"You want us to perform for a real audience. Tonight?" Both excitement and alarm flashed in Chase's eyes. She hadn't been onstage for over 3 years, since her last ballet recital at Miss Trenton's Boarding School, when she'd wanted to return to her home. Her real home. She didn't think she would be able to perform in her current state.

"You need practice if you're going to become a regular in my show." said Medda.

"What?"

"It's time Irving Hall got some fresh faces on the stage." Medda said. "I figure you take whatever exposure you can get. A little nepotism never hurt anybody."

"Oh, Medda!" Chase exclaimed as she hugged her. "Thank you. Thank you so much!"

"And of course Spark and Story, you're also welcome to become my apprentices if you wish."

The sisters smiled at each other. "Well we can't let Chase have all the fun." said Story. This was an opportunity of a lifetime. Story knew she and her sister couldn't be newsies forever. They would have to make some real money somehow. As newsies that would be difficult. They had no family and little schooling. With Medda giving them a chance to learn stagecraft by her side that had a real chance at getting off the streets.

"Do you think we'll be good enough?" Spark asked. If you could call dancing on the Brooklyn docks while Spot and some of the other newsies watched "performing", they had certainly done a lot of that. Standing onstage in front of a real audience was a different matter. Chase had a little more experience than them.

Medda nodded. "Yes, I'm sure you can do it!"

Spark and Story looked less than certain.

"But tonight? It's so sudden." said Spark.

"We haven't rehearsed anything." said Story, always the perfectionist.

"And- and we don't have anything to wear."

"Oh, pish posh!" Medda waved those excuses away with her hand. "I have plenty of costumes in your sizes backstage AND you all know 'Don't Come A-Knocking', right?"

"...Yes..."

"Well then it's settled! Tonight we have a pianist but he won't be available after today though. I'll have to-"

Medda stopped as a slow, waltz-like tune played through the theatre. "What is this?" she smiled.

David was playing the piano (from memory). It was a familiar parlor song. Medda and the girls drew toward the bench. And David began to sing the ballad in an overly dramatic but sweet way. Story sat down on the bench next to him, completely starry-eyed.

Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;

The newsies gathered around the piano. Chase and Spark stood next to their boys. As David began the next line of the song, the rest of boys joined in singing, including Spot Conlon, Chase was very surprised.

Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day, lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away!

Spot put his arm around Chase and whispered in her ear. "You're my beautiful dreamer, you know that?"

Chase blushed and butterflies filled her stomach. She finally relaxed for the first time in hours. Even though Spot was overly protective, it was because he loved her and she knew it. She shouldn't be so hard on him when he was so worried about her.

Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song, list while I woo thee with soft melody;

Skittery, Helena, and Denton arrived just as the song was finishing.

Gone are the cares of life's busy throng, beautiful dreamer, awake unto me! Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

Skittery got a better look at Helena in the theatre house lights. Just like he thought, she was very pretty. With her long, dark, wavy hair, pale skin with freckles sprinkling her nose. And her eyes, they were so blue! The powder blue dress she was wearing made them stand out even more. She reminded Skittery of the china dolls he sometimes saw in shop windows. And she was taller than Spark and Chase. Skittery didn't like looking down at girls and he didn't like when girls had to look up at him. Chase and Spark only came up to the middle of his chest. Helena and Story were both a little less than a head shorter than him.

Helena looked like a princess, or at least, what Skittery thought a princess should look like. Story sometimes made him sit with her when Davey was gone while she read the little ones fairy tales. He wouldn't do it if it wasn't for her.

"Are those your friends?" Helena asked Skittery.

He grimaced a little. "Yeah," they were always doing something embarrassing like that.

Contrary to what Skittery expected, Helena smiled. "They look fun."

"Sometimes."

"Alright, everyone," Medda's voice carried through the theatre. "It's show time! Open the doors and let the crowd in."

"We better get some seats before they all fill up." Skittery said.

He and Helena maneuvered their way through the crowd to a spot in the front row. Best seats in the house. The only better place to watch was backstage, but most of the newsies didn't know that because they hadn't experienced it.


Chase, Spark, and Story tried to slip away without causing a scene.

"Hey, where yous goin'?" Mush asked.

"You'll see." Chase put a finger to her lips.

Mush nodded, understanding. "Break a leg up there."

The girls slipped out the side door and went backstage to Medda's dressing room, already feeling pre-show jitters. It was difficult for them to tell if it was because of excitement or anxiety.

Chase blindly reached for the door knob in the darkness.

"Hey," Story grabbed her wrist. "Knock first." she admonished.

Chase rolled her eyes and then knocked.

"Come in." Medda sang.

