I walked down the street with my sister, Amy, are never allowed to venture out by ourselves. Originally we're from Main. After my mother was killed, my father, Amy, and I moved here, to Brooklyn. It wasn't exactly the safest place to live, but it had some great views. I came from a very wealthy family. My father had inherited a lot of money from my grandfather. So much, my father said, that we would never run out of money. My father now owned three major factories in Brooklyn. Amy and I were complete opposites. She had just turned eighteen. She had long curly blond hair and blue eyes. She was never very nice to me. She was wearing a long expensive dress that my father had bought for her for her birthday.

I was going to turn sixteen in a week. June 7 was my birthday. I had straight brown that came down a few inches past my shoulder, and I had light brown eyes. Today I was wearing a long blue shirt and a white blouse, and I was holding a small white umbrella to shade myself from the sun. I was also holding a small purse in my hand. Usually I hated getting dolled up. But my father had told me that if I wanted to go out in public, than I would have to dress this way.

As we walked down the street, we began to come closer to a newsie. It was never good for girls to walk by a Brooklyn newsie, so we quickly went to the other side of the road. Amy was rambling on about something. I'm not sure what though, I wasn't really paying attention. I was focusing more on the newsie, that we had walked away from. He was very cute as most newsies were. He had blond hair. His face was dirty, and so were his clothes. He was rather tall and very muscular, again like most of the newsies that lived in Brooklyn.

"Emily, did you hear me?" Amy asked.

I looked over at her. I had no idea what she had said. My mind was somewhere else. It was on that newsie actually. We had walked too far down the street now, so the newsie was out of my view. I had no choice but to listen to Amy.

"You weren't listening to me, were you?" She said.

"Yeah I was, I just didn't hear what you said last." I lied.

"No you weren't. You were to busy looking at that street rat over there. Why don't you just go over to him, see what will happen to you. I dare you, I want to see how long it will take him to kill you." Amy said.

"Amy, you have no idea what that guy is like." I told her.

"Trust me, all newsies are the same."

Just then a guy in a gray suit walked up to me and Amy. He was tall with dark brown hair and brown eyes. It was Jason, Amy's boyfriend. He came up to her and kissed on her cheek.

"Do you want to take a walk with Amy?" He asked.

"Sure," she said. She looked over at me. "Sorry Emily. You're not invited."

"But you can't just leave me." I protested.

"Watch me." She said.

"Dad said I couldn't stay out here alone."

"Well than go home. See you later sister." She said as she walked away with Jason.

I walked over to a bench and sat down. I didn't want to go home, that meant that I would just have to deal with my father. When my mother was killed, my father started beating up on me, more than he had been before. He would never hurt my sister, only me.

I avoided him as much as I could, which was never easy. He would always look for me whenever he had a bad day, just so he could have someone to take his anger out on. That's why I couldn't wait until I was old enough to leave. Anything was better than being at home with him.

I lied my umbrella next to me and put my purse on my lap. I tilted my head back on the bench and looked at the sky. A shadow appeared over me. I looked to see who it was. It was the newsie that Amy and I had seen earlier.

"Hello." I said to him smiling.

He looked at me but didn't respond. He made me very uneasy, but I still kept my smile. He was at least sixteen years old, and maybe 5 foot 10. He was at least 50 pounds heavier than me. The only problem was all of his weight was muscle.

Then he did something I should have predicted that he would do, he grabbed my purse and started running off with it. I quickly got to my feet and started running after him. It was a very unexpected thing for any girl to do. I started calling for someone to help, but no one paid any attention to me. Just then, the boy that had stolen my purse collapsed on the ground and held his face. A marble had come out of nowhere, it seemed, and hit him. More were shot at him after that. The newsie dropped my purse and ran.

After I picked up my purse I looked to the direction that the marbles had been shot from. There was a guy standing on top of a building. I wasn't able to see what he looked like, since he was standing directly in front of the sun. I strained my eyes hoping that I would be able to see him, but it did no good. He moved a bit unblocking the sun, I turned my face as the light burned my eyes, but I quickly looked back. The boy was gone. I walked back to my house and fell back on my bed.

"What a day," I said to myself.

I closed my eyes and fell asleep. I woke up around five o'clock that night.

There was a knock at my bedroom door. I ran up and opened it and saw my best friend Nick standing in front of me. Nick had always been with me through the hardest times in my life. He was always the person I ran to when my father would hurt me. He was good looking, about 5 foot 8 with dirty blond hair and dark blue eyes. He wasn't as rich as my family, and my father forbade me and him to be friends. He jumped on my bed and grabbed a book that was lying on my nightstand.

"So how's your day?" He asked flipping through the pages in the book.

"Nick, you'll never believe what happened to me today."

I sat down next to him and told him about my day. He listened to me closely, but after I finished, it looked like he hadn't heard a word I had said. He stared at me and I stared straight back waiting for him to say something, when he didn't I got irritated.

"Do you not have anything to say?" I asked.

"You got your purse stolen, a guy helped you out, you got your purse back, the end. What do you want me to say?" Nick asked.

"I almost lost my mother's picture," I said.

I always kept a picture of my mother with me. It was the only one I had of her. My mother hated getting her picture taken. That's why I only had one of her. It was kind of small, and old. It was a little ripped up at the edges. I didn't know what I would do if I had lost it. It is the only thing I had left to remember her by. I never went anywhere without it.

"Well, you didn't lose it." Nick said.

"Don't you think it's weird though, the guy that helped me just appeared out of nowhere, and then he was gone. I didn't even get to say thank you." I told him.

"He was probably a newsie, Spot no doubt." He said.

"Spot?" I asked confused. "I've never heard of him."

"That's because you always avoid the newsies. Spot's the Brooklyn leader."

"Leader of what?" I asked.

"Wow, you don't know anything about the real world, do you? Every borough has a guy that is the leader of all the newsies in his territory. Spot is the leader of the Brooklyn newsies. Jack is the leader of the Manhattan newsies, Terry is the leader of the Bronx newsies and so on." Nick explained.

"How do you know all this?" I asked him.

He hesitated for a second.

"It doesn't matter how I know." He said.

"Well, how do you know it was Spot that saved me?" I asked, curious about the boy that had helped me.

"You said he appeared out of nowhere then vanished. Spot knows Brooklyn in and out. Every street and every alley. Also it was one of his newsies that took your purse, and Spot hates thieves. He's always disapproved of people stealing. The only things his newsies are allowed to steal is food. Don't go near him though. He is very dangerous, and you never know what he could do to you." Nick said.

Right after he said that we both heard the door slam close down stairs, my father was home. We heard him walk up the stairs heavily, which meant that he had a bad day, which also meant he would start beating me up. I opened the window to let Nick out. If my father saw him I would get hurt even more.

Nick was halfway out the window when my father came in the room. He saw Nick and ran over to us. He reached out to grab Nick's shirt, but just missed him. Nick made it off the roof and was now already running down the street.

After failing to grab Nick my father turned to me and grabbed my shoulder as I was trying to get out of the room. He slapped me across the face and then pushed me to the ground.

"You little slut!" He yelled at me.

I stayed on the ground, hoping maybe he would leave me alone. I was wrong, he came over to me and kicked me in my stomach. I screamed in pain. He kicked me a couple more times and than lifted me up off the ground.

"What's the matter with you girl? I come home from a hard days work and find you alone that guy in your room! You are a worthless little slut!" He said as he punched me in the stomach.

He threw me up against the wall. He started punching me and slapping me some more. Eventually he got bored beating me and he left my room. I fell to the floor, my nose and my lip were bleeding, and my body was aching.

Usually the beatings weren't as bad as the one he had just given me. He would always beat me on a regular basis, but only if he was really mad would he hurt me this much. Like two and a half months ago when he saw me give Nick a kiss on the cheek, he broke my arm.

I tried to get up but I fell back down, before my hands even got off the floor. It wasn't until my third attempt that I was able to stand up.

After I washed the blood off my face, I went back into my room and closed the door. There was no lock on my door, so I would have no way of keeping my father out if he decided he needed to get rid of more of his anger. I went over to my bed and started to lied down. My back and my sides both hurt. I cried out in pain when my body touched the bed mattress.

