Yay I got reviews, which I was really surprised at. I just want to thank everyone who did review of follow my story, it really means a lot. So I have most of this story written out already and will be working hard on it, especially today since I have nothing to do most of the day. There's also going to be a bit of a one sided David/OC in this story, just a heads up. Enough of my babbling, on to chapter 2
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Newsies, nor will I ever.
Chapter 2
The gates finally clicked open letting the very excited newsies inside. Jack reached for a rope that hung nearby, and swung down to the front of the line. He landed right in front of Mattie who let out a huff of annoyance. He turned and smirked before heading up to get his papers.
'show-off," she thought to herself as she made her place in line behind Crutchy. He turned to her giving her a smile before stepping aside.
"Ladies first." He offered gesturing for her to skip him in line. A large smile spread on her face. She loved when the boys actually treated her like a woman instead of treating her like one of the guys. Sometimes the boys just forgot that she wasn't a newsboy like they were. She was in fact a newsgirl, but she was tough, something the boys weren't used to in other girls. She did her best to be an equal to them even though society said that she wasn't. The boys never treated her any less because of her gender, at least most of the time.
"Why thank you Crutchy." Mattie said to him shuffling up behind Racetrack. Crutchy was about to speak again, but was interrupted by an Italian voice.
"Lady? I don't see a lady." Race snickered. His response made a couple of the other boys chuckle as well, but Mattie wasn't laughing. She knew Racetrack was kidding, but that didn't mean she liked what he said. With a lot of her strength she hit him on the back of the head, knocking his cap off.
"Ow!" He whined, rubbing his now injured head and reaching down for his hat. Mattie shrugged and smiled innocently.
"You should probably start thinkin' before you speak bone head." She told him, which resulted in several laughs from the boys, the loudest being Crutchy's.
"Next!" Weasel called as he sent Jack on his way with his papers. Race sent a glare to Mattie before going up to the paper distributor. All of his annoyance faded as he put on a charming façade to appeal to Weasel.
"Good morning your honor." Race began. "Listen, do me a favor will you? Spot me fifty papes. I got a hot tip on the fourth."
"It's a sure thing?" Weasel asked.
"Oh yeah. Not like last time." Race reassured. Weasel gave him a look but gave the papers to Race anyway. Mattie rolled her eyes at her friend. There was no way that Race would ever pay off his debt with his track record. She walked up to Weasel and slapped her money on the counter.
"Seventy five papes!" Weasel called over his shoulder. Morris passed Mattie the papers and she couldn't help but gag a little when he shot her a wink. She took the papers and took a seat between Racetrack and Jack. She opened up one of her papers and began skimming through. She had to figure out what she was going to say today to get her more money.
"Anything good this morning?" Race asked no one in particular. Mattie's eyes found an interesting headline.
"Baby born with two heads." She told him. He let out a scoff.
"Must be from Brooklyn." He said. Mattie let out a small laugh before nudging her Italian friend with the big mouth. Mattie then looked to her left about to say something to Jack but instead saw a younger looking boy sitting next to Jack. He was cute that's for sure. He was young, no more than eight she figured. The boy felt eyes on him and looked up at Mattie. She sent him a smile, which made him blush before looking away. She laughed to herself, she had always loved kids.
"Are you accusing me of lying kid?" Weasel's booming voice echoed. Mattie's head snapped to the side to see a new kid standing at the counter. Weasel looked angry, and the new guy looked nervous. She had never seen him before, or at least she thought she hadn't. She mostly could only see his back.
"No… I just want my paper." The newbie said, no power behind his voice. That's when Jack hopped up and sauntered up to the counter. Mattie watched as he thumbed through the papers counting silently. She bit her lip when she saw his face scrunch up in determination. How could someone be that handsome all the time?
"Ah, it's nineteen Weasel." Jack said over the commotion. "It's nineteen, but don't worry it's an honest mistake. I mean, Morris can't count to twenty with his shoes on."
Everyone burst into laughter at Jacks comment. Morris lunged at Jack through the bars but couldn't reach him. Jack wasn't even the least bit effected by Morris' threatening stance.
"Alright, get outta' here." Weasel said handing another paper to the new kid.
"Hey Mattie, spot me two bits?" Jack asked sending Mattie a heart thumping smile. Even if she didn't want to give him the money she could never say no to that face. She tossed him the coins which he caught effortlessly.
"Thanks another fifty for my friend here." Jack said patting the new kid on the shoulder.
