Chapter 1:Goodbye


Faith was only 12 at the time. Her mother died. She had a bad time coping with it. Faith was always a happy little girl. She was very popular and very pretty. Everyday she would come home do her chores and be right back out to play with her bestfriend, Alyson. She had a little sister, Truth, and an older sister, Angel. Her family had a lot of money. They owned two farms in upstate New York. They also had three factories in Cincinnati, Detroit, and Boston.
When her mother died, Faith became very sad. She sat in her room for weeks on end. Only leaving to use the bathroom. Her maid brought her food as she sat in a pool of tears. Her sister's tried to keep her happy and cheerful.
They lived in a large house in the most lively part of Boston. Faith's friends came over everyday. They didn't know her mother had died. Faith was very close to her mother. Faith hadn't been away from her mother for more than a day at a time. Her life was over. Her mother was gone. She was miserable now.
She thought about every other time she had spent with her mother. She thought about the time her mother brought her to the circus. They saw the big elephants and clowns and her favorite part...the tigers. She remembered how the Big Clown gave her a licorice whip. She got to ride on the elephant twice!
She thought about the time when her mom brought her to NYC to meet Pulitzer. He was so nice. She thought about NYC everyday. She especially thought about Jack. She met him the night she was sent to the Refuge. Her mother had to come get her from the Refuge.
All she did was climb a tree. She liked Jack alot.Jack promised her that they'd get married. Jack never broke a promise.
That was it. She'd go back to New York. She'd runaway. She'd...she'd...she'd have to become a newsy.
She grabbed all her butlers daughters clothes. She put all her old clothes into a suitcase along with her favorite doll, her favorite book, and her brand new hair ribbon. She looked around to make sure she didn't miss anything. She looked through her closets and then looked at her suitcase. It was too big. Noone thought to be a newsy would have a suitcase that big. She took everything out. She got her favorite quilt out. She put her clothes into the quilt with one outfit, her hair ribbon, and her poem book. Her poem book was considerably smaller than her other favorite book. It was also about 2 pounds lighter. Then she heard a knock on the door. Faith jumped in front of her things so noone would notice. Her Nana opened the door.
"Honey, what are you doing?" inquired Nana.
"I'm just getting ready for bed. Is there anything in particular you'd like?" asked Faith.
"No, Faith, are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes, Nana. Goodnight!"
"Goodnight, dear," said Nana. Nana walked away while mumbling."Gosh, children these days are so odd."
Faith had completely forgotten. Her family would be devastated. Especially her little sister. Her little sister looked up to Faith like her mother. It was five years after her mother had died. Her little sister was five so it would be like losing her mother again. Faith was 17 now. She was more mature than she was when her mother died. Then there would be her Nana who already had a weak heart. She'd be shocked. But Faith had already made up her mind and now she couldn't turn back.
She decided to bring her cat, Iris. Faith put Iris in the basket. Quickly she climbed out her window. Faith had money so she could catch the next train to Manhattan. It was around 11:30pm and she decided she'd take the midnight train to Brooklyn. That was as close to Manhattan she could get before anyone would notice she was gone. She sat down next to a girl. A very pretty girl. The girl had brown hair and blue eyes.
"Hello, I'm Faith. Faith Hart, and you are...?" introduced Faith.
"Thats a pretty name.Oh, hello, I'm Sarah Jacobs. Where are you going?" asked the girl.
"I'm going to Brooklyn. I'm going to become a...newsy!" exclaimed Faith.
"Oh thats great! So am I! I'm going to meet my boyfriend Jack there with his bestfriend Crutchy. They're newsies," said Sarah.
"Jack...Jack...Jack Kelly?" asked Faith.
"Yeah, how do you know?" asked Sarah.
"I met him once when I visited NYC. I met him in the Refuge. Back then He called himself Frankie. But he wrote me a letter that told me to call him Jack Kelly. He escaped the Refuge, right?"
"Yeah. Um, are you planning on staying in the Lodging House?" asked Sarah.
"Yeah, at first," calmly replied Faith.
"Well, I have two brothers but I have an extra bed in my room, why don't you stay with me? I mean if you know Jack how bad could you be?" considered Sarah.
