The streets of New York in the late 1800's bustled with bums on the side of the road begging for their dinner money, rich ladies and gents with their noses high in the air shuffling away from "undesirables" Boxing matches full of cursing along with liquor, and newsboys hawking headlines for The World, The New York Journal, or even The Sun. Our attention focuses on a young girl looking very lost and confused indeed searching the signs on the top of the grimy New York businesses and lodging houses.

Marcy's POV

So this is New York. Everything you heard about is true from the dirty streets, to the larger than life buildings, but the most accurate assumption of all was the people. Just as you would suspect the people of New York passed by not even giving me a second glance. They were people who had places to go and people to see. They had no time for a lost girl from Boston who had no idea what she was looking for.

Mother would have laughed to see me now. She had basically insisted that I have an escort but no. I Marcella Rose Crandall would never have an escort. I guess you could say I was stubborn…or even stupid. I expected New York to be great an escape from my quaint Boston residence filled with old ladies knitting doilies, sipping tea and having "did you see what she was wearing?" moments. I had always wanted more of an adventure like I've read about in my many novels. But now I really had no idea what I was looking for. Action, adventure, romance, heroes who knew? The only thing I knew was that I was lost in the largest city in the country, with a purse containing a whopping two cents and a knapsack with a change of clothes, my journal, and a few extra dollars.

Without warning I was knocked to the ground by some boy with a bowler cap running past me. It took me a second to realize but as soon as I got up I noticed I didn't have my purse. I looked up to see 'bowler boy" running off with my purse. No thief would get away with stealing from Marcella Rose Crandall. Well at least not in this lifetime. I started to run full speed ahead towards the boy pushing people out of my way as I did so. The boy wasn't very fast but I didn't think he expected me to come after him either. By now I was right on his tail. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as my feet pounded the cobblestone sweat trickled down my back thanks to the blazing hot July sun. The culprit turned right into an alley. This was my chance I lunged forward and tackled "Mr. Bowler" to the ground. It took me a moment to gather up my thoughts on what I would do now. Personally I was surprised I caught him. Slightly embarrassed I stood up and brushed off my skirt and cleared my throat. Attractive I know.

"Excuse me sir but may I please have my purse back" I said through a series of heavy breaths trying my best to sound irritated.

The boy just looked at me like a cornered squirrel threw my purse at me and dashed out of the alley. I inspected my palms, which were moderately scrapped and a bit of dirt was in the wound thanks to my "fall". I gathered up my belongings and I started to walk out of the alley. When I noticed a little boy around the age of ten with curly brown hair. He wore a pair of worn brown trousers, an old beaten down off-white shirt and a cap. By the looks of his inked-stained hands he was a newsie.

"Gee lady what was so important in dat poise a yours dat made ya take on Oscar Delancey" the boy questioned with wide eyes.

"Well this purse contains two cents, and I'm not going to be robbed" I retorted. The boy looked me up and down and laughed.

"Snipeshooter" he said spitting in his hand and then extending it.

"I beg your pardon!" I exclaimed partially in shock that the boy introduced himself as Snipeshooter, and also in amazement that he spit in his hand and then expected me to shake it. The boy looked at me unsurely, and wiped his hand on his trousers then re-extending his hand, this time I shook it.

"Marcy" I said smiling.

"So wheres youse from?" he questioned.

"Boston" I said he raised his eyebrows and looked down at my still bleeding hand.

"Well ise bettah take ya ta Kloppman and have ya hand fixed up," he said.

"Kloppman?" I questioned.

"Yeah he's the Newsboys Lodgin House caretaker," he said. So my suspicions were confirmed he was a newsboy. I was still a bit leery on taking up his offer but my hand did pain me that tackle did some damage I'm afraid. I nodded after a moderately uncomfortable silence. Our walk was a short one only about a block away. Upon entry I was met with a shabby but fairly clean lobby I could hear boys upstairs shouting and being hooligans. There was also an older man who looked like he was in his mid-seventies. He had white hair and he wore a bowler cap and a cheap suit.

"Hey there Snipes whose this," the old man said. His voice was gruff but had the comfort of a grandfathers, I liked him already.

"Well this is ummmm…Two Cents," he said obviously forgetting my real name." She soaked that Oscar Delancey real good had him runnin like a weasel" he added. I grinned partially from pride and partially from amusement, I had never "soaked" anyone before per say. He was making me out like some tough street rat.

"Well Snipes go on upstairs while I'll take care' a this lady's hand," he said looking down I my oddly bent wrist.

Snipeshooter ran up the stairs yelling, "Youse guys won't believe dis I saw Oscar getting soaked by a goil!"

Kloppman lifted my hand while making a tutting sound." It looks sprained," he said. After wrapping my hand carefully in a bandage he looked up at me and questioned "Would ya like ta help me take care' a da lodgin house the boys make a right mess" he said laughing. Well really I didn't have much to lose. I was a girl from Boston with a sprained wrist, no money, no place to stay, and no job did I really have a choice? Didn't think so.

"Sure "I replied. After a small set of instructions on where there was an extra bunk and all the duties and perks I have with the job my choice was well worth it. I would get paid five dollars a week and free board. All I had to do was take care of the little ones and clean up the place. The boys ate out so I wouldn't have to cook. I walked up a creaky wooden staircase; I could overhear a very interesting conversation occurring on the floor above me.

"She really beat up Oscar!"

"Is she real pretty"?

"Where'd da name Two Cents come from"?

"Why don't you ask me yourself?" I said walking up to the bunkroom where I was in plain sight of the newsies. The Lodging House bunkroom was full of bunks three separate rows to be exact and a door leading to the washroom I presume was in the back.

"Well fellas dis here is Two Cents" Snipeshooter said whacking me on the back. I smiled shyly at the 50 or so newsies that were all staring at me and Snipeshooter like we were aliens from another planet." And dese are da fellas that's Mush he's not as innocent as he looks, Racetrack nevah play pokah unless youse wanna lose, Jake he an a 'right kid, Jack but I'm sure youse hoid a him, Pie Eater da name says it all, Snoddy don't wake him up in da morning I still have a bruise, Bumlets he's a bum hence da name, Specs see da one wit da glasses ovah dere, Itey no one knows why dats his name, Crutchy da gimp ovah on dat bunk, Boots the one sittin neah Racetrack, Skitterey aka Mistah dumb n glum, Blink and no he ain't a pirate,Swifty cause supposedly he's fast by the size a him who could tell, Tumbler cause he came right from da country, dat dere is Davey other wise known as the walkin mouth, Sarah Jacks goil and Les Jacobs none a dem live heah but they are good friends wit us, and that's everyone"he said exhaling as he said all of that in one big breath.

I pondered over the faces for a moment before saying "Hey, Mush, Racetrack, Jake, Jack, PieEater, Snoddy, Bumlets, Specs, Itey, Crutchy, Boots, Skitterey, Blink, Swifty, Tumbler, Davey, Sarah, and Les".

"Wow she is good, remeberin our names and soakin a Delancey she's gold" a boy with a cowboy hat and a red bandana said.

"Oh sure I remember your names but I have no idea which faces they belong too" I said. The whole Lodging House erupted in laughter. Oh yeah I was finally home.