Okay, I'm doing Les because I know his character pretty well so it isn't too hard to write. I'm planning to do one of the lesser-known/-talked about newsies next, but I need to do a little research and character development first. So here's Les! (I love him and Davey being all brotherly so there's a lot of that.) Hope you like it!
Standard disclaimers.
"Les! Les, get up!"
Les blinked in the watery sunlight as Davey threw the blinds open in their little room. "Wha…what's da matta with you?"
"We're late already, they're gonna be done handing out the papes by the time we get there!"
Les stumbled out of bed and was knocked aside by a half-clothed Davey, who went rushing past him. Davey always panicked in the mornings, so Les wasn't really worried about being late. He figured they'd get there when they usually did, which was just as the headline went up.
A bunch of clothes hit Les in the face. He scowled and caught them before they hit the floor. Davey slammed a drawer shut and dashed out of the room, calling, "Hurry up and get dressed, Les!"
Les scrambled into his clothes for the day—he realized Davey had tossed him the same shirt he'd worn yesterday, but he didn't really care. His fingers fumbled with his shirt buttons as he ran out the bedroom door and to the kitchen. "Toast is all we got time for!" Davey yelled from the bathroom. Les stared at their old rusty toaster—considered—shook his head—then grabbed a piece of bread and stuffed it in his mouth without toasting it. The bathroom door banged open. Les took his chance and slipped past Davey, who was tucking in his shirt. He splashed some water on his face and ran a hand through his hair. Davey glimpsed the white bread hanging out of Les' mouth and groaned. "You still scared of that darn toaster?" he asked in exasperation, running to the kitchen and throwing some bread in the toaster. Les shrugged and stepped over to the toilet after closing the door. A few seconds of silence passed. Les could practically see his older brother in his mind, waiting tensely by the terrifying toaster, ready to pounce when the hot metal monster spit out their bread, slightly black and crunchy. He hated that thing.
A loud pounding on the door startled him. "Hurry up, Les!"
"I'm coming, I'm just going—"
"I don't need to know, thank you! Just hurry up!"
"I can't help how fast it comes out!"
"Les! Really! Like I said, I don't need to know!"
"You yelling at me ain't making it go any faster!"
Davey gave one last pound on the door and left, but only for a moment. Then he was back. "Do you have your boots on? We gotta go!"
Les glanced at his feet. "No…"
Davey jiggled the door handle. "I thought I told you not to lock the door when you're in there!"
"Well, I don't want you barging in on me when I'm—"
"All right!" Davey bellowed. "Your boots are out here, now get moving!"
"Davey, how can I move when I'm—"
"You know what I mean!" Davey ran off. Les could hear him muttering, "…figure of speech…"
Les flushed and opened the door, nearly tripping over his boots, which were lying right outside. He stuck his feet in and tucked the laces inside his socks. Davey was yelling at him from outside.
"Coming!" Les yelled back, really tripping this time, but he picked himself up and hurried outside after Davey.
As he passed through the doorway, he got a whiff of something harsh. Davey must have smelled it too, because he knocked Les aside and ran back inside, moaning, "Toast!"
Davey shoved the blackened piece of bread into Les' hands and they set off together down the street. Les took one bite of the burnt toast and spit it out. He tossed it to some pigeons, then ran a hand through his hair. Wait. His hair?
"Hat!" he called, sprinting back towards home. He could hear Davey groaning in the distance as he threw open the door and almost bumped into his dad, who must have decided it was safe to get out of bed now that the brothers were done racing around the house and shouting at each other. His father opened his mouth to ask, but Les was already in the bedroom. He spotted his hat on the bedpost and jammed it on his head. As Les ran past Mr. Jacobs, he yelled "Hat!" in explanation, then slammed the door and hurried to catch up with Davey.
He was still panting when they got to the circulation desk. Jack took one look at him and laughed. "You won't have to work too hard to sell a pape today with that sickly face."
Les crossed his arms. "I was running."
"From somewhere, or to somewhere?"
Les shrugged. "Both, I guess. I forgot my hat."
"Ah." Jack sat down with Crutchie to read the day's headlines.
Les knew which people to avoid in the mornings: mainly Race and Davey. Race because he was always snappish at such hours and Davey because he was always ready to chastise Les for not getting ready fast enough. So Les took his papers from his brother, who always paid for both of them, and climbed onto one of the wagons between Romeo and Buttons. "How are they?" he asked, referring to the headlines.
"Same old, same old," Buttons moaned. "I dunno, Les. I might have to start playin' at your game. You know, makin' folks feel sorry for you."
"You think you could get anyone to feel sorry for a face like that?" Mush asked, earning himself a whack on the head from Buttons.
