I sat on the steps of the Girls Lodging House, staring up at
the night sky. It was a beautiful night. The stars were shining very
brightly tonight. I had been sitting out here for quite a while so I
decided to take a walk since it wasn't very late. I slowly walked
through the streets of Manhattan. The girls should be fine without me
for a few minutes and Cherry and Sapphire were there to watch them.
I was the leader of the Manhattan girl newsies. Most people
don't know about us, which was to our benefit. That way the other newsies
leave us alone. They dislike the idea of girl newsies.

A sound behind me made me realize that I was being followed.
How could I be so stupid? I always told my girls to never go off
alone and here I was, alone! As I started speeding up, I looked
around for a place to hide. I wouldn't have been trying to hide if
all I heard was one or two sets of footsteps, but there were four or
five. That worried me because the most I could fight off were two or
three. I kept walking as fast as I could without trying to run. I was
getting tired but I couldn't find anywhere to hide and rest. Suddenly
the footsteps stopped. I figured they were getting tired too. I
slowed down a bit but kept walking fast enough so that if they did
stop to rest they would have to run to catch up to me. I kept walking
but turned to see if whoever it was, was anywhere in sight. When I
turned back around I bumped into a tall boy wearing a bowler hat.

"I'm sorry."

"You will be soon." he said laughing. I tried to run past him but he
grabbed my arm.

"Let go a me!"

But he didn't listen. He picked me up and started walking away
from where we were. I kicked and yelled but he wouldn't let me go. He
took me into an alley where five, tall, well-built boys were sitting
down resting. I figured they were the ones who were chasing me.

"I got er boys!" said the boy carrying me.

"T'anks Morris." said one of the boys.

"Put me down! I'll soak you, ya bum!" I yelled.

"Me pleasha." said Morris laughing as he dropped me on the ground.
One of the boys handed him some money and he walked away.

"What's a sweetface like you doing out all alone at night?" said the
biggest boy laughing.

"Yea, some guy might kidnap youse an' takes ya home wit im." said
another boy. Then the biggest boy, who seemed to be the leader, stood
me up on my feet and looked at me with a big smirk on his face. Then he
grabbed me and kissed me on the lips. I pushed him away from me and
punched him in the stomach. I started to runaway but him and his boys
caught up to me and started punching me. I started yelling.

"HELP! Let me go! Leave me alone!"

"Shut up if ya know whats good fer ya." said the smallest boy.

Then the boy that kissed me, picked me up and pinned me against
the wall. He went to go kiss me but I kicked him in the stomach. He
let go of me and I fell on the ground and hit my head. The other boys
started kicking me in the stomach and in the side. Suddenly the boys
turned around and started running away. Then I blacked out. When I
woke up, there was a boy sitting next to me.

"Youse ok kid?"

"I'm fine."

He helped me stand up and I brushed my clothes off. I asked him
where the boys went and he told me he heard someone yelling and then
saw them beating me up so he came over and they ran away.

"Whys a lil' boy like ya out ere alone at night anyways?" he asked.

"Why do you care and who ya calling lil! You're only a bit taller
then me!"

Then he grabbed my arm to punch me but I kicked him in the
stomach. He let go of me long enough for me to run out of the alley
and into the street before he caught me.

"I outta soak ya fer dat!"

"Go ahead an' try!"

He grabbed onto me and wrestled me to the ground. When I hit
the ground my hat fell off my head showing my shoulder-length wavy
auburn hair. As soon as he saw my hair he got up off of me and looked at
me.

"Yer a goil?"

"Sure looks dat way, don't it?"

"Yea but why youse wearing boy newsie clothes?"

"Because I feel like it."

"Youse one a dem goil newsies aren't ya?"

"Maybe. Why? You got a problem with that?"

"No"

"Good cause if you did I'd have ta soak ya."

"Oh really?" said the boy as he stepped closer to me.

As he stepped closer, I noticed that I was arguing with the
most gorgeous guy in New York. He was a bit taller then me about
5'10''. He was skinny but built. He had sandy brown hair that was
pulled back in his hat, and his eyes were a grayish-blue color. You
could tell just by looking at him that he was powerful.

"Yeah"

"Den why don'ts ya?"

"Because I gotta be gettin' home."

"Let me walks ya home."

"You don't have ta. I'll be fine. Thanks."

