The Newsie

Chapter 17

Avery's POV

As we got close to the lodging house I pulled my hand away from Jack's not wanting Spot to see us. Jack looked at me with a confused look but then nodded his heading understanding.

"Don't want Spot seeing us?" Jack asked understanding why I took my hand away

"Yeah, he thinks you are no good and doesn't want us together but I don't blame him. I mean you did betray us and hurt everyone by doing that. You're lucky I took you back. " I said and looked over at him. He was looking at the ground with a sad look on his face.

We arrived at the lodging house and went inside where all the boys where. They all looked up with a shocked look on their faces and then it turned to anger.

"What is this scabber doin here?" Race asked angrily as he got up from the ground where he was playing cards with Spot and some other newsies. All the other newsies got up and came towards me and Jack with very angry looks on their faces.

"Look guys, I wanted to say I'm sorry and that I was stupid for betrayin yous guys" Jack said before getting interrupted by Skittery.

"Yous right yous stupid and we should beat you up for it right now" He said getting some yeahs from the others.

"I'm sorry guys, I really am. I wish I could take back what I did but I have a way for us to continue tha strike and get tha word spread around about it" Jack said making a few newsies look interested on what he was about to say.

"Why should wes trust you?" Spot said looking very anger and half of it probably being that I walked here with Jack.

"Do you trust me?" I asked which made Spot's face soften a bit.

"Yeah but that doesn't mean I should trust him" Spot said angrily again that I was on Jack's side.

"If you trust me then you should trust Jack because I trust his idea that he has for the strike. Just hear him out, please Spot" I begged. Spot looked like he was debating if he should but he finally gave in.

"Fine, what's your idea?" he said and Jack went on.

"We are going to print a pape telling all of the sweatshop kids to join tha strike with us and yous guys are going to help distribute the papes. If we get all tha sweatshop kids to join then the strike would get the attention it deserves. Denton is going to help write the pape and we are going to use a printing machine in the basement where The World papes are printed. So are you guys in?" Jack asked as all the boys looked at one another deciding if they should. Race sighed before answering.

"I'm in" 

"Me too" Mush said and that led to all the other newsies agreeing except Spot who hasn't answered yet.

"Spot? I said looking at him with my puppy dog eyes which made him give in.

"Okay fine I'm in too" He said as I went over to him and hugged Spot letting him know he made the right choice.

"Okay so me and Avery are going to meet David, Sarah and Denton at the distribution center to print all of the papes. You guys will meet us tomorrow morning to hand out all the papes to the sweatshop kids." Jack said explaining the plan.

As we waited to go Jack talked with all of the guys. They seemed like they were starting to forgive him a little but I could tell they were still a little hesitant. When it was time to go we reminded everyone to meet us at the distribution center to get the papes.

"Be careful and I'll see you tomorrow" Spot said as he hugged me goodbye. Me and Spot have always been inseparable so we have never spent a night apart (except when I sneak away at night but that's for a few hours not a whole night). For some people it probably seems weird that we've never been a night apart but we've never had a reason to.

We left and headed to the center and whenever we got out of sight from the lodging house Jack grabbed my hand again. Of course I didn't pull my hand away which made Jack smile. Once I saw him smile out of the corner of my eye it made me smile too. Something about this boy makes me feel all types of ways.

Once we got to the distribution center we were the first ones there so we waited on a small bench. After a few minutes we saw David, Sarah, and Denton walking towards us.

"Ready everyone?" Jack asked as we all shook our heads yes. We entered the gates quietly and Jack went ahead to the printing building to make sure the coast was clear while also grabbing a lantern. He waved his hand which meant for us to follow him as we went inside. He led us down some stairs into a dusty basement.

"You've been living here?" Sarah asked wish a shocked tone in her voice.

"Shh they are right above us. If Weasel catches us wes all in tha slam." Jack said as he went over to a light and turned it on. He set the lantern he had on a table and went over to something that was under a sheet. He took the sheet off which sent dust flying and underneath was a printing press. It looked like it had been there for a while.

"All right a platen press! Looks like old man Pulitzer never threw anything away" Denton whispered as he examined the press. 

"Will this thing work?" I asked curiously since it seems like it has been down here for awhile untouched.

"It better, we have a deadline" Denton said as we all got to work.