Well, everyone, here's chappie 2. I hope you're all enjoying this so far. I promise, it picks up, you just gotta be patient cough cough Caitlin. LOL. Just kidding. Anyway, LEAVE REVIEWS:)

Chapter 2

"Hey, how'd ya do today?" Jack asked Jenna, coming up to her figure that was sprawled out on a bench.

The sun was just starting to set and she would have to be home soon to fix supper for her mother. She dreaded her house, it was no home. It wasn't her mother's condition; it was the sense of death you got just walking into the place. Her mother was pale and sickly and the house was a one room apartment in the slums. It was better than sleeping on the streets, but not by much; the bench felt pretty comfortable to her. The house, or room, was cold and empty except for the small kitchen area, a table for four, and one small bed the two shared. There was also a small rocking chair they had recently bought for her mother. Thinking of that bed, Jenna preferred the bench, it had more space than the thing she slept on every night. Her mother had pictures of her father strewn everywhere about the place, and though she wanted remember him, the pictures just added to Jenna's sorrow. She lifted her head from the bench to see, Jack and two other boys staring into her face.

Jack had light brown hair and wore a red bandana around his neck. His gray shirt was covered partially by a black vest that matched his pants. The black cowboy hat always completed his ensemble and the newsies called him "cowboy" because his dream was to go to Santa Fe, New Mexico and have a different life.

The second boy had darker curly brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a blue shirt and brown vest with brown pants. The third boys looked about eight years old but in reality was eleven. He was dressed in tan colors with a matching hat. The other boy's hat wasn't visible because he had stuffed it in one of his back pockets as many of the newsies would do occasionally.

"Sold all me papes," she said proudly.

"How many'd ya get?" Jack asked.

"Fifty today," she replied.

"Pretty good for the foist day," he replied. "Right, Dave?" He turned and grinned at the boy beside him. He snickered. "Ya see, Jim, you just ask Davey here about sellin' papes 'cause Davey only took twenty papes his foist day, isn't that right, Dave?" The boy seemed ashamed and knew he was being teased as his face turned slightly red and the smaller boy laughed.

"Why?" Jenna asked as if Davey had been completely stupid.

"Well, that was before he learned that headlines don't sell papes, newsies sell papes," Jack said.

"You already knew that though," the little boy said.

"Pretty experienced for a new guy," Davey said.

"You sure you never done this before?" Jack asked. She shook her head.

"Nope," she replied.

"Well, I'd say you've won a place in the gang, you gotta place ta stay? We all sleep one place, doesn't cost too much either, seein' as you sold all your papes," Jack offered.

"Nah, I got me own place," she replied, standing up. As she did so she pulled a small box out of her pocket. Opening the box she pulled out one thin toothpick and stuck it in her mouth, sticking the box back in her back pocket.

"Ya got supper? You can come over to my place with us, I know my parents wouldn't mind," Davey offered. She shook her head again.

"Maybe some other time," she said, walking off.

Davey's sister, Sarah, greeted the three as they entered the house. She had long brown hair and dark brown eyes that sparkled with anticipation every time she saw Jack, so did his as a matter of fact. Sarah was the oldest followed by Davey and then finally the youngest, Les. Jack would have supper at the house every now and then but more recently it had been every night.

"So, a new guy came in today," Jack announced to the table.

"Really?" Sarah said. "Who?"

"His name's Jim," Jack replied.

"So, did you show him how it's done?" she asked.

"Actually, he didn't need any help, he went off on his own and when we finally met up wid him he's sold all his papes. He started out wid fifty, that's pretty good for the foist day," he explained.

"Sounds like a natural born newsie," Sarah said.

"Hey, Jim, you wanna come sell papes with me today, I heard you was good," came the voice of a boy hobbling over to Jenna with one crutch.

"Sure, why not," she said. As the group made its way down the street, Jenna noticed that one of the boys veered off from the gang. "Hey, Crutchy, who's that? Ya know I still don't know everyone yet." Crutchy turned to where Jenna was pointing and smiled.

"Ah, that's Racetrack," he said.

"Where's he goin'?" she asked.

"To the tracks, he sneaks in to watch the races and sells papes down there too, usually bets on a race or two," Crutchy replied.

"Oh," she said, chewing on her toothpick.

"Yeah, if you ever gamble with him you'd better be sure, he's the best," he warned. She grinned. Jenna had been the best gambler at her school, whenever the boys would let her play, and now she couldn't wait to challenge him.

Racetrack wore a white shirt with a black vest and pants and gray colored hat. His dark brown hair matched his eyes and his heavy Brooklyn accent set him apart from the rest even more. Almost every boy had one but his was especially noticeable. He could always make you laugh with his sarcastic sense of humor.

Jenna was quickly putting name with faces with the rest of the boys. Obviously there was Jack, the leader, and Davey and his brother Les. There was Crutchy, whose nickname was immediately known, Kid Blink who wore an eye patch, and Specs who had glasses. There was Mush and Skittery, Boots and Snipeshooter, one of the younger boys. The rest would take her longer to remember, but not much longer. Now there was Racetrack, and she had a feeling that she wasn't going to forget him.