Just Understand
By Damsel
Damsel knelt down, and picked up the object that had caught her attention. It was a small, blue leather-bound book with gold letters on the front. Her fingers trailed the letters as she read, "Daneisha Boyles." She opened the book, and flipped through the pages. It was a journal! Finding her place on a nearby park bench, she began to read.
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I've never really understood myself. I don't get why I say or do the things I do. It just doesn't make sense. Like when I start to cry for no reason, or how I get the hiccups when I'm nervous. Or like the time when I was seven when a boy told me he liked my hair.........and I punched him. It's like I can't control what I do......like my body has a mind of its own. Sometimes I wonder.....
Every morning I wake up, look in the mirror and ask what I'm still doing alive. I know it's kind of wierd, but I honestly don't see why I am. I don't deserve it......what did I do to deserve this precious gift called life? Ever since I can remember, my mother has confirmed my thoughts. "You're useless!" she'll say, "Get out of my house! Leave! You're hurting my eyes! Get out you ugly child!" Finally I got sick of listening to her, and did just what she asked. I left......when I was eight years old. That was eight years ago. I've been living on the streets ever since.
My name is Daneisha. My mother always called me Danny, and that's usually what I go by. Right now I am 16 years old, and searching for a better way of life. Every day I sit on the upper branch of a tall tree in Central Park, and watch the people go by. My favorite people to watch are what they call 'newsies'. They sell the newspapers of the local companies. I love watching them. They're the only thing that can make me laugh.
Before I climb the tree, I buy a paper from a newsboy with an eyepatch. Then I listen to how they bend the headlines. One day I fell out of the tree because I was laughing so hard. The boy with the eyepatch asked me if I was okay, but I was laughing too hard to answer. That was a good day. I know too much to expect another good day soon. My mother says you can only have one blessing a week. I have surpassed my limit of blessings. I take not dying in my sleep as a blessing. I'm getting hungry, so I'll write back to you later. I promise.
Danny
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Damsel looked up and blinked back her confusion. Who was this girl? What had happened to her? She had met Blink. Her Blink. Where was that girl now? Why didn't she have her journal? All these thoughts raced through Damsel's mind as she read on.
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I found some food. Actually I stole some food, but I had to. I prayed for forgiveness until my knees started bleeding. That's about how it is everyday though. I have lost all hope. No one cares about me anymore. I want more than anything to find someone who cares. If only someone cared........everything would be different. Life wouldn't be so dark. But wishes don't come true. "Wishful thinking is wishful intelligence." That's what my mother would say. Who would have thought that all of a person's hopes and dreams could be detroyed by five words.
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"Damsel. Hey Damsel." Cuddles tapped her friend on the shoulder. Damsel looked up with a start. "Wha? Oh hey Cuddles." "What're ya doin?" "I'se jist lookin at dis book I found. It's a joinal. Some girl named Daneisha." "You jist found it?" Damsel nodded. "What do ya think happened?" "I dunno. It sounds like dis goil was really..........depressed. You should read some a dis stuff she wrote. Kinda sad if ya ask me." "Dat's too bad. It's gettin' dark...you comin' home?" "Yeah. I'se comin." With that, the two girls walked back to the lodging house.
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From the shadows, a girl watched Cuddles and Damsel. She tucked her black hair behind her ears, and slid down the wall. The girl- the redhead- had found her journal. She had spent all day looking for it. It had slipped from her coat pocket while she was running from Morris DeLancey. Now some stranger had her journal. Well technically she wasn't a stranger. Danny had seen the redhead journal-nabber with the newsboy. The newsboy with the eyepatch. Maybe he could get her journal back.
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When everyone else had gone to bed, Damsel pulled the blue book out from under her pillow. Using the light from the moon, she once again began to read.
*********************************
I watched the newsies again today. Another blessing. The boy with the eyepatch came by my tree and said hello. He said "Hey Speechless." So that is what I'm calling myself. Speechless. I guess it fits me pretty well. I mean I never talk to anyone. People around town probably think i'm a mute. It's kind of funny when I think about it. I finally found another thing that makes me laugh. Tomorrow I'm going to say hello back to the newsboy. I'm going to introduce myself. Maybe he is my blessing. My hope.
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"Dame! You ready yet?" Blink stood at the bottom of the stairs, quickly growing impatient. Even though she didn't sell with him, they walked to the distribution center together every day. She was never ready on time, but he couldn't help but love her. A few moments later Damsel came bounding down the stairs. Her hat was a little big for her, and it hung over one eye. "Come on let's go!" she called as she ran past him and out the door.
Fifteen minutes later Blink and Damsel had their papers. Damsel went off with Cuddles, and Blink went towards the park. He walked to the tall tree in the center of the park. He blocked out the sun with his hand, and peered up into the tree. Sure enough, he saw the girl he was looking for. She was up there everyday. "Hello!" he called. Some leaves fluttered down from the tree as the girl climbed down. The girl was about a foot shorter than him. She had long black hair, and big brown eyes. He guessed she was about 14. She stuck out her hand, "Hi. My name is Danny." "Danny?" Blink asked, raising an eyebrow. "Daneisha." "Oh. I'm Kid Blink." They shook hands and walked away from the tree. "So how old are you? Where do you live?" Blink asked. "16, and I don't live anywhere. I've been on the streets since I was 8." "16?! I would've guessed youngah." "Yeah...I get dat a lot. Where do you live?" Danny asked. "In da lodgin' house wit da odder newsies." "Oh." The two teens walked in silence for a couple minutes, looking around uncomfortably. Finally Blink asked the question Danny had been waiting to hear. "You wanna come wit' me?"
