. . .

I slowly awoke to the sound of feet pounding up the stairs and loud voices echoing around the room. The guys must be coming back in from selling. They were laughing and making jokes. I smiled to myself. This was going to be fun.

Fun would have to wait a few more minutes; I just wanted a little bit more sleep. I put the pillow over my head and pulled the covers up. I was just drifting off to sleep when I felt a jolt.

"What d'ya think you're doin' in me bed, kid," growled a voice. Oops. I hadn't even thought about the fact that this bed belonged to someone when I had laid down in it. I was too tired! I quickly pulled my head out from under the pillow and sat up. The boy looked startled to see me.

"I'm sorry. I was so tired I didn't even think about which bed I went to sleep on," I explained. "But you don't need to be so grumpy about it. It was only an accident. And look, I'll even brush it off for you." I brushed off the bed and pillow. Then I smiled at him. "I was never here." I skipped over to Jack, leaving the boy standing there looking baffled.

I reached Jack's bunk and saw him frowning in his sleep. I tried to push his frown back to a normal look but did not succeed. I sighed and decided on the only way to make him smile and get up. I tickled him. On the secret spot. Only I know where the spot is. I'll tell you. His elbow. I know…strange, but true. I discovered it when we were checking to see if we had any freckles. He couldn't completely see his elbow, so I looked. I touched it lightly to get him to bend it so I could see in the creases…and, well, it was very ticklish for him.

He immediately leapt up laughing and glaring at me. "Come on, Jacky, let's meet everyone," I said, pulling on his shirt.

"Alright, alright Pip," he answered sleepily. He yawned and stretched. I tapped my foot, doing my best to wait patiently, but I gave up as soon as he started stretching his legs. I huffed and skipped away to the nearest cluster of boys.

"Hi," I said, giving them one of my brightest smiles.

They all smiled back and a chorus of "hey"s and "how ya doin'"s responded. One spoke up. He looked a lot older. He had slightly tanned skin, messy brown hair, and bright green eyes, kind of like mine. "I'se da leader, Magnet. Are you and your brother the new guys Race here was tellin' us about?" He clapped a hand on this Race guy's back, and I recognized him from earlier.

"Yes, 'cept that I'm not a guy. What are you the leader of?"

The guys laughed. Magnet responded with a smile, "The newsies, my lady."

I frowned. "What do they need a leader for?"

The guys laughed again. Magnet opened his mouth to respond, and then closed it. I smiled smugly. It had been a good question.

Race clapped a hand on Magnets back and said, "Ya Magnet, whadda we need the likes of you for?"

"Hey," Magnet shrugged Race's hand off. "We need the likes of me so that the likes of you stays in line." He playfully slugged Race in the shoulder.

"So what do you do as leader?"

"I, well, make sure these guys is followin' the rules…no unwelcome visitors on our territory - "

"Territory? You got special territory? Why?"

"You sure ask a lot of questions, you know dat I hope."

"You sure seem to be runnin' out of answers," I responded. The guys snickered. I realized that we had a larger audience now.

"Territory…" he continued, laughing a little, "see I ain't the only leader in this city."

"There are other leaders?"

"Well ya, there's not just one section of New York City, you know."

"I know that. So who's the leader of the leaders?"

"There isn't really an official, uh, leader of the leaders."

That raised up a few voices of objection. "Conlon," they said.

"Conlon?" I asked.

"Books Conlon. He's from Brooklyn, and I guess Brooklyn is one of the toughest sections - "

"One of? You guess?" came a cold voice from the door. Everyone turned to where there were two boys standing against the door frame. They both had smug looks on their faces.

Magnet cleared his throat. "Books," he said.

. . .