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August 13, 1899

Dear Journal,

You'll never believe what happened to me today! It all started when I was shaken roughly awake this morning...

"Hey goily, wake up." The young man sneered down upon Layna, while waking her up.

Layna's eyes sprang open and she jumped back when she saw three people standing in front of her, two boys and a girl, all around her age. By instinct, Layna reached for her journal and clutched it to her chest.

The girl scowled and smacked the boy on his arm. "Morris Delancey, what are you'se doin'? Can't ya see da goil was tryin' ta sleep?"

Morris forgot about Layna for the moment and turned to face the other boy. "Oscah, can't ya keep Gip's mouth shut? She's yer goil aftah awl."

Oscar wrapped his arms around Gip protectively. "I'll do no such t'ing, Morris. Me Gip kin say anyt'ing she likes."

Morris rolled his eyes. "Why did me bruddah hafta fall fer dat goil? An' she's a newsie no less. Sheesh."

Gip stepped forward, calmly reaching for the knife she kept hidden in her boot as she did so. Oscar caught the motion and pulled her close to him. "Morris, I know you'se still don't like da newsies an' awl, but dey ain't so bad since da strike ended last month."

Morris narrowed his eyes at his brother. "Oscah, ya only say dat cause now dat you'se wit' Gip, Cowboy don't soak you'se no moah." He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

As the two brothers quarelled, Layna began to gather her things up so she could sneak away from them quietly. "Ya can't trust no one." she murmured to herself as she got to her feet.

Morris heard the rustling and turned around. "An' wheah do you'se t'ink yer goin'? I ain't done tawkin' ta you'se yet."

"Morris, if you'se gonna stay heah an' torchah poor goils, we'se gonna head ovah ta da distribution centah ta help Mistah Reilly. Now be nice." Oscar gently led Gip away. He saw the fire in her dark eyes and was afraid that Gip was going to soak his brother.

Morris ignored Oscar's comments and rounded on Layna. "What are you'se doin' sleepin' out heah?"

Layna clamped her mouth shut and began to tremble.

Morris looked at Layna quizzically and his tough expression softened. "Hey, are you'se O.K.?" He reached out his hand to rest it on her shoulder.

Layna's hand flew to her head as she shrieked in pain, stopping only briefly to take two steps away from Morris. It was happening again.

The seven-year-old girl remained as still as it was possible for a seven-year-old to be. Even at such a young age, she was aware of the danger she would be in if that man, that Eddie, found her.

"Honey, I know you'se ovah heah somewheah. An' when I find you-- Why good evenin' officah."

Layna's breath caught in her throat when she heard another voice. "Why sir, why do you have a knife behind your back?"

"Knife, officah? What knife? Oh, do you'se mean dis knife?"

Layna peeked her head out from behind her hiding space once more and nearly shrieked when she saw Eddie lunge at the policeman. "No!" she yelled, running forward.

"Noooo!" The seventeen-year-old Layna yelled before collapsing to the ground.

"Damn." swore Morris as he witnessed the girl fall. "What's goin' on heah?" he muttered as he lifted her into his arms. All he had done was try to reassure the girl that he wasn't going to do anything to her and she had started to quake. Her eyes had rolled to the back of her head so that only the whites of her eyes were shown, and then she yelled the one word before passing out.

"Hey Morris, what do you'se t'ink you'se doin?" came a voice calling from the direction of the distribution center. Morris almost dropped the girl; it was the voice of the only person who had been able to soak him repeatedly-- Cowboy.

Morris slowly turned around and grinned a shady grin. He was right. Approaching him from the opposite side of the street was Cowboy, also known as Jack, his selling partner, David and his girl, Stress. "Cowboy, Stress, Davey, nice ta see you'se dis fine summah moinin'."

When Stress saw that there was an unconcious girl in his arms, she gasped. "Morris, what are you'se doin' wit' dat goil?" she demanded, her golden eyes flashing yellow.