"I don't want another fifty." The newbie said. Mattie eyed him suspiciously. No newsie would pass up free papers. She stood getting a better look at the guy. She defiantly had never seen him before. He was about her age, she supposed. He was handsome she had to give him that. Not as good-looking as Jack, but he wasn't ugly. He wore typical newsie attire, most of it being new and clean. She imagined that he was from a middle class family.
"I don't want your papes." The boy said following Jack down the steps. "I don't take charity from anybody. I don't even know you, I don't care to. So here are you papes."
After listening to the boy talk, Mattie could tell the boy was educated. He spoke well. Even he made the word papes sound like it was being said by a high-class socialite. A small crowd had gathered around Jack and this new kid. Mattie stood her distance, behind Jack but not swallowed by the crowd. The young boy she had seen earlier push his way through the crowd to stand next to the older new guy.
"Cowboy, they call him Cowboy." The boy said looking up at the older one. Jack smiled at the kid. He would never admit it but he loved kids. He felt the need to protect young kids who couldn't stand up for themselves. He must have learned it from Mattie, because before he met her, he only cared about himself.
"Yeah… that and a lot of other things. Including Jack Kelly, which is what my mudder' called me." Jack explained. "What do they call you kid?"
"Les." The boy replied. "And this is my brother David, he's older."
"Oh no kiddin'." Jack said not really interested. "How old are you les?"
"Near ten." Les replied. Mattie couldn't help but smile at the enamored face of Les. He was so excited that Jack was talking to him. David obviously was not. Mattie studied him, he looked irritated. She could understand. From the looks of it Jack was digging his claws into Les and David didn't appreciate it. David must have felt eyes on him because he looked up. She looked away trying to make it seem like she hadn't just been staring.
That was the first David had actually seen her. She was pretty to say the least. She wasn't like any girl he had ever seen before. He was a little flustered that she was wearing boys clothing. He'd never seen a girl who wasn't wearing a dress or skirt. He could still see the curve of her small waist through her bulky shirt, and felt himself blush at the thought. He figured that girl newsies were rare at least in Manhattan.
"If we are gonna' be partners-" Jack began, but that was when David came back into reality.
"Wait, wait!" David practically shouted. "Who said anything about partners?"
At the word partners Mattie felt herself heat up with anger. For years she and Jack had been selling partners, splitting fifty-fifty what the made. Now some newbies come along and he was going to drop her like yesterday's headline. Her mouth formed into a tight line as she tried to keep all the things she wanted to say contained.
"Well you owe me two bits right?" Jack asked. David nodded slightly "So I'll consider that an investment. We sell together, we split…" Jack continued, but Mattie didn't stick around to hear the rest. She pushed her way through the crowd going barely unnoticed. She shook her head side to side in anger. She thought she knew Jack better than that. She thought that their relationship was special. Her heart ached the further she travelled away from The World, but she didn't stop. She felt cheap, like she wasn't good enough. She stopped suddenly thinking things through.
Why am I so angry? She asked herself. She had sunk so low that she had become completely dependent on Jack. How could she not be though? Ever since she had become a newsgirl Jack had been by her side, excluding those few months in the refuge. She didn't know anything else. She angrily ran a hand through her hair. She was never going to survive if she depended solely on Jack. She knew that he had no reason to stick around with her constantly. He wasn't in love with her, she was in love with him. Jack had nothing tying him to her. She shook her head once more before trekking on. She would show Jack Kelly that she didn't need him. She would show herself that she didn't need him. She had to, or she would never move on.
Mattie knew exactly where to go. The fighting ring was the perfect place to sell. All she had to do was say the right headline passing the right drunk and she would make some money. She placed a smile on her face as she called out phony headlines to the people who were engrossed in the hand to hand combat going on in the ring. She was doing exceptionally well for her first time alone. Using all of her charm she even conned a couple of young bachelors to buy one from her.
See, you don't need Jack. She told herself as she pushed through the crowds of people. She felt an odd sense of pride with each paper she sold, all resentment of Jack leaving her. Maybe this was a good thing for her. She could finally do things on her own without having to look to Jack for guidance.
"Hey sweetheart! I'll take a pape." Someone shouted at her. She turned to see an older man, probably in his mid-forties. He had obviously been drinking, she could tell from the sheen of sweat on his forehead to the wavering sway of his body. She put on a fake smile as she headed towards him. It didn't register that this may not have been a good idea until she was close enough to him. He handed her a coin and took a paper. She was about to leave but he grabbed her arm stopping her in her tracks. She looked down at the hand that was holding her in a bruising grip. A wave of panic arose in her stomach.
