Strike

The Letter

Dear Mush,

If you're reading this then it means you came back again, and I just wanted to say sorry that I couldn't come to the window. I really wish I could though. I miss you more than words can tell, I also miss the others a lot. But mostly you. Anyways, I guess I should tell ya that they hurt me real bad. It was the worst soaking I ever got, but don't worry they didn't...ya know, I'm fine on that part. The other Refuge kids help me out when they can, sometimes I play checkers with Runner, which is just really a few rocks on top of a old piece of wood.

Mush, continue the strike. Everyday I wake up hoping to hear the good news that you guys won. I really hope you don't give up. Win this one for me. An' if ya don't, I'm soaking every last one of your sorry bums. But besides that, about what happened when ya last came. I just wanted to let ya know that, hearing you say ya like me as much as I like you, it was the best thing I heard, and it makes me smile knowing that. Anyways, like I said before. Win the strike or I'm soaking all of you bums.

Lots of love,

your friend,

your best friend,

your sister

Feister.

Mush sighed once more as he finished reading the letter for the millionth time. It was the only thing that ensured him that Feister was alright. The only piece of her that he could keep near. Yet, it wasn't enough. Mush needed to see Feister; to hold her in his arms and never let go. But, she was still stuck in the Refuge. Mush hadn't seen her since well...since he spilled out the fact he has feelings for her.

After getting the letter from the Refuge kid, Mush had tried to go see Feister again, but that time, she was out cold. He wanted to scream right then and there. But Mush held it in. He knew better than to do something stupid that would've gotten him caught. After that last visit, Race told Mush not to go back again. He didn't want to risk anyone else getting trapped in there.

Needless to say, Mush lost it by saying how it was stupid to not let him go see Feister. Then he got a lecture about how not only is that dangerous, but also risking Feister's life and his own. Mush didn't want to believe that. But when Specs brought up the fact that Feister wouldn't want him doing something stupid, Mush relented by not going back to the Refuge. Instead, Race or Specs would go and see if Feister was strong enough for a break out. But she was always too weak to even go to the window to see them. So looks of breaking her out were next to zero.

"Hey kid," Mush heard Kid Blink say. But Mush didn't answer. "C'mon, time ta sell the papes," Blink replied sadly before walking away. With Jack missing, Feister being stuck in the Refuge, and money getting tight; hope of winning the strike had faded away. Which meant it was back to carrying the banner. Well, some of the boys had already gone back to selling days ago, but today was the day they'd all go back.

Mush wasn't one of the few to go back to selling right away. He was trying to stay strong for Feister. Her words of his first visit rang in his head..."Don't think of this as defeat, think of it as motivation ta continue the strike. An' if ya don't, I'm soakin' all yer sorry bums."

Knowing he didn't have any other choice, Mush jumped down from his bunk and followed everyone else down the stairs. It was a quiet walk to the Distribution Center to say the least. But money was starting to run low, and some of them hadn't paid their fee at the Lodge. Mush had to wonder what Feister would say if she saw him and the other newsies just give up the strike like it never happened. She'd probably start yelling at all of them for just giving up like that, and then refuse to sell papers.

The boys knew that Kloppman was too nice of a guy to just kick any of them out, so he let it slide a couple of times. But they also knew they couldn't keep doing that, and there weren't any chores or odd jobs to do in exchange for a bed, so the only choice was to go back to selling.

By the time the small group of newsies made it to the square Davey and those who had gone back to selling were walking out. "What's goin' on?" Sniper asked.

"The fight isn't over. Weasel has this look on his face," Davey replied seriously. "He looked scared, and this fight is far from over. It's just beginning."

───── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─────

"That's everyone!" Race announced as the last of the boys sat down at Jacobi's Deli. There weren't many people in the Deli that morning, so the newsies had the place all to themselves, so Jacobi couldn't kick them out otherwise. Unless there was another foot got stuck in a chair.

"What's goin on?" Tommy boy asked over the noise of the other newsies.

"As you may know the strike has gone a little down-" Davey started.

"A little?" Sniper asked very loudly. "This whole strike has gone down hill! Jack is missin', Feisty is in the Refuge an' we's can't hold out forever."

"Snipeshooter would ya-"

"Hey!" Sniper cut off with a glare on his face as he pointed at Buttons, "Only Feister gets ta call me that."

"Feisty ain't here!" Buttons yelled. Needless to say this caused a huge argument about if Feister will get out of the Refuge or not. But, Davey could tell that the ones who were saying Feister wouldn't were just hiding the fact that they were afraid of what might happen.

"Will you all shut up!" Mush yelled making everyone stop talking. "Feister will make it outta there, alright! That-" he had to stop himself from saying "girl" or it would give away the fact that Feister is a she, and not a he. "Kid, will make it out. Yer all forgettin' why we's call 'im, "Feister". So stop sayin' that the kid ain't gonna make it out cause he will. End of story."

"Ya know if Feisty were here he'd say "Looks like I's finally rubbin' off of ya Mush brains"," Kid Blink said with a small laugh.

"Or what'd bout "an' you'se say I's has a temper"," Jojo added while laughing. Some of the other boys started to laugh, while others started listing all the things Feister would say if she saw Mush's little blow up. After a few laughs and when everyone calmed down Davey told the newsies about his plan for a city wide rally. It would be at Medda's theater, after working hours so no one would lose a day's pay an everyone would get a vote if they should continue the strike or not.

When the newsies agreed that it was a good idea all there was left to do was to tell the rest of the city, "Alright!" Race yelled as he step on top of the table. "Specs, Henry, you'se go ta Queens! Finch, Jojo, you'se take Staten island! Elmer, Snipes, you'se take Bronx. Albert Buttons, you'se take Harlem. Twins you'se take the Bowery. Blink Mush you'se take Midtown. Romeo, yer comin' with me ta Brooklyn; Davey Les, you'se find Jack an' tell 'im bout the rally. Now stop sittin' on yer bums an' get a movin', we's burning daylight!"

"Carryin' the banner!" the newsies yelled before running out of the Deli.

───── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─────

Author's note

Welp, that was a combination of sad, to the crazy brotherly banter we all love. Besides this chapter and the emotional whirl this was, I hope you guys know what yesterday/today is. If not, then I'll tell you. Yesterday (July 18th) Long Island newsies started a strike when prices went up (but you know that already), but, what Wikipedia and a few other websites don't say is that on July 19th, is downtown newsies gathered together at City Hall Park and announced they would officially go on strike. I know that because I have a book called, "Kids on Strike" and of course, there's a chapter about boys who sell newspapers ;). I know some people think it was yesterday and others today, and me, starting to get confused, did a little research. Some websites say 18th, others 19th, and everything else is just July 1899. So, depending on how you look at it, it's both in a way.

But then again, this happened 120 years ago, so there isn't much besides the facts (I'm assuming) we all know. Either way it's 120 years since the REAL newsboys strike of 1899 started! I did this long-ish thing on my Tags, Rants, Announcements and other stuff book if you wanna see that.

Thanks for reading, and Happy Strike Day!