Any One of Us

Chapter One.

Disclaimer: Yes, you caught me. I'm keeping all the Newsies hostage under my bed and I don't plan to ever release them to the public. Mine, all mine. Really now.. I own nothing, the newsies aren't mine, I'm not making any money and I can assure you this is just for fun. Anyone you don't recognize belongs to me however, but I'm easygoing and will share! As always, please send me feedback, any feedback! But please, no flames.

"Harriet! Where are you child? Harriet!"

I need a new name. My current one has been used far too many times.

"Harriet Agnes Jameson, don't make me tell you again.."

"I'm coming Helen, please relax. Don't pass out."

"If I do, it's only from making sure you stay good and proper where you belong. Now where were you child?"

Child. I guess that's all I'll ever be to the world. As it happens, I'm 17, hardly a child. Not quite a grown up woman, but hardly totting along in a diaper.

"I was with Nellie. And we were having quite a lovely ride before- well it doesn't matter anyway. I think we both had enough for right now."

Nellie is my mother's horse. Well, I mean mine I guess. She hardly ever goes riding anymore, ever since we left Manhattan for New Jersey, she hardly goes anywhere. She's not even thrilled with teaching anymore, instead She's quite content to mope around the house claiming she feels so out of touch and begging my father to install a telephone. My father refuses though; he believes if we did have one, my mother would spend all day on the couch cackling with the other hens.

"Get in the house young lady, if your mother catches you in those clothes"

"What's wrong with them? They are clothes, are they not?"

Helen glanced at me from head to toe. Even though she has taken care of me since I was nine months old, she was still afraid of going up against my mother in terms of clothes. "Yes, they are clothes. However, pants and boots will not do. Now run along and go get dressed in your proper clothes. You must attend a gathering with your family tonight. I've laid out that red dress for you to wear"

Great. Joy. Just what I've been longing to do.

Trudging upstairs was the longest walk ever. Not only did it feel like I was walking to my grave, it also felt like the last shower of the day, on a Sunday night at the end of summer vacation. Useless and depressing.

"Where you out riding that horse again?"

The annoying voice of Joshua, my older but not much wiser brother.

"Yes."

"That's stupid you know, papa thinks there's no point to keep her around. We might end up selling her."

"Why are you such a creep?"

"Why are you such a nut-case?"

"Creep!"

"Nutcase!"

Had I been paying attention behind me, I would have seen Helen's figure approaching, wooden spoon up. Then, it wouldn't have been much of a surprise when she hit me with it.

"Harriet, be a lady!"

Josh snickered and I stuck my tongue out at him crossing my eyes. He did it back.

"That's enough, the both of you. I won't have any pink flesh that is not already on the outside of your body in public view. Both of you go get ready right this instant. Now move!"

We never had this trouble in Manhattan.

XXX

The party was a blur. Not only did it take us forever to get there, but I've never seen so many money hungry, power hungry, or just plain boring people in my entire life. To keep occupied on the ride over to Manhattan's Irving Hall, I tried to pick out the ugliest person in each group. It was very hard, as I had so many people to pick from. From the atmosphere in the building, you could easily tell that this was an "adult party" where children were only tolerated out of respect to the true adults. The ladies had on their Sunday best gowns, bonnets, those without bonnets wore fancy up-do's with glittering clips and bobby pins. The men were all dressed in their tuxedos. I sat in a seat in the back of the theatre and thought about how much easier it was to be a man than a woman; if for nothing than it's easier to get dressed up in one outfit. I had no more ugly people to pick out, so I watched Josh in hopes of gaining some blackmail. He was chasing around a young woman in a green dress offering a free medical exam; claiming to be a doctor.

Ugh what scum that is in my family, I thought jumping up to look for the poor girl. Normally, I would have minded my own business, but I couldn't take a chance that word would spread and I would soon be seen in the same light as my family.

Finding the girl seemed to be more difficult then I imagined. I mingled my way backstage and started opening every door I could find. Each had a different purpose, but each was empty and was unable to aid me in my search.

I couldn't have imagined it could I? Could I have been so bored I dreamed up this imaginary girl so I would have a companion to talk to? Impossible.

"Oh Medda, it was awful. Theyse were snooty and hoity toity an' I can't see what ever made me woish I'se was one of 'em."

Who is Medda? Better yet, who was snooty and hoity toity? And more important, I've never heard such bad English and grammar in my life. Who was it that was in there?