Trails

By Shasta

Author's Note~~

This is one of my older stories, written about 6 months- a year ago. I haven't finished it, but some day I will finish it. Trick has been used in my newest story, which is untitled. Brock appears in that new story as well, only he is a different person. "Trails" is in no way connected to my Untitled story, and Shasta is not the same person as Brenna "Shasta" O'Reilly from Untitled.

I own Trick, Brock, Mighty Joe, Shasta, and any of the other characters that did not appear in "Newsies." Jack and the other characters are property of "Newsies" and Disney. The girls are all property of their rightful owners. Please read and review J Thank you!

~~Ashley/Shasta~~

Chapter 1

Jack lay on his back gazing at the bright diamonds in the sky. He couldn't believe he was actually going through with his plan, his plan to go to Sante Fe to start all over again. Glimpses of familiar faces traced their way through his memory and he smiled. Those were the good old days, one could say; the days spent cruising the streets of Manhattan shouting out headlines and being with his best friends. "I'm sure gonna miss those guys." He spoke into the emptiness. How he wished Race or Dave or any of the newsies were there to listen to his troubles. Instead all he had was the stars millions of miles ahead of him. He picked up his cowboy hat and smiled, "I'll finally be a cowboy" he muttered shoving the hat under his head and he drifted into sleep.

****

            Jack had been on the road now for many weeks, leaving the train in St. Louis and wandering the prairie with wagon trains miles long. Most were headed for Oregon, as he had learned from many of the families he met along the way. The group he was with now had made a small break stop in a small town in Texas. It wasn't very big, a few dusty two story houses lined up next to each other. There was a hotel, a bar and a place to buy goods. Men with cowboy hats paraded along the sides of the roads as Jack passed. They tipped their hats and went on their way. Apart from the occasional cowboy or Indian, the town was desolate. The hot wind blew through the dusty streets and Jack wanted out more than anything.

            He stepped into the bar and immediately regretted it. The 6 or so men and women standing around at tables drinking frothy beer glared at him as he entered. He hesitated before mustering up the courage to walk up the bar. Hell, he faced Heartz, he could face a few Texans. He glanced around him once again and turned his gaze on the bartender. He practically tripped over himself at the site of her. She was beautiful, her fire red hair lay thick under her cowboy hat, her green eyes danced and her tanned face smiled a wonderful smile at him. And when she opened her mouth, she seemed to sing.

            "What can I get fer ya stranger?" He managed a smile but couldn't get the words out. "Well? Are ya mute?" She rose her eyebrow at him, and Jack blushed.

            "Erm, no I shuah ain't mute—"

            "Ah! Folks we have a damn yankee among us." She smiled an even larger smile at him. "Welcome to El Paso Texas. Me names Shasta and I run this here joint. Ya got any problems, ya take it to me, not one of the stupid fools in this here bar."

            A lot of grunts were heard coming from those 'stupid fools' and jack just nervously laughed. He wouldn't want to take any of his troubles out with them, since most carried rather large guns. "Well what'll it be? Or are you just gonna stand around gawkin' at me?" this raised a few clucks and howls from the group behind Jack.

            "I'll…err..have a beer." Shasta threw back her head in laughter. Jack thought he did something wrong. "What?"

            "Oh you're just a typical outsider is all."She patted his hand. "Now don't you worry, Shasta'll get you a beer." She turned around and went about her business creating her drink. 'Stupid outsiders.' She laughed to herself. He was a cute one, but he didn't fit his cowboy hat. Only real cowboys could wear those hats, and this one sure as hells high waters wasn't a cowboy. Unless they had a head of cattle up in New York. She turned around and banged the tall glass in front of the handsome stranger. "There ya are sir, I hope you enjoy it." She walked off to talk to her other customers.

            Jack watched her leave and looked down into his glass. He might as well drink it since he had come all this way. He picked up the glass, raised it to his mouth and let the liquid slide in…..then back out. He spit it out across the bar disgusted by its contents. Shasta and the rest of the group in the bar hooted with laughter. "What the hell was that?" Jack said whiping his mouth with his dirty shirt sleeve.

            "It's what we call beer here in Texas. Obviously you Northerners have not had much of it." Shasta winked at him toweling down his mess. Jack just looked back at the glass. Shasta just smiled, grabbed the glass and took a large gulp of the putrid liquid. Without even so much as a wince, Shasta laid the cup back in front of him and licked her lips. "Now that was right dandy if you ask me! Now drink up Yank!"

            Jack had been called Cowboy in the North and now he was called a Yank when he finally got out west. He sighed, held his breath and took another drink and managed to keep it from exiting the way it came in. "That's a boy. Now would ya like anythin' else? Or will that beer hold ya down?" She laughed, her red hair flouncing around on her shoulders.

