I stood up slowly and sat by a small table. A letter addressed to my father caught my eye and I frowned a little. I remembered receiving it yesterday, but I had not even thought of opening it. Now the postmark picked at my curiosity when I noticed it was from Boston. After lighting a lamp I opened the envelope, scanning over the words as quickly as I could in the dull light.

"Dear Mr. Collin,
Since my daughter is no longer with us I think it fit that I take over Christina's upbringing. As you know, I have never approved of your crude influence on her and she is no longer any concern of yours. My attempts to gain guardianship of my granddaughter in the past have failed, but I assure you this one will not. I will come to get her on the 8:15 train on September 7. She is now my responsibility.
Sincerely,
Gwendolyn Starling"

I snorted indignantly as I threw the letter down. "Crude influence... Witch." Of course, I suppose I should have expected it. My parents had been trying to hide letters like that from me since I was seven. They had no clue I had read every one of them. My so-called grandmother just wanted to raise me as revenge for my mother marrying my father.

I sighed and stood up. There was no way I could stay here now. I frowned at the thought and walked to my room to gather some things to take with me... and not to Boston: money, my journal and a couple pencils, my favorite book, brush, my mother's locket, and my father's pocket watch. I ran to the stables after making sure I had everything. I sighed as I walked into the barn and looked up at the pitch black horse standing a few feet away. "Hello Thunder. You're going to go stay with the McNeels for a while, okay? Gotta get out of here on the 8:15 or else that old hag is gonna drag me to Boston." Thunder tossed his head, looking disgusted and stamped his foot. I smiled a little. "Yeah, my thoughts exactly. You think things could get any worse?" He neighed a little and I raised an amused eyebrow at him. "Maybe not, but that's a bad attitude." I paused as I picked up the reigns and saddle. "Great, I'm talking to my horse now... Oh well." I shrugged a little and saddled Thunder. "Well, let's get going bud." I said as I kicked his sides a little and rode a couple of miles to a two story, yellow house. I patted Thunder and dismounted him, then picked up a few small rocks and threw them at a window until a boy with messy brown hair peaked out. "What the-? Chris? Is that you?! What at you doing here?"

"Chris is here?" I heard another, calmer, voice say as a boy with blond hair stuck his head out the window.

I waved and started to climb up a tree toward the window where they pulled me inside. "Hi Christian, Ryan." I said cheerfully. It was consoling being around my two dearest friends again after the events of the past few days. Christian was leaning calmly against the wall silently, always the quiet observer. I saw Ryan roll his eyes through the brown hair that had fallen over them. "What're you doing here awake, and cheerful at that, when all of the smart people are sleeping?"

I pulled out the letter and waved it a few inches from Ryan's face. "My grandmother is coming on the 8:15 train to get me."

Ryan frowned. "The one in Boston? But that's far away. You aren't going to go, are you Chris?"

I shook my head. "No, not to Boston. But I can't stay here, so I'm going to New York City."

Ryan grabbed my shoulders and his eyes grew wide. "New York City?! You can't go there! It's-its... well, it's a long ways off!"

Christian sighed, probably annoyed with Ryan's dramatics. "You're so observant, Ryan. I'm sure she's glad you told her, she couldn't have possibly known it all ready."

Ryan glared at him. "It's just that she's going to be so far away and who is going to spy for me and tell me which girls to talk to and which ones like me and-"

I frowned in confusion as I interrupted his sentence. "I never did that."

He shrugged and smiled charmingly. "I'm sure you intended to."

I rolled my eyes and looked at Christian, knowing Ryan wasn't going to be any help. "I want to get to New York but I have to go by way of the 8:15 train which is the same train the old hag is coming in on so..." I let the sentence hang, hoping they would get the idea.

Ryan snapped his fingers and jumped in. "You wanted to come ask me for ideas since I'm so smart and everything."

I sighed and shook my head. "Not quite."

He smiled and put an arm around my shoulder arrogantly. "You want a big, strong, handsome guy to escort you to the next town with a train station and hop onto that train."

I glared at him. "No, and drop the vanity, it doesn't suit you."

He shrugged and backed off, frowning a little. "Geez, I was just kiddin'."

Christian looked annoyed. "She wants us to help her so that she won't be seen getting on the train, you imbecile."

"I knew that, I was just joking around." Ryan said quickly and then added. "How are we going to do that?"

Christian smiled a little and searched through his closet, then threw me a pair of clothes. "Ryan, our cousin Brett is leaving on the 8:15."

Ryan's eyes lit up a little as a thought occurred to him. "You think I'm stupid? You may be able to dress her up in boy's clothes, but you can't hide that hair of hers."

I grabbed my hair possessively. "Don't you dare come near me with your mother's sewing sheers Ryan Wade McNeel!"

