a ride?"

The boys from P.S. 136 pretend to think it over for a moment, then hop into the backseat of the car.

When they are all settled in and Jack has started to drive, Snitch starts to feel that rush of excitement again. He thinks momentarily that even if everything else in 1942 comes out to be not quite what he thinks it is, he would stay anyway, just to be able to ride in a car.

"Jack, tell me about the car," Snitch says over the wind.

Jack laughs. "You wanna know something sad, Snitchy?" He says, making Snitch's heartbeat speed up. "Race back there knows more about this car than I do."

Snitch turns to Race. "Do you really?"

Race blushes slightly, but nods. "I want a car more than anything else. They're just too expensive these days, what with the war and all."

"What's the war got to do with it?"

"They're not making any new cars," Dutchy explains. "All that metal is going to make airplanes and tanks and bombs and shit."

Snitch blinks and ponders whether or not to ask what those things are.

"So the price of cars went way, way up," Dutchy continues. "Only hincty folks like Jacky-boy here can afford them." He laughs as Jack shouts at him to shut up.

Snitch looks at the back of Jack's head, then goes back to Race. "Tell me about the car, Race."

"It's a 1941 Buick Super Phaeton. Quite a choice," Race nods dreamily. "Even though I'm more for a Cadillac myself. But the white wall tires and the convertible top… oh, this baby's solid murder, Jackson."

He says this with a wistful look in his eye, and Snitch feels sorry for him. Even though he doesn't really understand what Race said, he guesses they all must be good things.

Jack turns onto a new street, and Snitch's jaw drops while the others cheer. The entirety of the street is taken up by one huge building. The building's marquee reads 'Savoy!: World's Finest Ballroom!' in electric, purple letters, and there's already a line of people waiting outside. Snitch recognizes some of them from P.S. 136 and others from the party the other night.

"We're gonna have a ball tonight!" Pie Eater hoots loudly, almost ready to leap out of the car while it's still moving. "Lookit all them people! It's gonna be a mess!"

Dutchy eyes Pie warily while Race glances at Jack. "Jacky-boy, what's the line tonight? I only have fews and two."

Jack waves a hand in dismissal as he parks his car. "It's all on me tonight, boys. Don't worry."

Pie Eater and Dutchy cheer again, but Race scowls. "Jack, you don't have to-"

"Race, I do."

Race gives in reluctantly, and Snitch smiles. Jack was always good at that sort of thing.

The boys hop out of the car and get in line behind Reesie, Darla and Spot.

Jack grins at them. "Spotty, where's your queen?"

"Gypsy?" Spot replies. "She's comin' later. Don't sweat it, gate." He shoots Jack a glare that says 'Keep your playin' paws off my chick', and Snitch fights the urge to laugh.

"What about you pigeons?" Jack asks, leaning against the stone wall and grinning like a cat. "Your gates comin'?" Snitch feels a small wave of jealousy, and is surprised at just how small a wave it was.

Darla rolls her eyes. "You're sadder than a map, Jack Kelly." She says. "You got three wrens already, you don't need anymore. 'Sides, I'm taken."

"And you can't fool me, Jack," Reesie says, nodding. "I ain't got my glasses on. I know who my friends are."

"You saying I ain't your friend?" Jack pouts.

"I'm saying I know you too well to give into your flirting. 'Sides, Sparker and Sling are both here already, and Bella's coming later. I'd say you've already got enough on your plate."

Jack scowls at her. "I never have enough on my plate."

"Then you better start lookin' for gates who'll have you, 'cause once Bella, Sparker and Sling get a whiff of what you been doin', there ain't a bree in the Apple that'll take you for her lane."

Jack scowls some more, upset. Dutchy, Race and Pie all snigger at him.

The line shortens, and slowly but surely, Snitch and his crew are let into the Savoy. Snitch is taken aback by it's splendor as he enters; the dirty little club they had been at the other night keeps looking more and more like a rat-hole in the slums. This… this is lavish, this is opulent, this is exquisite, and all kinds of other words Snitch doesn't know.

Jack shouts out to everyone in the lobby, "Sodas, on me!" and a cheer erupts. Snitch turns to Pie Eater, smiling.

"Something I recognize," he says, grinning. "Soda."

"Oh, but man… you have to do a suicide." Pie beams at him. "It's righteous!"

