Late Afternoon, February 4th, 1901

I ended up walking with the three newsies. The older boy, Race, turned and headed off towards Manhattan, and after we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, the younger boy turned and headed off into Brooklyn after bidding both of us good day. I ended up walking in silence with the girl, who had introduced herself as Crown.

"You never said your name." She looked down at me.

I froze. I needed a name. "Soph."

"So who are you running from kid?" She asked suddenly.

I blinked and immideatly tried to cover up anything. "No one, I just need some money."

Crown shrugged. "It's okay if you don't want to share, but everyone comes the lodging house trying to escape something, and if you need to hide, I suggest you get a better disguise."

I stopped where I stood. "How did you know?"

She smiled at me and continued walking. "It's a natural aptitude. But don't worry, if you don't want me to tell, I won't."

"Please don't. I can't have people knowing I'm a girl." I begged, if Diablo found me, it would be like a lamb to the slaughter.

She nodded. "Nobody needs to know. But I'll have you know, I'm not the only girl in Queens. You may have difficulty hiding it with long hair."

"I'm not cutting my hair!" I exclaimed. She laughed and jogged up a set of small stairs in front of a large building, before twisting the door handle and pushing open the door. I followed hesitently.

Inside was brightly lit by windows allowing the last dregs of evening light to leak in and bath the room in a bright yellow light. There were lots of people everywhere, at least 40. They were sitting on the floor, around a couple of tables, and on a pair of old couches. They were playing cards, talking, going over an old newspaper. Boys of all ages and nationalities. I blinked, taking it all in.

A boy with shaggy brown hair and tan skin came walking up. "Hey Crown. New kid eh?"

Crown nodded. "Soph, this is Clothespin. He's in charge when I'm not around."

"Well it's a good thing you're always around then." He smiled and shook my hand. He was probably about the same age as Crown, and quite a bit taller than her as well. "Welcome to Queens."

Crown had walked over and grabbed a three kids, all about my age. "This is Blue, Raven, and Lucky."

Blue and Raven were both boys and the other, Lucky, was a small girl. Blue had light blonde hair and blue eyes, Raven had brown eyes and black hair, and Lucky had dark black skin, curly hair, and brown eyes.

"These three are your age, I'm sure they'd be willing to help you get settled." I looked over at the three kids, all wearing identical grins.

"I told you it would be a boy." Lucky cheeked, and held out a hand to Raven, who grumbled and passed her a coin. Lucky smiled and slipped it inside the pocket of her skirt.

"Don't make bets with Lucky, she always seems to know how it's going to happen." Blue advised and came to stand next to me.

"Take him upstairs, get him a bed, some clothes, you know." Crown said. I blinked in surprise, she had actually said he. Maybe I could trust her.

Raven nodded as he began leading the way up the stairs to the side of the room. He led the way into a bed room, filled with several bunk beds. To the left was a large washroom.

Raven led the way along to a bed at the far end. "Do you care if you get top or bottom?"

I shrugged. "Top is fine. I don't care." Blue ran along to a cupboard and grabbed out a thin ratty blanket and tossed it on top of the bed. I climbed up the ladder and observed, watching as Lucky went and grabbed a hat from the same cupboard and tossed it across the room towards me. I caught it and placed it on the bed next to me.

"I'll show you the ropes of paper selling tomorrow, it's not too hard." Lucky stated.

"We will leave you to get settled." Blue smiled and grabbed the other two, pulling them with him downstairs. I sat for a moment, just thinking, until I fell backwards onto the bed, overwhelmed with the feeling of safety.

February 5th, 1901

The newsies were all lined up getting their papers, Crown first, followed by Clothespin. Being new I was stuck at the back, behind Lucky and a couple of other girls I had gotten introduced to last night. Most of the girls were new, with the exception of Crown, having joined over the last year. So I didn't see the danger until I got up to the window.

The man named Mr. Moses, or as the newsies called him, Mr. Mouse, handed me my papers after I gave him a couple of coins. Then I saw him. Thomas Delancey. He was a common visitor at the fights, and had seen me fight before. My eyes widened and I tucked the newsies hat I had been given lower, so he couldn't see my face as I slipped by, but it didn't work.

"Ace, well, I didn't know you sold papers. These kids know you are a girl?" He kept his voice low, so others couldn't hear.

"Tell anyone who I am, and I won't hesitate to fight you. You know I can win." I spat, before turning and stepping down the stairs with my papers, headed over to Lucky. She grinned, "Come on, let's go."

We headed down Queens, towards the border with Brooklyn, as she explained.

"So paper selling isn't hard, look pitiful and make up headlines."

I was used to exaggerating the truth, so that wouldn't be difficult. "How do the areas work, like how come you don't sell in The Bronx?"

"Just because all the turf's get on, doesn't mean we can sell there. There is a certain amount of newsies in each turf, and enough room for them, any more kids and then you have scuffles and nobody can sell all their papers," Lucky looked over at me. "A year or so ago, before I was a newsie, there was a turf war. Pulitzer blackmailed the leader of The Bronx into trying to take over the other turfs, and there was fights. But now the turfs have an alliance. Crown is dating Spot, king of Brooklyn. Spot's sister Sage is leader of the Bronx, and Azure, who leads Mahattan, is good friends with Crown. It's all connected."

I nodded. Prince must have been Spot's little brother. "So we can sell here."

Lucky nodded. "Not to hard to figure out." She ran up to a man and said some fake headline.

Following her lead, I tugged a paper out of my bag and held it up. "Dead Body Found On Railway!"

A man, seemingly in a rush, quickly tossed me a coin and hurried off with his paper. Lucky smiled. "See! You're a natural."

Afternoon, February 4th, 1901

I had sold out. Selling papers didn't seem to be too hard, I was walking along the border between Brooklyn and Queens, alone with my thoughts about how to hide from Diablo. He would know I was missing by now, and be angry. He was coming to find me.

"Hey Soph!" I turned to see Prince jogging up to me. He stopped next to me, matching my pace. "How's Queens?"

"It's good," I looked at the short-sleeved shirt he was wearing. "Aren't you cold?"

"Nope. My family is immune to the cold." He grinned. He seemed to have a bit of a happy-go-lucky personality. "How is paper selling?"

"Not as hard as it looks, my hands are stained though." I showed him my ink covered hands.

He held his up, also covered in ink. "Mine are too. The longer you're a newsie the blacker they get. It's from the wet ink as they come off the press."

"Is it permanent?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know. But I've never seen a newsie with clean hands."

I blinked. Black hands vs bruises. I didn't know which one was better. I sighed. "I best be getting back. See you tomorrow?"

Prince nodded. "Sure."

I turned and walked back towards the Queens lodging house. I turned down an alley, intending to use it as a short cut, but ultimetly regretted it. Two men walked towards me and grabbed me by the arms, slamming me against the wall.

"We are going to make this short. If you don't come back to the fights tonight, Diablo will personally make sure to find you." The first one spoke. Meathead 1.

I assessed my options, I could fight for Diablo, and sell papers. Diablo would make sure that I would be in trouble if I didn't. "I will only fight if I can sell papers."

"I don't think you are in the position to be negotiating with us." Meathead 2 spoke.

"Really? Without me Diablo will not make any money. So that will be my only offer."

Meathead 1 looked at Meathead 2. "Fine. If Diablo is mad, it ain't our fault." He handed me a sheet of paper with the name of the next fight. "See you around."

I scowled as they walked out. So much for escaping Diablo. At least I didn't have to stay with him anymore.