I wanted to write a fan fic with a little twist, so hope you like it!

Sunsets and Eclipses

Racetrack's POV

I was selling my papers on my usual corner when I felt a soft tap on my shoulder. I turned to see a small girl of only fourteen or fifteen years old carrying a basket. She had long curly red hair with stunning emerald eyes. Her green dress accented her eyes nicely. The girl smiled shyly and held out a penny, I pocketed the penny and handed her a paper. She nodded her thanks and I turned back to the street to continue yelling out my not entirely accurate headlines.

Only soon after did I relize that she was still standing there. I turned back around to see her staring at a rip in my pants with a look on her face like she was trying to figure out the square root of pi. All of a sudden she nelt down and grabed at my pant leg. "What do ya think you'se is doin'?" and before I knew it the rip in my pants was perfactly sewed up. "Uh, thanks," I said the girl only smiled and was on her way. I couln't get that girl out my my head for the rest of the day, I mean no one in New York does thing just out oif the kindness of their hearts.

I slowly made my way back to the lodging house. I was the last one to come home as usual, it took awhile to walk back from Sheepshed. When I arrived at my home David ran up to me. After the strike, David didn't want to go back to school so he and Les ran away to stay newsies and now lived at the lodging house. "Racetrack, we need to go right now." He started draging me back downstairs.

"Where'se do we gotta to go?" I asked confused

"Well you know Tops the leader of the Bronx, right? Well Spot pushed him over the edge. Spot called him a dirty-rotten-scabber, and then they started trowing punches an-,"

"David jist stop you'se is the most terrible explainer on the face of the Earth. I'se will just talk to Jack later. Okay?"

David just glared at me, "Fine, but we still have to go."

During our run to Brooklyn I said "I didn't know that Brooklyn and the Bronx were fighting."

"Me neather, I wonder what this is all about?"

"Same here, but I sure hope it won't end in a burough war," I replied.

"Hope might not be enough, Race."

David and I arrived on the scene only to see hundreds of Newsies bleeding, with hundreds more still fighting. I jumped in against a kid from the Bronx, expertly defelcting his punches. He was weak and small I took him out in one good blow and moved on. Before I knew what happened i was grabed from behind, arms held behind me. I kept feeling blows to my stomach and face. I freed myself, and kicked my attackers behind the knees knoking them both to the ground. I then jumped on them hearing the satisfying sound of ribs breaking. It had been so long since I was in a good fight. I smiled to myself and looked down the street to see Jack and Spot fighting back to back. Kids were droping like flies, from both sides. Spot was looking for his next target when Tops ambused him from behind. Spot beat him up bad. A quick punch and Tops had a broken nose. Another blow resulted in a broken rib. Spot was untouchable, knowing Tops's next move before Tops did.

When Spot knocked Tops to the ground, Tops surrendered. He and his men ran back to the Bronx with no questions asked shouting threats the whole way. The Manhatten and Bropoklyn boys just laughed and made inapropriate hand gestures at them. All of us well boys turned around to see the injured. It was a terrible sight. It would take at least an hour to get all the boys back to their respective loding houses. No casualities this time, I thought. This time. There was going to be a next time, and it wasn't going to end as well.

After everyone was returned home the only people from Manhatten who were in bad enough shape that they couldn't sell where Skittery, Mush, and Blink. We all sat around and started a game of poker. I still couln't get that girl out of my mind. I was sitting in between Jack and Itey when I said "So there's this girl who bought a pape from me today. Any of you guys seen 'er? She's got long red curly hair and bright green eyes."

"Yeah I've seen 'er," Jack said "She buys a pape from me everyday." A chourus of 'yeahs' and 'same heres' were heard around the room. " She also stitched up my shirt, ya know the one with the rip in the sleave?"

"Yeah, she stitched up my brown pants, I'm gonna wear a ripped shirt tomorrow and see if she fixes it." I replied.

"Ooo does Race have an eye on a prize?" Itey taunted.

"Naw, I jist want to know 'er name. Ha! I win...AGAIN. Ha ha ha fork it over boys," I smirked. Everyone groned as a pile of coins was pushed toward me.

So it went on day by day. The wounded boy's money going to doctors bills, and not to rent. Kloppman letting slide because he's an understanding man. But one day he walked up to the bunk room, looked each of the mangled boys in the eye, and said, "You need to leave now."

I immeadiatly yelled "What!" These boys where my friends, I couldn't let them be kicked out in the condition that they are in. Or kicked out at all! "Klopppman, do ya really think that, that is necessary? You'se know that when they are well they will pay you back!" I practically yelled.

"Look Racetrack, you know I love these boys but im losing money. You know the rules too, if you can't pay...get out."

"Fine," I started, "I can pay everything they owe!"

From somewhere acrossed the room I heard Specs yell, " Race, theres no way you'se made that much selling papes."

"Of course I'se didn't make it from selling papes, you twit! You guys are just really bad at poker." I said with a cheesey grin.

"Race, thats awful kind of you'se but we won't let you'se do that," came a sickly voice, it belonged to Mush. The other two boys did their best to nod in agreement. So the boys gathered the few things they had and hobbled down the stairs and out the door.

"Well, if they have to leave im leaving too, and shame on all of you for just letting your friends leave like that!" With that I stormed out. The first thing I did when me and the guys arrived in the square, was make sure they were all leaning comfortbly against the statue in the center. Well I thought, looks like we're sleeping here tonight. And I never asked Jack what that stupid fight was about.

I was standing at my usual corner when the girl with the green eyes walk up and bought my last paper. She saw the rip in my shirt and quickly sewed it up. She turned to leave but I grabbed her arm, she cocked her head and looked up at me. "Why do you fix me and my friends clothes for nothing in return?" I let go of her arm and she just looked at the ground and shruged. I knelt down so i was eye level with her "Can you at least tell my your name?"

She lifted her head and looked me in the eye "Shae, my name's Shae."

And she hurried away as fast she could. But I grabed her arm again "Where are you goign in such a hurry?"

"Work," Shae simply stated, "and I cant be late again." With that she ran of leaving me with the decision to follow her or go home. I chose the first.

I follwed so Shae didn't know he was there. When she had stoped running they were in front of a large building with a sign that read New York Sewing Factory. There was a man in a very expensive looking suit, Shae walked up to the man and said "I'm here sir."

The man scoffed "You may be here but you are three minutes late." From where I crouched behind a crate I the man punch Shae in the face. She was draged inside by the man, crying the whole way. I was dumb struck at what I just saw. I decided to wait for her to leave work before returning to the statue I now call home. So almost 12 hours till Shae came out of the building. She turned out on the the street but right before she walked past me I came out from behind my crate and stood in her path. I was able to get a good look at her dispite the creeping darkness. She was brused, bloody and looked beaten within an inch of her life. We just stared at each other for a long moment before she wraped her arms around me and started sobing into my shirt. I just wraped my arms around her, and let her cry.

Hope you like it! Don't forget to sign the petition on my page! :) Thanks Much -Max