"Oh my dear, vhat are you doing here? Didn't Helen tell you I didnt need you today?" Jo, head down looking at her soaked dress glanced up at Medda with fire in her eyes and water dripping down her face from her hair.

"What?" Said Jo short and annoyed.

"Oh I'm so sorry dear. She promised she'd tell you on her way home last night." Jo didnt respond, just stood there dripping on the wood floor.

"Well since you're here I could try and find you something to do." Once again Jo was silent, but this time turned around and walked out the door. She headed straight to Tibbys, no longer caring how wet she was, because she figured it couldnt get any worse. On her way there as she walked along the sidewalk however it was impossible to avoid the canopies over the various doorways. As she passed under one she met someone she never expected to, Mr. Denton.

"Hey you, wait!" He yelled as she passed by not even pausing to see if the man was referring to her. "Hey, stop!" A few doors down under a rather large green canopy he managed to catch up and grabbed her arm. She turned rather abruptly, startled. No one dared grab her like that, except perhaps Mrs. Butts, a Bull or Spot. (Though of the three he was the one she wouldnt let get away with it.) Quickly realizing he was neither she snapped at him;

"What the hell are you doing let me go!" Who the hell do you think you are?

"Sorry, its just you looked so wet I though you might want to borrow my umbrella." He held it out and she just looked at it. Why was he being so nice to someone he didnt even know. Her first thought was that he wanted something, and had mistaken her for another type of girl.

"Look mister, youve got the wrong girl. I dont earn my money that way." She began to turn when he laughed. "Whats so damn funny?" She whipped around yet again.

"Jack has told me a lot about you. I can see most of its true." This only added to her confusion.

"Jack. As in Jack Kelley, that Jack?"

"Yes, who else would I...oh Im so sorry he must not have mentioned me. I'm Mr. Denton I wrote that article on the Newsies back during the strike. And you must be Jo. The boys have pointed you out a few times since youve been back." So this was Mr. Denton. Jack, David and Spot has all mentioned him at some point but she had yet to actually see him.

"No, I'se heard of ya. Just never knew what youse looked like dats all."

"Oh well, thats good. I was beginning to think the guys were embarrassed of me or something." He said it jokingly. Jo didnt seem amused. Angel finally realized that the canopy they were under was Tibbys.

"Thanks but no thanks, I dont need your umbrella." She gestured to the door and the name on it.

"Well, so you dont." He gave her a once over. "Looks like I might have been too late anyway." There was an awkward silence. Then Mr. Denton tipped his hat. " I won't keep you from your business." He said with a half smile, then opened his umbrella and headed across the street. Angel shrugged off the encounter and headed inside. She was either too late or too early, the restaurant was void of all newsies and full of middle class workers on their lunch breaks. The waiter watched as they gawked at te soaking wet sour-faced girl standing in the doorway. Not wanting to scare away so many repeat customers he thought it best to act as though he didnt know this street trash girl.

"Hey you, get out! Youre drippin everywhere. " Angel stood there with a shocked expression as he came over and shewed her out into the wind and rain. She stood there for what felt like an eternity. The wind was cold up against her wet self yet if she moved out from under the canopy shed just get even wetter. As it was her hair had dried a little and she was not as willing to walk in the rain again. Yet she couldnt spend the rest of the day in front of Tibbys, the owner was sure to come ou and chase her off soon, or get the bulls to come do it. 'Should I go to Meddas?' She thought to herself. 'Or just head back to Brooklyn?' Either way she was sure to get wet again. She glanced out form under the canopy up at the sky, to see if it showed a promise of stopping or at least letting up a little. It showed to such promise. As she let her eyes wander back to the street to consider her situation further a certain carriage caught her eye. It belonged to the Brooklyn Orphanage, and looked to be headed in that direction now. From what she could see it was carrying a new tenant, a familiar looking blonde.

In that instant she decided to head back to Brooklyn and hitched a ride on the back of the carriage, where trunks are usually put-a carriage feature the orphanage rarely used. She was sure to get wet but at least this way she wasnt exposed to the elements as long or as directly. She didnt dare try to look into the carriage, for all she knew Mrs. Butts was accompanying the poor girl. Arriving at the orphanage the girl stepped out and looked up at the building, obviously feeling a bit overwhelmed, she glanced both ways down the street overcome with the number and size of the other buildings.

"Come on girl, get up those steps and inside. I don't want another sick girl to deal with." Mrs. Butts had indeed accompanied the girl from the boat dock. And by the sound of it she was in quite a good mood today. Angel quickly hid on the opposite side of the carriage, so Butts didn't catch her there, and see her soaking wet. When the two were inside Angel headed around to the fire escape and up to her bed.

Trying not to get her bed wet she opened the window as far as it would go, and jumped over. Her toes caught on the edge of the bed sending her to the floor with a thud. She caught herself with her hands, which slipped a little and got a bit scratched up. She quickly closed the window and shuffled through what little collection of cloths she had and ran to the bathroom to change out of her wet ones. Just then Mrs. Butts tour of their humble abode ended on the third floor, most likely where the girl would be staying based on how old she looked to Angel.