Les had tried to sell the way Jack did, which was to hawk out good headlines and run, but with not much success. If he didn't rub dirt on his face and stumble around, he looked healthy and people figured he was from a good family with enough money, just trying to scrape off a little extra. He did have a good family, that was true, but he needed the money. So, he played it down and pretended he was an orphan. Davey didn't approve of this method, but then again, Les usually sold about sixty papes and Davey only sold forty, so the elder held his tongue, though not without a disapproving glare each morning. Nevertheless, Les took up his usual spot and started appealing to the wealthy people walking by, who were only too glad to help out a "poor orphan boy".
At midday he headed down to the deli, after first making sure he'd sold enough to pay for lunch. He entered and saw Jack, Davey, and Crutchie at one table next to Race, Romeo, Mush, and Henry.
"How's the day?" Jack asked Les as he sat down, holding a sandwich.
Les swallowed before answering. "Good. I'm down to twenty-eight."
"Nice going," Crutchie said with a grin. "New spot working out okay, then?"
"Les," said Davey suddenly, "your shoes are untied."
Les flushed. "So? Maybe…maybe I did it on purpose, to help my act!"
"Don't lie to me. I know exactly why you've got them stuck in your socks."
Les tried not to make eye contact with Jack, who was the last person Les wanted to hear this conversation.
"You still can't tie your shoes!" Davey burst out exasperation. "I've tried to teach you time and time again, but you just can't get it, can you?"
Jack was smirking. Even Crutchie couldn't hide a smile. Both knew about the problem; both were amused by it.
"My fingers just won't do the right thing," Les mumbled.
"Exactly! You've got to teach them to do the right thing!"
"I don't know what the right thing is."
"Is the right thing a right thing to do the right thing?" Jack interjected, sniggering.
"Okay, Davey, okay! I'll learn to tie my shoes! Just not right now, I have to go."
"You're not leaving without those laces tied," Davey said firmly. Crutchie got up suddenly and limped a few paces away. Les could see him shaking with silent laughter.
"So tie them! You know you're gonna in the end."
"Uh-uh! Not this time, pal." Davey poked Les in the chest. "You're going to do it yourself."
"I don't know how!"
"Better learn quick then."
"You gotta teach me again!"
"Nope. I've tried. You gotta do it yourself."
"But I can't!"
Davey stood up and waved his hands vaguely at the other newsies. "So have Jack or someone teach you. You've gotta learn somehow."
"But—"
"No buts! There's no escaping it anymore, pal. You better have them tied when I see you later or…or…"
"Or what?" Les challenged.
Davey glared at him. "Or I'll tell dad you've been buying penny candy again."
That shut Les up. He turned desperately to Jack, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"You gotta help me."
So Jack, snorting with laughter, set about the hopeless task of teaching Les to tie his shoes. After he was done chuckling, he was a patient teacher, but Les just couldn't get it.
Finally, after all the other newsies had left and the manager was giving them suspicious looks, Jack laced up Les' shoes tightly for him and clapped his shoulder. "Our secret. A kid can't get penny candy taken from him, now can he?"
Les sold the remainder of his papers slowly throughout the afternoon. Rich people trickling out of a nearby shop were targets, as were even richer people stepping out from a carriage. By the end of the day, Les was exhausted, and after tossing his bag at Weasel, collapsed on a bench next to Davey.
"You tied your shoes," Davey said approvingly.
"Yeah…" Tried, anyway, Les thought.
"You sure you didn't just have Jack tie them for you?" Davey asked, a warning note in his voice.
"We were in there for a real long time, Davey," Les said firmly.
"So you can really tie your shoes now?" Davey asked, grabbing Les' foot, bringing it into his lap and examining the tight knot.
Les nodded. Close, anyway.
With one tug, Davey pulled the knot apart. "Show me," he ordered.
Les scurried away.
He and Davey always stopped at the newsies' Lodging House to talk, and today was no different. Les raced around with the others, trying to catch each other, until Davey grabbed his collar.
"Time to go."
"Aw, Davey, just a little longer?"
"We gotta get home."
Jack strolled over to them. He knocked Les' hat down over his eyes, and Les readjusted it, used to the affectionate teasing. "See you two tomorrow. Oh, and Les…don't forget to bring me some of that penny candy, eh?"
"I think not," Davey said, punching Jack lightly on the shoulder. He repeated Jack's motion of pulling Les' hat down over his eyes, and Les put it back up again. "See you, Jack."
Les gave Jack a quick hug and then followed Davey down the street. By the time they got home, Les was nearly falling over in exhaustion; his eyelids drooped and his head nodded. Davey picked him up and carried him in his arms up to their apartment.
Thanks for all the reviews and suggestions! I thought I'd get this happy chapter up before starting a new one shot that promises to be extremely angsty. Tell me what you thought of Les' day! I hope it lived up to your expectations!
