In 1899, the streets of New York City echoed with the voices of newsies; peddling the newspapers of Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, and other giants of the newspaper world. On every corner you saw 'em carryin' the banner, bringin' you the news for a penny a pape. Poor orphans and runaways, the newsies were a ragged army without a leader. Until one day, all that changed.
Even after being a newsie for years Spice still found it impossible to get used to waking up early in order to carry the banner. And yet everyday she would wake up to the sound of snapping and Kloppmann waking each boy up individually, she had continued to share a bed with Racetrack even when they got to the age where it wasn't considered "appropriate" anymore. They were best friends and there weren't any extra beds in the lodging house so it just made sense that they would sleep together besides, it wasn't like they did anything indecent.
"Boots!" Kloppmann's voice startled Spice and she jumped slightly almost smacking Racetrack in the process. She heard Boots grumble something under his breath before Kloppmann's voice drowned him out.
"Skittery, Skittery, Skittery!"
"I didn't do it."
"What do you mean you didn't do it? Get up. When you get up, you have to get up!"
"Snitch. Get Up. C'mon everybody's sleepin'. They sleep, sleep. The sleep their life away, these kids. The ink is wet, the presses are rollin'.Sell a pape! Sell a pape!"
Kloppmann continued to make his rounds and so Spice rolled over and shook Race's shoulder gently, she figured he would rather her wake him up than the alternative. He began to stir just as Kloppmann reached Jacks bed.
"Hey, Cowboy. Hey, Cowboy, you dreamin' about sellin' papers? Hey, hey, hey."
Jack didn't seem to appreciate the wake up and being who he was he made sure to let the older man know.
"Don't wanna. What's the matter with you?"
"With me?"
"What's the matter with you?"
"What's the matter with you?"
"Get off my back, go way from me, you're made!"
Kloppmann couldn't help but laugh at how adamant Jack was to stay in bed. "Hey kid. Get up, boy. Come on, come on."
Once Jack finally started to get up their caretaker went back to making sure everyone was up and getting ready for the day.
"Carry your banner. Sell the papers! Everybody, what are ya doin'?"
While Jack and Kloppmann had been arguing Spice had slipped into the bathroom and gotten ready, she made sure that she was always the first into the bathroom in order to avoid the boys seeing anything they shouldn't and vice versa, she might have lived with them for years but that didn't mean she was okay with seeing them naked. She walked back to her and Race's bed just in time to see Racetrack frantically searching for something, then she noticed that Snipeshooter had a familiar cigar hanging from his mouth and realized what her friends dilemma was.
"What's my cigar."
"You'll steal anudder." Race wasn't having Snipe's sass and was about to teach the kid a lesson, luckily Blink stepped in before Spice had to.
"Hey, bummers we got work to do."
"Since when did you become me mudder." Of course Spec's had to add his opinion seeing as how anything that happened in the lodging house automatically became anyone and everyone's business whether they were directly involved or not. Spice started making the bed and couldn't help but smile at her boy's antics.
"Ah, stop your bawlin'."
"Who asked you?!"
Her smile got even bigger when she noticed that Mush was walking up to Jack, she loved how enthusiastic Mush was about life and instantly tuned into their conversation knowing it would be amusing.
"So, how'd you sleep, Jack?"
"On me back, Mush."
"Did you hear that, fellas." And there it was, no matter what tone was used if you said something Mush thought was funny he was gonna laugh about it, and share the joke with anyone within hearing distance.
"Hear that, fellas. Did ya hear what Jack said? I asked Jack how he slept and he said, "On me back, Mush."
Spice began to head for the stairs, seeing as how there wasn't much separating the bathroom from the bedroom. The boys didn't seem to care much about modesty and so she had to take it upon herself to make sure she didn't see any of them indecent. As she walked away she could hear Crutchy ask if Jack thought he looked like he was faking his limp and couldn't help but shake her head. It was sad that so many people were faking injury's now days that the real cripples were being called fakes.
Spice stood outside the lodging house and took a moment to revel in the fresh air and quiet streets, all too soon the streets would be filled with people and animals all bustling around from one place to another and the tranquility of the morning would be lost.
