**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

I don't own it, can't sue me for it.

"Newsies" belongs to Disney.

A Faded Mask

Chapter One

"Pika, Pika.......'ello........we's gotta get up now." stated a quiet, smooth voice.

"But I don wanna....sleep..." stammered Piker.

"Betta get up or elses wada is gonna be throw on ya." came that same quiet voice.

"I'm up.....I'm up." Piker rushed.

Piker stood up and stretched her legs and arms. She looked over at Jack who was holding a small bucket of water and had a huge grin smeared across his face. She laughed a cuffed his head.

"So, is he outta bed yet?" came Mush's voice from the showers.

"Yep, but not quite up.......maybe I hafta use the wada." Jack smirked.

Piker just laughed and shook her head. The reason they called her a him is because they think she's a he. It all started a couple months ago when Emily's (Piker's real name) father decided it was time she was married off. She wasn't given any say in the situation. He was basically picking the highest bidder. This was taking place during the newsies strike. One day she found a newspaper reporting about the strike. She quickly scanned the article and felt a surge of hope. This could be it, she thought. From that day on she bought every paper with an article and cut them out. On the day that they won the strike, she was in the crowd watching. When they came out dancing and singing about the victory, she knew that this was her ticket out of hell. That day she left a note to her parents saying she was going west and not coming back. It was just a lie to throw them off. She cut her auburn hair, bought some pants and shirts, and headed towards the heart of New York City.

The waves of relief always washed over her as she remembered those months. She hadn't heard of her parents since and wasn't going to make any effort to contact them. She liked her life now. These guys were more of a family then her real parents ever were. She headed towards the bathrooms with her stuff. She struggled into her pants as she walked to the sinks.

"Hurry up Mush. Some of us gotta showa too, ya know!" Piker shouted.

"Oh, excuse me for wantin' to smell nice." Mush stated.

"Ten showa' couldn do dat!" Kid Blink teased.

"Ok, knock it off............and Mush get outta da showa." Jack commanded.

Piker jumped in right after Mush. When her face was washed, hair combed, and teeth brushed she and the other newsies headed to the distribution center. They ran through the city laughing, dancing, and singing. It was weird how they all knew the words to the songs and the moves to the dances, but they didn't care, as long as they had fun. And oh but they did. Piker suddenly got a fun idea.

"Hey Blink, wanna race?" She shouted to the blonde. [*fun for her*]

"Sure, first one to the center wins!" He retorted. [*And for him too, obviously*]

"Wait, wait, wait......who's gonna referee dis t'ing. I don't want no cheating." Piker demanded.

"I'll be da referee. Wha'do I do?" Jack inquired.

"Just make shura dat I'm not killed by Blink and vicey versey." Piker explained.

"Who's dis Vicey Versey? I t'ought it was just you 'n me." Blink exclaimed looking around.

"Never mind Blink. I's got it Pika." Jack sighed.

Piker sighed and shook her head as she got ready at the starting line. She shook Blink's hand and turned toward the building. In crowd a voice rose above the rest-

"10 to 1: Pika. . . 10 to 1, do I got any taka's people."

"Racetrack..." Piker giggled.

She laughed at her best friend's antics. She regularly went to the tracks with him. She also caught the betting bug, but unlike him, she could pick winners. She, once again, shook her head and focused on the target. She waited to hear Jack give the signal to go. She tensed her muscles and swallowed.

"GO!!"

The only sound that pierced the air in Piker's mind. Immediately, she took off running as if death was nipping at her ankles. She ran faster and faster toward the building. When she was within 4 yards of it she turned her head at the far away Blink to laugh. As she turned around she collided with Oscar and Morris Delancey.