February 5, 1899

"I gotta talk ta ya. Alone."

This meant trouble. Trifle dry-swallowed and followed Ace outside. She’d known this was coming since the minute she’d seen Archer’s face - or the bloody pulp that was left of it.

The gang leader took his time. He lit a cigarette and watched the smoke rise in the cool night air.

"She has ta go."

She looked up sharply, trying to catch Ace’s eyes, but he continued focusing on his smoke rings.

"Tell her if she leaves right now, no one will soak her, I’ll see ta it. But only till tamorrow."

Trifle briefly thought about crying, but realized Ace wouldn’t swallow that. He knew her too well.

"Come on Ace, think about it again," she pleaded. "Archer’s a skunk, he desoives what he got. Besides, wheah are we gonna go? It’s freezing at night. Ya want us ta die? We ain’t got no place ta stay!"

Now he looked at her, but she didn’t like what his eyes were telling her.

"I ain’t saying you should leave. Jist her."

~~~~~

"Extry, extry, french actress shocks audience in male role! All the juicy details!"

Sparkles grinned as the people hastily bought all of the papers she had left. Sometimes life made it unnecessary to improve the headlines. She just wished she’d seen the famous Sarah Bernhardt for herself.

Humming a little tune she strolled up the street, bound for the lodging house to warm up a bit and to see if the others were done already, too.

She saw the girl and instantly knew what would happen, even before the old man screamed bloody murder when he felt the hand in his pockets. The next moment she was sprawled on the ground, knocked over in the girl’s desperate attempt to escape the approaching whistle.

" Help! Stop the thief! " the old man caused a lot of ruckus, but the pickpocket was long gone. Sparkles stared in the direction the girl had vanished until a bemused voice snapped her out of it.

"Heya Sparkles. Ya wanna sit on the ground all day? It’s freezing, in case ya didn’t notice. What’sa mattah wid you?"

"Hey Race. Why don’t ya try to act a gentleman for once and help me up instead of wise-cracking?"

Grinning, he took her hand and helped her to her feet.

~~~~~

Jet emerged from the bushes she had been hiding in. She was exhausted and hungry, not to mention close to being frozen solid. Central Park just wasn’t the place to stay in this wheather, she’d have to find herself shelter elsewhere if she didn’t want to die from exposure that night. But first she’d try one more time to get something to eat.

Luck was against her this evening. The shopkeepers had all taken in their merchandise by the time she strolled by hoping to snitch an apple or a pear. Then she noticed a small boy chewing a sandwich coming around the corner.

She paused, unsure whether or not she really wanted to pull this off. She’d never taken anything from a little one, but then, desperate times called for desperate measures, and the boy’s sandwich looked far too tasty for his own good.

Blocking the boy’s way she fixed him with the menacing glare which had taken her years to perfect.

"Gimme dat!", she growled and pointed to his snack.

"Sh-shoah, it’s all yours", he croaked, obviously intimidated.

Jet couldn’t even wait to put a save distance between them before devouring the piece of bread. It seemed rather to fuel than to quench the roaring hunger inside her, but there was nothing to do about that now; she had to find shelter for the night quickly.

Then she heard the boy’s voice.

"Leave me alone! Hey, give dat back! I woiked the whole day fer it!"

At first she’d thought he was shouting at her, freely venting his anger because she was already some twenty feet away, but as she turned towards him she saw two menacing looking adolescents taunting her involuntary food provider. A guy with a red feather stuck into his hat just shoved the small boy into the dirt, while the other one cackled madly.

But she couldn’t help it. Before she even started listening to the smarter part of her mind her feet had carried her right the other way.

"HEY! Why don’t ya two ninnies pick on somebody yer own size?"

They turned around, grinning when they saw the comparatively scrawny figure.

"Whatcha gonna do about it, kid, slap me?", the smaller one retorted. That made his companion cackle even harder. Then he kicked the boy lying on the ground, smirking at her. Something inside her snapped.

"I said leave him alone!"

