Chapter one :first
A young girl ran. After awhile she got to a school. She sat down waiting. To take me away from himshe thought. She saw a girl and two boys walk out. The girl and one of the boys looked like the young girl. She pushed back her tears. tears are a sign of weakness. Never cry it says your weak. there I go again thinking about Sean. I haven't seen him in a year yet I still think of him. Maybe because we teaches each other so much. Yeah that's it. She thought.
"what's wrong" the older girl asked kneeling in front of the little girl to look her in the eye.
"he ~stiff stiff~ killed her. ~stiff stiff~ she's gone" the little girl told her. The tears were flowing. The older kids went pale.
"I'm not going back none of us are" the girl said picking the younger one up. She was crying to. They looked like morons. A Irish teenage girl crying but holding a six year old Irish girl who is also crying with one crying Irish teenage Irish boy and another Italian teenage Italian boy who looked close to crying.
~~~flashback~~~
"no Patrick. We are not taking the kids out of school. No matter how tight money gets the kids stay in school" the young girl's mother told her father. She pushed herself in the corner more trying to hide.
"they will be taken out of school. Do not ever talk back to me" he said before slapping her. She fell hitting her head on the table.
"run and never come back" she whispered to her daughter. The girl pushed her tears back as blood ran out of her mother's head. Her father turned to her and took a step forward. She turned and ran.
~~~flashback~~~
That was two weeks ago. They left the Bronx and went to Brooklyn. They now lived in a alley. The two girls: Melissa(young one) and Clara(old one) stay by the alley and asked for money as people passed. The boys Benjamin(Irish one) and Geovanni(Italian one) pickpocketed people and stole food. Benjamin and Geovanni had just got back with some bread and a apple. They gave the apple to Melissa and they spilt the bread between the older ones. Even if they didn't eat Melissa always ate. They made her.
"we'es can't go on like dis. It almost winter. We'es died if we'es stay" Clara said in her new Brooklyn accent.
"we'es know and tonight is our'es last night out ere" Geovanni said. They all had accents now.
Next morning
It is way to early to get but someone was shaking Melissa. It wasn't Geovanni, or Benjamin, or Clara. It was some one else. She pretended to be asleep. They picked her up and began to walk. Keeping her eyes closed she turned her head and bit their arm. They dropped her muttering swear words. Melissa opened my eyes and saw a boy her age with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes.
"watch your mouth" Benjamin said hitting the boy.
"he bite me so no" the boy said looking at Benjamin.
"Spot" she whisper not believing her eyes or ears. He looked at her.
"du. any other newsie would ave hit you'es" he said smirking. She loved his smirk. He helped her up.
"how's it rolling" she asked.
"good. How bout you'es Sunshine" he ask.
"been betta. Sorry I'es bit ya" She told him. He smiled.
"Spot how you'es know dis goil" a older boy asked.
"met er on the boat. Sunshine dis is Clock, Clock dis is Sunshine" Spot said.
"nice ta meet ya" Sunshine said.
"nice ta meet ya too" Clock said.
"you'es all got newsie names" another boy asked.
"nope just those two. Gave them to each other on da boat" Clara said pointing at Sunshine and Spot.
"really. Hey Sunshine I'es Roller. Why you'es name im Spot" the boy named Roller asked.
"because e was the one Spot of trouble on da boat. No one got in as trouble as e did" she said. Benjamin and Clara laughed at the memory.
"betta then bein little miss Sunshine" Spot retorted.
"walkin away now" Roller said backing up.
"come on let's get ya settle" Clock walking away. They walked to a building that said 'NEWSBOYS LOGDING HOUSE'. They were gonna be newsies. They walked up the stairs to the front door. Inside there was a old man about 50 behind a counter, a living area that had some couches and tables then some stairs. They walked up the stairs. In the hall at the top of the stairs there was four doors. There was a sign on each door. The two on the right said 'NEWSGIRLS BUNKROOM' and 'NEWSGIRLS WASHROOM'. The two on the left said 'NEWSBOYS BUNKROOM' and 'NEWSBOYS WASH ROOM'.