Morris, on the other hand wasn't going to give any answers to Jack's new girl. "It ain't none o' yer business, Stressie, deah." he drawled sarcastically as he tried to walk past the three of them.

Cowboy handed his stack of papers to David and stepped forward. "Foist o' awl, Morris, da only one dat kin cawl Stress by dat name is me. Second o' awl, if she asks you'se a question, ya answah her. Undahstood?"

Morris nodded meakly, while secretly planning on how he would try to get Jack back sooner or later. That's the only way Morris was able to hold his tongue to keep from angering Jack.

Stress laughed and strolled to Jack's side. "An' like I said, Morris, what are you'se doin' wit' dat goil?"

"I--I--I found her like dis."

"Liah." she said with a touch of humor. The, turning to face Jack, she announced, "Hey, Jack, I t'ink he's lyin', don't you'se?"

Adapting her bemused expression, Jack nodded. "Yes, Stressie. I t'ink dat he's lyin'. Morris," he said, now addressing Morris, "I'se gonna give you'se ta da count o' none ta put da goil down an' leave her deah. Me, Stress and Dave'll take care o' her."

Morris looked at the delicate girl in his arms and shrugged. She was too much trouble, even if she did have a pretty face. "Heah ya go, Cowboy. Enjoy." he sneered, trying to look intimidating. In reality, he only looked like an idiot as he placed Layna into Jack's arms and strutted off.

"Well, Stressie, I don't t'ink we'se gonna be sellin' our papes right now." Jack shifted Layna in his arms so that he would be able to point to the papers still in David's hands. "Foist t'ings foist, t'ough. Do you'se got any extra bunks ovah at da Bottle Alley Lodgin' House?"

Stress nodded, long blondish-brown curls bobbing up and down in rhythm with the movement. "Mrs. Cook is awlways sayin' we could use a couple extra goils in da lodgin' house."

"Good. David, do you'se wanna come wit' us ta find out who dis goil is, or do you'se wanna go find yer bruddah an' sell wit' him?"

David, whose eyes had been glued to the unconscious girl the whole while, looked up abruptly upon being spoken to. "What, huh? Did you say something Jack?"

Jack sighed and began to head towards Bottle Alley. "Jist follow me an' Stress, Dave."

Stress hung back and started to poke fun at David. "Oooh, I t'ink someone's in love..." she joked, laughing gleefully when she noticed that his face had turned bright red.

"I wouldn't even get me started, Stress. I have enough dirt on the relationship you and Jack have had these last four years to keep me joking for many moons to come."

Stress' laughed died right away. She had hoped that once she and Jack made their relationship public almost a week ago, that everyone would have forgotten that it had taken the two of them four years to confess their feelings for one another. "Not funny, Davey."

It was so weird to find myself in a strange bunkroom, surrounded by a bunch of people who I've never even seen before. But they all were so nice to me, especially that David.

Ever since the huge newsies strike had ended in the middle of July, David had become a little more outspoken and aggressive. That afternoon, he had proven himself to be even more so, for David had taken it upon himself to find out all he could about the new mystery girl. Stress had explained the situation to Mrs. Cook, who was occupying Martini, Cutie Pie, Hades, Magic, and Mondie, fellow lodgers of the Bottle Alley Lodging House, downstairs as Stress, Jack and David tried to talk to the girl.

For the fortieth time that hour, David tried again. "Please, won't you at least tell us your name?"

And like the forty other times before that David had asked, Layna stared straight ahead, too frightened to speak. The last thing she had remembered was being harassed by some kid named Morris, and then passing out.

Jack took his cowboy hat off of his head and tossed it in the air. "Dat's it. I jist can't take it no moah. If she won't give us a name for herself, we'll give her one. Stressie, got any ideas?"

Stress sat up on the bunk she was sharing with Jack and stared straight into Layna's blue eyes. After a few moments of silence, Stress nodded. "Jack, I got da poifect name fer her. How 'bout Secrets?"

Jack leaned over and kissed Stress on the cheek. "I knew I was datin' a genius. Dat name is jist poifect, right Dave?"

