AN: I am skipping 2 years now, Ami, Crale, and Craig are now going to be known by their "newsie names".

Ami "Kit" Oberg sat on a bench in the park. She set her stack of the Lincoln Journal-Star next to her. It was the end of August and it had been a hot summer. She lifted her hair off her neck, why she couldn't just get it cut was beyond her. She looked up the street to where her best friend, Josh Olson was selling. They always sold together and today was no different. The two eight-year olds were the youngest newsies and even though Kit knew that Cray or Swan had to be around somewhere right now she could almost imagine that the park belonged to the two of them.

Kit looked up at the sky; white puffy clouds hurried past each one changing shape as it passed through her line of site. "Kit you just gonna sit there?" Josh came over to his partner in crime and selling.

Kit looked up, "Nah just taking a break. How many you got left?"
Josh counted, "I think 5." He held out what was left of his stack for Kit to count.
"Yeah you got 5 left and so do I. It's about 4 and the train from Omaha will be in soon. I bet we can finish up there."

Josh nodded, "'Kay, so Kit you excited school must start up soon for you."
Kit wrinkled her nose as they walked, "Nah I like the idea of going back don't get me wrong, but it means I have to deal with Miss Gracie "My Daddy is on the school board" Johnson. I would love it if she wouldn't come back."

"Well maybe she didn't get promoted with ya class or something." Josh gave her a lopsided smile along with his encouragement.
"I can only wish," Ami looked up the street and groaned, "Speaking of Gracie." She motioned with her head up the street where a group of girls were coming toward them.

"Well what have we here? If it isn't two very disgusting newsies. Better go on the other side of the street girls never know what diseases they may have." Gracie held a handkerchief up to her nose as she and her friends passed Kit and Buddha.
Josh held on to Kit's hand to prevent her from going after the other girl, "She ain't worth it. You would lose your papers then what?"

Kit felt the fight drain out of her, "You're right, she isn't worth it."
"Yeah especially with those brothers of hers." Josh slightly shivered.

"Shoetree and Clops?" Josh nodded, "Those two are such idiots. The only reason they actually sell papers is cause everyone is afraid of their father." Kit rolled her eyes. "Come on lets get these sold before the train leaves. Cray said something about all the newsies having the week off for the trip up to Wahoo."

"That's right it's this week." Josh and Kit went about selling their papers to the passengers who were anxious for any news even the news of a sleepy town like Lincoln.
They had just sold their last papers when Cray and Swan came up to them. "You guys ready to head out?" Both Kit and Josh nodded; a trip back towards home was the best thing ever. They wouldn't make it much farther than the Swanson/Oberg farm that night, but that was far enough for Kit. She couldn't wait to get home. The last time they had gone home was at the end of the previous summer. Kit wanted to see how her baby sister Alice had grown, and if her mother had gotten her any more siblings.

In front of the Star-Journal Office was a wagon loaded with tents and previsions for the weeklong camping trip. Mr. Jacobson was sitting in the driver's seat and waved to the four newsies as they came up. "You all ready to leave now?" He asked Cray as he helped lift Josh and Kit up onto the tailgate of the wagon.
"Yeah these two were selling at the train station like always." Cray mentioned as he climbed up next to the editor.

"Well we're all here now. Come on boys, and Kit, lets go have a great week off." Mr. Jacobson "Get upped" the horses and all the newsboys started off on their yearly adventure. It was tradition for Mr. Jacobson to take a week off from his job as chief editor and owner of Lincoln's only newspaper and take his newsies out of the town's borders and down to the river for a couple of days. He said if his paper couldn't last one week with out him being there than it was a flop. Both he and the newsies looked forward to it. It had taken a lot of persuasion on the part of Kit and her cousins to get her included the previous year. But this year she was welcomed with open arms and was no less excited.

She and Josh lay back against the blankets and supplies and watched the clouds chase each other across the late summer sky. There were about 40 newsies in all of Lincoln ranging from Kit and Josh at 8 to an older boy, Harry who was 16. This summer had been Harry's last and so this trip was also going to be a sort of good-bye party also. The Star Journal Newsies were a tight knit group. Most of them lived in town and this was their part time job to get special things.

The only ones that worked to eat were Kit, Josh, Cray, Swan and Buddha, Josh 's brother Jeremy. For the others though this was a summer job to keep them out of trouble and one they were willing to give up. For Josh and Buddha though this was their livelihood. Mr. Jacobson knew this and had given them both jobs as office messenger runners for the winter. Kit and the boys were going to be going back to school, which was something Kit could have done without.

Kit and Josh rode for most of the trip out to the farm, they were the youngest and no one wanted to go chasing after them if they fell behind, at least that was the excuse that everyone used. The rest of the boys would switch off on who rode in the wagon, jumping on and off whenever it suited them. The first part of the trip took almost 5 hours and almost all of the newsies were excited when the barn and farmhouses came into view. Kit jumped off of her perch with Josh at her heals, and took off to announce that they had all made it safe and sound.