Lady of the Bronx- Newsies

Chapter One

Pov: Bambina

"Rise an shine, boys!" Quinn calls out to everyone. "And girl," He adds as an afterthought.

There's grunts of protest all around, some of the boys stayed out late last night. 

They went to their favorite bar, Pacers. I didn't go this time, but last night it was hard to fall asleep. We all stay in an abandoned factory in the Bronx. So each time someone came home, we all woke up to the noise.

"I don't want to." I mumble.

"English, Deer." Peck mutters somewhere near me.It takes me a moment to realize I said it in Italian. My eyes are still closed. When I'm too tired, trying to speak english just seems like too much work.

"Screw you," I say as I get up, this time in english. There's a good amount of us who still aren't getting up. But if I want to get changed I'll have to be quick. 

 I walk towards an old closet that I change in everyday, putting on my gray slacks, blue checkered shirt, brown suspenders, and hat.

Each Newsies burrow has taken to wearing a certain color suspenders. It's almost like some kind of sign on who belongs where. Like a flag or a team gersie. Just a little more serious.

Brown is obviously the Bronx.

Red is Brooklyn.

Blue is Manhattan.

Orange is Queens.

Green is Woodside.

Purple is Flushings/Staten island- they teamed up.

And yellow is Richmond.

Brooklyn is the most feared group in New York. Manhattan is the second.

As for Queens...nobody likes Queens. They're insane there, crime rates are the second highest in New York. It's an unsaid rule that no one talks with them-

Except the Bronx. We live in the shadiest section of the city with the most crime; but us Bronx Newsies aren't as feared. We're respected though, I would bet a shiny nickel on that. Well, if I had one.

Either way, Queens trusts themselves and the Bronx. That's it. If you have to get word to them, you have to come to us.

Richmond Newsies are a bunch of proper prissies.

As for Flushings and Woodside, they're probably the weakest groups. But they are friendly enough.

I walk out of my closet, looking around.

Smalls is cursing in French, Quinn is pushing Bugs out of his bunk bed, while Bugs screams in protest.Pete is in the corner, watching over all his Newsies. As much as he likes to deny it, he's like a parent figure over us all. Pete's the oldest of us, he'll be twenty one in the fall.

Peck is chasing Sliders, who is running around holding his box of cigars.

Welsh is clutching his head, probably because of his hangover last night. Muffs is doing the same.

Little Danny and Hector are playing a card game on the floor. The two of them are twins, they both joined us last year from Ireland. When they first came, I couldn't help but feel a pang. It made me think of Riccardo, Angela, and Mother. I dont spare that many thoughts for Father or my older brothers, I don't remember them well enough to. But sometimes, as much as I hate him for what he did, I find myself missing Riccardo so much.Part of me understands why he left me, he had to look out for himself first.But the other, more strong part is still hurting, I would never have done that to him.The only ones who know about my past are Pete and my best friend, Smalls.