This Family Tree's Got Deep Roots :Chance:

[Shadow]

Shadow angrily stormed down Madison street in Manhattan. Almost there, he thought to himself. Almost there and then I'll kill him. He was looking for his twin brother, Chance. Chance apparently went off and got himself a girlfriend, and decided not to tell his brother. And of all the girls he could've gotten, he had to get Joker, Chloe, whats-her-face, whatever. It didn't matter to him.

When he got his hands on that Chance, he was going down. Sure, say whatever you want. Shadow's being insensitive, Shadow's being mean, Shadow needs to be supportive. Too bad Shadow doesn't care. It didn't bother him that Chance had a girlfriend, oh no; its just the fact that Chance didn't tell Shadow he had a girlfriend. If Shadow had a girlfriend, Chance would be one of the first to know.

It hurt Shadow that him and Chance were drifting apart. He rarely got to see him, and he missed his brother's crazy antics. Well who's to blame, are we making the right choices? He guessed it was both of their faults. Chance didn't want to go against his friends, and Shadow didn't want to defy Mike. Shadow didn't understand why Chance wouldn't join with him, and vice versa.

He glanced around to see if he saw the very familiar face, the crazy laugh, or just Chance. Even though he was pissed off, he just wanted to see his brother. Finally his gaze locked onto the familiar frame. "Fredrick!" He yelled out, "Fredrick, get over here now!" He didn't care who was looking, he needed to talk to his brother...now.

[Chance]

Chance absently flipped through the paper, looking for something good to work on. But Chance wasn't even paying attention. He had Joker on his mind. The corners of his mouth twitched and then finally turned into a smile. She was everything he had been looking for and more. Joker and Chance, Chance and Joker. It just sounded right. They had been together for just a few days now, but it felt like forever. Chance felt like he had known Joker for a very long time.

Chance shook his head, trying to rid himself of these faults. If he kept this up, he would never get done with selling. And he needed to finish selling by one so he could take Joker to lunch. But he had only sold about one-fourth of his papers. Chance groaned. This was going nowhere. He tightened his jaw and decided on a stupid lie. "Mayor's house invaded by maniacs with hot dog buns!" Chance smirked at his lie, like that was going to work. Much to Chance's delight and amusement, several people approached him. He sold six papers and then booked it.

"Fredrick! Fredrick, get over here now!"

He was running away from the crowd of people, who were searching through the paper for the ridiculous lie he made up, when he heard his brother's voice. Immediately, he knew something was wrong. Shadow only called Chance by his real name when he was upset. Chance whirled around to face his brother. Long ago, Chance had gotten over the initial shock of what it was like to look at someone who looked like you. At first, it was like looking in a mirror, but now it didn't bother him. "Yes, Theodore?" He smirked at his brother's name. They both hated it.

[Shadow]

"Yes, Theodore?"

Shadow scowled, he didn't like his real name. He preferred to be called by his nickname; Shadow. It fit him much better than Theodore did. "Don't call me that, Fredrick." He snapped, "And don't smirk at me either." Shadow was mad, and he wasn't going to hide it. It was all Chance's fault anyway.

So he wasn't exactly mad, hurt was a better word. Shadow was hurt that Chance never tried to talk to him, he was hurt that Chance never told him anything new about his life. Shadow was hurt because he felt Chance didn't trust him. If it was anyone who should be scared about trust, it should be Shadow. Chance could rat him out anytime he chose.

Shadow pulled himself back into the real world, Chance was thinking that this was a joke. Of course he thought it was a joke! His entire life was a joke, his girlfriend's name was Joker. How more jokey could you get? He crossed his arms across his chest and glared at Chance. "When did you plan to tell me about your new girlfriend?" He said with a scowl.

"Y'know, Chance, I'm surprised at you. Whatever happened to that pact we made back home, huh? The 'Best Friends' pact, whatever happened to that?" He said, he felt hurt because he was scared he was losing his brother. Chance was one of his only friends, and he didn't want to lose him.

[Chance]

"Don't call me that, Fredrick. And don't smirk at me either."

Chance openly scowled. His brother was in a bad mood. He loved him, ever so much, but sometimes he was just to much to handle. He was the complete opposite of Chance, and sometimes they butted heads. But usually they got along, usually. "Well, then don't all me Fredrick!" Chance replied, crossing his arms and looking like a child. That would get on Shadow's nerves.

And to add to Shadow's anger, Chance pouted his lips. He said not to smirk... so he was pouting. He was tempted to say, "Sawry" and then sniffle a few times, but he knew better than that. Shadow would probably deck him right then and there. Then they both would be arrested and sent to the refuge. And then his dearest Joker would be all alone.

