Birdie and Spot were walking down the street in Brooklyn one evening. They were on the way back to Birdie's building from their date. Birdie had long curled auburn hair that fell to the middle of her back, and emerald green eyes. She wore a brown skirt and a light gray shirt, and a pocket watch at her waist. Spot wore brown trousers, a white button down shirt with light blue stripes, and red suspenders. He had brown hair tucked under a silvery-blue cap, a black cane with a gold top in his belt loop, and a slingshot in his front pocket.

A kid came running down the street towards Spot and Birdie. The kid wasn't looking where he was going and smacked right into Birdie. The kid and Birdie both tumbled to the ground. Spot helped them up. They brushed themselves off and looked at each other.

"Sorry bout dat," the kid said. "Didn't mean ta run into ya."

"It's awright, kid. Jist be more careful next time," Birdie said pleasently, surveying his eyes carefully. The kid turned to leave, Birdie grabbed his arm. The kid turned back around and looked right into Birdie's emerald eyes. "I think ya should be givin' it back now, kid," Birdie said sternly.

The kid looked at Birdie and gulped. "Sorry," he said as he handed back her pocket watch. He suddenly found his shoes extremely interesting.

Birdie nodded her head and took the watch. She looked back at the kid and shook his hand. "Ya know, kid, bein' honest sometimes pays off betta den bein' a pickpocket," Birdie said with a sly smile. She let go of his hand and walked on with Spot.

The kid stood there and watched them walk off. He looked in his hand; she'd given him a quarter. He looked back up. They were gone. He looked back at the quarter and smiled. She'd given him enough to eat for two days or more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spot and Birdie were standing in front of her building in Queens. It was a normal apartment building, brick and six stories. It housed twelve girls, and one guy. The Palace Newshouse, as they liked to call it, was for girls who either wanted to be newsies, but didn't want to live in the Lodging House, or girls who had no home. Everyone had an apartment to themselves and there were several apartments left. Birdie lived on the top floor and her best friend lived there too.

There was also a nice lobby right inside the main door, and a small room off to the side. The lobby had nice seats, a table, and a counter where the girls kept track of the rent, which wasn't a whole lot. Some of the girls were newsies, others worked in factories. Birdie got money from the rent and she had a lot of money from family, she had some odd jobs every once and a while too. No one could get into the building without permission, that was one of Birdie's rules. She could keep track of the visitors that way.

Spot and Birdie were talking about the kid they'd run into. "Boidie, why were ya so nice ta dat kid? I mean, he took yer watch," Spot said, confused.

"Spot, dat kid just needs someplace ta stay and somethin' good ta eat. He jist does that ta get money fer food," Birdie consoled him. "Come on, I'll see ya tamorra," she kissed him and he walked down the stairs.

"Awright, tamorra," Spot said and sauntered off back to Brooklyn.

Birdie stood on the stairs and watched him walk off. She looked at her pocket watch and watched the seconds go by. "Ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one," Just as she got to one, a kid came walking up the stairs. Birdie smiled, "I was wonderin' when you'd git here."

"How'd ya know I was comin'?" the kid asked.

"Ya was followin' us all da way from Brooklyn. Besides, I figured ya needed a place ta stay. And I showed ya some charity." Birdie smiled again at the kid and the kid looked up at her.

"Well, I do need a place ta stay..." the kid said, trying not to sound imposing.

"Shoa, come on in," Birdie walked to the door and knocked. There was a rustling on the other side of the door and it opened. "Come on, kid. Don't worry, dey won't hoit ya."

The kid followed Birdie closely. He was scared about the girls in the building, even though he hadn't seen any of them yet. The girl who'd opened the door closed it loudly behind the kid. He nearly jumped to the ceiling. Birdie could see that he was nervous, very nervous.

"Hey ya, goyls, dis is me friend. Kid, dese're me goyls. Dat's Abby, Angel, Vix, Ruby, Spice, and Homes. The odda goyls is eidda out or asleep now. Ya kin meet em tamorra. Da kid's gonna stay wit' us till he gets back on his feet," Birdie said. The kid nodded nervously to each of the girls when Birdie named them.

