-Prologue-
In 1899 the Newsies went on strike after Joe Pulitzer raised the price of newspapers. Using their knowledge and strength of friendship they defeated Pulitzer and continued to sell papers. Two years later, Jack Kelly, the leader of the Newsies left for Santa Fe. Leaving behind his best friend David Jacobs, who took over for Jack and Sarah Jacobs, David's sister who he had loved. A few years later, the Newsies stopped selling papers and all went on with their lives.
-Chapter One-
Jack Kelly had lived in Santa Fe for eight grand years. He was now twenty- six years old and he only grew prettier. His brown hair still hung freely and his enchanting eyes memorized all the women. He was sitting on the train that was bound for New York. It was a journey he thought he would never take again. During his years in Santa Fe, Jack had become a famous news reporter and his editor had sent him to New York to cover a story about a mob controlling the city.
Jack hadn't seen any of his old friends since he had left. He wondered how each of them were doing. He thought of David when the train entered New Jersey. He remembered how David had become exactly like him after the strike. He thought of Crutchy and wondered if he was walking yet. Mush, Spot, Pie Eater, Les, Boots, Racetrack, Blink and all the other Newsies crossed his mind. However, there was one person he continued to think of: Sarah. Jack regretted leaving without her everyday while in Santa Fe. He'd only hope that she hadn't married yet.
The next day Jack had finally arrived in New York. When the train came to his dock, Jack thought of his choices: Get off the train and confront all his old memories or stay on and make up a story about the mob. He thought for a good five minutes before the conductor yelled 'All aboard'. Jack finally made up his mind and stepped off the train. With one bag at his side he watched as the train pulled away and wondered if he had made the right choice.
Standing there he saw that everything was the same. Some things were different, but everything he remembered was still there. However, when he walked on he saw a man sitting at the corner on a chair. Next to him were piles of newspapers. Jack wondered why he was selling the papers. Jack threw the bag over his shoulder and let out a deep breathe. He was going to do this whether he wanted to or not. While he walked through the streets that were filled with automobiles and buggies he looked around remembering the good old times of being a Newsie.
Around two o' clock he had unpacked everything in his hotel room and set out to find some of his friends if they still lived there. Jack walked down the street looking at the all the shops wondering if any of the Newsies had owned any of them. While gazing at the stores he managed not to see a young boy in front of him. They walked directly into each other holding their ground so they wouldn't fall.
"I'm sorry," Jack said whipping his jacket. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," the boy said also whipping his jacket. "Just watch where're your walking." Jack stared at the face of the boy curiously. He looked so familiar. He was about nineteen and still had the face of an innocent little boy. Jack couldn't believe it was him.
"Les?" Jack said as the boy walked past him. He stopped at the name and turned around staring at Jack. "Les Jacobs? I don't believe it." Les stared at Jack not sure of who he was.
"Do I know you?" Les asked putting one hand in his pocket. Jack smiled and laughed.
"I sure hope so," Jack replied exposing his white teeth. "It's Jack Kelly." Les looked at him curiously. After staring at him for a few seconds he finally saw the face of Jack Kelly. Les' eyes widen of excitement.
"Jack!" Les said walking over and hugging him. "Wow! Small world after all. What are you doing here?" They pulled away and continued to smile at each other.
"I'm a news reporter and my editor sent me here to cover a story," Jack explained. Les looked at him with a confused expression.
"Well, Cowboy became a news reporter," Les mocked. "Not what I thought you would become."
"Me neither," Jack said shrugging. They exchanged a laugh before they began walking down the street together. "So tell me, what are you up to?"
"Oh, nothing," Les said wondering what to say. "Enjoying the summer. Waiting for winter."
"How come there are no Newsies around selling papes?" Jack asked pointing to the man at the corner.
"Ah, well, Newsies kinda gave up on selling papes," Les explained. "Actually, child labor had gone down since the strike." Jack smiled proud of what they had accomplished years ago. "How has Santa Fe been treating you?"
"Great!" Jack answered. "Everything is so beautiful there. I have my own ranch and stables."
"Good for you, Jack," Les replied kicking a rock out of the way. "I always knew you were gonna become a real cowboy."
"So, how all the other Newsies?" Jack finally asked. Les continued to kick rocks out of the way thinking about the question.
