I run as fast as my feet will take me into the square where I know my brother and the other Newsies'll be. I skid to a halt right there and slowly approach my brother. I poke his shoulder and when he turns to see who did it, I quickly move to the other side. He laughs, knowing it's me.
"Hey, Jay!" Jack, my older brother laughs, punching me in the arm. Then, a look of concern crosses his face. "Where were ya dis mornin'? You wasn't in your bunk."
"Nah, I was out with Boots' sister last night," I say, Racetrack, Boots, and a few others surround us. "I just crashed there."
Then, much to our dismay, Oscar and Morris, enter. The Delancey brothers. They're bad news, that's for sure. I quickly tug my cap on, concealing my long blonde hair.
You see, nobody except the Newsies know I'm a girl. I have to hide that for everybody or God knows what'll happen to me. Mr. Kloppman wouldn't let me bunk in the lodge anymore, that's for sure.
"Dear me! What is that unpleasant aroma?" Racetrack asks me. I shrug my shoulders, earning a glare from Morris. "I fear the sewer may have backed up during the night."
He slaps Skittery on the cheek as ripples of laughter ring throughout the group, including me.
"Nah, too rotten to be the sewers," I pitch in, laughing as Oscar now glares at me too.
"It must be the Delancey brudders," Crutchy mocks from behind Jack. I chuckle at his mockery.
"Hiya boys!" Racetrack says with fake cheer, beaming.
"In the back, you lousy little shrimp," Oscar throws Snipeshooter to the ground. I beam with pride that Jack goes to help him up. Jack's really nice to all the boys.
"It's not good to do that. Not healthy," Racetrack protests.
"You shouldn't call people lously little shrimps, Oscar, unless you're refering to the family resemblance in your brudda here," Jack says, laughing in their faces. We all chuckle and make 'ooh' noises. Jack's good.
"5-1 that Cowboys skunks 'em. Who's betting?" Race calls out, as usual, being the first one to bet. He bets about everything, I swear. He bet with Mush on how long it would take me to eat a loaf of bred last week. He's an interesting one.
"That's right. It's an insult. So's this," Jack taunts as he knocks Morris' hat off his head. The Delancey's chase Jack around the Square, the Newsies and I cheering for him to beat the evil twins. A strange new boy and a younger boy approach from down the street, right into the middle of all the fuss, where Jack bumps into them.
"What do you think you're doing?" the older boy asks, obviously offended. Jack's eyes flit from the boy up to Morris and Oscar making their way though the crowd of Newsies, and back to the boy.
"Runnin'!" he shouts in reply and takes off again.
"Go!" we all shout for Jack. He beats the Delancy's though the crowd, but Oscar tackles him. Jack, unfazed, tucks his feet under Oscar and launches him into his brother. Morris, Jack and Oscar circle around in the circle formed by the bystanders until Morris takes a swing at Jack, which Jack dodges. He then grabs Morris' arm and put him in between he and Oscar, who throws a punch at Jack. He whacks his brother in the face instead and Jack throws them into the crowd and climbs up the gate. Just then, the whistle blows and the gates come open, Jack riding along on them.
"These is for the Newsies!" the annoying redheaded boy shouts from behind the desk.
We all line up for our papes, congratulating Jack on beating the Delancey's as he passes throughout the line of Newsies. I turn and look at Oscar and Morris, who hang their heads in shame and look back up at Jack, shaking their heads.
YOU ARE READING
Brooklyn *Spot Conlon Love Story*
Romance"In my defense, I've never really known a guy as more than a friend. Never really looked at a guy that way and don't see why I should." ~ Jaylinn Kelly. Yes, she says that now, but what happens when she meets the fearless, King of Brooklyn and her...