"Nice ta meet ya, kid. Say, what's yer name?" Abby asked. She had straight brown shoulder-length hair and beautiful brown eyes; she and Birdie have been best friends for years. The kid looked at Abby nervously.

"Come on, kid. Let's git ya some sleep, hmm," Birdie said. Birdie took his arm and pulled him up the stairs. "I'll see you goyls tamorra mornin'," she yelled down the stairs. "Don't mind dem, dey're jist dat way when someone new's around. Ya kin sleep in my apartment tonight. Tomorra we'll get ya a room fer yerself. Dat sound good?" she asked the kid.

The kid nodded, not being able to speak. They got to Birdie's apartment and she opened the door and turned on the lights. The kid followed her in and she shut the door.

"Ya kin sleep dere, on da couch. I'll git ya some blankets," Birdie said as she left to room.

The kid looked around the room. He went over to a table with a lamp. It had some pictures on it. He picked one up; it showed Birdie and a guy with a cowboy hat on. He put it back on the table. He was about to pick up the next one when Birdie walked back in.

"Oh, I see ya found me pictchas," she said.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I found 'em."

"Wouldja like anythin' ta eat?" Birdie asked the kid.

He shook his head and took the blankets from her. He walked over to the couch and started fixing it up so he could sleep. Birdie left the room to get herself ready for bed.

Back in the other room, the kid had finished making up the couch and started to undress for bed. First he pulled off his hat. A mound of strawberry blond curls fell to her shoulders. Birdie walked back in the room.

"I was wonderin' if ya was gonna take dat hat off."

The kid spun around surprised. "I.. I.. I.." she stuttered.

"I figured you was gonna take it off eventually. What's yer name goyl?" Birdie asked.

"I don't got no name, not a real one anyway. I'm an orphan since birth, and no one ever named me. So I jist always went by whateva anyone called me. Kid, Boy, whateva," she answered.

"We're jist gonna have ta give ya one, now, won't we," Birdie said. She walked over and studied her. She had long brown curly hair down to her shoulders. She had a creamy ivory complexion and green eyes. With the hat on she kind of looked like a boy, but not quite. The kid was about five feet tall. Birdie figured she was about 14 years old. "How's about... Jade."

"Jade? It sounds good, why?" she asked.

"Well, yer eyes is green, and Jade's a shade a green. And ya look like a Jade. It's not really a nickname, but it ain't a real name eidda. It's both," Birdie said.

"Well, it does sound good. I like it, thanks," Jade said.

"Yer welcome. G'night. I'll see ya tamorra," Birdie said, leaving the room.

Jade watched her leave and took her shoes off. She undid her suspenders and finished undressing. Then she slipped under the blankets and fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Jade was still sleeping when Birdie walked into the living room. Birdie smiled and walked out to the stairwell. She closed the door quietly and walked down to the lobby.

"Mornin' goyls. How'd ya all sleep?" Birdie asked, sitting down at a table.

"Fine, jist fine," they all answered, some still groggy.

"Who's turn taday?" Birdie asked.

"It's mine," Homes said. "Somebody bring me a pape dis time dough. Last time no one did. I was real bored all day."

All the girls rolled their eyes. "I'll bring ya one afta I get 'em," Vix said. She had light brown tightly curled hair past her shoulders and beautiful sapphire blue eyes. Homes nodded and turned to his breakfast.

Birdie got up and went to get her own breakfast. They all ate together in the lobby for breakfast. Each pitched in a little for the food and they all had chores to do for it. The chores were divided up through out each day and normally you only had to do the same chore once, maybe twice a week. Lunch and dinner, they had to fend for themselves. Breakfast was a freebee, but other meals were each's responsibility.

Just then, Jade came down the stairs. She was wearing all her clothes, including her hat, which concealed her hair. She walked into the room with the rest of them. She sat down at the table and Birdie brought her her breakfast and sat down next to her.

