CHAPTER ONE
"Ahhhh…." Her shriek filled the whole lodging house, waking everyone. Jack rushed over and shook her awake.
"Gosh Mouse, dat's da thoid time dis week. It's jist a dream." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Didja toiture Brooklyn like dis too er do ya jist like ta harass us? I told ya what'd I'd have ta do if dis keeps 'appenin."
"But it's not just a dream Jack! I miss my parents and I miss…" she cut herself off at the look on his face.
"So ya wanna go back? It ain't good enough fer ya heah?" he spat.
"Naw, it's not like dat at awll, besides ya know I can't go back…" He started to look a little angry again so she changed her approach. "Jack, I'm sorry. It'll nevah 'appen agin. Jist gimme one moah chance. Don' kick me out, please," she pleaded, her emerald eyes begging him too. Jack reluctantly agreed, but he stood no chance against her from the beginning. Her eyes could melt the heart of a murderer and equally make one tremble.
"Awright, one moah chance but if it 'appens agin yer goin' back ta da streets. Me boys ain't gottin' a good sleep since ya came heah t'ree yeahs ago." He said sorrowfully. Then his voice hardened. "Now go git dressed, gitcher papes, and meet us at Tibby's fer dinnah, like a test ta see how well ya follow ordahs." As he walked out the door he called back, "Oh, an' don' be late!"
Mouse got dressed and went to go get her papes but she had to wait for everyone else to go first. It was her punishment for always waking everyone up and, of course, being a girl. The headlines were good that day so by the time it was her turn, there were only 20 papes left. She took them unhappily and was done by lunch. She looked around for Boots and Snipeshooter, who never took very many papes because they much preferred to play all afternoon, but couldn't find them so she walked around for awhile and ended up at the Brooklyn Bridge. She stopped short in her tracks, at first in fear but then she realized that she wanted to go. Jist fer a shoit visit she thought, Whats da woist dat could 'appen? She took a deep breath and shuffled slowly across the bridge. She walked down the street, her recognition growing with every step. She finally arrived at the Brooklyn lodging house, took another deep breath and crept slowly up the steps. She raised her hand to knock but dread suddenly shot through her and she turned around and high-tailed it back to Manhattan.
- - - -
A tall boy sat alone in the lodging house. I hate bein' sick, hecomplained to himself while brushing his fiery red hair out of his face, it's so lonely. He was feeling better but he stayed home an extra day to be completely sure. The silence was interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching outside. He walked over to the window wondering if one of the other boys had finished selling early but he only saw a petite girl in boys' clothes who seemed to look a little familiar. She reached up as if she were about to knock but then turned and ran away like a scared rabbit. Dat was weoid, he thought to himself. Ya know dat almost kinda looked like…naw, couldn't be…could it?
- - - -
Mouse walked up to Tibby's cautiously, trying not to make a sound. Once again she felt that pang of dread. That stupid little trip to Brooklyn had made her late and if Jack found out, he'd be furious. She'd been getting him mad a lot lately. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Gosh, she thought. Dis whole deep breath t'ing's gittin real old. Coming in, her ears were immediately filled with the buzz of the newsies' chatter. Jack was busy telling a story about how he'd once again cleverly escaped the bulls that day, and hadn't seen her enter. She breathed a sigh of relief. She scanned the crowd and rushed over to Mush, Racetrack, and Skittery. They were her best friends.
"Hey goiys!" She greeted them as she slid in beside Mush.
"Yer late," Racetrack commented. She glared at him from across the table.
"Yea no kiddin'," she retorted.
"Jacks gonna be mad when 'e finds out," Mush piped in.
"Well 'e ain't gonna find out, so I guess we don' have ta woirry 'bout dat," she commanded while glaring at the three other boys to get her point across.
"He ar'dy knows thatcher late an' if 'e sees ya wit us an' we didn' tell 'im thatcha came…'e'd be mad at us too," Skittery replied solemnly.
"So I guess dis means yer gonna rat me out huh?" she sneered.
"Naw, we're witcha Mouse," Race reassured her.
"Yea, we're yer friends," Mush added.
Skittery looked down. "Well I'm gonna…I gotta. I'm soirry," he murmered gloomily. He got up and walked over to Jack. Racetrack, Mush, and Mouse watched in horror as Skittery whispered something to Jack. Jack's eyes lit up with fire as her turned towards Mouse, Racetrack, and Mush. Mush and Racetrack gulped but Mouse didn't flinch. He got up, walked over, and began yelling.
"So Mouse, this is how it is huh? Ya keep me boys from sleeping an' I give ya anudda chance an' this…this is how ya t'ank me? Yer late an' den try ta hide it from me?" He was now fuming.
"Why does everyone try ta hide t'ings from me? Yer a…a…well, yer jist like Sar…" He cut himself off and looked down with a look of pain, anger, and sorrow on his face. Mouse would have normally felt bad for him, but not this time. She became angry and she scowled.
"So da truth comes ta da light, eh Jack. Da only reason yer doin dis is cause ima goil an' dat reminds ya of Sarah? Real mature Jack…ya know, I t'oughtcha was bettah dan dat but I guess I was wrong," she snarled, expression as cold as ice. Jacks eyes flamed again.