"I want ta. Plus I don't want youse getten soaked anymore den ya are."

"Ok fine."

So we walked back to the Lodging House together.

"Thanks a lot for your help. My name's Pallet."

"It was me pleasha. Me names Spot. Spot Conlon… Youse aint from 'round heah, are youse?"

"I live here in Manhattan. Why?"

"Oh, youse jest don't sound it."

"Well, before I came here, I lived in France and before that Wales. My dad was Welsh an' my mom was French."

"Oh. Ok."

After Spot left, I hurried back into the house where Cherry,
Sapphire, and the other girls met me at the door.

Cherry came over to me. "Pallet where ya been and what happened to
ya?"

"Yeah! We been worried sick! You been gone at least an hour!" Saff
added in.

"I'm sorry girls. I didn't mean ta make you worry I jest needed ta
take a walk. As it turns out I ran inta some trouble. I'm fine now
though."

Concerned, my little sister Melody asked me what happened.

I replied "Well, while I was walkin' I heard footsteps behind me. I
turned around ta see who was there an' when I turned back I ran inta
this big boy. I'm thinkin' he had ta be one-a them Delancey Boys we've been
hearin' about. Well anyways he threw me ovah his shouldah and brought me
inta this alley where a bunch-a boys were standin'. Then they started ta
soak me."

"How'd ya get away Pallet?" asked Midget, who happened to be Saff's
little sister.

"Well...uuuhhh...I guess they jest got scared...thought I'd call da
bulls on 'um so they left.

They all hugged me and told me how glad they were I was home
safe. We were all kind of tired so we went to bed soon after.

The next day after sellin' papes we figured we'd all go to
Tibby's for lunch. We thought the boy newsies would still be out
sellin' papes so we didn't think much of it.

We had just sat down to eat when the Manhattan Newsies and Spot
came walking in the door. I figured if we didn't look at them they
wouldn't notice us and just walk to their table. I quickly glanced up
up to see what they were doing when Spot caught my eye. He began
walking toward us with some other boys following right behind.

"Heya Pal. Long time no see." Spot said with a smirk on his face.

"Oh...hi Spot" I said unenthusiastically.

"Pallet...you know him?" said Cherry quietly.

"Oh yeah" Spot replied. "Pal an' I goes way back. Isn't dat right
Pal?"

"No not really...an' by the way, my name's not Pal, it's Pallet!"

"Well fine! Youse don't gots ta get all hostile about it or nuttin.
Jeeze I'se save your life and dis is how you treat me?"

"Pallet what's he talking about?" asked Melody confused.

"Aw.. nutthin' Mel. Don't worry about it."

"Nuttin? Don't worry about it? Da most gorgeous guy in all New
Yawk saves ya from bein nearly soaked ta death and dat's all ya gots
ta say? Nuttin?"

Just then a tall boy with sandy brown hair and brown eyes,
wearing a red bandana and a cowboy hat hanging at his back came over
to see what was going on.

"Heya, what's goin' on heah Spot?"

"Aww nuttin Jackey-boy."

"Den whys I hearin youse shoutin at dese lovely goils?" Jack said,
looking at us girls.

"Aww Jack I was only shoutin cause dis goil right here's givin' me a
hard time."

"Well I wouldn't be givin' ya a hard time if you would stop bein' so
egotistical an' leave me and my girls alone!"

I could tell I had angered Spot with what I had said. He was
getting a mad look in his eye. You can imagine my relief when Jack
told him to go sit down and cool off.

"Hey thanks. I thought he was gonna soak me."

"Aww don't worry bout Spot. He'd neva hoit a goil. He jest gots a
bad tempa when people say stuff like dat about im. By da way me
name's Jack. Da people around here call me Cowboy."

"Hi Jack. I'm Pallet and these here are my girls. The one next to
me with the red hair is Cherry, the blond by Cherry is my lil' sis
Melody, across from Melody with the brown hair is Sketch, and next ta
her with the long brown hair is Freckles. An' the short one next ta her
is Midget. I have one othah girl. She isn't here right now. Her name's
Sapphire. She's Midget's older sister. Speakin' a Saff... Cherry have you
seen her?"

Just then Saff walked in the door. She looked as though she had
been crying. Her cloths were torn, she had bruises on her arms, and a
bloody lip.

