"Katherine, I don't see why you and Darcy had to walk me to school. I can get along fine." I groaned. My sister, Katherine, and her friend, Darcy, were walking in front of me down the streets of New York. My stiff school uniform was very uncomfortable due to the day's hot humidity. Katherine had taken control of my hair this morning, and she had braided it all the way down my back. Well, it was out of my face. I wish I looked more like my sister even though we had the same auburn hair. Her eyes were so blue that the boys were always swooning, especially Darcy. Mine were a hazel color which fits my name well since it's Hazel Anna Louise Pulitzer. Katherine also fit her body well, walking with grace. I was a total klutz on the other hand. Being a year younger I got all of her hand-me-downs though they had to be taken up. She was a few inches taller than me.
"Hazel," Katherine said looking over her shoulder. "Darcy was kind enough to ask if he could walk you to school and me to work." She smiled at Darcy, who was continually blushing. Katherine seemed so blind. She hadn't even noticed how eager he had been when he offered his arm to her back at the house. We rounded a corner and started towards the school a block away. Just then, the door to the Newsboy Lodgehouse opened. I had always been interested by the newsboys. Every time I snuck out of school or the house, I found myself drawn to this place. It had such a welcoming atmosphere with its candlelit windows and tall oaken doors. The boys weren't hard to look at either. Speaking of them, the crowd of newsboys filed out onto the steps. Instantly, a dark haired kid jumped out in front of us. He bowed formally, but he didn't seem to get far. Another boy had stepped out in front of him. This one was much older, around Katherine's age. He too had the regular dark hair, but different and intriguing eyes.
"Hello miss." he said to Katherine, tipping his hat. His smile seemed sweet. "Can I interest you in the latest headline?" Katherine laughed nervously. Was she blushing?
"The paper's not out yet." She told him. She and Darcy tried to move past him. I didn't feel like moving, looking at the rest of the newsboys in amazement. All I had ever seen of them was the casual one walking past a window. I spotted one in particular with sunkissed blonde hair and bright eyes. That one looked like he was thinking about something.
"I'd be honored to deliver it to you personally." The dark-haired boy insisted. Darcy put a hand against the young man's chest as if to push him away. Out of the corner of my eye, the group tensed. Katherine seemed to notice it too so she laid her hand on Darcy's arm, shaking her head. Darcy dropped his arm. Katherine smiled sweetly at the boy. I knew that type of smile. Uh oh.
"I've got a headline for you." She said slowly. The boy smirked. "Cheeky boy gets nothing for his troubles." The smirk disappeared, and the group of boys started laughing. Katherine and Darcy shoved past the dumbfounded boy. I slowly trailed after them keeping my head down. I didn't walk extremely fast though, listening to the conversation that started up not long after I had passed the steps.
"Back to the bullpen, Kelly! You just struck out!" Someone said. There was more laughter.
"All right. All right. Let's go!" I heard the insistent boy yell. I turned around and watched the boys start down the street. Most of them looked the same, but three had blond hair. They were all of different ages. I picked out the boy who had been thinking earlier. He was walking side by side with the boy that had spoken to Katherine. He was a cripple, moving along with a wooden crutch, but that didn't seem to bother him. He was keeping up with the group easily.
"HAZEL!" Katherine yelled from behind me. I sighed, turned around, and ran after her and Darcy. We arrived at the school in just minutes. Katherine and Darcy, who still had a dumb grin on his face, left me to walk in alone. I looked up at the tall brick building. Putting my head down, I walked up the stairs and through the doors. I had on my backpack, that was filled with all the books I needed, and made my way to my first class. The morning dragged on so slowly that I almost fell asleep. It also didn't help that I had gone out late last night. Around lunchtime, I had had enough of school for one day. Skipping out the back door, I made my way down the street. Ditching my backpack in the usual bush to pick up before heading home, I continued walking down the pavement. Daydreaming about the way Darcy had looked at Katherine, I wasn't watching where I was going and crashed into someone when I turned the corner.