A little girl sighed, and pushed back a blonde curl from her forehead. She was bent over a text book trying to memorize a poem for her tutor.
"Amanda!" the cranky old man snapped at her.
"Ode to a Grecian Urn-" Amanda hadn't half read it, much less memorized it.
"NO! Not that, you silly little girl. Class is over. You may leave." he pushed his glasses up further onto the bridge of his nose and frowned. Catherine, Amanda's sister, bit her lip to keep from laughing.
"Yes sir." Amanda stood up, and turned to look at her brother across the room. Tim was scowling at a Latin book. He saw her stand and looked up, winking at her. She stifled a giggle, and ducked her head, picked up her books and walked out of the schoolroom, followed by Catherine.
"Amanda Marie Douglass! Catherine Leigh Douglass!" a voice called up the hallway.
"Yes, Nurse, we're coming!" Amanda sighed, and muttered something about 10 year old's not needing nannies.
"Your father wants to see you before dinner, so you've got to wash up quickly." Nurse grabbed them by and arm each and pulled them down the hallway to their room.
After being washed and dressed, Amanda smoothed the creases in her dress out, and smiled at her sister before knocking on Father's study door.
"Come in!" Father's voice came through the door.
Amanda opened the door and curtsied.
"You wanted to see us Father?" Amanda looked around and started when she saw her brother already sitting at Father's desk.
"Ah, yes. Do come in, girls. I have some exciting news for all three of you." Tim made a face at being classified with the girls.
"Yes Father?" Catherine asked quietly.
"You three are to be sent to a boarding school in London!" he smiled, waiting for a reaction.
"WHAT?! YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO ME!" Tim was out of his seat in an instant. He was 13, already feeling like a grown man.
"Tim, calm down! Your mother and I have decided-"
"No." Tim said flatly, "I'm not going anywhere."
Father's face hardened.
"All right, young man. You may stay in your room till you decide to be have like a proper Douglass."
Tim scowled and ran from the room, slamming the door shut. Amanda was behind him in an instant. She was closer to him then her sister was, and felt his pain at being sent away from the city they all loved.
"Tim!" she called as she banged on his door.
"Go away, Mandy!" Tim shouted back.
Amanda finally managed to open his door, bursting in just in time to see his foot leave the window.
"Where are you going?!" she asked, wide eyed.
"Away." he kept climbing out the window.
"Tim! Wait! Take me with you! Don't leave me! They'll drag me off to that stupid boarding school in London!" Amanda wailed.
Catherine appeared behind Amanda. "Tim, Father's in a mood to be reckoned with. And Amanda, he's mad at you too for running out."
Tim sighed. "Amanda, if you're coming, close the door and come on! Catherine, since you know, you can come with us or stay here and keep shut."
"Where are you going?" Catherine asked, closing the door.
"I'm going to become a newsie. You know, the boys that sell newspapers? I thought about it, and I decided it would be fun."
"FUN?" Catherine exploded, "You are insane! The both of you! You're not going with him, are you Amanda?!"
Mandy grinned. "Sure I am. He's right! A lot more fun then in here!"
"I refuse to be a part of this insanity!" Catherine slammed the door and stalked out of the room.
"Damnit!" Tim snapped, "We gotta hurry. And you'd better put on some other kind of clothes. I don't want anything happening to you." Tim tossed Mandy a pair of pants and a boys shirt and hat. With a giggle, Mandy rushed to get them on.
"You look like any other newsie." Tim almost looked proud, "C'mon." They both crawled out the window and onto the dark streets.
"Tim?" Mandy finally asked.
"Hmm?"
"How do you know where we're goin?"
"I'm friends with a few newsies." Tim smiled at her, "They call me "Spot" 'cause I used to follow 'em around like a puppy. To see what they were doing and how they sold newspapers. I could be good at it, I think."
"I'm sure you could. You're the best at everything, Timmy." Mandy slipped her hand into his and smiled back at him.
"Thanks. You're not too bad yourself, kiddo. And look, here we are." He'd stopped in front of a building with a sign reading "The Newsboys Lodging House".
"I guess you could call it home." Tim said softly.
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A little girl sat on a bunk, her black hair hanging in her face, as she watched her brother play poker with some other boys.
"Haha!" the boy laughed and held out his palm, showing that he had won again.
The girl giggled to herself and hopped off the bunk, putting her hands on her hips. She was only 8 years old, but could easily pass for 10 or 11. She had chocolatey brown eyes and long black hair that was almost as dark as her brother's. He was shorter then her, but 2 years older. They had both become newsies and moved into the Lodging House a couple of years ago. They came from Jersey. Born to a lower class family, they always had their share of problems, but looked out for each other. They left home because of their abusive father. He had killed their mother and Christopher couldn't take it anymore. He left, taking his sister Connie with him. He had picked up the nickname "Racetrack" because of his obsession with betting and going to the tracks. Connie, who was the only girl in the Lodging House, had become "Silver" because the older boys teased her about her temper and the little silver flecks that flickered in her eyes when she was mad.
