We were sitting chattering in the lodge.

Everyone was playing cards and talking, but there was a nervous tension in the room that soured the mood.

I was standing attempting to explain to Raven why Cheery and his girlfriend had left to go upstairs. A safe reason a six year old would get anyway.

There was a loud banging at the door.

I turned my head and leaned down to Raven. "One moment Buddy."

I jogged over to the door and opened to see a 12 year old newsie standing there.

He looked frantic and in a hurry.

"Can I help you?" I asked, rather unsure.

"Are yous Crown?" He demanded.

I raised an eyebrow. "It matters who's asking?"

"Spot Conlon needs her help. Jacky and his newsies are rioting in Manhatten and are getting attacked by police and scabs." He said, then bent over out of breath.

I frowned, Spot. My help.

"Okay boys come on Cowboy needs help. We headed to Manhattan." I shouted.

The boys quickly jumped up, not wanting to miss a chance to shot some scabs, and grabbed their slingshots and ammo.

Ladders tossed me my slingshot, which I tucked in my back pocket. Blue came jogging out and threw a few ammo at me, which went in my back packet as well.

Everybody bolted out the door and headed after the brooklyn newsie.

I quickly counted as boy after boy came out. Finally everyone was out. I took off running after everyone.

We made it to Manhattan around the same time as Brooklyn did. Queens newsies murged with the Brooklyn newsies.

Spot who was near the back jogged over to me.

"Good timing." He shouted.

"I try." I shouted.

Together as a mass, we jogged downtown.

When we got there, a full fight was going on.

Spot and his boys went to go in the doors.

"WAIT! Up here!" I shouted. They looked at me unsure. My boys started up the stairs, a few staying at the bottom for when the gates opened.

"Whatya waiting for? A bell? Get a move on!" Spot said. They jogged up the stairs.

We dashed up and stood in different spots around the ledge.

"Never fear! Queens and Brooklyn are here!" Spot shouted over the edge, drawing the string back on his slingshot.

I rolled my eyes and pulled back my slingshot string, shooting it so it pinged of the back of one of the tall scabs, who let out a yelp and turned to face me.

I pulled it again and hit him straight in the eye. I smirked at Spot.

Jack spun around so he could see Spot and I, and grinned. I grabbed a hook that was attatched to a chain, and launched of the roof, sliding down.

I landed on one boys shoulders. Looking dwn, I realized it was Kid Blink.

Keeping my balance by stretching my arms out, Blink looked up at me, not overly shocked.

"Hiya Crown."

"Hey Blink." I flipped off him and kicked some scab in the face as I did so. I landed on my feet and took off towards the doors to let the rest of the boys in.

Spot jumped off the roof and landed on a scab, breaking his fall. He jogged towards the doors as well, shoving hords of fighting people out of his way.

He made to the door at the same time as me. We, together, grabbed the two sides and pulled them apart. The rest of the boys came running in, taking down scabs easily.

All of us crowded around the wall as some man came up with a camera. He grinned. "Smile!"

We did so, and he snapped a picture, a big cloud of smoke coming out of his camera.

Later, we were all sitting around in Tibby's. The fellow who had taken our picture came sauntering in with a paper in his hand. I found out from Race that his name was Bryan Denton, and that he worked for the New York Sun.

"Guess who made the cover of the New York Sun." Several boys, including Spot, scrambled over. I stood up and walked over to the table. Sure enough, smack in the middle of the front page, was the picture of us in front of the shack.

I snatched it up and sat back on the table. "Well fancy that I'm the King Of New York." I snorted. Throwing the paper over to Jack, I sat down on top of the table, smirking as I watched all the guys crowd around trying to see it.

Spot came and plopped next to me.

"Kings of New Yorks Yous say?" I nodded.

"Wouldn't you be more of the Queen of New York?" He asked, a smirk coming to his face.

I rolled my eyes. "Wow that was increadbly funny."

"I try." He replied.

Jack sat up from laying on the table.

"We'll hold a rally!" He shouted. I turned and gave him a confused look.

"To get all the Newsies together!" He continued. "We'll hold a rally at Medda's! We will gather all the Newsies together and then Pulitzer can't ignore us!"

