I woke up the next day to mother shaking me awake.

"Wake up!" She barked. "Wake up!"

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"We must get you ready."

"Umm... Why?"

My mother didn't answer. Instead she yanked me out of bed and into a corset. She begun to lace up the corset. My mother yanked on the corset laces.

"Not so tight mother!" I said barely breathing.

"Beauty is pain. If you want to be a lady you will have to ignore it."

"Maybe I don't want to be a lady!"

She pulled the laces tighter. It was like dying from lack of oxygen! Other than that she ignored what I'd said. She finished with the corset. It was so tight I could dearly breath! I slid into a violet dress. Mother left the room. I rolled my eyes.

"Beauty is pain." I mumbled mimicking her.

I wished that I could loosen the corset but I would need help for that and the last thing I needed was another lecture.

I walked out of the room. I looked over to my father he hadn't gotten the paper yet. Good I could talk to the one person I know here.

"Father?" I said.

He looked over at me.

"Yes Maria?"

"May I go get your morning paper?" I asked hopefully.

"Of course. It does gives you a chance to see the city again and get to know it better."

I smiled. As insane as my father could be he was also a nice guy. My mother started to open her mouth.

"Goodbye!" I said as I walked out the door.

I was lucky to get out before my mother could get a word in. I walked down the hall which led to the stairs and walked down to the lobby. I kept checking behind me to be sure that mother wasn't following. I hurried out of the building. I continued walking. I made sure I was going in the same direction as yesterday. If I remembered right newsies usually stayed in the same place each day. But than again it had been many years so things can change. I found the street corner that Jack had been on the day before. He wasn't there! It looked like the same one. Was it the same one?

"Came back for another pape?" I heard from behind me.

I gasped then turned around and saw Jack.

"Oh... Hi." I said.

"Sorry I scared you."

"No don't worry. I scare easy." I laughed.

"So you want to take a walk?"

"Sure why not."

He had less papers than yesterday only about three left.

"Good headline?" I asked.

He looked surprised.

"You know headlines?"

"Yeah. My father always reads the news paper, always. He thought me the difference between a good headline and a bad one." I explained.

"He's a big newspaper guy huh?"

"Yes. But he's not obsessed! That wouldn't be normal."

Jack laughed.

"It's not like the papes are going anywhere."

"Can you imagine a world with out well the World or Sun or Journal?"

"It's not like you can replace them with anything."

He smiled at me. He had this nice big warm smile.

"Hey Jack!" I herd someone shout.

I looked over and saw a boy with jet black hair and brown eyes.

"Hey Race." Jack said.

He walked over to us.

"Maria this is a friend of mine Racetrack Anthony Higgins." Jack said.

"It's just Racetrack or Race. I hate my name." Race said.

"It's very nice to meet you Race." I said holding out my hand.

Race shook my hand. I knew two people now! I'd never really had friends so it was nice to maybe have a few.

"So Race how goes it?" Jack asked.

"You no the usual." Race answered. "Just sold my last paper."

Race took a cigarette and lit it.

"You want a smoke?" He asked me as he took a puff.

"I don't smoke. My mother said it wasn't lady like."

Race smiled and I could tell he was holding in a laugh.

"But I'll try one." I said holding out my hand.

Race looked surprised. I understood that I might have to get these peoples approval. I was up to the challenge. Race handed me cigarette. I put it in my mouth breathed and breathed in. This turned into a coughing fit.

"Thats ok, it happens to everybody on the first try." Race told me.

I felt accepted... I'd never exactly felt excepted. Even though I'd just meet these people they seemed so mush different than I was used to. While the rich you had to fit in be proper and perfect, this was something else.

"So where are you from? I've never seen you around here since yesterday." Jack asked me.

"I'm originally from here. We moved away when I was a child for my father work. We moved back just a week ago." I explained.

Jack nodded. "Why did you come back?"

"His business of course."

At times my fathers work dominated his life. It seemed more important than me or my mother... Lately more than ever. It was almost as if we didn't matter sometimes.

A little bit later I was on my way home. I looked around for the girl I'd seen the day before. For some reason I was curious about her. It didn't matter, I would probably never see her again. In a big city like New York people come and go. I walked into the building and up the stairs until I reached the third floor and than walked into my apartment. I was greeted by my mother scowl.

"Where have you been?" She demanded.

"Out to get the newspaper." I said.

I held out the paper for her to see.

"I know that! What took you so long?"

"I wanted to see the city and get to know it better."

She looked at me disapprovingly

"Father said that I could you were there!" I said in defense.

Her expression changed knowing she'd lost. She walked away. I smiled knowing I had finely won! I almost never win.

"Maria lunch!" My father called.

"Coming."

I hurried to the dining room and sat in one of the chairs. It was nice to have my dad for lunch. He was usually at work by nine. Lucky for me he had off on weekends. Two less days I have to listen to my mothers constant barking. Mother put food on the table. As we started to eat my father opened his mouth to speak.

"I've been meaning to tell you," He started. "I'm going to be going to work earlier now. Seven in the morning to four in the afternoon."

I looked at him in shock.

"I'm still coming home at the same time at least." He said.

"That means you won't even be here for breakfast!" I said.

"Yes I know, but I have to do this. That is unless you want us to live on the streets." Father told me.

I stood up. I was outraged!

"Maybe people on the streets don't live such bad lives! They seem happy. Happier than we are! This whole problem with your work is such shit!" I screamed.

"Maria don't you dare speak that word in this house."Mother said.

I ignored her. How could this happen? Father hardly had time for us in the first place! I walked out of the dining. I walked into my room and slammed the door shut and locked it. I buried my face into my pillow and screamed.