"Hey Race come on!" Jack whined.
Race grinned and shook his head, "Nope. You owe me, Cowboy."
Jack, or Cowboy as most of the newsies called him, was the designated leader of the Manhattan newsies. He was tall and lean and always wore a cowboy hat. Most of the boys knew about Jack's fantasy to move out west and become a real cowboy so he had picked up the nickname when he was very young.
Silver snickered and walked up behind Race, bending down and wrapping her arms around his neck. "You cheat big brother."
"Do not!" Race turned around quickly and jumped to his feet, glaring at Silver.
Jack rolled his eyes, standing up and flopping down on his bunk. A good fight with Silver was enough to distract anyone for awhile.
Race was just about to light into her when someone knocked on the door softly. Since it was unusual for anyone to KNOCK on the door of the bunk room, Race knew exactly who it was.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Timmy, I'm scared." Mandy suddenly whispered as her brother knocked on the door to the bunk room.
"Of what?" Tim asked, rolling his eyes slightly.
"What if they don't like me?" Mandy bit her lip.
"They'll like you! They'd better." Tim tried to smile at his sister as the door swung open.
"Spot! Whatcha doin here?" Race leaned against the door-frame and smiled, "and wit company."
"Heya Racetrack." Tim slipped into a street kid's accent. "This is my sistah, Mandy." Mandy took off her hat and tried to smile.
"Coulda fooled me. I thought she was Goldilocks lookin for the three bears." Jack said from behind Race. Mandy blushed, and Tim tried not to laugh.
"Goldilocks, huh? Guess you could call her that. Anyway, guys, we need a place to stay. We finally decided to get outta "hell" as I like to call that house."
"Well, sure, come right in." Jack bowed slightly as Mandy and Tim walked in the doorway.
"Who're they?" Silver asked Race, watching the other newsies shake hands and chatter with Tim and Mandy.
"Dat's Spot and Goldilocks." Race smirked and turned to Jack, "Nice of you to let 'em stay here."
"Yeah, well, I can be nice." Jack smirked back.
"You still owe me, Cowboy."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mandy, or Goldie as she had become to the newsies, held the papers that her brother had given her tightly in her arms. They were heavy and she glanced at Silver, wondering how she was carrying them with such ease.
Silver noticed this and snickered, "It takes practice, kid. Carry em like dis…" She took Goldie's arm and moved it slightly, "See?"
Spot pulled his cap over his eyes and wandered over to the girls, wearing a half smirk that had quickly become his trademark, "Mornin ladies."
Silver rolled her eyes, "Whatta you want?" Her and Spot had agreed on a mutual hatred the night Spot moved into the Lodging House. He didn't realize that Silver had a problem with being treated like a girl so many of the things that he said offended her. She had grown up with boys and was always treated like one of the guys so in her eyes to be treated like a lady was an insult.
"Always da picture of politeness, buttercup." Spot mock bowed to her as Goldie bit back a fit of giggles.
Silver's eyes flickered and she drew her fist back, punching him hard in the stomach, "Go ta hell, Spot." She tucked her hair under her eyes and sauntered away.
Goldie could feel her lips trembling so she hurried after Silver, finally letting herself laugh.
Spot doubled over, wrapping his arms around his stomach, and muttering curses.
Race walked over and slapped Spot on the back, chuckling to himself, "My charming sista at it again eh Spot?"
Spot looked up at Race painfully, "Yeah…charming." He stood up straight, rubbing his stomach, "I dont get her, Race…I just dont get her…"
Race snickered and pulled his hat onto his head, shrugging slightly, "Ah whatta ya care anyway, right?" Nodding slightly, he turned and headed toward his selling spot.
Spot watched the back of his head thoughtfully then picked his papers up and hurried off to start the day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sil can I ask ya something?" Goldie squinted up at the sun.
Silver counted her papers, half listening, "Hmmm?"
"It's about Jack."
Silver stopped and turned her head slowly to look at Goldie, "Whatta ya want with Kelly?" She knew that she wasn't allowed to tell anyone much about Jack because of his problems with the law.
Goldie saw the defense in Silver's eyes so she looked away and lowered her voice. "I kinda…like him."
"Yeah, you and almost every other girl in dis city." Silver half laughed as Goldie blushed.
"Oh, just forget I said anything!" Goldie finally snapped, and hurried away.
"Uh huh." Silver smirked and followed her.