She heard the others before she saw them, their pounding feet and loud voices disrupted her peace and she gave a gentle sigh before joining them as they left their lodgings and headed for the distribution center. She didn't join in as the boys jumped over barrels and did flips off of a nearby cart; instead she walked beside them and nodded apologetically to the workers who had been disrupted. Sometimes she had trouble understanding how the boys could be so enthusiastic about selling papers each day but figured it had something to do with the fact that they took pride in the fact that they didn't have to rely on anyone but themselves because they had a paying job, even if it wasn't the best.
The made their usual stop at the nun's cart to get their breakfast, Race got a cup of coffee so Spice grabbed a role of bread, intending to share some of it with him in return for a sip of the bitter caffeinated drink. Through the crowd of ragged boys she could see a middle aged woman looking for her son, it wasn't that uncommon that they would see a distressed parent looking for their lost child amongst the ranks of newsies. Spice used to feel bad for them, until one day she realized that there was probably a reason the kid had left in the first place. From then on she had never once stopped to try and comfort the grieving parent like she once had, choosing instead to simply walk straight past without a second glance.
They finally got to the center Spices heart dropped at the headlines, the only things posted were the Trolley Strike and something about Governor Roosevelt, neither topic was interesting enough to catch someone's attention while they were busy trying to get to where they were going. Spice thanked the god's that she was good at making up stuff but she couldn't shake the worry for boys who weren't as creative; it was going to be a tuff day.
She had been so busy pondering what the day would bring that she hadn't been paying attention to the others, that was until she heard them singing about what they wished the headlines were instead.
"We need a good assassination; we need an earthquake or a war."
"How 'bout a crooked politician."
"Hey stupid that ain't news no more."
Snipeshooter decided to try his luck at coming up with something else interesting, however he failed, miserably. And the boys certainly let him know. Spice would have felt bad for the younger boy if it wasn't for the fact that he had a smile on his face, she had a feeling he had said what he had on purpose trying to rile the others up.
It was obvious that the boys were having a good time so even when they started to rough house a little Spice decided to let them be. Over the years she had become a sort of maternal figure to the bunch, making sure that they didn't do anything too stupid or get themselves hurt. At the same time though, she was right in the midst doing things that would be considered stupid or dangerous to anyone else. Unfortunately the Delancey brothers showed up and ruined the fun, and of course Race made it worse by antagonizing them.
"Dear me. What is that unpleasant aroma? I fear the sewer may have backed up during the night."
Pretty soon Boots and Crutchy had picked up on what Race was doing and decided to join in, even though Spice tried to keep them from doing so.
"Too rotten to be the sewer."
"Yeah, yeah, it must be the Delancey brudders."
Everyone started laughing at that point and Spice couldn't help but cringe, the brothers were prideful people and there was no way they would take the insult sitting down.
"Hiya boys." Race obviously didn't know when to quit. Spice scowled as Oscar grabbed Snipeshooter by the back of the neck, if he hurt a hair on that boys head; Spice was gonna give him a beating he would never forget.
"In the back, you lousy shrimp." Spice made a move to go help the boy but Jack beat her to it, walking past the brothers while Racetrack drew their attention away from the younger kid.
"That's not good to do that, not healthy." Spice grinned at her friend's wit.
"You shouldn't be callin' people lousy shrimps, Oscar; unless you're referring to the family resemblance in your brudder here."
Everyone oh'd at the remark impressed with the challenge that Jack had subtly issued.
"Five-to-one the cowboy skunks 'em, who's bettin'?" She shook her head, of course Racetrack wouldn't let an opportunity to bet go to waste. The other boys didn't seem interested though claiming that it was bum odds.
Seeing that the brothers hadn't openly reacted to Jacks taunt he decided to push a little more, determined to get a response of some sort.
"That's right, it's an insult, so is this." With that Jack nocked Morris's hat off his head before taking off into the crowd of boys. Spice moved to help her friend but Race held her back, not wanting his friend to get involved in a fight that could leave her injured. Luckily Jack didn't seem to need much help, tricking the brothers multiple times without much trouble. It probably helped that Jack had the entire newsie population helping him.
It wasn't until distribution bell rang that the fighting stopped, Jack opened the gates and Race dragged Spice along with him to the front of the line so that they could be first to get their papers. The two ended up right behind Jack and Race didn't waste any time parsing the other boy's show.
"Brilliant performance, Jackie, brilliant! Better than yesterday's."
"You're too kind to me"
Spice was about to say something but Oscar cut her off by pushing past her with his brother, almost knocking her off the platform in the process, she grabbed Race's arm to steady herself and he pulled her back from the ledge glaring at the Delancey's as he did.
