Chapter 1 "Waddua ya got Kelly, anything good?" Racetrack asked as Jack showed him his hand. "Two pair. Lemme guess, ya got me again?" Jack asked knowing racetrack had won yet again. Racetrack always won in poker; there was no other way. Race hesitated a moment, but reassuringly put his cards down. "Straight flush Kelly." Race stood up only to see Crutchy and Mush entering Tibby's. Jack and Race were seated at a booth, and Mush and Crutchy sat down with them. "Heya fellas, what's the woid?" Jack asked. "Ah, nuttin', just taking the goils out." Mush replied. Jack and Racetrack exchanged glances, and saw the girls approaching the door. Race and Jack headed towards the door. "Hey goils." Jack said to Doll face and Charity as they entered Tibby's. "Hey boys." Doll face said looking at Racetrack. Doll face was Crutchy's sister, and Charity was Mush's sister. They had known Jack and Race for five years. Ever since Mush and Crutchy, who had been childhood friends, became newsies. Jack always had a thing for Charity, just as racetrack had for Doll face. Race always loved Doll face's ginger colored eyes, and her adoring smile. The girls were very fond of Jack and Race, and hoped they were fond of them also. "Have a seat, hun." Jack said to Charity. The girls sat down. Mush and Crutchy left to go sell da papes. Race took the liberty to sit next to Doll face, and jack followed suit by sitting next to Charity. "We can only stay for a minute, we have wash to do." Charity said apologetically. Jack and Race didn't even try to hide their disappointment. "You goils look very nice today." Jack said. "Thank you." The girls said in unison. "Well, we better be going. It was very nice to see you boys. Please, stop by sometime." Doll face said waving seductively as they walked out the door. "Wow, boy do I like dos goils." Race said dreamily. "Don't you mean ONE of dos goils?" Jack said smirking. Race snapped out of his daze. "You know what I mean muttonhead." Race said aggressively. They got up to go sell the papes. "Extra, Extra, read all about it, Hearst goes numb!" Jack yelled to the customers. Jack sold more than half of his papes when he bumped into Race. They strolled the streets together, reminiscing about the first time they laid eyes on the girls. Meanwhile. Charity and Doll face were walking back from doing laundry, when they ran into some "old friends." Oscar and Morris Delancy, the most wretched people in New York. "Hiya toots." Oscar said to Doll face as they knocked down their linen baskets. "Get out of here. Leave us be." Doll face said harshly. The Delancy's grabbed each girl by the wrists, tight enough to leave a bruise. The girls started screaming, but the Delancy's quickly and efficiently covered their mouths. Doll face and Charity were dragged into a nearby alley, where they were thrown into a pile of trash. Morris made the mistake of taking his hand off of Charity's mouth, because she screamed helplessly. "What was dat?" Racetrack said whipping around, and turning towards the shrill noise. "Let's check it out." Jack said nudging Racetrack. They broke into a run, and arrived just in time. They were astonished to see Charity and Doll face being hassled by the Delancy brothers. In one sudden burst, they could feel anger surge through their entire body. They could feel their muscles tighten and fists form. In one swift motion, Jack and Race lunged towards the Delancy's, ripping them off of the girls, and throwing them up against a wall. Race kicked Oscar square in his manhood, and Jack head- butted Morris. The Delancy's fled, leaving the four of them alone in the alley. "Are you goils alright?" Jack said helping Charity to her feet. Racetrack already had Doll face up. "Holy moley, those tightwads hurt you?" Race asked gently caressing Doll face's bruised wrist. "Are you sure you're alright?" Jack asked. "I think so, I was just so scared. Thank you so much Jack." Charity said with tears streaming down her face. Jack embraced Charity in a hug. Racetrack dried Doll face's tears, and did the same. "Come on, let's go to the lodging house; you goils can get cleaned up." Jack said. They made sure to pick up the linen baskets before heading off to the lodging house.