Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies. I did come up with the name Louie, but he's based off the dark-haired kid who runs up to the window with Ten-Pin after Jack leaves…
Ten-Pin, with all of the other boys who had been cruelly locked up in the Refuge, came scrambling out the back of the wagon. Whooping and hollering could be heard from the crowd; everyone had just learned that the strike was over, and the newsies and all who stood behind them had come out on top.
It was truly a day for celebration, and that's exactly what Ten-Pin was planning on doing. For years, he had been holed up in that rotten place called the Refuge that wasn't much of a "refuge" at all. Like a prisoner, he longingly looked out the barred windows, hoping against hope to one day be able to bust out of the joint like the great Jack "Cowboy" Kelly had once done.
Luckily, he didn't have to devise any sort of escape plan, but he did get out with the help of Teddy Roosevelt, so that was close enough to Cowboy's getaway act to satisfy Ten-Pin.
As he watched Snyder, the same evil, ugly, bad-smelling, and not to mention stupid Warden Snyder who had been their tyrant while at the Refuge, be lead into the back of the wagon, Ten-Pin felt the sudden urge to laugh. And laugh he did, first a small one, and then it grew, and grew, and grew. Suddenly he was outright guffawing, the bent over, arms wrapped around midsection, about to fall to the ground kind of laugh. He might have looked just a little odd, but it was okay, because he blended in with the rest of the rejoicing kids.
A good half-hour later, the excitement had died down, the newsies had gone off to sell their papes, and Roosevelt had left with Spot Conlon riding with him. Ten-Pin knew being the King of Brooklyn had its perks, but riding with the governor? He would have to look into that position for a future career.
Ten-Pin now walked down the streets of Manhattan, taking in deep breaths of the somewhat polluted air. But, polluted or not, it was without a doubt better than the Refuge. His friend, Louie, walked beside him quietly, hands shoved in his pockets and his expression conveying deep concentration. Ten-Pin didn't bother to ask the reason why, Louie was just like that. But, Louie then spoke up, verbalizing his thoughts for Ten-Pin to hear.
"What do we do now?'
Ten-Pin paused in his step and just stood there, staring blankly at Louie. "Huh?"
"What do we do now?" Louie repeated, though much slower this time so Ten-Pin could follow. Ten-Pin blinked, and then blinked again.
"I… never really thought about it, I guess," Ten-Pin confessed. His brows furrowed as he continued chewing on the thought. What was there to do really? They couldn't just walk around forever. Then reality hit him hard. They'd have to get jobs. Provide for themselves. Take on the dreaded responsibility. Letting out a defeated sigh, Ten-Pin kept walking and Louie followed. "This bites," Ten-Pin muttered. "I thought life outside of the refuge would be better."
"It is," Louie argued. "We can do what we want, when we want, and we don't have to deal with Snyder sticking his ugly mug in our business."
Ten-Pin still felt a little down, but as he took in Louie's statement, he had to admit there were some upsides to the whole thing. At least they didn't have to look at Snyder, who had a face even a mother could barely love. And then Louie started talking again.
"But, really, what're we gonna do now?"
A/N: Well, that's it. The ending was kind of hard for me to write, because I was trying to keep it more humorous, and not get that serious. I'm not sure if it worked, though. Review if you want.