"Come on Mary! We need to go!" I heard my father call from outside my tiny, empty bedroom. All of my clothes were in a suitcase and my dad, the Captain, had sold the last of my furniture yesterday. With a sigh I took one last look at my room and turned to leave, not expecting to see it again. I walked into the equally empty main room to see the Captain all dressed up for his departure and straightening his hat.

"A little more to the right." I said nonchalantly. He took my advice with a long face. I just sighed.

"You know I'd take you if I could, but this isn't a merchant ship. It's part of the US Navy and I'm lucky to captain it." He said sounding truly sorry.

"I know and I am happy for you." I said with a small, fake smile. "Happy for you, just not for me." I thought.

The smile I received in return was just as fake as mine had been. All of it hit me in that moment and I ran towards him. He opened his arms and hugged me while I sobbed into his shoulder. I normally didn't cry much but I hated the idea that he was basically abandoning me in New York City.

"It's okay." He said into my dark hair, his breath tickling my ear. I pulled away trying to calm down enough to speak.

"I-I can't do this. I just can't be in New York by myself!"

"You won't be by yourself! The newsies'll take care of you." Was that a tear on his cheek? He hadn't cried since my mother died, at least not in front of me.

"What if they hate me?" I said. Oh great, now I'm panicking and I sound like a 7 year old girl.

"Have ever met someone and they hated you? Honestly now!" He said with a forced laugh.

"Grandmother hated me!"

"Your mother's mother was a heinous old woman. She didn't hate you, she hated me being with your mother and took it out on you. There wasn't anything you could do about her not liking you." He finished.

"If I recall you have a ship to captain and I have a bunk to set myself up in. Aren't we both headed for adventure!" I said trying to sound like my normal, perky self and get us out the door.

"God, I'm gonna miss you and your optimism ... even if it's fake right now." He teased. "You are just like your mother. You look just like her."

"Except for my nose! I get my big nose from you!" I said trying to lighten the mood. I decided I didn't want our last hours together to be miserable. We walked out of the apartment. The Captain returned our keys to the landlord on the way out.

"Here's the plan." He said as we stepped out into the busy street. "We'll go to the Lodging House and get you signed up and checked in." I nodded trying to keep up with his quick pace and clutching my suitcase tightly. "Then we'll head down to the docks, you see me off and head back. Tomorrow morning our new lives start and we'll see each other soon."

"Alright. I was just wondering, why did you decide I should be a newsie?"

"I used to be one. That's just one of the many reasons your grandma hated me. Anyways, I didn't think you'd like being in a factory all day." He led me up to a building that was clearly labeled as the Newsboys' Lodging House. The Captain must have seen my worried look as I concentrated on the word 'Newsboys'.' "Don't worry, there's girl newsies too. Kloppman never bothered to change the sign I guess. ... I wonder if he still owns the place ..." No use talking to him now, he was on a trip down memory lane.

Dear Fabulous People of the Internet:

I don't know why, but this story was deleted so I'm putting the first four chapers up all over again. Sorry! The 5th one is coming soon.

:o)