A/N I don't own the Newsies, no matter how much I wish that I did.

Prologue

It was dark outside. I looked around my bedroom through slit eyes. A thin, pale sliver of moonlight filtered through the grimy window. The small strip of light hit the bed

across from mine, illuminating my brother's face. His eyes glistened in the moonlight as he collected his bag from under his bed. I knew what he had in that bag. He had

a picture, some money and some clothes. He wanted to leave home, I was sure of that. How did I know? Easy, I wanted to leave home too. He looked over at me and

sighed. Before either of us could do anything more, the door to our apartment crashed open. Cowering in my bed, I knew that Pa was home. I also knew that he

wasn't sober. That really stunk. He didn't hurt us when he was sober. When he was drunk, however, he beat us. He beat us real bad. I don't blame him. He was just

sad from my mother's death. That's why he drank. It's not his fault he's a mean drunk. My brother didn't share my feelings on that particular subject. Once the house

stopped shaking and was filled with my father's snores, my brother grabbed the bag and started to the window. "Wait Mush, don't go. Don't leave me alone with him."

I murmured. Mush changed his course from the window to my bed. He planted a kiss on my forehead and said, "I have to go. He'll kill me if I stay." I nodded silently, a

single tear running down my face. He pulled open the window, stepped onto the fire escape and stepped out of my life.

5 Years Later

I sat on the edge of my bed, not moving, not making any noise. I barely dared to breathe. My father had just stormed into the house, and he was one sip of beer away

from passing out. I fingered the bruise on my cheek that never seemed to go away, and prayed that he would pass by my room with out coming in. I breathed a small

sigh of relief as he passed by, stumbling into several walls before making it into his room. His snores filled the apartment in mere moments, and that's when I decided

to leave. I got up and crossed the room for the first time in five years. For the first time since my brother left I opened his dresser. I breathed in the sent of musty

clothes, and pulled out one of his shirts, some suspenders, and a pair of his pants. I put them on, getting rid of my ratty old dress. I found a small bag under Mush's old

bed, and put another shirt and pair of pants in there, along with two dollars, my life savings. I pulled on my newsie cap and looked around my bedroom. I turned and

climbed out the window and down the fire escape. As I left the place I lived in for fifteen years, I didn't look back. Not even once. I walked towards

the heart of Manhattan, looking for my long lost brother.

A/N Let me know what you think. This is my first fanfic, so please review!