Extra, Extra! (A Newsies fanfiction)

My Kelly-------Oscar

I can't do it anymore.

Esther hasn't come back up out of that basement and I'm starting to get worried.

What if she won't come out of that basement?

What if Esther's mouth got her into more trouble?

What if Snyder took things too far?

What if she's gone?

The church bells ring, notifying me its 5AM.

My brother is sleeping but I've been lying awake all night. Morris snores so loud and I've got a lot on my mind today.

I slowly move away from my snoring brother but stop.

A gray bloodstained cap lays on his nightstand.

Esther's cap.

I grab the cap and open the door. It made a large creak but nothing wakes Morris.

I walk down the halls and I hear someone still awake. There's a faint scratching of a pen and I stop to listen. The boy starts singing.

(Play the song up top)

I move closer to listen further but trip. The door bursts open and I'm met with several pairs of fearful eyes.

"Don't mind me. Go back to sleep. I just need you three." I gesture to Crutchie, a boy with black hair and a small blonde boy.

The black haired boy dropped a rag and stepped in front of the blonde, who was still scrubbing the floor.

"Listen, I called Snyder that, not Kicks. I'm sorry for what I called him and if that's why you're here-"

I cut him off. "You're not wrong. I just need you to answer a question for me, alright?"

"Are you sure you aren't here to punish me?" The black haired one asked.

"Very sure." I answer. He smiles and holds out his hand.

"I'm Harvey. And this is Cole." He points to the younger one.

I shake his hand and kneel down to the younger one. He takes one look at me and starts scrubbing as fast as his little hands could. I hold out my hand.

"It's Cole, right? Cole, I was wondering if you could give me some directions."

Cole stopped. He pauses but shakes my hand too.

"Okay." He says. I put my hat on his head and he laughs.

"I was wondering if you could tell me where the basement is located. I need to break Esther out of there because she's a major face of the strike. She did tell you she was a newsie, right?"

"Yes, she did. She sang to us and told us some stories about her being a newsie. But the basement? I've never been down there before." Cole says.

"Neither have I. But I think he has." Harvey answers, pointing at Crutchie. Crutchie just stares out the small window.

"Thank you." I walk over to him and sit down beside him.

"Hey there. Do you know the way to the basement?" He doesn't say anything for a few seconds. Crutchie turns to me.

"Take a left from this door, then go down the staircases and it's the first door on the right." My eyes fall on a piece of paper lying on his lap.

"Thank you. What's that paper?" I ask. Crutchie moves it away from me, as if he is protecting it.

"Nothing you need to see." He says.

"Is it a letter? I can deliver it if you'd like." He shakes his head.