Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or plots pertaining to the movie Newsies. I do own Amy, Kate, Christopher, Augusta, and any character/plots that you do not recognize from the film.
Amy and Tony sat across the table from one another, Tony on the right side of Christopher and Amy on the left side of her father. As the dinner began, conversation was scarce. However, as the main course was served, Augusta Higgins-Bertoli turned to her daughter.
"How is dear Emmy?" Emmy was the manager of Amy's dress shop that she worked at. Emmy was the twins' wet nurse and nanny when they were small children.
"Well, very well, actually," Amy replied smiling. "The dress shop is expanding and Emmy told me that I could be assistant manager and help with the book keeping. She says she wants no one else on the job so I might take it."
"My advice, Amy, is for you to take this promotion," Augusta began, "but to be wary. A job such as this does not come without even more hard work and even more responsibility." She cautioned her sixteen year old daughter. "Know your limits and do not hesitate in asking for help." Amy nodded silently. She knew her mother spoke truth.
The meal continued. By dessert, Tony was bored. He hated the dressing up and the almost non-existent conversation.
"You know, Augusta, I saw the strangest thing today in the afternoon edition of the New York Sun," Christopher said. Tony looked up and stared at Amy. "Apparently there is a newsie strike going on in Manhattan."
"I think I saw the picture," Augusta said. "Tony, do you know anything about this?"
"Yes, mom," Tony said. "I'm actually one of the strike leaders, under Jack of course. Me, Jack, David, and Spot. We are the leaders."
"Son, your grammar is atrocious," Christopher said.
"I apologize, dad," Tony said, looking at his father. "It was force of habit." He changed the subject. "How's the office?"
"Doing well," Christopher said. "Thank you for asking. I've also been meaning to ask you. Would you like to apply for an errand boy job when you're finished with the newsie job next year? Most boys leave the newsies at seventeen or eighteen years of age, am I right?"
Tony nodded. He thought about the job offer for a minute. He would be able to make his own way. Looking back at his father, Tony smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that, dad. Thanks for helping me."
"My pleasure, son," Christopher said gently. Tony heard a giggle from the other end of the table where Amy and his mother had their heads together. The two split apart and Augusta smiled at her son.
"Tony, what is this I hear about a girl?" she asked. She and Amy looked at Tony. Amy was grinning broadly while Augusta looked as if she was trying not to laugh.
"Uh. Yeah, there is a new girl. I found her wandering the streets a couple nights ago when I was running from the bulls. Apparently, walking around late at night might land you in jail in Manhattan." Tony added. "The girl's name is Kate Conlon."
"And she's a shy little thing," Amy added. "The newsies all call her Shy. Like they call me Aces."
"Why do they call you Aces?" Christopher asked curiously. Amy grinned broadly.
"Because I'm good at Poker. I get all the aces." Christopher laughed out loud.
"That's my girl," he smiled at his daughter. "Is Kate a girl newsie? I mean, those do exist. I see them in Brooklyn every so often, always with a boy or two."
"Those would be Spot's girl newsies," Tony explained. "He takes in girl newsies because there is room. Jack would, but there's barely enough room for the boys."
"Kate doesn't work as a newsie," Kate told her parents, "She works for Medda Larkson."
Augusta smiled as she recognized the name. "That's that singer over at
Irving Hall, isn't? She's a well-spoken woman."
"Yes," Tony agreed. "She's helping Kate out a lot with work and speaking well and the like."
"So, Tony, you like this girl, huh?" Christopher asked.
"Yeah, quite a bit," Tony said. "I think I might ask her brother if I could court her."
Augusta and Christopher looked at each other and then at their son. Amy grinned rather unladylike as the table was very, very silent. During the silence, the servants cleared away the dessert plates, replacing the plates with cups of coffee. Amy took a sip of her coffee, looking from her mother to her father to her brother and back again. Tony noticed to his annoyance that Amy was enjoying the situation more than her cup coffee.
"You wish to court her?" Augusta finally asked rather slowly.
"Yes, to court her as me, Tony, as Racetrack," Tony said firmly. "I intend on telling her who I am very soon. I really like her, mum."
Identical hazel eyes looked at one another. Though most people told Tony he looked like his father, Tony took pleasure in that he got his mother's hazel eyes.
Augusta nodded and smiled at her husband. "Remind you of some, dear, maybe a young Italian boy who wanted to court a young English shop girl?"
