Welcome to Remembering Dominic

I woke up one morning, the sun was blazing through my window. I heard my father in the next room. I hated him so much. I went down stairs and made us some breakfast. He walked downstairs, and wolfed down his breakfast. I got up enough courage to ask him.

"Father, the rent’s due, and you haven’t given me any money to pay it with."

"So what?!" he replied. "Maybe you should get a job and not let me do all the work!" I almost laughed at that idea. My father hadn’t been to work in months! I almost laughed, but instead I became inspired.

"Well, you better get to work now." He got up and left the house. I knew he wouldn’t go to work, he never went to work. That’s why we had no money. And whenever he got a little money, he spent it all at the tavern. I got set to work on my plan.

I had a little savings in a jar, I took it from my father when he actually went to his job. I packed a bag as fast as I could, and got the money together. I had heard about a job out in New York for all boys. Now, I knew I wasn’t a boy, but I also knew that when my hair was all pulled up I looked like one. I wanted to cut my hair, but that would cost more money then I had left after buying a ticket to New York. So I decided to try going as a girl and if that didn’t work out, I would go as a boy. I packed some of my brother’s old clothes in a bag. It felt strange being in his room again. My father hadn’t let me after he died.

I got to the train station and found out how much it would be to go to New York. I decided to go to a town called Manhattan. After I had bought the ticket, the train pulled up, I stepped on it, and I left my old life to find fortune in my new life.

I gave my luggage to the conductor and sat down. The train pulled off. I saw mountains and lakes and the most brilliant sunsets I had ever seen. I wondered if New York would be this beautiful. I then wondered if I should have left home. Then I thought about my father, and I knew I had to leave.

I had a dream that night. I dreamt about my father. I knew that he would be furious with me when he found out I had run away. I dreamt of him finding me and beating me to death. I didn’t know what to think, I hadn’t thought about what he would do. I was so scared that I woke up in a cold sweat. I couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night.

I was watching out the window and I noticed that instead of mountains and lakes, I saw buildings and carriages and industries. I knew it wasn’t beautiful like the sunsets I had seen, but I noticed a sort of brilliance in itself. I knew that this was the land of opportunity that everyone talked about. The train went by the Brooklyn Bridge, and I saw the Statue of Liberty. She was the most brilliant statue I had ever seen. Finally, with what had seemed like ages, the train pulled up to Manhattan.

I stepped off the train and looked at my new home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Manhattan was a busy city, with horses and carriages on every corner. Boys were selling newspapers in the street, while people were rushing off to their jobs. I walked up to one of the boys who was screaming,

"Extry! Extry! Read all about it, Tornado hits the Bronx, hundreds are badly injured. Extry! Extry!" I walked up to him and bought a paper. I looked at the story about the Bronx and I realized that he had been lying. A wind storm had hit Toronto, not the Bronx, and only an alley cat had been injured. I then walked up to the boy and expressed my disgust.

"Thousands of people didn’t die! It was only a wind storm and an alley cat got hurt! You are lying!" He just shrugged and said,

"It ain’t Lying it’s just improvin’ the truth, now will ya go away princess, you’re bad for business." I was appalled! To think that a newsboy would treat me like that....Whoa...wait a second, I remembered....in a short while you will be one of those newsboys. I walked away from him and went to a newspaper place......It said on a big sign "William Randolph Hearst Newsboys Lodging House." I walked inside and found a whole bunch of boys. (Remember, I was still in a dress and my hair was all down). They all looked at me, confused.

"You lookin’ for someone doll face???" a big one asked.

"No," I answered. "I was looking for someone in charge....I want to be a newsie." I watched in horror as the whole group burst into laughter. Then another one of the boys spoke up.

"Well, I can get you a job that will pay you more than a newsie will get you," he said.

"You can?" I asked.

"Sure...Do you want to start immediately? Or take a test run to see how you like it?"

"Um.....I want to know what the job is..."

"Oh....You’ll start immediately...good, good, I’ll be your first client." Then he jumped on me and started kissing me. I had never been in a fight before but I remembered my father and I attacked. In one push I had him off of me and I was hitting him like a mad man. Blood was pouring out of his nose and mouth, but I didn’t care. It was like a mad rage. The other boys there pulled me off him and started hitting me. I started waving my arms and legs until I had all of them on the groun d and moaning.

"I ain’t no whore!" I said and walked out of there as fast as I could. Well, I thought, walking down the streets of Manhattan with no where to go and not knowing a soul in the whole state...What do I do now? It was getting cold so I curled up in an alley and fell asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I woke up with a little dog at my feet. I petted him, and then pushed him off me and walked out of the alley. The sunlight was almost blinding, but I got used to it. The streets were filled with people heading to work, selling things on the street and little children playing on the sidewalks. Having not eaten in two days, I was very hungry. I didn’t have enough money to get any food, so I thought I could swipe an apple or something. I walked up to a food market and took an orange. I was just about to walk away when someone grabbed my arm.