Angel changed and shoved her wet cloths in the one small cupboard under the sinks, behind some cleaning rags and soap. Just then Mrs. Butts threw the door open and seemed shocked to see Jo there scrubbing the floor. Not wanting to discourage the 'little devil' from doing what she usually forces her to do, she ignored her and showed the girl the bathroom.

"Put your stuff on the bed I showed you and help Josephine with the bathroom." Butts commanded, then left rather hurriedly back downstairs. Jo threw down the brush and went into the room that houses her bed as well as the new girl. She didnt seem to be in a very big hurry to unpack and help.

"It sure was an awful mess getting here, I wasnt sure if it was worth it when I stepped out of that carriage. But then I saw you peaking out from behind it and I knew it was all going to work out Jo." Angel was caught off guard, she made it sound as though they knew each other.

"Pardon?" Jo couldn't hide her confusion. Then the blonde turned around. Jos eyes bulged out of her head and she went white.

"Oh my! You look ill, are you alright Jo?" The girl was not expecting such a reaction.

"Gwen? Gwen McGregor? Gwen McGregor from Buffalo?" Not in her wildest dreams did she ever expect to see her again. Gwen laughed.

"This wasnt the welcome I was expecting." Almost instantly Angel pulled herself back together, and tried to live up to her Brooklyn reputation that Gwen had come to know her by.

"Well you werent someone I ever expected to see here."

"I couldnt stay in Buffalo. Not after all those stories you told me about New York! Besides I think you taught me enough to survive a place like this."

"No. I taught you enough to survive a place like Manhattan. Experience is the only thing that can teach you to survive a place like this." Angel started thinking how she could get her transferred to Manhattan or even back to Buffalo. Gwen seemed hurt by how Jo was taking all this. They had been such good friends in Buffalo, always managing to get into and out of trouble together.

"Can't I just try it here? Give me a chance Jo!" Jo realized she may have been too hard on her, but if she was going to survive here then she should be able to take a lot more.

"Alright. Just try to stay near this place for a while, until you get a lay of the land. Even then however, dont go anywhere alone-better yet dont go anywhere without me or someone I deem alright. You'd probably be best working with me, that way I can keep an eye on youse and youd be better off working in Manhattan anyway." Gwen nodded vigorously during Jo's little speech, she seemed to agree.

"Yes of course. Whatever you say Jo, you know this place better then me, so you know whats best for me." For some reason it had seemed too easy. Getting Gwen to agree with anyone was always a chore back in Buffalo. Perhaps she really realizes how dangerous it is here. Thought Jo. Letting Gwen see her with her guard down however wasnt the wisest thing for Jo to do.

Suddenly there were rather heavy footsteps on the stairs, both Jo and Gwen looked at each other and then made a mad dash to the bathroom. Jo quickly filled a bucket with water and threw a scrub brush at Gwen and they both began to scrub. The door was only open about a foot and within moments Mrs. Butts head was sticking through that crack.

"Suppers ready, git downstairs before I decide to give it to da dawgs outside." Again she didn't seem as cruel today. There wasnt an insulting word or comment directed at either of them. She left and headed back down stairs.

"Supper? Already? You sure do eat early here." Gwen looked over at Jo.

"Not his early I think somethins up. She's ben awfully good tempered taday, and now an early supper?" Gwen gave her a strange look, with a hint of fear.

"She's in a g ood mood today?" Jo laughed and though shes never gona make it here. Then she hung up her wet cloths in one of the shower stalls and headed downstairs. With Gwen in tow Jo entered the dining hall and sat in her usual place. There was an empty place for Gwen on the right of Jo. The new girl on her floor always sits next to her. To the left sat a girl named Samantha, though she was referred to as Sammy. She was Jos second in command, and had taken over for her when she was gone. (Though with Jos reputation is wasnt too hard to get her position back.) The seats directly across from the three I described were considered seats of honor.

To be able to sit across fro Jo spoke very highly of you. They were currently (and usually) occupied by three Newsie girls: Em (as in Emerald), Jade and Crys (as in Crystal). Though those seats were usually reserved for them occasionally one would fall from grace for a few weeks due to a run in with Spot for attempting to take Jo's Number One Newsie Girl position. When this occurred the next on the bench would move down (they usually sat by age). Jo didn't really have a problem with anyone on her floor, she just held some as more trustworthy then others.

Getting back to the dinning hall; Jo quickly noticed no one was eating, just staring down into their bowls of slop. It didn't look any different from usual; gray with a hint of brown chunks. But Butts had been unusually kind today, and even treated then to an early supper, their bowls were even fuller then usual as well... Angel too was now staring suspiciously down into her bowl. When she looked up Mrs. Butts was standing at the front of the room glaring right at her. Not wanting to get into another confrontation that would lead to getting time in the closet, she picked up her spoon and scooped up some of the slop.

"Bottoms up." She said quietly to herself and those directly around her. She stuck it in her mouth closed her lips around in and dragged out the spoon. It didnt taste any different. Still not the kind of food you want to savor too long, so she swallowed. At that everyone took it as a sign that everything was okay and began there usual dinner conversations as they ate. Jo looked back over at Butts who smiled back triumphantly and walked out.

continued