I woke up the next morning and my body was still aching. I had slept in my clothes, which from last night now had blood stains on them. I took off my blouse and looked at my back in the mirror. There were bruises everywhere. I put on a clean dress and more makeup than I normally would have, to cover up the bruises on my face.

When I came down stairs no one was there. My sister had left me a note saying she would be out with Jason all day. Her and Jason were planning on getting married soon, and Amy still needed to tell our father. I knew he was going to be angry when she told him, but I kept my mouth shut.

I picked up my purse off the counter and walked out the house. Nick ran up to me and put his hand on my back. I winced in pain. He quickly removed his hand. He walked up in front of me.

"Emily, are you okay?" He asked. "How bad did your dad hurt you?"

"It isn't that bad. Really." I lied.

"Emily, I'm sorry I came over, you'd be fine if I hadn't." He said.

"Nick, he would have hurt me even if he hadn't seen you there. But really, I'm okay." I told him.

I knew he didn't believe me, but he didn't say anything more on the subject. We walked down the street in silence for a while.

It was around noon Nick offered to buy me lunch. Since he said he would pay, we had to eat in a restaurant that even newsies could afford to eat in. We went inside the diner and sat at a table in the corner of the diner. We ordered our meals and than awaited for their arrival. I tried to keep my back away from the back of the chair, so it wouldn't touch my bruises.

Nick saw how much pain I was in when ever my back happened to make contact with the back of the chair. I could tell he wanted to say something and almost did, but stopped himself when he saw a group of newsies walk in the diner. I could sense that they were staring at me when they walked in. I asked Nick if he knew who those newsies were. He did, and he told me never to go near them, because they were dangerous.

After we finished eating, Nick put the money for the food on the table. We both stood up to leave. As we walked towards the door, I could see all the newsies watching me. Nick was in a hurry to leave and was already out the diner before I even reached the door. As I walked by the newsies, they all stood up out of their seats and started whistling at me. I tried ignoring them by turning my face away. I went to open the door when a large hand fell upon mine, stopping me.

I looked to see who it was. A newsies was standing in front of me. He was 5 foot 11, with dark brown hair and eyes. He was very strong and was starting to hurt my hand. He grabbed my wrist with his other hand, I tried to pull away but couldn't. Then he started bringing me closer to him.

"Why don't ya come wid me, I kin take ya to da lodgin' house, and show ya a really good time. More den dat guy ya were with evah could. If ya know what I mean." He said.

I knew exactly what he meant. I tried again to get away from him but he just laughed at me when I did. I was at his mercy now and I knew it. He was too strong for me to get away from. I didn't know what was going to happen to me.

"Let `er go Gunnah." One of the newsies said.

I didn't look to see what other newsie was talking. I tried to keep my eyes focused on the ground. I felt tears forming in my eyes.

"What'd ya say, Spot?" He asked surprised.

"Come on, not now. Her friend `ill be back soon. Besides it's way too light out, if someone saw ya walkin' wid `er dey would know somethin' was wrong an' dey would probably call da bulls on ya." I heard the boy say.

"Fine. I'll see ya later. You'se kin count on it." Gunner said.

He released my hands and I ran out of the diner. I saw Nick sitting on a bench not to far down the street. I ran over to him.

"Why did you leave me in there?" I asked.

"I thought you were right behind me, it wasn't until a few seconds ago that I realized you weren't, so I stayed here and I was waiting for you. I figured that you dropped your purse or something." He told me.

"Nick?"

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Will you walk me home, please. My dad will be coming home from work soon, and he's going to get mad if I'm not there." I said.

Nick stood up and walked me back to my house. He walked me up to the front door. I went inside, and then looked out the window. I saw Nick kick dirt up off the ground and then walk away. The house was empty. I went upstairs to my bedroom.

The next week I ran down stairs to meet Nick at the door. It was my birthday and Nick was taking me out all day. My father had been at work since early that morning, so I didn't have to worry about him seeing Nick. I opened the door and walked outside.

"Happy birthday," he said kissing me on my cheek.

We went down the street and started talking. After a few hours, our feet got tiered so we went over to a bench and sat down. It was just starting to get dark at the time.

"My mom use to take me for walks on my birthday. She wouldn't let anyone else come with us." I said.

"Can I see her picture again?" Nick asked.

I took out my mother's picture and handed it to him.

"I really miss her." I told him.

"Emily, is that your dad?" Nick asked.

I looked around and saw my father coming down the street. I knew if he saw me I'd really be in for it. We both needed to get away from there before he saw us.

"Emily, run." He said to me.

"Nick, I don't know these streets. I'll get lost." I told him.

"Just run, you'll find your way back don't worry."

"Come with me," I said.

"If your father sees us together than you'll really get hurt. You start running that way, and I'll run the other way." Nick said.

We took off running in our separate ways. I started running through a few alleys. I stopped when I came to a brick wall, that was blocking my path. There was no way around it.

"Damn it," I said to myself.

It was a dead end. I was lost, my father would be getting home at any moment and see that I wasn't there, and my sister planned to tell him of her engagement that day. To top it all of a gang of newsies were walking towards me.

I went over to a corner and sat down, tucking my knees up and holding them with my arms. I buried my head in my arms and prayed for them to leave me alone. I could feel someone standing over me, but I didn't look up at him.

"Hey, ya alwight?" He asked me.

I didn't respond, I was too scared. I lifted my head just a little so I could see who was standing in front of me. The guy knelt down in front of me, he lifted up my chin so he would be able to see my face.

"Are ya alwight?" He asked again.

I nodded my head. The newsie helped me stand up. I looked at him, he was about 5 foot 7, and had brown hair, and gray blue eyes. There is a cane in his belt, and a key is hanging around his neck. There are a few other newsies behind him.

"What's a goil like yerself doin' out heah?" He asked me.

"I got lost," I told him.

"Yer lucky I was wid me boys when dey saw ya. If I hadn't been, ya don't wanna know what dey would have done ta ya." He told me. "Da name's Spot Conlon, leadah of da Brooklyn newsies, and you are?"

"Emily Flinn." I said.

I looked over his shoulder and saw the newsies starting to move closer to where Spot and I were standing. Spot must have seen how scared of them I was.

"Don't worry `bout dem, as long as I'm around ya dey aint gonna do anything to ya," he said.

His words were reassuring, but I still felt a little uneasy.

"Where were ya headin' before ya got lost?" Spot asked.

"I was going home," I said.

"Ya got lost goin' home?" He asked.

"I was going a different way than I normally would have. Would you mind helping me out Mr. Conlon?" I asked him.

He gave me a smirk and then nodded his head.

"Where do ya live?" He asked.

I told him my address. It looked like he knew where it was. Which was great since I had no idea how to get back there.

"Dat big house?" He asked surprised.

I nodded my head. He looked at his newsies and than motioned for one of them to come to him. A newsie came up to us. He was my height and around fifteen years old. He red hair and green eyes and a light tan. I was expecting him to have freckles on his face, like most red heads I knew had, but there was none.

"Dis is Fox, he'll bring ya home. Don't worry, `e aint like da othah newsies. Ya wont have ta worry `bout `im, well, you know." Spot said.

"Mr. Conlon. Before you leave I wish to thank you." I said.

"Fer what?" He asked.

"Well this would be the third time that you have helped me out."

"Hey yer da goil who almost got `er purse stolen, and da goil dat Gunnah was harassing, aint ya?" He said.

"Yes. Mr. Conlon, I feel like I owe you my life."

He smiled at me and I could see him blushing.

"Spot, ya kin call me Spot." He said. He took my hand and gave it a soft kiss.

"Well, Emmy, I guess I'll be seein' ya." He said.

He walked away with the rest of his newsies. I stood alone in the alley with the newsies Spot had told me was Fox. He looked at me and smiled. I smiled back. He seemed nice. Also a little shy, but he looked tough none the less.

"So were do ya live?" He asked me.

I told him my address and we started walking. We stopped at the door to my house. I was about to walk in but the door opened before I got there. Amy ran out crying. I could hear my father yelling from inside. Amy must have told him about her and Jason. Fox looked as if he knew that I would be in trouble. Probably because just by looking at my face you could tell that I was afraid. Fox reached into his back pocket and pulled out a switch blade, and handed it to me.

