As I ran I didn't look back. All I could think about was running away. I had to get as far away as I could. When I stopped and hid in an alley I realized I was in Manhattan.

"Oh great I'll probably run into Jack." I said to myself. I slowly walked out into the dark street. I walked to the Newsboy's LH. I walked in to find a old man at the check in desk. "Heya Kloppmen." I said as I walked up to the desk and resting my arms on it. "Is Race around? I'se need ta talk to him." Kloppmen nodded towards the stairs. I went up the stairs and as I climbed them I hears the bustle of the boys in the bunkroom. I walked in and the noise stopped.

When the newsies looked up they saw a short slender girl wearing very odd clothing. She wore long red sweatpants and a short white tank top revealing her stomach. She had a large bag wrapped over her shoulder and a pair of keys in her hand.

"Hay is Race around?" I asked them. A very handsome Italian guy looked over his shoulder at me.

"Hold on I'll be right with ya." I put my bag down and sat in a chair by the door. He finshed his poker game and walked over to me. I stood to face him. He was a little bit taller then me maybe by an inch.

"Hi I'm Kay." I put my hand out for him to shake. "Your Racetrack, right?" he shook my hand.

"Yeah who wants ta know?" he asked sarcastically.

"Don't give me dat shit." I gave him a small punch in the shoulder. "ya know who I am." He leaned closer to me to get a better look. He looked deep into my eyes.

"Bums?" I gave him an annoyed grin and we hugged.

"So hows big bad Race doin?" I asked him jokingly.

"Great. Hows you been doin?" he asked.

"Fine, but I'se got in a fight wid my step dad." I told him.

"What happened?"

"Well, ha came home drunk and he started ta hit me so I just left." I brought my gaze down to my feet.

"Ya ganna be ok?" I looked back up at him and smiled.

"Yeah I just need a place ta stay."

"You'se can stay here as lone as ya need ta." He put his arm around my shoulders.

"Thanks aren't ya ganna introduce me?"

"Oh yeah this is Crutchy, Jack, Mush, Blink, Snipeshooter, Boots, Bumlets, and Spot." He pointed to each newsie as he said their name.

"Hey everybody." I waved to them.

"Hey Kay!" they said in unison. I walked over to get my bag and took out my pajamas.

"Yer not from around heah are ya?" Jack asked as he walked over to me.

"Naw I'm from da futua." I laughed and walked into the washroom and shut the door. I took my time getting ready. I walked out and over to Race.

"Heya Race which bunks mine.?" I asked.

"Da one ova there by da window." He pointed to a bottom bunk by the window.

"Thanks Race." I walked over to it and sat my bag on the bed. I sat down next to it noticing the small table beside the bed. I took out a smaller bag from my big one and took out a small picture frame with flowers around the edges. I gently touched the glass with my fingertips. It was a picture of me and my mom. We are at a theme park and got a picture taken with Mickey Mouse. I smiled as the memory flashed through my mind. I hadn't noticed Race was walking toward me.

"Ya ok?" he asked sitting down beside me.

"Yep."

"What's do picture of?"

"Me and my mom at a theme park. That's Mickey Mouse." I pointed to the mouse look-alike in the middle.

"Who's Mickey Mouse?"

"He's a cartoon character." I explained to him.

"Oh, why don't ya come wid me ta watch do game?" he got up off the bunk.

"No thanks I'm just ganna stay here and think."

"Okay!" he walked back over to the game. I sat the picture on the table and faced it toward me. I took out my CD player.

"Hey ya guys ya wanna here some music?" I asked them.

"Yeah sure why not?" they nodded to me and turned back to what they were doing. I reached into my bag and pulled out some CDs. I picked one I knew they'd get a kick out off. Ludicrous. I opened the CD drive and put it in and pressed play.

"Roll out, roll out, roll out.............." came out of the speakers. I leaned back on the pillows and picked up my magazine. When I looked up I saw the newsies looking at me with confused expressions.

