Flip ~ A Spot Conlon Fanfic

Chapter 4: Strike

Recap~ "Where were you five?" Specs asked as we walked into the bedroom.

"Out" is all I said as I quickly changed, climbing into my top bunk.

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Flip's POV*

"Flip, come look at this!" Blink exclaimed as I walked up to the Newspaper stand, looking at the board.

"They jacked up the price!" I exclaimed, obviously not happy.

"You hear that, Jack? 10 cents a hundred! 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?" Blink questioned as a Newsie behind him was mimicking his movements.

"This'll bust me, I'm barely making a living right now." Skittery said as he placed his elbow on my shoulder.

"I'll be back sleeping on the streets!" Boots exclaimed as Skittery threw his cigarette on the ground.

"You basically already do." I told him as he stuck his tongue at me, causing me to roll my eyes.

"It doesn't make no sense. I mean, all the money Pulitzer's making, why would he gouge us?" Mush asked.

"Because he's a tightwad, that's why!" Race exclaimed as we all agreed with him.

"Pipe down, it's just a gag." I told the Newsies as I walked up to Weasel. "So, why the jack-up, Weasel?" I asked him, leaning against the bars.

"Why not? It's a nice day. Why don'tcha ask Mr. Pulitzer." Weasel said to me as I walked away from him, walking down the stairs.

"They can't do this to me, Flip." Blink said to me as I looked at him.

"They can do whatever they want. It's their stinkin' paper." I told him as I sat down on the stairs next to Jack.

"It ain't fair. We got no rights at all!" Boots exclaimed.

"Come on, it's a rigged deck. They got all the marbles, ok." Racetrack told us.

"Jack, Flip, we got no choice, so why don't we get our lousy papes while they still got some, huh?" Mush suggested as he started to walk up the stairs.

"No! Nobody's going anywhere." Jack started, stopping Mush. "They can't get away with this!" Jack exclaimed as we all looked at him.

"We gotta eat, Jack." Mush told him as the Newsies started to argue.

"Give them some room, give them some room. Let them think!" Les exclaimed, pushing the Newsies away from Jack and me as he sat back down next to me. One of the Newsies handed Jack a cigarette that he started to smoke as all the Newsies looked at the two of us.

"Jack, Flip, you two done thinkin' yet?" Race asked him as I held up my hand, silencing him.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! World employees only on this side of the gate!" Weasel exclaimed as we all shouted at him.

"Ok Newsies, listen." I started as everyone quieted, looking at me. "There's one thing for sure, if we don't sell papes, then nobody sells them." I told them as Jack nodded.

"Nobody comes through those gates until they put the price back to where it was." Jack told us as some of the Newsies shouted in agreement.

"You mean like a strike?" David questioned.

"Yea, like a strike!" Jack exclaimed, looking at him as the boys now groaned in protest.

"Are you out of your mind?" Race asked him.