It was Sunday and everyone was dressed in their finest attire to attend church at a 3rd Methodist Cathedral only a few blocks away. Most of the girls walked together in a pack, but Lizzy was sure to lag behind. She would have rather dropped dead than walk with the other girls and let them commit their usual teasing.

Elizabeth stared down nervously at her brown leather boots as they exited the lobby of the school.

*****

Blink watched as the large group of chattering schoolgirls walked across the street through the crosswalk at his corner. He just rolled his eyes in anger. These were the girls that MacBeth had said frequently were mean to her.

Just as he had gone back to selling his papers something caught his eyes. MacBeth was walking shallowly behind the group. He slowly waved at her as she slowly lifted her head from staring at her feet. She frowned. If they were caught associating then she would surely be grounded for even longer than she was at the time.

Blink noticed her frown and quickly dropped his friendly hand back to his side. A brilliant idea came to his mind, "Would you like ta buy a pape miss?"

Mr. Shaft turned at the sound of a voice, the newsie. Elizabeth glanced into her peering father's eyes, "Not from the likes of you."

Blink's smiling face faded quickly as she brushed by him abruptly. He watched her rush to catch up with the group that had seemed to have vanished from view.

He sighed with despair.