In the year 1900, New York had gone threw a strike the year befor. The newsboys of New York went on strike, with the leadership of Jack Kelley. Formally, Francis Sullivan. They went back to their daily lives after beating the most powerful man in New York. Joseph Pulitzer. Now they move on and go on like befor. Including the Newsboys.
If they only knew what trouble would fall into their laps.
"We must keep moving," Came the encouraging words of Angel O'Riley. She scooped up one of the five girls into her arms." You can sleep now Dana." she murmured to the small girl. She increased her pace down the road.
The other elder girls nodded. They were all in the range of seventeen to eighteen years old.
"Right," The dark haired Rosalitta Rodriguez stated. She also lifted one of the five smaller girls into her arms. The girl gave a slight murmur, but Rose's soft words soothed the young girl. "It will be fine Sara."
"Come on, Ann, Fey," Meilin Croswell urged the two girls which happened to be under her care. The two twin sister's held tightly to Meilin's hands. Meilin dragged the two eight year olds gently.
"Hold tightly to me Mira," Kayle Sullivan said to the small Irish born child. "Don't let go of my hand." Mira nodded. She held tightly to the hand of the one whom had been her sergeant mother.
"Aunt Kayle. I'm frightened of dis. We don't even know what were getten our selves into," Mira said with her very think Irish accent.
Kayle nodded to the young girl. "Don't worry young one. When we get to New York we'll find your family."
"That's a promise." Angel said.
Mira smiled as did the other small girls.
"Let's get going. We have another hour of walkin' befor we reach the train yards." Rose said placing Sara onto her back.
Angel threw her long brown hair over her shoulders and looked down at the young four year old in her arms. She remembered what it must be like to be so young. Angel's hair was covered by a light gray, Newsies hat, which had once belonged to her brother. Her dress was fairly clean for all the traviling the girls had been doing to get back to New York. Their homes. Her hazel brown eyes betrayed her happy laughing demeanor, for in reality she was very unhappy and sad.
Rose smiled brightly as the little girl on her back began to braid her wispy, black hair. Her eyes were the color of the deepest part of the ocean, as Mira had told her. It was flattering for Rose. The dark circles under her eyes showed her lack of sleep and worry for the other girls. She looked foreign, which she was. According to her mother, whom had immigrated from Italy. She had immigrated on the same boat as Angel's mother, that is how Angel and Rose first realized how far back their ties went.
Meilin's pale beauty had gotten her in more trouble than she would care to admit. She stared ahead, not daring to turn back the way they had come. Her pale blond hair had been done up in a tight bun, which now was starting to fall loosely around her slender shoulders. Her pale gray eyes made her seem all the more delicate, in which she loved. It hid her true strength and power. She could rumble with the Drunkest Irishman and Toughest Newsie in New York State.
Kayle Sullivan was the oldest and quietest of the group. Although she was a native born New Yorker, she wasn't as tough as the others, but she could hold her own in a fight. Her short brown hair hung just below her shoulders, and her blue eyes betrayed everything about her, except her strength.
Bye the time they reached the train yard, most of the children were sleeping. Except Ann whom walked sleepily on her feet. They snuck onto a box car. It held many bails of hay, which was strung all over the small car.
Angel set the sleeping Dana on a bail and moved her light blond hair out of her face. Angel let out a soft sigh.
The other girls followed suit. All except Ann whom curled up beside her twin sister and let out a small sigh herself.
The older girls sat in a circle. Kayle dug in her bag, to find the small lantern that she had brought for such instances, which she promptly sat at the center of the circle. The other three watched intently as Kayle pulled out a match to light the lantern. "So what is our next move?" she asked as she struck the match and lit the lantern.
Meilin stared out the door as the train began to move. She watched the as she felt the gentle lurch of the train in motion. "Well, we had better figure out if this train is headed towards New York or not," she stated turning her attention back to the group.
Angel nodded. "It seems were headed south, so we should be getting close," she stated as she gave out a repressed yawn. She rubbed her soft brown hair and wiped away the tears that fell every time she yawned.
"Well, we really shouldn't worry about it now," Rose said running her fingers threw her midnight black hair. "We should wait until we get to New York. Or at lest until morning."
"Of course you would Rosalitta," Meilin hissed. "You always wait to act."
Rose's eyes flared. This was a common scene between the two girls. They fought more than Cats and Dogs, but were friends in truer terms.
"Well, you always act before you think," Rose replied with as much venom, maybe more.
Angel rose to her feet and walked to a dark corner of the box car. Her small pillowcase at her side. She fumbled in it for a moment until she found what she was looking for.
It was a picture. A picture of two children and two adults. The boy, which looked considerably older, was running his had threw his dark hair. Angel remembered it the color of the sky at midnight. A gray cap covering it. His bright blue eyes were smiling and staring at the little girl whom sat so diligently on the lap of the woman.
