Daughter of the Refuge

Chapter Twenty

I haven't put a meme up in awhile and I feel like y'all need a good laugh in this book. I feel like it's getting very depressing. So there it is^^^

Samantha walked silently, her face downcast, Peter's cap pulled down over her head. She didn't know where she was headed until she found her feet leading her to the door of East Side's Newsies Lodging House. 

She had woken up in the Chapel with a wicked headache and a mind full of memories she wished were nothing more than dreams. But the weight on her heart told her that they weren't.

The nuns told her that Jojo had brought her into their care the night before, and after they made sure the girl was given sufficient food, they allowed her to leave with a promise that she would return sometime soon for a visit.

The whole time she wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and sob. But she had things she needed to do before she could allow herself to leave New York for good.

She had only ever been at the East Side Lodging House once and all she remembered from it was the silent halls, strict rules, and unbreakable curfew. It was a well-run system, if not a little too harsh. 

It wasn't that the leader, or East Side newsies for that matter, were strict or harsh, they just liked their order. Too much.

But she wasn't there to speak to their leader, Tiger, but one of their youngest newsies. A girl with curly brown hair, freckled cheeks, and a usually bright smile. 

Not today. As the girl stepped outside, the usual light that radiated from her was faded, if not near-gone. 

"Sammy," she frowned. "You're 'ere."

"Hi Maggie." Samantha tried a smile.

"What are you doin' here?"

"I've come tah see how you're doing."

"Why?"

"Because I was thinkin' a you." The girl closed the door behind her before facing Samantha once more.

"I'm as good as anyone can be after their brother was killed saving 'em." Samantha shivered, ignoring the pain shooting through her chest.

"Maggie, what's wrong?"

"I just don't get why ya here," the girl shrugged.

"Because I was worried 'bout you."

"Really?" The thirteen year-old scoffed.

"Of course," Samantha furrowed her brows. "Why on earth would ya think otherwise?"

"I don't know, maybe because Tommy died over a week ago and I haven't seen ya once. Peter's been 'ere three times. I honestly thought ya had forgotten 'bout me." Maggie rolled her eyes.

Samantha sucked in a breath of pain at the words. Maggie was right, Samantha hadn't been to East Side once because she was trying to act like Tommy's death hadn't affected her. She hadn't wanted to show weakness, appear to her father like she couldn't take the young boy's death.

"I'm sorry Maggie," she whispered, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. The young girl gave her a teary smile.

"I needed you'se Sammy, dat's all." Samantha crouched to the ground and pulled Maggie into a tight hug, the brown-haired girl reacting immediately, returning the hug in full. Samantha closed her eyes, unwilling to relinquish her hold.

She was about to pull away when Maggie's next words halted her action.

"Did Peter come with you?" It was worse than a soaking from the Delancey brothers could have given her.