***I don't own the newsies… blah blah blah… I do own Rose, Jo, and Celia and Ms. Carson's home… but you can use them… if you feel the need. Just be sure to ask first…****
Ms. Carson's Home For Girls was a dreary tall building just south of Washington and Broome Street. When facing the building it looked like some sort of lonely fortress with tall shade drawn windows and a small candle flicker from the far corner. Ivy slithered across the red brick and continued to wind its way around the house holding the red brick in a vice-like grip with the seemingly harmless green tendrils. A large steel Victorian fence surrounds the stronghold with only one gate at the front. A sign hangs above it in flowing letters reads "Mr's Carson's Home for Girls" and a nice padlock hangs on the chain holding it shut. Yes, it was a dreary building, old and locked up, a practical mystery to the outside world.
Inside Ms Carson's Home For Girls were three girls in particular. Celia, Jo, and Rose. All three had lived there for extended periods of time, living as best friends within the confines.
Celia had dark brown hair and matching eyes. Her tresses fell down her back to her waist, but were tied in a low pony tail with a dark blue ribbon. She had tan skin and even though she had never known her parents she maintained that her mother was a Puerto Rican beauty who danced in the clubs and brought down the house with her amazing voice, a diamond in the rough so to speak. Celia was sure that's where she got her singing talent. She always said that her father was getting rich in Chicago that she'd find him someday. She was one of the tallest girls at the house standing at 5' 6". She was a firey person, always jumping to conclusions and arguing. She was stubborn and demanded the attention of everyone around her, and not just because she was quite pretty, she just had that fire.
Jo on the otherhand had extremely curly bright red hair and an Irish accent. She had more than enough freckles for the entire world and green popping inquisitive eyes. She was short, just a smidge under 5' and had a round face. Unlike Celia she had known her parents. Her's were Irish immigrants that died on the way over on the boat, leaving a young Jo on the streets of New York with nothing more than a dollar in her pocket and a doll. She never talks about her parents and never has, instead she's always had a spunky up beat attitude.
Lastly came Rose, a mild tempered quiet brunette with soft curls resting at her shoulders. She had washed out, stale blue eyes and a soft smile. She was an over achiever at heart, always memorizing her tables and literature. She had near perfect scores at the school and loved being a girl. She loved sewing and grammar and cooking and etiquette. She was a perfectionist in every way with the cleanest bunk and pressed clothes anyone could have. She herself was born into a large family that scraped to get by. Then her father died at the factory in an accident and her mother was forced to work double time. There was no money to take care of the kids so Rose ended up at Ms. Carson's.
Every day a tall stiff looking woman walked through the house at sunrise, awakening the girls who ranged from 4 to 19 in ages. Once a girl became 20 Ms Carson guaranteed a job at the textile factory across town, she got a pay out from this and a little from each pay check while the girls were there. This woman though, was tall and thin with sharp features and graying hair tied back in an abrupt bun. Her hair pulled her skin back as far as seemed possible to give her some sort of face lift. She was Ms. Carson. "Up girls! Up!" she would say every morning, tapping her riding crop against the wooden bunk beds before ripping open the east facing curtains. Once she was sure they were getting up she would float across the room and out the door on a cloud of superiority.
Rolling out of bed each girl would put on their simple house dresses in earth tones and blacks and then file down the hallway to the stairs where they would either slide down the banister, or take the more traditional method if suspicious of being caught. They would then walk uniformly into the dining hall. Each one would brush their skirts under as they sat down against the high back chairs at the long table. After a few moments for grace they would have a small breakfast with no talking. Exactly one hour after sunrise the girls were on their way to do chores and have a small bit of free time. Then came lunch in the same manner as breakfast and then schooling. Schooling consisted of Mathematics, Literature, Grammar, History, and more "lady like" subjects. These were French, cooking, sewing and etiquette and they were all mandatory. Yes, Ms. Carson would turn out the best girls if it would kill her.
After schooling came supper and then it was off to bed. There was a normal period of free time between supper and lights out which happened promptly at 10pm. If a noise was heard after lights out every girl was reprimanded. Life was repetitive at the house, day in and day out but the girls found ways to amuse themselves…
****hope you liked it! Yeah, I know this first part is /extremely/ boring, but it's just the introduction… more to come…*****
Ideas? Suggestions? Predictions of what's going to happen next? Actually… what do you think is going to happen next? I'd really like to know…