Before he even knew what was happening, Jet had kicked the guys’ knee hardly and aimed at his nose when he bent down in pain. With a tinkling sound some coins fell onto the dirt street. The small boy scrambled to pick them up.

Damned brat, ya could lend me a hand heah!, she thought bitterly as she crushed the goon’s nose with her ellbow. Howling with pain and bleeding down his shirt he tried to ward her off, but she dodged his punches effortlessly and landed another good one. After all, she’d learned from one of the best fighters north of Jersey.

Yer no match fer anyones’ strength, Jet, so don’t try ta punch. Always go fer da weak spots!, she could hear Ace saying in her mind. The memory hurt.

In this moment of distraction she noticed too late that the taller guy was coming for her. She saw something glinting in a gas lanterns’ light and realized with a start that he had brass knuckles on his right hand. Oh shit.

She managed to dodge his first direct swing, but as she drew back, she toppled over his companion and lost her balance. His fist collided agonizingly with her cheekbone.

~~~~~

"Hey! You awright? Can ya walk?"

Jet groaned. She felt as if a carriage had run over her. A hand was extended to help her up. Wobblingly, she managed to stand.

"She don’t look too good. We bettah scram befaw de Delanceys come back. Let’s go ta da lodging house!"

Jet looked up, trying to take in the situation before her eyes, still hindered by a slight mist and a screaming headache. She recognized the little imp she’d relieved of his sandwich earlier, the other figures were unfamiliar.

As one of them, a boy with a red bandanna around his neck, started to pull her with them she shook his hands off.

"Hey, I ain’t goin’ nowhere wid you! I don’t even know who ya are!"

With that she lost her balance and would have fallen had not another boy grabbed her arm. "Let go off me! Take your doity hands away and go back ta de hole ya crept outta!"

She tried to wriggle free, but he held on tight and hissed into her ear "Stop bein’ such a dumbass and come wid us! Nobody’s hoitin’ ya!"

Without any warning she vomited onto his feet.

~~~~~

Rambler, Egghead, Jack, Pie Eater, Snoddy and Snipeshooter were glad when they reached the lodging house without a further encounter of the Delanceys. Outside, an icy rain had started to fall.

Jet had grumblingly assented to come with them as the weather turned. On their way Pie held as much distance to her as possible. He wasn’t happy at all about his shoes and wanted to make sure the next time she had to throw up it would be on someone else.

Everyone in the lobby looked up when they stormed in. Games of craps and poker were put on hold for a moment, the sight of a stranger being a welcome diversion.

"So, are ya playing salvation army again, Eggs?" Snake Eyes sneered at them from a battered armchair. Egghead turned crimson with anger, but Rambler put a hand on his arm calmingly.

"De goil hit her head pretty bad, we couldn’t jist let her lying dere.’Sides, I don’t t’ink it’s any a youse concoin, Snake. Leave ‘er alone."

At that everyone resumed their prior activities, passing the stranger a curious glance from time to time.

While Pie, Snipeshooter, Jack, Snoddy and Eggs joined the others, Rambler turned to Jet.

"I’se Rambler, guess ya could say I’se da leader of all dese strays. What’s ya name, kid?"

She glared at him. "Why should I tell ya?"

"Well, Kloppman heah wants all the lodgers ta sign in fer de night, ta keep track of t’ings."

"Who said I’d spend de night heah?"

He gave her an annoyed look, obviously losing his patience. "Don’t tell me ya gots a better place ta stay. I can tell ya ain’t. Ya should take de offer quickly, me generous moods don’t last all day!"

She seemed to think about it for awhile. "Me name’s Jane Smith."

Rambler could see she was lying through her teeth, but he decided to leave it at that. He wrote her name into the registration book and turned to join the others.

Snipeshooter just gave the curious newsies a livid description of how she had "beat the living crap outta Oscar Delancey"; everyone was eager to hear this story.

Jet had retreated to a chair far from the center of attention. She still felt rather mangled and the humming noise in the room only increased her headache.

