Author's Note: Yes, I have more story for you! I'm warning you now that this is gonna be a little weird. I want this to be a fic like nothing I've ever done so far. How am I doing in that department? Let me know by pressing that little purple button at the end of the page…Thanks!
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August 14, 1899
Dear Journal,
Can you believe it, I really do think I have friends! It was so nice today, I got to sell newspapers like a real newsie for the first time. It was great, Stress, Gip, Canada, Moneybags, Iris and Tunes, were just so nice to me.
"So, Secrets, how are ya likin' bein' a newsie so far?" asked Stress as she held open the door to the lodging house for the rest of the girls to enter.
"'Twas great Stress. I had so much fun sellin' da papes taday. But, are ya shoah dat Jack didn't mind you'se sellin' wit' us?"
Stress blushed when she heard all the other girls laughing at her. All day long Gip, Canada, Moneybags, Iris and Tunes had poked fun at Jack's parting words to her that morning at the distribution center. "Have fun sellin' wit'out me Stressie, cause y'know I won't." he had said, with a twinkle in his eye as Stress headed off with six other girls for a "girls only" day of selling. "I t'ink dat I should ask you'se wheddah or not ya t'ink David minded you'se sellin' wit' us."
"Yeah," added Iris with a smirk, identical to the one her boyfriend, the great Spot Conlon, usually wore, "didja see Dave's face when we stole ya ta sell wit' us?"
It was then Secrets turn to blush. "You're jist sayin' dat." she murmured, walking ahead of the girls and plopping herself down on her new bunk.
"No, really. I don't know how ya didn't notice, but David's got it fer ya, an' bad." Gip teased as she made kissy faces at Secrets.
Moneybags smiled as she walked in and sat with Secrets on her bunk. "Don't lissen ta dem. Whenevah one o' da guys falls in love wit' a goil, dey make it deah point ta tease da goil fer awhile. Dat's how dey get deah kicks." she joked as she rested her hand on Secrets' shoulder.
As soon as she felt Moneybags' touch, Secrets ducked her head into her hand. "Damn!" she swore as she felt the all-too-familiar pain start up again.
"No..." she yelled as she ran from her hiding spot, hoping that she would save the police officer from Eddie's knife, even if she couldn't save her parents.
Eddie missed his target when he turned his head to see the young girl emerging from the alley. "Deah ya are, goily."
In the precious few seconds that Eddie was ogling her instead of his new adversary, the police officer drew his billy club and knocked Eddie over the head with it.
Eddie slumped to the dirt, out cold. Layna continued to run, directly into the arms of the police officer. If there was one piece of advice that Layna remembered from her late parents, it was that a policeman could always help you when you're in trouble.
Once the police officer had scooped her up, Layna began to sob. "I'm sorry!" she wailed.
The police officer carried her to a nearby street lamp and set her down. "Hi there, child. Would you like to tell me what's wrong?"
Layna sniffled and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her faded blue dress. "Oh, mistah police officah, dat mean ol' man back deah," she pointed to where Eddie lay on the floor, still unconscious, "he killed me ma an' me pa." Once she said the words aloud, Layna dissolved into hysterical sobs.
The police officer drew a sharp breath. "What's your name, child?"
"La--La--Layna..." she managed to choke out.
"Well, Layna. Do you know where your parents are, now?"
"Dey'se in Heaven now, mistah police officah."
The police officer flagged down an approaching colleague as he strode by with a paddy wagon. "Officer Johnson", he called, waving his arms in a signal to stop, "that man over there just tried to stab me and I hear that he may have killed this little girl's parents. I'd appreciate it if you would pick him up and than meet me at-- Where do you live, Layna?" he asked Layna.
"Me an' me ma an' me pa live ovah in da big buildin' on da cornah o' 56th street." she whispered.
"Meet me at the apartment building on the corner of 56th street. I'd recommend bringing help in case we do find something there."
Officer Johnson nodded and led his horse over to where Eddie lay.
The police officer turned back to face Layna. "Layna, my name is Officer Murphy. Right now, we're going to go to your house and see what happened to your parents. Is that O.K.?"
Layna trembled slightly, but still nodded. "Yessir, Officah Moiphy."
"Secrets? Are you O.K.?" Canada cried as she shook her gently.
Secrets opened her eyes and saw the worried expressions on the faces of Stress, Gip, Tunes, Iris, Moneybags and Canada. "What happened?" she whispered as her headache began to fade.
"You fa--" mumbled Tunes as Iris ran up behind her and covered her mouth with her hand.
"Ya must have jist fallen asleep, Secrets. Ya looked tiahed." Iris improvised. For some reason, she didn't want to make a big deal out of Secrets' fainting. At least, not now.
"Oh, well in dat case, I t'ink I'se gonna go outside an' git some fresh air." Secrets fumbled around the head of her bunk for a moment before thrusting something in her bag and shuffling out of the girls' bunkroom.
"I wondah what dat was 'bout?" asked Gip, to no one in particular.