David ignored Jack's question, instead looking right at Layna. "Is the name Secrets good for you?"

"Layna." she whispered hoarsely.

"Alas, she speaks. What didja say?" Jack leaned in towards the bunk where Layna was huddled up in order to hear Layna'a whisper.

"I said me name is Layna." she whispered again, a little louder this time so that the others could hear her.

"Dat shoah is a perdy name, but it ain't a good newsie name. If you'se gonna be a newsie like da rest o' us, ya need a newsie name."

Layna nodded. "I do like da name Secrets, but does dat mean dat I kin stay heah an' be a newsie?"

Stress nodded vigorously. "Shoah. You'se heah in da Bottle Alley Lodgin' House right now. It's a nickel fer a week. Me guy heah, Jack, has decided ta be a sweetie an' pay fer yer foist week while you'se loin da ropes. In case ya don't know, me name is Stress an' dis guy is David." Stress rested her hand on David's shoulder. "He's a great guy once ya git ta know him. An' I suggest ya git ta know him if ya catch me drift." Stress and Jack laughed heartily when they noticed the matching embarrassed expressions on both David and the newly named Secrets' face.

I think it might just be alright to be a newsie. I mean, can it be any worse than the orphanage?

"Secrets?" Stress approached Secrets' bunk, where she was laying on her stomach and writing in her journal.

Secrets quickly shut her journal and looked up. "Hiya--Stress, right?"

Stress nodded. "Yea, dat's me name. I jist wanted ta introduce you'se ta some o' da goils." Stress waved her hand to indicate the 9 girls that stood in the bunkroom. "Dese are 'bout half o' our goils. We got Tunes, Stripes, Taffee, Spin, Moneybags, Aki, Dragonfly, Holiday an' Canada. Goils, dis is Secrets, da goil dat we rescued from Morris taday. Y'know, da one dat Davey's in love wit'." Stress added with a wink in Secrets' direction.

Secrets looked up and waved at all the girls. "Hi ev'ryone." she whispered, a little overwhelmed at meeting so many new people in one day.

"Watcha doin'?" inquired Tunes as she tried to see what Secrets had hidden behind her back.

"Nuttin'. I'se doin' nuttin'." she answered hastily, taking the other girls aback. "I'se sorry, I'se jist a li'l tired an' wanna go ta bed." she apologized when she saw all of their mouths drop open.

Spin recovered first. "O' coise, Secrets, we undahstand. You'se had an awful hard day taday. We'll jist leave ya alone now." Spin motioned to the other girls to follow and all ten of them left the bunkroom.

When she was once again alone, Secrets sighed in relief. "Lissen, Layna," she scolded herself, "you'se was able ta live in da orphanage wit' no one evah findin' out 'bout yer past 'cept fer what happened wit' Ryan an' Kayla yestahday. If ya could do dat fer ten yeahs, you'se kin last in dis lodgin' house, right? Right." Secrets placed her journal on her lap and began to just think. She thought about her life at the orphanage and she wondered if anyone had even noticed that she had never returned the night before. She thought about all the people she had met since leaving the orphanage, especially David. She thought about David for awhile, long after all the other girls had returned to the bunkroom and gone to bed.

It wasn't until long after "lights out" that Secrets had taken her journal out from under her pillow and opened it to re-read her passages.

And just like clockwork, there was her message from Kisses.

Dear Layna,

I'm not going to call you Secrets because you will always be Layna to me. Why are you using that name, anyway? And why are you letting these people affect you? It's just me and you, Layna, me and you. Nowhere is there a Stress or a Jack or a David in the picture. Nowhere. Especially a David. We made it ten years without needing anyone else, why start now? Why?

Kisses

Secrets placed her journal back under her pillow and stared at the bottom of Holiday's bunk right above her. Though it was hours after the normal time she would fall asleep, she was wide awake. There was something wrong with Kisses' passage. It wasn't friendly and supportive like they usually were. It was possessive.

And a bit scary.