"Thanks, that would be great."
Yes! Faith had a place to stay other than the Lodging House. She remembered Jack telling her it was very crowded. Like 100 newsies in the same room. Then a boy walked up...
"Sarah the train is here. Ready to go?" asked the boy.
"Yes, David, I'd like you to meet an acquaintance of mine and a good friend of Jack's. This is Faith Hart," said Sarah introducing them.
"Hello, are you going to Brooklyn, too?" inquired David.
"Yes, I..." but just then Sarah cut Faith off.
"Yeah, David, she's staying with us. I invited her and she said yes, so don't you dare argue because you wanted Jack to stay and Mama and Papa wouldn't let you and their letting me keep Faith at our house," gasped Sarah very quickly. They picked up their bags and got on the train. They arrived in Brooklyn at around 2:30am.
"Why were you guys at the train station so late," asked Faith on the way to the way to the main ticket taker stand.
"We were at the fair and we got word that Papa was sick so we had to come home right away,"started Sarah."OH! There's Jack."
"He looks exactly like he used to!" excitedly said Faith. Jack ran over and picked Sarah up.
"Heya, honey, youse look different? Oh yeah, youse gotten even more prettier! Soon you'll be as pretty as me!" yelled Jack."Hey, Davey! Whats new?"
"Nothing much. I've been having fun this week. But it wasn't as much fun as it is back here," said David.
"And who is dis, lovely goil?" asked Jack. He was just as charming as he used to be.
"This is..." started Sarah but then Faith cut her off.
"No, Sarah! Make him guess!" screamed Faith.
"Okay, lets see. I take it I know ya. So, are ya one 'a Medda's goils?" asked Jack.
"Nope."
"Are ya someone I met doyin' da strike?"
"Nope."
"Did ya used ta call me Fwankie?"
"Yup."
"Did I meetcha in da Refuge?"
"Yup."
"Did ya get caught for somet'ing rilly bad?"
"Nope."
"Did ya get caught for somet'ing like climbin' a tree?"
"Yup."
"Henrietta?"
"Nope."
"Lill?"
"Nope."
"Faith?"
"YEAH!"
"Faith? Youse look just like youself. I've missed you! Oh wow! How longs it been? Ten yeeyas?"
"Yup. Actually ten years on two weeks from Friday. That's cool!"
"Ready to go?" asked Jack as Crutchy walked over. Crutchy looked really annoyed.
"Jack! Let's Go! Ise gota pokergame ta get to!" yelled Crutchy.
"Crutchy! It's 2:30, der's no pokagame! So goils ready ta go?" asked Jack.
Jack picked up Sarah's bag up and Faith realized she forgot her bag on the train. She went back to get it. She thought about how cool it was that she was back. She got her bag and ran to catch up but they were gone. She looked all around. She had never just been left alone. She always had someone there. That's when it really hit her. That it was when it really hit her. Noone was coming to get her and noone would really care if she died. She brain-washed herself to think that noone loved her and she told herself it would make everyone a lot happier if she just died. She walked over to a little tree that looked so sad.
She sat there in the cold of the night holding Iris as tight as she could. She loved Iris.
"Spot ! Look wud I fould! Its a goil!" yelled a newsy. The newsy was referring to Faith ,obviously.
Spot looked at the picture Jack had given him of Faith. Jack always had a picture of everyone he met. He ran over to see the girl.
" Yeah Sparks, dats 'er! Lets get her inta da lodgin' house!"screamed Spot."She looks sick. Get Davey's mom!"
Spot picked her up and carried her into the lodging house. He sat her down on the bed. Spot thought she was a beautiful girl. Her auburn-brown hair brushed against her face. She looked so peaceful. Spot moved her hair away from her face. He heard a knock on the door. He stood up quickly so not to let whoever it was see him.
"Spot? Ya in heeya?" asked Jack.
"Ova hea. I'm wit Faith."
Faith had been thinking about Iris and where she was. When Sparks found her, he shoed Iris away. Faith didn't here her purring. Nor did she feel her warm fur.
She put her head up and started to shout.
"IRIS!IRIS! WHERE'S IRIS?" She stood up and looked around. Jack ran over and held her back. "JACK! LET GO! WHERE'S IRIS?!"