"Just where do you think your going with that?" he asked me. I looked up and there was a tall man wearing all black and he had a stern look on his face.

"I...I...I" was all I could answer.

"Come with me please," he said. I knew I was busted. I thought to myself... No! I can’t let it end like this! Not after I’ve come so far! So I jerked my arm out of his grasp and ran faster than I had ever ran before. I turned around and he was chasing me and blowing a whistle.

"Stop right there!" he screamed "Come back here! Come back here now!!" I was running out of breath so I ran into a room and changed as fast as I could into my brother’s clothes. I tucked my hair into my hat and walked out of the room. I hid my bag of clothes under a sign and walked out onto the street again. He was looking around for me and asking everyone if they had seen me. He walked straight up to me and said,

"Have you seen a young girl run by?"

"No sir, I ain’t seen no one ‘round these parts...why what she do?" I asked.

"She stole some food from Wilson’s General. Say....What’s your name boy?"

"Ball, William I. Ball" That name always made me laugh William I. Ball! Now I finally got to use it. "And I presume that you are the owner of the store."

"No, no. I’m Warden Snyder. I run the Refuge. If I catch that girl I’ll put her in the basement of the Refuge, where there are no windows to escape from." I was getting nervous. Then he said, "Well, I have to go catch her. Thank you sonny for at least trying." Then he ran off. I grabbed my stuff and started walking around.

I was lost and I was hungry (he took the orange away from me) and I was tired. I all of a sudden got really dizzy and fainted.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey boy, are you all right?" I opened my eyes to see a figure standing over me. I wiped my hands over my eyes to fully wake up and the boy helped me up. "You took a good fall there, boy. Are you OK?"

"Ya, ya I just fainted I guess."

"Where do ya live? I’ll walk you back to your house just to make sure you don’t have another fall."

"I don’t have a place to live.. I ran away and I’ve come to find my fortune." Just then his eyes lit up.

"Oh...you have, have you. Well, if ya needs a job, I’ve got one for you."

"What is it? You have to tell me the job before I tell you I’ll take it..." I had been down that road before...and I wasn’t taking any chances.

"It’s a newsie. It doesn’t give you a fortune...but it keeps you alive. Plus, you get to know a WHOLE lot of neat people. So, what do you think?"

"What do you think...I know what I think I’ll take it! Say, what’s your name?"

"They call me Bumlets...What’s your name?"

"Mon....Chris, Chris Templer," I almost said my name but said my brother’s at the last minute.

"Nice to meet you Chris." I looked at him.. He was really good looking. I stared into his eyes and a warm sensation came over me. When I looked into his eyes I saw my brother. Anyway, Bumlets took me to a restaurant called Tibby’s and I ate like I hadn’t eaten in years. In the end I ended up feeling sick to my stomach. There were other newsies there. I met Jack, Skittery, Snoddy and Mush. They were all real nice. Jack sai d he would take me to Kloppman to see if there was any room for me.. I was in luck because one of the newsies, Match had just moved out ‘cause he got a swell job at a factory or somthin’ like that. Anyway, my new bed was right next to Bumlets which was cool because the more I talked to him the more I thought of my brother. It made me happy to feel like that again. I met some more newsies named Racetrack, Pie Eater, Snitch, Kid Blink, Crutchy, and Itey. They were all real nice as well. I knew I was going to like it there.

I was playing poker with Race and Blink when Crutchy hobbled in with some BIG news.

"Hey guys...You know those Hearst boys?"

"The tough ones that always try to beat us at selling?" Pie Eater said.

"Ya, those are the ones, anyways I heard that a GOYL walked in and asked if she could sell papes with them." I watched in horror as all the boys there cracked up.

"A GOYL!" said Race. "A GOYL NEWSIE!" I just hid my face.

"That’s not even the best part. When they told her no, she beat them up...Beat them to a pulp. I have never seen anyone so hurt in all my lives...guys this goyl is dangerous...we better watch out for her." We went back to playing our game...About an hour later, Mush came in and had some more news about me.

"Guys, A goyl ripped off the general store...Stole a TON of food...Now Snyder is lookin’ for her."

"Is it the same goyl who beat up the Hearst boys?" asked Blink.

"Don’t know...But I would watch out...I hear she’s dangerous." Just great, I thought. Now what?? Race and I went back to the game but I had to cut out because I was beat.