He smiled innocently and put his hat on my head. "I wouldn't dream of it, you can put your hair up in that."

I stared at him in awe. "You hat? Really? But you never let anyone touch your hat."

He nodded and sighed. "Yeah, but you know how much I love my hat. You better take good care of it and since it means so much to me I think you should-"

Christian glared at him. "A small sacrifice for the well-being of a friend."

Ryan pouted so I gave him a sisterly kiss on the cheek. "I owe you one, and no one will lay a finger on your hat, I swear."

He laughed a little and sent Christian a boastful grin. "Hey, Echo kissed me!"

I glared at him. "Don't call me that."

Christian smiled. "That's what you get for not letting us call you Chrissy. Besides, I'd think you'd be happy being named after a mental disorder and it's perfect considering no one else talks to their horse, Echolalia."

I stuck my tongue out at him in a childish gesture. "Echolalia has nothing to do with someone who talks to their horse. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to change."

Ryan smiled. "Let me help you-" Christian elbowed him and he pretended to cough. "With the door to the washroom, it's tricky sometimes."

I frowned a little in disapproval. "I would be forced to get you for that if it weren't for the quick cover up."

He shrugged sheepishly, something Ryan didn't do often. "You know me."

"Unfortunately." I said as I closed the door to the washroom and changed into the clothes Christian had thrown me. I sighed a little as I walked out. "So, I guess I'd better get going now."

Ryan frowned a little. "Well, we're going with you to the train station. You have to wait for us."

I nodded. "Right. I'll be outside with Thunder." I said as I climbed back down the cottonwood tree and waited for them. About five minutes later they came out of the barn, Christian leading an andalucian and Ryan leading an arabian. I rolled my eyes as they got close enough that I could hear them arguing. "Donne would eat Bonnie's dust." Ryan said, referring to the horses.

I smiled fondly. "If we were racing, which we aren't... and Thunder would beat both of those horses." I said pointedly.

They looked each other and shrugged a little as they mounted their horses. I did the same and we started riding towards town. I sighed a little as we rode up to the railroad station. Christian slid off of Donne's back and handed Ryan the reigns. "I'll go get your ticket so old Mr. Price doesn't recognize you.. even if he is half blind."

I smiled and handed him money for it. "Thanks Christian." I looked at Ryan as Christian walked over to the ticket booth. "You guys will take care of Thunder for me, won't you?"

He nodded. "Oh sure, we'll be happy to take care of him for ya. We'll brush him, and feed him, and win bets when we race him..."

I glared at him. "No racing, if he stepped in a rabbit hole and broke his leg I'd never forgive you."

He nodded and looked down at his shoes. "Okay, no racing."

I smiled a little. "I'll miss you guys."

"Yeah, we'll try not to throw too big of a party when you leave." He said and laughed weakly. "You will write... won't you?" He said after a short pause.

"You know I will." I said quietly.

He frowned. "Liar. You'll get to that big city and forget all about us, you know you will... I won't forget you though."

I sighed as I slid to the ground. "I promise I won't forget you. We're friends... right?"

He nodded but looked away. "Yeah, friends."

Christian walked back over and handed me a ticket. "Here you are Brett. Send us your address when you get to the city." He said with a slight wink.

I nodded and hugged him. "I'll write as soon as I get there."

He sighed a little. "Well, it seems my obnoxious brother is speechless for once. Ryan, get down here and tell Chris good bye."

He glared at Christian stubbornly. "No, I'm going with her."

I laughed a little and tried to hide it. "Ryan, you can't go to New York. You have family here."

He frowned. "Well, so do you. We're almost your family."

I shrugged. "Almost doesn't count. Anyway, if I stay here my grandmother will be taking me back to Boston whether I like it or not. I'll write everyday, it will be almost like I never left."

He shook his head and pouted. "No, it's not fair. Anyway, you said yourself that almost doesn't count...You almost had me thinking we were friends." He said angrily as he turned the arabian around and rode away.

Christian cleared his throat and looked away. "Well... that was an uncomfortable situation. But I'm sure he'll be back to say good bye before his train leaves."

"Really?" I asked hopefully, not quite sure what he had been so mad about.

He sighed. "No, you know how Ryan is when he gets like that. I'll go talk to him though." He said as he mounted Donne and looked down at me nervously. "Well, I guess this is good bye. Take care Echo, and don't forget to write." He said and rode off after Ryan.

