FAMILIAR | Spot Conlon

Chp. 40: New York Strike

"Where is everyone" All of us newsies, plus Sarah, are all standing by the statue in the square waiting for the other kids.

"Ain't gonna be nobody but us" I was really hoping Jack's plan was gonna work.

"Come on Jack maybe they'll come" I stand up and walk over to him.

"It'll be ok"

Then as if on cue I hear a bunch of voices yelling.

"Look!" Race taps my shoulder and I look at where he's pointing. I see a bunch of kids, hundreds maybe, crowding down the street. They've all got our papers in their hands and some even have signs.

I look over to my left and see Spot with the Brooklyn newsies.

"Brooklyn!"

We all gather in front of Pulitzers door and shout and yell various things. The whole square and probably more is covered in working kids.

"Camryn ya wanna do it like old times?" I smirk at him.

"Hell yeah" I hop up onto the statue to get onto Jacks shoulder but I'm pulled off and down to the floor.

"Race what the hell?"

"Ya dummy did ya forget yous in a dress" I look down at my gold dress. I think its really sweet how he's always looking out for me.

"Oh, right. Sorry Jack"

"It's alright Camryn"

"Ya know I's kinda like Cam"

"Yous got it Cam" Jack playfully winks at me and we both laugh.

"Thanks Jack"

"Aye look guys" Race points to Pulitzers door and I see some guy outside with guards surrounding him.

The man points at Jack and I and the guards come over to us. Some head our way and some go somewhere else. They take us through the mess of kids into Pulitzers office. We meet David as we're walking in. The guards must have got him too.

We walk into Pulitzers office, which by the way is REALLY nice.

"It's awful. Everyone's calling" A fancy dude with a waxy mustache comes up to the man who found us.

"Mr. Hearst, Mr. Bennet and the mayor, and such awful language. The city is at a standstill and they blame the chief" He's probably a chauffeur or something. He's got that kinda look to him.

"It's like the end of the world" We walk into Pulitzer's room and pass the men talking.

"Oh dear I didn't say that" These people are really struggling with the protest. Perfect.

We approach Pulitzers desk and he's behind it smoking a cigar. You can't hear any of the newsies which is nice for talking.

"Extra extra Joe. Read all about it" Jack hands him a newspaper.

"I promised that if you defied me that I would break you"

I send David a worrying look and he mirrors it.

"I'll keep that promise boy. I gave you the chance to be free I don't understand"

"Anyone who doesn't act in his own self~interest is a fool"

"Then what's that make you huh" I approach him at his desk and stand by Jack.

"What did you say to me"

"Oh this is ma pal~" Jack starts to introduce me but I take over.

"Cam, nice ta meet ya" I spit in my hand and hold it out for him knowing he won't shake it.

"The walkin mouth" I kinda like calling myself that. Brings back memories.

"And that over there is David" David comes and joins us too.

"You talk about self interest"

David's gonna go into a whole speech so I decide to make myself comfortable. I push some of Pulitzers things on his desk and sit on the edge facing David and Jack.

"But since the strike your circulations have been down 70 percent" Where did he even find this information? You know what he probably made it up.

"Every day you're losin thousands of dollars just ta beat us out of one lousy tenth of a cent. Why?"

Pulitzers just sits their smoking his cigar.

"It ain't about the money Dave" Jack says.

"If Joe gives in ta nobodies like us that means we's got the power"

Pulitzer blows a puff of smoke and it goes straight into my face. I swat it away and cough.

"Keep that away from me"

"I will when you get off my desk"

"Have it your way then" I'm not moving an inch. Jack keeps blabbering on about money and power and stuff like that.

"Right out ere is right where your power ends" Jack pushes the windows open and all of a sudden you can hear all the newsies loud and clear.

"Close the windows! Close the windows!"

"Go home! Go home!" Pulitzer keeps shouting but of course they don't stop. They only get louder.

Pulitzer comes back in and covers his ears.

"Those kids put out a pretty good paper there chief" He takes a magnifying glass and reads the smaller print.

"I ordered a printing ban on all strike matters. Now who defied me?"

"Whose press did you use to print this? Whose!" Pulitzer raises his voice at us. Oh I've been waiting to tell him this all day.

"Well we's only used the best Joe" I hop down from his desk and walk over to him getting right in his face so I can look him in the eyes.

"So I's just wanna say thanks" He widens his eyes at me.

"You heard me"

"If I agree to give in will you stop this madness" He slams the paper back on his desk. The 3 of us look at each other and all say the same thing.

"Yeah"

"Yeah"

"Yeah"