A few months later I had the dream again. My father was hitting me and I couldn’t get away. I must have been tossing and whimpering ‘cause Bumlets woke me up and tried to soothe me..

"It’s OK Chris...it’s OK...shhh." He looked at me with understanding eyes and said "Do you want ta talk ‘bout it?"

"OK," I said. So we walked up to the window and sat outside on the fire escape. I took a few deep breaths and I started. "My mother died when I was born." I was lying about that, but I never figured out why I lied. Maybe someday, I figured, I would be able to face the truth. " My father always hated me. I only had my brother. After that, he protected me from my fathers fits. Then, my brother got sick. Doc said it was the fever. My bro died before the month was out. After that, Pop just got worse. He never went to work, and if he ever got any money he would spend it at the tavern. He would always come home and beat me for hours. I had to get away. So I got on a train and came to New York without lookin’ back."

"So, what was your dream? Was it about your Pop? Your brother? Your mom?"

"Mostly my pop. I am so afraid he will come to get me."

"Don’t worry, he won’t find you." He looked at me with reassuring eyes. I felt so glad to be near him.

"Well, we better get to bed," I said. I walked near the window and I noticed that he wasn’t coming in. "Ain’t ya comin’?"

"Why did you lie to me?" he asked solemnly.

"What do you mean?" I asked. I watched him walk over to me and pull off my hat reviling a full head of brown hair.

"I mean this. Your a goyl. Why did ya lie to me?"

"Well, the boys at Hearst treated me like I was a cheap piece of trash so..."

"You were the goyl who beat up Hearst newsies?" he asked.

"I guess."

"Man, I would have like to see that. Hey, what’s your real name?"

"Monica."

"And who is Chris?"

"My brother," I looked at him again. He was no longer mad, more like he was curious. The more I looked at him, the more I saw my brother.

"Please don’t tell anyone.. I don’t want to have to leave again."

"Wait...just one more question...were you the same goyl who stole the food?"

"I stole one orange! Now I’m on the wanted posters at the post office!" I saw a smile come to his face. Then the smile turned into a giggle, which was followed by a laugh. He was laughing so hard that he didn’t notice I fell asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I woke up in my bed. Everyone was still asleep, and I had just enough time to get dressed. I came out of the bathroom just as Kloppman was getting everyone up.

"Wake up! Pie Eater! Cowboy! Skittery! Race! WAKE UP! Get up! Carryin’ the Banner!" I woke up Bumlets.

"Hey."

"Good morning." He smiled at me. "I have a problem, I can’t call you Chris anymore and you don’t want me to call you Monica, so I was thinkin’ las’ night. Well, um...Dodger"

"What?" I asked.

"I remember I was about 7 and a nun put me to sleep by reading Oliver Twist. My favorite character was the Artful Dodger, and I thinks the name suits ya."

"Dodger huh?....I like it." I had never thought about a nickname. But I liked that name...Dodger. So from that point on I was known as Dodger.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Dodger, wait up!" called Jack. It had been about 4 months and no one even suspected I was a girl. Well, no one except for Bumlets. I never knew how he found out. I’d have to ask him some day. Anyway,

"Hey Jack!"

"Do you want to go to Brooklyn with me and a few others?"

"Sure, I’m done selling my papes. 200 of them today!" I was one of the best sellers there was. For some reason I was a natural. I hardly had to read the headlines and people would come up and buy them.

"I don’t know how you do it!"

"I’m just good I guess!" So, me and Jack walked to Tibby’s, Where most of the newsies where eating. We ate some food and started for Brooklyn. Me, Jack, Snoddy and Skittery were walking on the Brooklyn Bridge and we started screaming off the side. We walked into Brooklyn and I started hearing stories about Spot Conlon. Spot was the toughest newsie in New York. We walked up to a dock and a whole bunch of newsies were sitting around while others were swimming.

"Well, the Manhattan newsies. Hey Jacky-boy who’s the new guy?" Spot said.

"This here’s Dodger. He’s the best seller we got! He sold 200 in a little over an hour."

"Pleasures all mine Dodger." I stared into his eyes. They were like fireworks! He was the most perfect creature I had ever seen. He was tall, thin, and beautiful. His voice was like church bells, graceful and harmonic. I knew the first time I saw him that I loved him.

"Same here Spot," I said. Same here Spot??? Same here Spot??? The most perfect creature in the world and all I can say is SAME HERE SPOT! I must be crazy, I thought. Anyway, Spot showed me around Brooklyn while the rest of them walked about. I learned about Spot, his life, his family, and how he became the most famous newsie in all of New York. He had a lot of sad parts to his life, but mostly happy after he became a newsie. The more I talked to him, the more I fell in love with him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Bumlets, I have to blow my cover."

