Queens//A Newsies Fanfiction

Prolouge

My head shot up as a bang came from the front door. Oh no. He was back. I quickly scrambled under the bed. I can't caught, not again. I needed out of here.

When my mother died four years before hand, my father had gone nuts, spending every night drinking away his sorrows in various bars around the city, and when he came home, my brother and I had to defend ourselves. But my brother left two years ago, leaving me alone to the abuse.

I covered my mouth, silencing my heavy breathing as heavy footsteps carried themselves towards the bedroom.

"Jennifer? Where are you?" He sang.

I had been in the bedroom looking for my brother's old cap. I had already changed into an old pair of pants and shirt of my brothers, but that cap I could never find. I had laced up the worn pair of boots I had grabbed out of the cupboard earlier.

"Jenny? Come out, come out." His feet turned and walked out the door, and I had to stop myself from taking a sigh of relief.

I slipped out from under the bed and looked around once more, before finally spotting the hat on top of the cupboard. I quickly jumped and grabbed it and landed a bit louder than I had been intending to.

"Jennifer? I hear you."

I quickly made my way to the window and propped it open, slipping out onto the fire escape as quietly as humanely possible. My father came back into the room and spotted me out on the deck.

He ran over towards me as I began down the ladder to the ground. "Get back inside Jennifer!"

I ignored him and sped up down the ladder, hopping off the last three rungs, and running off, ignoring my father's angry shouts behind me.

"I will find you again!"

I walked the streets of Manhattan, heading towards Queens at late night, looking for somewhere to spend the night that was far enough away that my father wouldn't be able to catch me. Queens seemed the safest bet, since it was across the river. I walked over the bridge, hugging myself to keep out the chill of the wind off the river.

Queens was quiet in the middle of the night. A peaceful quiet, as if everyone was sleeping calmly, except me, of course.

A tall boy was heading my way, and I ducked my head trying not to be noticed by him as I continued on my way.

I walked past him, and he paused, looking at me with curiosity. I sped up as he continued watching me.

"Hey kid, I haven't seen you around before. Who are you?" He asked.

"No one." I responded, before breaking into a jog. He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to hurt you kid, but I'm usually the last one out on the streets, and here you are, a kid that I've never seen before, roaming around in my turf after hours," He stopped in front of me. "So who are you and why are you in Queens right now?"

I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "I'm running from a bad home."

He laughed. "I know just exactly where you will fit in. How do you feel about being a newsie?"

I paused and thought. I could make money that way, but what about my gender. "I'm a girl though."

"So?" He asked. "There is a first time for everything, and I'm willing to bet you would be fine in Queens Lodging House."

"I can still be a newsie?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I want to be a newsie." I told him.

He smirked. "Okay. You don't have to say your name right now. All newsies get a nickname after a couple of weeks, so don't worry. Let's go."