"Oh my gosh Saff! What happened? Who did this ta you?"
Saff just stood there looking at us. She didn't say a word
which scared me even more because Saff was never quiet.

"Jack, what are you doin' just standin there? Could ya get her a
chair…? And one a you boys get her some water."

To my surprise they did what I said. Spot even got her the
water. I guess he's not as bad as I thought. Jack got the chair and
helped her sit down. She was looking real bad.

"Saff...will you tell me what happened? Please!"
Saff just sat there staring at the floor.

"Hey Jack, is there anywhere around here where Saff can get some rest
and maybe tell me what happened?"

"Yeah shoa. I can take ya back ta da Lodgin House. Dat's da closest
place I'se can tink of."

"That's fine."

So we stood Saff up and to my surprise both Jack and Spot were
on either side of her helping her walk. When we got to the Lodging
House, the boys took us up to the bunkroom where they slept. It was a
big room full of bunk-beds. They had us sit down on one of the bunks.

"Are youse goils gonna be ok up heah?" asked Jack with the most
concerned look for Sapphire I'd ever seen.

"Yeah we'll be ok. I jest gotta talk ta her."

"Ok Pallet. Jack an' I'll be downstaihs if ya need us." Spot said.
Spot and Jack went downstairs to the lobby and left Saff and I
to talk.

"Saff, are you ok? You still look a little shaky. You gonna tell me
what happened?"

I locked my eyes on Sapphire. She was much paler than usual and
was shaking and quiet. Usually Saff is real pretty. She has beautiful
long golden brown wavy hair and honey brown eyes. She's tall and boy
can she talk. Well anyway she didn't look like herself. We sat there
in silence for quite a while when Saff decided to talk.

"Pallet?" Saff said with a shaky voice, "Ya wanna know what happened?
Ok I'll tell youse what happened. I'se was out sellin papes nea
central park. I turned around and I guess Red must've seen me. I
haven't seen em in so long and it kind-a scared me. So I started
walkin in the otha' direction so maybe he wouldn't know it was me.
That dint work. He stawted followin' me. I stawted runnin' but he was
right behind me. He and is boys. Dey chased me inta dis alley and
cornered me dere. I turned around ta see who all was dere and dere
must-a been at least four. Red wanted me ta twak ta him so I did. Da
ting is he dint like what i had ta say. Youse know me Pallet. I can
neva keep me big mouth shut. It don't usually get me in trouble but
t'day was a different story. They stawted soakin me and youse know
Red and is boys got no problem wit soakin goils." Saff stopped a
moment to recollect herself and then continued "Dey gots me down on
da ground and den one-a dem said dat maybe dey should stop fore da
bulls came. So dey beat it."

"Oh my gosh Saff! I'm so sorry."

"Uh, Pallet one more ting." Said Saff crying.

"What? What is it Saff?"

"Red…..He….He said dat if Ise told anyone dat he'd hoit me
woise den he already did and da rest a you goils. Ise scared Pallet."

"It's ok Saff. He aint gonna hurt anyone, I'll make sure of that. Now
just lie down and get some rest. I'll be downstairs if you need me. I'll
send someone ta check up on you. Now sleep."
As soon as Saff fell asleep, I went storming downstairs.

"Je le tuerai!" I yelled on my way downstairs.

"What was dat Pallet?" Jack asked.

"I will KILL him!" I repeated.

"Who Pallet? Who youse gonna kill? Asked Spot looking confused.

"..And why?" added on Jack.

"Red! I'm gonna kill him!"

"Red? Who are you talking about?" asked Spot.

"Red he lives in the Bronx."

"Do youse mean "Big" Red, Pallet?" asked Jack.

"Yeah I mean "Big" Red!"

"Why youse gonna kill im? Wait was he da one dat did dat ta yer
friend Sapphire?" asked Spot.

"Yeah."

"Why? Why'd he do it?" asked Jack.

"…Because she dated him 2 ½ years ago."

"She did?" asked Jack

"See 2 ½ years ago Sapphire and Midget used ta live with there mom
Beth, step-dad Ted, and stepbrother James. Well her step-dad would
soak her, her mom, an' Midget. Her mom got really sick one day an' her
step-dad beat her cause she couldn't make him supper. Well she died
two day latah and Saff's step-dad didn't want ta take care-a two girls
that weren't even his so he kicked them out on the streets."

