Seize the day

Sell the papes

Kara Kelly rolled out of bed half an hour ago to get ready. She hummed to herself as the snoring around her seemed to get louder.
Then she heard the familiar wake up call of Kloppman who took care of them.
"Ah Kara awake on time as always!" Kloppman said thankful for some sense of structure.
"That's my cigar!" Racetrack sang.
"You'll steal another!" A younger boy sang back
"Hey hey bummers we go work to do." Kid blink sang breaking up the almost fight.
"Since when did you become me mother?" Skittery asked.
"You said different things last night." Kara teased as she braided her hair in an intricate manner as always they never understood how she did it. She hadn't seen her mother in years and yet she still had a way of acting and looking that made the younger kid's comfortable around her. They flocked to her like lost puppies.
"Ah stop your bawling" Crutchy told skittery who glared at Kara .
"Who asked you!" They yelled back.
Snipeshooter walked to Kara yawning and rubbing the back of his head.
She grabbed a comb and combed his hair back slightly then messed it up a little just the way he liked it. Next was boots who likes his simple. Then was Gunny who just liked one or two brush backs and was happy.
Then Snipeshooter came back through the line holding up his arms.
She took off his shirt and replaced it with his clean one. Doing the same for all the younger boys before fastening their suspenders.
Mush walked up to Kara smirking.
"My turn?" He asked. She raised her eyebrows and pulled his shirt up slightly before snapping his suspenders on his shoulder.
"In your dreams Mush." She smirked snapping one side again and walking away. They finished getting ready and Kara put her hair up in her cap.
She walked down the steps as the other boys sang and ran around her.
Then it was her turn to show off.
She did a bunch of flips and turns that ended up with her in the splits.
"Charlie?!" She yelled looking for the youngest Manhattan newsie.
She'd taken care of him for the past 2 years. His 6th birthday was next week.
"Charles!" She yelled and looked around. She climbed on the gate and looked for his little blue suspenders and matching hat.
She found him in the back.
"Come on Charlie!" She yelled and he looked up at her before running to the front. No one messed with Charlie for fear of what Kara would do.
All the Manhattan newsies knew Kara was a girl but no one else did. Her nickname was Hotshot or (KK to the Manhattan newsies)and for good reason when she took a shot at you she didn't miss.
She climbed down and Charlie tucked a piece of her hair back in her cap.
"Thanks Char." She smiled.
"No prob Hotshot." He corrected himself before he even messed up. He was still learning how to not call her mom in public. But that's what she was to him.
Kara winked and nodded at him and they walked in together to
Get their papes.
"How many hotshot?" Delancy #1 asked.
"Calm your tits I'm perusing the merchandise." She said sticking her tongue out at Delancy #2.
"Whatever." He rolled his eyes.
"Baby born with two heads. Must be from Brooklyn." Racetrack laughed.
Kara looked over at him and smirked.
"The usual." She said.
"150 papes for shot and Charles." Mr Weasel told the brothers.
"150? Wow that's a bunch!" A little kid said smiling up at Kara.
"Yeah it is, wanna sit down?" She asked as Charles sat down close to her.
"Sure." Les said smiling.
"I'm Les and this is my brother Davey, he's older.
"No kidding, how old are ya kid?" Jack asked smiling sitting next to Charles.
Charles was like his nephew he taught him how to do man things like shave even though he didn't have to for a long time.
"Near ten." Les answered.
"That's no good see if anyone asks say your 7, you see younger sells more papes." Jack cut in.
"Hey I asked for 20 this is 19." Davey said and Kara stood with her brother.
Jack recounted and Kara put her hands on her hips.
"He's right weasel it's 19 but don't worry about it morris here can't count with his shoes on." Jack made fun of him.
"Another 50 for my friend here." Hotshot said and slapped down another 2 bits racetrack had thrown her.
"I don't want another 50." The boy said.
"Sure you do every newsie wants more papes." She replied.
Jack started to talk to him about being partners.
"Now I ain't got a cute lil brother with me. I got a sista and a nephew but that's about it." Jack chimed in.
"Hey I'm cute!" Hotshot defended herself.
"Sister?" Davey asked and Myra lifted her cap making sure the Delancy brothers hadn't seen her.
"Woah." Davey said looking at her.
"Yeah you are." Kid blink said smirking and getting close to her.
"Charles come on. These papes ain't gonna sell themselves. Baby born with two heads!" She started yelling catching people's attention.
Charles grabbed his stack of 25 papes and ran after her.
"Bye uncle Jack!" He yelled smiling.
Jack waved and the boys finally convinced Davey and Les to partner with Jack.