"Git outta heah ya liddle brat! An' I nevah wantcha comin' back, ya heah…Nevah!" he screamed as he lunged towards Mouse. Mush and Skittery held him back.
"Come on Jack don' be dis way. Ya kin't do dis. She ain't got anyweah ta go," Racetrack pleaded for her. Jack turned his head and anger with it, towards Racetrack.
"Wanna bet?" he said with a cruel laugh. "Besides, if ya wanna defend 'er, den maybe ya wanna go wit 'er! " he snarled. Racetrack glanced hopefully towards Mush and Skittery for back up but they shook their heads, expressions full of grief. Racetrack grabbed Mouse's arm and with one last look at Mush and Skittery, the pain of betrayal in their eyes, Racetrack and Mouse turned and walked out the door.
Once they were a few blocks away, they stopped. They had nowhere to go. The stood in silence for a moment before Mouse broke it.
"I'se so soirry Race. Ya didn't have ta do dat ya know." Mouse apologized as best she knew how, genuinely upset.
Race turned to her and replied, "Yea, I did. An' da uddas shoulda too."
"Butcha got nowhere ta go an' neidda do I but…" Mouse was distraught over causing her friend to leave his home. Race cut her off.
"Yer me friend. De udda's…well, dey ain't anymoah. So without a family or friends dere, it ain't home anymoah. I wouldn't go dere anyways." He hugged her.
"We still gots nowheah ta go d'ough," he said sadly. "Wait, what 'bout what Jack said? 'wanna bet?' What was dat all about?"
"Uhhhh…dat was nuttin, 'e's off 'is rocker, doesn't know what 'e's talkin' 'bout."
"Yea right, what'd 'e mean?" Racetrack questioned.
"Well, I know one udda place, but I don' t'ink it'd be a good idea…" she replied.
"Wheah?" Racetrack demanded. He was starting to get annoyed.
"Brooklyn," she mumbled just above a whisper.
"BROOKLYN!" Racetrack repeated astonished. "Are ya outta yer mind?"
"I told ya it was a bad idea…" she started but Racetrack interrupted her.
"No, it's worse den a bad idea. Brooklyn's alright when dere heah an' everythin' but ta ask ta stay, dat's a death wish right dere…wait, why do you'se t'ink dey'd let you stay? What do dey like you foh…an' how come I nevah knew 'bout dis?"
"Nuttin' personal er anytin', I jist didn't want everyone ta know. Jacks da only one who knew, an' it wasn't cause I wan'ed ta tell 'im, I had ta, so don' feel left out. Now, 'bout Brooklyn…well, ya see, me n' Spot go way back. Foist newsie I evah met, taught me everythin' I know," she explained. "I'se shoah he'll let us stay until we find sumwheah else ta go," she said those words so convincingly confident but deep down inside she wasn't sure. Not if 'e new da truth 'e wouldn't.
"Awright, we'll give it a try." Race agreed reluctantly. "I trust cha." She dropped her head. Good, cause somebody hasta.
- - - -
Spot walked through the door into the lodging house.
"Sparks?" he called. "You'se still heah?" A tall, red head came bounding down the stairs at the sound of Spot's voice, brown eyes wild with excitement.
"Spot! Yer back! I been waitin' fer 'ours."
"Uh…Is dere sumptin' I should know 'bout?" Spot asked, completely confused, and a little freaked out by his friends behavior.
"Yea dere is," Sparks exclaimed excitedly. "You'se 'll nevah believe what 'append today while you'se was gone."
"Well we won' know unless ya tell me so spit it out boy." Spot commanded, curious as to what his friend was so ecstatic over.
"I was sittin' all by me self in da room…" Sparks began, "when I hoid sumptin outside an' when I looked out da window you'se 'll nevah guess who I saw."
"Coise I won', so git on wit it," Spot demanded. He was now very intrigued and getting impatient. Sparks paused for dramatic effect and to annoy his friend. Spot glared at him until he spoke up.
"I ain't a hundred poicent shoah but I t'ink it was Mouse." He said as calmly as he could so he wouldn't miss his friend's reaction. For a moment its seemed as though all life had left Spot's eyes but they soon filled with excitement.
"Ya saw 'er? Ya really saw 'er?" Spot was elated. "Didja talk ta 'er? Is she comin' back? Was she dressed all fancy an' such? I 'aven't seen 'er in fohevah. What's it been…t'ree yeahs?"
"Whoa, calm down Spot," Sparks said as he laughed. "I didn't talk ta 'er. She looked like she was 'bout ta knock but den she took off like she was noivous er sumptin."
"Well, dat ain't much like 'er ta do."
"Yea, an' anudda t'ing was weoid too. She was still wearin' newsie clothes."
"She was? Prolly jist wan'ed ta look like us so we'se wouldn' feel uncomfortable er sumptin'. Ah well, it don' mattah. Come on Sparks. We gotta find 'er. She's me best friend…next ta you'se a coise." Spot grabbed Sparks arm and tugged him as they rushed out the door.