*from now on I'm going to call Nora Dance *

It began to get late and the newsies realized that tomorrow as usual they would have to be selling papes. Dance realized that once again she probably was not going to have a place to stay. It seemed that Jack had forgotten about his promise because he had disappeared a short while ago with David. She looked around wistfully as the guys began to say their farewells. Suddenly she was seized by Mush and Race and was swept out the door.
"There is no way you're sleeping on the street again, Missy." Racetrack wagged his finger at her.
"Yeah, a pretty girl like you shouldn't be out there alone." Mush added earnestly.
"Ok, then what are we gonna do?" Hope began to bubble back into Dance.
"We're gonna sneak you into our boarding house." Mush whispered.
"ya don't need to whisper yet dumbass, we're not there yet!" Race playfully batted at Mush's head.
Dance felt warmth rise up her stomach. The knot that had built up there began to release. Suddenly Mush's head snapped around to look at a girl who was sitting on a curb nearby. The girl looked to be about Dance's height a miniscule 5'3. The girl's brown curly hair was pulled into two meticulous tight braids. The hairstyle reminded Dance of how her mother used to do her hair, now she let her auburn hair dance around her head in cascading waves.
"Hey Touchdown." Mush addressed the girl; she didn't look up, instead she continued to push a pebble around with the tip of her shoe.
"Are you waiting for Crutchy?" Race tried this time.
The girl slowly looked up to reveal a tearstained face. She shook her head and looked down pulling her knees back up to cover her face. Dance felt her heart go out to the girl. She sat down next to the girl and spoke softly.
"Hey Touchdown, I'm Nora, well now Dance. We both know these bums are trying to help but would you rather talk to a girl?"
Touchdown looked up at Dance and a smile began to play across her lips. Dance shooed the boys across the street and put her arm around Touchdown.
"It's my brother," Touchdown said with a sigh," We can't find him, he got in a fight last night and we haven't seen him since."
"Who's we?" Dance asked quizzically as she looked around, finally her eyes rested on a petite Asian girl who was curled tightly into a ball next to Touchdown. The girl was sleeping so peacefully that Dance hadn't noticed her before.
"This is Runaway, she's the reason Spot was fighting. He and Smooth have been fighting for her attention for years and finally last night, it turned to fists. We were just heading to the lodging house where those two live, "she pointed at Race and Mush, "hen she collapsed." Touchdown's eyes filled with terror, "what if Spot's not ok?"
"He's gotta be alright, he's got you two to live for doesn't he?" Dance realized that Race and Mush had seen Touchdown point at them and had returned.
"Is Spot ok?" Race looked worried.
"He's got to be, he's the great Spot Conlon right?" Mush faltered.
"We don't know," Dance took charge "Touchdown and Runaway were just about to check your lodging house, so if one of you would grab Runaway we can be on our way."
Touchdown looked gratefully at Dance as Mush swung the still sleeping Runaway over his shoulder. They made their way quickly through the streets and finally reached the lodging house. Race went barging through the door but stopped so suddenly that Dance bumped into him and almost sent him flying.
After her eyes had adjusted to the lack of light in the room she saw Jack and David sitting at a table with a boy. The boy looked up at her, he had the most intense blue eyes that she had ever seen. It seemed to her that she could see the whole sky in his eyes.
Their gaze was broken as Dance heard Touchdown shriek and run to the boy's side.
"Oh my god, what happened," Touchdown horror struck. Dance realized that the boy who must be Spot had a bloody gash down his right cheek. She cringed and swallowed trying not to imagine what sort of weapon would have left that kind of mark. Mush set Runaway down in a chair as they all crowded around Spot. Jack gave Race a reproachful look.
"Give the boy some air." Jack commanded, "he's not gonna tell the whole story again, he's safe and alive that's all that matters."
Race backed off and pulled Dance with him.
"I'll show you where you'll sleep tonight, and also get you some new clothes so we can get rid of those rags you're wearing right now."
Dance looked down and blushed realizing how hideous her clothes truly were.
"Stay here," Race ducked into a room quickly and returned waving a pair of green cutoff pants, a white shirt, some tan suspenders and a brown cap. He plopped the hat on her head.
"looking better already." He declared.
She tweaked his nose, "It's only a hat."
He smiled knowingly and handed her the clothing, "Come with me, I'll introduce you to the girls you'll be rooming with."
They approached a door with a large "ladies" sign adorning it. The sign reminded Dance of the sign that had hung on the door to the women's bathroom at the pub her dad had frequented. Dance pushed these thoughts away as Race rapped on the door.
Someone yelled "Coming!" from inside and the door was flung open to reveal two laughing blue eyes. A long mop of red hair accompanied the flashing eyes. Dance felt immediately comfortable.
"Hey Race, what can I do for ya?" Dance caught a hint of an Irish accent mixed in with the heavy New York accent. She smiled to herself already knowing that she liked the girl.
"Hey Trolley," Race said grinning at her, "I've got a new girl here for you. She just arrived from Ireland and I was hoping she could stay here with you and Jazz for a little while."
Trolley looked Dance up and down, "I'm glad Race gave you some new clothes because if he had thought you were going to wear what you're wearing now they would've had something coming." She rattled off at top speed with a straight face but then cracked a smile when she poked Race in the stomach. "Go begin the screen there, girl, and change it'll feel great. I don't even want to know how long you've been wearing your old stuff."
Dance gratefully scampered behind the screen and listened as Trolley kept talking.
"you're from Ireland huh? I moved from Ireland when I was four so I don't even remember it." Trolley gave a satisfied sigh as Dance reappeared in clean clothes.
"Wow, I didn't know girls could look that good in guys clothes." Race exclaimed.
Dance ran behind the screen again pretending she had forgotten something.
"Don't embarrass the poor girl." Trolley said as she batted at Race's stomach, "I bet she's tired anyways, meeting you lot could tire any girl out, so let her get some sleep, we'll see you in the morning." Trolley pushed Race gently out the door.
"Night Race." Dance quietly said from behind the screen as the door closed.
"I think Race has taken quite a liking to you." Trolley winked as Dance reappeared. "Alright you can sleep in Jazz's bed tonight because she's not around."
Dance slid under the covers. "goodnight Da, g'night Michael and Sean, good night Blink, David, Les," She tried to remember everyone she had met that day, "Trolley, Touchdown, Runaway, Jack, Mush and Race." She smiled to herself as she slipped off to sleep.

SO's

Cookiegoilforever: I hope there are some more details for you in this one; I tried to incorporate more, thanks for your awesome advice!

N'er do Well Cad: is this format any better? Hopefully it is! I put some descriptions of Dance in there I hope that helps out!

Xaviere Jade: I hope this chapter's better!! And I added the anonymous reviewer thingy, thanks for the advice!!

KEEP READING GUYS... I LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU... AND THANKS FOR THE ADVICE!!