Chapter 5

After about an hour of walking the streets were crowded. Janet then knew that they weren't in their time, but still did now know what year it was. They walked into Central Park and sat on a bench next to an oak tree.

"Well this is really strange. One minute you're in a closet with a cute boy, and then I'm in a foreign time with a cute boy" Janet said to herself.

 "Well I don't know what we are going to do. I mean I don't have any money that we can use, or anything for that matter." Charlie said.

Then Janet remembered her messenger bag. She opened it up, took out her wallet and then looked at it. She opened up the change pocket and saw the money that Kyle had given her.

"Well we have 50 dollars," Janet said to Charlie. He smiled and said "good."

 They sat there for about ten minutes and then saw a boy selling newspapers and they went up to him.

"Hi, how much is a newspaper?" Janet asked politely.

"A penny," the little boy said to her with a confused look on his face.

"Is something wrong?" Janet asked.

 "Um no its just youse look so's familiar"

"oh well I shouldn't I just got here" Janet said.

"Oh well heres your pape miss" the little boy said while walking away and screaming out another headline.

Janet looked at the date and noticed it said July 8th 1900. She showed Charlie the paper, and then sighed. "Well at least we know what the date is now." Janet said. She put her wallet away and decided to take out the Diary again.

She opened it up expecting to find an empty page, but it wasn't. She read aloud to Charlie,

"Deer Diary" Charlie looked at her with a confused face. "wells I heards that Janet was back, but ise don't know some new newsie said that he sold her a paper dis morning, but he wasn't sure if it was her or not. Ise sent out me birds ta see if it was really 'er, when theyse come back ise'll write more.Spot."

Janet finished reading and then turned to Charlie, "that wasn't here when I read you that one this morning."

"Yeah I know, and your name is Janet and some little boy did sell you a newspaper this morning."

"Wow that's strange," they both said at the same time and then laughed.

 Charlie started tickling her and then stopped when he noticed a shadow, blocking the sun, in front of them.

"Can I help you?" they both said at the same time then laughed again. "Well i'se supposed' to come getcha cause some one wants ta talk to ya." they boy of about 11 said to her. "Why would someone want to talk to me" she asked herself.

"Who wants to talk to her?" Charlie asked the boy.

 "Mese leader Jack Kelly," the boy said. They both stood up and said what the hay? And followed the boy.

 "Why does he want to see me?" she asked.

"Uh you should knows, by da way i'm James, ise became a newsie afters you left." Janet stared at him blankly and then looked to Charlie and he just shrugged. "and uh ise don't means ta be rude but what are yas wearing?" Janet looked don't and noticed she was in a black shirt and khaki pants and same with Charlie because that's what they had to wear to work.

"Um new trend." she said and he just looked at her with a confused face.

~*~

            After about 20 minutes James stopped and the other two stopped behind him, and they asked why they stopped.

"The newsboys lodging house," James said.

 He walked up the steps and opened the door and they followed after.

"Just sit down, down here, ill go get Jack and da otha newsies should be arriving in about a hour." they walked into the sitting room and sat down. Janet noticed an old man behind the counter and smiled to him and he gave a big grin back. Then a very cute boy, around 19 came down the stairs, and Janet stood up. He walked over and gave Janet a huge hug. She just stood their wondering who he is.

"What didja do ta your black hair?" This guy Jack said.

"Ummm, it's always been brown." she said.

 "I'm sorry if this is rude but I really don't know who you are or why I'm here." Janet said.

"Oh, so I see how it is, you leave without any notice and comeback in over a year and tell me, someone that you have known since you were seven, that you don't know who I am." Jack said with an angrily driven voice.

 "Hi, we haven't met i'm Charlie, and I found Janet her about 8 months ago in an alley and she had been beaten up. I took her to the hospital and they said that she had amnesia, and that she wouldn't remember a lot of things. So don't get all mad at her for not knowing who you are or where she is for that matter."

"Well then how did you get to Manhatn'?"

"We came by train from Boston. She said that she had a feeling that that's where she is from so we came here looking for an answer." Janet looked at Charlie, "boy was he a great liar." she thought to herself.

 "Well ise see, I don't know a lot a bout amnes or whatever youse just said, but ise sure wese can get youse memory back in no time. How's about wese go to Tibbys maybe some people might still be dere." Jack said while walking out the door.

They folowed in silence, other then a few whispers between themselves. They stopped in front of Tibbys and then Janet said

"hey this looks like Mickey's" to know one in particular.

"Yes it does sweetie," Charlie said to her. Jack gave Charlie a cold stare, he could tell that Janet was his girl, and he didn't know what Blink was going to think about that.

"heya fellas look what ise found," Jack said to about 5 boys that were still sitting down and eating.

"Janet!" three out of the five yelled. Jack talked to them before Janet could and told them about her problem, "Look fellas she's got nesia or something and she don't remember any of us or dis place or anything so introduce yourself so maybe she'll member."

 "Hey Janet, I'm Itey. and this here is Les he is a new newsie."

 "Hi Itey, hi Les, I'm really sorry if I don't remember you but ill try really hard." Janet said lying to them.

"Hey Janet, I'm D-U-T-C-H-Y and this here is Specs."

"Hey dutchy, guess what? I'm not DEAF!" she screamed.

 "Oh wow she still does have her temper." Jack said and she elbowed him in the stomach playfully.

"This here is Domino, the one that sold you the newspaper, and brought us all the news that your back. Oh we might have to go back to the Lodging house cause a certain someone doesn't know youse are back yet." Jack said.

 Janet turned around to Charlie and told him that she needed to talk to him.

"Hey Jack can we meet you back at the lodging house? I'm pretty sure I can find my way back, but I need to talk to Janet about something?" Charlie said.

"Yeah sure but hurry." Jack said as he left with the 5 other newsies.