            "I'se fine." She smiled and refilled his glass. With a swish of her hips, she sashayed her way to the end of the bar where she exited and sat down next to him.

            "So stranger what you be callin' yourself?"

            "Jack Kelly."

            "Well, it's a pleasure to meetcha Jackie boy. What the hell are you doin here in Devil's country since ye're obviously from the north?"

            "Going to Sante Fe. Always been me dream."

            "Dream eh? I hope you ain't expecting much." She said. Jack didn't know what to think of this. But she wasn't going to let some beautiful girl in a cowboy hat tell him what Sante Fe is like. Hell, shes probably never even been there. "you're probably thinking what most folks passin by are thinking. What the hell does she know about anything? I know a lot…I've seen a lot and I've been everywhere on this here green continent. I even been to New York."

            "I'se just come from New York. Lived there all me life."

            "Eh, it was all right. If ye ask me, it sure ain't Texas. All them damn buildings and people everywhere. Just gimme these wide open spaces and I'll be a happy gal." She smiled as she said this gesturing at the view from the window of endless plains with cattle dotting the horizon. Jack smiled and Shasta gazed into his face. "Now why is it you wear a cowboy hat? Only true cowboys wear em and you sure ain't one of them!"

            Jack didn't know what to say to this, he had never been questioned about his hat, not even in New York but once he got out West he found himself being questioned by a girl who was wearing a cowboy hat. "Well why you'se wearing one?"

            "I'm a cowgirl…worked on my pa's ranch up till I was 18 and then I ran away and came here. Now, are ye gonna answer my question?"

            "Umm…I don't really have a reason, I've just always been known as da cowboy of the group up where I come from."

            "And where would that be?"

            "New York."

            "Ah New York….those buildin's are too big fer me. I like the flat plains." She smiled at him and jumped off the stool and headed back behind the bar. "I see ye're done with that beer eh? I knew you could handle it." She grabbed the glass and refilled it. "Now, I hope you have a way te pay fer all this, most of those damn foreigners don't pay shit…" She looked at him through fiery eyes.

            "Ummm…" Jack searched his pockets and came up with a few bills. "I got this…"

            "Good!" Shasta snatched up the crinkled bills. "This'll do…now finish that drink..none goes wasted! Ya hear that boys?" She called over Jack's shoulder to the men who looked ready to throw their drinks at one another so into their pocker match were they. Race would like it here, Jack smiled at the thought of his friend.

            "Whatcha smirkin at there Yankee boy?" One of the scruffier men, whose age was around 50 said, getting up out of his chair and advanced on Jack.

            "Err..nothing…" Jack was a little scared of this wrinkly scarecrow walking his way, with his gruff voice and mean eyes.

            "Alright alright…Lester sit down. You're drunk and the Yank didn't mean anything'." Lester grunted and shuffled back to his seat, his dirty jeans under faded chaps rustled as he walked. Shasta leaned over across the bar and lowered  her voice,"That there is Lester, he's one of the locals around here. Used to be a cowboy until he got in a fight with the owner of the ranch and shot up his wife. He's been outta work since." She chuckled as she stood up straight again, then let her face fall. She took the hat off her head and examined it. "It sure gets borin round here. Always the same folks." Her face brightened a little, "You gonna become a cowboy, yank?"

            "I'm hoping so."

            "Well I hope your not disappointed. It's a rough job and not many take a liken to it. Take Lester," At the sound of his name the old man shot a glance through slitted eyes and bushy white eyebrows. His lip curled but Shasta kept on talking. "he hated bein a cowboy but that's what he did. He got into the business and he couldn't get out. You don't get paid much but I do know a place where you could get some work."

            "Well I'm going to Sante Fe to get work…"

            "Sante Fe?! You gotta be jokin' with me. You ain't gonna find nothing out there that is decent and all. My brother Scott owns a ranch 50 miles from here in some little town. Its huge, makes a good profit and hes looking for a new ranch hand. I betcha he'd take ya."

            It sounded enticing, but he wanted to try his hand in Sante Fe. "I think I'll just be headin on to Sante Fe…"

            "Eh, you're missin' a good chance bud, but I'm sure you'll be back when you find out how bleak that place is." Shasta smiled and took his empty glass back. "Well ye're done with this, and don't you have a wagon to catch?" Jack jumped out of his seat, tipped his hat at Shasta and walked out the door. "You come back here if you be needin' a job ya hear?" Shasta yelled after him, and he just nodded, looking around at this dust filled place. Certainly was not New York.