My first Newsies fanfic. Enjoy. I own nothing.
A fifteen year old Jack Kelly had just bought his newspapers and was sitting down to read them when he saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked up. Most of the newsboys in the area had already come and gotten their papes, but now there was a small boy walking through the gates.
The boy looked to be only about ten or so, short and thin. He had dark red hair that was cut somewhat raggedly and brown eyes. He looked calm, confident, and careless, but as he drew nearer Jack saw that his eyes looked alert and wary. He watched a few more stragglers buy their papes as though unsure how to go about it. Finally, he stepped forward.
"Thir'y papes," he said with a heavy Irish accent. Weasel placed the newspapers on the counter and the boy reached into his pocket, pulled out a few coins, and handed them over. He then awkwardly lifted the bundle using only his right arm and walked over the the group of reading older boys.
Jack had just finished reading and was standing up to leave when he felt someone bump into him. He looked down in surprise to see the small Irish kid. "'Scuse me," the boy said.
"Yeah?" Jack asked.
"What does the headline say?"
"You can't read?"
The boy shook his head sheepishly. "Nay. I never needed to know how, and me family has'na been here long enough to learn."
Jack sat down again. He patted the sidewalk next to him to indecate that the boy should sit down. He did, though he looked even more wary his papes down in his lap. "What's your name?" Jack asked.
"Patch. You?"
"Jack. This your first time selling papes?"
"Aye. I don'a really know how to go abou' it."
"Well, why don't you just hang around with me today? I can show you how to sell your papes and make a good bit of money."
"Well..." Patch looked nervous at the thought of going with Jack and almost ready to say no. But, for some reason that he could not explain, Patch made jack curious and he wanted to know more about him. So, he added, "I'll teach you to read, too."
Patch's eyes widened. "Ye will?"
Jack grinned. "Yep. So, what do you say?"
Patch grinned shyly. Jack didn't know it was possible to grin shyly. "Aye. Let's do it."