(SETTING: The Streets of New York. It's morning, and the NEWSIES have already gotten their papers. TRIPS is wandering the streets, shouting headlines and selling papes when SNITCH approaches her.)

SNITCH: Trips! Hey, Trips!

TRIPS: **turns** Snitch! How can I help you?

SNITCH: **hold out a paper** Can youse read dis fer me?

TRIPS: **takes the paper from him** Um, sure. **scans the paper** 'Western Murderer Moving Across States'.

SNITCH: Anyt'in' really int'restin'?

TRIPS: **scans the paper again** Um…He's from California, they know that because he started his killings there, and the first person he killed was a young woman named…

SNITCH: Named…? Go on?

TRIPS: **stares at the paper in disbelief** 'The first person he killed was a young woman named Georgia Simpson, known as Gia to her friends.' **she looks up from the paper a stunned look on her face** 'Gia is…is believed to have been the murderer's…wife…'

SNITCH: **stares at TRIPS** Youse okay?

TRIPS: No…

(She shoves the papers at SNITCH, hard enough that she knocks him off balance. She then runs past him, dropping her own papers in the street. When SNITCH regains his balance, he stares after her, shocked.)
SNITCH: What was dat...?

(He stares at his papers momentarily, then drops them and runs off after TRIPS.)

(SETTING: A bridge just outside of Manhattan, not BROOKLYN BRIDGE. Nighttime. TRIPS arrives at the bridge, her hair messed and out of breath. She runs her hand through her hair and leans against the side of the bridge, staring out over the water. She doesn't notice SNITCH come up behind her.)

SNITCH: Found ya.

(TRIPS jumps and turns quickly.)

TRIPS: Snitch! You scared the life outta me!

SNITCH: Youse scared da life outta me dis mornin'. Why'd ya go runnin' off like dat?

TRIPS: **stares at him** You wouldn't understand.

SNITCH: Why wouldn' I un'nahstand?

TRIPS: You just wouldn't, okay? Now go back to the Lodging House and leave me alone!

(TRIPS turns angrily around, back to the water, and starts to cry quietly. SNITCH stays and stares at her.)

SNITCH: I has somethin' fer ya.

TRIPS: What? **wipes her eyes**

(SNITCH reaches into the yellow pouch by his right leg and pulls out two things: TRIPS's bracelet, and a blue hat. TRIPS turns to him, and her face lights up when she sees her bracelet.)

TRIPS: Oh my God! Where'd you find that?

SNITCH: Didn' find it. I stole it. Bot' of 'em.

(TRIPS stares at him, not quite sure if she should be angry or not. SNITCH smiles apologetically.)

SNITCH: Sorry. Really. I's got sticky fingahs. I steal anythin' dat looks like it woith somethin'. Yer bracelet. N I saw da hat n wanted ta give it to ya.

TRIPS: **takes the bracelet** Why?

SNITCH: **shrugs and hold the hat out** I dunno. I t'ot a youse when I saw it.

TRIPS: You stole it?

SNITCH: I steals anythin'. Dat's 'ow I got me name.

TRIPS: **takes the hat and studies it** What is your name?

SNITCH: Whaddaya mean?

TRIPS: **puts the hat on her head, waits a moment, then flips it around backwards** I mean that your nickname is Snitch. What's your real name?

SNITCH: **hesitates** Daniel.

TRIPS: What?

SNITCH: Me name is Daniel, Daniel Riccio, n if ya tells anyone I's gonna hafta soak ya, goil er not!

TRIPS: **smiles** Don't worry. I won't tell.

SNITCH: Good.

(There is a friendly silence between them as TRIPS returns to staring out over the water. SNITCH fidgets for a moment, then goes up and watches the water with her. Again, there is silence, but this time, TRIPS is smiling.)
SNITCH: Trips…why'd ya run away dis mornin'?

TRIPS: Why should it matter?

SNITCH: Because I's worried 'bout ya.

TRIPS: **looks at SNITCH** Are you?

