Jack, Race, and I meet the other Newsies outside the World building. I stuff the last strands of hair into my cap, concealing most of my femininity.
There's a lot of talking and yelling amongst them, where the Newsies have gathered. Jack, Race and I join them, wondering what all the fuss is about. Kid Blink approaches us.
"They jacked up the price! You hear that Jack? Jay? Ten cents a hundred!" he complains. I feel my jaw drop. A whole ten cents a hundred? I don't believe that. How could they do this to us? "You know, it's bad enough that we gotta eat what we don't sell, now they jack up the price! Can you believe that?"
"Nah, I can't believe that," I groan. "This is unfair. Ain't they forgettin' 'bout our rights?"
"This'll bust me, I'm barely making a living right now," Skittery whimpers. I nod at him.
"I'll be back sleeping on the streets," Boots says sadly, a quiver in his voice. I look at him with sympathy and hug him. I feel bad for all these kids. I mean, Boots is only nine with no parents. Where's he gonna go now that he's been put out of work?
"It don't make no sense. I mean, all the money Pulitzer's making, why would he gouge us?" Mush asks, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. Jack gives him a look and and points at the ground. Mush understands and drops his hands. Jack's made it perfectly clear that nobody except he and Race are allowed to do that.
"Because he's a tight wad, that's why!" Race says, puffing his cigar. I nod and rest my elbow on his shoulder. Or try to anyway.
"Pipe down, it's just a gag," Jack says. "Jay, go ask Weasel 'bout it."
I nod and Race follows me up to the desk. I slam my palm down on the suface. "So, why the jack up Weasel?"
"Why not?" Weasel asks, smirking. He licks his finger and holds it up in the wind. "It's a nice day. Why don'tcha ask Mr. Pulitzer?"
I laugh at him. Ask Pulitzer. That's funny.
"Yep, it's a done deal now," I say, returning to the group, followed closely by Race.
"They can't to this to me, Jack," Kid Blink whines. I roll my eyes. Oh, man up.
"They can do whatever they want. It's their stinkin' paper," Racetrack grumbles. I nod, elbowing him in the shoulder, but not hard enough to hurt him.
"Well, it ain't fair. We's got no rights at all," I point out. Race nods.
"Come on, it's a rigged deck. They got all the marbles," he says using a gambling analogy. Leave it to Race to use a gambling analogy.
"Jack, we got no choice, so why don't we get our lousy papes while they still got some, huh?" Mush says, trying to go to the desk to buy papes, but I grab his arm.
"No! Nobody's going no where. They can't get away with this!" I yell. Mush freezes and then, slowly backs back into the crowd. I literally hold these boys in the palm of my hand and it is fun.
Suddenly, Les pushes his way though the crowd.
"Give him some room, give him some room. Let him think," the little kid demands. To my surprise, the Newsies listen to him and back off. Somebody hands Jack a lighted cigarette and he smokes it, much to my dismay, while trying to think. Finally, Race looses patients.
"Jack, you done thinkin' yet?" Racetrack asks. Suddenly, we hear the window crash open and look to see old man Weasel.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! World employees only on this side of the gate!" Weasel shouts. We start yelling insults at him until Jack requests I quiet them down.
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...