Christopher looked at Augusta and then at Tony. "Be careful, son. Don't get your heart broken if she rejects you." Tony nodded and took a sip of his coffee. Amy glanced at the clock.
"Oy, Tony!" Amy jumped out of her seat. "We got to go." Augusta looked at the clock and gasped.
"That is true," Augusta said. "Come on, you two, go get changed." Tony and Amy ran from the room. Five minutes later, Tony and Amy returned fully dressed as 'Racetrack' and 'Aces.' Augusta kissed Tony on the cheek and gave Amy a hug while Christopher shook Tony's hand and kissed Amy on the forehead. The twins smiled at one another and made their way out of the house by way of the fire escape.
"We'se got ta get ta da lodge house." Tony said in his Race voice. "Dere's a pokah game. You'se wanna win...again?"
"You knows I do." Amy smirked as the twins grabbed hands and raced through the dusk lit streets. The sun was just dying when they reached the front step of the Manhattan Newsboy Lodging House. Inside, the place was bustling with boys. Boys working on strike signs, boys preparing for the big poker game. Spot was there with some of his boys, getting ready for the game.
"Noice ta see you'se, Higgins, Aces," Spot said, smiling at Aces. "You'se ready foir da game?"
"We'se born ready, Conlon!" Aces smirked at him. "How's yoir sista?"
"Great," Spot said. "She's at Medda's." Race nodded, thinking of stopping by there on the way back from dropping Amy back at the girls' lodging house.
Just then, there was a sudden hush among the boys, as a man stepped into the lodging house. Tony and Amy turned and saw that it was Snyder, the warden of the House of Refuge, one of the most hated men among the newsies.
"Can I help you?" Kloppman asked Snyder, relieving the man of the lodging house ledger.
"You have a boy here who calls himself Jack Kelly? I wish to see him." Snyder asked.
Aces nudged Tony in the back and jerked with her head to the entrance where Jack just walked through. Thankfully, Bumlets, Swifty, and the other newsies made Jack be quiet.
"Jack Kelly? Never 'eard of him," Kloppman said, a blank stare at Snyder. "Never 'eard of him. Any of you boys ever heard of Jack Kelly?" The old caretaker looked at Racetrack, Aces, Specs, and Spot.
"Dat's an unusual name foir dese parts," Specs commented, frowning at Snyder.
Tony stepped forwards with a cocky air. "Oh, you mean, Jack Kelly. Yeah, he was here." He winked at Jack. "But 'e put an egg in 'is shoe and beat it." The newsies in the foyer burst out laughing, annoying Snyder to no end. Amy high-fived Tony while Specs, Mush, and Spot clapped the Italian on the back.
Snyder turned back to Kloppman. "I have reason to believe he's an escaped prisoner, possibly dangerous."
Amy and Tony had a hard time containing their laughter at the sight of Jack mocking Snyder quietly behind the warden's back.
"Dangerous? Dangerous, did you say?" Kloppman said, acting surprised. "I better look in my files." He gestured to Snyder to follow him. "This way, please."
Tony, Mush, and Blink hurried to cover Jack's escape with Newsie Strike signs as Snyder turned to follow Kloppman. Tony gave the warden a world class smile.
"Give to da Newsie Strike fund, mista?" Tony asked, taking his cigar out of his mouth. Amy looked at the warden over her twin's shoulder and made her innocent face, making her brown eyes as big as she could. Spot and Specs just about died with silent laughter. Snyder looked straight at Amy and then at Tony and slowly gave the boy a large silver coin. Tony took the coin and smirked at the warden, nodding his thanks.
Snyder and Kloppman left and the newsies went upstairs to the bunk room, Amy among them. Mush and Blink ran over to the window where Jack sat on the fire escape.
"He's gone wid Kloppman to look at da foiles," Blink told Jack, helping the leader climb through the window.
Amy collapsed on one of the bunks with Tony beside her. It was normal for her to hang with the boys late at night, especially on poker nights. Spot brought out a pack of cards and handed them to Amy. Everyone knew that she was the queen of the poker table, hence her nickname 'Aces.'
"So are we'se on ta a game of pokah?" Spot asked, gathering the Manhattan newsies around a table. Jack nodded and followed Mush, Blink, and Tony to the table.
"One game," Jack said. "Den I t'ink it's best if I don't sleep 'ere foir tanoight."
"Where will you'se go, Jack?" Blink asked, receiving his cards from Amy.