SNITCH: **flushes** Yeh. Youse nevah talk 'bout yerself, n I know youse cry at night. I gots great eahs. Comes wit' da job a bein' a snitch-thief.

TRIPS: **blushes** You caught me.

SNITCH: So what happened dis mornin'?

TRIPS: You were there last night, werentcha?

SNITCH: Whaddaya mean?

TRIPS: When I found the pitcha of my Mama. The one I didn't mean to pack.

SNITCH: **pauses** Yeh. I saw.

TRIPS: **looks up from the water into the starry sky** That woman in the article…Gia Simpson? That was my mother. **tucks a strand of hair behind her ear** And…and I'm kinda afraid that the guy that killed her is my dad. They don't know yet, but…I'm almost positive that's who it is.

SNITCH: Really?

TRIPS: Yeah.

(There is more silence between the pair. Finally, SNITCH clears his throat.)

SNITCH: Well, it seems ta me like youse really loved yer Ma. Why'd ya leave den?

TRIPS: You really wanna know?

SNITCH: Course. Wouldn' ask oddawise.

TRIPS: **sighs** All right. You ast for it. My father was one of the meanest guys you could ever hope to avoid. He did unspeakable things to my mother and me, at least since I was five, 'cause that's as far as I can remembah. It ended up in rape on my 14th birthday. He did it weekly since then. I put up with it. For my mother's sake. But six months ago, I read in the paper about the Newsboys strike in New York. I thought 'Wow, what brave guys. I wouldn't mind going to live with them one of these days.' But I refused to leave me mother behind. So I started making money on my own, enough to buy two tickets to New York for me and my mother. Unfortunately, Daddy-dearest found out I was makin' money on me own. He took it from me, then life proceeded on as per usual. I was happy being with my mudda, but hated my fadda with a passion. I wanted to work again, but couldn't. Dad would find out, and if I did it again, he'd do worse than just take my money away. One night, though, he and my mother started to fight. She knocked him out with a frying pan. **laughs softly** It was great. But after she did that, she told me to pack my things. I did, and she took me to a train station. Paid for a ticket to the farthest away place she could afford: Manhattan, New York. She wanted me to go to Maine, where my aunt lives, but she couldn't afford a ticket to that far away. I told her about the Newsies, and she said to work as a Newsie until I could get enough money to get to Maine. She made me promise to do that. So I got on the train, and heah I am.

(There is a short silence as SNITCH stares at her, surprised.)

SNITCH: Dat's quite a familiah story.

TRIPS: **snorts** Yeah, I bet you've heard it a lot.

SNITCH: Act'lly, no, I hasn't. But I's lived it.

TRIPS: **looks at SNITCH** What?

SNITCH: Yer story is me story. 'Cept I act'lly ran away from me Pop. Couldn' take it no moah. Me Ma was dead anyhow.

TRIPS: You mean your father…I woulda thought…

SNITCH: Nah. Me Ma died five yeahs aftah I was born. In childbirt' wit me brudda, who was dead as soon as 'e hit fresh air.

TRIPS: So your father…raped you?

SNITCH: **shrugs** Yeh. I used ta live in Brooklyn. When I couldn' take it no moah, I ran ta Manhattan, 'til I collapsed in da street. Spent t'ree mont's sleepin' in doahways 'til Itey foun' me and took me ta da Lodgin' House, where I spent me last t'ree yeahs.

TRIPS: I still find it had to believe…

SNITCH: Youse callin' me a liah?

TRIPS: No, no, of course not…I mean, I'd heard of men liking other men, but I'd never…

SNITCH: It's no big deal, I mean…Denton, fer one t'ing. **smirks** Den dere's da issue a Jack n Spot.

TRIPS: Spot?

SNITCH: Youse'll get ta meet 'im someday. Doan worry 'bout dat.

(There's another comfortable silence.)

SNITCH: So youse really gonna leave heah when youse gets da money ta go ta Maine?