I nodded my head, sensing where he was going with this. "Ya know Cowboy, that ain't a half bad idea. It might actually work."

"Of course it will! That's the plan!" Jack replied. Several boys had listened in, agreeing. "Since the rally will hopefully be covered by the newspaper, you all need to be in your best wear, got it? Even you Crown. In a dress."

I raised my eyebrows as the boys looked at me in amusment, except a few of my boys who looked anywhere but me.

"And where am I supposed to find a dress?" I asked. Spot had another one of his smirks on his face.

"I don't know. Ask Medda." He scoffed.

I sat on a chair in Medda's backstage dressing room. Medda was rushing around, trying to find a dress she wanted me to wear. She was super excited that she got to dress up someone besides her back-up dancers. She had wanted to play 'dress-up' with me since she had met me a few years ago, but I had refused, because my identidy was on the line.

There was the sound of bustle and hustle outside, of all the Newsies arriving from different neighborhoods. I had left Ladders in charge until I got back. Hopefully no one got in trouble and that they kept an eye on Blue and Raven.

Medda came scurrying back up to me, a dress in hand. She held it out for me and I looked at it. It was a pretty thing. It was a pale blue color, a kind of a periwinkle, it had a white lace bow around the waist and long white sleeves, I had to hand it to Medda, she knew what would suit me.

"Now go change!" She shoved me into a change room, used mostly for the dancers. Luckily no one was in there, and I changed as quickly as I could.

Medda barged in and I jumped. She shoved me over to the mirror.

I hardly recognized the girl in the mirror. She was pretty, beautiful even. Medda grinned and pulled my newsie cap off and tugged my hair down, brushing it and tying it back with a bow, before putting my cap back was kind of an unwritten rule that if you were at the rally you needed your cap.

She touched my small necklace that was around my neck. It was simple, just a silver chain with a small star on the end. I always wore it under my shirt.

"This is beautiful. Where did you get it?" She asked.

I reached my hand up and touched it as well. "My mother got one for me and one for my brother. She said it would help us find each other if we ever got lost. I never did find him. You kind of remind me of her." I said, catching her gaze in the mirror.

Medda grinned. "She must have been a very special women."

"Na she was just me mother." I replied.

Medda laughed. "Come on, those boys jaws are going to hit the floor when they see you."

I giggled. "Fine, rather face them now then later."

"Go on." She gave me an insistent push towards the door.

I pushed the door open and walked out into the main part of the building. Ladders, with Blue holding his one hand and Raven holding his other, the rest of my newsies scattered around him, They all had their backs facing me.

The door creaked slightly and Blue turned to look at me. A huge grin split across his face. He let go of Ladders hand and ran over to me, jumping onto me. I caught him and rested him on my hip.

"Oi Blue, where are you goi- whoa." Ladders turned around to see where Blue had gone, but appeared at a loss of words.

Blue leaned in and whispered in my ear. "Yous looks very pretty Crown. Spot is gonna love it." I pulled away and cocked an eyebrow. Blue stuck out his tounge.

"You better put that back or I'll cut it off!" I threatened. He giggled and put his tounge away.

"Wow! Ok! I was not expecting that!" Ladders said, his jaw hitting the floor. Huh, Medda was right.

I rolled my eyes. "Come on Ladders you're catching flies. Lets go." We walked through the door into the big room with the stage. Newsie's were left, right and center. Ladders led everybody through up to our seats, and I headed over to where Jack, David, and Spot stood, probably waiting for me.

I walked up to them, ignoring all the curious stares of the boys around me. I let out a sigh of relief when I noticed another girl sitting at a table. She looked like the sister of David.

I tapped Jack on the shoulder and he jumped slightly, spinning around.

He grinned when he saw me. "Thank god you're finally here. We can start now."

He hustled me next to Spot and David. Spot's eyes widened and he turned his head to look forward.

He leaned over. "Jack wasn't kidding." I frowned and looked at him in confusion.

He snorted. "About you being beautiful. Not saying that you arn't beautiful in newsie clothing." He stammered. I could feel my cheeks turn red, and I looked forward.

Spot didn't look half bad either, in a new blue shirt and red suspenders. He still had his cane tucked in his belt. I leaned over while Jack got everyone's attention. "Don't worry, you look handsome too."