"Why? Because you have a crush on Spot Conlon??"

"Ya, That’s part of it...Plus the fact that I’m sick of being something I’m not. Do you know how weird it feels to be called a boy?"

"If you do this, no one will ever trust you again. They will be madder than anything."

"I know....but I tried getting accepted as a girl and everyone laughed at me. When you introduced me as a boy I was accepted immediately. You all laughed at the idea of a girl newsie. A girl came in as a boy, and she became a newsie. Everyone thought she was a boy and she was respected by all. Bumlets, I want to be respected, for who I am. And I don’t want to have to change for anything. I want everyone to know the truth."

"But how will you tell them?"

"I don’t know Bumlets, I don’t know."

LATER THAT NIGHT......

"Yer probably wonderin’ why I called this meetin’.. Well, before I answer that, I want to make sure everyone is here..." Just then Race ran through the door. He was black and blue...You could tell he had been in a fight.

"Sorry, some crazy ole drunk guy started beatin on me when I told him I didn’t know where his daughter was. He was like, ‘I’ll kill ya if ya don’t tell me where Monica is’....I was like, I don’t know any Monica!" I knew it was time to tell them about me.

"I’m Monica," I said. Everyone started lookin’ at me. I looked at Bumlets. He had the sympathetic look on his face again. I pulled off my hat. My hair fell out and everyone started gasping. Then they all started shouting at once.

"What is this? Some kind of joke? What do you think you were pulling on us? The last five months have been a game to you???" I didn’t know what to do. So I just explained the whole story in every single detail, starting from that morning when I left my father. After I was finished, the whole room was silent. Then I ended with.

"I understand if you all hate me now...I know I had no right to do it. I’m sorry, I will be out by mornin,’" a few agreed that I should leave. Then Spot stood up.

"Wait guys! I know we have never let a goyl become a newsie before, but this is different. For the longest time we all though that Dodger was a boy. The best newsie in Manhattan. Now we find out that Dodger is a girl, but it doesn’t really change anythin’ to me....and if you were really Dodger’s friend it wouldn’t make a difference to you either....Personally I want her to stay in Manhattan with you guys....Hey maybe I would come to visit more often if I knew I wasn’t going to see the same gender I just left in Brooklyn." A few chuckles came out of the crowd.

"I want her to stay too," said a voice...I looked back and saw that it was Crutchy, and he stood up prouder than I had ever seen him. Race stood up.

"Me too." Then Bumlets,

"Me three." Soon every newsie in Manhattan had voted me to stay in the Lodging House and stay a newsie...So, no matter what, I was still Dodger.

PART TWO

A week had passed after I revealed I was a girl. The guys were great, they treated me like I was the same person, but with a little bit more respect. My name had passed through all of Manhattan and the rest of New York. I wasn’t the most famous Newsie, but I had a good reputation as it was. Spot came more to the Lodging House and hung out more often, and word of what I had done to the Hearst boys gave me a tough guy rep. For once I was happy to be myself. But one thing still bothered me....my father. I never forgot what Race had said about seeing my father. And if word was going that fast, I knew my father would hear it...But I didn’t let anyone know I was worried. Bumlets was great. I thought of him more like a brother every day. In fact, I almost called him Chris once. He and I became selling partners and were the best in the business. We always sold all our papes. One day, we were selling and a strange thing happened. Oscar and Morris came up to us and started talking real nice. We just smiled and nodded. Then we started walking away and them Delancys were following us. We told them to go away and they didn’t listen. Finally, Bumlets turned around and yelled,

"WHAT DO YOU WANT? Why are you following us?" Then the Delancys hit him. He fell onto a wall and hit his head. When I saw it happen, I thought of my brother, and attacked. I started hitting them so hard that Morris was knocked unconscious and Oscar was stuck under some Barrels. I took Bumlets and ran away from the Delanceys. I looked at Bumlets. He was bleeding pretty bad from his head. I didn’t want to leave him, but I knew he needed some help. So I started screaming.

"HELP! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!" I saw Jack walking down the street trying to sell papes. "JACK! HELP! JACK!!!" He looked at me and I screamed again. "IT’S BUMLETS! PLEASE JACK HELP!" Jack ran over to us and said he would get a doctor. "No, I’ll go get it, you stay with him, take your bandanna and put pressure on the cut to stop the bleeding. So I ran, I ran faster than I had when I was running away from the bulls. I got to the hospital and told a doctor the emergency. He told me that he would send a carriage out and bring Bumlets to the hospital. I got in the carriage and we drove off. We got to the alley where I had put Bumlets and the doctor loaded him into the carriage. He asked him what his name was and Bumlets wouldn’t answer him.

