The first Girl Newsie

Chapter 1: Found

    Third person pov

     Anna was sitting in the corner of her 'home'.  Her home was an ally way. Ever since her parents died in a fire she has lived in the streets, living on pickpocketing and occasionally steeling food from stands.  The only thing that was an actual struggle for her was winter.  The brunet had no defense against the bitter cold.  This year was no exception.

     Night had fallen and Anna was curled in a corner using old newspaper as a blanket.  The cold wind hipped around the ally way causing her cheeks to go numb.  Tears slowly escaped her eyes as she tried to warm her frozen body.  Sniffles filled the air and it echoed off the walls around her.   She tried to stop the salt droplets from falling but they just couldn't.

    Footsteps filled the air and Anna tensed up.  Was it the Delancy brothers again? They couldn't get anything from her! Oscar and Morris already gave you a busted lip and took your money (it was only 5 cents but still).  There was no way they could get anything from her, since dirt had more money than she did!  She tried to stay quite but her teeth chattered loudly from the cold and sniffles were made worse by the cold.  I'm dead. She thought to her self as the steps got louder.

     A group of three boys walked into the dark ally way.  The biggest one had a bandana and a cowboy hat, one of the was crippled and walking with a crutch, the last one was kind of short with black hair brushed back and a cigar in his mouth.  The one with a crutch was looking at the biggest one in confusion.  "Jack I swear, I heard someone sniffling."

     "I believe yous Crutchie " Jack looked around and stepped farther in and closer to Anna, yet didn't see her. "Ise anybody here?"

     The smaller one stepped forward and placed his hand on Jacks shoulder. "Jack, we should just go. No ones here"

     The blonde looked around one more time. "Guess yous right Race."

     As they began to walk out the ally she relaxed, maybe a little to much.  Her foot slipped from its position and it kicked the metal can and sent it toppling. I'm a dumbass!!!!  She tried to hide before anyone could spot her.  Jack slowly walked up to Anna's spot and she curled up into a tighter ball, hoping to blend into the shadows.  The man stood in front of the girl and just stared wide eyed at the brown eyed girl.  "Crutchie! Race! come here!"

     Jack lowered himself to his knees  as the two other boys approached her space.  "I-I-I Don't h-h-have any money or anything. P-P-Please don't hurt me." Fear laced her blood as she tried to keep a safe distance.

     "We ain't gonna hurt ya.  Yous gotta place to stay?"  Anna nodded no and he took his vest off.  

     He wrapped the vest around the tan girl and looked back at Race.  "Should we take her back to the lodge?"

     Race took his cigar out of his mouth and waved it around as he spoke. "Ya, if the goils okay with it." He turned to Anna and pointed his cigar at her. "What's yous name?'

     "Anna." Jack reached out to help the brunet stand up and asked her if she wanted to go.  Rubbing her hands together to warms them up she agreed to go.  On the way to the lodging house Jack explained how things there worked, how to sell papes, and where the good selling spots were.

     Jack left Anna with Crutchie and Racetrack to go explain to the other newsies who the new addition.  Crutchie was talking to Kloppman about setting up a place for her to stay with privacy.  "Anna, what where you doing livin in the streets?"

    Race was sitting next to Anna by a fireplace, holding out a cup of water to her.  Anna took the cup and sipped some of the soothing liquid.  "My parents died in a fire a couple years ago. Ever since I've lived in the streets... I steal some food or some change, every now and then the Delancies would take what I managed to get and beat me up a bit." 

     Race's face fell when the Delancies were mentioned.  "Them Delancies are always roughing up us newsies, but no one not even them should give a goil a hard time. Is that where you got the busted lip?" 

     She nodded and drank some more water from the cup.  The fire keeping was keeping her warm as Race shared stories of the Newsies and their adventures.  "Jack was jumping from top bunk to top bunk when he got caught in the sheets and was left daggling upside down!" Both of them were laughing at the stories when Crutchie walked in.

     "Kloppman said there is an extra bed and shower in a separate area from the boys that you can have." He had a smile on his face when he announced his accomplishments. 

     She smiled up at the gimp.  "Thank you Crutchie."

   The curly haired boy lead Anna to her room but on the way stopped to introduce her to the rest of the Newsies.  "That's Mush, Boots, Specs, Bumlets, and You already met Jack..." He went through the fifty newsies in the room. 

     Each one was happy to meet you, Mush seemed to be the most excited. "So Jack who is she bunking with? Perhaps a boy whose name started with an M?" A chuckle ripped through the room and Anna blushed.

     "Actually Kloppman had a spare room and said that Anna can stay in that room."  Crutchie lead the brunet to her room.  "Well here you are.  If you need anything We're right down the hall."

     Anna smiled lightly and thanked Crutchie.  When Crutchie left Jack filled right behind a bundle of clothes.  "Here are some clothes for tomorrow.  Also since tomorrow will be yous first day selling, I figured I could take you around and teach you the ropes."

     "Thanks Jack." He tipped his hat and walked out the room. Once he left Anna locked the door and went to clean up, It would be the first bath she had in two years. Looking in the mirror, her hair was a mess, her face smudged with dirt and blood and a dark bruise on her jaw.  It was a heart breaking sight.

     As the water fell down Anna's tan body, her eyes followed the patters the blood and dirt decent down the drain. She felt cleaner and healthier even! Once she hopped out of the shower and looked in the mirror, her bruises were more visible.  The one on her chin was green and yellow and there was some on her ribs that were a dark purple.  

     Quickly Anna got dressed in her clothes and braided her hair.  The clothes cowboy gave her was a button down blue shirt that was slightly to big, a pair of trousers, and some shoes.  The bed had a thin mattress and blanket, still it was the best thing Anna had seen in a while.  Leaving the bathroom, Anna climbed into her new bed and passed out.

     *Jacks pov

     The new girl Anna was in bad shape.  It was obvious that see had been on the streets for a long time and gotten into fights. The bruises on her face told me she lost most of em, but still no goil should have to go trough that.  "Race, come here a sec."

     Racetrack just waved his hand. "I'm in the middle of a game Jack not now."  

     I headed to Crutchie and Mush who were probably trading stories.  "Crutchie, tomorrow I'm taking Anna and gonna teach her the ropes of selling papes and how to fight.  Do ya know any places I can teach her on how to fight?

     "Well Jack...." Crutchie scratched his head "There's downstairs, Medda's stage ,if she's not preforming, and any ally way near by."  

     "Thanks Crutch. " I headed over to Anna's room to see how check up on her.  I knocked on her door and slowly opened it.  Her dark brown hair was braided and her face clean yet she had a nasty bruise on her jaw.  A light snore came from her as she rested. A small smile was painted across her face.

     A tap on my shoulder let me know Mush was standing behind me.  "Does Jack have the hots for Anna?" A smirk was plastered on his face.

     "Shut it Mush." I closed the door and headed to bed.  Tomorrow was gonna be a long day