Hello Everyone, thank you for all of the positive feedback! Here is Chapter 3 as promised. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
K. Kelly
Jack woke up about half an hour earlier than the other newsies, just like always. He liked to have this time to himself to think. Like every morning he had lived at the lodge he climbed up onto the roof to watch the sun as its rays began to peek over the skyline. This time however something was different.
"Hey you, who are ya and whatcha doin up heah?"
Sam woke with a jolt. She saw Jack, got up and quickly made her way toward the stairs.
"Oh hey, Sammy it's just you. You don't hafta leave I was jes surprised someone was up heah before me."
"Ise don't wanna bodder you, 'specially after I socked you last night. Ise am sorry, and I won't come up heah no more."
"There ain't no crime it wantin a breath of fresh air."
He put his arms out and looked from corner of the roof to the other.
"Welcome to my penthouse."
"Youse is crazy."
"Crazy for wantin a breath of fresh air, crazy for wantin to see the sky."
He paused.
"Did you evah live somewhere with sky?"
She sighed, there was sky in New York, but she knew that wasn't what he was talking about. He was talking about the sky that stretched endlessly above and was clear and blue and… He interrupted her thoughts with another question.
"Was it pretty?"
"Pretty? In my eyes at least it was beautiful. There was so much sky it seemed to go on forever and it was bright blue, not gray like the sky heah."
Jack closed his eyes trying to imagine a bright blue endless sky.
"Where did ya live?"
She hesitated and then whispered her response.
"Santa Fe."
"Your kidding?"
"No why?"
"That's why I used to come up heah, to dream about Santa Fe."
"Used to?"
"Ise got a new dream now."
"So why ya still heah?"
"Same as you, the city sometimes chokes you and ya gotta get away."
"How do you know that's the reason why I'm up heah?"
"Ain't it?"
She closed her eyes contemplating a response, but chooses to leave the question hanging.
Jack sighs, he is not sure what it will take to get through to this boy. A few of the other newsies had come in like this angry or bitter, but it hadn't been long before they opened up to him. In fact he knows of only one other newsboy who guarded himself and his secrets as fiercely as this kid.
"Come on time to start you're on the job trainin."
"Just tell me what I need to do, I can figure out the rest."
"Bein a newsies ain't that easy Sam, you gotta learn how to improve on da truth. And always remember headlines don't sell papes newsies sell papes. Got it?"
She shrugged.
"Sure."
"Then come on let's out there and sell!"
Jack got up opened the door leading to the staircase and started walking down yelling at the top of his lungs.
"Newsies UP OUTTA BED! Those papes don't sell themselves."
Crutchie woke up smiling, it had been awhile since he had woken up to the sound of Jack rousing the newsboys. Not since…
"Race, I'm chargin you with teachin Sammy heah the ropes."
"Aye, aye Capn Jack!"
"And I'll be putting Davey in charge of makin sure you an Sam don't rip out each other's throats."
Race puts a hand over his heart feigning shock.
"Us? We'se would nevah do dat. Right Sammy boy?"
She smirked.
"It don't seem like such a bad idea."
Race started to protest, but Romeo cut him off.
"Quit whinin Ise gots ladies to meet and papes to sell."
"Alright newsies? HIT DA STREETS."
Every newsie was lined up outside the distribution center faster than you can say "Seize the Day". Race was telling Sam about improving the truth.
"Now, Ise not sayin lie or nuthin just improve on da stories. Take this for example."
He snatched one of Romeo's papers and pointed out a story.
"Fire raged, but none were injured, to sell a headline like dat you gotta add a couple casualties, maybe e even a tragic death if you're good."
"Hey Race."
"Yeah Romeo?"
Romeo snatched back the paper.
"Get your own pape!"
Race put his hands up in defeat.
"Come on Sammy boy let's get ourselves some papes. Hey you got fifty cents?"
"Fifty? I ain't got ten."
"Heah's ten, but I expect full repayment for my generosity."
