Life With the Newsies- One Shots- OPEN to OCs

The Beginning of Another Chapter

About a day or so after the strike ends.

Jack Kelly couldn't sleep. He was starting his new job at the World the next day. You would think that a seventeen year old who had just won a strike would finally be resting easy, but Jack wasn't. It was still dark outside, but the humidity slapped his shoulders with its harsh intensity. July was never a cool month in New York City. Jack gently fanned his worn and thin blanket to cool him off, but it didn't do much. After a few minutes, he gave up and tossed the blanket to the side. Everything would go perfectly for everyone else today. Pulitzer had managed to get Katherine her job back at the Sun, and the boys could buy more papers today. Snyder was in jail, and the Delanceys and Weasel wouldn't beat up on the Newsies. Jack was about to have it pretty good too.  For some reason, he didn't feel that way. He crawls off his mat and reaches for his pencils and drawing pad. He picks a pencil and begins to sketch. At first, he doesn't realize what he is drawing. Or rather who he is drawing. The face of a laughing girl as she holds a small black notebook in her hand, a tall boy that resembles himself standing next to her, a boy with cards in his hand and a cigar hanging limply out of his mouth, a younger boy leaning on a crutch, a tall boy and a short one standing next to him, a kid with glasses, a kid with a slingshot, a small kid leaning against the one with the cigar and making eyes at a girl in a nearby park, a kid pointing at a bird, a kid fiddling with one of the buttons on his shirt, a kid with an eye patch, a kid with tanned skin and dark curly hair standing next to him, a tall shy looking kid standing next to them, and Jack keeps drawing more of them. He holds the drawing out and cocks his head at it. His brothers stare back at him in the middle of friendly banter. All of them and their personalities displayed on the page before him. Jack smiles and signs his initials in the lower left corner. Suddenly a voice breaks through the air, startling Jack,

"Nice pitchah, Jack!" Jack whirls around and sees Crutchy sleepily smiling up at him.  Jack can't help but smile at the innocence of the younger boy.

"Tanks, kid," Jack says softly as he lays the picture aside. Crutchy raises an eyebrow and asks,

"Couldn't sleep?" Jack nods and Crutchy pats his shoulder. "It'll be okay, Jacky. You'll see," Crutchy says reassuringly. Jack looks at Crutchy with a sad smile.

"I'se gonna miss you, kid. I wanna sell wid ya and da fellas, but I don't know if I'se can," Jack says as he looks at the ground. Crutchy scoots over closer to Jack and asks,

"Why don'tcha talk to Kath 'bout it?" Jack shrugs and Crutchy grabs his friend by the shoulders and turns him so he is facing in Crutchy's direction. "C'mon, if anybody could do anyting about it, Kath could," He says trying to encourage his friend. "Besides," he starts, "Ya could still sell in da evenins." Jack shrugs again and Crutchy punches Jack in the shoulder. "Don't da office stiffs only woirk from nine ta five or someting like dat?" Crutchy ask and Jack cocks his head in thought.

"Yea, but dat ain't da same as woirking wid ya and da boys," Jack says. He stands up quickly, pulls his shirt on and buttons it. "But, I'se got an idea," He says as he runs toward the fire escape. Suddenly, something soft hits him the in the back of the head. He turns around to see Crutchy with a mischievous grin on his face. Jack's newboys cap lays at his feet. He picks up and shoves it onto his head, giving a tug for good measure.

"Don't forget dat,"Crutchy says nodding to the hat perched on Jack's head, "Where are you'se headed?" Jack puts a foot on the top step of the fire escape ladder and says,

"Ta see Mistah Pulitzer hisself." Crutchy looks at him with curiosity in his eyes. Jack answers with a "I know what I'm doin, Crutch, don't worry. I just want to see what exactly dis job entails." Crutchy nods and Jack runs down the fire escape and to the World office before any more of the boys wake up. Jack would hate to stop being a Newsie even though his new job may not allow it. It would be nice to have some extra money and at least he wouldn't have to worry about anyone having to sleep on the streets since he would probably be able to pay for it. Money had never been something that really mattered to Jack. As long as he had enough to buy some food and pay his way at the Lodge, he was happy.  Some of the boys had trouble as it was doing that and now he would be able to help them. Once he makes it into the World building, Hannah escorts him into Joseph Pulitzer's office before Jack can even say a word. Joseph Pulitzer adjusts his reading glasses as he sees the leader of the Manhattan Newsies walk up to him.