I sighed and folded my arms around my stomach as I walked over to a bench and waited for the train. When it finally did pull into the station Ryan still hadn't come to tell me good bye. I sighed a little as an old woman stepped off of the train with a blonde girl. It was quite obvious that the older woman was my grandmother, and the blonde girl I vaguely remembered to be my cousin, Hope, even though I hadn't seen her in years. I smirked and brushed past them. "Scuse me miss." I said and grinned when neither of them gave me a second glance. I boarded the train and sat down next to the window. I frowned a little, realizing there was still no sign of Ryan. When the train pulled out of the station I was still looking out the window, expecting to see him come riding up in a cloud of dust and jump onto the train to tell me good bye... he didn't. I shook my head. "Stupid idea. This isn't some story book." I mumbled as I sat back in my seat.

The train ride wasn't too bad despite the fact that it was horribly boring. I finally got off in Santa Fe and got a ticket to go back east, and then I was off on another long, boring train ride. After countless stops along the way, and switching trains a few times, we finally pulled into New York City. I sighed a little as I walked off and looked around. "Buy a pape?" Someone asked from nearby.

I spun around and examined the small boy who had asked me. "No thanks." I started to walk away but a thought occurred to me and I stopped. "Wait. Um... can girls sell papers?"

He nodded. "Sure, dere's even lots of newgoils lodgin' houses where dey can stay."

I thought for a second. "Is there one nearby?"

He sighed. "Well, I think most of 'em are full, but dere's one in Queens dat's still takin' lodgers."

I smiled. "Thanks, you've been very helpful."

He shrugged a little and kept selling his papers. I walked a few steps before it occurred to me that I didn't know where Queens was. I turned around to ask the boy but he was all ready lost in the crowd. I sighed a little. "Excuse me, sir?" I asked a train conductor. "Could you possibly tell me where Queens is?"

He hurriedly gave me some directions and I started on my way. I walked for what seemed like forever, and when it started getting dark I had no way of telling if I was in Queens or Mexico. I sighed heavily and sat down on some steps. "Well, this is typical. I'm lost. If I was ever good at anything, it was getting lost." I frowned as I heard a squeaking sound and looked up to see a sign swinging above me. "Newsgirls Lodging House, Flushing Queens" I read and smiled. "Queens? I'm in Queens? Talk about luck." I took a deep breath and walked inside. "Hello?"

An older woman walked into the room and I bit my lip, suddenly nervous. "Um... someone told me you were accepting lodgers."

She nodded a little. "There are still some bunks left. I'm Lila."

I smiled nervously. "I'm uh... Echo, my friends call me Echo."

"Birdie, looks like you have a new girl." She said, smiling slightly as a girl a year or two older than me walked into the room.

I shrunk back a little as she looked my way, feeling a little out of place. "Um... hi. I'm Echo."

She shook with me. "Birdie Kelley, I'm the leader of this place. You can take the bunk under Shrieker."

I nodded a little and followed her upstairs to the bunkroom where I met some of the girls. After talking to them for a while I found my bunk and started writing a letter to Christian and Ryan.

Christian,
So, how are you guys doing? I finally made it to New York and I'm staying in a newsgirls lodging house in Queens. Believe it or not I'm going by Echo here. So far the girls seem nice. Although I must confess I was a little intimidated at first, I think I'll like the leader, Birdie. How is Ryan? He really over reacted when I left, it's not like I had much of a choice. By the way, what's going on with my grandmother? Do you think she'll be able to find me in New York? Write back and tell me what's going on down there.
Your friend,
Echo

I smiled a little as I finished and wrote the address to the lodging house on the bottom of the paper. Later some of the girls were going to a place called Rye's Billiard Hall so I went along with them. Everyone really seemed to be very nice and after I got the hang of selling papes and learned my way around a little I was sure I would like Queens. I was even happier when, a week or two after I had arrived, a letter arrived from Christian. I smiled a little as I sat on my bunk and tore the envelope open.

Echo,
I'm glad to know all is well with you. To the best of my knowledge your grandmother is still trying to find you, although I doubt she'll be successful. Somehow she did find out about our "cousin" that left, but since you were on a train headed west she certainly doesn't suspect New York. I'm sure she'll give up soon.
Don't expect to hear from Ryan anytime soon. He's still sulking and refused to read your letter. I'm actually rather worried about him. He wasn't exactly the picture of perfection before, but since you left he's become quite a nuisance. I'm hoping he'll grow out of it. . . quickly. Well, there are things I must be doing.
Your Friend,
Christian McNeil
PS Since I know you must be curious, Thunder is doing fine.

I sighed as I put down the letter, slightly troubled that Ryan was being a pest. I quickly wrote a letter back to Christian, and scrawled a note to Ryan just in case he decided to be reasonable, and sealed them in an envelope. Christian's letter was bothering me more than I cared to admit to myself and I was feeling a little homesick, so I laid down on my bunk to get some sleep and keep my mind off of home.


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