Alarmed, Snitch asks what a suicide is.

"You order a soda, then ask the soda jerk for a suicide. He pulls random levers until the cup's full. You never know what you're gonna get." Pie bites his lip and shuts his eyes as if experiencing ecstasy in its purest. "Solid, cat, real solid."

"Soda jerk?" Snitch asks.

"Yeah. The soda jerk. You know?" Snitch shakes his head and Pie Eater gapes at him in shock. "You're sad, man."

Pie and Snitch get in line, watching a peculiar crowd gathered at the other end of the bar. When they get to their turn, Pie orders two suicides. The soda jerk behind the counter takes a cup and puts it under one of five levers.

"Now watch. He's gonna do a suicide." Pie says.

The soda jerk places his cup under one of the levers, then pushes it down for a few moments before moving on to another… then another… and another. He then passes it to Pie Eater, who raises the cup to his mouth and takes a drink.

"Damn. More cherry than anything else. I don't like cherry." He looks at Snitch. "Wanna try it?"

Snitch takes it and oh, the sensation! His first thought is of how weird the taste is, but then he starts to experience it. There was nothing like this in 1899.

His feelings must be shining on his face because Pie Eater laughs. "You keep that one then. I'll take the next one."

"And hurry up, if you can," says a female voice behind them.

"Yeah, we'd kinda like to get on the dance floor before the joint closes?" says another.

Snitch turns and sees Lute and Carrot standing together. Tonight, Lute is wearing brown, which might look dull from afar, but actually makes the green of her eyes stand out strikingly. Carrot, on the other hand, wears navy blue, one of probably two colors that goes with her orange hair.

Snitch smiles at them and gives a short hello while behind him, Pie is ignoring everything and trying to make sure he gets as little cherry soda as possible (the soda jerk is making this difficult).

"Did you guys get in on the tip board?" Carrot asks.

Snitch blinks. He doesn't even know what a tip board is. "No…"

"Good," Lute says. "Don't. It's stupid. A waste of money."

Carrot makes a face at her. "You just don't like risks, Lutells."

"You just like risks too much, Bridie."

"Don't call me that!"

Lute smirks. "Bridie! Bridie! Bridie!"

"Stop it! You sound like my sister!"

Pie Eater rolls his eyes. "Will you hens stop cackling? It's really annoying."

"Ouch, that hurts," Carrot spits, "Being called annoying by the single worst hepcat in town-"

"Hey! Hey! Hey! I got more hip in my little finger than both you pigeons got in your entire bloodstream!"

"That makes no sense whatsoever," Lute remarks. She looks at Snitch. "Why do you continue to waste your time with this kid?"

Snitch bristles. "He's fun. He makes me laugh. And he's willing to help me."

"So am I."

Snitch raises his eyebrows, but doesn't respond. Carrot glances between them, then shares a smirk with Pie Eater.

"Well, gates, this has been a regularly jumpin' party, but if you've got your drinks, we'd like to get ours, please?"

Pie Eater rolls his eyes again and starts to shove Snitch back over to the lobby. "See you on the dance floor, chicks."

"Only if you're lucky," Carrot shoots.

Lute brushes past Snitch as she heads for the fountain. "Your glims are real pretty," she tells him quietly. "Just thought you should know." She looks at him, then laughs slightly before continuing on her way.

Snitch ponders on what that means for a moment before being dragged away by Pie Eater.

"C'mon, let's hit the dance floor. There's no party out here," Pie insists, apparently not aware that, since his hand is clamped around Snitch's wrist, wherever he goes, Snitch will follow.

Pie Eater takes him up the marble stairway and throws the doors to the ballroom open. Snitch gasps with awe.

The ballroom is huge, with two bandstands (although only one is being used at the moment) and plenty of colored spotlights. The dance floor, already filled with dancing teenagers is a large, wooden rectangle, dented and scratched in several places from the saddle shoes and wingtips that have been touching it for so long.

"They're gonna replace the flooring sometime next year," Pie comments, noticing Snitch's gaze. "They do that every three years."

Snitch nods.

"Come on and dance, Snitch," Pie Eater offers as the band kicks up a new tune. "It'll be fun."

"This one sounds slow… I don't wanna dance slow…" But something sparks inside his head, and he realizes that the song won't stay slow… it'll get fast soon, and he wants to dance to it after all. But not with Pie Eater.

