Sorry everyone, not a new chapter, I am just reworking the whole story, correcting and putting the beginning into smaller sections so it's easier to read. Sorry this story is so Mary Sueish, but hey, I like it this way, and I'm really trying for it not to be.
A Life Worth Remembering
"But Daddy' whined 10 year old Amilia, "How come every time you and mumma have a party me and Alex have to go over to Jason's house?"
Her father sighed "Alex and I" he corrected, 'and"you know it's because Jason is the only person your brother will listen too, you even listen too him sometimes for all that he is a year older than you. Also his parents are usually at our parties due to the fact that I grew up with John." He replied for what felt like him the hundredth time. "Now go get your jacket and your brother. Our guests will be arriving in 10 minutes, and you know your aunt and Uncle Pulitzer are almost always at least 5 minutes early."
"Yes Daddy" Amilia replied sulking, and went to do as she was bid.
5 minutes later Amilia and 8 year old Alex were walking the two doors down to the William's house.
"It's cold Amilia, Why is it always so cold in New York in December?" Alex asked while swinging the gold topped cane his grandfather had given to him as a present when he was 7 and which was still to big for him.They walked
"Because it just is!" Amilia snapped, then after seeing her brothers hurt apologized "Sorry Alex, I don't like the cold either."
They were quite the rest of the way as more and more carriages showed up at their house. They turned up the lane to the large white house and knocked on the door.
"Here you are at last" announced Cassandra Williams, "We had began to get worried about you. Come in, we will be leaving in just a moment. JASON!" she called up the stairs "They are here, and you should have been down 10 minutes ago when I asked."
"Sorry mother." said the blond boy, Jason Williams. He was eleven, and already 5'6. "He had lost his left eye in an accident when he was 9 falling off the banister which he was sliding down, and landed on a vase sitting on a table. He now wore a black eye patch, "Hi Amilia. Hey Alex, I got ya something!" He had always gotten along well with Alex and liked to do things for him.
"Lemme see, Lemme see!" Alex squealed.
"Alexander Conlon, where are your manners?" Inquired Cassandra.
"Sorry Mrs. Williams. So may I please see my present Jay?" Asked Alex, a bit more subdued, but still exited.
"Sure Alex, come on up to my room. Come on Amilia." He replied leading the way up the stairs when his mother stopped him.
"We will be leaving as soon as your father comes down so just wait until we leave, so that I can say good bye. JOHN!!" She yelled walking towards her husbands study.
Five minutes later the adults had left making the children promise to behave themselves. The children were now all up in Jason's room.
"And now for your present Spot" He said switching over to his nickname for Alex which had developed after he had thrown up all over the mayors rug on Christmas eve. He then handed Alex a package about 8" long. Alex hurriedly tore it open revealing a slingshot and five marbles. "Let's go outside and see how good ya are with it." Jason said getting his coat.
"Yeah, thanks Jay.' He said hugging the older boy "Come on Aims He yelled running out the door.
Laughing the two older children followed.
Jason had just taught Alex the finer points of using a slingshot, and even letting Amilia try. When behind them they heard an explosion.
They turned and saw the Conlon house in flames, as well as all the nearby houses. They hurried back to Jason's and it had flames around the upper rooms. Jason ducked inside grabbing his father's wallet that he had left on the table and rushing back out. He was coughing and handed the wallet to Amilia who quickly put in her pocket. They walked down the road trying to get away from the smoke. Jason remarked when he could breathe again, "That was a gas explosion; they won't be coming back out."
"No!" Spot yeled trying to run back to the house. "They're fine, you'll see!"
"Stop it Alex! Just stop!" Amilia yelled huggig him close, she was already crying.
Amilia said shakily, "We can't get stuck in an orphanage. That is why you grabbed your Dad's wallet isn't it?"
Jason blinked then nodded. They walked down the street towards Manhattan, trying to get as far away from their old life as possible.
They had just reached Manhattan when Amilia was grabbed and dragged into an ally.
"Go get help." whispered Jason to Alex as he followed the man and Amilia.
