Chapter 1: The Fight "Drizz why do you do this?" asked Skittery I rolled my eyes, "I gots just as much right selling papes as you do," I shouted. "I don't like the idea of my little sister selling papes to a bunch of people who could hurt her!" he yelled. I was only two years younger then me, he acted like he was my father. I think. I don't really know what fathers act like, because I've had one. For as long as I can remember Skittery has been the only person who has ever taking care of me. "Ahhhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhhh!" I screamed not knowing what else to say. I wondered if he knew how stupid and ignorant he was being. We got in these fights a lot. They usually ended with me getting so fed up with every he was saying and just yelling at the top of my lungs. It's so annoying how he thinks he is more mature then I am. I am fifteen, and he's seventeen, but he acts like he is twenty years older then me. My first memory was on a train. I remember being really scared, but I don't remember why. I was holding tightly to the hand of the person next to me. I'm pretty sure it was Skittery. When I was around ten Skittery told me that was the day we ran away. I asked him why, but to this day he won't tell me. Every time I bring it up he gets quiet and won't say anything. He tries to protect me from anything and everything that might make me unhappy. We stay at the Manhattan Newsboy's House. Even tough there isn't suppose to be any girls there. I was only five when Skittery and I first came to the lodging house. At first Kloppman said that I could stay, but after he saw me and Skittery begged for two hours he agreed. Kloppman was always looking out for me though. While Skittery was out selling papes I would stay at the lodging house with Kloppman. We'd clean and run errands, and I enjoyed being with Kloppman. But a couple of years ago I decided I wanted to be a newsie too. Kloppman was my only friend and he was worried about me selling, but after two weeks of convincing he agreed. I didn't really know any of the boys at the lodging house that well except Skittery of course. I knew all their names and what they were like, but none of them were really my friends. They were all very nice to me though. I asked Skittery if I could sell with him, but he said that I had to stay with Kloppman. But I wanted to become a newsie with or without Skittery's help. So I followed the newsies to the distribution counter one day. I was dressed like a boy, like always, so no one noticed me or so I thought. After I bought my papes a kid named Swifty came up to me and asked me what I was doing there. I recognized him from the lodging house. "Sellin papes. You?" I said like that was the dumbest question I ever heard and I sold papes all the time. He laughed. "You'se never done dis before have you'se?' he asked. He continued without waiting for an answer he knew what it was already. "I'se show ya how!" I learned a lot that day unfortunately Skittery beat us back to the lodging house. He was running around looking everywhere for me. I thought he was going to kill Swifty when we walked in together. Skittery told me that I wasn't allowed to sell papes again, but sure enough the next day I was out selling papes with Swifty, but that day we beat Skittery back to the lodging house. Swifty and I were becoming really good friends. He was the second friend I ever had in my life. Kloppman was my first friend. I don't really consider Skittery my friend he's more then a friend. He's my brother. He's also more annoying then Kloppman and Swifty. I have been selling papes for about two years, and every once in while Skittery would catch me coming back to the lodging house. Today was one of those days.