Pie Eater raises his eyebrows, shrugs, and goes to find another dance partner.

Snitch wanders around the dance floor for a while, singing the words to the song under his breath, not even aware that he's doing so.

"Of all the boys I've known, and I've known some
Until I first met you, I was lonesome
And when you came in sight, dear, my heart grew light
And this old world seemed new to me."

The spotlights dance across the ceiling and floor. Teenagers hold each other close, waiting patiently for the brass to crack out it's first screaming note so they can dance faster, at a screaming tempo. On one side of him, Skittery and his girl

(stage her nickname is stage you know that no you don't but you do)

are connected, swaying back and forth. On the other side, Carrot and Dutchy are doing the same, but arguing under their breath. This all seems perfectly natural to Snitch as he meanders about. It seems like it has always been this way, even though he's never truly done this before.

"You're really swell, I have to admit you
Deserve expressions that really fit you
And so I've racked my brain, hoping to explain

All the things that you do to me."

The tempo picks up, and Snitch catches his shoulders bouncing to the beat. Up ahead is Skam, pulling Reesie onto the dance floor as Shad dances on his own. Lute and Frog stand nearby, Lute half-heartedly twirling beneath Frog's arm.

(she hates that he's younger than her but also taller)

Snitch realizes that he knows this fact and is surprised. How does he know these things?

The chorus of the song comes, and Snitch closes his eyes, singing along and fully aware of it:

"Bei mir bist du schön, please let me explain
Bei mir bist du schön means you're grand
Bei mir bist du schön, again I'll explain
It means you're the fairest in the land."

Snitch looks up, and sees an alarmed Boots lookalike run up to Spot and start shouting. Spot's eyes widen, and he runs for the stage.

"I could say "Bella, bella", even say "Wunderbar"
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are…"

Spot grabs the microphone and the music squeals to a stop.

"Pounders!" He gasps. "The man! They're here!"

"Wuh-what would the puh-puh-pounders be duh-doing here?" Bella demands.

"The tip board! Someone tipped off the tip board!"

"What?" Race cries. "Oh shit!"

A riot for the doors starts then. Snitch is swept up in it, running not because he understands (the spark that helped him know things he shouldn't have known disappeared almost as soon as Spot took the microphone), but more to keep from being trampled by others. Someone grabs the sleeve of his shirt and drags him backwards, against the flow. Snitch lets whoever it is take him, and tries not to get hurt as he fights the current.

Finally, he can breathe again, and is being escorted down a dark stairway. Up ahead are several footsteps, so he guesses that it must be a group of people.

He realizes the mob situation had something to do with 'pounders'. Whatever those were.

A door opens, and cool night air blows inside. A girl's voice cries out in shock at the cold, but the teens emerge into the night anyway. Once outside, Snitch can see again, by the stars and streetlights. Jack was the one dragging him along, but also there is Pie Eater, Spot, Lute, Shortie, Carrot and several others. They hesitate for a moment as Shad and Skam lead Frog out of the building, then shut the door.

"Get against the walls, guys, hurry!" Jack commands, his voice hushed. He doesn't even have to speak; already kids are diving for the walls of the alleyway, pressing themselves flat. Snitch, trapped between a shivering Lute and panting Sam, quietly asks what's going on.

Lute turns and claps a hand over his mouth. After the initial sting and resentment wears off, he realizes he can smell the scented oil on her hands… lilies. Her shoulder shivers against his chest, and her head is turned towards the mouth of the alleyway, where Jack is kneeling. A soft breeze blows her hair into his face, tickling his cheeks and nose…

He is shocked to find himself noting these things and quickly makes himself stop.

Jack waves his hand, and Lute releases Snitch, glaring. "You idiot!" she cries. "If we'd been caught because of you, I… I… augh!"

She stands up and storms away to talk to Shortie and Carrot. Snitch wonders what he did wrong, and Sam puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Now, you were asking what was going on?" Sam says calmly. "Pounders are police. See, what happened was that Moe Paddon, the owner, was letting his bartenders run a tip board. You know what that is?"

Snitch shakes his head.