Meanwhile, David sat with Jack, Skittery, Race and Blink in the boys' lodging house, only a few blocks away.
"Jack, how did you know that Stress was the one?" David asked, hugging his knees to his chest as Secrets' face flashed before his eyes. She was just so beautiful with her sparkling blue eyes and long coal-colored hair.
Ignoring Blink's snickers, Jack answered David's question. "It's jist somet'ing ya feel in heah." he replied, tapping himself on the chest.
David nodded once and faced Skittery. "What about you, Skittery? Was it the same for you and Tunes?"
Skittery scowled; he wasn't the kind of guy who liked to talk about his feelings with the other boys.
Race playfully slapped Skittery on the face. "Hey, Skitts. Can't ya see da boy is lookin' fer some advice? Help 'im out!"
"I don't see you'se tawkin' 'bout yer feelin's fer Moneybags, do I?" Skittery acknowledged, still evading the subject.
"True, true." Race laughed and brought his cigar to his lips. "Davey, lissen ta Jack. He does know what he's tawkin' 'bout when it comes ta mattahs o' da heart."
Jack continued to ignore the comments from the peanut gallery and rested his hand on David's shoulder. "Dave, let me ask you'se a question. Are ya fallin' fer Secrets?"
Jack smothered a smirk when David turned bright red, but didn't respond. "Ya do know dat she's only been heah fer one day, eh, David?"
David, his blush continuing to deepen, nodded. "I don't know what it is Jack, but there is something special about her. I just--I just can't get her out of my mind, you know."
Jack patted David on the back. "I know, Dave, I know."
That night, after Stress, Gip, Tunes, Canada and all the other girls of the lodging house had gone to bed, Secrets pulled out her journal to write some more of her thoughts.
But, of course, there was already a message waiting for her.
Dear Layna,
So, friends are they? How many times have I told you that we don't need any friends? Don't you remember what happens to friends? Friends are just enemies with an inside scoop, Layna. Remember what happened to Nicolas?
Layna put down the journal for a moment and stared ahead, her eyes fixated on the flickering flame of the candle she was reading by.
Twelve-year-old Layna ran up to the orphanage, surprised to see a policeman's horse tied to the iron gate. "I wondah what happened heah?" she murmured before entering the orphanage and heading to the girls' bunkroom.
"Miss Layna," called Madame Pearson, "would you come here please?"
Layna stopped and turned towards the headmistress' office. "Shoah, Madame Pearson."
Upon stepping inside the office, Layna found herself facing Officer Murphy. "'Ello, Officah Moiphy. Pleashah seein' you'se on dis side o' New Yawk." She was tickled to see her old friend; she hadn't seen him in over a year since he got promoted to seargant and was given an office.
"How are you, dear child? I'm here on dismal business, I'm afraid." Officer Murphy took off his hat, and bent down to look in Layna's eyes. "I hear you were friends with a Nicolas Malloy. Is that true?"
Layna smiled as she nodded. Nicolas was her best friend, after her journal partner, Kisses, of course. He was the only one who knew about her fainting spells and, to her glee, he didn't look down on her because of them. "Yes, Officah Moiphy. I kin definitely say dat I'se friends wit' Nicolas."
Officer Murphy took Layna's hand in his own and sighed. "We found Nicolas today."
Layna looked up at the older gentleman and asked, "Was he lost? I tawked ta him yestahday aftahnoon, but I didn't know dat he went missin' aftah dat."
"What I mean, Layna, is dat we found your friend in an alleyways this morning. Someone had administered a fatal stab to his chest."
Layna backed away from the police officer, directly into the arms of Madame Pearson. "Naw, dat can't be. Nicolas can't be dead."
"I'm sorry, Layna, but Officah Moiphy is right. Nicolas was killed sometime between last night and this morning. We just thought you'd like to know, especially since the two of you were so close."
Were. The word echoed in Layna's mind as she turned away from Madame Pearson and ran from her office.
"I can't believe me only pal is gone..." she sobbed into her pillow, much later that night. Hastily wiping her tears before fresh ones began to form, Layna removed her journal from underneath her pillow.
Dear Layna,
It's O.K.. I know how much losing Nicolas must hurt you, but you'll pull through. You have me, after all. And I'll always be here for you. Always!
Love,
Kisses
Kisses was right, she always was. Shaking her head, removing the memory of Nicolai from it, Layna replaced her journal and went to sleep.
Nicolas. She hadn't thought about him since the day he died. Yet, now that Kisses had written his name in the journal, the memories all came rushing back. Nicolas.
Secrets let out the breath she didn't even know she was holding as she pictured the face of her mischievous childhood pal. "They nevah did find out who killed Nick." she murmured, all caught up in her past.
As she sat in the moonlight, Secrets jumped when she saw that the candle by her bed had lost its flame. She pulled out a match from the night table next to her bunk and relit the candle. With the light glowing brightly, Secrets returned her eyes to the journal page and finished the entry.
Remember what happened to Nicolas? I thought so. What would you do if that happened to any of your new friends?
Kisses