The lives of the Manhattan newsies are turned upside down with the unexpected arrival of Racetrack's two sisters.
NOTE: I don't own "Newsies". I don't pretend to. But any character in here that isn't in "Newsies" belongs to me :)
"Wait." Becca said suddenly, as she stopped in front of the door. Looking at her feet, she slowly gathered her nerve.
"You ok?" Jack asked, looking at her.
"Yes. Ok, I'm ready."
They entered into what she supposed was a backstage area. It wasn't well lit, and props and such were scattered about.
"Who's there?" a voice called out from one of the back rooms.
"Ey, Medda! It's Jack! Youse got a minute?" Jack yelled back.
A petite redheaded woman emerged from among the clutter. She feigned an annoyed look before softening into a soft smile. "Kelly, for you, I have an hour…. Well actually about ten minutes and then I have to go on. Hello Racetrack!" Turning to Becca she asked, "Hmm, who's this fine young lady? She's a little old for you boys, don't you think?"
"She's my sista, Becca. And we was hopin youse could give 'er a job." Race said hopefully.
"I don't know, Race…. I don't really need any more girls…"
"Aww, you wouldn't turn me down, now would ya Medda?" Jack asked as he looked at her innocently.
Medda placed her hands on her hips and thought for a while. Becca studied the woman as they waited for her response. Her hair was a very bright shade of red, and very curly. She guessed Medda to be in her early 40's perhaps, but she was very beautiful.
Finally Medda spoke. "Can you sing?"
"Um, well…."
"Well, let me see what you got!"
Becca swallowed hard. She had never performed before. But she thought of Emily, and knew she needed to get over any fear she had. But she didn't know a lot of vaudeville songs. As Medda looked at her expectantly, she figured she might as well sing what she knew.
"The water is wide, I cannot get o'er. And neither have I the wings to fly. Build me a boat that can carry two. And both shall row, my love and I." She sighed heavily as she finished, hoping her little performance passed the test. She looked up to see Jack and Race starring at her, and Medda with a satisfied smile.
"Damn." Jack said.
Medda laughed. "Well, we'll have you singing happier songs than that, you're hired! You have a beautiful soprano voice. I bit reserved, but beautiful nonetheless. Although 'Becca' isn't the best stage name; we'll need to find something else." Medda studied her, paused and exclaimed "I've got it! Jade, after those beautiful green eyes of yours."
"Jade?" Becca questioned.
"I like it" Jack said.
"I dunno, Medda. They're more of an ugly olive green if ya ask me." Race said with a smirk.
"Ain't nobody askin you, ya bum!" Jack snorted while hit he Racetrack upside the head.
"Eyy!" Race half yelled as he rubbed his head. The other three couldn't help but laugh in spite of themselves.
With a chuckle, Becca looked at Medda and shrugged, "Well, I hate olives."
Medda laughed. "Well it's settled then… Jade. Come back tomorrow afternoon. I'll have a room ready for you by then and we can begin practicing immediately." Medda quickly peered out to the stage. "I've got to go on now. 3 o' clock, ok?"
Becca nodded. Then Medda slipped onto the stage, welcomed by the roar of applause.
"Well, Jade," Jack said with a smile, "I wish we could stay to watch Medda sing, but we'se better get back to Tibby's 'an check up on that sista of yours."
"You can still call me Becca, you know."
"Nope," Race said, "You needs ta get used ta bein known as Jade. 'Sides, you'll find that sometimes it's best if your real identity is kept quiet."
Becca looked at him questioningly, then sighed as they left the theater. This wasn't really the kind of job she had expected, but she was grateful to have it, and to have gotten it so easily. Her brother and Jack certainly seemed to know the right people.
"Jade." Jack interrupted her thoughts. "Wese gots a room at the lodging house usually reserved for sick newsies. You 'an Emily can stay there tonight."
"Thank you, Jack."
"So, uh, Jade," Jack said slowly.
"Yes, Jack?"
"I hate ta say dis, but ya sista, well, she's kinda…." he trailed off.
"I know." she sighed. "I want to make this transition as easy as possible for her, but she's really being quite difficult. She's still pretty mad I me, I think. I'm not sure how to get it through her head that these are our circumstances now."
"She's doesn't seem to have any street sense." Race said.