"Illegal. Gambling. There's a sheet of cardboard with a bunch of little holes in it, and in those holes are sheets of paper with amounts of money written on them. You go up to the bartender, ask for a pull and hand him a dollar. He'll give you a little pin, and then you can poke out one of the sheets of paper. Whatever amount of money is on that sheet of paper, you win. It can be anything, from nothing to a hundred dollars."

Snitch whistles. "So someone reported that and… and the police came?"

Sam nodded. "Easy as that. We're good though. I think everyone got out, 'cause Jack said they're all gone now."

Spot shrugs his jacket off his shoulders. "Looks like the party's over, cats. Let's cut out." he says, disappointed. Gypsy takes his hand and squeezes it. "Who wants to ride with me?"

"And who wants to ride with me?" Jack offers as well. Snitch glances around and realizes that even with Spot's car added to the mix, some of them will have to walk home.

Seats in Jack's car are taken fast as Sling, Sparker and Bella all leap at the chance, then offer Spike a squeeze in the middle too. Gypsy, Darla and Crutchy take Spot's car.

The rest of them are left to walk home under the starlight.

Snitch feels a little jealous that Jack didn't offer to take him home, but then decides that maybe that's okay.

Mentally, he smacks himself. No. It's not okay. If he can't have Jack in 1899, then he wants to have Jack in 1942. It's only fair.

There is a rather large group of them, so Snitch thinks that he could handle the long walk. Chattering voices fill his ears, and he feels at home. Cheerful babblings, lots of people… it's like being back in 1899, heading back to the Lodging House from Medda's… what was that place called again?

Snitch blinks as he realizes he doesn't remember.

He thinks, long and hard, but just can't seem to call up the name of Medda's place. As a matter of fact, he can't remember Medda's last name. Or her nickname.

He starts to panic slightly. Sweat appears on his face as he thinks desperately, grasping and not finding any of these facts that used to not matter at all and now matter like breath.

A hand on his shoulder makes him gasp and turn. Lute blinks and removes her hand.

"Sorry," she mutters. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"No… no problem… " Snitch says, running his fingers through his hair.

"Anyway… I'm sorry I yelled at you. I was just scared. You know? I don't want to go to jail. I can't. Mom would kill me and Daddy would be so upset when he heard…" she pauses. "I gotta take care of Leah and Max since Mama and Lissy work and everything…"

Snitch nods. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he understands what she is saying.

She nods too. "Just thought you should know," she finishes before going back to Shortie's side.

Snitch watches her for a moment, then turns back to the front when Dutchy cries out in anger.

"Oh fuck, not you!"

Before them is another large group of kids. Some of them are incredibly familiar to Snitch (More newsies lookalikes, he thinks with an annoyed sigh), and all of them are smirking madly.

A freckle-faced teen with a strong jawline, the obvious leader, steps forward. "What are you cats doing out here so late at night? Shouldn't you be off dancing and forgetting that we're at war here?"

Race scowls. "Fuck you, Scraps."

"I believe, Race, that you should be the one being fucked."

"If that's an offer, I want it to be on the record that I'm disgusted and am turning you down."

Scraps blushes slightly, but keeps his serious expression. "I just don't understand what it is about that crap that you call music. What's the catch?"

"The catch is that ickies like you don't know the rhythm so we don't have to put up with you!" Mush spits.

Scraps raises his eyebrows. "Nick Meyers? Oh, now there's a find! What would your grandfather say if he knew you were a swing kid?"

Mush blushes but says nothing.

"It's not like it's your business anyway," Mani cries. "So cut out, Jeff. You're spoutin'."

Scraps scowled. "Don't give me your stupid Harlem-ese talk. I don't wanna hear it."

"Hincty," Chips mutters under her breath.

Two other boys move forward, and Snitch bites his lip when he recognizes them as Swifty Li and Jake Mathers. Holy crap, he thinks. Jake, Swifty, Itey, Pie and me… we used to be a team… but now… it's me and Pie versus Swifty, Jake and Itey… oh, God…

"Scraps, it ain't a big deal," Swifty says, his hand around the waist of a bony, pale-skinned girl. "I'm too tired to deal with them now. Let's do it some other time."

"Yeah," Jake agrees. "I gotta meet up with Sneaks."

Scraps glares at them, his brown eyes screaming 'Traitor!', but he turns to look at the hepcats, staring them down.

"We're not finished," he says.

Carrot giggles loudly. "That's so over dramatic, Scraps. Can't you think of anything better?"