"Heah. You'se seem ta be gettin' in a lot of trouble lately, if Gunnah saw ya again, you'd want somethin' ta protect yerself wid. Jist jab it inta yer attacker's leg twist it an' rip it out, den run. An' if fer some reason ya can't run home, run to da lodgin' house an' find me, if I aint dere get out of dere as fast as ya kin an' go to da diner called Jerry's, dat's where I sell me papes." He explained. "Ya know were da lodgin'' house, an' da diner is right?"

"Yes." I told him stuffing the blade up my sleeve.

"Okay. An' remembah, if I aint in da lodgin' house get out as fast as ya kin. Ya have ta git out of dere fast, okay." Fox said.

I nodded and walked in my house leaving him at the door. I took a deep breath and I tried to walk as quietly as I could to my room.

"Emily!" I heard my father yell.

I stopped halfway up the stairs. When I heard him coming closer to me I started running to my room. I could hear him coming after me, screaming my name. I slammed my door and started running to my window. Before I got there my father grabbed my hair, I screamed and tried to get him off. He threw my up against the wall. I fell to the ground, and curled up in a fetal position.

I closed my eyes and started crying as my father kicked me repeatedly in my stomach and on my back. I tried to get up but he kicked me back down. I started crawling to the door. I felt something hit my back. I looked and saw a broken lamp on the floor. He picked up a piece of the glass from the lamp and came over to me. He pulled me to my feet and slashed my side with the glass. I screamed as the blood dripped down my side.

"I saw you outside with that street rat! That newsie! And I know that you were with that other boy earlier!" My father yelled as he punched me.

"Spot said that he could help me find my way home." I managed to say.

"Spot?! I've heard of him. He's the leader of the Brooklyn newsies! What where you doing around newsies?!" He yelled.

Suddenly my father stopped hitting me and started talking about how no one appreciated him. I felt that this was the only chance I had to escape.

I held my side and started running. My father ran after me. I was at to top of the stair case when my father came up behind me and pushed me down the stairs. I rolled down and landed hard on my back. I didn't have hardly any strength left. My father came down the steps and pulled me to my feet and punched me. Then I remembered the switch blade I had put in my sleeve. I took it out and opened it. Then I stabbed his leg with it twisted it, and pulled it back out. He let go of me and grabbed his leg. I ran out of the house and started going towards the lodging house where Fox said he would be.

I went up the stairs and into the bunkroom. Everyone stared at me when I walked in. I looked around for Fox, but I couldn't see him. Gunner walked up to me, and gave me an evil smile. I turned to leave, but Gunner's hand grabbed my wrist and he pulled me over to him.

"I knew dat I would see ya again goil." He said wrapping his arms around me.

I screamed in pain as he touched the bruises on my back. Tears streamed down my face. I tried to get away but that only made his hands and arms push against my back even more. I screamed and cried, and none of the other newsies were helping me.

"Gunnah, git off of `er!" I heard Fox yell from the door.

He ran up to Gunner and pushed him away. He put him hands on my shoulders and looked at my face. My lip was bleeding and I had a bruise on my chin. I was hurting all over, even his hands touching my shoulder as lightly as they were was painful.

"Emily, what happened?" He asked me.

I cried more and then I started to shake. Fox walked me into a separate room that was attached to the bunkroom and closed the door. I was still holding my side as I started walking over to the bed, but before I got there I started feeling light headed, and that's when I fell to the floor unconscious.

When I came to, I was lying down on the bed that was in the room, there was a candle lit on the nightstand next to where I was lying. I looked and saw Fox lying on the floor asleep and Spot was sitting on a chair in the room also asleep. There was also a candle lit on the floor next to Fox.

I wondered what time it was and how long I had been out cold. I sat up, once I realized how much my head was hurting I fell back down on the bed, right on my bruises. I screamed. Fox and Spot woke and ran over to me.

"Emily are ya okay?!" Fox asked.

I sat up again, but this time I got up slower. I looked at Spot and Fox, both of them had worried expressions on their faces.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Two in da mornin'." Spot told me. "What happened to ya?"

"My dad was beating up on me. It was my fault, I shouldn't have gotten him mad." I said.

"What did ya do ta git `im angry?" Fox asked.

"I was born I guess."

"We should go to da bulls an' tell dem what yer faddah has bin doin' to ya." Fox said.

"No! That will just make him even more angry and then when he finds he'll probably kill me." I said.

"Emmy, it looks like `e would have eventually have killed ya anyway. But if ya don't want us ta go to da bulls, we wont." Spot said.

"I'll go home when it starts getting light out." I said.

"Dere aint no way I'm gonna let ya go home." Fox said.

"What difference does it make, he'll find me no matter what." I told them.

"I gotta idea Emily, you kin stay heah wid us." Fox said.

"Wait Fox come heah." Spot said as he pulled Fox over to a corner in the room.

I couldn't hear what they were saying to each other. After a few minutes they came back over to me. I looked at both of them waiting for one of them to say something. Spot was the one that spoke up.

"Look, Emmy, you'se kin stay heah but ya have ta sleep in heah an' ya can't let da othah newsies see ya. Ya saw what Gunnah did, an' da rest of da newsies are a lot like `im. So jist stay in heah an' come in an' out through da window. Dis is me bedroom so none of da newsies will evah come in heah." Spot explained. "Is dat okay?"

I nodded my head. I touched my side where my father had cut me with the glass. I looked at my hand after I touched it and it was covered with blood. Fox and Spot looked at me.

"Emily we have ta git ya to a hospital," Fox said.

"If she goes to da hospital dey will have ta call `er dad. She can't go." Spot said.

"Spot she could die." Fox said worried for me. "No one heah knows anything `bout medicine."

"What about Terry an' `is newsies, or Jack an' `is? Or dose guys Kloppman?" Spot asked.

"I think da Manhattan Kloppman might be able ta help." Fox said. "We kin go when all da newsies leave ta sell dere papes.'

"I don't think Emmy kin make it dat long, we have ta go now."

Spot helped me to my feet. We quietly walked out of the lodging house, making sure that we didn't wake any one up. My side was hurting too much for me to walk, and I kept falling from the pain. We were halfway down the road I blacked out. When I woke up someone was holding me in their arms. I looked up and saw Spot carrying me, then I blacked out again.

When I woke up the next time, I was lying down in a bed. I sat up and then realized that I wasn't wearing my own clothes. I was wearing a large blue shirt and brown pants. I lifted the side of the shirt to see were I had been stabbed. There was a bandage on my cut and there was a little bit of blood seeping through it.

My eyes wondered around the bunkroom, no one was in it. I stood up, my body was still aching. I looked out the window, it had to have been around six o'clock in the afternoon. Then I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I went back over to the bed that I was sleeping on and sat back down on it putting my legs under the covers.

The door opened Spot, Fox, and a few other people that I didn't know walked in. One of them was an old man, I assumed that it was the Kloppman that Fox and Spot had been talking about. Then there was three other boys. One was seventeen years old, with brown hair and hazel eyes. There was also a bandana around his neck. Another one of the boys was around sixteen. He had blond hair, and his one eye was blue and the other one was covered by an eye patch. He had a box in his hands with medical supplies in it. The third boy looked like he was fifteen or sixteen. He had brown curly hair and brown eyes. He was very muscular which reminded me of the Brooklyn newsies.

"Hey Emmy. How ya doin'?" Spot asked.

I shrugged. The Kloppman walked over to me and lifted the side of my shirt to see my cut. He looked at it and then removed the bandage. He motioned for the boy with the eye patch to come over to us. He handed the old bandage to him and took out an antiseptic to clean the cut with. It stung a lot, I wanted to cry out, but somehow I managed not to. After he cleaned the cut he put a new bandage on it.

"You need to change the bandage every now and then. The cut is pretty deep, but you should be okay." The Kloppman said. "Spot, can I talk to you?"

Spot stood up and followed the Kloppman to the corner of the room. They started whispering stuff to one another. I knew that they were talking about me, and I wished I knew what they were saying. Spot was shaking his head to the questions the Kloppman was asking him. The Kloppman left and Spot walked back over to me.

"What was Kloppman askin' ya?" Fox asked.

