Chapter 9
Emily pulled open the front door, and smiled up at the sun.

"A beautiful day, and on my birthday!" she exclaimed. Teddy called her back inside. "Yes, daddy?" she asked.

"How are you today?" he asked.

"I'm fine."

"Happy birthday, doll," he said, holding out a little box. Emily smiled and took it, then opened it up.and gasped. Inside was a silver bracelet with Emily Violet hanging from it.

"Oh, daddy.its beautiful," she whispered. He smiled, and she hugged him.

"Now, I know this is a hard thing for you, but before you mother died, she was telling me how she had this one thing that she wanted you to have as soon as you were old enough. Since she can no longer give it to you, and I believe that you are old enough, here you go," he said, handing her another little box. Emily choked on her tears as she opened the box to reveal a silver necklace with the words Independence Day hanging from it. Emily couldn't hold it anymore, and tears began to slide down her cheeks.

Jack knocked on the front door, and Teddy opened it as Emily fastened her necklace, and hid it under her shirt, and slid the bracelet under her sleeve. He walked up beside Emily and held out a box. Emily opened it, and inside was a sheet of paper that had ten reasons why the newsies loved to have Emily around.

"Oh, wow." she said as she read them off inside her head. Jack smiled, and said, "Happy birthday, Emma." Emily smiled and hugged him.

"Want to frame it, Emily?" Teddy asked. Emily nodded, and he handed her a frame. She popped the back off, set the paper inside, and then popped it back into place.

"Thank you, Jack." she said, and he nodded.

"Come on, let's go see the others so you can say thank you to them too," he said, taking her hand.

"I'll be back later, daddy!" she called, shutting the door. Every newsie except Derek stood around the statue near the lodging house, smiling. They waved to Emily as Jack pulled her up onto the statue.

"Tell them thank you," he said. Emily took a deep breath, and said, "Thanks for the gift, you guys!"

"Your welcome, Emily!" they all called back.

Emily pushed open her front door, jogged up the steps, and collapsed onto her bed at about six that night. Teddy was over at Tibby's drinking coffee, and Emily was glad. She wanted to think. Teddy had been telling her to find a job lately, and she believed that she had found one, one that she really would enjoy.

"I wonder if daddy would let me take that job," she said to herself, staring at the ceiling. She stood up, and picked up the list of things the newsies liked about her, and hung it on the wall beside her dresser mirror. Smiling, she pulled her book out of the drawer and began to read it. When it opened, a note fell out of it. It read: Roses are red, violets are blue, your heart is sweet and pure too. If anyone has gotten a gift this day, it's the friends around you, and papa too. You deserve more than you get, Emily, but I didn't have any money. So, this is my gift to you. I love ya, lil sis. Derek. Emily smiled, and said, "Wow.when did Derek get in here to do this?" She heard the front door open, and a voice yell up the steps, "Emily? You home?"

"Yeah, Papa!" she called.

"Alright! Just checkin!"

Emily pulled out a pen, and a sheet of paper, and wrote down a letter to her brother.
Derek,
I know we haven't seen each other lately, or talked to each other, but I miss you, and I love you. Thank you for the gift you left in my book. I'll be seeing you soon, if papa lets me take the job I'm wanting right now. I hope he does, though you may not approve. But, hey, it's a job, and it'll give me the opportunity to be around you. I have to go, but I hope to see you soon.
~Emily

Emily smiled, and folded the letter in half one way, then another, and wrote Derek on it. She jogged down the steps, and said, "Daddy, I'm going to go see a friend! I'll be back soon!"

"Alright! Be careful!" he called. Emily pulled her jacket on, and jogged outside. She ran down the street and to the stables, where Kyle would be taking care of one of his horses.

"Kyle?" she called. He poked his head out of the stall, and smiled.

"Hello, lass! Long time no see, eh?" he asked. She nodded as he stepped out and dusted off his hands. "What can I do ya for?" he asked.

"Remember my brother?"

"Ya. Why?"

"I need you to go find him, and give him this. He gave me a poem for my birthday today."

"Happy birthday, lass!"

"Thank you.he gave me a poem, and I wanna thank him, but we haven't spoken in so long," she said. He nodded, and held out his hand. Emily handed him the note, and said, "Thank you, Kyle."

"No problem, lass. I'll see to it that he gets this right away."

"Thanks. Bye, Kyle!" she called, and headed back home.

"Daddy!" she called, shutting the door.

"Yes, honey?"

"I think I know of a job that I could take."

"What is it?" he asked. Emily walked into the back room, and smiled.

"I wanna be a newsie."