Scraps blushes and glares at her. "You're all just stupid idiots anyway!" He shouts angrily. "You don't give a fuck about the soldiers over there fighting the krauts and the japs, do you?"

Frog moves as if to attack, but Reesie and Shortie grab him, half-heartedly holding him back. Scraps notices this and smiles.

"It was nice seeing you here," he says, his voice dripping with cynicism. "Give Jack and Spot my regards."

With that, he and his crew walk away into the night.

"That fucking asshole!" Race cries as soon as they're gone. "That fucking, hincty, square asshole!"

"Race, calm down," Misprint says softly. "He was just trying to get to us."

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Frog says sullenly before turning to Shortie and Reesie. "Why'd you guys hold me back? I was gonna beat him to a pulp! And! And! You guys are Jewish too! Don't you got relatives over there?"

Reesie nods curtly and Shortie doesn't do anything. "It just probably would be better if your aunt didn't see you coming home with blood on your clothes." Reesie remarks.

Frog pauses, then pouts for a moment. Lute hugs him comfortingly.

"What was that all about?" Snitch asks as they all start to walk again.

"Those were ickies from St. Catherine's," Mush explains. "Scraps McHugh, Swifty Li, Jake Mathers, Skylar Oswald, Holiday Blackett, and some others." he makes a noise of dismissal. "They hate us, y'know. Their goal in life is to rid the world of all hepcats."

"They've got a real job ahead of them, then," Snitch quips, and is surprised when everyone else laughs.

"Let's get off this subject, shall we?" Stage suggests.

"What do we talk about then?" Skittery asks, hugging her shoulders.

There's a thoughtful silence, filled only by the many pairs of wingtip shoes clacking against the pavement until Shad perks up.

"Hey! Let's sing!"

"Sing what?" Skam asks.

Another thoughtful silence.

This time, it's Shortie who starts things, but singing loudly:

"Who's the lovin' daddy with the beautiful eyes
What a pair o' lips, I'd like to try 'em for size!"

Stage laughs and joins in:

"I'll just tell him, "Baby, won't you swing it with me"
Hope he tells me maybe, what a wing it will be."

Reesie joins in next.

"So, I said politely "Darlin' may I intrude"
He said "Don't keep me waitin' when I'm in the mood!"

Soon, Lute, Hotshot and Misprint are singing as well, the girls' voices carrying to the starlight.

"First I held him lightly and we started to dance
Then I held him tightly what a dreamy romance
And I said "Hey, baby, it's a quarter to three
There's a mess of moonlight, won't-cha share it with me"
"Well" he answered "Baby, don't-cha know that it's rude
To keep my two lips waitin' when they're in the mood!"

Soon, every hepcat has their arm around another's shoulders, and all are singing, even Snitch, who has felt that strange spark for the third time today, and realizes that he not only knows the words, but the title of the song and the artists who perform it (In the Mood, by Glenn Miller with the Andrews Sisters).

His left arm is over Pie's shoulder, and his right around Lute's waist as they all sing towards the sky, not caring about anything else.

There's no where else I'd rather be, Snitch thinks, smiling, laughing, and singing, just like all the other kids around him. This is where I want to be.

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***

I have done the research:

There were cars available for sale during the war. Just not new ones. I found Jack's exact car online (loooove the whitewall tires), so I know what I'm talking about when I describe it.

There were gas rations, which lowered the number of drivers, but those weren't enforced until 1943.

My original idea was to have the police storm the club for underage drinking, but I couldn't find anything on the drinking laws during the '40s (When I tried, I just kept getting drunk driving statistics), so I asked my parents for help, and while they didn't know the drinking laws, my dad suggested illegal gambling be the reason instead. I really liked that, and he explained to me how the tip board worked, and I liked that even more, so thanks tons to my Daddy for helping me out there. ^_^

I also did all the research on the Savoy, so my descriptions there should be good. ^_^

Also, I may have complained about this before, but if I have, I don't remember so I'll do it again: I looked through the profiles and discovered that a lot of the ickies are ickies because they're 'naïve'. I realize now I shouldn't have even given that as an option. I have probably a total of three characters that are ickies because they hate swing. Well you know what? Screw that! The thing is now this: If you are an icky at St. Catherine's and you said that you actually don't mind/like (please tell me you're joking if you said you wanted to be an icky but you like swing!) swing, that information is no longer true. Ickies at St. Catherine's hate swing music. They do not listen to it. They oppose it in all forms.