He had her sprawled on the ground, and he yelled "Give me your money."
"I am just a kid, what makes you think I have money?"
"I saw that wallet in your pocket, so give it to me you dirty rotten thief." he said pointing a gun at her. Jason leaped on him, but this forced the gun to go off, and Jason saw the blood well up around his friends shoulder. He took off running, and just kept running until he collapsed in front of the Newsboy Lodging house.
Alex heard the gun shot too, and he saw his sister fall still, he ran, but he stopped after five minutes falling asleep at the base of a statue, and cried himself to sleep for the first and last time in his life.
Joseph Pulitzer stared at the paper. He was in shock. The headline read "Fire at the Conlon House: No Survivors!" He should have been at that party last night with his wife and sister, but money was more important to him, and now they was dead. He put his head down on his desk and cried, also for the last time. He would mae it up to them someday, there had to be away. But instead he just turned bitter and cold.
12 year old Jack Kelly looked at the same paper. "Hey Charlie!" he yelled to his older friend and selling partner, not to mention the king of the Manhattan newsies "We won't have ta change the headlines for once, see, look at this." he held up the paper.
"Wow, let's go cowboy, we have papes to sell." Just then Jack tripped over a boy lying in the snow by the door. He looked to be about 11 and had a patch over one eye.
"He must be freezing, help me get him inside Cowboy." Charlie said quickly. They quickly dragged the boy inside and put him on one of the spare beds in the bunk room.
The boy woke up about 10 minutes later and was startled by the two boys staring down at him.
"Don't worry kid, we ain't gona hoit ya!" Charlie said seeing his scared look "I's is Charlie and this here is Jack, but everyone just calls him Cowboy."
"I'm Jason." He said shyly "Why do you want to help me?" he asked suddenly.
"Cause, we's is newsies, and newsies help people. Plus, Boy Dies In front a Newsboy Lodgin' House ain't the best headline and ya looked like ya really needed help."
"I did. Did you say you were newsies? Do you think I could work with you guys selling papers?" Jason asked excitedly.
"I guess so. So did ya run away?"
"I guess, kinda." He answered slowly, blinking with the lie he was telling, but he couldn't bring himself to tell the truth yet.
"Well then you's'll need a nick name, so that the folks ya ran away from can't find ya." Jason blinked again "Well kid, we'll call ya Blink, since ya do it a lot, unless you's winkin'. Betta yet, we'll call ya Kid Blink." Blink nodded slowly and then smiled, he liked his new name. "You's can sell with us tammarow, but taday ya should try ta sleep, ya almost froze out there last night. With a sigh Blink leaned back and fell asleep.
Alex woke up to a loud bell, and took off running again remembering the events of the night before. He stopped for breath when he reached the Brooklyn Bridge and then took off again, into the heart of Brooklyn. He was knocked to the ground when he ran full tilt into a boy of about 16. "Hey watch it kid." The boy yelled at Alex. He cringed. The boy started again, but this time not yelling "So how what's ya name kid?"
"Aâspot, Spot Conlon." He answered
"Spot huh. I'm Swinga. So how old are ya?" Swinger asked.
"8, almost 9" Spot replied.
"Ya livin on da streets?" he looked synically at Spot's clothes.
"I guess so."
"Well then, ya need some lookin' afta. I's is a newsie see? Ya can be one too. You can sell with me. Younga's sell mo' papes, because people get sympathetic. So wadda ya say huh?"
"Sure, that would be great! Do you know a place were I stay?" Spot asked excitedly.
"You can stay at the Brooklyn newsboy house with all of us other newsies. It's only 2 cents a day and ya have to follow what our leader, Snap, says. Come on, I'll get you settled. Dose ya have any money?"
"No."
"Alright, I'll pay for ya until ya get some, probably ya will after sellin' papes. And I'm sure you can pay me back eventually."
"Thanks Swinger." Spot said as he got lead away to his new home and new way of life.
Ok, so fr it's a bit lame, but it gets better, I swear. Please review!