Rated T for mild language. R&R. =)

"We create our fate every day we live."

Fate.

Sixteen-year-old Kylene Elisabeth Pulitzer was envied by every girl in Manhattan, New York. Every person that ever saw her liked her instantly. Little did they know that she was fighting a silent battle for 10 years. She was infuriated with herself and her life, knowing that everything could be better. Without a mother to love her, or a father to care, she was missing the one thing that can change her life for the best. One thing that can make any person in the whole world feel delight. Just one word. Love.

Kylene woke up with a start; having the same dream she had last night, and the night before. It was always the same dream, always starting from the beginning and ending where it hurt Kylene the most.

"Mommy, I love you."

"I love you too, baby. But be strong, for both of us. Your daddy will take care of you. I can always know that your daddy will be there for you."

"Mommy, don't leave. I love you."

"I'm sorry, honey. I can't be here anymore. But tell you what, just between the two of us, I'll make a promise that I will always keep. Do you want to know what that promise is?"

"What is it?"

"Kylene Elisabeth, I promise you that whatever happens, I will always be with you, no matter the situation. If you're losing hope, think of me. Mommy's watching you from a better place. Never forget that you and daddy mean the world to me."

"Mommy, do you swear to keep that promise?"

"I swear."

Kylene wiped away the tears. So much has changed. Her mother died and she thought that the world was going to end. Her father didn't help her at all, like how she thought he would. Her father would always scold her if he found her crying and by the age of nine, Kylene and her father were miles apart, emotionally. Kylene was missing the biggest thing in her life, and that was love. No mother to love her, not even a father to take care of her, Kylene was alone.

Knock. Knock.

Kylene straightened herself and fixed her night gown. "Come in." She said, voice clear as a whistle.

"Excuse me Miss Pulitzer, but you're father wishes to have a word with you immediately." Lettie, the head maid of the staff, said.

Kylene nodded. "Thank you, Lettie. Will there be anything else?"

The aged woman shook her head. "That will be all, Miss." And with that, Kylene left her room, letting the maid do her job.

As Lettie closed Kylene's door shut, Kylene headed up the grand staircase leading to her father's study. Along the way she passed a few servants, who all greeted her kindly. Kylene may be the most powerful man in New York's daughter, but she was a favorite among many people, servants alike. She finally reached her father's study, knocking on the door to announce her presence.

"Come in." A gruff voice said from behind the doorway. Kylene sighed and went in.

"Shut the door." Her father said, holding a cigar and gesturing to the door. Kylene did as she was told to do. "Now, you may wonder why I brought you here so early in the morning." He said, sitting down behind his desk.

"Aren't you going to the office, father?" She had stopped calling her father, daddy, by the age of 7, knowing it was completely useless to use such a term with a man who didn't act like so, nonetheless.

"No, not today." He stated, standing up and looking out the window.

Kylene looked at her father and was near tears. Joseph Pulitzer used to be a loving and caring father before his wife died. He was a family man, whose eyes twinkled with laughter and who was always telling jokes about how stuffy the men who worked near his office were. He changed when her mother died. He no longer left work early, he always stayed extra late at his office, leaving only when necessary. He discovered that money is what his great love was, having no wife to share it with, and not even caring about the daughter he had. His eyes never twinkled with laughter, but greed and hate. This man was not her father, and she could do nothing to change it.

Mom, if you're watching over me right now, please make daddy himself again. Kylene thought, looking up at the ceiling.

"I'm having guests over." He uttered, turning around to face the daughter that wanted him to love her.

Kylene nodded. "I will go get ready and change then." She said, gesturing to her attire.

"Good, good." Her father said, not paying attention. Something was on his mind, and Kylene wanted to know what that was.

"How about this dress, Miss?" Lettie said, gesturing to a black and blue dress that was occupying Kylene's bed.

"No, Lettie." Kylene smiled, eyes twinkling. She had no idea who this guest was. It all depended on who he was. Whether it was one of her father's friends or another person from town, she had to pick the proper outfit to wear.

