Chapter 1 "It Can't Be"

"Get up! Breakfast time child wake up!" I heard my mother call and I jumped to my feet. I staggered for a minute and glanced out the window. I smiled at the normal 1899 New York City mornings, the regular people screaming at each other, the same people having their same conversations, and the yelling of the poor news boys. "Reigh-Lynn get down here now child your breakfast is getting cold." I laughed at the thought of how my breakfast could get and colder. I walked downstairs with the normal routine Dad reading the Sun and drinking his cold tea, as my brother sits with his head rested on the table, while Mom scurried around the kitchen shuffling different things at different times.

"Reigh-Lynn, eat your breakfast then go to corner market and get some milk! I told you to get it yesterday!" I rolled my eyes and looked at my plate and starting picking at my food with my fork. I took two bites and went back to my part of the room my brother and I share. I got dressed in minutes and went rushing out the door with the 5 cents Mom gave me yesterday to get the milk I came home empty handed with. I was walking the streets of New York before I went to get the milk and a boy knocked into me. "'Ay! Why don't you'se watch where you'se goin!" I turned to the person who bumped into me. They took off their old battered cap and shook behind them nudging me to go on.

I wasn't the kind of girl to let some one go just bump into me and nudge me away without a word of sorrow. "'Ay! Don't you'se know when a goil is tawking to you'se?" The guy stopped and turned to me. "Look I'se don't gots time for you'se right now." The guy looked at me in shock. He was tall, slim; he had blonde hair, and an eye patch. He smiled at me, "I'se gots somewhere ta be so a sorry and goodbye" the guy gave me a smirk and put back on his hat. He threw out his arms as I stared at him, "What do you'se needs a written sorry? Look I gotsta be at Tibby's fo' lunch." I rolled my eyes along with my head to the direction I started in.

I got to the market and couldn't get that guy out of my head. "No! He's a rude poor news boy. You'se can't like him. Reigh drop it." I thought out loud and got weird looks from people who passed I handed the clerk the 5 cents and rushed back to my apartment. I noticed things were thrown around and saw blood trailed out to the balcony. I rushed back to the balcony and saw my family lifeless on the balcony ground. I covered my mouth as I backed up against the wall.

My father didn't join the Trolly Strike so to my guess this is what he got. Why my brother and mother were killed too was stuff to my confusion. I went to the bedroom and got out some of my brothers clothes. I dressed myself in brown pants, brown shoes, white shirt, black and blue suspenders, and tucked my hair in a shabby cap. I looked in a piece of broken glass and tucked the rest of my dangling hair into the cap. I tried to make myself look as boyish as I could.

I walked outside and heard some boys talking. "You'se coming back to da Lodging House?" A dark brown haired boy asked a black boy. "Ya, I'll walk wiff you'se" the two boys began walking and I followed them trying not to seem noticeable. They walked into the 'Lodging House' and were greeted kindly by an old man. I saw a few boys throw blows at each other and laugh. All the guys that were downstairs were gone.

I took a deep breath and walked in. The old man looked at me in a weird but kind way, "What could I do you for?" I smiled at the old man and he smiled back, "I nee." I cleared my throat and my voice sound deeper, "I needs me a place ta stays." The old man opened up an old book and got out a pen. "What's your name?" I hesitated for a minute, "Reigh." The old man laughed, "That'll change soon, I'm Kloppman, Klopper to the boys here, and I'll show you to your bunk and introduce you to the boys." Kloppman lead me into a bunk room full of boys all laughing and goofing around, some were playing poker and smoking cigars.

Kloppman clapped his hands, "Alright listen up boys! You got a new bunker! This here is Reigh. Reigh this here is Skittery, Racetrack, Jack Kelley, Snipeshooter, Boots, Itey, Dutchy, Specs, Mush, and Kid Blink the rest will introduce themselves right fellas?" The guys moaned and motioned Kloppman away. My eyes kept going back to Kid Blink he was the boy that I bumped into earlier. I noticed that he kept looking at me as if he could recognize me.

One of the boys stood up taking a cigar out of his mouth and he licked his lips, "So what's yer story?" He put the cigar back into his mouth. I believe Kloppman said that he was Race, "Orphan me mudda and fudda were killed today including me brudda." Race sat back down shaking his head, the one named Jack walked closer to me and I stepped back, "Tey didn't join da Trolly Strike did they?" I nodded my head and held back tears.

Jack smiled and slapped my back and lead me to an empty bunk, "You'se will be sleeping herea for da rest of us we'se needs to go to bed also!" Jack walked up to a newsie that was wining about it. He shook the kid's hair around and pushed his head and smiled. Everyone climbed into bed and Kloppman cut the lights off.