Jack laughed. "Well, we'll have ta teach her some street sense – have her sell wit someone else. But not you, Race. I think it's best she learn da business 'a selling papes from someone she ain't, you know, related to."
"Why?" Becca/Jade asked.
"Well for one, she's gots to get to know people. Secondly, I think it would be good for 'er to be thrown right in the fray, wit one 'a my newsies. Might help wit that little attitude problem."
"Who are you thinking?" Race asked.
Jack chuckled as suddenly the trio saw Skittery approach them from the street. He had a bruise on his cheek and his knuckles were pretty gashed. "You get in a fight, Skittery? Youse gots a nice shinah dere." Jack asked.
"I had to teach 'a guy a lesson about respect for the ladies." Skittery said as he gave Jade a nod. Turning to Race he said, "Tell ya sista I gots him good."
"I'm not sure how ya know his sister, Skittery, but youse can tell 'er yaself. She'll be selling wit youse tomorrow." Jack said with a smirk.
"Jack, you really think that's a good idea?" Race asked.
"Sure I do! Skittery'll teach her somethin about life as a newsie. And if she lasts the day sellin wit him… you know she'll be fine."
"Jack?" Skittery questioned.
"Just show her what bein a newsie is all about, ok?" Jack said, closing the matter.
With that, Skittery headed off in the direction off in the direction of the lodging house to clean himself off, while the other three continued off in the direction of Tibby's. When then entered, what they saw shocked them all.
"Oh… my… goodness!" Jade gasped. For what should be happening at the table where they had left their sister but…. smiling and laughing?
Yes, in fact Emily appeared quite content sitting and chatting with David.
"Really?!"
"Yep, he was tap-dancing on the table! Like he was king of New York or something…"
"What Davey, ya don't like my dancin'?" Racetrack interrupted goodnaturedly.
"How'd it go?" David asked Jack.
"Medda gave her a job. 'An we'll be callin her 'Jade' now, too. Got it?" Jack said, raising his voice for the last bit so that everyone knew Becca's new name. Turning to Emily, he softened his voice. "So, you'se ready to sell them papes tomorrow?"
Emily's mouth dropped from a smile to a scowl as she starred back at him. Of course she wasn't ready to sell, but by this point she had figured out the uselessness of objecting. "Whatever" she sighed.
"Good goil." Race said. "Ladies if ya please, let me show youse to ya quartas for da night." He bowed.
Jade rolled her eyes and smiled. "Come on, Emily. We'll have to share a room for tonight."
Emily sighed, got up, took one last look at David, and followed her two elder siblings out the door.
"So I have to call you Jade now, just like I have to call him Racetrack?" she coolly asked.
"Yep, most of us has nicknames 'round heah. And youse bettah be nice or you'll be getting one you won't like so much." Race smirked back at her.
Meanwhile, back at Tibby's, Jack watched the trio leave. He turned around to where David was currently sitting with Mush and Kid Blink. "So…Whatdya boys think of 'em?"
"Da older one, she's ok. Dat younger one though…. She's pretty hoity toity." Blink said.
"And pretty. Man, Jack… dat goil… wit da eyes and dat raven-colored hair…" Mush trailed off.
David silently glared at his lady-loving friend.
"So you like her, ey, Mush?" Jack asked. Then it hit him… "Raven!"
David, Mush, and Blink starred blankly at him.
"She's gotta have a newsie name, right? Wells, Mushy-boy, you gave me an idea!"
"Raven?" Blink asked. "You sure 'Snotty' ain't bettah?"
"Wese already gots a 'Snoddy', so dat will just confuse things. 'Sides, dis is Racetrack's sista heah, wese gotta be a little nice. Davey, whatta you think?"
"I think she could tolerate being called 'Raven'" David replied simply. The look on his face said he was still a little irked by Mush's exultation of Emily.
"Ok boys!" Jack yelled to the rest of the newsies in Tibby's. "We start calling Emily 'Raven'. Dat's her name now, gots it?"
"So, what'd you two think of da newsies?" Race asked his two sisters as they headed towards the lodging house.
Emily was quiet, but Jade answered him. "They were nice enough. I wish I could get the chance to get to know them all better before going to stay at Medda's."