"I don't know, Blink," Jack said, nodding to Amy, who was the dealer. "I'll foind somewhere's safe."
"Roight, are we'se playin' pokah or what?" Tony asked, putting in his money. The newsies grumbled about impatience and put in their stakes as well.
The first poker game ended with Tony taking in the winnings. Amy swore that he would rue the day and the rest of the newsies laughed at the sibling rivalry. Jack threw his cards down and got up from his seat.
"I'll bid you'se good night, fellas," he smirked. "Good night, Aces, pleasure as always."
"Soire, Jack," Amy smiled.
"See you'se tomorrow at da rally." Jack said, and climbed out of the window. Amy watched as the boys closed the window before gathering up all the cards and shuffling the deck.
"Who'se up foir anudda round?" she asked, shuffling the cards a second time.
"I'se in," Spot said, smirking at the girl. Amy shook her head and looked at Tony, Mush and Blink.
"You'se know I'se can't resist, sista o' moine," Tony flashed Amy a grin.
"Get ova yoirself, Higgins," Amy smirked at Tony, dealing out cards to Tony, Mush, and Blink, as well as Spot. The game started as each newsie put in their stakes.
"Haha!" Amy crowed as she pulled in her winnings of the second game. "T'anks, fellas, dis is why I'se da queen of da pokah table."
"Yeah, yeah, shut yoir mouth, Aces," Tony moaned as he looked at his losses. As the newsies got ready for bed, Tony, Amy and Spot got ready to leave.
"See ya boys at da rally?" Amy called from the door.
"See you, Aces," Mush called from his bunk where he pulled off his shirt, revealing a well-toned chest. Amy flushed pink and murmured a quiet goodbye before ducking out of the room. Tony laughed as Spot just frowned. Spot would never get that reaction with ol' Mush Meyer in the room.
The walk to the girls' lodging house was remotely quiet. Amy too frazzled to say anything, Spot too angry, and Tony too thoughtful. Tony let Spot walk Amy to the door, saw Spot ask Amy something, Amy responding and Spot smiling. When Spot and Amy finally said goodnight, Tony looked down as Spot leaned in to give Amy a kiss on the cheek. Spot walked away from the door, a huge grin plastered on his face.
"You ask hoir ta go ta da rally wid ya?" Tony asked nonchalantly.
"Yeah," Spot said. "Yeah, I did."
The two boys were silent for awhile. Then Tony cleared his throat.
"Spot, I'm gonna ask Kate ta go ta da rally wid me."
Spot stopped and turned to Race. "Why are you tellin' me dis?"
Tony pulled himself up right, "Spot, you'se are her family, you should care who your sista is asked out by? I mean I would if my sista got asked out by someone who didn't ask hoir brudda." Tony stared at Spot intensely. Spot, to Tony's amazement, looked guilty.
"I didn't mean to make you feel bad, Spot." Tony apologized. "I just want ta make soire it's all right wid you. I'm sweet on Kate."
Spot's head shot up and stared at Tony. "Yoir sweet on my little sista?"
"Yes, I am," Tony said boldly.
Spot frowned a classic Spot scowl. "Higgins, if you even thing about hurting her at all, you might want to start running now."
"I should say the same to you, Conlon," Tony retorted. "Don't you pretend that there isn't a whole loine of goils whose hearts you 'ave broken, you womanizer. Look, Spot," Tony said. "If you hurt Aces, you will not just 'ave me on yoir tail. Yoir gonna have Mush, Blink, Bumlets, and de uddahs on yoir tail. Aces is as much their sista as she is moine." Except Mush, Tony thought. He knew Mush was sweet on Aces and this was going to hurt him, but Mush would be there in case Amy needed someone for comfort besides her twin.
To Tony's delight, Spot actually looked terrified.
"Now I'm gonna go ta da theatah ta tawk ta Kate," Tony said. "Do not follow me. I've got me own boidies, Spot Conlon."
With that, Tony turned on his heel and walked off in the direction of Irving Hall with Spot staring at the younger newsie's retreating back.
Thank you for reading. Please review and tell me what you think of this filler chapter. Should be getting into some good plot lines in the next couple chapters. Next Chapter: the Rally and any associating drama. :D Please, please review. It's the only way I know my writing is any good. Thanks so much. Hope you enjoy. Thinking of doing a sequel...leave your thoughts in my inbox or (even better) in a review! Thanks, Rose.