Chapter Text
Liz Dalancey sat on her bag on the edge on a pavement in Manhattan with her head in her hands thinking what she should do next. She was only nineteen and she had no idea how to look after herself on her own let alone a five year old as well. William, her son was running around her. Liz looked up at the sound of a voice. On the other side of the street was a young man in a pale red baggy shirt with a light brown waist coat and a black neck tie. Under his brown cap his short light brown hair poked out. Liz guessed he was a Newsies as he had a pile of newspapers under his arm.
"NEWSIE SRIKE OVER, EXTRA, EXTRA, NEWSIES STRIKE OVER" he shouted. Liz stood up picked up her large battered carpet bag which had all her belongings in, grabbed Williams hand and started towards him. As she drew near he noticed her and turned towards her and took his cap off. She suddenly realised that he had an eye patch over his left eye.
"Buy a pape Miss?" he asked
"Yes tanks" she replied getting a coin out off her purse. She noticed her money was running out. She needed to be more careful as it was all she had. "I'll buy one if you help mes." the boy's wide smile disappeared.
"What kinda elp?"
"I need a place ta stay for mes and me son, I have only 50 bucks in the whole world, and I am an orphan since three days ago since my mudda and fadda died. I have walked one hundred miles, and court de train da rest of de way, and I need someone who knows the city" Liz replied. The boys smile spread across his face again. Liz thought he was quite handsome for a newsie so Liz smiled back.
"Certainy, miss, te names Trevor Bennett or Blink"
"Elizabeth or Liz and tis is me son Will" she replied
"Well den Liz, ya two can stay wid me and de oter newsies if ya won't, but ya have ta be a newsie to."
"Really, a newsie, WOW" Will exclaimed. Blink and Liz chuckled.
"Its not tat good" he warned "if ya help me wid de last of tees. I'll intraduce ya ta de boys." Liz and Blink walked down the road with William on Liz's hip in to the smoke cloud.
They had finished Blinks round and were heading towards a restaurant where the other newsies were. William had run ahead. As they drew near shouts and laughter came out of the worn, red painted building with the words "TIBBYS" over the door. Liz looked up at Blink with a worried face; he was very kindly carrying her bag. Blink smiled down at her.
"It'll be fine they're very nice" Blink whispered. Liz smiled back at him. He opened the door and went through then held the door open for Liz. The restaurant suddenly went quite and everyone took their hats off. William was standing in the middle of the room play fighting with a young newsie.
"Boys, tis is Liz, and Will, dey will be living wid us. She has only just become an orphan, so be nice ta her." Blink announced. One of the boys stepped forward
"Good aftanoon Liz, I'm Jack Kelly or Cowboy"
"Oh yes the famous strike leader" Liz replied smiling spiting on her hand then sticking it out for Jack to shake just the way Blink showed her. Jack looked surprised but spat on his hand and grasped her hand and shook it all the same. Liz was introduced to everyone by Blink and Jack; spit shaking with everyone she met.
"So, Liz how you come to be in Manhattan?" Jack asked as they all sat down on chairs. Blink sat next to Liz and Jack on the other side of the table, Will on Liz's lap.
"um well ,we lived thousand miles away in de country side and we got burgled and my Mudda, Father and Bruda all got shot two days ago and when I got back from my chores I found them on da floor, Will staring at dem. Will saw it all, he was hidin in de cupboard" Liz went quite for a while.
"TWO DAYS AGO, ALL of tem." Jack exclaimed "we're sorry for ya loss"
"You don't have ta carry on if ya don't want ta" Blink said beside her as he put his arm around her. Liz smiled.
"No its fine" Liz took a deep breath "I ran ta te mayor and he throw us out of town sayin it was me ho killed tem, I wasn't allowed ta go ta de funeral, my only family's funeral. De mayor sold de house de next day and I was left homeless, my fadda always said this was where he sent my older brudas when they started to course trouble. So I came ere lookin for a place ta stay and some work, and I had just stopped walkin and I met Blink." Liz finished
"Well I tink we need a drink ta celebrate a new newsie joinin us" said a boy called Mush.
"I agree" replied Blink "JOE can we ave some drinks please" the owner came out with a tray of drinks and put it on the table in front of Jack.
"So Liz what are your older brudas called, we may know dem" another boy called David asked.
"Um, you do know dem but ya hate dem, ya'll find out soon enough, dere in da refuge.
"Uncle Oscar and Uncle Morris." Will interrupted. Liz gave him a stare that stopped him talking
"TE DALANCEY BRUDAS, you're their sister?" David exclaimed. Liz looked down in disgrace and took a deep breath to stop herself crying.
"Yes I am Liz Dalancey. Pa sent them away to uncle Wees when they set a barn on fire and attacked a young girl. I should really tell them about pa and ma but I hate them so much, I feel sick at the site of them and they scare me." Everyone was quite for a while.
"I'll come wid ya if ya want" Blink offered. Liz smiled in reply.
Liz and the Newsies spent the evening at Joes and then at 10 they started to make their way back to the newsboys lodge. Will had fallen asleep on Liz's lap so Blink offered to carry him home so as not to wake him up.
"KLOPPMAN, YOU AWAKE" Blink shouted as they arrived at the lodge
"He will be now, and so is will" Liz muttered smiling but hitting Blink softly on the arm. Blink and the other boys burst out laughing.
"Yes, yes what is it." Came a voice from the stairs.
"We got two new newsie needing a bed." Jack shouted up the stairs.
"I'll write it in the book tomorrow. What are dere names" Kloppman asked as he came down the stairs. He was an old thin man with dirty clothes. "So where dese lads den?"
"Liz is ere and her son is in me arms" Blink replied smiling.
"What a goil, we've never had a goil ere before." Kloppman replied "we don't have a separate room. You would have ta sleep in the same room as these smelly buggers" Kloppman warned
"As long as they give mes privacy when I'se wants it I'se doesn't care, I just want a bed." Liz told him yawning.
"Well den Liz; I'll let da boys show you your bed. I'm going to mine" Kloppman said as he went back upstairs. Everyone else followed him.
"Come on I bet you can't wait for a bed." Blink said in Liz's ear.
"Yes can't wait, haven't slept in a proper bed since before the brake in" Liz whispered. They went upstairs through a door to a large room with bunk beds in three rows. At the end of the room was a large wash room with showers on both side and wash basins in the middle. All the boys went to their own beds while Blink showed her to a spare lower bed next to his. The newsies quickly got changed into their underwear and climbed into bed. Liz put Will to bed then lay on the bed for awhile till she thought all the newsies were asleep then she undressed and climbed into her own bed. And went to sleep. She didn't sleep that well as she kept having nightmares about her parents and her brothers Oscar and Morris. She wandered if they would recognise her and if they would blame her for the family's death.