"'E jist wanted ta know what happened ta Emmy an' dat she should have bin takin' ta da hospital." Spot said.

"What did ya tell `im?" Fox asked.

"I told `im what I knew."

"Is `e gonna tell `er faddah?" Fox asked.

"No." He said. "Emmy, I want ya ta meet some of da Manhattan newsies. Guys why don't ya introduce yerself to `er."

"I'se Kid Blink. Most people call me Blink." The boy with the eye patch told me.

"I'se Jack Kelley." The boy with the bandana said.

"An' I'm Mush." The more muscular boy with the curly hair said.

"My name is Emily Flinn." I told them. I looked over at Spot and Fox. "Do they know what happened to me?"

"Yeah, they know." Fox said. "Look what's in da papah taday."

He tossed one of his newspapers down in front of me. I picked it up and started reading aloud.

"Emily Flinn, daughter of George Flinn, owner of the three major factories in Brooklyn, was kidnapped last night by one of Brooklyn's newsboys." I stopped and looked at Fox. "That isn't true."

"Read on," Fox said.

"George Flinn told officials last night that Emily was coming home from a walk, George Flinn said that he was walking out of his house to greet her when a newsie came out of nowhere, grabbed Emily and ran. George says that he ran after them but was unable to keep up do to his age and do to the fact he says that quote, newsies are use to running away from cops and are therefore faster than your average person. The newsie was described to have red hair, green eyes and between the ages of fourteen and sixteen. People are also being told that if they see a newsies that goes by the name Spot Conlon, he is known to be the Brooklyn newsies leader, that they should tell the police. He is believed to be connected to this crime, and being their leader may know where Emily is being kept."

"Yer picture is right undah da story. If we don't do somethin', me an' Spot are gonna end up in jail an' yer gonna be sent back to yer faddah's."

"I have an idea. Now the police are always after me, I know how to escape from them, so I don't need to worry, but you two are gonna have ta change da way ya look. So, Jacky-boy hand me dat bag ovah dere will ya?" Spot said.

Jack stood up and grabbed a bag that had been lying on the ground. He walked back over to Spot and handed it to him. Spot opened it up and dumped out everything that was in it.

"I picked dis stuff up dis mornin'." He said.

Spot picked up a box and then took Fox into the washroom. It wasn't until about ten minutes later when Spot and Fox returned.

I looked at Fox when he came back out. He no longer had red hair. Spot had dyed it brown. It didn't even look all that bad. Spot looked over at me and smiled. I stood up and Spot grabbed a pair of scissors. We walked into the washroom. I watched myself in the mirror as Spot cut my hair. I loved my hair and every time I thought Spot was going to stop, he'd cut off more. He didn't stop cutting until it was an inch above my chin. Then he got out red hair dye and dyed it red.

I knew that I didn't look the same, but I also knew that my father would still be able to recognize me if he ever saw me. When we walked back in to the bunkroom everyone started at me. I knew what I must have looked like, a newsies. I was wearing one of the newsies clothes and with my hair being so short I looked like a boy.

"Emily, ya look so different." Fox said.

"Well, so do you Fox. You look a whole lot different without red hair." I told him.

"Yeah, well, you look a lot different wid red hair." He looked over at Spot. "What are we'se gonna do now?"

"Fox, yer gonna have ta git a new sellin' spot. Emmy, yer gonna have ta learn how ta be a newsie. Yer gonna have ta pretend ta be a guy, it'll make it harder fer da bulls ta find ya dat way." Spot said.

"You're still going to let me sleep in your room, right?" I asked.

"Of course! I aint gonna let ya sleep in da bunkroom wid dose guys. Even if dey do think dat yer a newsie. It'd jist be safer if ya stayed wid me. It'd probably be bettah though if you two stayed heah in Manhattan fer a while, jist until all da excitement wears down in Brooklyn." Spot explained.

"You should stay heah too Spot. Everyone's gonna be aftah ya." Jack said.

"Emily kin take me bed an' I'll double up wid Blink." Mush said.

"Okay, an' me an' Fox kin share." Jack said. "Dat jist leaves Spot. Who do you wanna share wid?"

"I'll take da floor. I don't need ta share wid nobody." Spot said.

"No Spot, I'm the one that has inconvenienced you guys. I deserve to sleep on the floor." I told them.

"I'm not gonna let ya sleep on da floor. You've bin through a lot an' yer gonna sleep on da bed. I've slept on floors before. It aint a big deal. Besides it's only fer a few days." Spot said.

I hear a bunch of peoples footsteps running up the stairs. If figured that it was the rest of the newsies coming back from selling their papers. The newsies ran in laughing and yelling at each other. The first thing that they did when they came in was come over to me, Spot, and Fox. They all started talking at once asking us all questions about why we were here, and who I was. Once they all settled down one newsies stepped up in front of the crowd. He was rather short with very dark brown hair and eyes. There was also an unlit cigar in his mouth.

"Who's dis goil?" He asked.

"Dis is Emily, she's from Brooklyn. Emily's a new newsie, actually she jist became one a little bit ago. Emily, Spot an' Fox are gonna stay heah fer a while." Jack explained.

After he explained our situation to them he introduced me to all the newsies that stayed in the lodging house. The short newsies with the dark hair, Jack said was Racetrack. It wasn't until a few hours later when all the newsies decided that they were tiered and they went to their beds.

Mush showed me where his bunk was and I climbed in it. I watched the other boys get in to their beds and then I saw Spot lye down on the floor next to the bed that I was sleeping in. He had no pillow or covers or anything to keep him warm. Once I realized that I had two covers on my bed I threw one down to him. He looked up at me and smiled.

"Thanks, Emmy." He said.

I smiled at him and then fell asleep. I opened my eyes the next morning and saw a little boy staring at me. I sat up and smiled at him. He looked like he was about 10 years old. He had light brown hair and brown eyes. He wasn't one of the newsies Jack had introduced me to the night before.

"Spot said yer name was Emily." He said.

"It is. What's your name?" I asked him.

"Les Jacobs." He told me.

"Why wasn't I introduced to you last nigh?" I asked.

"Me and my brother don't live here. We live with our parents."

"Who is your brother?" I asked.

"Dat's him talkin' to Fox. My sister, Sarah is the girl next to him." Les said.

I stood up and Les jumped back surprised at something. I looked at him wondering why he acted so surprised when he saw me get up.

"What?" I asked.

"I was expectin' ta see some ugly looking girl with bruises all over her. Spot was right, yer not all that ugly." He said.

"Thanks. I think. Do you happen to know where Spot is?" I asked.

"He had to get something from the Kloppman for you." Les said.

"Emily yer awake!" Fox said walking p to me and Les.

"Good morning," I said. "How long until we leave to buy our papers? I will be selling papers today, wont I?" I asked.

"Of course ya will be. We wont be leavin' fer anothah ten ta fifteen minutes. It may not seem all dat long to you, but fer us ten minutes is a lot." Fox said.

I saw Spot enter the room. He walked over to me. I smiled at him and then put a piece of my hair behind my ear.

"Heah, lift up yer shirt." He said.

"What?!" I asked.

"I'm gonna put a new bandage on yer cut." He said.

"Oh." I still wasn't all that awake so I wasn't sure at first what he meant by lift up your shirt.

I lifted up the side of my shirt. All the newsies were watching me. Spot changed the bandage, and then put another one on. Then he lifted the back of my shirt up and examined the bruises on my back.

"Does this hoit?" He asked as he touched one of the bruises.

"Ow! Yes!" I screamed.

"Sorry," he said.

He put my shirt back down and then looked at my face. He lightly touched the bruise on my cheek and the cut on my lip.

"Yer fathah really beat da shit out of ya didn't `e?" Spot said.

"Yeah, he did." I responded.

"I never saw jist how bad da bruises were until jist now. Are ya gonna be okay?" He asked.

I nodded my head. Spot smiled at me, but it looked more like he was smiling at me out of pity. Les came back up to me with his brother and sister at his side. They both introduces themselves to me.

"So Emily where's your selling spot?" David asked me.

"She's gonna be wid Much, I'm sellin' wid Jack an' Fox is sellin' wid Blink." Spot answered for us.