Chase opened the door. The dressing room was everything the girls expected from Medda. The walls were painted pink and small crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Lights surrounded an oval shaped mirror that was hung next to a vanity, the top of which was cluttered with cosmetics, perfumes, and bottles of nail polish. On the back wall was a large portrait of Medda and Mark, her husband, it was their wedding picture. There were also framed newspaper articles. A few of them were about Medda and her success owning Irving Hall, but most of them were about the strike last summer.

"I've laid out your costumes," Medda said as she sprayed on perfume. "Help yourselves to any of my makeup. I'll announce your act when it's time."

"When do we go on?" Spark implored.

"I'm saving the best for last." Medda simpered.

Story bit her lip. "More time for the nerves to set in."

"Aw, Honey," Medda stroked Story's red curls. "Don't tell me you have stage fright."

"I do- a little."

"You'll do great, I know it. Now, I have to get out there to start the show." And with that, Medda bowed and scurried out the door. The girls could hear the applause through the door.

"Let's do this." Chase pronounced.

The girls found their costumes in the wardrobe: glitzy pink and purple tea length dresses, perfectly tailored to fit each girl, with oversized hair bows that matched. The three girls warmed up their voices and stretched. Chase helped Story and Spark apply proper stage makeup, lining their eyes with just a little kohl and brushing their cheeks and lips with rouge.

About an hour later there was a knock. "You girls ready?" Medda called through the door.

"Yes."

Spark and Story helped Chase get onstage without her crutch. The length of the dress hid her metal brace well enough. When the curtains opened, the pianist lifted her up to sit on the piano.

"And now," Medda announced. "it is my pleasure to present three cuties from Brooklyn. Newsgirls by day, divas by night. Roselia Meyers and Theresa and Madeleine Masi."

The room erupted in applause as the curtain opened. The loudest cheers came from the newsies who were scattered about the theatre.

Helena nudged Skittery. "Do you know them?"

"Unfortunately."

"What do you mean?"

"Shhhhhhhhhh!" Jack berated. "They're startin'."

"We will talk about this later." Helena declared.


"...And this is Miss Chase Meyers, one of the stars." Denton said to his niece after the show had ended and only the newsies remained at Irving Hall.

"Pleased to meet you," said Helena, extending her hand. "You were great."

"Thank you," said Chase, sparkling. She had to restrain herself from spitting before she shook Helena's hand. Force of habit.

"Helena's going to be here for a while. She's attending a boarding school in Brooklyn for the year."

Denton told them. Spot and Chase looked at each other. They both knew what school Helena would be going to, the one Chase had to run away from when she was 13. But things would probably be different there now. Especially because Mr. Snyder was behind bars.

"Where are you from?" Spot asked.

"Philadelphia. My parents didn't like the schools there so they decided to send me here where my dear Uncle Denty could keep an eye on me while I become a proper lady." Helena grimaced at the last part.

"Now you get to do what you really want to do," Denton said, "Helena wants to be a reporter. She'll be my assistant while she's here."

Helena beamed. It was true, that's exactly what she wanted to do. Her parents were concerned with her future as a wife and mother. They made her attend countless parties in beautiful but uncomfortable gowns. And she had to acquaint men who were far from gentlemen. No one believed her when she screamed in the middle of her last birthday party because Neily Vanderbilt, 10 years her senior, pinched her bottom while they were dancing. Helena could not wait to get out of there.

She was thrilled when her father told her she was going to New York. She would be close enough to her uncle, who had voluntarily left the family fortune to become a self-made man. Surely he would understand, and he did.

"Good job up there girls," Skittery said, standing next to Helena. "Although, Chase, you should probably work on the chorus a bit more. You were a little flat."

Spot stepped forward but Chase grabbed his wrist. The two of them glared at Skittery.

"I am never flat, Skittery." she said.

"If anyone made a mistake, it was me." said Story, sighing. "I always mess up the harmony."

"I didn't notice anything." Helena chimed in.

"Yeah, you were practically perfect." Skittery said. He took a shot at flirtation and put his hat on Story's head. She laughed, releasing a hundred butterflies in Skittery's stomach.

"Alright, everybody listen up!" Medda commanded. The audience had gone, leaving only the newsies still in the theatre. "As you know, tomorrow is Hallowe'en."

A few of the boys nodded, whispering excitedly. Sometimes people would give them candy along with their pay for the papers. It was a luxury none of them could afford on their own which made it all the more special.

"It's also the last day Coney Island is opened."

The noise level rose some more.

Medda put her hands up to try to quiet the crowd. "So tomorrow, I'm pleased to announce, Mark and I are treating you all to a trip to Coney Island for the day!"

The room erupted with cheers.

"Hey Medda," said Spot. "Does that include Brooklyn?"

