Our Everlasting Friendship

Chapter 12: Annie, Hannah and nicknames

Sage: broadway_crackers
Grace: meeeeeeeeeeee

Sleeping in the Lodging House didn't exactly please Grace but the weather didn't seem too kind so the girls packed up and left for the Lodge.

Time had passed by quickly and the girls soon found it was December 1898. The age of the two girls was long over 17 and only a year left to stay in Manhattan.

"Grace it'll be fine!"Sage groans and drags her friend into the Lodging House.

"I'm not going to stay with a bunch of teenage boys!"Grace protests.

"They've got a corned off but just for me, you, Hannah and Annie though!"Sage promises. Hannah and Annie were two more female Newsies. Despite what most people assumed, it wasn't uncommon for girls to be Newsies and there were even a few Brooklyn girls and Smalls, another girl and close friend to Grace and Sage, was the leader of The Bronx.

"That makes nothing better!"

"You know everyone's names!"

"And?"

"They're like family!"Sage replies and drags Grace up the stairs and to the main sleeping area.

"You mean they're dead?"

Sage gives Grace a look and rolls her eyes at her friend. "Don't be stupid!"

Sage drags her up the stairs and towards the cornered off part of the main sleeping area. Grace dumps their bag on a spare bed.

"Annie!! Hannah!! Get up Grace is here!"Sage tells them. The two sleeping girls turn over and the other two share a look. They both pick up some pillows and start to hit them with it. The other two screech and start to push the others away.

"We're up! We're!"Hannah cries and shields herself from one last hit from Grace. She looks to see who it is then grins. "Cards!!"she says happily. "What are you doing here!"

Cards was the nickname given to Grace due to the fact it was nearly impossible to beat her in a game of cards. The only people standing a chance were someone who had worked in a casino and Race.

"Yeah yeah! Stage dragged me here since she doesn't want me to sleep in the cold,"Cards grumbles.

Stage was the nickname give to Sage due to the fact she adored Irving Hall and Medda's theatre. Despite being offered a job there once, it was impossible to keep Sage away.

"She's right you'll freeze to death out there,"Annie interjects. "It's going to snow."

"Relax it takes a lot more than a little weather just to kill me,"Grace replies. Because you can't kill me she thinks to herself. Sage gives her a look.

"Weather or not it's better for you to be here,"Sage says, dragging out the 'e' on the here. "With me,"she adds, dragging out the 'e' once more.

"With us!"Hannah corrects. A flurry of footsteps turn the girls' attention towards the stairs. The newsboys come up the stairs with stacks of newspapers, blankets and bags of food, each chilled to the bone.

"Cards!"Tumbler yells once her notices her. Tumbler and Cards had only met a few times but the younger ones adored her and the things she taught them despite the other's (mainly Stage's) disapproval. Cards mumbles a few things under her breath and smiles at the small children.

They each tackle her in the legs. "Heya kids!"she grins. ""You been practicing what I've taught you?"

Lucky eagerly nods. "Yep! I can steal from Race without him knowing!"she says happily and presents a quarter which most likely belonged to Race.

Stage notice Race start to check his pockets in search for his lost quarter and then looks to Lucky in shock.

After talking to the younger ones Grace and Sage head to the roof and sit on it like they used to in Treegap.

"How come you don't like kids?"Stage asks as they lie down.

"Remind me too much of James and Anna,"Grace replies. "And their childhood I never got to see."

Sage nods. "If it helps then I still showed them pictures of you,"she offers. Grace turns her head to look at Sage and Stage mimics Cards' action. "Even though they don't remember you much they still love you."

"Loved,"Cards corrects.

"No loves. I visited them in their final years. Anna said she still loved you."

Grace smiles. "Good to know."

A few moments of silence pass by. "Can we just agree on one thing?"

"Yeah what?"Grace asks.

"Your mother wouldn't approve of us being Newsies in any way, shape or form and begin to lecture us on things,"Sage replies. The two girls make eye contact and burst out laughing.

"Absolutely!"

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Ending part of this chapter!! Yay!! *jazz hands*

So I wanted to do a brief (long) historical note on the characters Annie and Hannah.

Annie Kelly was a real life Newsie during the strike and was a patron saint for the Newsies and stayed faithful to the strike throughout the entire time.

She even spoke at the rally she said 'All I can say, boys, is to stick together and we'll win. That's all I've got to say to you.' She was one of three women at the rally. The other two were only reporters though.

Although it may seem like there weren't any girl Newsies because history mainly credits the boys (and rightly so the strike became a national movement for working kids of America and it only lasted two weeks). There were many girl Newsies. I think I also read somewhere that a lot or most of the Brooklyn Newsies were in fact girls too.

Also Hannah. I couldn't find much on her but her name in reality was Hannah Feleff (or something like that I can't entirely remember). She was nicknamed Fight.

In an interview Kid Blink (the real life leader) even said 'Annie and Hannah are okay/cool' I can't remember which one he said but he said that they were cool which was quite a big thing.

Another thing girl Newsies were just as territorial as boy Newsies and would also fight for their SPOTs if need be (Yes I had to make the pun!!)

Another thing. In the real life strike Jack's name was Mike Sullivan he was only mentioned once, Spot and Race might be one in the same person and Crutchy was real!!

Either way hope you enjoyed your history lesson from your very own history nerd :)

Fun little fact about me: I know the address of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House is and I have no shame in it. One of them (Manhattan I'm pretty sure) is still standing but not in use but I think the Brooklyn one might still stand.

Also there was a kid called Morris Cohen who took over from Kid Blink (like Morris as in Morris Declancey?) And Racetracks real first name was Ed.

Jeezs this turned out to be long...

That's why I'm called a history nerd too then