I just want everyone to know that I changed Kylah's name to Kate, b/c like my reviewers said, it was rare and out-of-time-period.

CHAPTER TWO

I soon grew into my routine as a newsie and a boy. My days were filled with both work and fun. By day I sold papes and ran around the streets. At night, I learned to play poker. Racetrack always won. At first, I lost all the time, but soon improved. I gained the newsies accent and became a professional at selling papes. Days grew into weeks and weeks into months. I didn't think too hard on it, but I had been with the newsies now for about two months. I congratulated myself on keeping both of my secrets for so long, but after two months it grew harder. The long winter was ending and it was almost June.

I was woken up that day with Mush over my face. I had gotten over the awkward feeling on sleeping in a room full of boys (by now I had my own bed), but waking up with someone in your face is annoying. I pushed him out of my way and swung myself out of bed.

"Mush, what are you doing? It's not even dawn yet!" I growled because morning is not my favorite part of the day.

"Wake up, Max!" Mush was disgustingly cheerful. "Today Jack's making us take baths." Cold sweat washed over me. The newsies didn't have a sense of privacy and not doubt the one tub would be in the middle of a crowded room.

"I don't need a bath. I'm clean." I protested.

"Yah," Mush said sarcastically, "Clean as dirt." I made a face.

"Jack can't make me take a bath and neither can you!" Mush just rolled his eyes.

I knew that I was filthy. I hadn't taken a bath for months. It's just, being on the street most of the time, you don't worry about being squeaky clean. Hey, I was lucky if I washed my hands and face once a day.

Well, I knew that if I stayed in the room that I would inevitably have a bath, so I scrammed. The fire escapes are very useful that way. I slept in my clothes, so all I had to do was jump out the window. After selling that day, Jack came and found me.

"C'mon Max, what's wrong?" I looked at him quizzically. "You know what I mean. What's with you and baths?" My mind scrambled for an answer.

"I'm clean. I don't like to get wet."

"You smell worse than any of us and look filthy." After his response sunk in, I sneered elegantly. Actually, I doubt it looked elegant. "Don't get mad on me Max. It's true."

Race came up behind me. "What's the matter, Max? Afraid to be like the rest of us?" My face turned beet red with fury.

"I am not! You're the scab, taking baths regular!" Jack and Race started to laugh. It was true. Jack took baths once a week ever since meeting his girl, David's sister, and Race wasn't much better.

"Hey, maybe this kid should come with us ta Brooklyn?" Race shot Jack a look that I missed.

"Yah, to meet Spot right?" Jack grinned.

I blindly and innocently trusted them. "Spot Conlon, leader of Brooklyn, he who can slingshot better than anyone?" I had heard the legends.

"That's the one. Maybe you'll be able to breathe the air that he did." Race joked.

I could barely contain my excitement as I followed the boys down the streets. I chattered like those little birds that roost in the rafters of the lodging house, the starlings. Many times Jack and Race told me to shut up and they quieted me for a minute or two, but no more than that.

The change into Brooklyn was gradual. I hardly even noticed when I passed the market where I had bought the food for me and my Dad. I did notice the tenement where I had lived for almost my whole life. I recognized it because of the cracked window and yellow painted door with the hole in the corner. I tried to act as if I had never been to Brooklyn before, but anyone who was born there knew how to get to the docks.

Being late May, the day was warm and humid for the afternoon. The docks were noisy and crowded with newsboys and street kids. Most of the boys had stripped down to their underwear and two months ago I would have flushed with embarrassment. After staying with the Newsies, who still thought me a boy, I had seen my share of half-naked boys. However hard I tried to ignore them, I didn't want to act like a sissy.

Anyway, boys were diving off the docks right and left. I was one of the youngest kids around and I felt maybe just a bit awkward. My eyes darted right and left to avoid being shoved off the pier but I also was checking for Spot Conlon, the man, the legend.

I saw him leaning against a wooden beam with his trademark gold-tipped cane. I followed as Jack and Race walked right up to their friend. This part of the docks was quieter and less crowded. Only one or two older boys horsed around in the water near the place where Spot stood.

"Hey, Spot, what've you been up to these days?" Jack spit on his hand and Spot did the same. They shook hands in a familiar gesture.

"Nothin' much, Jacky-boy. How's your gamblin' these days, Race?" Spot still hadn't looked at me and I was beginning to feel like an idiot.

"Better than usual. The tracks have been good too." Race and Spot shook spit hands.

"Spot, this is Max. He's new, but he works hard." Jack introduced me, but I hung back, not knowing what to do.

"So, why'd you bring him?" Spot asked the question that even I could not answer.

"For reasons of our own." Race winked at Spot and I began to be suspicious.

"The kid stinks." Spot commented.

"Really?" Race said sarcastically. "I wouldn't have noticed."

"Can he talk?" Spot raised an eyebrow at me.

"Sure I can." I answered indignantly.

"Can you swim?" Jack asked with a mischievous air about him.

I really couldn't, but I didn't want to appear weak. "I'm no sissy. I swim like a fish." I spoke boldly, but I was nervous about why they were asking. "I hate to swim, though."

"What about bathing?" Jack shoved me off the dock before I had a chance to react.

Arms flailing, I barely managed to keep from screaming as I was knocked off into open air. I forgot to take breathe before I hit the water and sunk like a rock. I gulped in water and choked. Desperation forced my arms to move and my legs to kick. For an awful moment, I could have sworn that I was going to drown. My head broke the surface and I had time for one gasping breath before I sunk again.

I suppose that a less determined person would have given themselves up, but I'm more stubborn than most. I kicked as hard as I could and reached the surface once more before Jack's strong arm held me up. He had jumped in when he had seen that I couldn't swim at all.

I was dragged up the piling and deposited on the dock. I threw up the salty harbor water and took deep breaths of fresh air.

"The kid's a liar." Spot sounded amused at my predicament.

"Look on the bright side, Max." Race teased. "Both you and your clothes are cleaned."

As soon as I had caught my wind, I stood shivering. "You could have warned me!" I shouted.

"You shouldn't have lied!" Jack laughed. "You were dirty and at least you smell better."

"I'm cold and wet!" I complained. "You should have warned me." I insisted.

"I'm just as cold and wet as you are." Jack shot back. "Because of your lie. So we'll call it even."

I glared at him but hoped that the warm air would dry my clothes soon. Besides, I was cleaner and my secret wasn't discovered.

"So, what's up with Manhattan?" Spot asked friendly to Jack. They began a conversation that I didn't feel much like listening too.

"C'mon, Max, how about we teach you how to swim?" Race was older than me and I could hardly say no.

The rest of the afternoon was spent learning how to tread water. Race told me that if I could learn that, then the swimming would come naturally. I tried my best, but by the end of the day, could only tread water for about three minutes. I hadn't even tried swimming yet.

Jack and Race had finally finished catching up. "The kid does work hard, you can say that for him." Spot agreed with Jack's earlier statement.

I shivered as I climbed up the pillar again. I had refused to take off my clothes, so that I didn't get found out as a girl. I was wearing my long underwear and my black pants and gray shirt, all of which were soaked, but cleaner than they had been.

After we left Brooklyn and were in the Lodging House, I had to endure some teasing about the incident. No one seemed to take pity on my thin, shaking body, but then again, they'd probably been through much worse.

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