"Well, da one Emily was talking too, David, is Jack's best friend. David did a lot for da strike three years ago, and Jack's wit his sista, Sarah. I'm thinkin they might even get hitched soon. Sittin at the near table was Mush 'an Kid Blink. Now, Mush, he's a ladies' man, so you've been warned. Blink, he's Jack's second in command. Nevah been able to figure out if he really needs da eye-patch or not though. But you'll get ta know dem soon enough. We all come by Medda's a lot."
Curious, Emily asked "If David's his best friend, why isn't he second?"
"Cuz," Race answered, "He's got a family. He don't live wit us and he can't look out for us all da time if he got a family. And so if something were to ever happen ta Jack – God forbid – David couldn't take over leadership."
Eventually they reached the lodging house. They entered into the dimly lit common room, and Emily and Jade stopped in the entrance while Race went to over to a man behind the desk.
"So uh, Kloppman. I gots a favah to ask."
"Racetrack, you'se always got a favah to ask. Now whatdya want?" Kloppman gave the boy a stern look, but the twinkle in his eye indicated he had no ill intention toward Race.
"My sistas, can dey stay heah for da night? Me older sista will be out tomorrow. Da other one might be heah a little longer."
Kloppman glanced at the two girls and motioned for them to enter. "Fine. But after tonight I'll charge 'em. Show 'em da sick room. If someone gets sick… then it's out in the bunks." He smiled and chuckled. "I don't envy you goils sharin a bathroom with those fellas."
Race led his sisters up the stairs to the second floor. They passed a large room filled wall to wall with bunk beds. Next was a large washroom with two doors – one leading to the hallway, one back to the bunkroom. Finally, on the left-hand side, they approached a small room.
"My closet was larger than this!" Emily said angrily.
"I'm sorry, deah sista. Would you prefer a bunk? Or perhaps the street would suit you bettah?" Racetrack said sarcastically. His patience with his younger sister was wearing thin.
Jade intervened. "I'll do just fine. Thank you, Racetrack." Racetrack simply walked away into the bunkroom. With a glare towards her sister, Jade followed him, leaving Emily in the room.
He was out on the fire escape. Cautiously, Jade crawled through the window out after him. Finally making it through, she looked at her brother sympathetically. She was surprised at his maturity, what with his two sisters randomly showing up and needing so much of his help.
Currently, he was rubbing his temples. "Ise gots a headache."
Jade placed her hand on his shoulder. "Give her time. This is an adjustment for all of us. I'm sure tomorrow will be better."
Race snorted. "Ha! She'll be Skittery's problem tomorrow…"
Then they stood in silence, watching the city as the sky darkened.
At length, Racetrack spoke. "Jade, Medda'll be throwing a big party soon. Anniversary of the strike, right? All da newsies will be there. And some friends of da newsies. You'll probably be singing."
Jade laughed nervously. Before she could respond, however, they were interrupted by the sound of a few newsies entering the bunkroom.
"Hey Raven! How you liking our humble home?" a male voice asked.
"Why are you calling me that? My name is Emily and this place is filthy!"
"Awww, it ain't that bad." A different male voice responded. "You'll get used ta it. And guess what? Youse get ta sell wit me tomorrow!"
Jade and Racetrack turned to see Skittery leaning on the doorpost of the sick room, while Snitch and Itey stood close behind.
Just then Bumlets entered. Seeing Emily, he greeted her with "Hey Raven!", and then headed into the bunk with a smirk.
"My name is EMILY! Now all of you… GO AWAY!" she yelled as she slammed the door, which banged Skittery's shoulder rather hard..
"Temper, temper" he tsked as he swaggered into the bunkroom, smirking and rubbing his shoulder lightly.
"Guess she's found her new name" Jade said. Race simply shrugged as they headed back inside.
They both knew tomorrow would be interesting…
Ok, so it's longer than the previous three chapters. Sorry if it's moving a little slow so far, things will pick up. Next chapter will have Emily selling, and hopefully the party. After that.... (dum dum DUM) drama. Let's just say one of our girls messes with the wrong man. (Ok, so that's typical, but as far as I can tell the angle I'm thinking of hasn't been done yet). Don't worry, I know exactly where this story is going, it's just a matter or writing it down.
Thanks to everyone who has been reading/reviewing!
Sorry it's been so long! I've had to deal with some major real-life drama the past two months. The next chapter will *hopefully* be up within the next week.