Someone sat down beside her. As she glanced up she saw a thin boy with curly hair and dark eyes smile at her. "Heya Jane. I thought ya might want me sandwich heah. I’m stuffed, but it would be a shame ta waste it, right?"

She had mumbled ‘thanks’ and wolfed it down before he had even brushed the crumbs off his pants.

"I’se Crutchy."

She looked at him briefly, not taking his outstretched hand. "Yeah, dat’s obvious."

He didn’t seem to mind. "So ya wanna be a newsie, huh?"

Jet glared at him. "Like hell I do! Why would anyone in his right mind wanna be a newsie?"

Crutchy still seemed to be unimpressed by her rudeness. "Well, I ain’t sayin dat it can’t be rough sometimes, but ya always gots a place ta stay and friends around ya who take care of ya. An it shoa beats woikin in a fact’ry or washin’ dishes."

"Or pickin’ pockets."

She looked up warily, recognizing the speaker as the girl who had tripped her earlier that day, when she’d failed to relieve an old fool of money he could easily spare. In spite of her opening remark, the girl didn’t look a threat but smiled and extended a hand:

"Hi, I’se Sparkles."

Ignoring the offered hand, Jet grumbled "Sorry, nothing I can do ‘bout dat."

However, her remark wasn’t paid any attention since just in this moment an elderly man started to shoo the newsies upstairs.

"Come on now, go ta bed, lotsa papes ta sell tamorrow! Off ya go, off ya go! An’ Race, no smoking in the bunkroom, ya hear me? One day ya’ll burn down the house, an’ what then? No one else’d be as stupid as ta take in the likes a you, that’s for sure!"

The newsies noisily made their way upstairs, separating as the girls’ bunkroom lay behind the boys’. Jet just kept right behind Sparkles. She still had problems walking straight and dots kept appearing in her field of vision. Not paying enough attention to where she was going, she bumped painfully into someone’s back.

She cursed and spat out "Can’t ya watch where ya goin’?"

"Gee, I’se sorry. I didn’t mean ta hoit ya, honestly I didn’t!" Mush replied unhappily. He had been joking with Kid Blink who watched the whole scene with amusement.

Jet gave him a dirty look, muttered "Dumbass" and disappeared into the girls’ bunkroom.

~~~~~

"Rambler, dat goil ya picked up shoah is a charmer!" Blink laughed when the two of them joined the others. "She nearly killed Mush when she bumped into him jist now!"

"Yeah, I’d like ta know too why ya toin da lodging house into a hide-out fer street trash." While saying this, Snake Eyes didn’t look at Rambler but at Eggs, hoping to provoke an outburst. Eggs fell for it immediately.

"We couldn’t let her lying dere; Morris knocked ‘er out cold an’ it’s freezing during da night! An’ wid de way she hit her head, she might have a concussion er sumptin’!"

That remark caused a lot of murmur from the boys, but rather because they were unsure on what to make of the fancy word than out of concern for the girl’s condition.

"An’ she risked her neck for Snipeshooter wid de Delanceys, right Snipes?" Boots chimed in.

"Yeah, right after she stole Snipes’ food, in case ya forgot dat!" Snake sneered.

"Dat was jist a lousy sandwich, ya bum!"

Before Eggs could get any nearer to soak Snake, Rambler stepped in between the two. "Awright, stop dat fussin’ now. As long’s de goil don’t make no trouble, she can stay heah. Anyone who don’t agree wid dat is free to leave da lodging house anytime. Got dat, Snake?"

Snake Eyes just mumbled something and retreated to his bunk.

~~~~~

"So dis is our one an’ only refuge from da guys," Sparkles announced as Jet entered the girls’ room shortly behind her.

"Not that some people heah wouldn’t mind ta bunk in their room anyway," a short brunette laughed, making Sparkles blush. "Jist speak fer yaself, Tate!" she growled in mock anger. Then she turned to Jet again.

"Da boys don’t have much space, but we got a lotta free beds heah, so ya can sleep in any bunk dat ain’t got no stuff on it, ‘kay?"