"Saff dated Red during that time cause she thought that he was a nice guy
compared ta her step-father. When she met us girls she broke up
with him and he got mad at her and all of us girls. A year later he
an' his boys soaked her an' so I soaked him. He doesn't like me an'
said the next time he saw me he was goin' ta soak me till I was almost
dead." I added on crying.

"But I don't care anymore! I'm goin' ta kill him!"
By the time I was done talking I was out of breath and crying.

"Jack, get er some watah. It's alright Pallet." Spot said letting me
cry into his chest.

"I don't know what ta do. My girls can't go sellin' by themselves
now. Red will try ta hurt them."

"Hey I know! Pallet, how would youse like if some of me boys go ta sell
wit dem? Dey would be safe…" said Jack.

"I don't know…Can I think about it an' tell you tomorrow?"

"Shoa." Replied Jack.

"K. Oh an' Jack would you mind if me and my girls stay here tonight?
It's getting' late an' our Lodgin' House is all the way on the othah
side of Manhattan an' I don't want my girls ta get hurt tonight, if Red is out there."

"Yeah shoa. We have a few extra bunks. Some of me boys aren't
staying ere tonight." Replied Jack.

"Thanks Jack. You're a good friend. Oh. Could you please check on
Saff for me please? I have ta talk ta my girls before we come up."

"Yeah shoa." Jack said as he started walking up the stairs.

"Thanks again Jack."

After Jack and all the boys went up stairs I told my girls about
staying at the Lodging House and what Jack suggested we do about
selling our papers and asked what they thought.

"I think it's a good idea. If Red saw that we weren't alone and that
we were with the Manhattan Newsies they would leave us alone."
Suggested Cherry.

"What about you younger girls? What do you think?"

"I agree with Cherry, Pallet. We'd be safe." Said Sketch.

"Yeah I agree too." Said Freckles.

"What about you Mel and Midge?"

"I agree I don't wanna get hurt too, Pallet." Said Mel.

"Yeah an' me sistah will be safe too, Pallet. Please…" said Midget
looking at me almost ready to cry.

"I don't know…I don't want the boys ta get hurt…"

"Please Pallet…….." they all said in unison.

"Let me think about it tanight and I'll tell you all tomorrow mornin'.
K? But now you guys go up an' get some rest. I'm gonna go outside, I
need some fresh air before goin' ta sleep."

"O.k. Pallet. G'nite" They all replied before walking up stairs.

As soon as they got upstairs, I went and sat on the steps outside to
think about what I should do. I thought about whether or not I should
take Jack up on his offer. I wanted my girls to be safe, but I didn't
want them falling for any of the guys. They couldn't take getting
their hearts broken if the guys did something to them. Just then I
heard someone open the door. I turned around and saw Spot coming out
of the door and then he sat down next to me and started looking at me.

"What? What's wrong? Is it Saff?"

"No it's not Saff." he said.

"Then what is it? Why are you lookin' at me like that?"

"Nothin' It's jest….why don't youse like me? Did Ise do sumtin'
wrong?" he asked.

"Spot, when did I ever say that I didn't like you an' what makes
you think that?"

"Youse didn't really say it, but da way youse were actin' back at
Tibby's made me tink dat." He said looking at the ground.

"I'm sorry Spot. It's jest what you were tellin' my girls."

"What? Dat Ise saved ya last night from dose boys? Why?" Spot asked
looking at me.

"'Cause I didn't exactly tell them that you saved me last night. I told
them that the boys jest ran an' then I came home."

"Why?"

"Cause if they knew that you saved me last night then they wouldn't
trust me ta protect them when there in trouble like Saff is now. That's
why!" I said crying.

"It's OK Pallet. Ise sorry. Please don't cry cause a me." Pleaded
Spot with his arm around my shoulder.

"It's not you, Spot. I jest don't know what ta do about Saff an' my
girls… If we leave Red will hurt one of them, but if I stay, Red will
hurt one of the boys an' it would be my fault." I cried into my hands.

"Listen Pallet, Take da Cowboy up on is offa. Is boys are tough and
dey would takes good care a yer goils. Trust me." Spot said.

"Thanks Spot." I said drying my tears off my face and standing up.

"Yer welcome. Now, let's get some rest." He said as he opened the
door and lead me up to the bunkroom.

Spot showed me the bunk where Jack had told him I could
sleep, then went to his bunk, and we went to sleep.