"When did you plan to tell me about your new girlfriend?"

Speak of the devil. Sometimes Chance wandered if she was worth all the trouble she had caused him, but then Chance realized how much he would miss her. Yeah, he was hooked. But how did Shadow know? Shifting uncomfortably under his brother's cold glare, Chance replied, "Uh... I was on my way to see you right now?" Chance lied, knowing his brother could tell. He didn't even bother trying to hide the lie; Shadow was to good for that.

"Y'know,Chance, I'm surprised at you. Whatever happened to that pact we made back home, huh? The 'Best Friends' pact, whatever happened to that?"

Chance swallowed. "Uh, I was gonna tell you! I mean we have only been together for a few days now! I mean, we have both been busy!" Chance explained, flinging his arms around widely. This was bad, Shadow was losing his trust in him.

[Shadow]

"Well, then don't all me Fredrick!"

Shadow scowled, "I can call you whatever I want! I'm your brother!" It was a horrible comeback, and a horrible excuse, but Shadow was angry. He didn't even have a good reason to be mad at his brother. Maybe the reason he was so mad at him was because he wanted (and needed) to talk to Chance.

"Sawry"

It seemed like Shadow's face was going to fall off, because of his very deep frown. He shoved Chance, "Can you act normal for once?!" He exclaimed. He didn't want to play games, he wanted to talk. He wanted things to be like in the old times, when they saw each other everyday and got upset over things like who ate the last piece of pie.

"Uh... I was on my way to see you right now?"

"Oh stop, I know you weren't. You know you weren't. The entire world knows you weren't on your way to see me now. Why? Because you haven't even tried to have some sort of contact with me in the past two weeks!" Shadow huffed. Maybe he was exaggerating on the two weeks thing, he had lost count.

"Uh, I was gonna tell you! I mean we have only been together for a few days now! I mean, we have both been busy!"

Shadow crossed his arms across his chest, and squinted his eyes. He did that when he was mad. "Oh sure, you were too busy to stop by Harlem and say hi to your brother. Yeah, that's understandable, I get it now." He frowned, "I can take a hint when I'm not wanted!" He exclaimed.

[Chance]

"I can call you whatever I want! I'm your brother!"

Chance threw his hands up. "Exactly!" Wait..what? Chance was confusing himself. This happened a lot. When the two of them got together and started to throw insults back and forth, the insults began to make no sense. Like now. It must have been a brother thing. Or a twin thing. But that didn't matter. What mattered was that has brother was mad and he didn't like it when his brother was mad. What had he done now?

"Can you act normal for once?!"

Taken off guard, Chance stumbled backwards. "Goodness, Teddy! What's up your butt?" His brother was acting even more angry than he usually did. Sure, Shadow got upset when Chance acted like an idiot, most people did; but Chance could always see that hint of a smile tugging at his lips. It was the kind of thing only a twin brother could pick up on. But now, there was nothing but a frown. A really big frown. The biggest frown that Chance had ever seen. How could someone have that big of a frown? It almost looked like an upside down U. Or a right side up n. Whichever you preferred. But that frown was making his face sag-

Chance shook his head, realizing he had been staring.

"Oh stop, I know you weren't. You know you weren't. The entire world knows you weren't on your way to see me now. Why? Because you haven't even tried to have some sort of contact with me in the past two weeks!"

Chance cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably under his brother's gaze. "I've been busy! And so have you! I am not the only one at fault. Why don't you come and visit me?" Chance had raised his voice by now, all uncertainness put behind him. He would not let his brother walk all over him this time. Everyone thought that he was the outgoing one that took advantage of his brother; but how Chance saw it, that was anything but the truth. Shadow was just as overbearing as he was. And Chance was not going to let that happen again.

Oh sure, you were too busy to stop by Harlem and say hi to your brother. Yeah, that's understandable, I get it now. I can take a hint when I'm not wanted!"

Chance growled and took a step toward his brother. When Chance got mad, he got mad. "And you're to busy playing the bad guy to stop by Manhattan. Oh wait, that's right! You can't! Because none of my friends know about you because I am embarrassed of you! How am I supposed to tell them about my twin brother when that brother works with the most hated newsie among us? Have you ever thought that I have been avoiding you for my sake just as much as yours?" Wow... that had come out wrong. But there was not going back now. Chance had said it and he was backing down now.


{Heh.... sorry. But I am pretty sure I love playing brother with you. I KEEL YOU!}