Mush and I discussed the life of a newsie in Manhattan, which is as he puts it, surprisingly
fascinating. The fights he's fought, the secret places he explores, the pretty girls he meets,
and all the friends he's made in his eight years on the streets. Skittery is off in the distance,
peddling his last few papers to the dock workers on their way home. Shep somehow takes a
liking to the grim boy, wandering back and forth from us to him, making sure we're all fine,
and getting pity sales for Skittery. At last, he sold his final paper, around ten, and we all
shuffled back to the lodging house, the streets softly lit by sparse lamps.

The lodging house is a plain brick building, a small hand-painted sign adorns the front.
A single gas lamp burns above the entrance, where several boys lean against the wall in
the shadows, bright dots of orange light from their cigarettes flickering.
"Prepare yourself." Skittery mutters sarcastically as Mush reaches for the door handle.
Mush just grins widely at him.
"Well Miss Withrow, welcome to the lodging house."
The calm exterior did not prepare me for the noise and insanity inside.
"Heya Skittery, you owe me a pack a smokes." A tall boy shoved Skittery playfully.
"Nice of you to show up Mush, you're late and the game's about to start."
"Where were ya?" A blond with an eye patch yells.
"Hey ya bums ya in or are ya out?"
Shouts bombarded us as we entered the lobby, the boys leading the way, with me awkwardly
bringing up the rear as I took in the giant mass of boys cluttered in the room, only a few brave
girls sprinkled throughout. All going on with their rowdy business. Until they caught sight of me.
"Uh Mush, what is that? A shorter boy who had been dealing the cards shouted from across the
room, slowly removing his hat from his head. The other boys followed his action.
"It's a goil Race, youse ever seen one before?" The boy rolled his eyes.
"A'course Ise seen a goil before but what's she doing here?" They just stared at me.
"Mush asked me to stay, I can go if it's a problem." I spoke back.
"Yeah and before I was so rudely attacked by questions, I was planning on introducing her, ya bums."
He grinned at me, I stayed quiet, hoping to avoid more shouting from the boys.
"So you going to introduce her or what? The short one interjected, Skittery seemed to gain more
confidence and answered before Mush had a chance.

"This here's Katie, she's going to stay with us for a bit, until he meets up with her brother."
He gestured towards the diminutive boy. "This here's Racetrack, he's a bit of a loudmouth.
" A quick eyeroll from Racetrack, but not before he was petting my dog.

"And who is this?"

"That's Shep. He's mine."

"Awww, he's a beaut."

"Thanks." I smiled shyly, still taking in the amount of people packed into the room. I lost
sight of Mush, and made my way to sit on the staircase in the corner, leaving Shep to be
patted and snuggled by almost everyone. I took in all the different people in the room, Race,
a boy named Blink, Skittery talking to a boy with black hair, I finally spot Mush involved in
a poker game. An older boy with a red bandanna is teasing another boy, one with cold blue eyes
and a cane dangling from his belt loop. They both hold their shoulders in a way that makes me
think they are in charge or are at least of the opinion that they are. I was studying the strange
cane of the smaller one when I am startled by a voice.

"I wouldn't bother getting infatuated with Spot, he's impossible."

"I.. um... who's Spot?" A girl about my age with dark brown wavy hair sat down on the step next
to me. Her green eyes flashed with amusement at my confusion.

"The one you're staring at, he may look good but he's lousy with the ladies." She made a sour face
and I suspected she might know from first hand experience."

"Oh, who is he, and who's the kid with the bandanna? Who are you?" The girl chuckled.

"You definitely aren't from around here, that's Spot Conlon, he's the leader of the newsies from
Brooklyn, and that's Jack Kelly, he's about the same thing but for Manhattan. And me? "I'm Maeve."
She held out her hand and shook mine firmly.

"Katie."

"So where you from?"

"South Boston." I said with a regretful tone. She seemed to catch that, and stopped questioning me
about myself. "Where are you from?"

"Williamsburg, Brooklyn." She sighed and unconscious glanced over at the icy eyed boy.

"Ohhh, it that how you know so much about Spot's problems with girls." I raised my eyebrows
at my new friend teasingly.

"Conlon's problem with girl is that he's in love with one and they can't figure out how to tell each
other." Skittery's voice behind me made me jump as he sat on the other side of Maeve. He looked
pointedly at her and continued talking to me. "See you met my sister..." Maeve's eyes grew to
slits as she realized what his words meant.

"You do not mean me. Oh no Johnny." She gritted her teeth. Skittery rolled his eyes.

"That boy's been hanging on your every word since you were born."

"We're just best friends, or we were until he got involved with those newsies." She sighed, I got
the feeling that Maeve was not one to talk about her feelings, or take teasing from anyone.

"Anyways...Katie." He looked down at his hands. "I might have been grumbling but it is really
nice to meet you." He looked up at me, a small shy smile playing on his lips. A heavy, exasperated
sigh escaped Maeve's.

"Alright, Johnny, it's getting late, I only came over here to tell you that Mama wants you home
for Sunday dinner, she won't take any excuses this time." She glared at him. "Spot made me take
him as an escort, thinks I walk around too often alone at night and..." Skittery had shot of look of
admiration in Spot's direction. "I'm going home. Alone. So tell the knucklehead if he's looking for me,
that for God's sake I've handled myself for years perfectly fine." She turned towards me. "It was nice
meeting you, hope I see you again." She smiled softly, and pulled me, then her brother into a hug.
"Johnny, Mama means it." were her last words as she darted across the room and out the door,
muttering something about other people not being able to express their attraction.. Spot had
noticed her stand up, but had gone back to his discussion with Jack. Skittery turned to me.

"So, you dog sure seems to be a hit already." He gestured to Shep, lying with his head on a sleeping
little boy's lap against the wall. Several others were gently patting him, as his tail wagged softly.

"He loves attention." I clicked my tongue at my lovable pet.

"Your sister is nice." I tried to make conversation with him, shyness getting in the way for the both of
us. It didn't help that I was exhausted.

"Maeve's a strange one. What's your brother like."

"He's...he's...well, George is everything I have. He takes care of me."

"You seem to be doing alright yourself."

"So far, but I really do miss him. Why do you live here, but your family lives in Brooklyn." He began
to answer me but we were interrupted by an agitated Spot Conlon. He quickly tipped his hat to me with a quiet, miss.

"Gallagher, you seen your sister? I can't find her anywhere."

"You know her Conlon, she left 'bout five minutes ago." Spot clenched his fists, hollared a goodbye to
Jack and the gang, and left in the same fashion as Maeve, muttering something about a certain "girlie".

"Ay, Skitts, you and the new goil enjoying your time alone?" Racetrack teased from across the room.
"Wanna come join a game or what?" Skittery's face promptly turned rather red.

"I'm gonna go play, want to join?" I shook my head.

"I'm not one for pokah, but I'll come sit." Him and Mush were after all the only ones I knew.
"Just one thing, what should I call you, Skittery or Johnny?" He made eye contact as he took my hand to help me up.

"Whatever you want."

The last thing I remember is Race dealing a new hand, and me leaning slowly over until I was resting on
Skittery's shoulder. I couldn't help it, I was so exhausted and I didn't think to ask where I was sleeping
for the night. I woke up, in the bottom bunk in a room with several rows of beds that looked about the
same as mine. Girls were scattered amongst the beds, all still asleep. Shep was curled up at the foot of
the bed, my meager belongings stacked on the floor next to the bed. I whispered his name to myself,
Johnny Gallagher, and fell back asleep, mulling over my brief, pleasant time in New York.

sorry, kind of a boring chapter