Chapter 1
The boy woke up with a start. What was going on? Then he remembered. Oh, yes, he remembered. He HAD to make that money.
In the Manhattan Lodging House, Kloppman threw open the door and started yelling at the Newsies to wake up. Grudgingly, the boys sat up and rubbed their eyes.
"It's not 4:30 yet, is it?" mumbled Mush.
"Ya, it is, too bad for us, huh?" Race said.
Slowly all of the boys started to get ready.
About an hour later, the Newsies were waiting in the square for the circulation bell to start ringing. Jack and Skittery were talking about the previous day's sales, when all of a sudden Jack stopped talking and just stared at a place over Skittery's shoulder.
"Hey, Skit, look over der!" Jack whispered.
Skittery slowly turned around and saw a new boy covered with dirt and wearing beat-up, baggy clothes. The kid looked really tired and even more scared than he would have like to admit.
"Poor guy is worse off than we's is!" Jack's voice was getting louder causing Skittery to want to make Jack shut up.
"C'mon, Cowboy, not so loud!" Skittery pleaded, while at the same time wondering why he even cared. It wasn't like he had never said things like that before about other guys around the city.
"I'm sorry, Skit! Didn't know you'se cared about da feelings of da people 'round here!" Jack's voice was dripping with fake sweetness. "Well, you'se is right, I guess," he said, his tone changing. "Let's go say hi and offer to show 'im the ropes around here."
The boy panicked as he saw two of the Newsies walking towards him. He frantically looked around, trying to find a place to hide or at least a place to run to. He didn't want to talk to anyone, especially on his first day when he didn't even know how to act. Great, the guys were getting closer.
"We's noticed you standing over here. Me name's Jack and dis here is Skittery," one of the boys said.
The new kid looked at Skittery. He was standing there looking very uncomfortable. The boy found himself thinking that Skittery was very nice- looking. No, no, NO! He couldn't let himself get involved with any of these guys.
"What, do ya have a name? Or maybe you'se is thinking dat we's is gonna bite. Nah, we don't," Jack said.
"My name is Ash," mumbled the boy. "And if you think that I don't talk much, what about dis here friend of yours?"
Jack threw his head back and laughed. "Hey, Skit, dis boy's got you figured out great!"
Skittery just blushed, although he didn't know why. There was something about this boy, something that just didn't fit. He just wished that he could put his finger on it.
"Hey, Davey Boy! Come over here! I's wants you to meet someone here!" Jack yelled.
Davey? David? As in David Jacobs??!? This was NOT GOOD!! The boy ducked his head before Davey could see his face.
David sauntered over to where the boys were standing. "Hey, Jack. Hey, Skittery." He noticed the new boy. "Ashley Jenkins! What on earth are you doing here! Everyone is looking for you!"
"Oh, so you'se already know our pal Ash, then! But 'Ashley'? What's that for?" Jack queried.
David's face was scarlet as he struggled to regain control of his emotions. "This is my sister's best friend! She ran away 2 days ago!"
Skittery turned sharply only to see Ashley trying to edge away slowly from the boys. "What do you thinks you'se doing?"
At that moment, the circulation bell rang. Ashley turned and ran off down the street.
"Geeze, what on earth are we's supposed to do? We can't let her run off like that!" Jack said angrily.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm following her," David said. He started running after her.
"Wait for me! I'm coming, too!" yelled Skittery.
Jack just sighed. "Why's am I getting so soft?" he wondered out loud, and took off down the street.
The boy woke up with a start. What was going on? Then he remembered. Oh, yes, he remembered. He HAD to make that money.
In the Manhattan Lodging House, Kloppman threw open the door and started yelling at the Newsies to wake up. Grudgingly, the boys sat up and rubbed their eyes.
"It's not 4:30 yet, is it?" mumbled Mush.
"Ya, it is, too bad for us, huh?" Race said.
Slowly all of the boys started to get ready.
About an hour later, the Newsies were waiting in the square for the circulation bell to start ringing. Jack and Skittery were talking about the previous day's sales, when all of a sudden Jack stopped talking and just stared at a place over Skittery's shoulder.
"Hey, Skit, look over der!" Jack whispered.
Skittery slowly turned around and saw a new boy covered with dirt and wearing beat-up, baggy clothes. The kid looked really tired and even more scared than he would have like to admit.
"Poor guy is worse off than we's is!" Jack's voice was getting louder causing Skittery to want to make Jack shut up.
"C'mon, Cowboy, not so loud!" Skittery pleaded, while at the same time wondering why he even cared. It wasn't like he had never said things like that before about other guys around the city.
"I'm sorry, Skit! Didn't know you'se cared about da feelings of da people 'round here!" Jack's voice was dripping with fake sweetness. "Well, you'se is right, I guess," he said, his tone changing. "Let's go say hi and offer to show 'im the ropes around here."
The boy panicked as he saw two of the Newsies walking towards him. He frantically looked around, trying to find a place to hide or at least a place to run to. He didn't want to talk to anyone, especially on his first day when he didn't even know how to act. Great, the guys were getting closer.
"We's noticed you standing over here. Me name's Jack and dis here is Skittery," one of the boys said.
The new kid looked at Skittery. He was standing there looking very uncomfortable. The boy found himself thinking that Skittery was very nice- looking. No, no, NO! He couldn't let himself get involved with any of these guys.
"What, do ya have a name? Or maybe you'se is thinking dat we's is gonna bite. Nah, we don't," Jack said.
"My name is Ash," mumbled the boy. "And if you think that I don't talk much, what about dis here friend of yours?"
Jack threw his head back and laughed. "Hey, Skit, dis boy's got you figured out great!"
Skittery just blushed, although he didn't know why. There was something about this boy, something that just didn't fit. He just wished that he could put his finger on it.
"Hey, Davey Boy! Come over here! I's wants you to meet someone here!" Jack yelled.
Davey? David? As in David Jacobs??!? This was NOT GOOD!! The boy ducked his head before Davey could see his face.
David sauntered over to where the boys were standing. "Hey, Jack. Hey, Skittery." He noticed the new boy. "Ashley Jenkins! What on earth are you doing here! Everyone is looking for you!"
"Oh, so you'se already know our pal Ash, then! But 'Ashley'? What's that for?" Jack queried.
David's face was scarlet as he struggled to regain control of his emotions. "This is my sister's best friend! She ran away 2 days ago!"
Skittery turned sharply only to see Ashley trying to edge away slowly from the boys. "What do you thinks you'se doing?"
At that moment, the circulation bell rang. Ashley turned and ran off down the street.
"Geeze, what on earth are we's supposed to do? We can't let her run off like that!" Jack said angrily.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm following her," David said. He started running after her.
"Wait for me! I'm coming, too!" yelled Skittery.
Jack just sighed. "Why's am I getting so soft?" he wondered out loud, and took off down the street.