Here's chapter 2!

Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies... sad face :(

Note: This story is told from the eyes and ears of an eleven year old boy. It's written in his dielect - which is a mix of a bunch of different dielects - and as most eleven year old boys I know, he tends to go on rants... So, if you can't understand a few parts let me know (that was kind of an experiment...)


The day it started, I was on a ship. I'm always on a ship.

I'm a ship-boy - an eleven year old shipboy. At least, I think I'm eleven. I really don't know how old I am. The guys on the ship gave a birthday - August 19th.

What's a shipboy, ya ask? Well, nothing special really, but real important. I help the cook, the doctor, and even the cap'in. I am one of the most needed people on a ship. Nobody can survive without me. That's how important I am. But back to the story:

That day, in late June, we docked in New York Harbor. I'd been there a few times before, but never for more than a day or two. This time we were stayin' for three days.

The Cap'in was gonna meet with his sister's family, and the cook was gonna find some good grub for everyone down by the markets, 'cause the food was startin' to go bad. And the doc - he had to go "meet up with a friend." So, that left me all 'lone. But I di'n't mind. I usually have to do cleanin' on the ship. But this time, I couldn't. The ship was bein' repaired. We'd been in a nasty storm 'bout eight miles off shore, and lost a few men. May they rest in peace.

Anyway, I had bigger problems at that point: What was I spose'ta do with all three days of free time? 'Speicaly in a city like New York.

I was conf'ident I'd find somethin' to do. I always did.

. . .

We pulled into the fourth dock off of Flushin' Ave. This was they were gonna fix up old Jade. That was the name of our ship; The Jade Lady. She got her name 'cause the old Cap'in - real crazy one, he was - was in the Orient, when - story goes - he saw the most beautiful woman in the world. He soon met her and asked her to marry him. But she told 'im that she was gonna be sold into a marriage two days later. She said that she loved 'im, but she couldn't do nothin' 'bout it. Then, two days later, the old Cap'in came to the weddin' with a huge ship, that he bought for the lady. She 'en ran away with 'im, and they got married. 'Said they loved e'chother. But soon after, they ran into a huge storm. The ship was capsized. And the lady drowned. The old Cap'in went back to the place where he bought the ship, and told 'em to build 'nother one, 'zackly the same as the first. And 'e named it The Jade Lady. Odd thing was, old Jade - she don't look like an Asian ship. She looked like a mix of a clipper, and a steam boat.

But that's 'sides the point. When we docked on Long Island, everyone got off. I was the last to go - I always was.

They weren't gonna take the ship in fer repairs 'til that afternoon. So, I stayed with old Jade, 'till then. I was up on the main mast, lookin' out over Brooklyn. This was my favorite spot in the whole world. I loved sittin' on beams of the mast, my leg hangin' over the edge. When we were out at sea, you felt likie you flying; and when the ship was docked, you felt on top of the world. And I was on top of the world. I was at my best when on a ship. I knew the sea - and I felt at home on it. Lookin' out, I saw that Brooklyn was a pretty city. With lots 'a people, doin' everyday stuff - like goin' to work, and doin' things they had to do. But me, I had all the time in the world - I could whatever I wanted. And no one could stop me.

. . .

Soon enough, I was kicked off of old Jade by the shipwrights. Told me to scram, they did. I would'a socked 'em, but there were too many. So, I got up and left.

I started wondering down the docks. 'Kept to the river, though.

Soon, I came to a different sort of pier. It wasn't a repair dock; and it didn't have any locks, neither. It almost looked like it'd been a'banded a'while; and now, it was overrun by kids. Well, older kids. There was a few younger ones, but now that many.

I started wandering down this strange dock, lookin' 'round in amusment.

"What's you'smirkin' at kid?" Somebody said, from above.

I slowly turned around, and looked up. And on top 'a a bunch 'a crates, was a boy - well, not really a "boy", per say; a older boy, really. He looked Sweedish. He had blond hair that was real flat; and peircing blue eyes - but not mean blue, but a' ocean blue; it kinda made you feel sad, lookin' into his eyes, even though you could tell he wasn't sad at all.

"I said, boy, What's you'smirkin' at?"

"Ah- Nothin'", I said.

"Good", said the older boy on the crates, "But ain't you out sellin' papes?"

"Ah- " I didn't have a clue what this boy was talkin' 'bout.

So, one 'a the other boys came in and helped me, "Naw. 'Cause he was selin' out wid me."

The older boy only raised his eyebrow, obviously knowin' that this kid was lyin', but he a'ssepted the answer, and told us to be on our way.

"What's you doin', tawkin' that way ta da Big Man?" The boy who rescued me asked.

"Da Big Man?" I asked, immatatin' him.

"Yeah", he said, unphased, "The King."

"The King?"

"You ain't from heah, are ya, kid?"

I shook my head.

He sighed, "So, where ya from? Hoboken? Italy? Boston? Germany? Where?"

I thought about for a sec'nd, 'for sayin', "I don't know."

"What'd ya mean, ya don't know?"

"I mean, Mister-cranky-pants, I don't live in jus' one place", I told him.

"That don't make any sense", he said.

I sighed, "I live on a ship."

"So, you's a shipboy?"

I nodded. And to my suprise, the boy smiled.

"Good, we's been needin' someone like you", he said, "By the way, name's Spot."

"Spot?" I asked scepticly, "How'd you get that name?"

"It's a funny story", he said, chucklin' to himself. He then looked up at me and asked, "What's yer name?"

"Earl", I said, "Are you gonna tell me how-"

"Oil?" he asked.

"No, Earl", I said, a bit slower, "But, are you gonn-"

"Yeah, Oil. It's whad I said", Spot said.

"Okay... sure", I wasn't too sure 'bout this Spot guy. But I went out on a limb - as some of the guys called it - and said, "You can call me, Cap'in - if you want."

"Naw, I like Oil", Spot said.

Shut down!

But the Spot-kid kept talking, "So, Oil, how old are ya?"

"Eleven", I said proudly, "I'll be Twelve in a month and a haf'."

"Woah", Spot said, "Same. I's turnin' Twelve in two weeks."

"Teriffic..." this Spot character was startin' to get on my nerves.


Let me know what you think! (it doesn't matter if you have an account or not!)

Real Quick: The whole "Earl - Oil" thing... All of my friends from back home (in Brooklyn) always made fun of my accent. They always said that I could never say "Earl". Apparently, I pronounced it like "Oil". So, that's why its in there...

for now,

newsie dork from D.U.M.B.O.