"We'll play again tomorrow, Cowboy."
"That'd be nice." It seemed that no matter what Jack would have the last word. The brothers muttered threats at him but didn't make any move to carry out their threats. Jack knocked on the window that separated them from the papers employees and called out softly for the distribution head. When the man didn't answer right away he rang the bell, form inside they could hear the man as he walked towards the window, annoyance laced in his voice.
"Did ya miss me, Weasel? Did ya miss me?"
"I told ya a million times, the name is Weisel, Mr. Weisel to you. How man?"
"Don't rush me; I'm perusin' the merchandise, Mr. Weasel." Spice shook her head, everyone already knew how many papers Jack was going to get, he didn't actually care what the headlines were he just wanted to piss of the older man.
Jack slammed down his money on the counter with supposed purpose, "The usual," Spice shook her head again at the blatant arrogance in his tone. It seemed that Weisel hadn't missed his attitude either.
"One hundred papes to the wise guy, next." Race then walked up to the counter with Spice close behind.
"Morning, your honor. Listen do me a favor and spot me 50 papes, huh? I got a hot tip on the fourth. You won't waste your money."
"It's a sure thing?" Of all people Weisel seemed to have as much a thing for betting as Racetrack did, something the boy used often to get free papers.
"Oh yeah, not like last time." It struck Spice as funny how no matter how many times Race had a bad tip, the man never stopped believing him.
"50 papes, Next!"
Spice stepped up and politely asked for 50 papers as well setting down the money gently and waiting for the brothers to hand them over to her. The boys constantly hounded her on why she was so nice to the Weisel when he was a hard ass to them and she would always respond in the same way. One gets more with honey than with vinegar; by being nice to the man and his nephews she insured that they would never try to short her on papers.
She sat down next to Race as Crutchy walked up to order and read over his shoulder as he looked over the latest issue.
"Anything good this mornin'?" Spice waited to hear Jacks response but soon noticed that he was distracted by the small boy standing next to him.
"You wanna sit down?" For all Jacks bravo he had a soft spot for the younger kids, something Spice found rather endearing. The kid sat down and the boys resumed looking over their papers.
"Look at this: "Baby Born With Two Heads." Must be from Brooklyn."
Spice smacked Race's arm, she knew that the boroughs liked to poke fun at each other but she always insisted that they not do so around her. She thought as both groups as her family and she hated when they made fun of each other. Behind her she could hear arguing, she looked back to see a new kid around Jack's age arguing with Weisel. He didn't seem to understand that he was fighting a losing battle and Spice almost painfully obvious that he was new to the newsie life and without anyone to help guide him she knew he wouldn't last long. Luckily Jack, ever the mischief maker, recognized the opportunity to make fun of one of the Delancey's and took it; inadvertently helping the new kid in the process.
"No, it's 19, Weasel. But don't worry about it, it's an honest mistake. I mean, Morris, he can't count to 20 with his shoes on."
Weisel didn't seem to find Jack's joke amusing, neither did Morris. The boy looked like he would have jumped Jack if there weren't bar's separating them, however Jack wasn't quite finished.
"Race, will you spot me two bits?" She watched as her friend flipped the other boy the two coins.
"Thanks, another 50 for my friend here."
"I don't want another 50."
"Sure you do, every newsie wants more papes."
"I don't, I don't want your papes. I don't take charity from anybody, I don't even know you, I don't care to. So, here are your papes."
Spice leaned over and rested her head on Race's shoulder and tuned their conversation out, she was tired and figured she could doze for a few minutes while the others were arguing before she and Race had to head out to sell. By now she knew her way around well enough that she didn't need a selling partner but found that she got lonely without a someone to talk to, besides Race never complained about her company so she never saw any reason to stop.
All too soon Jack and the other boy, apparently a boy named David, had come to an arrangement. Race stood up after gently shoving her off his shoulder and they moved out with the others immediately starting to yell whatever seemed like it would get the public's attention. She walked behind Race as they headed towards Sheepshead Bay and basked in the summer heat. To her it would be just another uneventful week for her and her friends, oh how wrong she was.
Thrid chapter up, still no reviews. I'm not trying to complain but I would really appreciate if someone would tell me what they think of the story so far. I can't tell if I'm doing a good job or if the main character is a Mary Sue… Help!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!
Thanks for reading, you are fantastic.
-Ambercat999
