Shox

We were at the Brooklyn Bridge and there were bunches of guys in their underwear jumping into the water. One came up to me and said, "Hey, dollface. What are you doing hanging around with Higgins?" I shoved him into the water.

"I'm hanging around with Racetrack," I shouted down to him. "Because unlike you, he's not a stupid Brooklyn jerk!" Racetrack started laughing, along with Cowboy and Davey. I stood on the edge of the bridge and shouted out, "Don't mess with me, Brooklyn!"

"So this is the new goil, huh?" said a raspy voice behind me. "Racetrack's new goilfriend." I turned to see a short boy with a slingshot hanging out of his pocket. Dangling out from under his red suspenders was a black cane with a gold tip. On his face, he wore a smirk.

"She doesn't act much like a goil," he said. "If I didn't know any bettah, I'd say she was a boy." That was it. I wasn't taking any more of this boy's remarks. I started stomping over to him. Before long, I was moving my legs but wasn't going anywhere. I felt a hand brush against my neck, and I turned around to see who the hand belonged to. Racetrack was holding on to the collar of my shirt. I squirmed around, but he wouldn't let go.

"Take it easy goil, Spot was just teasing you." he said. I calmed down and he let me go. I climbed up onto the stack of crates where Spot was. Nobody could stop me now. I shoved him off the crates-after taking his hat, cane, slingshot, and shooters, of course-and started shooting him with his slingshot and shooters. I placed the hat on my head and threw the cane at Spot. I hopped off the crates.

"Now tease me." I sneered. "I dare ya." Spot grabbed the slingshot, shooters, and hat from me. I stuck my tongue out at him.

Then Jack told Spot about the strike. Davey jumped in and said, "So if we get all the newsies in New York to help us, we'll be unstoppable. So you gotta join us, because… well… you gotta."

"Yeah, so get your lousy Brooklyn butts over there!" I yelled. Racetrack clamped a hand over my mouth. I bit it.

"Ow!" Racetrack said. Spot stared at me for a while, a weird expression on his face.

"Hey Spot!" yelled a girl's voice behind me. I turned around. I couldn't believe what I saw.

"Izzat you, Sammy?" I asked.

"I used to be. Now I am Spyder. How do you know who..." She paused in the middle of her sentence and gave me a good observation. She smiled. "Hi Krissie." she said.

"My name is Shox now." I said to her. "I's is a newsie now."

"Well, I guess you already know Spot then, huh?" she asked.

"Yeah." I replied. "And do you know Racetrack?"

"Yes. Heard he has a new girlfriend," she replied. "Where is she?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're looking at her." I barked.