Chapter 4: Meeting new people

Lynn woke up to the gentle touch of somebody shaking her. As she opened her eyes she realized it the guy from last night with the red bandana tied around his neck and the black cowboy hat he wore.

"Hey. Are you awake?" Jack asked her softly. He was trying to hurry because he wanted to get to the distribution center in time. She slowly opened her eyes and quickly sat up and clutched the blanket to her once she realized where she was. Jack jumped back a little because of her quick movement.

"Do you have a job? Do you need to get to work?" he asked growing impatience by the second.

"Umm. No, I don't work on Sundays." Lynn said.

"Ok. We all need to get to work but I'll be back later to talk." Jack said as he turned to leave. She watched him go but stopped just short of the doorway and turned back around. "O by the way. The names Jack Kelly or Cowboy." Jack said as he gave her a smile and walked out of the room.

Lynn sat there for a few hours not really sure what to do. She wasn't lying to Jack when she said didn't work today. Sundays were her only day off. She started looking around the room as the sun began to shine more light in.

"That's odd." Lynn said to herself. She noticed there were only a few bunk beds in the room. "Surely there must be more." She pulled the blanket off herself and as she began walking around. There was a small washroom to the left, one window on the opposite wall and one door just across from her.

Lynn walked to the door and gently turned the knob, not really knowing what could possibly be on the other side. But to her relief it was just a hallway. As she poked her head through the doorframe she noticed one more door on the right and two more to the left. As she stepped out in the hallway she got this odd feeling she wasn't the only one in the building. She quickly looked around her, debating whether to go back in the room or get out.

"It's alright. Nothing is going to hurt you Lynn." She whispered to herself. The one thing she absolutely hated was to be scared by someone. As she quietly made her way to the only staircase when she saw the door across from her suddenly fly open. Her heart stopped for a moment before she realized it was another girl coming out of what looked like another bunkroom but only larger.

"Heya. The names Heaven but you can call me Heav." The girl said. She looked to be about 5'6" with dark brown hair and eyes to match. She wore a tattered black skirt and dirty blue shirt. "You're the girl Jack and Race found last night. You gave me a fright this morning you know. I woke up and here was this girl sleeping. It's good thing I went and found the boys before dragging you out of there." She girl named Heaven kept talking and Lynn had no idea what was happening. "Hey are you listening?" she asked

"O ya, umm, ya." Lynn said. Still plastered to the wall in the hallway.

"Good. Jacky-boy and me want to talk to you. Come on." Heav beckoned the girl to follow her into the bunkroom. "This is the boys bunkroom. As you can see it's much larger than ours but also smells of sweat." She said the last part a little quieter.

"Hey I heard that." Lynn heard another voice in the bunkroom. She searched around as she saw Jack walk out of what appeared to be the washroom for boys.

"O you can't deny it Jacky boy. And look who I found wondering the halls." Heav said as she motioned to Lynn.

"Hey." Jack said as he walked over to the girls. "You know we never found out your name last night." She looked between the newsies who were expectedly awaiting her answer.

"Lynn." She said softly as she held her hands together as she started twisting them in one another. A bad habit she had recently picked up when she got nervous. "Look Jack, I know you saw happened a week ago but I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone." She said. Heav looked between the two wondering if there was something between them. She could tell there was a story and she was going to find out one way or another. She was the gossip of the girls; it was her job to make sure she knew everything about every newsie.

"That's fine. You have my word." Jack said and he spit in his hand and held it out. He could see Lynn's face. It held uncertainty and disgust. "You do the same. It's a way newsies make promises to each other. Shows trust." He explained still holding out his hand.

"It's not that. It's…you can't tell Sarah either." She said. She wanted to make sure that no one knew what happened. She trusted Sarah but Lynn felt she already knew too much about her life. She couldn't have her know anymore.

"Sarah. Sarah Jacobs. You know her?" Jack asked letting his hand drop.

"Yes. We work together." Lynn said. She looked at the ground. Noticing for the first time the clothes that littered the floor, the sheets from the beds laying everywhere and the few windows that lined each side of the room. Then it hit him. This was the Lynn Sarah often talked about. He understood all too well why someone wouldn't want anyone to know about their life. All newsies understood it.

"I won't tell Sarah either." Jack said holding out his hand again. Lynn finally spit just a little in her hand, still unsure about the spitting thing, and cautiously put her hand in his.

"Well since you have a job, its a place to stay you need then." Heav said and Lynn nodded to confirm.

"Well you're welcome to stay here at the lodging house." Jack said leaning against one of the bunks. "It's two cents a night."

"Thanks." was all Lynn said.

"Well that is settled, its time for you to meet the other girls. Come on." Heav said as she grabbed Lynn's hand and dragged her out of the bunkroom.