Pony: I'll probably rewrite this later. Or at least change it a little. It didn't turn out how I wanted it to. But please review so I get an idea of how you feel about it. My first Newsies fanfic!

Poneh: She doesn't own Jack, Spot, Racetrack, Sarah or anyone else mentioned in here. In fact, she doesn't own any Newsie. Got it? Good.


Jack Be Nimble. Jack be Quick.

I've got everything, right? Everyone knows my name. Heck, everyone LIKES me. Not like Spot. I've even got a dream. Not many can say that. An education, though not many knows it. Everyone's door is open to me. But I'm not happy.

I remember my mother. The way she would run her hands through my hair before bed. The way she would laugh and hug me when I got in trouble. How her eyes sparkled when she saw me. That warm feeling of knowing, not just hoping, someone loved me. But it all ended so soon. I was hardly five when she died. No one knows how. She was just dead. But I know. And it's haunted me forever.

He thought no one was watching. But he didn't know I was getting home early that day. So when I turned down the ally to get to our house, he didn't look for me. But I saw him. He just stood there. Strong hands around her neck. Hands I once used to hold. Hands I thought protected everything good. I should have said something. Made a noise. Anything to stop him but I was afraid. Afraid he would kill me too.

She saw me, though. She looked at me. Then cried. Tears ran down her face. Then she was limp. A ran away, then. When I came back the next day, he was crying with everyone else. Everyone loved her. She cooked for the newsies. That's where I went. I was friends with some of them. Racetrack helped me through it. He never let me down. I woke with a start some nights. Woke feeling hands holding my neck. But I never uttered a sound. No one knew except Racetrack. And he's kept quiet.

Even now, almost ten years later I wake like that. Sweat beading on my head. Covers tangled around me. I find somewhere quiet. Some place I can be alone. Sometimes I hear Race behind me. But he's never said anything. That's why I love him. He's my only family.

Even now. Everyone thinks Sarah and I are so great. But that ended before it started. She'll marry rich. Even the scabbers love her. And her heart belongs to one of them. I was a fling. But I don't mind, really. My heart still hasn't come back, yet. I can feel, but never for long. Except with Race. We're friends. We're Newsies. We'll never hurt each other. But girls, now they're a different story.

So now what would they think? My life is so great, isn't it? One trap after another. One hell after another. Now do they know why I don't sleep at night? Now do they understand why I always look sad? No…They couldn't. Life is a game for them. Just a game of cat and mouse. But who's the cat?