The Only Girl Newsie

Chapter 21: A Few Others

We were all waiting outside Pulitzer Hall. Jack was pacing around, Davey was sitting all worried looking, Les was looking confused, and all the others were gathered around.

"Jack, would ya quit it?" Spot asks from his spot sitting beside me on the sidewalk.

"What if he doesn't show?" Jack asks, continuing to pace.

"We can do it without him. It'll just take more time," I tell him calmly, having already thought of that.

"What if he told Pulizter the plan, and we're just walking into a trap?" Jack asks, his voice shaking slightly from fear.

"Then we run," Race tells him.

"Jack, we're fine, okay," I tell him, trying to calm him down. "Besides, we're waiting for a few others too. He's not the only one late." 

He stops his pacing and turns to look at me. "What?" he asks, upset, unaware I involved more people.

I hear two sets of footsteps coming down the path. I look to see it's the two boys who I asked to come. "Here they are." I stand up to greet them, crutch in hand. "Hey, Ed, Don. Nice to see ya again. Glad you're here to join our cause. You got the keys?"

"Right here," Ed says. He looks at all the newsies and sees them on edge. "Are they alright?" He asks me.

"Just worried. Let's go." I tell them, ready to get started.

"Hold up; who are they?" Jack asks me, stopping us from leaving.

"Jack, meet Ed and Don. Sons of owners of newspapers. Ready to help our cause. I met them before I met you," I tell Jack, letting him know why I knew them.

Don holds out his hand to shake Jack's. "Nice to meet you."

Jack shakes his hand, "Nice to meet you too."

"Let's go," I tell him.

"Wait!" I hear behind us. Our newspaper friend comes running down the path, paper in hand. "Sorry, I'm late."

"You're just in time. Let's go," I say. I lead the Newsies and friends to an old door at the back of Pulitzer Hall. "Keys," I say to Ed. He silently hands them to me. I put the key in the lock and unlock the door. I silently swing it open. "In we go."