"Should I wear this one, just in case it is one of father's friends?" She said, gesturing to a white summer dress.

Lettie nodded. "Everything will look beautiful on you. I agree, that one. Just to be safe."

Kylene sighed. This conversation was going nowhere. Lettie always said the same exact things on the ten other dresses Kylene tried on. "Okay, I'll wear this one."

Lettie smiled and left the room to leave Kylene to change. She knew exactly who was going to visit, having heard from the kitchen maids, but she dared not say anything. Miss Pulitzer will know in good time.

At the same exact time, Jack Kelly was putting on his best suit - A pair of brown slacks, fresh from last Monday, a white shirt, and one of Denton's coats. He decided not to wear his hat, but tied the usual red bandana around his throat. He couldn't believe the mess he had got into, and he was dragging some of his best friends with him.

"We look like scabs." Complained Racetrack, an Italian newsie who loved to bet and was seen on the tracks every day.

"Yeah, but at least ya don't have to wear this." Mush, a curly haired newsie who had a contagious smile, stated, gesturing to a bowler hat that one of the newsies let him borrow. "Hey Jack, next time ya have a stupid idea, never drag me into it alright?"

Racetrack nodded. "Yeah Jack, Meyers is right. I mean, I'd nevah thought I'd evah be going to Pulitzer's house, but thanks to ya, we are. Just because of one stupid prank. Ya bonehead." He said, thumping Jack on the head.

"Ey, cut it off will ya? It's too early in dah mornin' to fight, so knock it off. C'mon it won't be that bad, maybe Pulitzer will go easy on us? I mean, what's dah worse we can get? Five months in dah refuge? S'not so bad." Jack said, fixing his bandana.

"Yeah, or maybe a couple of bucks he's gonna fine us if we get on his nerves. I mean, yeah. That's not really that bad." Mush said sarcastically. "What's losing a few bucks? Oh yeah, maybe it's because we don't have any to spend in the first place? You really screwed us up, Cowboy." He then looked at himself in the tiny mirror. "Forget this hat, it's just too fancy. I'll just wear my regular one." He put the bowler hat on a nearby table and grabbed his hat that was hanging off a hook on the wall.

Racetrack nodded. "I agree wid Meyers. Nevah again, ya hear?"

Jack sighed. "You went along with it, so I'd shut it if I were ya."

"Yeah, but you're not, last time we checked." Racetrack said. "It's 7:00 in dah mornin' and we're going to miss out on dah papes again, so thank yah Cowboy, not only are we going to be going to Pulitzer's house, but we're gunna have nuthin to eat fer breakfast, lunch, and dinnah because of that stupid prank."

Mush nodded. "Last time I'll ever listen to ya." He said, putting on his suspenders. "And why the heck do we have to dress nice? Just cause it's Pulitzer? We look like we're tryin to hard."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Ain't that bad, maybe he'll give us a warning, like last time. When exactly will his carriage be pickin us up?"

Race shrugged. "Around 8? I dunno."

Jack sighed at the lack of enthusiasm his friends were giving him. "Hey, don't Pulitzer have a daughter?" He asked, slyly looking at Mush, who was a ladies man no matter who the girl was, despite it being the daughter of the man who was going to murder the three of them soon enough.

Mush smiled. "Naw, don't think I wanna date no more, after bein with Rose."

"Was that her name? I thought it was Claudia?" Racetrack asked, tying his boots.

"Nah, it was Melony." Jack put in, washing his hands.

"IT WAS ROSE." Mush said, loud enough to wake up some nearby newsies.

Jack snickered. "Whad about Rose, then?"

"Well, she was different, y'know? I definitely was really sad when she called it off." Mush sighed, looking at the floor.

Racetrack laughed out loud. "No ya weren't. Ya were happy she called it off. Oh and why did she call it off Mush? Maybe she saw ya at dah park smackin on some oddah goil?"

Mush turned red. "No, that wasn't it."

