A Race To Her Heart

Chapter 1

Teddy's POV:

Being a 16 year old girl surrounded by teenage boys all the time isn't what you might think. Although it can be fun and games most of the time, it's hard to have any sort of freedom when your older brother is Jack Kelly, leader of the Manhattan Newsies and demands every newsboy in our lodging house watches over me at all times to make sure I'm safe and staying out of trouble. 

You see the thing is I didn't exactly have the most normal childhood. None of us in the lodging house did. Our mother became ill and died shortly after. Father couldn't take the pressure of having to be responsible for both Jack and I.  He started drinking. A lot. He eventually drank himself to the point where he didn't open his eyes ever again when he went for his afternoon nap. 

Jack and I were separated when I was 5 and him being 7. I was forced into a girls home that trained us from a young age to become house maids. It was awful there. They didn't feed us if we were anyway out of place. And when we were fed, it was just enough to keep us alive. We were hit with a cane if our training was not completed properly. During my time there at least 11 girls had died there from starvation, fatigue or abuse. I was in that home for 8 years. I managed to run away one night when I was 13. To this day I still get flashbacks of my time in the girls home.

I was living on the streets after I had escaped. I was already weak, now I had to somehow manage no food or water, sleeping on the dark dangerous streets, all alone.

It was dark out, by now I'd say it was at least 11:30 at night. I had found shelter in an alleyway behind a dumpster. I was freezing trying to gain some warmth from an old newspaper using it as a blanket. I hadn't eaten anything in three days. I could barely open my eyes.

 "Well look what we's got here". I shifted a little fluttering my eyes open to see two figures standing over me. They were two boys. They looked around sixteen years old. They were grinning from ear to ear.

"What do ya think Oscar? Care to have a little fun tonight?" Asked the boy to the right of who I presume was Oscar. Oscar smirked and nodded. I was only thirteen but I knew exactly what they meant by "fun" unfortunately. The two boys grabbed me by my arms and yanked me up. I screamed as loud as I could. 

"Put me down! Let me go! Please!!! Someone help! Help!!!"

I kicked and scratched at them with all the strength I still had. It was no use they were too strong. They flung me down towards a wall, my head hitting against it as I went down. I could see Oscar coming towards me again but this time he was pulled back. A tallish boy swung Oscar around and punched him right in the face knocking him to the concrete ground. The other boy who was with Oscar tried to jump onto this unknown boy's back which he quickly pushed him off and pinned him against the wall. It was dark, I couldn't make out his face.

"Now Morris why is it when I hear a screaming girl begging for help it's always you and your brother I find at the scene? You'd think yous boys would have learned by now. Bother another girl again or anyone for that matter, it won't just be Oscar left with a bloody nose. See this as a warning Morris. Now pick up your lousy brother and be on your way."

The unknown voice seemed familiar but I didn't know why. Maybe he was a delivery boy and I might have heard him when I was in the girls home. Yes that's probably it. 

I could feel the blood pouring out of the deep cut on my forehead, just about keeping my eyes open to see what was happening in front of me. 

Morris, having now learned his name, broke away from mystery boy's grip and picked his brother up off the ground. They both hobbled away disappearing into the darkness. Mystery boy started walking towards me. He knelt down beside me. I could see his face now. He was clear as day. 

Struggling to keep my eyes open and speak for that matter, I could only whisper one thing.

"Jack?"

"Heather?"