Hi you guys! I'm so sorry for not posting lately I lost all my work somehow so I had to start over with a chapter that was almost done. I'm going back to my usual schedule of posting on Saturdays or Sundays starting not next weekend but the weekend after that. Thanks.

I quietly laid on my bed. God life being locked inside an apartment was boring. Not like that is a surprise. I wondered what Racetrack was doing. He seemed interesting. He was probably getting drunk off his ass. I laughed a little bit to myself. I looked over to the side of my bed and saw some candle sticks. Maybe I could use the candlesticks to break the windows and... No I didn't need a felony on my hands. I'm sure they would press charges. I sighed. I was on day two now of life locked inside your apartment. It was late afternoon and in a few hours the sun would be going down.

I knew that Jack wouldn't be coming to my window that day. He was busy. What do I have to do today? It was important wasn't it? Oh yes... lunch. I had an "important" lunch to go to. I groaned to myself.

"Why do I have to go?" I whined to no one.

I sighed. I had to go to a lunch with mother and her friends. We would drink tea, have those little sandwiches that were so little that you couldn't taste anything! I don't even like tea. I groaned again. I already knew it was going to be terrible. I had to squeeze into my corset (which I hated enough) and dress up for going to lunch. I honestly find lunch to be the least important meal. You need breakfast. You need dinner. I can live with skipping lunch for a day. I wished that day was today!

My door swung open. I turned to see my mother. Well here we go. Mother did the usual: putting a corset on me and fixing my hair. Today though my hair had to look "absolutely perfect". There couldn't be a single stray hair. Then she dressed me up in a white silk dress with black lace at the end of the sleeves, collar and end of the skirt. I pretty but I'd seen it to many times. I grew used to it.

"Well you appear prepared now." Mother said. "Let's go. We have a carriage coming for us."

I nodded and she walked out of the room.

I sighed and thought of Jack. I missed him... The last thing I needed was to go to this lunch. I looked out the window. I wished Jack could be there. I saw the coach pull up in front of the house. I knew it was time to go. I made an exaggerated sigh. I walked out of my bedroom and trudged down the hall.

"You must walk more lady like." Mother nagged.

"Yes Mother."

We walked to the coach and got in. On the way all my mother did was nag and bark at me.

"...and keep your back straight. Don't forget to use manners..." She went on.

I just nodded my head to make it seem like I was listening. I had my mind on other things. I was thinking about Jack. In fact he was all I'd been thinking of lately. I loved him so much. How could I get my mind off him?

"Are you even listening?" Mother barked snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yes mother."

She glared at me and said, "Maria sit up.". I straightened my back. She continued nagging and going on and on. Finally the carriage came to a halt in front of an apartment building. I walked out of the carriage.

"Fix your dress!" Mother demanded.

I quickly patted down the skirt of my dress. Mother grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the apartment building. She opened the door and up a winding stair case we went. She led me to the seventh floor. By the time we reached the seventh floor I was out of breath.

"Apartment 305..." Mother repeated under her breath.

Eventually mother did find the apartment. She opened the door.

"Hello Eliza, Constance, Margaret." Mother cooed.

I simply nodded. I knew not to speak. The wrong words always rolled off my tongue. They sat at a table sipping tea and eating miniature sandwiches (told you so). Eliza was a shy woman with children a bit younger than I was at the time. Constance's most noticeable feature would have to have been her bright orange hair. Margret was a bright, cheery and outgoing woman. I didn't mind the woman as much as I did for others (there had been so many others).

"Hello Helen and Maria." Margret smiled. "Come sit with us." She motioned towards a few seats with her hand.

Obediently I sat. Mother sat in the seat next to me. They began with the same mindless, boring talk about the weather and such. Boring, but nothing to horridly so.

"Would you like some tea?" Constance asked me.

"Yes thank you." I said.

Mother smiled at me.

"Well anyways, you all know of my dear friend -"Constance started.

I started choking on my tea.

"Oh are you alright?" Eliza asked instantly, like a mother tending to her child.

"Yes. Fine... Thank you." I muttered.

"As I was saying," Constance went on. "we were having a conversation about those newsboys. Disgusting creatures really. They did have a strike against him a few years ago you know."

"Yes. I understand more than you know." Mother said rolling her eyes.

"They were only trying to make fair pay. They are human and must make a living." I said trying to be polite.

I felt mother place a hand on my leg and then squeeze tightly. I ignored it.

"Yes well, being human is the only thing people like us and people like them have in common." Mother hissed.

"I wouldn't say that." I gave her a grin. "Maybe if you only spoke to one and got to know one you would see things differently."

"That is all opinion based."

"At least it is based on some reason." I snapped.

"Now, now ladies, calm down." Margret said.

I took a deep breath. How dear they? These woman who knew nothing about people like that, nothing at all! Nothing of their struggles or life. Yet they felt the need to call them "disgusting creatures"!

"No!" I said standing up. "I will not "calm down"! What do you know about the newsies?"

"Is that what they call themselves?" Mother snickered.

"Oh for once in your life shut up mother!" I shouted.

Her eyes narrowed.

"They have problem! Living in the streets and actually having a job is a lot harder than sitting on your ass all day."

I got up and started walking out of the apartment.

"Mad as a hatter." I heard.

I opened the door walked out and slammed the door behind me. I walked down the hall and down the winding stair case and out into the street.