I woke up before just about everyone to prepare. I put on my skirt, a dusty lavender colored flannel, my brown vest, black boots, and gray cap. Everyone was awake and ready to stop the wagons. Racetrack may as well have pasted himself to my side, he hasn't been out of my eyesight since he woke up. We're all crowded in front of the paper-stocked counter.

"The strike starts right damn now." Jack declared. Weisel moved from behind the counter.

"The sun is up." He shouted. "The birds a singing! It's a beautiful day to crack some heads. Ain't it. Step right up and get your papes."

At this moment, boys I'd never seen before shoved through our crowd to the counter. Race stepped in front of me just in case, but I scooted to see.

"Hey, are you workin', or trespassin'?" Morris demanded. "What's your pleasure?"

"Who're they?" Davey asked, eyes wide.

"Scabs!" Jack spat.

"What, they think they can just waltz in here and take our jobs?" Finch cried.

"We can handle them!" Crutchie hollered.

"Let's soak them, boys!" Romeo suggested, leading the battalion of Newsies towards the scabs. Davey stopped us.

"We all stand together!" He shouted. "Or we don't stand a chance! Jack?"

"Yeah, I know." Jack nodded. "I hear you."

Then he turned to the cautious scabs. "Fellas. I know someone put you's up to this. Yeah, they probably paid you some extra money too, huh? Well it ain't right. Pulitzer thinks we are gutter rats. With no respect for nothin', including eachother. Is that who we are? Well, we stab eachother in the back and yeah, that's who we are."

All the Newsies were watching and listening intently through Jack's monologue. 

"But if we stand together," he continued. "We can change their whole game. And it ain't just about us! Yeah! All across this city, there are boys and girls who wanna be outside playin' or goin' to school. Instead they are slavin' to support themselves! And-- and their folks! There ain't no crime to bein' poor. No, not a one of us complains that the work we do is hard. All we ask is a square deal! For the sake of all the kids in every sweatshop, factory, and slaughterhouse in this city, I beg you: throw down your papers. And join the strike."

"Please?" Les stepped forward, trying to spark a bit of pity in the scabs.

The speech sent chills up my spine. Was this rehearsed? I'll have to ask Crutchie. My head snapped up when one of the scabs rushed forward to confront Jack. Davey pulled his little brother behind him, and Race, yet again, stepped in front of me. I stepped to the side to see.

"I'm with you!" He yelled, throwing his stack of papers on the floor. Davey spoke to a scab that went to join us, but his friend shouted when he threw down his papers.

"You're kidding me, right?" He demanded.

"At the end of the day, who are you gonna trust?" The first scab yelped. "Them? Or them?" At the last word, his voice stung like venom and he threw his paper bag at the Delancey's. The rest of us crowded around the remaining scab to convince him. It worked. Weisel and the Delancey's ran away and we were throwing papers into the air triumphantly. That is, until they reappeared with the dreaded Snyder himself. Three clangs sounded just before he started attacking the Newsies. Race shoved me behind a wall.

"Stay there." He ordered, beginning to defend our friends. A barrel flew, along with massive stacks of paper. A newsie was thrown onto the stack of papers and the attacker pulled out a knife. Just as the knife made contact with the Newsie, Jack barreled into the guy. Crutchie looked panicked but not dazed, so he fought. They looked to be winning until the police showed up. 

"It's about time you showed up! They're slaughterin' us!" Romeo exclaimed, emotion building in his voice. A bull hit him. The fifteen year-old Newsie cried out, falling to the floor. Then the rest of the bulls went to handle everyone else. I saw Race get cornered by three bulls, but Jack helped him escape. I shuffled out of sight to try and help Romeo. 

"Get outta here." Romeo gasped. I slung his arm over my shoulder and helped him limp to safety. The instant I turned around, I saw my brother in the thick of the fight, hitting his opponents with his crutch. I couldn't see any other Newsies. Everyone was helping each other. Jack's face drained of color and he made a start, but something held him back. Romeo found a place to hide and I rushed to my brother. Everyone but me and Jack scattered.

"Jack!" My brother cried, detained by the Delancey's. I tried to run towards my brother, but someone grabbed my arm. I turned and saw Racetrack.

"Let go!" I yelled, voice shrill. Then I yanked my arm away, ignoring the pop that sounded from my shoulder. A thunderous pain erupted from said shoulder, but I pushed through it.

"Jack, wait for me!" Crutchie pleaded. Jack was running away. How could he? "Cass!"

"Crutchie!" I cried, trying to run to him again, but Race caught me. Again. But this time, I couldn't escape his grip and he tried to take me from the scene.

"Where do you think you're goin'?" Oscar sneered.

"Jack help!" He yelled. The blood was pounding in my ears, but all I could hear were my brother's pleas. "Romeo! Finch!"

"Shut it, crip!" Morris ordered. Crutchie swung his crutch in defense, face falling in horror as Oscar ripped it from his grasp. Tears pricked my eyes as I tried to scream for my brother through Race's hand. Oscar landed a hard blow to Crutchie's face, sending him sprawling to the floor. I punched and kicked at Race for him to let me go, but he didn't relent.

"Well, it's off to the Refuge with you, little man." Snyder decided, picking up the crutch. My brother's pained gasps were deafening to me. Then the old, evil man beat the crippled boy with his own crutch. This happened to the point that Crutchie allowed himself to be arrested. His hat had fallen off. Blood was welling from cuts on his face. I never ceased fighting to help. Only five minutes after the attackers disappeared did Racetrack unhand me. I whipped around to face him, blonde hair sticking to my wet face.

"What the hell?" I cried, wiping the tears from my face. I couldn't move one of my arms. "I could've saved him!"

"There was too many." Race shook his head, voice cracking. "They would've taken you too."

"Then Crutchie wouldn't be in the Refuge alone!" I yelled.

"He told me to keep you safe!" He pointed out. 

"Well, thanks." I whispered, taking off in the opposite direction. On the way, I knelt down and picked up my brother's hat. 

"Clara!" Racetrack called after me. He didn't seem to give chase, probably to give me space. I don't blame him.

I ran until I didn't know where I was. It had begun raining, and my shoulder was aching. I felt it with my other hand. It was dislocated. Instead of popping it back in, I looked up at the the building I was in front of. It was still day time, so the empty streets were gloomy. I felt numb, seeming to have left the anguish and grief in Newsie Square. 

The building was an orphanage. I sighed, opening the front metal gate to enter. Instantly, I was surrounded by kids.

"Children!" A nun called, not noticing me. I fit well in, since either they were tall or I was short. A memory hit me. Jojo was raised in an orphanage by nuns. Maybe it was them.

"Who're you?" The nun asked as she neared.

"I'm..." I started with the intention of introducing myself. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be here." Panic took me by surprise. I tried to leave, but the nun intercepted my path.

"You're a Newsie, aren't you?" Her face softened. I nodded, taking in short breaths. "I know a few of you."

"Can I please stay here for a bit?" I asked her. She nodded and ushered me (and the kids) inside. She showed me a small room.

"What happened?" She asked gently.

"It's... We went on strike." I told her.

"But that's not why you're here." She guessed.

"We tried to stop the wagons today." I started, breathing shakily. "The bulls and Snyder show up and took my brother. He has polio. And another Newsie didn't let me help him."

"That's awful." The nun murmured. "You can stay the night."

"I don't want to stay the night." I shook my head. "I just need a few hours."

"Whatever you need." She nodded solemnly, closing the door behind her.