Jet grumbled in response and threw herself on the nearest bed. Her head felt like filled with cotton and screamed with every move.

She didn’t really feel like conversation and tried to look that way, but Sparkles seemed ignorant to her signals. While the other girls prepared for sleep, she sat beside Jet and chattered away.

"Tate ya met awready, we call er dat because she really likes potatoes... Sassy’s got de bunk beside ya, Cheater ovah dere’s her sistah. Den dere’s Lady, Twiddles an’ Velvet. Filly used ta sleep right dere, but she moved in wid her brudda and his wife last month."

Jet sighed heavily but Sparkles pretended not to have heard.

"Dere’s jist the one washing room, but Kloppman wakes us oirlier dan da guys so we can use it foist. Ya wouldn’t believe how long it takes some a dem to get ready! Anyway, we’se gotta rise real oirly ‘cuz da coiculation starts at 6:30..."

Jet groaned inwardly. Will dat sputtermouth nevah shut up?

As Sparkles showed no sign of stopping anytime soon, she couldn’t take it any longer.

"Listen...Sparkles? I got licked taday, dats why I’m not feeling too good. But the only reason I’se heah and put up wid dem babblings a youse is dat it’s raining cats an’ dogs outside! I don’t plan ta stay heah, I’d radder be dead dan a newsie an’ I’d really like ta be alone right now, get my drift?"

Sparkles smirked at her. "Dem Delanceys must’ve punched ya real bad."

Before Jet could think of a smart response, she was gone.

~~~~~

Lying on her bunk, Jet listened to the sound of the other girls’ calm breathing. She was too tired to sleep, too exhausted to rest.

She found herself missing Mustang. His warm body. His strong arms. His dashing smile. She could have been with him now, if only...

~~~~~

When Jet woke up the next day the stove had burned out, so the room’s temperature wasn’t much above freezing. She shivered and sat up. All the bunks were empty and the light falling through the windows suggested the day wasn’t young anymore.

Hearing a clanking sound out of the washing room, she jumped out of bed to check. The elderly man she had seen the night before turned around when he heard her come in. He smiled, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses.

"About time you woke up, girl. Good piece of luck too, I just finished heating some water. Thought a nice hot bath would do you some good, what with the way you hit your head and all."

Jet didn’t really get the reference hot water had to her head, but was quite abashed that the old man had gone out of his way just to be nice to her. She decided to be nice in return.

"T’ank you sir, ya shouldn’t a boddered."

The old man chuckled. "You can call me Kloppman, least that’s what all of them kids do. Now get in quickly, before it turns cold."

With that he left the room, still chuckling and muttering "Sir! Now, I’ll be damned..."

Jet couldn’t remember ever having a hot bath before. Of course she’d swum in the river during summer with the others, but that water had been lukewarm at best. Carefully she stepped into the tub and sighed with delight when the heat embraced her.

As she snatched a towel from the wall to dry herself, she caught her reflection in one of the half-blind mirrors. A nasty bruise shone on the left side of her face where the brass knuckles had hit her. Sighing, she grabbed one of the combs lying around and parted her chin-length hair sideways to cover it.

~~~~~

"Say, Kloppman", she asked when she climbed down the stairs and saw him standing behind his desk, "how much do it cost ta sleep heah?"

He smiled at her, pleased by the way she glowed after the hot bath. I knew it’d do her good, didn’t I. She appeared to have washed her hair as well; now she didn’t look the dirty street rat to him as she had done when she’d marched in the day before. He was quite content with himself.

"It’s a nickel a night, but don’t worry, the first night’s for free."

Jet looked out of the window, trying to estimate how late it was, but the winter sky made it impossible. "Can ya tell me da time?"

"It’s almost half past three" he told her after briefly glancing at his pocket watch.

She cursed. "I gotta go an’ find me another place ta stay quickly, befaw it gets dark."

"Why don’t you stay here?" he frowned. "I could borrow you the rent for the first days, an’ you could pay me back when you sold enough papers."

Her expression clouded over. "I don’t wanna be a newsie an’ I don’t take charity from nobody!" When she saw he was taken aback, she was sorry for her outburst. "T’anks anyway, Kloppman. See ya around sometime."

