Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies!! Unfortunately, enough I own only Isabella Rose and the story plot.

Chapter 1: Setting the Scene (Prologue)

"Are you sure? Both of them?" I tearfully asked my friend Boots the delivery boy who had just delivered a telegram from the hospital.

"Yeah. That's what it says, Janey. I'm so sorry, this shouldn't have happened to you," he sympathetically replied.

"It was a fluke accident. It was no ones fault...but why both of them?"

My middle-classed parents, Oliver and Minnie Price, had been out shopping for groceries all morning. On their way home, they had been riding one of the trollies that had refused to strike with the rest. During the ride, some ex trolley drivers jumped the driver of the non striked trolley car and the car went down and a hill too fast and crashed, killing several people, including both of my parents.

"I'm awful sorry Jane. If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know," Boots said before hugging me one final time and ducking out.

I spent the rest of that horrible afternoon crying and the evening calling Uncle Nathan and explaining everything to him. He promised to take care of all the legal matters as long as I could take care of myself for a day or two.

"So, what are you going to do for money?" my uncle asked presently. "You could come and live with me and my family, if you wanted to."

"No, um….an….aunt of mine who lives in, er…Boston already agreed to take me in. I'm leaving after the funeral the day after tomorrow. Thank you, though. Goodbye now, uncle!" I said quickly and hung up the receiver. Well, now I was really stuck. I had no place to go. I wouldn't go with uncle Nathan because he already had enough mouths to feed on a small enough salary. I couldn't go with and other aunts or uncles as I did not have any. I couldn't live by myself so I would have to go into a boarding house, which would need to be payed for, so I would also need a job. I mentally checked all the jobs in knew of for a fifteen year old girl in New York City.

Chimney Sweep?- I couldn't make that work. Besides, girls, unless very small, did not go to that line of work.

Maid?- Yuck! I hate cleaning!

Nanny?- Much as I love children I would go mad with that job.

Wow, I can't think of anything. Maybe Boots will be able to…

"Well—" started Boots the next morning. "How about… no no no. What if you… that wouldn't work either. I got it! How about being a newsie?!"

"But I'm a girl. Only boys are newsies. I couldn't:"

"Think about it! Not hard work, dirt cheep lodging, and being around everyone else gives you protection! It's perfect! Just borrow some of my clothes, cut your hair and that way you're not in any danger of getting ra—annoyed by the boys for being the only girl."

The more Boots talked the better it sounded. "Alright," I finally conceded. "I'll start first thing after the funeral. Uncle Nate already got all of my money in the bank. I have all of the legal matters solved and unlce Nathan will take the house! Oh Boots thank you! You gave me the most wonderful idea!"

Not much is to be said about the funeral, it was lovely and not an eye was dry. Boots, next to whom I was sitting, had teary eyes and a teary shoulder, because I had been crying into it. As incredibly shook up as I was, I had always been strong and good at hiding emotion.

Next thing I knew after the funeral, I was standing in front of the Newsboys' Lodging House, dressed in my new identity as Davey Price. Here goes nothing…

A/N- Hope you liked it! This chapter was incredibly slow, just setting up the rest of the story. It's my first one so review review review!! Next chapter soon to follow.

LLKNY

Cailain Baire Conlon