Fox went downstairs with Blink to talk to the Kloppman. I went over to my dress that had been lying on a chair and searched the pockets, looking for the picture of my mother. Then I remembered that I hadn't taken it out of my purse.

"Spot, I have to go back to my house." I said.

"What? Ya can't go back dere." He said.

"You don't understand, I have this picture of my mother that I always carry around with me. I have to go back and get it." I said to him.

Spot looked like he understood. He sighed heavily and then started nodding his head.

"Okay, we'll go git it. When does yer dad leave fer woik?" He asked.

"I don't know he goes at different times every day."

"Well we'll have ta take our chances." He said.

He walked to the door and opened it up. To my surprise Nick was standing the door way. I ran over to him and hugged him. I was so glad to see him. At first it didn't look like he recognized me. Then he touched the sides of my face and smiled, he knew who I was. He walked into the room and stood next one of the beds.

"What did you do to your hair?" He asked.

"I had to make myself look totally different, so no one will recognize me." I said walking over to him.

"Emily, I'm so sorry this happened to you." He said.

"I'm okay Nick," I told him. "How did you find me?" "Spot told me." He said.

"How do you know Spot?" I asked.

"Hey, I got something for you." He said ignoring my question as he usually did.

Nick took something out of his pocket. He smiled and gave it to me. I looked at it, it was my mother's picture. I was overcome with joy. I hugged Nick again and kissed his cheek.

"I forgot that you had this. Spot and I were just about to go back to my house to go get it." I said.

"Huntah!" Fox yelled from the door.

We turned around and saw Fox smiling at the door. He ran over to Nick. Nick smiled at him and said hi.

"Fox, this Nick. Nick's my best friend." I said.

"Dis isn't Nick, dis is Huntah. I could recognize dis guy any day. Huntah was a newsie a few years back. We were best friends." Fox said.

"You never told me that you were a newsie, or that your real name was Hunter." I said.

"Hunter is my middle name. I decided that I would use that name while I was a newsie." Nick said.

"Hey Huntah, why'd ya leave us?" Fox asked.

"Fox, I told you right before my parents came to pick me up why I was leaving. I was never really cut out for being a newsie you know that. I was only going to be a newsie until my parents came back to get me. When they came back I left. I'm sorry but I couldn't stay in touch with you guys. My parents said it would be better if I forgot about you. Bet all the guys were mad at me that I left, uh?" Nick said.

"Yeah, they were mad. Huntah, you were are family, leavin' like dat, it jist wasn't right." Spot said.

"Is that why you were in such a hurry to leave the diner that one day, so they wouldn't see you?" I asked.

"Yep. I knew if I ever showed my face to them again they would have soaked me." He said. "Once I heard what happened to you, I tracked Spot down and asked him about it. He told me everything, and that's why I'm here. Hey, shouldn't you go sell your papers? You don't want to be late."

"Huntah's right. We better get goin'. You gonna come sell wid us, Huntah?" Spot asked.

"I don't sell papers anymore, Spot. Who is selling with Emily?" Nick asked.

"Emily was gonna sell wid me." Mush said.

"Good." Nick said.

"Heah, Emmy, put dis on." Spot said.

He threw me a hat. I caught it and put it on. I tucked the remained of my hair up in it. Nick said that he would be back to see me later that day, and then he left. I went with all the newsies to buy our papers. We walked to the distribution office. I waited in line behind Mush.

When it came my turn to buy my papers I was very nervous. I didn't know if I would be able to pull off being a boy or being a newsie. I didn't exactly sound like a newsie. I put down some money that Spot had given me earlier on the counter. I asked for twenty papers. I had never sold papers before in my life and I didn't know if I had bought too much papers or too little. I walked over to Mush.

"So, where do you sell your papers?" I asked him.

"I sell dem right in front of Tibby's. Come on let's go." He said.

We walked to the diner called Tibby's and Mush immediately stated screaming headlines. I copied what he was doing. I wasn't use to having to work for money. As a matter of fact I had never worked a day in my life. This was definitely a change for me.

I was so exhausted by the end of the day. It made me appreciate every single one of the newsies. I never realized just what they went through everyday. By now though, they were probably use to it. Hopefully in a few days I would be too.

When we walked back into the lodging house, Nick was sitting on one of the beds waiting for me. He stood up when I entered the room and came over to me. I knew he could see just how tired I was. He gave me a hug and then sat me down on a bed. He wanted to knew how my day had been.

We talked for an hour. Then Nick said that he had to go home. He left, and then the rest of the newsies all went to their beds. I went over to Mush's. I fell asleep very quickly.

I spent the next few weeks in Manhattan selling my papers with Mush. The dye in my hair was fading away, and my hair grows very quickly so it was already getting longer. Fox's hair was starting to turn its natural color again too. Spot had told me and Fox that we would be leaving to going back to Brooklyn soon.

Mush and I went into Tibby's for diner that night. None of the other newsies were finished selling their papers yet, so Mush and I were the only newsies in the diner. We took a seat by the window and ordered our meals.

"So you'se are leavin' tomorrow, huh?" Mush asked.

"Yes. Spot thinks that it will be safe now to go back. Besides I'll be able to see Nick more often, since he lives in Brooklyn." I said.

"I'm gonna miss ya. It's bin nice havin' company while I sell. You'se wont believe how lonely it kin get. I'll be able ta visit ya wont I?" He asked.

"Of course. You're one of my closest friends. I would have never of learned to sell newspapers if it wasn't for you teaching me everyday." I said.

He smiled shyly. That was when a gang of newsies ran into the diner. Spot came over to me and sat down, I moved in so he would have room. Then Fox sat down next to Spot, and then Jack sat down. Race, Kid Blink, and David sat down next to Mush. They were trying hard to fit eight newsies into one booth. It was a bit crowded but we all managed to fit.

"So how's everyone doin'?" Jack asked.

"Well, we're a bit crowded. Ya know you'se guys kin pull up a few more chairs. Ya don't all have ta sit in dis one booth." Mush said.

"Ah, don't be silly Mush. We fit jist fine." Spot said.

Mush rolled his eyes. Spot called for the waiter and then everyone ordered their meals. They all started talking about their day while they waited for their food to arrive. After a few minutes the waiter came back with their food.

They all started eating quickly. All the newsies were in a good mood that night. While we were eating Spot spilled his drink on me. I screamed and them threw my drink in his face. Before I knew it every newsie in the diner was throwing food at one another. Spot an I had started a food fight.

After a while everyone stopped tossing stuff at one another. We looked at ourselves. We were covered with food. We all had fun but now we needed to get cleaned up. All the newsies that were involved on the food fight went to the lake to get cleaned off.

I walked into the shallow part of the lake and splashed my face with water. Suddenly I felt myself being lifted up in the air by Mush. I screamed and then was thrown into the water. I started swimming around in the deeper end of the lake. The other newseis swam out with me.

The water was freezing, and it was so dark that I could hardly see everyone else. I felt someone grab my leg and then I was pulled under the water. When I resurfaced I saw Spot laughing. I swan over to him and pushed his head under the water. Everyone was yelling and having a great time. It was the most fun I had had since my mother died.

After about an hour of swimming around everyone started heading back to the lodging house. I got out of the lake my cloths sticking to my body. I was freezing, it was so cold. As soon as I got into the lodging house I went into one of the bathrooms to change out of my wet clothes and into dry ones.

My hair was still wet, just like every other newsie that went swimming. I climbed into my bed, I was still so very cold. My wrapped my cover around myself, but it did no good. Spot knelt down next to my bed and smiled at me. "Emmy are you okay. Her lips are all blue an' yer shiverin'. I don't want ya ta git sick, so heah." Spot said.

He picked up the covers that he had been using and putting them on me. I smile and thanked him. Then it uncured to me that if I was using his covers he had nothing to keep himself warm with.

"Spot, I can't take your covers, you'll have nothing to keep yourself warm with. You'll get sick." I said.

"Don't ya worry `bout me. I'll be fine. I use ta sleep on da streets. It aint like I had any shelter from da rain den. I don't think sleepin' on da floor widout covers is gonna hoit me."

He lied down on the floor. I looked down at him. He smiled up at me, I smiled back. I moved around in the bed to get comfortable. Then I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning, from hearing the Kloppman yelling for the newsies to get up. I yawned and then sat up. I put my feet down but quickly moved them back up after realizing I almost stepped on Spot.