"So your sister is she actually Charles mom?" David asked as they walked by the fighters.
"No what you think she is some typa tramp? She's been takin care of him for 2 years now he started to call her mom and never stopped." Jack replied explaining.
"I was about to say that'd make her like 10 years old when she had him. The age didn't seem to line up." He explained his confusion.
"Yeah well no one but the newsies knows she's a girl and a few family friends. So keep your pie hole shut." Jack threatened.
David and Les nodded understanding.
Jack sent Les off to sell Papes.
He came back with a quarter and smelling like beer.
"Hey no drinking on the job it's bad for business." Kara said coming up to them Charles close behind.
He only had 2 papes left. She only had 5.
"You two sold that many in just a few hours?" David asked.
"Yeah didn't Jackie boy tell you we're the best?" She smirked.
"I'm kidding he taught us everything we know, and plus we wouldn't take on a partner if we had to, all our money goes in a couple of days anyway." She lied and Charles nodded smiling.
Kara in actuality had been saving the extra money she made and either slipped it into Charles pape money pocket, his piggy bank or her own stash of money. She'd been saving up for the last two years and had nearly 400$ saved up in one fund and enough money to put Charles through school when the time came for it.
"Char go sell your last two."
She instructed him and he obeyed.
She turned to a man sitting down and took off her hat. She sat down next to him.
He looked at her confused for a second then smirked.
"Hello there." She said softly.
"Helllloo." He replied.
"I had a quick question for you sir." She said playing with his shirt collar.
"Anything miss." He replied.
"Would you buy these 5 papers from me? See I'm trying to sell more than my brother faster and he only has two left, it would really help me out." She smiled.
"And what do I get out of it?" He asked.
"5 papers and a kiss." She smirked this time. He handed her a dollar and she handed him the papes placing a kiss on his cheek.
He blushed bright red and she stood walking away putting her hat back on. Then she heard a whistle. Snyder's whistle.
"Charlie let's go!" She yelled and grabbed his hand fleeing the scene. Jack lead Snyder away and they arrived at Medda's. A family friend.
"Charlie, Kara come in come in! How're my two favorite newsies?" She asked as Charlie went straight for the candy.
"Hey what does that make me Medda?" Jack asked walking in with Les and David.
"My other favorite. and who's this?" She asked looking at the two boys.
"David and Les." Jack introduced.
Les put on his show and Medda bought his last pape.
"Give my friends anything they want. Kara your on in 2." Medda said and Myra looked confused but ran to the dressing room and threw on a red skirt over her black pants. She took down her hair and looked like a proper lady.
"Go mom!" Charlie pushed her out on stage.
"My lovey dovey baby." Kara sang for Medda who was waiting for her.
"Come on watch this." Jack said and David and Les followed Charlie to the back of the stage.
Jack looked lovingly at Medda while David stared at Kara.
She truly was beautiful in disguise and not.
Her long red hair was the highlight of her beauty along with piercing green eyes and dark black lashes.
Everyone cheered and threw flowers up to the pair.
"Thank you thank you!" Medda laughed.
"And thank you to our special guest Kara Kelly! She's on every Friday at 1!" Medda yelled.
Myra curtseyed and walked off the stage.
She and Charlie went back to the lodging house despite David asking them to come back to their house with him Les and Jack.
"Charlie I'm gonna take a little walk." She said when they reached the lodging house.
"Tell racetrack what I'm doing and do not leave the lodging house unless theirs a fire or you're with Jack or Race." She instructed and he nodded.
"Go put that in ur piggy bank I'll make you all breakfast in the morning if you listen." She said and Charlie nodded running up the steps doing as she said.
She waited for the thumbs up from the fire escape that he'd made it upstairs and it appeared 30 seconds later.
She walked out into the street. Her hair now in loose braids. Her skirt was a little dirty but not horrible. She was headed towards Brooklyn.
It was getting dark so she started to head back when she made it to the Brooklyn bridge.
"Hey sweetie where ya going!?" Someone yelled behind her. She spun around and saw a figure coming out of the shadows.
Then another come out behind him.
Morris and Oscar Delancy. They didn't know who she was of course but they were still awful men.
"Back to my house." She replied not looking them in the eye as they got closer. She backed herself up against the railing of the bridge.
"Can we escort you miss..." they waited for her to say her name.
"No I'm quite alright walking myself." She tried to push past them.
"Hey that's very rude. We just don't want anything bad to happen to a sweet little thing like you." Morris said grabbing a piece of her hair and twirling it.
"Who are you!" Someone yelled across the bridge from Brooklyn.
