She leaned her head against the window the earpieces to her iPod drowning out the sound the train made as it sped down the tracks. Looking at her little brother she rolled her eyes.
'Only Jacky-Boy would be doing math homework on the train.' She thought, feeling a tap on her shoulder she moved her head towards her brother who pointed at his wrist signaling for the time. Glancing at her watch she held up 2 fingers showing that it was currently 2 in the afternoon.
'20 more minutes to go. Then we have to meet daddy dearest and the wicked witch of the east at the station. Joy.' Closing her eyes she turned the volume up escaping into her world till the train came to a full and complete stop.
Those 20 minutes seemed like hours as train finally made it into the station. Sighing she turned off her iPod and slipped it into her hoodie pocket, and stood up pushing the black hood off her deep burgundy hair. Dyed of course because she couldn't stand the mousy brown it used to be. Grabbing her over stuffed backpack she followed her younger brother off the train and in search for their father and his new wife.
"Allison! Jack!" Adjusting the strap on her shoulder the two walked to the man that called them over.
"Hey Dad!" The boy called Jack yelled as he dropped his duffle bag on the ground and hugged the older man.
'They looked alike those two' Allison noticed as she stared at them. Both had the same high cheek bones and blondish brown hair. Glancing to her father's right there stood a middle aged woman. 'Pretty,' she thought 'But not like mama.' Her blonde hair curled around her face framing her small nose and baby blue eyes. She was a short lady about 5'4" to Allison's 5'7". She seemed nice. 'But looks can be deceiving.' She reminded herself.
"Allie, are you going to stand there all day or give your old man a hug?" Her father chuckled.
"Hey Daddy." She said with far less enthusiasm as her brother and hugged him.
"How are you princess?"
"Dad, aren't I a little old to be called princess? I mean I am 17."
"Yes, but you'll always be my princess." Her father said stubbornly.
"Robert," A soft voice called from the blonde next to him. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"
"Ah yes. Allie, Jack may I have the pleasure of introducing you to your step mother Nancy."
"Hello kids, it's nice to finally meet you. Your father has told me so much about you. And you don't have to call me mom if you don't want to Nancy is fine." She smiled kindly at them. The two kids said hi shyly back.
"Let's go home." They followed their father and step mother to the car surprise was written all over the two kids faces when they walked outside to see it was snowing.
'Oh my god, I'm in hell frozen over' Allison cried as she got in the car. Jack bounced in his seat excited about getting to live with his father.
"Allie look at that!" He pointed out the window at really tall building.
Rolling her eyes again she ignored his calls to her as they rode from the train station to Brooklyn.
It didn't take them long after they went over the Brooklyn Bridge to get to the house. Stopping in front of the house, Allison raised one eyebrow as she waited to the last possible second to leave the warmth of the car. The house was old and sort of run down but her dad had fixed it up like new she was sure. The outside may not look like much but the inside would mostly likely be better.
Getting out she grabbed her bag and looked up at the house. Narrowing her eyes she glanced at a window on the second floor. For a moment she could have sworn there was someone standing there looking at them. Shaking her head she looked at the rest of the outside.
"Dad, are you sure this is it?"
Laughing her father walked up the steps to the house and unlocked it. "Yeah this is it. Its and old building built in the 1800's for as a lodging house for newsies."
"Newsies?"
"Yeah," Nancy answered sweetly "They used to sell newspapers for guys like Joseph Pulitzer or William Randolph Hurst." She explained as they walked into the house.
As she had expected the inside of the house had been redone to fit the modern time though in some places you can still see part of its history. On the walls in picture frames held old newspapers. Walking up to one she tuned out her brothers yelling of how cool the house was and asking what room was his. Muttering to herself she read the headline.
"Baby born with two heads," She snorted as she looked at the picture. "Must be from Brooklyn."
"ALLIE YOU HAVE TO CHECK OUT THESE ROOMS THERE HUGE!!!" Jack called from the stairs.
Groaning she walked upstairs and looked in the room her eyes widened in shock. It was huge. The room looked like it could at least fit 12 buck beds easily and off to the side there was a big bathroom that had been completely redone to fit just one person instead of many. This room was her brothers she could tell by all his scientific crap that he had back in the old house already in there along with his furniture.
"Allie, this is your room." Her father said sweetly from the door to her right. She nodded and opened the door. The room was just as big as her brothers and her dark cherry wood furniture stood out against the bright purple walls. Walking in the room she placed her backpack on the black sheets of her bed and looked around. Her father stood in the door way watching her as she explored her new room opening doors and looking out the windows.
"I'll leave you to get settled. Im glad you and Jack decided to live with me Allison." He smiled at her.
"Me too Daddy," She smiled a little at him. "Me too."
Nodding he closed her door and walked down the stairs. Turning Allison looked at the transparent boy that sat on the windowsill watching her with interest his left foot resting on the floor as the other was on the sill his right arm on his knee. His head slightly cocked to the side. On his head he wore and old newsboy cap. His red suspenders stood out against the blue shirt he had on his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a few buttons undone to show his undershirt.
"You gonna say something or just sit there all day like a moron?" She asked crossing her arms over her chest taping her converse shoes on the floor impatiently.
"Youse talkin ta me?" He asked confused and slightly startled.
"Yeah I'm talking to you I'm looking at you." She stated as she walked to her bed and sat down.
"Youse can see me?" He stood up shock evident on his face.
"Yeah," She nodded not at all shocked she could see him. This had been something she had kept to herself all her life. No one knew she could see ghosts. She didn't want people to think she was crazy. "So what's your unfinished business so you can go to where ever it is you go when you die?"
"My what?" He narrowed his steely-blue eyes at her as his left had grabbed the golden tip of the cane that hung from his belt loop.
"Your unfinished business, the reason your still here on earth."
"I dunno." He shrugged looking her over. Deciding he was tired of her asking the questions he set crossed his arms over his chest wanting a few of his own answered. "So who are ya and what are you doin heah?"
"My name is Allison Matthews. And I live here now." She said matter-of-factly looking at him with a critical eye. He was handsome she gave him that. Tall, well built, he looked about 18 maybe 19 years old. 'Pity he probably died young.' She thought. "So you know my name, mind telling me yours?"
"Conlon," He stated with pride smirking that she was sure would have made any girl swoon. "Spot Conlon. King of the Brooklyn newsies."