"Come on boy, you have to answer if you don’t then I can’t get you into the hospital." But he still wouldn’t answer. I walked over to him.

"Please Bumlets, I need you...if you can’t get into the Hospital than you might die. I wouldn’t want that to happen. Please, tell me your name." Then he whispered into my ear.

"Robert Thomson." I smiled and said,

"Thank you Bumlets." I told the doctor and he was much obliged. We got Bumlets to the hospital and he went to a room. Jack and I were not allowed to see him. So I just sat with Jack holding onto his hand and waiting for any news. At last the doctor came out.

"He’s hurt pretty bad. Actually, he’s hurt very bad. The next 24 hours are critical. Now, I suggest you go home and go to sleep, and come back in the morning...I will give you an update on his condition." So me and Jack went out of the room and went back to the Lodging House. I knew I couldn’t sleep. I had heard those words before. Went Chris was at his worse the doctors had said the same thing and the next day he died. So Race and I played poker and he won $2.00...I knew if I wanted to I could have beaten him but my heart just wasn’t in the game. So I lied on Bumlets bed and fell asleep crying.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning Jack and I went back to the hospital. The doctor came out with a very solemn face and said,

"He is out of danger. His injury has been reduced to a minimum concussion." A feeling of relief came over me. I started to cry.

"Jack! Did you hear that? He’s safe...he’s safe."

"He can go home tomorrow," the doctor said. "You can go in now to see him, but one at a time." So Jack went in first. It seemed like forever when he came out. Finally it was my turn.

"Hey Bumlets."

"Hey Dodger."

"How ya feel?"

"My head hurts." I giggled.

"So, did ya see what I did to the Delancys?"

"Ya, you really creamed them. I ain’t never seen them so mad. You know th’ll want revenge."

"Yea, them and everyone else in New York, my list is piling up."

"Well, I better go to sleep now."

"OK. Good night Bumlets."

"Goodnight Dodger." I kissed him on the forehead and walked out of the room. Jack and I walked back and were happy as could be....We started to work on a surprise for Bumlets.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bumlets walked up the stairs with Kloppman, because he was still to weak to do it on his own. The room was totally dark. Bumlets opened the door and turned on the light and

"SURPRISE!!!" everyone yelled. Even Spot was there. There was a big banner saying WELCUM BAK BUMLETS on it....(None of us are very good spellers, and we were in a rush). Bumlets was smiling. He looked VERY happy. I walked up to him.

"Hey you. Feeling better?"

"I am now...Thank you." He looked like he was about to cry. "This is the best thing anyone has ever done for me."

"Anytime." Then everyone started walking over to him and talking to him. I was so happy for him....I felt like I could burst. Then the best thing happened. Spot walked up to me and asked me if I would take a walk with him. Of course I said yes. We walked outside and started talking again. But this time he talked about how from the moment he saw me the first time, even before he knew I wasn’t a boy, that he somehow knew that it wasn’t friendship he was feeling.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well.....I love you Monica." I loved the way he said my name instead of Dodger. I knew he wasn’t joking then.

"I love you too," was all I could say. He smiled, leaned over and kissed me. The fireworks returned. It felt like my heart was on fire. It was the most wonderful feeling I had ever had. I pulled my head back and he was smiling back at me. I knew from that point on we would be together.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Extra, extra read all about it! Shocking secrets revealed about the first First Lady. Extra, Extra!" Actually someone found a pair of false teeth and claims that it’s the first First lady’s 1st pair of false teeth. A silly story, but it sold and in a few minutes I had sold 350 papes. A record for me...I had to sell Bumlets’ share as well as my own while he was resting up. I only had a few papes left and I felt a hand on me. I looked over and their was my father.

"I knew I would find you sooner or later." He jerked my arm. "You’re coming with me." He started pulling me and he cornered me into an alley (I thought the alley looked familiar, then I realized, I had been there just a few days before beating up the Delanceys) and started hitting me. "I might never have found you if it hadn’t been for those two nice boys." I automatically knew...It was the Delanceys who blew my cover I made a mental note. "If I get out of here alive...SOAK THE DELANCEYS!" He beat me until I pretended to be unconscious and he walked away after spitting on me.

I stayed lying like that for a while until I thought I was safe. Then I ran to Tibby’s where I knew everyone would be. I had blood all over my face and I was going to have a black eye. My nose was bleeding and all and all I was beat. My father had soaked me good. I walked in and everyone gasped. Jack ran to my side.

"You OK? What happened? Here, here sit down." I sat down next to him and ordered a glass of water. Everyone crowded around me until I promised to tell them what happened. I told them and all of them wanted to go soak the Delanceys right then and there. I told them not to. I washed up and got a good night’s rest.