"Yes, it does. All the boys and girls who can come. And then we'll have dinner at my house." Medda stepped down from the stage and several boys came up and hugged her.

"I love Coney Island!" Chase exclaimed.

"It's been so long." Mush added.

"You guys have been?" asked Spot.

"Yeah," Chase prattled. "We went a few times when we were really young."

"Mhmmm..."

"That's right near the races, isn't it?" Spark realized.

"Yeah it is." said Racetrack.

"I'm gonna beat your-"

"No you won't!"

"Yes I will!"

"No you won't!"

"Yes I will!"

"No you won't!"

"Yes I will!"

"Someone make them stop!" Les cried melodramatically, covering his ears.


Skittery crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. The loud noises in the echoey theatre were hurting his ears and once again his "friends" were causing a scene. Thankfully everyone else had left. No wonder the rich couldn't stand the poor most of the time. They were irritating. Even Chase, the self-proclaimed lady was too buoyant to be considered refined.

Someone coughed uncomfortably. Skittery looked up, taking his time. It was Helena.

"Is something a' matter?" she asked. Clearly she wasn't yet comfortable with the rest of the newsies. Skittery couldn't blame her.

"Nothin'."

Helena leaned against the wall next to him. "You're not excited to visit Coney Island?"

"It's not really my thing."

"Oh..." There was a silence between them for a minute.

"So... Are you goin'?" he inquired, shattering the quiet, to both of their relief.

"Yes," she answered nodding. "It's last day before I start school." Helena frowned.

"I take it you're not happy to be going."

"Ugh, no!"

Skittery smirked. He found it interesting none of the kids he'd ever known to ever have gone to school hated it. Racetrack ran away from his school, Chase ran away from hers (though she had a very serious reason), and David refused to return even though his family was doing much better. Not ever having had the chance to attend, Skittery taught himself things just by reading the newspaper and working the city.

"How come you hate it so much?"

Helena sighed and stared straight ahead for a long while. Skittery could tell she was holding back tears so he looked away to save her from embarrassment.

"I don't think I can live up to what they expect me to be." she said finally. "There are so many rules that I don't want to follow and some of them I can't follow and I never seem to measure up."

"That's... Awful." he couldn't think of anything else he could say.

Helena took a moment to collect herself again. "I'm fine." she said a few times. Helena wiped a single tear and put on a smile. She turned to Skittery. "Are you going tomorrow?"

"... Yeah." Apparently his plans had changed.

Spot wasn't sure about this one. He never liked Coney Island. It always had a negative connotation in his mind. The posters he saw as a young child, advertising freak shows and other disturbing attractions, frightened him (not anymore, of course). He'd had no desire to go. And Spot remembered that Brooks, the original King of Brooklyn, always had trouble with the Coney Island newsies. Coney Island was still part of Brooklyn, which meant the King was in charge of them as well. But those newsies were quite odd. They did their own thing and followed their own rules. And any newsies who didn't listen to the King were a threat. After all, Brooks was killed when a small group of rogue newsies staged an uprising.

Spot wasn't afraid of something like that happening again. If he didn't have Chase to worry about and no second in command (besides her) he'd challenge the traitors and get it over with. But come to think of it, since Brooks's passing, Spot hadn't heard anything from Coney Island or any of the other shady Brooklyn gangs.

Spot glanced at the other newsies, specifically Jack Kelly. None of them appeared to have any mixed feelings about going. In fact, Chase and Mush were bouncing with excitement.

Spot would just go with it. He couldn't take this joy from Chase. It had been a difficult few months and she deserved it. Besides, it was her birthday tomorrow. That didn't mean he wouldn't keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, though.


A/N: "Beautiful Dreamer" is a real song written in the 1860's and a boy like David would definitely have known how to play it because parlor songs were mainly played in middle class families for entertainment. It's such a pretty song! Look it up. I knew when I listened to this it sounded familiar. This song is actually in an episode of Drake and Josh. Drake sings it with Craig and Eric. Expect a lot of songs in this story. Oh, and 5,000 points if you can find hidden things from Newsies the musical ;)

Also, Cornelius "Neily" Vanderbilt III was born September 5, 1873, making him exactly 10 years older than 16 year old Helena. Originally I wanted her "unpleasant" experience with him to have happened at her last birthday but I found out he was married in 1896. The Vanderbilts would have wanted their son to court girls from families of high standing (like the fictional Dentons). While I don't know for sure whether Neily was a party boy, I do know that he was (briefly) disinherited after eloping with socialite Grace Graham Wilson (who was actually 3 years older than him!). Neily and Grace had a bit more luck with love than their son Cornelius IV. The two stayed together for the rest of their lives while their son was married a total of 7 times!