~~~~~

Inside the "Blue Beetle " light was always dim, no matter the time of day. Jet’s eyes needed some time to adjust. She quickly scanned the joint for any familiar faces, although she doubted any of her old friends even knew of its existence; it was too far away from their usual hangouts. It was too early for many customers as well; the band hadn’t even started to play. To her relief she saw only Tick sitting at the bar.

"I see ya still tryin’ hard not ta overwoik yaself, snoozer!" she grinned, mock-punching him in the side.

His dark face lit up at the sight of her. "Well, if dat ain’t Jetsam Powell! Glad ta see ya still kickin’, babe!"

He pulled her near in a bearhug. She stifled a gasp, not wanting to acknowledge the bruises she had received in yesterday’s fight.

"Come on, I’ll buy ya a drink. Hey Ernie!" he cried out to the barkeeper who was busy polishing glasses. "Look who’s heah!"

"Heya Jet, how’s it goin’?" Ernie smiled. She shrugged and saw the smirk on Ticks face. Oh great, so he awready heard. Dis ain’t gonna be easy.

"So ", he asked when they had both settled on their drinks,"what brings ya ta dis side a town? I thought ya already left da state."

She frowned. "Why should I leave?"

"Well, no pahticulah reason, jist dat Blade and his guys are gonna squash ya like a bug as soon as dey find ya. I hoid ya had a little, um, disagreement wid his cousin." Tick had to work hard to keep his face straight.

She shrugged. This wasn’t quite the direction she’d wanted the conversation to go.

"I t’ink ya should lay low fer awhile, let some grass grow ovah de whole t’ing," he suggested.

Awright, it’s now or nevah. Jet took a deep breath. "Actually, I hoped I could join ya guys."

His face grew serious. It took some time before he spoke up, all the while she did all she could not to betray her nervousness.

"Hey, ya know I like ya, but I don’t want no trouble wid Blade’s gang."

That settled the matter. She backed away and eyed him coldly.

"In dat case I’m heah ta collect de money ya owe me."

~~~~~

"Sheepshead ladies sing dis song, doo-dah, doo-dah, Sheepshead racetrack five miles long, oh doo-dah day!" Race sang happily on his way back to the lodging house. He’d made over five bucks on the tracks this day; Dig For Gold had finally paid off. Gee, life’s great! I t’ink I’ll name me foist kid aftah dis hoss!

"Looks like Babyface got lucky tanight." The cold voice stopped him dead in his tracks. Before he realized what was happening three vicious-looking thugs had surrounded him. Race cursed himself inwardly for not having been more careful.

"Heya boys, ya t’ink we could handle dis peacefully? I ain’t lookin’ fer trouble," he started nervously. These guys didn’t look like they were just trying to help him carry his hat.

But they appeared not to be interested in chatter, either. While two of them grabbed his arms, the third searched his pockets for money. Race put up a struggle, which only earned him a punch in the stomach. The robbers just had some fun kicking Race’s huddled figure into the sides when they heard someone yell "What the hell are ya doin’?". Satisfied with their spoil, they vanished into the night.

"Hey, ya awright?" The voice seemed familiar somehow, but it wasn’t until she took his hand and pulled him to his feet that he recognized the girl. Saved by mayhem impersonate, ain’t dat ironic.

"Yeah, I’m awright, I guess," He quickly searched his pockets. To his immense relief they hadn’t found his pocket watch, but there wasn’t any money left. Race heaved a sigh and rubbed his stomach. "Say, don’t ya have anythin’ bettah ta do dan rescuin’ newsies?"

Jet snorted. "Seems I can’t toin a cornah widout any a youse bein’ soaked or mugged."

"Ya know, next time ya could scare de thugs a bit earlier; befaw dey take all a my money" he grumbled. To his surprise, he saw the hint of a smile creep up her face.

"Awright, I’ll keep dat in mind. How ‘bout we go grab some food now, I’m starving."