Ickies at P.S. 136 are divided. Amethyst, Polecat and Skinflint just don't want fights breaking out; they're still rather against swing and jazz and that stuff. I figure that since they're poor, they can at least relate to some of the hepcats at their school.

But Jesus, if you wanna like swing music, you should have said 'I'm a hepcat!' when you replied to the CC. Don't make it so that it's, like, almost a thing where 'they forced me into being an icky!', because you can't force anyone to be anything, that's my whole spiel. Snitch's gonna have to go through that eventually (hence why Itey's an icky).

But that's my rant for the chapter. Otherwise, it was fun. XD XD XD I like this chapter.

What's up next…? I think it'll actually be a relatively short chapter. More about Sulley and Ange and what happened to 1899!Jack. Mostly a filler chapter.

Anyway… Shout Outs!

Dreamer: Well, even though it's been three months since the last update, I hope you'll keep with that promise to review every chapter from here on out, LOL

Gypsy: LOL, Gypsy, you amuse me. XD How fun. But your first guess was right: Old!Snitch took Jack's last name as a nickname. ^_^;

Polecat: I haven't seen you around recently. I hope you're still here to see this chapter. ^_^; Since you're actually in it for a bit. As for Pie/Snitch… BEEN THERE DONE THAT BOUGHT THE T-SHIRT. … I wish there was a Pie/Snitch t-shirt! That'd be HOT. XD **cough** Anyway… no. I already know what I'm doing with Pie and Snitch both. Hehehehe. ^_^

Aura: LOL, both guesses are wrong! ^_^

Pyromaniacal Llama: Make up more funny stuff then write it! It's not that hard to write funny! Trust me, I do it all the time.

MONDSTER: LOL, you know you love Pie. You can't help loving Pie. He's just so lovable. I MISS YOU MONDS GET ONLINE SOON!

Nerikla: You haven't been on much either lately! Damn school and extra-curricular activities ('cept band of course)! And what's with everyone and the Monsters Inc. thing? I didn't even think of that until people started mentioning it, LOL. ^_^;

Sita-chan: MY DARLING. I MUST YELL AT YOU ABOUT YOUR NEW CHAPTER OF BIAP! YELL YELL YELL. LOL. I love you. XD BUT SNITCHY… and SKITTSY… AND HEELS… AND MANDY… and THAT'S JUST NOT FAIR. Okay, I'm done yelling now. LOL. Keep your promise and review this chapter too! XD And work on AD:A so I can write some more of it.

Falco: Have I ever mentioned that I love your little Buffy!Muses? I don't even watch Buffy, and I love them. LOL.

Froggie: I luff you in Velveeta with Snitchy… ! XD

lazychicka: I'm sorry, but I don't remember you at all, LOL. ^_^; Glad you like the story though.

Frenchy: I've just decided that this whole Sulley-Snitch thing will be explained in the next chapter. ^_^; Because I don't wanna give stuff away.

Gothic Author: Yeah, but I got those 70 reviews after complaining about it! LOL!

Ireland: Well… I did everything you asked but the quick update… ^_^; Maybe I'll update sooner next time.

Stage: LOL, I love you. You're just cool. XD

Caroline G. Jackson: Where the hell have you been, girl? I haven't talked to you for ages!

rumor: LOL, well, pige, I love the fact that you seem to have some idea of what they're saying.

Skinflint: LOL, I'm really glad you like it. Where you been, kid? I miss you!

Artemis: About Jack… everything will be revealed next chapter. Good story it will be. Promise!

Mel: WOAH, LOOK GUYS, MY BEST FRIEND LEFT ME A REVIEW ON ONE OF MY NEWSIES STORIES **gapes** LOL. Mel, you're the best. XD

Fishface: LOL, slash is good. Slash is very good. I'm notorious for making slash converts. XD Glad you like it, though. ^_^

misi: Woah, just about everyone has been completely fooled by the whole Sulley thing! I thought I was being obvious! XD Apparently not. DAMN I'm good. Well, you're another face I've been missing lately. Hope you're out there to get this!

There we go. Now review everyone! I'm off to bed! G'night!