The woman, had dark black hair, as Angel recalled. Her eyes, were the color of the 'muddy Mississippi' as the tall men that towered over the family had stated once.
The man's hair was at that time, was curly, and a dark brown. His eyes were like the ocean. He was tall and muscular. And his mustache was almost perfect, as was the position of his hair.
Now, the young girl, whom stared brightly at the camera, was very small. About eight in age. Her hair was dark brown, like the man's, and her eyes her the color of the woman's. Her dress was not frilly, but plane as the small girl never liked to look frilly or pampered.
Angel felt tears well up in her eyes as she rubbed her slender fingers over the faces. She didn't want to cry, because then she felt weak, and she had to be so strong for the others. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she slowly turned her head. Her eyes full with tears.
"You miss them. Don't you," Kayle said soothingly sitting beside Angel on the bail.
Angel nodded wearily.
"Your parents would want you to move on, Angie," She said soothingly rubbing the small of Angel's back. "And your brother is out their," she paused. "Somewhere."
Angel again nodded, realizing the truth in her friend's words. "I know," she mumbled. "But it dosn't make the hurting stop."
Kayle nodded. She herself knew what it was like. Most of her family had died. Her father could have been dead, he was to her. He was in jail, and Kayle did not want to remember why. Her own brother, whom had been taken to the refuge when she was young was the other that survived. She missed him when they took him away. She never saw him again.
"You know that I know exactly how you feel," Kayle replied. She set her hand on the picture, the shook with the hands of her friend. "I know how much they mean to you. But we need you now."
Angel looked at her friend and nodded. "Okay," she said rising and whipping away the final tears. "Your right."
Kayle nodded herself and walked back to the argument. Which had died down to a heated conversation.
"I am not going to have you bad mouth my father," Rose said glaring with all the rage she would muster.
"I wasn't bad mouthing your father," Meilin stated matter-of-factly. "I was just saying..."
"Stop it," Angel broke in. Her cheeks were still tear stained but her voice never wavered. "We can't fight amongst ourselves."
the two looked at her face. They gave on last venomous look to each other than turned their heads.
"Okay," Rose said softly. "I guess your right."
Meilin nodded, but didn't say a word.
"Let's get some sleep," Kayle suggested. "We are going to need it."
The morning light poured in threw the open door. Kayle awoke to the light on her face. She stretched and rubbed her eyes, to rid them of the tears and sleep that had gathered. She sat up, taking her a minute to realize her surroundings. She looked around the car. Angel rolled over and sighed.
Must be a good dream,
Kayle thought with a smile. To bad I must end it.Kayle crawled over to Angel and nudged her gently.
"Come on. time to get up," she said brightly.
"I want to sleep," Angel murmured rolling over once more, and unknowingly kicking Rose.
Rose shot up quickly. "I'm up. I'm up," She said quickly.
Angel groaned and lifted her self off of the hay covered floor. She sat up and pulled the remaining straw out of her hair. She stretched and turned to Rose.
Kayle looked around for another. She spotted Meilin, staring out the open car door.
"We are getting close," she mumbled, nudging the sleeping girls beside her with her foot. The two girls stirred and mumbled softly amongst themselves. "Get up you two, we are going to have to jump."
The two girls shot up abruptly. They stared at Meilin, the fear they felt blanketed their small faces.
"Don't be like that," Meilin told them. "We don't want to be caught. Do we?"
The girls shook their heads and wondered over to where their friends still slept.
"Get up Mira," Ann said shaking her. Mira opened her emerald green eyes slowly. Ann pulled some straw out of her blazing red hair and hugged her. "We are going to jump."
Mira stared shock still. "Jump? Are you sure?"
The black haired little girl nodded. "Yep."
Mira nodded.
Fey approached Sara and yanked her brown-blond curls. Sara yelped in pain and stared at her attacker.
"That wasn't fair, Feyleen." Sara said glaring at the dark brown eyes of Fey.
"Well you never wake up unless I either pour cold water on you, or pull your hair," Fey replied with a bright smile.
Sara grumbled and go to her feet. The last to be awoken was to be Dana. All the younger girls wanted a shot at waking her up.
"Why weren't you guys awake?" Dana said brightly. The only problem was she awoke befor anyone, including Meilin.
"We are now," they all said in unison.
Dana grinned.
"Do we really need to jump?" Dana asked Angel.
Angel nodded. "I'll carry you if you want."
Dana shook her head. "I can do it," she replied walking to the door. Dana always had to do everything alone.
The girls stood at the door, the sun slowly rising over the horizon.
"One," Rose began to count.
"Two," Kayle continued.
"Three," Meilin shouted as the whole group jumped into the yellow grass below. They landed hardly, but the girls rose slowly to their feet and began to head the three miles towards New York City.