All the newsies from Brooklyn and tried to keep her back.
"MY CAT! IRIS! KITTY,KITTY! HERE KITTY! I want my cat," said Faith as she started to cry. Spot put her arm around her.
"Shh, shh, who's Iris?" said Spot calmly. More calmly than he ever had talked before in his life. By now Faith was hysterically crying.
"Iris is my cat. I promised my sister, Angel, I'd never lose her. I love Iris," whispered Faith.
"Wud'oes Iris look like?" asked Spot as Jack shoed the rest of the Brooklyn newsies out.
"She is white with orange stripes. She's the most beautiful cat ever," said Faith.
"Ohhhhh,she sounds vury pretty." Spot wasn't used to being so sensitive. It was what she did to him. It made him soft. It gave him a warm feeling. "I'll send all da newsies out ta look fer 'er."
Spot walked to the door and looked at Jack hold her hand. She was shaking. She was horrified. He was so jealous. He was really mad at Jack. He told everyone to look for Iris. Once they found her to bring her to him. Meanwhile...
"Hey, hey, Faith, please calm down. Ise gonna get Davey's mom in here. She jus' got 'ere. Okay? Com'on, Faith?" Jack held her hand tightly." Wanna dance? Ise remember you said youse love dancin'."
"There's no music," whispered Faith, with a very confused tone.
"Since when do we need music ta dance? Com'on!"
"Okay." Jack took her other hand. He placed her hand over his shoulder. They moved across the floor slowly. Esther knocked on the door.
"Jack? Jack are you there?" Jack quickly backed away from Faith. That instance, Faith collapsed to the floor. Esther opened the door and ran in."What happened?!"
"She fell off the bed!" yelled Jack with horror. Thats right about when Faith looked out the window with a tear in her eye.
"Iris?" she whispered.
"What did she say?" asked Esther.
"Iris is in the window."
"Where? Oh there she is, come here kitty kitty kitty," said Esther.
Esther opened the window. She picked her up."Here ya go girl."
Jack picked Faith up and placed her on the bed.
"Faith seems fine. She's just weak. You said she spent last night outside. Well, it got all the way down to 23 degrees last night. Just keep her in bed. Meantime, I've gotta go help Les with his homework. Goodbye, Faith." Esther walked out and Jack closed the door.
"Ya know I'll keep dat promise, right?" asked Jack.
"What promise?" asked Faith.
"Ise promised you I'd marry you and Ise will. Someday I'll save up me money an' marry you!" said Jack proud to even know Faith.
"Jack, don't say that. Don't get my hopes up. Don't even say it kidding." Faith usually got angry when someone promised her something and broke it.
"But Faith, I'm ain't kiddin'. I really, truly wanna marry ya. Faith, I love you." Right then Faith fell into a deep sleep. Iris cuddled up around her face. It felt like a blink to Faith. When she woke up she expected Jack to be there. But nobody was there. She knew it, Jack lied. She stood up. She had regained her strength 100%. She packed her bag, got out of the silly outfit Esther had put on her, and left. She remembered overhearing the boys talking about the Girls Lodging House. She walked a few miles to the Pulitzer building. She walked over to the restaurant called TIBBY's, or at least thats what they had printed over the building with an arrow pointing down. She walked in and ordered a sandwhich. It was only 7 cents for a turkey sandwich. She sat right near the window so she could see everyone coming and going. She didn't want a newsy to see her especially since she was in Jack's territory. Then suddenly the one she remembered that was named Crutchy came in. He sat down to order. Faith wasn't done with her sandwich yet so she decided she'd just stay. No way he'd remember her. He only saw a glimpse of her when he was coming to get Jack. Then he looked at her. She picked up her sandwich and started to walk out before he noticed it was her.
"FAITH! Come sit wit' me!" yelled Crutchy. Faith looked around."Yeah, you!" Faith walked over and sat down. Sh elooked around and then looked at Crutchy.
"Wuz awronga?" asked Faith in her deepest Italian accent."Who ara yowa?"
"Member me? Ise Crutchy."
"No I don't," said Faith nervously. She knew when one newsy came others were bound to come.