The Only Girl Newsie

Chapter 16: A Dream About The Past

I dreamt of the first time I met the boys.

I was running away from the place I called home. I can't believe I hadn't thought of this earlier. The thing is, I don't know my way around very well. I wasn't allowed out much. My job was to make sure the boys didn't get out and escape from the refuge. The last time I let that happen, things didn't go well.

I love the boys, and I secretly help them any way I can. I'm glad that one guy got out. I'm just sad I had to pay for it. I sat down in an alleyway. I didn't know where to go on this cold night. I was lost and alone. My clothes were battered and ripped, not helping at all. All my recent bruises and cuts were visible and showing. 

My father is going to hate me if he ever finds me. He told me to find that boy that escaped, and I promised I would. It was the only way he would let me out. Anyways, there is no way I would even find him. 

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a couple of boys talking. They seemed to be close, and one of them sounded familiar. I tried to move closer to the wall in hopes they wouldn't see me. I didn't want to get found out and sent back home already. They came to the end of the alley I was in and stopped.

"Hey, I think Ise see someone," one of the boys said.

"No way, youse seeing things," the other responded.

"No somethings movin down there."

"Oh, now I see it too."

They both slowly walked closer to me as I tried and hide my face.

"Hello? Who's down there?" The second boy asked me.

I tried to stay quiet, but it didn't work. They came across me and stop walking, looking at me, confused. They bent down in front of me, sitting in the alleyway with me to talk.

"Hey, why youse out here?" The first one asked me gently.

"None of your business," I snapped back quietly, hoping they would leave.

"Wow, we just wanna help; what's your name?" the second boy asked me.

"Why do you care?" I asked him angrily.

"Hey, no need to get mad, I'm Jack, and this is Spot," the second one, well, Jack said.

Spot gently places his hand on my leg, trying to calm me down. "Will you tell me your name?" 

I shook my head in response, not trusting my voice.

"Will you please come outta the dark and come with us. I know a place you can stay the night if ya need," Jack tells me, reaching his hand out for me to take. 

I nodded and slowly took his hand. The two boys helped me stand up and led me out of the dark alley. I kept my head down, but as soon as we stepped out onto the street and under a light, they gasped at what they saw.

"What happened?" Jack asked me, looking over my injuries.

"My father," I answered quietly.

"What?!?!" Spot quietly yelled, upset that my own father had hurt me.

I lifted my head to finally look at Jack and Spot. Jack gasped once again as he looked at me.

"You're... You're..... You're Snyder's girl." He said quietly, looking at me with wide eyes.

I took a closer look at him and realized he was the one that escaped. He was the one I was supposed to bring back to my father. He was the one I had promised to bring back, but looking at him, I knew I never could. He was too nice to be sentenced to the refuge. 

"Your Sarissa?" Spot asked, looking between Jack and me.

"Please don't call me that. I don't want to think about anything that has to do with that man," I said, a little mad. "And I'm sorry, Jack."

"You don't need to be sorry," he told me. "You only ever tried to help us in that room, Sarissa."

"Don't," I pleaded, wanting to forget about everything.

"Okay, what should we call you?" Spot asked me.

"I don't know," I snap.

"I got it, we'll call you Madie," Jack suggested.

I smiled a little, liking that name. "Madie," I said, testing it out. "It has a nice ring to it."

"Come on, you can stay with us. You can become a Newsie!" Jack said happily, already liking the idea.

"Yeah, and you won't ever have to go back to that place with your father. I won't let you. I promise," Spot said, wrapping his arms around my shoulders in a hug.

I smiled at the gesture, not used to it. I could tell Jack and Spot would turn into brothers to me. 

"You can restart. No one needs to know your past. Your secret's safe with us. So what do say? You wanna become a Newsie?" Jack asked me.

I smiled at the two boys, "yes, I'd like that very much."