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Chapter 12: Bill how were we supposed to know it was 3 am

Katie started to ramble and complain about some of the boys antics as we walked back to her house.

"- not to mention you didn't even warn me that 'davie' is David Jacobs!"

I shrugged "It didn't seem important? Why does it matter anyway?"
"Because I've been seeing his sister! You know how awkward that is?"

I snorted "Seriously?"
"Yeah! He asked 'do I know you from somewhere' and I had to act like I didn't sneak his sister out of their apartment the other day!"

We both started laughing at that.
"Do you have enough of a grasp for an article?"

She sighed "Yeah I suppose. Come on."
We made it back to her house and ended up in the little office space her dad had given her.

She began to think, sitting down at a typewriter.

"Newsies stop the world!" She mused.
"A little hyperbole never hurt anyone." I said grinning.

"With all eyes fixed on the trolly strike, and due to the lack of coverage no one has seen another battle brewing in the city. And if I could just write about it."

I heard her pull the paper out of the writer and put in a new one.

"Write what you know." I said, in a sing-song voice.

"So they say, but all I know is I don't know what to write or the right way to write it!"

"You can do this, this is your big break, this is big lady! Don't screw it up!" I settled into a chair next to her. "This is not just some little vaudeville your reviewing."

"Poor little kids versus rich greedy sourpusses!" She started getting an idea.

"Ha! It's a cinch! It could practically write itself!" I threw my arms up.

"And lets pray it does cause I may have mentioned I have no clue what I'm doing! Am I insane? This is what I've been waiting for, well that plus the screaming of ten angry editors. 'A girl? Thats a girl! How the hell? Is that even legal?'" Katie started to type but stopped so i added,

"Look just go and get her! Not only that there's a story behind the story." Erging her on.

"Thousands of children, exploited, invisible."
"Speak up! Take a stand! And there's someone to write about it!" I sang excitedly.

"That's how things get better! Give life little guys some ink and when it dries just watch what happens! Those kids will live and breathe right on the page and once their center stage you watch what happens!"

"And who's there with her camera and her pen as boys turn into men? We'll storm the gate and then! Just watch what happens when we do!"

Katie squealed and the sound of her typing filled the room once more.

"A couple of modern day davids are poised to take on the rich and powerful goliath. Despite having many setbacks and even losing one of their leaders, the ragged newsie army stands ready to take on the boheimeth Pulitzer, With the mighty Spot Colon at the head of the charge."

I sighed wistfully "Now that is how you turn a boy into a legend. Picture a handsome, heroically charismatic-"

Katie cut me off "Plainspoken, know nothing, cocky little son of a-"

"Lay down with dogs and you wake up with a raise and a promotion," I sang pointedly "So yeah he's a flirt-"

"A complete egomaniac." Katie cut in.

"But the fact is he's the new face of the strike."
She groaned "What an asshole though!"

"What a face! Face the fact that's a face that could save us all from sinking in the ocean!"

"Like someone said 'power tends to corrupt' and absolute power waits! Wait? Corrupts?"

"Absolutely that is genius!" I yelled.
"But give me sometime I'll be twice as good as that- six months from never."

"Just look around at the world we're enheritting, And think of the one we'll create, there mistake is they got old! That is not a mistake we'll be making!"

"No sir we'll stay young forever!"
"Give those kids and me the brand new century and watch what happens!"

"It's David and Goliath do or die, the fight is on and I can't watch what happens! But all I know is nothing happens if you don't give in!"

"It can't be any worse than how it's been! And It just so happens that we just might win!"

"So whatever happens! Let's begin!"
Katie began to type wildly and excitedly.

I smirked "and you said you didn't know what to write."

She laughed "Shut up!"

After a while Katie finished typing and read the article to me.
After a few suggestions edits were made and a final copy written.

"All right, let's go bother Darcy and Bill." I said standing up and grabbing my cane.

As we started out again Katie asked "Will Olivia be okay with you being out this late?"

I shrugged "Lately she's been fine with it."
Down the street we came to Darcy's house and Katie knocked on the door.

"Do you realize that it is 9 oclock at night right now?" Bill asked, opening the door.

"Oh, I see your here too. Why am I not surprised?"

"You can't even see so you don't get to give me any of that crap."

I smirked "You can't stop me."

"You say that till I actually do."

"Bold of you to assume I can be stopped."

Katie sighed, annoyed "We're coming in, here read this."

We headed inside and Bill grabbed the paper from her and paused for a moment reading it over.

"Spot Colon?"
"Hey isn't he the one who beat up that guy on one of the steeplechase rides cause he tried to move on his girl?" Darcy asked.

So thats what the rumor had grown into.
I had heard people talking about it but not quite like that before.

"Oh yeah, I heard that too. Nat, you're his friend, has he ever talked about it?"

I shrugged "Well it wasn't actually on the ride or anything. He'd left, the guy started talking to me, I told him to leave, he started grabbing me, Spottie came back, saw the guy and got him off me. I obviously didn't see the fight but it sounded pretty bad for the other guy."

"Your Spot Colon's girl?" Bill gasped.
I snorted "I am just about the farthest thing from being Spot's girl right now."

"From what I saw today that doesn't seem true." Katie said.

"This is not what we came here to talk about, Katie, tell them the plan."

She sighed but began to explain. "- and lets face it, your father hasn't had an exciting headline in weeks, he'll definitely take it."

I nodded along.
"Honestly," Bill paused "I think it's a good idea, but we could get into some serious trouble for sticking our necks out for these newsboys."

"Seriously Bill? You're worried about getting in trouble for that? Of all the 'wrong' things you do?" I put air quotes around the word 'wrong'.

He almost shot something back when Darcy interrupted "The both of you need to calm down. We'll help."

"Really Darc?"

"Don't 'really Darc?' me. They need our help so let's help them."
I grinned.

The next day Katie's article got printed in the papers, bringing new hope to the boys.
"Now we just have to stay in the papes this time."
I stood back against the statue in the square listening to the boys.