The next morning I went to get my papes and Oscar walked up to me.

"Hey, nice shiner Dodger. A present from your father? He asked if I had seen his beloved daughter and I told him because I love you soo much." I saw Bumlets (who was back) try to get up and beat him up but he was held back by Mush, who was obeying my orders. "So listen, I heard from the boys at the Journal that you are real easy. Do you want me to be one of your clients too??" I had enough. I punched Oscar right in the throat. I saw him gag for breath.

"Maybe that will teach you to keep your mouth shut. And just remember, I’ll punch harder next time." And with that I kicked him in the groin. I really meant it. I looked back and some of the other newsies were laughing at Oscar, but I didn’t think it was funny. I looked at Bumlets who smiled at me, and I winked back at him. All of a sudden I heard a CRACK! out of no where I turned around to see that Morris had been running towards me with his brass knuckles and someone had stopped him by hitting him with a wooden stick. I looked closely at the stick and I saw it was Crutchy’s crutch. I ran over to him.

"CRUTCHY! You saved my life!"

"Hey, it was nothing," I hugged him and everyone came up and patted him on the back and said ‘good job’. I looked and saw that the crutch had been broken in two.

"Oh Crutchy, I’m sorry." He looked at his Crutch and sighed

"Well, I guess we can put a sting around it to keep it together." All of a sudden Spot came running towards me.

"Oh, God, what happened?? Someone came to me and said you got soaked."

"Yea, Spot, I did. My father came back ta get me. I said no and he soaked me until I pretended I was knocked out. I’m OK now." He gave me a hug and a BIG kiss (I saw those fireworks again!) Everyone started hollerin’ and I turned around and screamed. "DON’T YOU HAVE SOME PAPES TO GET? EVEN IF YOU DON’T LOOK THE UTTER WAY!" Then I went back to kissing my Spot.

*~*~*~*~*~*

I was sittin on me bed. Just thinkin’ bout how things have changed when Kloppman came to the door.

"There are some boys wantin to be talkin to ya Dodger."

"OK, send them up."

"I tried, but they said no, they have to see you alone." So I walked down and saw a BIG group of boys waiting for me. I knew they looked familiar but I couldn’t think where.

"Are you Dodger?"

"Yes. Who are-" I was cut off mid sentence by someone punching me in the chin. I remembered who they were at the last second.

"That’s for makin’ us the fools of all da newsies. We can’t even hold our heads up any more."

"Well, it’s your own fault. Now if you don’t leave, I’ll send Spot after you."

"No you won’t, you probably don’t even know Spot Conlon."

"I do to he’s my guy."

"Prove it. Send Spot out here right now."

"OK..."I walked up the stairs. I hoped one of the newsies would play along. Spot was back in Brooklyn. "SPOT! Spot these men down here want to see you, oh and would you soak them for me, they treated me like trash and just hit me a few seconds ago." Luckily, Blink played along.

"Sure sweetie, I’ll be right there." I heard all the boys start running for their lives. I looked out and all of them ran away. I ran up the stairs and thanked Blink.

"Thank you Blink....they were ready to kill me because of what I did to them." He just smiled and laughed. I knew he understood.

*~*~*~*~*~*

It had been about two weeks sense I saw my father.. But I knew he was following me.. I had been having a feeling. But, I wasn’t scared to face him... I was ready. And one day, I got the chance to prove it. Bumlets and I had finished selling for the day and we were walking to Tibby’s to get something to eat. I looked and out of the corner of my eye I saw my father coming. He was going to hit me on the head with an umbrella... Or at least it looked like that. I turned around and I punched him. He fell to the ground. I pulled him up. I wanted to fight him... Before I just beat up people... But this time, I wanted to see how good I really was. We got into a fist fight... He through a few punches at my face, and I got a few in his stomach. I saw Bumlets coming towards me to get me to stop, but I told him to back off... this was personal... and he did. I got my father to the ground and he was moaning... But I didn’t have enough... I don’t think I would have ever had enough. But he looked up at me and said,

"How can you hit your own father??"

"I can’t hit my father," I replied. "But you know what, I don’t consider you my father anymore." And with that I started kicking him. "THIS IS FOR RACE!" I kicked him hard in the stomach. "AND THIS IS FOR CHRIS!" I kicked him again. "AND THIS IS FOR MOM!" I kicked him in the face. He looked at me and said,

"You killed your mother." I was finally able to face the truth.

