𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 - 𝐃. 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐛𝐬

𝑶𝑵𝑬

☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

I wake up in a dark alleyway, eyes barely opening. No lights at all besides the streetlights in the corner. I felt a sudden punch to the eye.

I try opening my eyes as much as I can without the pounding feeling in my head. I felt another punch to the stomach.

The next thing I know, everything goes pitch black. I can hear a faint voice. It sounds like they are saying...stitches? Am I in a hospital room?

"Hey Stitches. Stitches! SKYE." I jolt up. It is just Racetrack yelling my name. I woke up breathing heavily. I keep trying to get that day out of my head but it keeps appearing in my nightmares right as I'm about to wake up.

That day was 10 years ago and it was both the worst, and the best day of my life. My parents had been taken earlier that week. I was ten and had no clue what I was doing so I just...ran. Jack then found me and took me to the Lodging house.

I am not Jack's sister by blood, but I am by heart. These boys have raised me and I am pretty sure I would have been dead if Jack wouldn't have helped me. When I turned 14, Jack decided that it was time for me to start working as a newsie.

Though I am not a girlsie, I have to act like I am a guy so that I can still sell. I don't think any of us want me coming home with bruises all the time. That's kind of how I got my name though considering that if I had money, I would have needed stitches at the hospital that day.

It's also my name because I am always "letting myself get walked on" as Crutchy says. I never really thought about it until the newsboys started to agree with him. I guess I do need to step up for myself every once in a while. Whenever anybody asks me for my actual name, I tell them it's Spencer. It was the only name I could come up with on the spot.

I get snapped out of my thoughts when Race started singing and getting mad at Snipeshooter for stealing his cigar. I swear that boy has a huge addiction.

Race was one of the only boys who actually knew about. I don't know how I have managed to keep the secret from everyone for this long. I know that the secret is bound to escape soon.

A couple minutes later, all of the boys are in the restroom getting ready for the day. Luckily, Kloppman has given me a separate bathroom so I didn't have to change in front of the guys. After I put my hair up, making sure it was secure, I went back into the main room.

When I arrived, everyone was already leaving to go to the selling gates. On our way there, we are stopped by a few ladies who always give us a little bit of bread and occasionally some water.