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"Gabrielle sit down!"
"Mother, I hardly get to go out as it is. Just look at my pale skin. At least let me to get some sun," Gabrielle replied, leaving her head perched out of the carriage's window. The slight breeze in the air sent her wavy dirty blonde hair dancing around her face. "This city is so grand. I want to get a good look at it."
"New York City is full of criminals and heathens. Sit down properly or you are sure to lose something rather quickly."
"But mother…"
"Gabrielle Adler, you get your head inside this carriage at once," her mother replied, the anger rising in her voice.
"Oh just let her look at the city. It will be fine Kayla," her father insisted.
"Dietrich you always take her side," Kayla shook her head, hiding the slight smile on her own face. This city was intriguing to her as well, though she desperately tried to hide her eyes, marveling at all the sights around her.
"Mayor's daughter found with a street rat! Read all about it!" hawked Kid Blink.
"Blink! I can't believe ya just said that! I was jokin' ya bum!" Slick yelled and slapped his arm.
"You dared me Slick! All I did was live up to the challenge," Blink protested. His one eye grew soft as his bottom lip quivered. "I was just doin' what ya asked me to."
"I was teasin' and you knew it," Slick rolled her eyes.
Gabrielle watched the two newsies with great fascination. Even though she didn't know who they were, she envied the girl with curly brown hair and green eyes. She could have sworn the boy had called her Slick. What kind of name is that? And Blink? Nicknames perhaps. The girl referred to as Slick didn't even wear shoes, but still, Gabi was inclined to learn more about their lifestyle.
"Father, who are they?" Gabrielle's brother, Viktor asked.
"Newsies, son. Street rats. They sell the newspapers in the cities," Dietrich answered.
"Pay them no attention children, we're almost to our new home," Kayla interrupted.
"Mother if Gabi has her head out the side why can't I?" the twelve-year old asked.
"Because you are smarter than your older sibling," Kayla smiled and poked the boy's nose.
"He may be smarter but I'm the one enjoying the sights," Gabrielle grinned.
"There it is!" Dietrich pointed out the carriage. "That's our new home," he smiled. It was even better looking than the previous month when he had come to purchase the house.
"Really father? We're going to live there? Where's the yard? It doesn't even have a yard," Gabi sighed. She remembered her home outside of the city. It had a large yard for her to run in. This home seemed like yet another way for her parents to tie her down, something she abhorred.
"There are plenty of parks for you to run in Gabrielle. Don't worry," her father explained.
"You'll just get yourself into trouble anyway," Viktor snorted and stuck out his tongue. "It's what you do best."
"Enough Viktor," Kayla stated, taking the boy's hand as the carriage came to a halt. "Come on children. Out we go."
Gabi hurried to open the door. She hated when her mother called her a child. Already seventeen years old, Gabi wished her parents would acknowledge her by name, instead of by 'child'. She jumped out of the carriage and walked towards the house her father had pointed out.
"Gabrielle wait up!" Kayla called. She took Viktor's hand and stepped out of the carriage. "Don't get so far away!"
Shaking her head, Gabi turned around. "Mother, I walked ten feet from you. The house is right behind me. Don't worry." Just as she said that, a boy ran up and bumped into her. "Hey!" She turned to see a boy about her age. He was covered in soot and from the look of his hands, he was a newsie. The ink had stained them thoroughly. He bent down to pick up his hat and plopped it back on his head.
"Sorry Miss, didn't see ya there."
"Hey Pie! Hurry up already!" a girl called in the distance. Gabi turned to see another newsie, about five feet four inches tall, with blonde hair just peeking out from under her cap.
"Comin' Aurora!" After tipping his hat, the boy took off running.
Gabi sighed. She knew what her mother was about to say next.
"I told you Gabrielle. You never listen. Come on." Her mother outstretched her hand to Gabi and led the two siblings up the front steps of their new home.
"Gabrielle sit down!"
"Mother, I hardly get to go out as it is. Just look at my pale skin. At least let me to get some sun," Gabrielle replied, leaving her head perched out of the carriage's window. The slight breeze in the air sent her wavy dirty blonde hair dancing around her face. "This city is so grand. I want to get a good look at it."
"New York City is full of criminals and heathens. Sit down properly or you are sure to lose something rather quickly."
"But mother…"
"Gabrielle Adler, you get your head inside this carriage at once," her mother replied, the anger rising in her voice.
"Oh just let her look at the city. It will be fine Kayla," her father insisted.
"Dietrich you always take her side," Kayla shook her head, hiding the slight smile on her own face. This city was intriguing to her as well, though she desperately tried to hide her eyes, marveling at all the sights around her.
"Mayor's daughter found with a street rat! Read all about it!" hawked Kid Blink.
"Blink! I can't believe ya just said that! I was jokin' ya bum!" Slick yelled and slapped his arm.
"You dared me Slick! All I did was live up to the challenge," Blink protested. His one eye grew soft as his bottom lip quivered. "I was just doin' what ya asked me to."
"I was teasin' and you knew it," Slick rolled her eyes.
Gabrielle watched the two newsies with great fascination. Even though she didn't know who they were, she envied the girl with curly brown hair and green eyes. She could have sworn the boy had called her Slick. What kind of name is that? And Blink? Nicknames perhaps. The girl referred to as Slick didn't even wear shoes, but still, Gabi was inclined to learn more about their lifestyle.
"Father, who are they?" Gabrielle's brother, Viktor asked.
"Newsies, son. Street rats. They sell the newspapers in the cities," Dietrich answered.
"Pay them no attention children, we're almost to our new home," Kayla interrupted.
"Mother if Gabi has her head out the side why can't I?" the twelve-year old asked.
"Because you are smarter than your older sibling," Kayla smiled and poked the boy's nose.
"He may be smarter but I'm the one enjoying the sights," Gabrielle grinned.
"There it is!" Dietrich pointed out the carriage. "That's our new home," he smiled. It was even better looking than the previous month when he had come to purchase the house.
"Really father? We're going to live there? Where's the yard? It doesn't even have a yard," Gabi sighed. She remembered her home outside of the city. It had a large yard for her to run in. This home seemed like yet another way for her parents to tie her down, something she abhorred.
"There are plenty of parks for you to run in Gabrielle. Don't worry," her father explained.
"You'll just get yourself into trouble anyway," Viktor snorted and stuck out his tongue. "It's what you do best."
"Enough Viktor," Kayla stated, taking the boy's hand as the carriage came to a halt. "Come on children. Out we go."
Gabi hurried to open the door. She hated when her mother called her a child. Already seventeen years old, Gabi wished her parents would acknowledge her by name, instead of by 'child'. She jumped out of the carriage and walked towards the house her father had pointed out.
"Gabrielle wait up!" Kayla called. She took Viktor's hand and stepped out of the carriage. "Don't get so far away!"
Shaking her head, Gabi turned around. "Mother, I walked ten feet from you. The house is right behind me. Don't worry." Just as she said that, a boy ran up and bumped into her. "Hey!" She turned to see a boy about her age. He was covered in soot and from the look of his hands, he was a newsie. The ink had stained them thoroughly. He bent down to pick up his hat and plopped it back on his head.
"Sorry Miss, didn't see ya there."
"Hey Pie! Hurry up already!" a girl called in the distance. Gabi turned to see another newsie, about five feet four inches tall, with blonde hair just peeking out from under her cap.
"Comin' Aurora!" After tipping his hat, the boy took off running.
Gabi sighed. She knew what her mother was about to say next.
"I told you Gabrielle. You never listen. Come on." Her mother outstretched her hand to Gabi and led the two siblings up the front steps of their new home.