"Sorry," I said.

He stood up off the floor. I had forgotten that he had been sleeping there. He would usually wake up before I got up.

"It's okay." He said tiredly.

He stood up and yawned. He scratched his head and then rubbed his eyes. I watched him walk into the washroom. I got out of my bed, and changed into a dark blue shirt and brown pants. We were leaving today, me, Spot and Fox. I went up to every single one of the newsies and said goodbye to them. I walked up to Mush he would be the one I would miss the most.

"Goodbye Mush." I said to him.

"I'll visit ya Emily." He said.

"You better. I'm going to miss you. All of you, you've been so nice to. God know you didn't have to. All you had to do was tell the cops where I was and you would get reward money." I said.

"Wait there was a reward?" Mush said joking.

I smiled and kissed his cheek. After I finished saying my good-byes we left to go back to Brooklyn. I was such a long walk, I didn't think it would ever end, but it did. Spot didn't want any of his newsies to know that I would be living with them so like he had told me before I would have to sneak in and out though the window.

Luckily for us no one was there when we arrived. Everyone had left to sell their papers. We went up to the bunkroom, the first thing Fox did when we entered was collapse on his bunk. Spot brought me into his room.

"Okay, dis is what were gonna have ta do, how `bout we alternate every night sleepin' in da bed. You kin sleep dere tanight an' I'll sleep dere tomorrow. Is dat okay?" He asked.

I nodded. He went back out to the bunkroom, a few seconds later he came back in holding a blanket and a pillow. He threw them on the floor. We walked back out to the bunkroom and saw Fox sleeping. Spot went to wake him up but I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Let him sleep Spot." I said.

"Okay. Look, I'm gonna walk around town fer awhile, you'se kin stay heah wid Fox or come wid me." He said.

"I think I'll stay here for awhile." I said.

Spot left and I sat down on a bed next to the one Fox was sleeping in. A sat for a an hour waiting for Fox to wake up. When I got bored waiting for him I decided to leave the lodging house and go around town looking for Spot.

I saw him waiting in front of an apartment building. I started to go up to him but stopped when someone came out of the apartment building and started kissing him. Normally this wouldn't have bothered me but for some reason, it did. Spot had never told me he had a girlfriend. Not that I cared that he did, I hardly knew him.

Spot saw me and waved his hand motioning for me to come over to him. I ran over to him and the girl. The girl looked me over, she had a very disgusted look on her face. She was pretty though, she had long blond hair and blue eyes, and maybe a year older than me. She obviously wasn't that rich if she was hanging around Spot.

"Emmy, dis is Rachel. Rachel dis is me friend Emmy." Spot said.

"Emmy?" She said.

"Emily." I said.

"Spot's my boyfriend." She

said. :I was wondering what she as trying to get at. It was obviously that they were a couple. I was feeling bad enough that Spot had a girlfriend, she didn't have to rub it in my face.

"I can see that." I said.

She kissed him and took his hand.

"Well, me and Spot have to get going." She said.

She started walking dragging Spot behind him. I stood there and watched them leave. I was suddenly over come with jealousy. I took a deep breath and walked away. I walked to Nick's house. He greeted me at the door.

"Did you know Spot has a girlfriend?" I asked him.

"He's got like ten of `em." Nick said.

"Ten?!" I asked surprised.

"Well, maybe not ten, but a lot." He said. "Why?"

"I saw him with one of them a little bit ago. They were all over each other." I said.

"Spot's been with so many girls it's hard to keep track on `em all." He said.

"By been with, you mean, dating?"

"No, I mean actually, you know, been with." He said.

He emphasized been. Which meant the guy I had a crush on had slept with a lot of women. I stood there and thought to myself. How he could have taken advantage of them, and why didn't the girls stop him. I tried to block out of my mind the possibility that some of the girls may have tried to.

"Why are ya all of a sudden interested in Spot's sex life?" Nick asked.

"You're the one telling me all this, I didn't want to know. It isn't any of my business." I said defending myself. "You've never been with a lot of girls have you?"

"Yeah I have." He said. "But look, guys like me an' Spot are jerks. We only want one thing from a girl, and once we get it we don't bother with her anymore." Nick explained.

The question started forming in my about what happened if they didn't get what they were after. I pretty much new the answer, but I had to ask.

"What happens if you don't get what you want?" I asked.

"For me, I'd be fine, I'd leave `er and find someone else, I would never make `er ta do anything. Never." He said. "Some guys though, like Gunner, would force you to give them what they wanted."

"Nick, when we first meet, was the only reason you were nice to me because you wanted to get something out of me?" I asked.

"Honestly. Yes. That was before knew about you and your father, and before we became such good friends." He said.

"So if you never knew my father beats me, you would have tried to go farther with me?"

He nodded, I figured that I should stop with all the questions. I looked at Nick, he stared right back at me, I could tell he didn't want to talk about what we had been talking about anymore. He took my hand and we started walking down the road together.

When the sun started to go down that was when me and Nick went our separate ways back. He was going home, and I was going to the lodging house. I climbed up the side and crawled through Spot bedroom window, like he had told me to do.

When I got in Fox was sitting on the bed. He startled me, I didn't recognize him at first. He smiled at me, like he was glad that I was back. "I was worried, I didn't know where ya were." He said. "But now I kin go ta sleep. Now dat yer safe, or at least inside. Goodnight Emily, an' rememah, yer sharin' a room wid Spot, so be careful."

"I will. Goodnight Fox." I said.

He walked out of the room and closed the door. I fell back on Spot's bed. I looked up at the ceiling and wondered what time Spot would be getting back. I fell asleep after an hour.

During the middle of the night I was awaken by two people falling on top of me. I was Spot and one of his many girlfriend, he must have forgotten that I was sleeping there. Once they realized I was sleeping in the bed they both got up. I also got up.

"Sorry Emmy, I forgot you'se was heah." Spot said.

I looked over at the girl he was with. She wasn't the same girl I had met before. This girl looked around fifteen she defiantly wasn't any older, but she might have been younger. She had red hair and green eyes. I looked over at Spot he was removing some lipstick the girl had left on his face.

"I'm sorry Spot, I'll leave." I said.

I started walking out of the room but he grabbed my arm.

"Don't Emmy." He looked over at the girl. "Ashley, you should leave."

She left not saying anything. Spot was still holding my arm. He was biting his lower lip and in a way he looked a little impressed. Once he realized that he was still holding my arm, he let go.

"Sorry, I really did forget you'se where heah. I wouldn't have brought her home if I had remembered." He said.

"Spot, it's your room, it's your life. If you want to bring girls here that's fine, but tell me first so I can leave." I said.

"Look I'm sorry."

I didn't respond. The only thing I did was go back over to the bed and lye down. Spot sat down on the chair and fell asleep. I was awake all night, worried that Spot might do something to me. I must have fallen asleep at some point because I woke up and Spot was already getting changed.

I hadn't realized it but I was starting at Spot. He had just pulled up his pants and was now looking for his shirt. He looked over at me and saw me starting. I quickly closed my eyes and pretended I was asleep.

"Good mornin' Emmy." He said.

I opened my eyes and looked up at him. I smiled and he smiled back. I got out of the bed. I started to hear someone yell from outside of the room. I was scared when I thought that the person might come though the door and see me.

"Spot!" The voice yelled.

I recognized the voice as Fox's, and I relaxed a little.

"Come on in Fox." Spot said.

Fox entered the room and quickly closed it behind himself.

"Did ya want somethin' Fox?" Spot asked.

"I came ta make sure Emily was okay." He said. "She spent `er foist night heah wid you'se. Who knows what ya could have done. It didn't look like ya got what ya wanted last night wid dat othah goil. I wanted ta make sure dat Emily was fine."

"I'm okay Fox." I said.

"Well, I bettah git back out dere. I'll keep da guys inside long enough fer ya ta git out da window, jist ta be sure dat no one sees ya." Fox said.

He left, and I walked over to the window. I crawled out on to the roof and to my surprise Spot followed me. I looked down off the roof. I wasn't sure who I had ever gotten up here last night. I couldn't see a way down.

"Emmy come ovah dis way." Spot said.

