A young man with red suspenders held the gold-topped cane between the two. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to reveal strong forearms and sun-kissed skin. The expression he wore on his face was hard as stone, and he had eyes she had never seen before in her life, cold and cobalt, unflinchingly fixed on Jane's disturber.

The drunk turned to him, his brow furrowed as he slowly regained focus. As soon as he did, his expression completely changed to a look of alarm. He stumbled away from Jane and the bar, looking twitchy and anxious at the young man holding the cane.

"S-s… sorry…" he stammered, and fell off into the crowd.

Jane had her mouth opened slightly as she had watched the scene unfold in front of her, and now the cold eyes turned on her. She closed her mouth. She felt as though he could see right through her, she couldn't feel her body at all, it was one of those moments where your cheeks feel like they're on fire and you forget everything around you. Only the sound of her own heartbeat pounded in her chest.

She opened her mouth to attempt to say something, but as she did, the young man merely nodded his head at her, a faint smirk curling on the edge of his lips and he slotted his cane into his belt loop. His gaze lingered on her for one more second then he was off, disappearing in the mass of people.

Jane shook her head to bring herself together. What the hell just happened? How did he do that? Where did he even come from? She strained her neck to look around for Toby or Luella. Luella was still entertaining the table of men, smile plastered on her face, cigarette between her fingers. Screw this Jane thought, time she left this place and got to the party she really wanted to be at.

She set off towards the dressing room, Luella at least saw her once already. She felt annoyed now at the event at the bar. God-damn newsies… this is the kind of crap that ruins the job… She changed out of her costume dress into her regular clothes, a plain white blouse and long black skirt. Boring, un-noticeable, just the way she liked it. The best part about performing was that it was all an act, her costumes were her uniforms and when she put them on she was a different person, a character on the stage she could never be in real life. And that was the beauty of it. She could just do it all for one night, and then she became Jane again after it was all over.

She took off her make-up and kept her hair pinned up; it always took so long to do as it was so thick. Grabbing her small bag, she slung it over her shoulder and hung up her dress-pieces along the wall with the others. There were so many, all different kinds with feathers and lace beautiful detailing. She loved the feel of them.

Jane hadn't been in New York that long. She had moved from Elizabeth four months ago, when her father died. He had been sick for a while. The dresses reminded her of her mother. How her mother loved to dance… Jane brought herself back to the present and smoothed down the skirt.

She took her shawl from her bag and draped it round her shoulders, opened the back-stage door and slipped out into the street. It was dark now. The yellow glow from the streetlights illuminated the path as Jane walked briskly along. It was only a few blocks to Arlene's house.

She reached the building hearing noise and laughter coming from upstairs. Jane went up the stoop, and into the main entrance hall. The party seemed to be going on everywhere, there were people on the stairs holding drinks, couples talking, petting. Jane climbed the stairwell up to Arlene's apartment, past all the bodies on the stairs. The apartment door was open, folks coming in and out. She didn't recognize anyone as she entered the room, not really knowing many people she scanned the crowd for Arlene.

"JANEEEY!!" came a screech from across the room

"Arlene! Happy Birthday!" Jane replied, relieved she wasn't on her own any longer.

"Oh Janey, I'm so glad you came! There are people I want you to meet! And I can't drink all my birthday drinks by myself! How was Luella? Was she loathsome and tried to make you stay…?"

"No, not really, I kinda left just after the show anyways. So where are these drinks? I could use one right now."

Arlene threw her head back and laughed, her curly raven hair cascading down her back. "Then come with me my darling!"

She led Jane through the room to a group of people round a table, they were mostly boys. There was a tallish, handsome boy with a red bandana tied around his neck and what looked like a cowboy hat trailing down his back. He sat next to a smaller Italian-looking boy with a smarter waistcoat and an oversized cigar hanging from his mouth.

"This here's Jack," Arlene stated, as the boy with the tall cowboy raised himself from his seat and held out his hand. Jane shook it.

"Jack, Jack Kelly." He said, "And you must be…?"

"This is Janey!" continued Arlene, "… and Janey, this is Race, and over there, that's Blink and Mush." She pointed further round the table to more faces, a boy with an eye-patch and a boy with dark eyes and curly hair. They also got up.

"Please ta meet'cha Miss Janey." said Mush, taking Jane's hand and bringing it to his lips. He kissed it.