"What kinda music is dat?" Blink asked.

"Good music." I flashed him a small smile. They looked at me in annoyance. "Fine, fine I'll change it." I took out the CD and put another one in. This CD just happened to be the Newsies soundtrack. It bagan playing. I once again went back to reading my magazine.

"Hey wait a minute. Dis music sounds familiar." Bumlets commented.

"Ah duh its you guys singin." They looked at me stunned. Blink walked over to my CD player and picked up the CD case.

"Hey guys its us." He called out to the other newsies. Then all the newsies ran over to where Blink was standing and starred at the the front cover on the CD case.

"Dis is my fave song." I said as I reached over and put the track on #9. "It's King of New York. They all sat around on the bunks nearst to the CD player and listened.

"A pair a new shoes with matchin laces....."

"A permanent box at sheepshed races..."

"A porcelin tub with bolin wata....."

They all listened intentively as they heard themselves singing.

"Ya like?" I asked without looking up from my magazine. They all looked at me and nodded. After the song ended I looked at my watch that read 11:30.

"I need ta be getting ta bed." I reached over to the CD player and turned it off.

"Can we please listen a little bit longah?" the newsies asked.

"In da morning maybe. We all need ta be getting ta bed. G'night." They all walked into the washroom and got ready for bed. Race stayed seated on my bed. "Was wrong?" He looked at me his face expressionless.

"Nutin I was just wonderin well a..... are ya goin back anytime soon?" Race looked at me waiting for an answer.

"I don't think so my step dad seemed pretty mad. Why? Did you not want me here?" I gave him a slight laugh.

"Not its not that its just what about your career?" I looked at him surprised he would ask that question. I sat up so I was facing him. I gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out." I laid back down and pulled the covers up to my chin and closed my eyes. Race sat on my bed stunned at what had just happened. He got up and got dressed and went to bed as well as the other newsies.

* * * * * * * *

The next morning we were woken up by Kloppmen's screaming voice. I pulled the pillow out from under my head and covered my face with it. Race walked over and taped on the pillow.

"Wake up Kay." I pulled the pillow off my face and and wacked Race upside the head with it.

"Oh shut-up!" He laughed a little and helped pull myself out of bed. I grabbed my clothes and went into the washroom on the third floor of some privacy. I quickly dressed in some hip hugger jeans and tight blue tank top. I came back down the stairs just as the boys were leaving. I quickly put my dirty clothes in my bag and grabbed my money and followed them. "Hey Race wait up!" I yelled. Race stopped and looked at me strangly.

"Don't cha eva wear dresses like normal people?" I gave him and I-don't-think-so look and we both started laughing. We finally got to the Distribution office and got to the window.

"Heya Weasel." Weasel looked up at me in surprise.

"A girl, whata ya know and not just any girl, KAY!"

"Yupperz dats me. Now gemme 100. I slapped down my money.

"Hundred papes for da girl!" Weasal screamed.

"Not funny!" I said sarcastically. I grabbed my papes, but before I could pick them up Morris grabbed my wrists and pulled me against the bars.

"Heya Kay. Why don't we get togedder for old times sake." Morris smirked at me. I yanked out of his grasp.

"Not for a million bucks if ya can count dat high."All the newsies who heard the little fight looked up and ooed at the sound of Morris being beat for words by a girl. I walked down the steps, a huge grin on my face.

"What was dat about?" Race asked confused.

"Nothin just letting some trash know where he stands." I turned around in Morris' direction and gave him the finger.

"Gosh, ya may looks like a girl, but ya sure as hells don't act like one." Race said looking me up and down.

"Should I take that as a complement?" I looked at him and we both laughed.

"Youse wanna sell wid me taday?" Race looked at me and studied my face hoping that I would say yes.

"Sure why not?" We walked over to Race's selling spot and separated a little so we could easily sell out papes. We finished selling and walked to Tibby's.

"Heya guys!" I said to the newsies as I walked in the door.