I followed him over to the side of the roof. There was a trellis with vines covering it, for me to climb down on. Spot came down after me. He stopped me right before we got to the distribution office. He told me to wait for him here and that he would buy my papers for me today. So I waited.

He came back a few minutes later holding my newspapers in his hand along with his own. He handed me mine and then left. He didn't say anything to me, I was hoping he would have. I could no longer pretend that I was a boy newsie. My hair was too long now, and I didn't want to cut it again. Besides maybe if people knew I was a girl they would buy my papers because they might pity me.

I went to my selling spot the one that Spot had told me to go to earlier. As soon as I started screaming headlines people started buying them from me.

Around noon another Brooklyn newsie, Gunner walked up to me. I was very frightened of him, but I didn't want him to know that so instead of running I stayed where I was. He looked me over and smiled. I could only guess what was on his mind. I wished Spot was there.

"Hey dere goily. We jist kep runnin' into each othah don't we?" He said.

He took another step towards me and grabbed my arm. I heard someone call my name. It was Spot.

"Emmy dere ya are." He said.

Gunner and I both looked over at Spot who was running up to us. When he reached us he grabbed the hand that Gunner was holding me by and pulled me towards him. He started kissing me. I tried to pull away but couldn't. When he stopped he smiled at Gunner. I didn't know what he thought he was doing. I wanted to slap him or yell at him or do anything that would hurt him. How dare he kiss me.

"Hey Gunnah, I see ya met me goil." Spot said.

I was started to say something but Spot squeezed my hand hard and then he glared at me, as if he was telling me though his eyes not to say anything. So I didn't talk. He obviously knew what he was doing.

"Yer goil?" Gunner asked.

"Yeah, my goil. I saw `er ovah heah wid you, so I figured I'd say hi. What, do ya think I'd kiss a total stranger? Me an Emmy spend every night together, if ya know what I mean." Spot said. "Thank ya so much fer watchin' `er, I wouldn't want any jerks tryin' anything wid `er."

"No problem Spot, any time." He said.

Gunner left, and I looked over at Spot. He didn't look at me. He was just staring at the direction that Gunner left in.

"Emmy, if yer evah in trouble like dat again jist scream, me sellin' spot aint to far from yers an' I'll probably be able ta heah ya." Spot said.

"Okay," I said.

He turned to look at me and smiled.

"Yer probably starvin', let me buy ya some lunch." He said.

He put his arm around my shoulder, and walked me into a diner. There was only one other newsie besides us in there and that was Fox. He grabbed my hand and dragged me over to a booth. I sat down, Fox sat next to me, and Spot sat across from me.

"So, how was yer foist day sellin' in Brooklyn?" Fox asked

"A lot better then I did in Manhattan. I think most of the reason I got more money was because I wasn't dressed as a guy. I think they pity me more when I'm a girl. I don't know, how much money to you think will make tomorrow if I go naked?" I asked joking.

The two boys had stunned looks on their faces.

"It was a joke." I said.

"Oh," they both replied.

We sat in silence for a while, until our food came. I was very hungry. I ate my food without saying a word to anything. Fox and Spot talked to each other the whole time they were eating. I listened to them closely but never said a word.

When we finished eating we went back to selling our papers. I didn't get finished until pretty late at night. I told Spot and Fox to go to dinner without me. Once I was finished selling my papers I just walked around town for a while thinking to myself. It was still a little to early for me to go back to the lodging house.

When I finally started becoming tiered I walked to the lodging house and climbed onto the roof. The window to Spot's room was closed, I tried to open it but it was stuck. I tapped the window lightly hoping maybe Spot would hear me and let me in.

I saw Spot light a candle then walk over to the window rubbing his eyes. He had been sleeping. Spot put the candle on a night stand then opened the window. I crawled in. I looked at Spot. He was only wearing boxer shorts. I could tell he wasn't at all that happy that I had gotten back so late. He had told me before that I shouldn't walk around Brooklyn alone at night.

"Emmy where were ya?" He asked.

"I wasn't sure what time I should to come back here. I wanted to be sure everyone was asleep." I explained.

He sighed, then turned away from me. I went over to the bed and fell back on it. I was so exhausted. Spot looked at me. As if he wee questioning what I was doing. Then I remembered that tonight was his night to sleep in the bed.

"Oh I'm sorry, I forgot, it's your turn to sleep here."

I got up, Spot came over to me and sat me back down. He smiled and shook his head.

"You kin sleep heah." He said.

I did want to sleep in the bed but I didn't think that it was fair that Spot had to sleep on the floor. It was his turn to sleep in the bed. I thought to myself for a second.

"We can both sleep in the bed." I said.

"I don't think so." He said.

"Why not?" I asked.

He looked me over and then smirked. He was trying to say something but it looked like he couldn't find the words.

"You can sleep under the covers and I can sleep on top that way we'll both be able to sleep in the bed and not have to worry about the other person or anything." I said.

"How `bout you sleep under the covers and I'll sleep on top." Spot said.

"Okay."

Spot went out to the bunkroom while I changed into a night shirt. When he came back in I was already in the bed and under the covers. Spot came over and lied on top of the covers. There was enough room in the bed for us both to fit comfortably. I stayed on my side and he stayed on his.

When I woke up the next morning my arms were wrapped around Spot. He was still asleep but his hand was holding onto my arm. We both must move a lot in our sleep. I was still very tiered and not really aware of the way we must look sleeping together.

I could hear Spot breathing, I was still too tiered to get up or move out of the position that I was in. I hadn't heard the door to Spot's room open. It did though and a bunch of newsies came in.

"Wo! Go Spot!" I heard one of them yell.

That's when my eyes shot open and I saw all of them in the room. Spot woke up also. We both jumped out of the bed. I didn't know what to say and I didn't think Spot did either. I knew what the other newsies must have thought happened. Me being in only a shirt didn't help the situation at all.

"God Spot how many goils do ya sleep wid?" One of them asked.

Spot and I exchanged a look. Then he looked back at the other newsies and he folded his arms across his chest then smiled.

"More den you'll evah know." He said.

I could feel myself beginning to cry. He wasn't going to tell them the truth. I grabbed a pair of pants that were lying on the ground and put them on as fast as I could. Then I ran past the newsies and out of the lodging house just as the tears began to fall from my eyes.

As I ran down the street I let the tears flow freely. I didn't even try to hold them back. I could only think of one person to go to, Nick. I ran to his house and banged on the door. He opened it and when he saw me he looked very worried. He led me inside and then sat me down on a couch.

"Emily are you okay?" He asked me.

I told him what had happened. He definitely wasn't pleased. He held me and rocked me back and forth slowly. Nick would hold me this way every time I came over in tears. I stayed in his arms for a while. We didn't say a word to one another the whole time.

"I'm gonna go talk to Spot." Nick said at last.

"I'm going with you." I said.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

I nodded my head. I had to talk to Spot. We left that very same minute. It was still early so everyone would still be in the lodging house.

Nick walked in first and I followed him. When the Brooklyn newsies first saw Nick they all gathered around him, surprised that he was there. Then the questions came. They all wanted to know why he left them. None of them seemed angry with him.

Fox saw me and came over to me to talk. I told him the truth about what happened and he of course believed me.

When they other newsies noticed me they started smiling, I guessed that after I felt Spot hadn't come clean and told them the truth. Nick asked the newsies were Spot was. Before they answered he walked up in front of the newsies. I walked up to him.

"We have to talk." I said.

He started walking backwards into his room and I followed him. When we walked into the room I closed the door behind myself. I stared at him, my eyes were still red from when I was crying.

"I didn't tell those guys that we." He stopped as is trying to find the right words. "That we had actually been together."

"Yeah, well you didn't tell them we didn't do it either." I said.

"Come on, if I told them that I hadn't, done you." I stopped him before he could say anymore.

"It that what you call it?" I started unbuttoning my shirt.

"Emmy what are ya doin'?" He asked.

"You want me? You can have me." I said opening my arms.

"Emmy don't." He said.

"Come on Spot, you've done it to all the other girls, why not me?" I asked.

He turned his face away.

"What's the matter Spot am I not good enough for you?" He didn't say a word. "That's what I thought."

