FAMILIAR | Spot Conlon

Chp. 17: The Strike

I sit down and so does Jack.

"It ain't fair we got no rights at all" I'm not exactly a lawyer but I know that big money bags like Pulitzer is a lot more important than us.

"Come on it's a rigged deck theys got all the marbles okay" Typical Race always bringing some kind of betting and gambling into anything.

"Jack we got no choice. So let's get our lousy papes while they still got some huh" Mush tries to get to the window to get papes but Jack stops him.

"Nobody's goin anywhere" Jack says. Everyone starts yelling at Jack and arguing to him. I stand up and yell at everyone.

"Aye clear out give him some room ta think"

"You think cause yer new you get ta boss us around?" Someone in the audience says. I look for the voice but can't find it.

"You'll listen unless you wanna get a shiner" The person finally steps forward and it's Skittery.

"You wanna take me little boy" Considering i'm only 5'2 I'm a lot shorter than the other older newsies. I walk over to him and stare him right in the eyes.

"Yous don't wanna mess wit me"

"Pft you probably fight like a goil"

"Ya wanna find out?" I step closer to him so our faces are a few inches apart.

"Let's not start infighting ok guys?" Crutchy comes over and breaks it up. Dang I really wanted to punch him even though I can't throw a punch.

"Thanks Crutchy. I's can't throw a punch for shit"

"We can fix that"

"Haha, what, give me lessons on how to fight?"

"Well I dunno maybe"

"Maybe"

I walk back over to Jack and sit down next to him again. Kid Blink hands him a smoke.

All eyes are on Jack.

"Jack yous done thinkin yet" Oh come on Race.

"World employees only on this side of the gate" Mr Wisel yells at us. The newsies start yelling back at him.

"So what're we gonna do Jack" I whisper to him so no one else can hear.

"You'll see"

"Hey!" Everyone puts their attention back on Jack.

"Listen one things for sure if we don't sell papes then nobody sells papes"

"Nobody comes through those gates till they put the price back where it was" With both what he said and what I said gets a few yeahs and some soft cheers.

"Whadda you mean like a strike?" I just realized Davey standing behind us. And I also see Les in the crowd of newsies. Wow I feel really blind now.

"Yeah like a strike" They all start laughing. They probably think this is some kind of joke.

"What are you out of your mind!"

"It's a good idea" David hops down at looks at me then looks at Jack.

"Guys I was just joking. We can't strike we don't have a union" We learned about unions in school.

"Yeah but if we go on strike then we are a union right" Jack looks between David and I.

"No we're just a bunch of angry kids with no money" Man David really is an optimist.

"Maybe if we got every newsie in New York but"

"Then let's do it!" I yell.

"We'll get all the newsies in New York togetha"

"Cam, Jack this ain't a joke" David says as he walks away from me and goes over to Jack.

"You saw what happened to those trolley workers" You mean the ones who were beaten bloody and started fires? How could I forget.

"Yeah well that's a good idea. Any newsies don't join then we bust their heads like the trolley workers" I stand up and walk over to Jack and join him at the front of the newsies crowd walking towards I don't even know what.

"You can't just rush everybody into this Jack"

"All right let him think about it" I'm tryna give Jack as much space as I can but Davids not having it.

"Listen Dave's right Pulitzer and Hearst and all them other rich fellas. I mean they own this city"

"So do we really think a bunch of street rats like us can make any difference" Who knew Jack had it in him. I didn't. He leans down and tells me to start saying stuff. Most of the newsies are taller than me so I hop up onto a statue and start talking.

"The choice has gotta be yours fellas. Are we just gonna take what they give us or are we gonna strike?"

"Strike" Les says. David quickly covers his mouth and pulls him towards him.

"Yeah let's do it"

"Come on guys" Various things are said from the newsies.

"Keep talking Cam tell us what ta do" Boots says. I'm good at thinking on my feet but I've never exactly gone on strike before. I motion for Jack and David to come towards me and I lean down to talk to them.

"Will you tell us what ta do Dave?" I look at him with a sad face but it doesn't work. Time to bring out the big guns. I pucker my lip and make my eyes big giving him a puppy dog stare. I know it's not manly but I really need him to say yes.

"Pulitzer and Hearst have to respect our rights" He finally gives in but only loud enough for the 3 of us to hear.

"Pulitzer and Hearst have ta respect the rights of the working kids of New York"

"Nice job Cam" Jack pats me in the back.

"That went well what's next" I look at Davey again.

"Tell them that they can't treat us like we don't exist" I pat the spot next to me and look at Jack telling him to join me in the statue. He does and he yells what Davey said. Davey tells us to say a lot of things like "we're a union" and "we gotta stick together".

"What if someone else tries ta sell our papes" I look at Boots and answer.

"Well then we soak em"Jack and I keep talking and I think of an idea.

"Watch this" I walk over to the World's big chalkboard, climb up to it,  and get to work. I grab the piece of chalk and write strike in big letters across it. All the newsies are yelling and cheering from what we were saying but they get louder when they see what i've written. I come down and join the rest of the boys.

"We gotta get word out ta all the newsies in New York" Jack sees me at the bottom of the ladder and stands right below me so I can't get down.

"Jack what are you doing"

"Get on me shoulders"

"Like sit on top of your shoulders?"

"Yeah then you'll finally be tall" I light punch him in the arm and get on his shoulders. Then he returns to what he was saying before.

"I's need some of those... Uh what'd you call em"

"Ambassadors?" Davey says looking at us confused.

"Yeah" I look down at Jack.

"Right you guys we gotta be embastards. Go tell the others were on strike"