"Well, the only ones that still live here are me, David, Spot, Mush, Racetrack and Crutchy," Les explained. "All the others either moved away or are still here. I do know that Blink went out West. Boots is in New Jersey and Pie Eater is in Pennsylvania."
"Wow!" Jack replied. "I didn't know they all wanted to get out of New York." Les smiled and finally stopped kicking the rocks. "So what are the others up to that still live here?"
"Well, David got married and works at an automobile shop," Les explained. "I live with him and work there as well."
"Davey got married?" Jack said stunned. "Good for him. What about Spot?"
"Spot also got married and owns a hotel," Les replied while Jack was surprised that even Spot got married.
"Mush?" Jack said working his way down the list.
"Owns a flower shop he started with his girlfriend," Les replied. "But then they broke up, but Mush still owns it."
"A flower shop," Jack said into the air. "Racetrack?"
"Owns a racetrack of his own," Les answered. "What'd you think he was going to do?" Jack laughed and spoke the last name on the list.
"Crutchy?" Jack said.
"Ah, we don't call him Crutchy no more," Les replied. "He can walk now. We now call him Marty and he has become a policeman."
"Good for Crutchy," Jack said. He couldn't wait till he saw all of them. As they continued walking down the street Jack wanted to ask Les about Sarah, but he wasn't sure. "Sarah?" Jack bit his tongue when he spoke her name. Les looked down and smiled.
"You still into her?" Les asked knowing that he probably was.
"No, just wondering," Jack said yelling in his mind for telling the lie. As Les was about to answer he stopped and looked forward. Jack stopped with him and stared at his face. Les had terror in his eyes and Jack had no idea why? "What?" Les pointed ahead of them as Jack followed the finger.
Walking down the street was the mob Jack was supposed to write the story about. However, his eyes widen when he saw who was walking in the front of the mob. Oscar and Morris Delancey.
"Oscar and Morris are the mob leaders?" Jack asked Les who nodded slowly. "Great." As Les and Jack stared at them Oscar and Morris looked up and saw Jack. All three eyes met and it was the loudest silence Jack ever went through.
In 1899 the Newsies went on strike after Joe Pulitzer raised the price of newspapers. Using their knowledge and strength of friendship they defeated Pulitzer and continued to sell papers. Two years later, Jack Kelly, the leader of the Newsies left for Santa Fe. Leaving behind his best friend David Jacobs, who took over for Jack and Sarah Jacobs, David's sister who he had loved. A few years later, the Newsies stopped selling papers and all went on with their lives.
-Chapter One-
Jack Kelly had lived in Santa Fe for eight grand years. He was now twenty- six years old and he only grew prettier. His brown hair still hung freely and his enchanting eyes memorized all the women. He was sitting on the train that was bound for New York. It was a journey he thought he would never take again. During his years in Santa Fe, Jack had become a famous news reporter and his editor had sent him to New York to cover a story about a mob controlling the city.
Jack hadn't seen any of his old friends since he had left. He wondered how each of them were doing. He thought of David when the train entered New Jersey. He remembered how David had become exactly like him after the strike. He thought of Crutchy and wondered if he was walking yet. Mush, Spot, Pie Eater, Les, Boots, Racetrack, Blink and all the other Newsies crossed his mind. However, there was one person he continued to think of: Sarah. Jack regretted leaving without her everyday while in Santa Fe. He'd only hope that she hadn't married yet.
The next day Jack had finally arrived in New York. When the train came to his dock, Jack thought of his choices: Get off the train and confront all his old memories or stay on and make up a story about the mob. He thought for a good five minutes before the conductor yelled 'All aboard'. Jack finally made up his mind and stepped off the train. With one bag at his side he watched as the train pulled away and wondered if he had made the right choice.
Standing there he saw that everything was the same. Some things were different, but everything he remembered was still there. However, when he walked on he saw a man sitting at the corner on a chair. Next to him were piles of newspapers. Jack wondered why he was selling the papers. Jack threw the bag over his shoulder and let out a deep breathe. He was going to do this whether he wanted to or not. While he walked through the streets that were filled with automobiles and buggies he looked around remembering the good old times of being a Newsie.