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By Damsel
Damsel knelt down, and picked up the object that had caught her attention. It was a small, blue leather-bound book with gold letters on the front. Her fingers trailed the letters as she read, "Daneisha Boyles." She opened the book, and flipped through the pages. It was a journal! Finding her place on a nearby park bench, she began to read.
***************************
I've never really understood myself. I don't get why I say or do the things I do. It just doesn't make sense. Like when I start to cry for no reason, or how I get the hiccups when I'm nervous. Or like the time when I was seven when a boy told me he liked my hair.........and I punched him. It's like I can't control what I do......like my body has a mind of its own. Sometimes I wonder.....
Every morning I wake up, look in the mirror and ask what I'm still doing alive. I know it's kind of wierd, but I honestly don't see why I am. I don't deserve it......what did I do to deserve this precious gift called life? Ever since I can remember, my mother has confirmed my thoughts. "You're useless!" she'll say, "Get out of my house! Leave! You're hurting my eyes! Get out you ugly child!" Finally I got sick of listening to her, and did just what she asked. I left......when I was eight years old. That was eight years ago. I've been living on the streets ever since.
My name is Daneisha. My mother always called me Danny, and that's usually what I go by. Right now I am 16 years old, and searching for a better way of life. Every day I sit on the upper branch of a tall tree in Central Park, and watch the people go by. My favorite people to watch are what they call 'newsies'. They sell the newspapers of the local companies. I love watching them. They're the only thing that can make me laugh.
Before I climb the tree, I buy a paper from a newsboy with an eyepatch. Then I listen to how they bend the headlines. One day I fell out of the tree because I was laughing so hard. The boy with the eyepatch asked me if I was okay, but I was laughing too hard to answer. That was a good day. I know too much to expect another good day soon. My mother says you can only have one blessing a week. I have surpassed my limit of blessings. I take not dying in my sleep as a blessing. I'm getting hungry, so I'll write back to you later. I promise.
Danny
************************************
Damsel looked up and blinked back her confusion. Who was this girl? What had happened to her? She had met Blink. Her Blink. Where was that girl now? Why didn't she have her journal? All these thoughts raced through Damsel's mind as she read on.
*************************************
I found some food. Actually I stole some food, but I had to. I prayed for forgiveness until my knees started bleeding. That's about how it is everyday though. I have lost all hope. No one cares about me anymore. I want more than anything to find someone who cares. If only someone cared........everything would be different. Life wouldn't be so dark. But wishes don't come true. "Wishful thinking is wishful intelligence." That's what my mother would say. Who would have thought that all of a person's hopes and dreams could be detroyed by five words.
*********************************
"Damsel. Hey Damsel." Cuddles tapped her friend on the shoulder. Damsel looked up with a start. "Wha? Oh hey Cuddles." "What're ya doin?" "I'se jist lookin at dis book I found. It's a joinal. Some girl named Daneisha." "You jist found it?" Damsel nodded. "What do ya think happened?" "I dunno. It sounds like dis goil was really..........depressed. You should read some a dis stuff she wrote. Kinda sad if ya ask me." "Dat's too bad. It's gettin' dark...you comin' home?" "Yeah. I'se comin." With that, the two girls walked back to the lodging house.
********************************
From the shadows, a girl watched Cuddles and Damsel. She tucked her black hair behind her ears, and slid down the wall. The girl- the redhead- had found her journal. She had spent all day looking for it. It had slipped from her coat pocket while she was running from Morris DeLancey. Now some stranger had her journal. Well technically she wasn't a stranger. Danny had seen the redhead journal-nabber with the newsboy. The newsboy with the eyepatch. Maybe he could get her journal back.
********************************
When everyone else had gone to bed, Damsel pulled the blue book out from under her pillow. Using the light from the moon, she once again began to read.
*********************************
I watched the newsies again today. Another blessing. The boy with the eyepatch came by my tree and said hello. He said "Hey Speechless." So that is what I'm calling myself. Speechless. I guess it fits me pretty well. I mean I never talk to anyone. People around town probably think i'm a mute. It's kind of funny when I think about it. I finally found another thing that makes me laugh. Tomorrow I'm going to say hello back to the newsboy. I'm going to introduce myself. Maybe he is my blessing. My hope.
********************************
"Dame! You ready yet?" Blink stood at the bottom of the stairs, quickly growing impatient. Even though she didn't sell with him, they walked to the distribution center together every day. She was never ready on time, but he couldn't help but love her. A few moments later Damsel came bounding down the stairs. Her hat was a little big for her, and it hung over one eye. "Come on let's go!" she called as she ran past him and out the door.
Fifteen minutes later Blink and Damsel had their papers. Damsel went off with Cuddles, and Blink went towards the park. He walked to the tall tree in the center of the park. He blocked out the sun with his hand, and peered up into the tree. Sure enough, he saw the girl he was looking for. She was up there everyday. "Hello!" he called. Some leaves fluttered down from the tree as the girl climbed down. The girl was about a foot shorter than him. She had long black hair, and big brown eyes. He guessed she was about 14. She stuck out her hand, "Hi. My name is Danny." "Danny?" Blink asked, raising an eyebrow. "Daneisha." "Oh. I'm Kid Blink." They shook hands and walked away from the tree. "So how old are you? Where do you live?" Blink asked. "16, and I don't live anywhere. I've been on the streets since I was 8." "16?! I would've guessed youngah." "Yeah...I get dat a lot. Where do you live?" Danny asked. "In da lodgin' house wit da odder newsies." "Oh." The two teens walked in silence for a couple minutes, looking around uncomfortably. Finally Blink asked the question Danny had been waiting to hear. "You wanna come wit' me?"
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