TRIPS: Yeah. I promised my mom. And that's even more important now that she's dead. It was the last thing she asked of me, so I've gotta do it.

SNITCH: But youse could stay heah. Da boys n me wouldn' mind.

TRIPS: **snorts** Yeah, right. No one cares about me. I'm just a lonely little run-away newsgirl, tryin' ta make her way in the woild.

(SNITCH looks at her, surprised to hear that she thinks of herself this way. Following is the first duet between TRIPS and SNITCH, where they grow closer than what was originally in their plans. The song is also the title song, 'Hold On To Your Dreams')

SNITCH: I used ta feel completely alone

Dat no one would care if I lived or died

Dat's how all runaways feel

At one time or anudda

But a friend once tole me

Somethin' dat kept me goin' on

Somethin' dat helped me to make all da friends dat I has today

"Hold on ta yer dreams, and everythin'

Will turn out all right, no matter yer problem,

Some t'ings may seem imposs'ble

But if you continue to hold on

You will break t'ru and come out all right

On de odda side, welcome and welcoming

Yer dreams are yer strength and yer warmth

And derefore keep on holding on."

(TRIPS and SNITCH stare at each other for a moment, then TRIPS smirks.)

TRIPS: Who told you dat?

SNITCH: Itey. Why? Youse gotta problem wit' it?

TRIPS: It's stupid. You're sixteen, arentcha? You're too old for dreams.

(SNITCH stares at her. He can tell that even she doesn't believe what she's telling him.)

TRIPS: It's funny that you should think that way

When we both know that dreams are just for kids

As I grew up I realized that my dreams were nothing more than

My imagination flowing over wildly

But my Mama would tell me this one thing constantly…

"Hold onto your dreams and someday soon

You'll be free to gather your life together

The wind will carry you away

Into the stars and beyond

And finally you'll be your own girl

To fly on your own to wherever your dreams may take you

And I will always be in your heart."

SNITCH: Well, if yer mudda used ta tell you dat, shouldntcha listen ta what she said?

(TRIPS falls silent, uncertain of how to reply.)

SNITCH: Exactly.

TRIPS: Snitch, why do you care so much about me?

SNITCH: **considers** I guess it's 'cause youse doan know how much…what's da woid… talent ya has. Youse got dreams. Youse jus' gotta make sho you know which ones are da dreams dat ya want ta achieve, n which ones is da ones dat ain't nuttin' but imagination. Youse had too many imaginations ta believe dat dreams is real. **grabs TRIPS by the shoulders** But dreams is real, Trips. Doan doubt dem. If youse believe, den dey'll come true. **strokes her cheek softly** Trus' me.

BOTH: Hold onto your dreams and maybe someday

They'll come true and you'll be free as a bird

TRIPS: **smiles** If I continue to hold on, I may get my shining star someday

BOTH: And my shining star I will share with the one that shares my dreams

If I hold on I will prevail and I will be the one on top the world

SNITCH: An' if we holds on, we will win, and we will be da ones ta reach our dreams.

(The song ends quietly, leaving SNITCH and TRIPS staring at each other in the dark. SNITCH finally realizes what they're doing and jumps back, his face tinged pink.)

SNITCH: Well…now dat I's found ya…let's get back to da Lodgin' House, okay?

TRIPS: **hesitates** All right. But youse can't tell the other boys about what happened today.

SNITCH: **shakes his head vigorously** No, no, a course not!

TRIPS: Nothing…

SNITCH: No! Dey'd tease me woise den dey'd tease youse!

TRIPS: **laughs** All right, all right, I believe you. **puts her hand on his shoulder** Let's go.

(The pair go off down the street, smiling, and laughing like old friends. They share a common bond now, and that's the one important thing in a relationship, friendly or romantic.)

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***

Okay, well, now we know Trips's back-story and Snitch's. Fun. ^^ This is my favorite song of the bunch that I wrote, I absolutely love it. ^^ Okay, that's all, gotta split. Bai! ^^