YAY next ch!!! How did you like the first?

I dont own the newsies...Just Sam for now.


Ch.2

It was a cold morning. I wrapped my arms around me tightly and tried to fall back to sleep. The sun was in my eyes which made it very difficult. Then the sun disappeared.

"I see you put those papers to good use." I opened my eyes; a tall shadow blocked the sun. I wiped the sleep out of my eyes and found Jack Kelly standing over me, and he didn't look happy.

"Um…Morning." I stood up and straightened out my skirt.

"Well Sammy…when you said you live down the street, I didn't think you meant down on the street." He looked at me and sighed, putting his arm around my shoulder. "Come on." We walked in silence until we reached a small park. Sitting on a bench he handed me half of his papers. "When do you have to go to work?"

"2:00"

"OK, this is what we're going to do. You're going to help me sell my papes and tell me what's going on."

I looked at the headline: 'WOMEN SAYS SHE SEES FAIRIES'. "You really sell this stuff?"

We stood in the park…I sold my papers faster than Jack. Women bought my papers with sympathetic faces, giving me a little more than they should have. "I should have brought you with me weeks ago." Jack laughed and handed me more papers. It was 1:45 and we had sold all the papers. I gave the money to Jack. We walked to Tibby's, once again in silence. It was to cold to stay outside; we went in and sat in a booth. "So Sammy, explain to me why you're living on the streets."

I sighed, this might be awhile. "I live on the streets because I don't have a home." I gave him a wide smile.

"And…" Jack didn't take his eyes off me.

"And you see when I was little…"

"SAM! There are people waiting here!" Tony called from across the room.

"I'm sorry Jack; I have to get to work." I smiled and got up. I put on my apron and grabbed a pad and a pencil.

"Sammy, I'm going to pick you up here tonight." It was scary when he looks serious. "I'll see you at eight." And he left quickly. Work was normal, if anything to normal. The kind of normal where you know something is going to happen. If that something was good or bad…I couldn't say.

3:00…4:00...5:00…7…finally…8:00. I hung up my apron and said good bye to Tony. Truthfully…I'm kind of nerves about talking to Jack. I've never talked about my past before. It's not a sob story by a long shot…but it's a little bit…uncomfortable …talking about it. I pushed open the door and found myself face to face with Jack.

"You're very punctual." I smiled…but he looked serious. He put his arm around me almost protectively, and led me to who knows where. About fifteen minutes later we stopped in front of a door, there was a warm light coming through the windows.

"Home sweet home." He opened the door and led me into a parlor. A group of boys looked up from their card game.

"Hey Cowboy!" One of them said, taking a cigar out of his mouth. "Who's the dame?"

"Excuse me?" I said stepping in front of Jack. "I am no dame!"

"Race…this is Sam. She's a friend from Tibby's" Jack fidgeted with his bandana.

"Sorry Sam, I didn't mean the dame thing." He smiled and went back to his card game. We went up a flight of stairs and reached a landing.

"Hey Jack…I don't mean to be rude but where are we?" I whispered. He laughed a little and put his hands up in the air.

"This is the Manhattan Newsboys' Lodging House. Home of…well…the Manhattan newsies." He smiled. "Now if you please follow me." He motioned up the stairs. We walked through what looked like a living room, then a bathroom, and then we reached a long room filled with bunk beds. Some boys looked at me through the railings.

"Who's she Cowboy?" A little boy no older then five called down from a bunk.

"Ok everyone…This is Sam. Be nice to her or you'll have to deal with me." He pushed me down the row of bunks until we reached the end. There was a curtain hanging by the wall.

"Nice place here Jack," I looked around "nice…um…curtain. It's a nice color." I laughed and turned around. "Thanks for showing me your place, but I have to go."

"No! You're not going after what Jack made us work on all day!" A boy with an eye patch half ran down the room. "Hello." He held out his hand "I'm Blink and you must be Sam. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you too Blink." I shook his hand.

"Jack told me about you. Now tell me, how do they make the tomato soup? It's just amazing!" Blink took out a pad and a piece of paper.

"Not now Blink." Jack took my shoulders and pushed me to the curtain. "Sam, I want you to open the curtain." I looked at him. This is very strange…but ok. I walked to the curtain and pulled it open. Jack hooked the curtain to the wall. Behind the curtain was a single bed, a night stand with a mirror over it. There was a blue blanket on the bed. I ran my hand over the nightstand. "So what do you say Sammy? Will you stay with the Manhattan Newsies?"

"Jack I…" I turned and looked at the other boys...Jack, Blink, now Race was there to.

"I know you'd be living with a bunch of guys and we're not used to having girls around but, we want you to stay." Jack smiled.

"And we all have lived on the street at one point. We know it's not easy. On top of that it's almost winter." Blink said, leaning on a bunk. "If you didn't know Sam…snow is cold."

"Snow is cold isn't it." Hey, it's not bad having somebody that cares about you. "I'll stay. I don't know how to thank you."

"Free food at Tibby's?" Race laughed and patted me on the back "I'm joking with you Sam. It'll be nice having you around here." He turned to some of the small boys "Now you guys will learn how to treat a lady." He laughed and walked back down the stairs.

"Come on Sammy, I want to show you something." He pulled me away from bed and through the window. The last thing I expected was going through a window. We walked up the fire escape to the roof.

"Wow it's beautiful up here!" I looked around. The stars weren't out but the lights from the city were amazing.

"Sit next to my Sammy." Jack sat on the edge on the roof. I sat next to him and looked over the edge. Now, you have to understand, I'm not scared of a lot of things…but heights…I can't do it. I pulled my legs back and sat on the floor. "Tell me what happened to you."

"I don't know exactly what happened. I know my mom passed away. My dad left, but I don't know why." There was a long pause "I wasn't by myself the whole time though."

"That person took care of you?"

"Yup."

He looked at me "Who?"

"Well, it's been awhile since then but, my brother was there with me." I looked up at the cloudy sky, it was cold "One day he went out and never came back. But that was a long time ago." I smiled at Jack. "It's just me now."

"No, it's all of us now. You have family here with the newsies. You don't have to be alone anymore." He hugged me.

I hugged him back "Thank you Jack." I stood up "I'm going to go to bed," I laughed "in a real bed!" I started to climb down stairs.

"Hey Sammy," Jack called after me. "Your brother is…hmm….how old are you?"

"I'm 17 Jack" I stopped and watched him.

"And your brother was older?"

"By a year, not much of an age difference." I smiled and leaned on the railing "why?"

"Maybe I can find him for you. I know all the newsboys from here to Brooklyn. Can you give me a name?"

"I don't want to find him." I didn't. He left me when I was 6 and I was alone. It wasn't easy. "He never came back for me Jack. I don't think he cares."

"Oh come on Sammy, just give me a name." He smiled and pulled on his bandana.

"Fine! I don't know his real name but I always called him Frannie. He hated it." I laughed and went down the stairs.

"As in Francis!"

I looked up to the roof "Maybe," I called back. Jack's head popped out over the side. He yelled much louder then he needed to.

"What's your last name!?"

"What if I don't tell you?" I laughed as he ran down the stairs.

"Your name is Samantha."

"I would hope. A girl named Sam…ouch." I climbed into the window.

"Tell me your last name." He demanded.

"I don't feel like it." I stuck out my tongue and closed the curtain. "Good night Jack!"

"Just give me an initial!" He begged.

I stuck my head out of the curtain "Good night Jack." I closed the curtain and got comfortable.


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