~~~~~

Jet hadn’t been happy about his choice of restaurant, she preferred joints with a little more live action; Tibby’s didn’t strike her as very entertaining. Only the fact that it was far away from her former territory made it acceptable in her eyes.

Dinner time long over, the place was almost empty. At a corner table two figures were huddled over a chess board. Race headed right over to them.

"Hello loveboids, are we interruptin’ on sumpthin’?" he grinned, pulling up a chair.

Egghead ignored him and smiled at Jet instead. "Heya Jane, how’s ya head?"

She grimaced at the name. Damn, why couldn’t I t’ink a any name dat don’t sound so dumb? When she glanced up she saw Sassy look at her, lost in thought. Jet stared right back, but Sassy didn’t seem to mind at all. She had an air of serenity that made Jet uncomfortable.

"Me head’s fine!" she grumbled, then sat down and tried to blend in with the background. A drowsy-looking waiter approached the table. Jet ordered some mashed potatoes and vegetables, then looked expectantly at Race. He turned to Sassy and Eggs.

"Could any a youse spot me two bits?"

Egghead smiled in disbelief. "Ya lost ev’rythin’ ya made sellin’ papes at da tracks again?"

Race blushed slightly. He wasn’t happy about the fact that he’d lost everything because he’d been too stupid to keep quiet about his winnings. "Hey, I can pay ya back in no time, got a real hot tip on the fifth tamorra. Whaddaya say, Eggs?" he tried his best to sound confident.

"Well..."

While Eggs was still pondering about it, Jet slammed a quarter on the table. "Could ya get on wid it? I’d like ta get my food befoah da toin of da century!" she growled. Race grinned and quickly ordered a tuna sandwich before she could change her mind about the loan.

"So," Sassy spoke up for the first time, while Jet and Race noisily made an end of the served food, "do ya awready have a selling-partner fer tamorra?" Jet just stared at her, baffled.

"Yeah, ya should start ta sell quick, we’ll make less money’s soon as de weather gets woise." Eggs was eager to support Sassy. "With Filly gone, Sparkles ain’t got no partner, right? She could show Jane da ropes!"

"Whoa, whoa, hold it!" Jet frowned. "What gives all a youse da crazy idea I’d wanna be a newsie?"

"Do ya have any bettah offahs at da moment?"

Sassy smiled to herself when Jet didn’t answer. "T’ink about it as a temporary arrangement, ta get ya nice an’ safe t’rough da wintah." She could see the girl’s defenses were crumbling.

"An’ we newsies really ain’t dat bad, once ya get ta know us!" Eggs watched Race wipe his fingers at the tablecloth. "At least most of us."