"Heya Kay!" thay said back. Me and Race walked over to the usual booth and sat down. We ordered our food and drinks as I turned to Jack.

"So, how'd it go taday Jacky-boy?

"Great you?" he asked me back.

"Same. So ya gots a goyl yet?" Jack gave me a weird look. "Hey now, don't look at me like dat. I'm askin for a friend." I explained.

"Who?" Jack asked taking a sip of his drink the waiter just brought.

"Well I'se gots a friend I my hometown that really wants ta meet ya." I explained taking a sip of my water.

"In dat case, no, I ain't got a goyl."

"Good cause she's comin here taday." We finished our food and headed back to the LH. "She should be here in a few minutes. I hope I gave her the right directions." I mumbled to myself. Right then there was a knock on the door. "Dats Emily." I ran over to open the door. I opened it and practicly screamed. We both hugged.

"Emily! It's nice ta see ya again." I said as we parted. "So were ya able ta find the place ok?"

"Yupperz." We both laughed. I walked over to Bumlets with Emily's bags.

"Would ya take these upstairs and sit them by my bunk. Thanks." I gave Bumlets the bags and he took them upstairs. I walked into the large living room. Everyone looked up. I walked over to Jack and pulled Emily over with me so I could introduce them.

"Hey I'm Jack." Emily looked over at me and grinned.

"Hi I'm Em ---"

"I know Collie here told me youse was comin." Jack cut Emily off with his hand. He walked her over to sit down and they started talking. Race came up behind me and whispered in my ear.

"Meet me on the roof." I nodded as I watched him run up the stairs just as Bumlets was coming back down. After a few minutes I walked up the stairs to the bunkroom. I climbed out the window and onto the fire escape and pulled myself up onto the roof. Race was sitting on a blanket. He turned around when he heard me climb up. I walked over to him.

"So Race what's wrong?"

"Nothin. I'se just wanted to give ya sump'tin" he said looking back at the sky.

"What?" I asked confused. He looked back at me and put his hand on my cheek and leaned toward me.

"Dis." He gently pressed his lips to mine. I broke the kiss, out faces still less then an inch apart.

"Race don't hold back. I ain't ganna brake." I said quietly with a laugh. He kissed me again more passionately and we finally broke apart.

"Kay would ya be my goyl?" I looked at him speechless.

"Why not? It can't be that hard." I said laughing. He pulled me close to him and I rested my head on his shoulder. Then we heard someone scream from downstairs. Emily cam running up on the fire escape.

"Kay he must have followed me or something because your step dad is downstairs with a gun." I gave Race a scared look and we both ran downstairs followed by Emily. I saw my stepdad in the small living room with a gun pointed at everyone.

"STAY DOWN! Where is she? Where's Kay?" He turned around when he heard us coming down the steps and saw me with Race. "You comin home!" he walked over to me and yanked me towards the door by the neck.

"No she ain't!" Race screamed at him. My step dad turned to Race and Race punched him as hard as he could which wasn't very hard because he was drunk. Race took my hand and we ran out the door. My step dad recovered quickly and grabbed the gun off the floor and ran after us. He saw us turn into an alley up the street.

"You ok?" Race asked as I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Yeah! I'll live." I gave Race a hug and I just happened to have my back facing the street. My step dad came up and quickly shot the gun at me. The bullet went in my side but didn't go all the way through. I lifted my head up off of Race's shoulder.

"Race!" I whispered to him before I started to fall to the ground. Race laid me down gently and put his hand over my wound. My step dad ran off quickly and dropped the gun.

"You'll be ok! You'll be ok!" Race said quietly to me. Just then Jack, Blink and Mush rushed up to help Race. Jack lifted me up gently and quickly carried me back to the LH. We got there and Jack carried me to the third floor bedroom for privacy. He gently laid me down on the bunk and ran downstairs to call the doctor. Race closed the door behind him.

"Race I love you!" I said softly. Then everything went black and I went unconscious.



To be continued......

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