Chapter 2

AN: I don't own Newsies. And to all of you who reviewed this and told me to keep it going… it's for you gals! Even if it took me like three months! Lol the next one should be coming shortly! You gals rock my world!

Sparks

Lauren Hamilton strolled up the laneway of her suburban California home. Her golden blonde hair flowing behind her in the wind. She was sorting threw the mail. "Bills, bills, stuff for mom, stuff for me, stuff for dad…. OH stuff for me." She said happily, a wide grin on her face. She raced up the stone steps and into the house.

"Lauren did you get the mail?" A voice called from down the hall.

"Yes mom, there's bills and letters for you and dad, and there is a letter from me from the people at… Meadowlark Academy?" Lauren said confused, standing in the middle of the hallway. Suddenly there was a great rustle of paper and a blonde haired woman was standing right in front of Lauren. There was a widely excited look on her face.

"Did you say Meadowlark?" Shelly Hamilton asked her daughter. Lauren nodded uneasily. "That's absolutely FABULOUS!" Shelly exclaimed. Lauren was looking at her mother like she had just fallen out of a tree and gone mad.

"Mother, I really don't understand? What is Meadowlark? And why is it so great?" She asked taking a step back.

Shelly blew a piece of hair out of her face to calm her self down slightly. "Hunnie, its only the most prestigious, high class boarding school in the country. It use to be an all boys school, but its opened its doors to five lucky young ladies and well your father and I applied for you…. And you got in!" She said getting absolutely ecstatic again.

Lauren didn't know what to say, she just stood there straight faced. Slowly a small grin crept across her face. She was processing it all. "A prestige school!" She exclaimed after a few minutes. "That means that I will actually be able to have a better chance of getting into the university of my choice! And I will have a library the size of the Arabian sea! I have to go back!" She squealed and raced up the stairs to her room, leaving her mother still in the hall laughing lightly.

Over in a small town in Ohio, Brandie Foster pulled up to her parent's rather large estate, in the back seat of a cop car. She had a smug look on her face, a cut under her chocolate brown eyes and her dark brown hair was coming fuzzily out of her ponytail. The front door of the house swung open and a frantic Paul and Judith Foster came running out. The police officer stepped out of the car and greeted the Fosters by a tip of his hat.

"Evening Paul, Judy. I'm afraid Brandie was at it again. This time she started a fight with Cindy Lawson, and Lily Smith. The two girls are in the hospital with minor injuries, but there parents aren't pleased. They mentioned something about pressing charges." He said removing his hat. The Foster's looked at each other in shock. "If I may suggest, perhaps sending her to a school where they could teach her some, respect, discipline and perhaps some sense."

Paul nodded his head. His light brown hair bounced with the movement. "Well officer Prentice you've read our minds. We happened to get her into the correctional part of Meadowlark in Manhattan. She leaves in the morning." He said glancing at his wife who was in tears.

Brandie scoffed. "But Ma, they were asking for it! "She hollered out the window. That only made Judith cry harder and run back into the house. Paul shook he head a Officer Prentice let Brandie out of the car.

"Dad this is bullshit, they asked for it." She shot at her father, in her own self-defense.

"Calm down B, we're doing what's best for you. Now come on lets get you packed."

Brandie glared at the ground as she and her father walked back up to the small house. She was muttering unpleasant things. She hated prep's, she hated happy and she hated her family. In her mind life sucked.

Meanwhile in the bustling city of Chicago, Scarlet Leigh was quietly brushing her wavy red hair that fell to just above her hips. Her dim green eyes twinkled as she glanced at herself in the mirror. She sighed just a little and then put the brush on her small dresser. Scarlet had recently been the fifth and final girl accepted to Meadowlark Academy. Her parents had really pushed her to apply; they figured it would be an excellent way for her to make friends.

Scarlet laughed a little at the thought and at the same time shuttered slightly. Socializing wasn't her strong point.

"Scarlet, is your bag packed!" A motherly voice called up the stairs, which was followed by a mocking small voice. "Scarlet is your bag packed?"

Scarlet laughed. "yes Mamma! And thank you for repeating her Jillian." She called back. She could hear faint laughter and then her mother spoke again.

"Perhaps you should call your friends and say goodbye."

"Yes Mom." She called back. "Mom still thinks I have all these friends at school…. Well I should call May and say goodbye. She has been my best friend for ten years."

She picked up the phone and called her only friend and said a short good bye. Then sighing she climbed into her bed and lay there staring at the ceiling, even if it wasn't time for bed. She sighed and rolled over, trying not to think about tomorrow.

AN: Hope you liked it. And then next one will be longer I promise. There's only one more chapter where it's sorta dull… Then the fun stuff begins. ;)