"Aw, dat hoits, Egghead!" Race cried out, "Ya know I’m a really sensitive guy underneath!" Then he glanced at his watch. "How ‘bout we hit da road now? We could still get ta de lodging house in time fer a last pokah game tanight."

~~~~~

The second they stepped into the lodging house, everyone’s eyes were upon Jet. Most of the newsies had steered clear of the stranger, heeding Rambler’s order to leave her alone the night before, but their curiosity was getting the better of them now.

She hated to be the center of attention. The staring gave her the strong urge to bolt, but she fought it down and struggled to appear as cool as possible. Hell, ya ain’t afraid of a bunch a newsies!

Sparkles’ voice almost made her jump. "Heya Jane. Do ya wanna shoot craps wid us?" Jet shook her head. "Nah, I’m no good at it. Prefer pokah."

"Den get ya lazy bum ovah heah!" Race who had overheard them shouted, already busy dealing the cards.

Sassy and Egghead had been whispering with Rambler. Before Jet reached the card players, he shouted over the newsies’ babble.

"I’se been told we have a rookie amongst us!"

The newsies cheered and Rambler grinned, basking in the attention. "So, we need ta give ‘er a nick. Any ideas?"

Skittery was the first to speak up. "Hey, what about Glare? Dat’s what she does best, ain’ it?"

Pie Eater snorted. "If ya t’ink dat’s what she does best, ya should see ‘er puke!"

"Ya can call ‘er Puke if ya want; me, I’se really fond a me right eye, I’d hate ta lose dat one, too!" Kid Blink laughed.

"Whadda ya t’ink a Fury?" Twiddles chimed in. Race groaned. "C’mon, dat sounds like a hoss."

Lady whacked him over the head. "Horses are all you ever think about, stupid!"

He grinned. "Nah, sometimes I t’ink about pokah!"

That caused a lot of laughter from most of the newsies. After it died down they just shouted their ideas around wildly.

"Hey, I got it! Growl!"

"Raven!"

"How ‘bout Bruiser?"

"Guts!"

"Crunch!" Everyone looked up in surprise at Snipeshooters suggestion.

"Crunch?", Bumlets laughed, "what kinda nick is dat?"

Snipes blushed. "Dat’s how it sounded like when she broke Oscar’s nose."

The newsies came up with several more suggestions, but they couldn’t agree on any of them. Then suddenly Sassy started to grin.

"Hey guys, I’se got an idea. Anyone got a name write it down on a scrap a paper, put it in my hat an’ Jane’s gonna pick one." Eggs looked at her admiringly. "Hey, dat’s great! C’mon fellas...an’ goils," he added quickly, after a dirty look from Tate.

While the newsies busily prepared their papers Jet pulled their leader aside. "Um, Rambler, I don’t really wanna pick none a dem names. What’s da big deal wid de nicks, anyway? Why can’t we jist ferget about it?"

He smiled. "Aw, c’mon goil, I’se tired a callin’ ya dis dumb name ya invented, ya ain’t foolin’ nobody wid it! ‘Sides, if ya wanna join wid us newsies, ya need a nick. An’ it helps hidin’ from whoever yer runnin’." With that he left her speechless, to put his own suggestion into Sassy’s hat.

A few moments later it was triumphantly taken to Jet. Sighing, she grabbed one of the scraps. Her stomach felt a little queasy. God, please don’t let it be Puke!

When she didn’t say anything at once, the newsies grew impatient.

"What’s it say, Jane?"

"C’mon, which one didya pick?"

"Three ta one it’s Glare!"

Jet frowned. "I can’t read dat. Somebody really oughta practice some handwritin’ heah!" The others snickered.

"Lemme see dat," Sassy offered, and Jet gave her the paper willingly.

After a dramatic pause she announced with grandeur:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I’d like ta present you da latest addition ta our charming group! It’s Mayhem!"

The newsies clapped and cheered. "Ya t’ink ya can live wid dat nick?" Rambler asked, smiling.

"S’okay, I guess," she shrugged, not wanting to show how pleased she was with the name. To her it sounded distinguished, menacing and poetic all at once, and she secretly wished she knew who had thought of it.

"So Mayhem, how ‘bout some pokah befoah Kloppman’s gonna spoil my big chance?" Racetrack urged.

As she sat down beside him, he thought it might be better to introduce her to the people in the round since she hadn’t spoken to any of them yet. "Da guy wid de patch ovah dere’s Kid Blink, an’ Mush sits next ta him."

Blink grinned and took her hand to plant a kiss on it. "Pleased ta meetcha, Mayhem!" Mush mumbled something no one could understand and looked to the ground.

Race smirked. "Don’t mind ‘im, Mush’s not an awful good talkah around goils. I t’ink ya awready know Lady; Twiddles, who oughta be in bed by now," he said, trying to sound stern, " is her kid sistah." The little girl started pouting when everyone laughed. "Den we have Cowboy an’ Snake Eyes."

Jack grinned at Mayhem, but she stared at Snake who had pinned her with a murderous glare. "Ya got a problem?" she snapped, uneasy under his gaze. His eyes never left hers when he answered.

"Well, I’m not used ta socializin’ wid common street sluts." In a flash, her fist smashed his nose.

"Hey, hey, hey! No fightin’ in heah, ya know Kloppman c’n throw ya out in no time! Go ta da bunkrooms now, all a youse!" Only due to Rambler’s interference Snake Eyes narrowly escaped being soaked by most of the poker players.

"Yeah, right, go upstairs now, time for bed!" Kloppman who had just come into the room announced. The newsies complied grumblingly.

When Snake wanted to follow the others upstairs Rambler held him back.

"I hoid what ya called ‘er jist now."

Snake wiped his bleeding nose. "So?"

"So, yer gonna apologize fer dat, buster." Rambler waited for an answer, but Snake didn’t say anything. "Ya got a problem wid da goil bein’ heah?"

"Frankly, I do. She ain’t even a real newsie, an’ I really don’t t’ink we should take in every goddamned stray dat wanders by! ‘Sides dat bitch jist punched me in da nose!"

Rambler’s eyes turned cold. "Well, if dat’s yer opinion, I can’t do nuttin’ about it. But if ya don’t apologize by tamorra mornin’, ya can pack yer stuff an’ get da hell outta dis lodgin’ house!"