Jack rolled his eyes and said nothing. Mush was a womanizer, but not those bad boy types. He was kind and polite, things that would make any girl fall for him, but he had real trouble staying with just one girl for too long. This was how it always was. He'd find a girl, fall too hard, find another girl, break up with the previous one, and feel bad about it. Typical Mush.

The boys were quiet, finishing up their daily rituals. They suddenly heard a ring downstairs.

"Well, dat's our cue." Racetrack said, putting on his hat.

Jack sighed, while Mush didn't say anything. They all knew that they were gonna die after the prank they pulled the day before yesterday.

The Day Before Yesterday

"Jack don't do it!" Mush said, looking around for any bulls. "Dah bulls will see!"

"No dey won't Mushy." Jack said, getting the bucket ready. "Just wait fer Pulitzer to come, then we'll be off."

"JACKY BOY E'S COMIN!" Racetrack screamed, loud enough for any passerby to hear.

"Shut up, Race!" Jack said, if he didn't say anything, Racetrack would've blown their cover.

"HE'S COMIN! JACKY BOY! AROUND DAH CORNER! GED READY!" Racetrack yelled, apparently not paying attention enough to actually see that Jack was right in front of him.

"SHUDDUP!" Jack said, grabbing the bucket filled with last night's meal, some dog waste, and garbage they found on the streets.

Racetrack was bouncing with joy. "He's gonna do it! Mush!"

Mush thumped Racetrack on the back of his head. "Why does he always gotta be loud when he's suppose to shut up?"

Jack shrugged, going to his position, the way they planned. "I donno Meyers, but maybe ya oughta do dah same thing? Fer 5 minutes, alright?"

And with those words, he went to hide up the nearest fire escape, waiting for Pulitzer to enter his carriage. Any minute now. One. Two.

SPLAT.

Jack let go of the bucket's remainings, and ran as fast as his feet could take him. All he heard was Pulitzer cursing as loud as he can, and chasing after Jack.

Jack found Racetrack and Mush and they all ran away from the bulls. Apparently not fast enough.

"Not. So. Fast." A nearby bull said, dismounting off his horse.

"Crap, Jacky boy." Racetrack said, looking at Jack. "We shouldn't have done it. I tell ya, we shouldn't have done it."

Jack rolled his eyes. Last time he recalled Race was the one who came up with this brilliant idea.

Pulitzer found them. He smelled really bad, and the boys and the bull all covered their noses.

"Jack Kelly is it?" Pulitzer said, looking at Jack.

Jack said nothing. He knew enough not to mess with Pulitzer.

Pulitzer was furious. "You, you, and you. To my house on Saturday morning. Eight o'clock, sharp. I expect you all to show, and if you don't I'd personally see to it that you do. Now get going. The next couple of days, think about what you're obituaries will be like, because you'll need it."

And with those words, he left, murmuring curses and trudging along to his carriage. Leaving the three boys wondering what obituary meant.

Kylene fumbled with her dress as she sat down on a chair in the main hall. Her father had a rule that whenever he had guests coming, she would be there to greet them. As if to soften them up and make them like her father more. She sighed, getting up and walking around. She stopped by a shelf near the kitchen entrance. This was her favorite place. There was a picture of her mother and father. Just the two of them, smiling up at the camera. There were also photographs of Kylene with her mother, and then with her father. Kylene laughed, remembering the memories that went beyond the still image.

She heard footsteps descending the stairs. It was her father, and she knew that he hated seeing her around that particular shelf. She quickly walked back to her chair, fixing her hair and dress as she sat down.

"Ah, you made yourself presentable." He stated, walking to the mirror.

"Yes, father." Kylene said, rolling her eyes. If she didn't look presentable, her father would make her go back upstairs and make her change. He wanted to make sure that everything he owned was better than all the rest in New York. Even his own daughter.

"Good, good." He said. "I have company coming in three minutes."

Kylene nodded. Three minutes was really long if you're alone with a man who failed to understand how to make small talk, especially if you've known him for sixteen years.