Around two o' clock he had unpacked everything in his hotel room and set out to find some of his friends if they still lived there. Jack walked down the street looking at the all the shops wondering if any of the Newsies had owned any of them. While gazing at the stores he managed not to see a young boy in front of him. They walked directly into each other holding their ground so they wouldn't fall.
"I'm sorry," Jack said whipping his jacket. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," the boy said also whipping his jacket. "Just watch where're your walking." Jack stared at the face of the boy curiously. He looked so familiar. He was about nineteen and still had the face of an innocent little boy. Jack couldn't believe it was him.
"Les?" Jack said as the boy walked past him. He stopped at the name and turned around staring at Jack. "Les Jacobs? I don't believe it." Les stared at Jack not sure of who he was.
"Do I know you?" Les asked putting one hand in his pocket. Jack smiled and laughed.
"I sure hope so," Jack replied exposing his white teeth. "It's Jack Kelly." Les looked at him curiously. After staring at him for a few seconds he finally saw the face of Jack Kelly. Les' eyes widen of excitement.
"Jack!" Les said walking over and hugging him. "Wow! Small world after all. What are you doing here?" They pulled away and continued to smile at each other.
"I'm a news reporter and my editor sent me here to cover a story," Jack explained. Les looked at him with a confused expression.
"Well, Cowboy became a news reporter," Les mocked. "Not what I thought you would become."
"Me neither," Jack said shrugging. They exchanged a laugh before they began walking down the street together. "So tell me, what are you up to?"
"Oh, nothing," Les said wondering what to say. "Enjoying the summer. Waiting for winter."
"How come there are no Newsies around selling papes?" Jack asked pointing to the man at the corner.
"Ah, well, Newsies kinda gave up on selling papes," Les explained. "Actually, child labor had gone down since the strike." Jack smiled proud of what they had accomplished years ago. "How has Santa Fe been treating you?"
"Great!" Jack answered. "Everything is so beautiful there. I have my own ranch and stables."
"Good for you, Jack," Les replied kicking a rock out of the way. "I always knew you were gonna become a real cowboy."
"So, how all the other Newsies?" Jack finally asked. Les continued to kick rocks out of the way thinking about the question.
"Well, the only ones that still live here are me, David, Spot, Mush, Racetrack and Crutchy," Les explained. "All the others either moved away or are still here. I do know that Blink went out West. Boots is in New Jersey and Pie Eater is in Pennsylvania."
"Wow!" Jack replied. "I didn't know they all wanted to get out of New York." Les smiled and finally stopped kicking the rocks. "So what are the others up to that still live here?"
"Well, David got married and works at an automobile shop," Les explained. "I live with him and work there as well."
"Davey got married?" Jack said stunned. "Good for him. What about Spot?"
"Spot also got married and owns a hotel," Les replied while Jack was surprised that even Spot got married.
"Mush?" Jack said working his way down the list.
"Owns a flower shop he started with his girlfriend," Les replied. "But then they broke up, but Mush still owns it."
"A flower shop," Jack said into the air. "Racetrack?"
"Owns a racetrack of his own," Les answered. "What'd you think he was going to do?" Jack laughed and spoke the last name on the list.
"Crutchy?" Jack said.
"Ah, we don't call him Crutchy no more," Les replied. "He can walk now. We now call him Marty and he has become a policeman."
"Good for Crutchy," Jack said. He couldn't wait till he saw all of them. As they continued walking down the street Jack wanted to ask Les about Sarah, but he wasn't sure. "Sarah?" Jack bit his tongue when he spoke her name. Les looked down and smiled.
"You still into her?" Les asked knowing that he probably was.
"No, just wondering," Jack said yelling in his mind for telling the lie. As Les was about to answer he stopped and looked forward. Jack stopped with him and stared at his face. Les had terror in his eyes and Jack had no idea why? "What?" Les pointed ahead of them as Jack followed the finger.
Walking down the street was the mob Jack was supposed to write the story about. However, his eyes widen when he saw who was walking in the front of the mob. Oscar and Morris Delancey.
"Oscar and Morris are the mob leaders?" Jack asked Les who nodded slowly. "Great." As Les and Jack stared at them Oscar and Morris looked up and saw Jack. All three eyes met and it was the loudest silence Jack ever went through.