I'm the Queen of New York!

Chapter One

This book is after the movie, Newsies, so parts of it will be in song form.

It will look like this: RACE: That's my cigar!

-magrettagirl

Chapter One

It all started as a normal day at the lodging house. Kloppman was waking everybody up, as usual. Blink came over to my bunk, shook me, and said, "Archer, Archer, Arch! Hello? It's mornin'! ARCHER, WAKE UP!" He almost pushed me off the bed.

"Geez, Blink! What did I tell you about waking me up?"

"I don't know,"

"DON'T!" I exclaimed.

"Boots! Skittery! Snitch! Cowboy, you dreamin' of sellin' papers? Ev'rybody's sleepin'! They sleep their life away, these kids! Sell a pape! Sell a pape! Carry the Banner!" Kloppman rambled off, waking everybody up.

RACE: That's my cigar!

SNIPESHOOTER: You'll steal anuddah.

BLINK: Hey bummers, we have work to do!

SPECS: Since when did you become me muddy?

CRUTCHY: Aw, stop your bawlin'!

NEWSIES: Who ast you?

"So, how'd ya' sleep, Jack?" Mush asked.

"On me back, Mush," Jack responded.

"Didja hear that, fellas? Hear what Jack said? I asked Jack how he slept and he said "On me back, Mush!" When Mush walked away, Crutchy walked over to Jack.

"Jack,when I walk, does it look like I'm fakin' it?"

"No, who says you're fakin' it?"

"I don't know, it's just there's so many fake crips on the street today, a real crip ain't got a chance. I gotta find a new sellin' spot where they ain't so used to seein' me,"

I went over to where Jack, Mush, Race and Crutchy were standing. I pulled my relatively long, brown hair to the left side of my face, combed through it, and braided it as my friends sang.

MUSH: Try bottle alley or da harbor.

RACE: Try Central Park it's guaranteed.

JACK Try any banker, bum, or barber.

SKITTERY: They almost all knows how to read.

BLINK: I smell money.

CRUTCHY: You smell foul!

Blink started over to Crutchy, but Mush stopped him.

MUSH: Met this gurl last night.

Boots was pumping water for Snipeshooter to take a bath, but Crutchy was trying to wash his face, and Boots' elbow was in the way.

CRUTCHY: Move your elbow!

RACE: Pass the towel!

ME (Archer): For a buck I might!

I was dangling it right in front of his face, but he had soap all over his face, and he couldn't open his eyes because he would get soap in them. I pushed his face the other direction as he was feeling around for a towel.

NEWSIES: Ain't it a fine life, carrying the banner through it all! A mighty fine life, carrying the banner tough and tall! Ev'ry mornin', we goes where we wishes. We's as free as fishes. Sure beats washin' dishes. What a fine life, carrying the banner home-free all!

We were all running out of the lodging house, and poor Kloppman was trying to count all of us.

NEWSIES: Summer stinks and winter's waitin', welcome to New York! Boy, ain't nature fascinatin' when yous gotta walk. Still it's a fine life, carrying the banner with me chums! A mighty fine life, blowin' ev'ry nickel as it comes!