I buttoned my shirt back up and started walking to the door.

"Emmy," I heard Spot say.

I turned around and looked at him.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I'm sorry too Spot. I'm sorry you feel you have to live up to a bad reputation. I'm sorry you can't admit to the truth, and I'm sorry that I found myself falling in love with you. But I guess that one's my fault. Shame on me for thinking you might be different than all the other guys, and shame on me for ever thinking that you might have loved me back. But no one that loves me could ever hurt me the way you have. I find my hatred for you overpowering my love for you." I said. "Goodbye Spot."

I left him there standing at the door. My words I thought were a bit harsh. I started walking to the door to the bunkroom to leave. Nick left the newsies he was talking to and came over to me.

"Emmy don't go!" I heard Spot yell.

Everyone turned and looked at him. I looked at him too. I wondered what he was going to say. He looked at me and then at the rest of the newsies in the bunkroom.

"I wanna say somethin' guys. I never slept wid this goil. Yes we were sharing a bed, and yes we woke up holding each other, but nothing happened. I wanted to tell everyone that. Ya know I lost a great friend because of dat lie, she was the one person that cared about me." He said.

"Spot yer not gonna let a goil take vah yer life are ya?" One of the newsies asked.

"Shut up!" Spot yelled. "I'm very sorry Emmy, and I know saying I'm sorry wont change anything."

I looked at him, I didn't know what to say. I turned to walk away.

"Emmy I love you!" He yelled.

I turned back around surprised that he had said that, and in front of all the newsies no less. Questions started filling my head. Was he saying he loved me just because I was about to leave. I really didn't think he meant what he said.

"Tell me then, why do you love me?" I asked.

"You're beautiful." He said without any trouble.

"Is that it? You only love me for my looks?" I asked.

I could feel myself beginning to cry again.

"No, I mean, you're beautiful, inside. I love you for you. Not fer what ya look like." He said.

I was very surprised that he had said that. No one had ever told me that they loved me. No one that was still alive that is, my mother used to say she loved me. Hearing this from Spot made me scared. I had always wondered what I would do if someone told me that, I never did come up with an answer though.

Spot deserved better than me. I was just an abused girl that he pitied. I loved him, I told him that. I needed to tell him I lied about it though, I didn't want to hurt him but like I said I don't deserve him.

"I'm sorry Spot. I can't love you knowing you could hurt me again." I said.

That's when I felt tears starting to fall down my face. Nick put his arm around me and we began to walk out of the lodging house. I could hear Spot talking with his newsies. He told them that the only reason he told me he loved me was to get me into bed again. He was lying again, I knew he didn't mean it. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was hurt.

I went back to Manhattan for the next few days. I couldn't stay in Brooklyn. Every night I found myself crying uncontrollably. Mush would hear me each night and comfort me. I felt so terrible, I wanted to be with Spot.

It was a week after I had been in Manhattan when I was crying in Mush's arms again. He lifted my head and looked me in my eyes. My vision was a little blurred from all the tears. He smiled at me.

"If ya miss Spot so mush why don't ya go back to Brooklyn?" He asked.

"I think I really hurt him. He deserves better than me." I said.

"Emily will ya listen to yerself? Spot loves ya and you love `im, ya can't change yer feelings. Spot has had tons of goilfriends. Each ones just comes and goes, he doesn't care about them. He tried to stop you from leaving, something he would have never done to anyone else. He told you he loved ya in front of all `is newsies. You belong together." He said.

I wiped the tears from my eyes. My head was hurting from crying so much. I stood up and started walking to the door.

"Emily." Mush whispered.

I turned around.

"Where are ya goin'?" He asked.

"To see Spot." I said.

"Now?!" He asked still in a whisper.

"Yes. Right now." I said.

Then, I left the Manhattan lodging house. It was a cold night, but I know I had to see Spot again. I didn't matter to me what time it was. When I started getting closer to the Brooklyn lodging house I started running. I wanted to get there as fast as I could.

On my way there I ran into someone that was walking alone the side of the road. I was knocked to the ground but the person I ran into just stood over me. I got up and brushed off my pants. When I looked at the person I had ran into I froze with fear.

"Emily." He said in an angry voice.

"Dad." I said.

I thought I had gotten him out of my live but yet here he was standing in front of me. For some reason I couldn't run. He held my wrist and slapped me across my face. I hung my head and a tear fell from my eye.

He started screaming at me and punching me. I didn't even know why he was bothering hurting me. It had been a long time since I had left, I figured he would have forgotten about me. He grabbed my arms and started shacking me.

"Do you have any idea how much money I spent trying to get you back?!" He yelled. "Amy left with her boyfriend, you left and I lost most of my money! You've been nothing but trouble since the day you were born! You don't deserve to live!"

I started punching me again. I wasn't sure how much more of it I could take. I was starting to black out. When he pushed me down I was knocked unconscious. When I came to I was lying on the ground and my father was still kicking me. I wanted to die. I begged for him to stop, but he didn't.

"Why are you doing this? Why don't you love me?" I asked.

"Love you? Love you? Who could ever love a spoiled little brat? You should be dead!" He screamed.

He kicked me again and that's when I blacked out from the pain.

The second time I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed. I opened my eyes and looked around the room. I saw Spot sitting on a chair, next to the bed I was in, sleeping. He looked so peaceful sleeping there. I reached out and touched his hand. He woke up and came closer to me. My one eye was swollen and I couldn't see out of it. I was in so much pain. I could only imagine what I looked like to him. My bruised body, my swollen eye, and my scarred up face.

"How do ya feel?" He asked.

"Not good." I said in a low voice. "How did I get here?"

"I found ya on the street. I was going to Manhattan last night and that's when I saw you." He said. "Ya left dis at da login' house a week ago. I wanted ta give it to ya."

He took my mother's picture out of his pocket and handed it to me. I stared at it, then held it up against my chest and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I laid the picture next to me.

"Where was my father?" I asked.

"I don't know. He wasn't there when I saw ya." Spot said.

I looked away from him, I didn't want him to see me cry. My father never really did love me. I was actually hoping that he would have been there. He was, after all, my father. It hurt me so much that he didn't love me. I was beginning to doubt that anyone loved me. Then again, Spot was here with me.

I cleared my throat and looked back at him. He knelt down at the bed and took my hands and held them. His hands were warm and just being there with him for only a second I felt like I had no worries in the whole world.

"What have the doctors said? Am I going to be okay?" I asked.

"Da doctahs." He stopped to think. "Dey said you'd be fine."

I knew he was lying. He wasn't looking me in the eye when he talked.

"Liar. What did they really say?" I asked.

He looked at me and then at the floor. Spot let go of my hands and stood up. Then he started pacing around the small room. I watched him, it looked like he was getting very sad and angry. Spot looked at me, I knew what he was about to say was going to be bad.

"Dey said yer dyin'. Yer bleedin' inside." He said. "Who cares what they say? They don't know anything. Yer gonna be fine."

His voice crackled a little at the end, like he was about to cry. Instead of him crying I started too. The thought of dying was overwhelming. The tears came down my face. My breathing got heavier and my body started to tremble. I felt a sharp pain in my chest, I knew my time was coming near.

"I--I always thought that everyone would be better off if I was dead." It was hard to get the words out, but some how I managed to. "Now that I am dying, I don't want to. I don't want to leave you. I never thought, that anyone ever cared about me and that I was always alone."

"Emmy." Was all he said.

There was no way for him to comfort me. He came back down next to the bed and held my hands like he had been before. Spot closed his eyes tightly and held my hands to his face. He kissed them gently with his soft lips. He looked so upset. He breathed in deeply and kissed my hands again. Threw all the pain I was going through, I managed to smile at him.

"Bye Spot." I said in a soft voice. "I love you."

"No! I lost you once I don't want to loss you again." He looked at me and stared straight into my eyes. "I love you, with all my heart."

He was starting to cry. He placed his head on my chest with tears flowing down his face. I stroked his hair and watched him. I took his hand and squeezed it gently. There was finally someone in my life that loved me. My mind and body were getting tiered and I could feel my heart slowing down. It was a terrible feeling, I knew it would be gone soon though. Closing my eyes I started to fall asleep, knowing I wouldn't wake up again. Then, all my pain was gone.