~~~~~

When the girls prepared themselves for bed, Cheater couldn’t restrain herself any longer. "Say Mayhem, do ya like any a de boys?" she asked with gleaming eyes.

Tate put down her washrag and groaned. "C’mon Cheats, she hasn’t even met all a dem yet! How could she possibly like any a dem aftah seein’ dem only about two hours altogether?"

"Well, just fer ya information, dere’s people who t’ink dere’s sumptin’ called love at foist sight," Cheater defended her innermost beliefs while brushing her hair. "By the way, didya see dat look Eggs gave Sassy earlier on? I swear he’s fallen head over heels for her!"

Sassy frowned. "Don’t be stupid, we’se jist friends. He likes me because we play chess tagetha."

"I’m tellin’ ya, he’s got a major crush awright! I should know, after all he’s me bruddah!" Tate giggled.

Sparkles saw Mayhem sitting at the window staring into the night, and went over to her.

"Wouldya like me ta lend ya a nightgown?" she asked softly. Mayhem shrugged. It really don’t mattah now, cuz ya blew it. Again.

She wasn’t surprised when she heard a knock on the door.

"Oh, hi Rambler," Velvet who had opened the door lilted, devouring the handsome leader with her eyes.

"Heya Velvet. Would ya get Mayhem fer me?"

She was already on her way to the door. Without a word he took her hand and led her down into the deserted lodge. At his signal she sat down in an armchair.

"Awright, let’s tawk." He tried to catch her eyes, but she stared down at the floor, preparing herself for the blow. He’s gonna kick ya out, jist like Ace. Maybe if ya really behave yaself during dis conversation he’ll still let ya spend da night heah.

"I don’t care wheah people come from or what deir real name is, as long as dey don’t make no trouble." Rambler paused, looking at the skinny girl in front of him, but she still refused to acknowledge him.

"But I tell ya dis one t’ing: if ya evah start a fight in heah again, yer out fastah dan ya can blink!" She looked up, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Ya mean I c’n stay fer now?"

He smiled at her relief. "Whatsa mattah, ya deaf er sumthin’? Didya heah me say ya should leave?"

Mayhem’s face lit up like nothing he’d ever seen before. For a brief moment she looked almost pretty; then her former glum expression returned, as if she was embarrassed to show her joy.

Rambler cleared his throat. "Awright, ya should go ta sleep now. We hafta get up real oirly tamorra."

They climbed the stairs together. To Mayhem’s surprise she met Racetrack in front of the girls’ bunkroom.

"Do ya want me ta get one a de goils for ya?" she asked, slightly curious.

He seemed to take a sudden interest in a crack in the floor. "Naw, I jist wanted ta, ya know, like make shoah yer okay aftah what Snake said."

She snorted. "Believe me, I don’t care ‘bout nuttin’ dat bum said. G’night."

With that she disappeared into the room.

~~~~~