It was a boy larger than the Delancy brothers and behind him a slightly shorter but very muscular boy. He had a pimp stick on his hip, his hair combed back, red suspenders and his shirt unbuttoned.
Kara sighed slightly in relief.
"Who are you?" The brothers asked.
"That does not matter till you tell me who you are and why you're on my bridge." The shorterboy said.
"Oscar and Morris Delancy and we're just about to walk this hound lady home." Oscar said smirking.
"I don't think so." The shorter boy said.
"Why not?" Morris asked annoyed.
"Do you want them to walk you home?" He asked as he stepped out from behind his goon to actually look at her. He was about 10 feet away and could get a good look now.
She shook her head no and looked down at her feet nervously.
"That's why. Now get off my bridge before I make you" he said and they rolled their eyes and went to grab Kara's arms.
She jumped back and her lower back hit the railing and she started to fall over the goon. Reached for her wrist and grabbed it pulling her back because Morris and Oscar had let go when she started to fall.
"I said get outta here!" The boy yelled pulling out his pimp stick and holding it hp threatening to hit them.
The brothers ran back to Manhattan.
Kara had yet to regain her breath and her near death experience.
"Are you alright Miss..." the goon asked.
"Kara." She replied.
"Or KK whichever you prefer." She breathed in deeply.
The shorter boy walked closer to her and lifted her head up to look at him.
"I'm-" he started.
"Spot Conlon. The suspenders and pimp stick are a dead giveaway." She said looking into his eyes finally.
"Well well well I know I'm well known with the newsies but a lady like yous I'm flattered" he flirted.
"Yeah I've heard a lot of things about you and your womanizing antics. Mostly from the young ladys school but those could've formed anywhere." She shrugged and flirted back.
"So KK, you got a last name?" Spot asked getting slightly closer.
"Not one you need to know yet." She replied smirking.
"Yet?" He asked confused.
"I'm sure we'll see each other again some day maybe someday soon. See ya later." She turned around to walk away.
"Hey you're not going anywhere with those bozos around the corner." He said grabbing her hand and spinning her around.
"What corner?" She asked not believing him.
"That one." He pointed at the nearest alleyway.
"How do you know they're there?" She asked her hands on her hips. He was still holding onto her so his hand landed there as well.
"I saw them go back there and they've been watching us ever since." Spot said in a duh tone.
"Oh.. okay. Well then you walk me." She shrugged.
"Cant."
"Why."
"The king of Brooklyn doesn't walk girls home." He replied.
"Whatever." She shrugged and went to walk away unfazed.
"Are you crazy?" He asked and she turned around again.
"Must be." She shrugged again and kept walking.
The Delancy brothers tried to jump her but she grabbed one's arm and flipped him on his back then punched the other in the nose and flipped him as well.
"Woah." Spot said confused but impressed.
"Ace, follow her. See where she goes and then send a bird to watch her." Spot instructed and Ace nodded running off after her.
He followed her to the lodging house.
Climbed up the fire escape and watched Charlie ramble all the stuff he'd done since she'd been gone.
"I put my money away, I made my bed, brushed my teeth and and! You'll never believe it! Took a bath by myself! Am I good or am I good?" He cheered himself on.
"Your amazing Char. Now I'm going to the market for breakfast tomorrow I'll be back in half an hour if I'm not send Race." She said and he nodded.
She started towards the window.
Ace climbed above the window to the next level then followed her down to the market.
She paid for bacon, biscuits and sausage gravy along with milk. All a delicacy for any newsie. He followed her back to the lodging house.
"KK are you making breakfast tomorrow?!" The newsboys cheered.
She smiled and Ace decided it was time to send a bird.
He reported back to Brooklyn and sent Scout to watch her till the morning at the end of his shift.
"So what'd you find out?" Spot asked.
"She lives with the Manhattan newsies. Her name is Kara they call her KK they like her breakfast and she has a lot of money saved, she does everything this little boy asks her to including spend 20$ at the market to make breakfast that'll completely fill every newsie in that lodge house. If she'd spaced it out like we do sometimes it'd feed them for a week. She called the kid Char so I assume his name is Charlie and she knows each newsie by name so I assume she's one of them in disguise." Ace explained everything.
"Alright. Scout should find out more tonight." Spot said and sent Ace away so he could think.
He didn't dwell on her long as one of his usual girls climbed up to his crate.
Though he couldn't get her green eyes out of his head and the way her hair moved with her when she did.
Eventually he sent the girl away and she huffed in annoyance but did.
Spot fell asleep thinking about Kara. He couldn't wait to know more.