"I'll give ya' more if I can get a little kiss from ya'." He suggested, the alcoholic scent of his breath hitting her face. She swallowed the bile that rose to her throat. She had only been kissed one other time, and that was by Spot Conlon the Brooklyn newsie's leader. She hadn't expected it, and once it had happened she had stomped on his foot and slapped him hard on the cheek.
"No thank you." She told the man sternly and tried to pull away by his grip tightened. She pulled harder but to no avail. He was now dangerously close to her, too close for comfort.
"Just one little kiss." He said trying to be seductive, but all it did was make Mattie even more uncomfortable.
"I said no." She told him, using all the power she had behind her voice. She narrowed her eyes, trying to get him to release her, but he wasn't budging.
"C'mon sweetheart don't be like that." He cooed taking a step closer.
"I'll scream." She threatened. His response was a chuckle, but when he looked at her, his eyes were dark.
"Do it, I dare you." He said evilly. She shuddered and let out a shaky breath. Jack, where are you?
"Are you sure this is safe?" David asked Jack as they neared the fighting ring. David had never seen so many people in one place before and he had lived in Manhattan all his life. A lot of the men were drunk and had scantily clad women on their arms. David knew his mother would have a fit if she heard he had taken Les down there, but he didn't really have a choice. Jack knew what he was doing, and from the looks of it he was pretty good.
"Oh yeah, Mattie and I come down here all the time." Jack replied. Mattie, he had found was the girl at the distribution center. From what David gathered, Jack and Mattie were close. He saw the look on Jack's face when he realized that Mattie had left without him. A flash of hurt had covered his features, but he seemed to brush it off. David noticed that when ever he would ask a question, some way or another Mattie was brought up. It seemed to him that Jack was a lot more worried about Mattie then he first led on.
As David and Jack called out headlines, Jack teaching David how to exaggerate, Les found himself doing quite well with his acting. People seemed to fawn over his ill seven-year old act. They caved and bought his 'last pape.' At one point someone gave him a quarter for having a sip of beer. The stuff tasted awful, but he figured Jack would be proud of his accomplishment. He was about to find David and Jack when he heard something to his left.
"I said let me go!" A female voice called. It was the girl from the distribution center. Mattie is what Les believed they called her. She was with an older man, who had her pressed against a wall and she seemed to be fighting with all of her might. Les realized then that something was wrong. He sprang forward-looking anywhere for Jack or his brother. They would know what to do.
"Jack! David!" Les shouted, running through the crowd. People looked at him or mumbled obscenities as he pushed past people but he didn't care. He had to help Mattie because it was the right thing to do. When he finally found Jack and David, Jack was getting into the fight, while David just stood there uncomfortably.
"Jack! I gotta' tell ya' something!" Les said, but Jack barely acknowledged the boy. Les turned to David.
"David there's something impor-" Les began but David stopped him.
"Wait hold it. You smell like beer." David said sniffing Les' breath.
"This guy bet me I wouldn't drink some, but I got-" Les started again but was again interrupted.
"Les, you can't drink on the job. It's bad for business." Jack said amused by the kids antics.
"You shouldn't be drinking at all." David intervened. Jack rolled his eyes.
"Lighten up Davey." Jack said standing.
"Guys!" Les tried to gain their attention, but the two older boys began to bicker. Les did everything he could to get their attention but they just shrugged him off. A pit formed in Les' stomach as he realized they were wasting time. He had no idea what could be happening to Mattie at that moment, but he knew it wasn't good. So with all the voice Les could muster he shouted.
"Mattie is in trouble!" Came out of the little boy's mouth. Both Jack and David's heads snapped down to look at Les.
"What?" Jack asked urgently. He was hoping he had heard wrong. The words 'Mattie' and 'trouble' worried him.
"Mattie. I saw her with this man. She told him to get off her but he wasn't listenin'." Les explained.
"Why didn't you say something!?" Jack asked outraged. Les threw his head back and let out an exasperated breath.
"Where were they?" David asked calmly. Jack didn't wait for the answer. He turned on his heel and began shoving his way through the crowd. His eyes scanned over every single person in the place. His blood began boiling at the thought of anyone laying a hand on her. He had no idea what had happened or what was going on. He should have gone to find her before or made her stay with him. He felt guilty. He would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to her.
Much shorter than the other chapter but I thought that was a good place to stop. Remember review please! :) I posted my tumblr and youtube on my profile check out my Trailer for this story :)