"Yeah sure, how much for a pape?"
"Two for a penny."
"Huh so ten cents will buy me twenty papes that seems like a good amount to start with."
"Ooh you gots some learnin, don't tell Davey or he'll be tryin to getcha into school."
Race shuddered at the very idea. Sam just glared at him
"I hope Davey gets heah soon."
"How come?"
"Youse gonna need someone to pull me off ya, if you keep pokin fun."
"Sammy, Sammy youse gotta loosin up, take a joke. Hey Weasel fifty papes foah me and twenty for Sam heah."
Her eyes grew wide in recognition; the boy behind the counter next to 'Weasel' is a Delancey. He leans over the counter and sneers in her face.
"Oh, so the alley rat's got hisself a name eh?"
Her blood boiled she hated him for scaring her in the alley last night, and for beating her into the pavement.
"Youse gonna need yerself a docter when Ise is through with you scum!"
Oscar scowled and grabbed the boy's collar. Race shoved him aside.
"Lay off Delancey he's new, and 'sides didn't you beat on him enough last night?"
Oscar glared at Sam and backed away, but the gleam of revenge was still in his eyes.
"Les Ise told you that Mother wants us home for lunch we'll go to Tibby's anudda time."
"Oh Davey thanks goodness your heah! Sammy heah was just about to get hisself a little too well acquainted wid Oscar and his brass knuckles."
"What am Ise supposed to do about it?"
"Give him Jack's Delancey speech ya know the one he always gives da new kids."
"Oh got it. Make sure to count your papes, 'cause you know Oscar Delancey can't count to twenty with his shoes on!"
Race smacked his forehead.
"Not that one idiot! We'se already got him mad enough the odda one."
"Oh, try to avoid dem Delancey bruddas they'se likes to soak any newsies they can catch."
"Thank you! There you heah that Sammy boy? Stay away from dem, and if you can avoid it don't make 'im mad."
"Yeah I heah youse, I'll stay away from dem long as dey stay away from me."
Race shook his head, they were going to have to keep on an eye on this kid, he sure likes to stir up trouble just like another newsie he knows.
"Davey please tell me Jack remembered to charge ya with us."
"Yeah he said to make sure you two didn't kill each otha, but he didn't say anythin 'bout the Delancies."
Sam ignored them, the Delancey brothers didn't scare her anymore, not in broad daylight anyway. Though she would have liked to sock Oscar in the nose for the number he did on her last night. Suddenly though she hears yelling coming from the distribution center.
"Hey give me back my crutch!"
"Ooh the crip wants his crutch back, well Kelly ain't heah to get it back for ya. So whatchya gonna do about it."
This was the last straw, those Delancey brothers were asking for it.
"He ain't gonna do nuthin about it, but I is!"
With that she walked back over. Hauled back and punched Morris Delancey in the nose and snatched back the crutch. Oscar stepped over the counter.
"That's it boy, I let you off once but I ain't doin it again."
Sam laughed mockingly.
"Oh yeah well you gotta catch me to soak me!"
With that she took off running, Oscar and Morris were close on her tail, but she knew she was faster than either of them. After ducking down a few alleys and backtracking a couple times, she paused to listen for the sounds of pursuit. There were none, so she settled herself near the base of a statue and began her first day of 'carrying the banner'. Her voice was loud and the headlines err her headlines anyway were good. Her shouts attracted many customers and the 'improvements' sold most of her papers before lunchtime.
"I guess I should head over to Tibby's for lunch, if I don't Ise got a feelin those boys will scour da streets for me."
It was a nice thought having someone caring about you. And like it or not she was starting care about those boys. Still, she could care without giving herself away. She was sure that she could be their brother, still she was afraid of getting too close and being caught. Sam walked back over to Tibby's and spotted Race, Romeo, and Davey sitting outside looking anxious.
What did you think? Please read and review! Reviews are confidence.
Thanks
K. Kelly