"Err… Please, call me Jane." She replied, a little nervous.

"Den sit down Jane, an have a few drinks wid us!" declared the Italian boy Race.

Everyone round the table smiled and laughed, Arlene handed Jane a bottle of beer.

"Thanks" she didn't normally drink, but after a long day she was exhausted, it was Arlene's birthday, the first and really only girl who had befriended her since she moved to Manhattan, so she took a swig from the bottle and watched the people around her talking and joking.

Jane took her time with her drink, she didn't want too many as she didn't want to be drunk walking home. I wasn't really far but she didn't even know anyone really and didn't want to embarrass herself. Arlene, on the other hand, was plastered.

"Wooooo!!! Ha-ha!! I c-hic!-can't believe it's my birfday… hic! … An all my friends are here…. I love you guys….hic!" she garbled, sitting on Jack's lap.

Everyone laughed. Jack smiled "And we'se love you Arlene, dat's why I feel da need to put ya ta bed."

The rest of the boys erupted in jeers and cheers. Jane raised her eyebrows, a little taken aback by Jacks comment.

"Alright Cowboy!" Mush piped up.

"Na! Not like dat!" Jack exclaimed, smile on his face, "As much as I'se wouldn't say no here ta Miss Arlene," he looked at Mush, "I'se a gentlemen!"

The boys laughed.

"And…. I'se a Manhattan newsie,"

Then they really laughed. Race looked like he was almost crying, and Blink held his sides from laughing so hard. Jane had no idea what he meant, but everyone seemed to find this hilarious. She had found out during the evening that they were all Manhattan newsies. She giggled with the boys as Jack swept Arlene up in his arms and carried her to her bed. She looked at Race wiping his tears of laughter away with the back of his hand.

"What did he mean about saying he's a Manhattan newsie?" she asked

Race giggled. "Ha-ha! Dere's not just da newsies here in Manhattan, doll. Dere's newsies from all ova New York, see in Manhattan, we'se known as respectable newsies, but ya could say dere's some newsies dat wouldn't treat a lady like we'se would."

"Like which newsies?" she asked wide eyed

He leaned over a little towards her and lowered his voice,

"Like, err… Brooklyn."

"Oh."

"Yeah, dere are some Brooklyn newsies ya just don't wanna run into." Race looked around him a little nervously.

Jane felt a little worried. Were there Brooklyn newsies here in Manhattan? She slowly let her eyes wonder the room, trying to look inconspicuous. There were still quite a few people chatting and drinking and singing noisily in Arlene's apartment, despite her being passed out at her own party, and then suddenly her eyes caught hold of someone, someone with a gold-topped cane glinting at her from his belt loop.

As if he could feel her gaze upon him, he turned and looked right at her. Jane turned away immediately, trying to stare at her bottle, or the table, or anything. She could sense those eyes still surveying her. Just then Jack returned.

"Now, now Cowboy!" started Blink, "Ya took a little longer den necessary…" he teased

"Oi!" Jack retaliated, he looked at Jane with a serious expression "I'se know you believe me Miss Jane, I'se a complete gentlemen."

Jane gave him a suspicious smile, she had a feeling he wouldn't of taken advantage of Arlene's incapacitation.

"I believe you Mr. Kelly." She said, still smiling. "Actually," she turned her attention to the rest of the table, "I think it's time I made my way home now. Thank you all for a lovely evening, it was nice meeting you all."

She got up to leave, so did Jack and Race.

"Really, ya leavin now?" said Race

"I would like to stay but I'm quite tired and I really should go, I have work early tomorrow."

"I'se thought ya worked at Irving Hall? Isn't dat kinda a night-time thing?"

"Well, yes, but I also help sew the costume dresses, and I'm not very good when I'm tired." She laughed

"Well den," said Jack, "Please allow me ta walk ya home."

"Oh, no, thank-you, I'll be fine."

"Well I'se don't think it's really dat safe walkin home on ya own, young miss like yaself, it's pretty late."

"It's very kind of you Jack, but it's not that far, honestly I will be fine."

"Are ya sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, you boys continue the party, in Arlene's honor!"

They laughed. Jack looked a little unsure.

"Be seein' ya Miss Jane." said Race, tipping his hat towards her.

She remembered what Race was saying about newsies from different boroughs. It was best just to hurry and get home. As Jane stepped out the building the wind whipped around her skirt. She pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders and set off into the night.