"NO, YOU KILLED MOM! You think I didn’t know... I have been covering for you for years... But I’m not going to now.. Chris told me the whole thing. You killed mom because she had a girl instead of a boy. Face it Peter! YOU KILLED MY MOTHER! Chris was standing right outside the door while you beat her to death. I was crying in my crib. So I say again THIS IS FOR MOM!" I kicked him in the groin. "AND THIS, THIS IS FOR ME!" I kicked him harder than I had ever kicked anyone.. Right in the face. I started again. "Now, I don’t care if you get out of this City, you get out of this State, or even out of this Country. Just get out of my life." And with that, I walked away with Bumlets arm wrapped around me. We turned the corner and I closed a chapter on my life. I started to cry.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR CRUTCHY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!" Everyone was having a ball. I found out from sources I’m not allowed to say (it was Race) that it was Crutchys birthday. I had been selling papes like crazy to get him his Present. It was about time for him to open my present up. Crutchy took Snoddy’s present and opened it.

"Snoddy! Tanks! I have always wanted a cup of my own! And look, it has my name on it!" Crutchy had been getting really good stuff.. He also had gotten a belt, a new shirt, a pen with a blue ink bottle and a card from a real card store. Next he took my present...It wasn’t wrapped very good because it was so big. It didn’t matter, he opened it to fast to notice. His face lit up when he opened up a brand new crutch. "Dodger! My god! How ever did you pay for it?? It even has padding!" He took it and used it to walk over to me. "Thank you." Then he turned to all of us. "Thank you all!" next it was Spot’s turn. It was a home made card. Crutchy opened the card and $2.00 fell out.

"That is from all of Brooklyn, not just me, and I got everyone who could sign their name to sign it." Crutchy was so happy he looked like he would burst.

"This is the best birthday I have ever had." (This is the part where we all got sentimental and got into a big group hug...you don’t want to hear it...........)

LATER.....

"You know Spot, I really miss you when you’re gone."

"I know, I miss you too. But what can we do? I live in Brooklyn and you live in Manhattan. Unless...."

"Unless what Spot?"

"You come to live with me in Brooklyn."

"Oh Spot.."

"So, will you?"

"I don’t know...This is my home...They are my family. I couldn’t give them up."

"You could visit them often, it’s only across the bridge."

"I don’t know Spot, let me think about it, all right?"

"All right. I love you Dodger."

"I love you too Spot." And with that he leaned over and kissed me. I didn’t know what to think...Did I love Spot enough to leave the newsies? The people who had grown to respect and love me like we were one big family? I watched Spot walk away into the night, heading back to Brooklyn. I walked back up to the Lodging House to make the biggest decision of my life.

"YOU’RE WHAT?!?!?!" Bumlets screamed loudly as we were out on the fire escape talking like usual.

"I didn’t say I was going, I just said he asked me. I haven’t made up my mind yet."

"Don’t go...you are like my best friend...I would miss you so much."

"I don’t know Bumlets, I don’t know."

The next morning I made up my mind....No matter how much I loved Spot...I couldn’t give up the newsies that had changed my life forever. I just couldn’t do it. When I told Spot he just smiled and nodded. I knew he was about to cry but all he said was. "This doesn’t change a thing about how I feel." Then he walked away and I felt awful. I felt so awful that I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t eat for 2 days. Everyone was trying to make me feel better, but it just didn’t work. The only person I was talking to was Bumlets. I thought of him as if he was Chris, but also my best friend. After 2 days someone walked through the door.

"SPOT!" I called....He had something behind his back. He moved his hand and he had 13 Tulips in his hand...I could tell he had been gardening (if you catch my drift). "They’re beautiful!" I ran over to him and gave him a kiss.

"I’m sorry, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and I realize I was mad at you for saying no, but then I thought would I give up everything that I worked for, everything I needed, my whole family. The answer was no. I mean, everyone talks about how it is to give up everything for someone. It’s really not. Besides, I know you wouldn’t be happy in Brooklyn." We kissed again and made up. "So, you hungry?"

"Starved" I said. So we went to Tibby’s and ate a good meal. Everyone clapped when they saw me smiling and eating. I had a good night’s sleep that night.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

About a month later, Pulitzer called me into his office. I had been getting headaches and my stomach had been hurting, but I hadn’t told anyone, so I went to his office anyway. I knew he wanted me to stop being a newsie. I sat there, silent for a moment, waiting for him to tell me why I was here.

"So, I understand you are a newsie."

"Yes, sir I am."

"You’re a girl."

"Yes, sir I am."

"Why are you a newsie? You could get plenty of better jobs."

"Like what, Joe? A sweatshop kid? A servant? A secretary? No! I ain’t gonna do it! The newsies are my life. They are my family. Being a newsie is my job. And it don’t matter if I’m a girl or not. I chose to be a newsie, and I haven’t changed my mind." He was a little taken aback by me calling him Joe instead of Mr. Pulitzer, like I was supposed to.

"I can force you to stop selling for me."