"dis is you'es goils room. You'es be sharein with Rose. Dat your washroom. We bois will be on dis side" Spot said. Sunshine walked in the girls room and saw four bunks. One was already claimed. It had a chest at the end and cloths on top.
"there's sheet in da closet" Spot said pointing. He walked in to the boys room to get Benjamin and Geovanni settled. After making their beds they went to the boys room to talk to the boys.
"Sunshine let's go swimmin" Spot said coming out of the bunkroom.
"sure" she said. They raced to the docks.
"so who's the Italian boy with you'es" Spot asked.
"Geovanni's a good friend. Last summer is house caught fire. Killed is entire family. We took im in" she told kicking off her shoes and jumping into the water. He followed. After about two hours of just talking and remembering the good old days on the boat they got out.
"so why isn't you with ya ma" Spot asked putting his shoes on. She kept hers off.
"she's dead. E killed er" She said forcing tears back.
"wow. No cryin. tears are a sign of weakness. Never cry it says your weak." he told her. He put his am around her shoulder. It felt good to be in his arms again. She turned and looked at him. He look back.
"I missed ya" She told him.
"I missed ya too" he said. They walked back to the lodging house In peace and quite. No one said any thing till they walked in.
"hi I'es pirate" a boy the same age as them said walking over with Roller.
"hey Sunshine" Roller said.
"so what's er name" Pirate asked.
"everyone dis is Sunshine Fire's , Pony's, and Smooth little sista" Roller said to all the newsies. There was a lot of them.
"do not mess with any of the O'Sheas or you'es die" Spot told them. They all nodded at that. He must be feared for most of teenagers to agree. Everyone looked from Sunshine to Spot then back to me. Both of their face's emotionless. Something she had to teach him on the boat.
"hi I'es Rose" said a girl with rosy red cheeks. She was the same age.
"hi" Sunshine said back.
Next morning
Clara was now Fire because of her temper and red hair. It was perfect. Geovanni was Pony because of his love to bet on horuse races. Benjamin was Smooth because he had already got out of two fights with telling Clock(he is the leader) and without throwing punches.
"come on Rose will teach ya the ropes" Spot said as they walked to the distribution center.
"I'es got birdie business ta do" he continued.
"Spot, Rose, Sunshine get over ere" Clock yelled from the front. They ran forward. As soon as they were there he was talking.
"Spot we'es runing low on birdies. I'es want you two to train Rain by the end of the week" Clock said but before he could walk off Sunshine had a Question.
"Whos Rain" She asked.
"You'es Rain because you look like you got a rain cloud above you'es head all the time." Clock said walking off.
"to da docks" Spot said before breaking into a run. Rain beat them both there. She kicked off her shoes then did a back flip into the water. She didn't stopped running to do that either. Spot just watched. She splashed him. Rose looked first scared then surprised when all Spot did was laugh and jump in.
"wow Rain what did ya do to im" Rose asked. Her and Spot were trying to dunk one another.
"I'es knew im be-" she was cut off when Spot dunk her. She came up.
"Sean I was talking" she yelled after coughing up a bunch of water.
"Sean. What a scab name" Rose said falling over laughing. Rain and Spot shared a look. They quietly got out of the water and walked to where Rose was. Rain took her hands Spot took her feet and they threw her in to the water.
That happens a lot. It has happened a lot when it was just the three little birdies. It has been one year. One year ago Rain's mother died. One year ago Rain and her sister who is now in Queens , and two brothers who are in Manhattan moved to the streets.
"happy birthday Melissa" Sean said coming up behind her. She turned and slapped a hand over his mouth. Today She turned seven.
"shh people will hear you" She scolded. When it was just them they called each other by their real names.
"come on Clock says we'es going to Manhattan. Tomorrow Queens" he said then ran to get Rose. Shit. Manhattan. Boots. She thought. Boots was a Manhattan birdie and they clashed. a lot.
