"David? Don't you know me?"

He took a long, hard look at me, and I knew then that he didn't recognize me. "How do you know my name?" he asked me.

"It's me, David! Hannah!"

Tears filled my eyes and I pulled off my cap, letting my hair fall down. David's eyes widened, and without another word, he spun around and walked away from me as quickly as I could possibly imagine.

"David!" I yelled after him, running full-speed in the direction that he was headed in.

To my dismay, he was too far away for me to catch when I saw him hastily hail a carriage. He jumped in and ordered the driver to go, only turning to glance back in my direction with an expression I'd never seen him wear before: complete and utter disbelief, shame, and hate.

Numbly, I dropped to the ground, burying my face in my hands and crying bitterly. People continued to bustle around me in a blur as if I were not there, but one man bumped into me. He angrily grabbed me by the arm, yanking me up off the ground.

"Get outta tha way, guttersnipe!" he sneered at me, shoving me into some crates that were stacked against a nearby wall.

I stared at him, too numb with despair to snap back. My own brother had turned his back on me. My own brother hated me. Just the thought of his face made me cry fresh tears. I sank down into a sitting position against the wall.

Why does he hate me? Is it because he looked so fine and rich with that blond goddess hanging from his arm? He's ashamed of me.

I cried and cried for who knows how long. All I know is that I sat by that wall for a very long while. A misty rain began to fall, and the December cold bit me to the bone.

"Hannah!"

I heard my name being called and looked up. For a moment, I didn't see anyone, but then I saw Skittery pushing through the crowd, looking for me.

"Hannah!"

It took him a few moments to see me sitting on the ground. I was so upset that I couldn't speak, and he gathered me up in his arms and hugged me.

Sitting down beside me, Skit asked, "Do ya want ta talk about it? I mean, ya don' have ta, but..."

"I do, Skit. That was David, my brother."

"Aye."

"He didn't even speak to me," I said numbly. I looked up at Skittery. "He hates me, Skit. I don't even know why...maybe it was because he was so rich-looking and here I am, a street rat dressed like a boy..."

Skit took my chin in his hand. "Hannah, now you listen ta me. You ain't no street rat. Ya hear? Now, if your brother's goin' ta act like that, why waste any more tears on 'im? Ya gotta move on an' put this behind ya."

"But I can't! I can't forget the look on his face, Skit," I sobbed. "He was always my friend, not just my brother. He would've never done that to me!"

"Listen, Hannah, if he was so nice back then, he's not th' same David. People change, Hannah. I know."

I sat there for a moment, pondering what he had just said. "As much as I hate admitting it, you're right. People change, and unfortunately he changed for the worse."

"Aye, that he did. An' I don' know why anybody in their right mind would treat ya that way," Skit said.

I gave him a hug. "Well I'm glad that there's at least one gentleman I can rely on around here."

Skittery grinned and kissed my hand. "Well that made my day right there."

I tried to smile, but a wave of anger suddenly hit me. David had no right to do that to me! Well, David, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm happy with my life. For the first time in years, I'm happy! I may have to work all day just to scrape by, but I have genuine friends who care about me, and that's what matters. Riches don't matter, I don't care what you say or what you think. Curse you and your bloody money and your bloody blonde, David Setton. I'd wear pants to your wedding if I had the notion.

After I got done thinking my bitter thoughts, I looked up at Skittery. "I'm not sad about it any more, Skit. I'm angry. I don't think I've ever been this angry before in my life."

Standing up, Skittery took my hands and pulled me up off the ground. We began walking toward home, and for a while he was silent. Finally, he said, "You've a right ta be angry, Hannah. I'm angry. But don' let it tear ya apart. You're stronger than that."

"Thanks, Skit," I smiled up at him.

He grinned at me. Absent-mindedly, he pulled a coin out of his pocket and began rubbing one side of it with his thumb. That particular side was nearly rubbed smooth, and he was working at finishing it off.

"Is that a lucky coin, Skit?" I asked him.

"Ah, no," he answered, hastily putting it back in his pocket. "Just a distraction."

I nodded. He took my hand as we headed for the lodging house. The mist was turning to snow, and the large flakes piled onto the snowdrifts that already lined the street. Skittery's hair caught the snowflakes, and I just stared at him as he walked along beside me. Finally, I said, "I wish we had a camera. I want a picture of you with those snowflakes in your hair."

He blushed and grinned. "Well I fancy your red nose, Little Miss Setton."

"Don't call me that!" I exclaimed. "S�amas!"

"Hey, now yer gettin' personal!" he laughed, bending to gather a large handful of snow.

He rolled it into a ball and tossed it at me, hitting me in the arm. I likewise fashioned a rather crude snowball and nailed him in the face. We continued with our little snowball fight until we were soaking wet and absolutely freezing.

Sometime later that evening, we got back to the lodging house. We hastily sat in front of the fire to dry off as much as we could. Kloppman came over, shaking his head and muttering, "You two snowflake-covered loveboids, ya gonna get sick if ya don't get warmed up more!"

Skit turned to me and we burst out laughing.