"Oh, Yea, that would be REAL smart, wouldn’t it Joe? Take your best seller and force her to stop selling. Real good Joe, real smart."

"I called for the police, send them in." I looked in horror as Snyder walked in.

"Ah yes, Dodger, I have heard about you. I remember you too. I know where I last saw you. No, I haven’t forgotten. I never forget," he said. I was a little nervous. "I wonder how much you paid that boy I talked too to tell me the wrong place to go. Thought you were so smart, eh? Well, since it’s over for you, what is your real name??" I was waiting for that question...And I had the answer.

"Ball, William I. Ball," I said with a smirk and ran out of Pulitzers office with Snyder dumbfounded. I screamed "YES!!" at the top of my lungs and walked away with a huge grin on my face. I had conquered all my enemies. And the last one I didn’t use my fist to get even. (Although, I must admit, it was tempting). I went back and bought 100 more papes... I had just finished selling them when I got dizzy and fell. Race ran over to me...I don’t remember the rest for a while...It just kind of got dark.

*~*~*~*~*~*

I woke up and Bumlets was sitting over me. I had a wet washcloth over my forehead. I felt terrible.

"Finally you’re up...The doctor has quarantined this room. The rest of the newsies are staying quarantined somewhere else...I’m the only one allowed in here besides the doctor."

"Bumlets, what’s going on? I feel so sick. Why has the doctor quarantined me?"

"Dodger, you have typhoid. You have it pretty bad. I’m the only one allowed in here because I’m the only one who’s already had it. I had it when I was young...It was a close call, but I made it through, I know you will too." I didn’t feel any better. I had a headache, I was nauseous, and I had an itchy red rash on me.

"Bumlets, I’m tired."

"OK, you need rest. Night." He kissed me on the forehead. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

I woke up and all I could think about was Spot. I was getting so bad that I was screaming his name. I really needed him. I didn’t think I could last much longer. After a long time of screaming for him, Spot finally came.

"I had to convince them that I had already had typhoid."

"You came."

"Yes."

"I was callin’ for ya Spot."

"I know ya was."

"I missed ya Spot."

"I missed ya too"

"Ya know, the doc says i’m getting worse. I’m not supposed to know this, but he says I could go any day now. That’s why I had to see ya. Ta say good-bye, just in case....."

"Don’t talk like that! Your gonna get well, I know it. God wouldn’t let that happen to us. He wouldn’t let us break apart like that."

"God works in mysterious ways."

"I love you so much Monica."

"Ya know what?"

"What?"

"I have always loved the way you say my real name."

"I have always loved saying your real name."

"I love you Spot Conlon!"

"I love you too.. I wish I could kiss you but...."

"No need, I know what it feels like, I still remember the feeling of that first kiss...It was one of the best memories in my life."

"I better leave, you need your rest"

"OK Spot...Good-bye...and I love you."

"Good-bye." So Spot closed the door. I knew that when that door was closed that it was good-bye to him forever. I mean, I’m not dumb, I knew what was happening to me...I knew I didn’t have long...And I only wanted to talk to one more person, my brother, Bumlets.

"BUMLETS!" I screamed, it took all of the wind out of me. He ran in the room and stood right by my side. "I have something to ask you."

"What?"

"How did you figure it out?"

"Figure what out?"

"That I was a girl...I have wanted to ask you that for a long time...So, how did you figure it out?"

"Oh, well, when you were having a nightmare that night, you were tossing and turning, and your hat flew off. I was about to give it to you when I noticed the hair....And you know the rest from that point."

"Oh.. OK." I paused "You know Bumlets, I have always thought of you as my big brother."

"You mean like Chris?"

"Yea, like Chris.. You have always been there for me, no matter what I did. I love you with all my heart for that."

"I love you to my little sister."

"Good-bye Bumlets."

"Good-bye Dodger." He left the room, and I was surrounded by darkness

"Bumlets," I whispered. "Bumlets, Bumlets," then I changed names. "Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris....I’m coming to see you, I’ve missed you...and I have a LOT to tell you.... Chris," and with that, I closed my eyes and welcomed darkness.

EPILOGUE

Monica "Dodger" Templer died April 17, 1898. Over 400 newsies went to her funeral. Most of them were from Manhattan and Brooklyn, but a few were others who had just heard about her. At the end of the funeral all of the newsies decided that girl newsies would be just as welcome as boy newsies. And in the end, girl newsies sold an average of 89 papers more. They were still a rare sight, but girls who wanted to become newsies were not pushed back. In fact, the guys accepted them faster than they did with other guys. They never forgot Dodger, even when they were too preoccupied with the strike, and new girls that were in their life, they never forgot Monica.

THE END

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