"Mornin', Jade. How'd ya sleep?" Birdie asked her. They both started to eat breakfast.

"Fine. Thanks fer da couch, and da breakfast," Jade answered.

They all finished eating and took their dishes to the kitchen. Then the girls who didn't have chores to do that morning left to sell papers. Birdie and Jade were the last to leave.

"Come on, Jade," Birdie said, opening the door. "I'll see ya lata, Homes," she yelled across the room. She and Jade walked out into the street and Birdie closed the door. "Why don't we go visit a couple a friends a mine in Manhattan. Dey can show ya a few things."

Jade nodded her head and followed Birdie to Manhattan. They walked moderately quickly. Birdie wanted to get to the circulation office before all the newsies left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Manhattan, Birdie walked into the circulation office with Jade in tow. The newsies were either buying their papes or reading the headlines, to see how much they had to improve the truth. Birdie walked up to one of them who was sitting on a ledge. He had brown hair, a red bandanna, and a cowboy hat. Jade recognized him from the picture on the table in Birdie's apartment.

"Hey ya, Jack. How's da headline taday? And don't say it," Birdie said to him.

"Good enough, I'll jist find some good... Wait a minute, who's dis?" Jack said looking over Birdie's shoulder at Jade.

"Dis here's me friend, Jade. I'd like one a you'se guys ta sell papes wit' her. She needs ta learn how ta sell em," Birdie said as Jack stood up.

"Shoa. One a us'll show her round. No problem," Jack said.

"Good. Jade, I'd like ya ta meet my brodda, Jack Kelly." A few other of the newsies walked up to her and Jade.

"Hey ya, Boidie, who's dis?" a newsie with brown hair, brown eyes, and a cigar asked.

"Jade, dis is Race, dat's Mush, Dutchy, Skittery, Specs, Crutchy, Snitch, Davey, Les, Snipeshooter, and Boots." She pointed to each one as she named them, and then pretended to catch her breath after she had. A few of them smiled in place of laughter. "Everone, dis is Jade. Oh, yeah. Dose guys ova dere, dey're Oscar and Morris Delancey. Steer clear a dem."

"Mornin'," all the newsies said. Jade smiled and looked at the ground.

"Jade needs someone ta show her round. Ta show her how ta sell papes," Birdie announced.

"I'll show her round," Specs said immediately. He had blondish-brown hair tucked under his black derby and brown eyes. He wore glasses, so the guys called him Specs.

"Jade, does that sound good?" Jade still looked at the ground. "Well, I think it's a good idea. Specs'll be real nice ta ya. So you kin go wit' him and I'll see ya lata," Birdie said turning to leave. "Oh, and, Jade." Jade looked up at Birdie. Birdie tossed her a coin. "Here ya go. Good luck." Birdie said good-bye to the newsies as most of them left the circulation office. Jack stayed behind to talk with his sister.

"When'd ya find her?" Jack said.

"She tried to pick me pocket last night," Birdie informed him.

"She tried to pick yer pocket, and now she's yer friend?!!" Jack exclaimed.

"Shoa, she's different den odda pickpockets. She jist does it so she kin get money fer food. I'd like her ta have enough money fer food and buyin' papes, as soon as she learns to anyway."

Jack wasn't one to argue with his sister, so he didn't even try. "Awright. So whatta ya doin' taday?" Jack asked.

"Well, I don't know. I was thinkin' bout Tibby's lata and walkin' round fer a while. I gotta do a couple a jobs by dis evenin', but dey're small jobs. How's bout I meet ya at Tibby's, at bout seven," Birdie said.

"Shoa. Sounds good," Jack said.

"Oh, and be shoa dat Specs brings Jade. I don't wanna be losin' her," Birdie reminded.

Jack nodded and went off to sell his papes with Davey and Les. Birdie went back to Queens to do her work. Her next job was in Brooklyn. She loved getting jobs in Brooklyn, it gave her an excuse to see Spot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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