Chapter 6
I arrived at the square early the next morning, in hopes Davey would be there. I sat on one of the carts next to Mush and Crutchie as I listened to the others conversations.
"Those fire alarms kept me awake all night," Race groaned.
"Those sirens are like lullabies to me. The louder they wail the better the headline, the better the headline the better I eat" Mush grinned, "and the better I eat-"
"The further away from you I sleep," Race laughed.
"Hey Sammy? Ya lookin' for someone," Crutchie asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
"W-What? Me? Nah, Just a long night," I laughed nervously turning slightly pink. Race, Crutchie, and Mush glanced at each other before laughing hysterically. I glared at them, "What?"
"You met a girl didn't ya," Crutchie cooed.
I gagged, "Gross no!"
"Oh sure, you turned pink when we asked ya, that's an obvious sign," Race snickered pinching my cheek.
"Cut it out will ya," I snarled, pushing his hand off my face. "There's nobody alright?" The boys shrugged and went back to their conversations.
"Morning everybody," a voice said, causing my heart to sort of flutter. "Sorry we're late we had to help our mom with something," Davey said, as he smiled at me.
"Oh they gotta mother! I was gonna get me one," Race joked.
"We gotta father too," Les said proudly. The boys chuckled and Les sat next to me. "So how's it goin' over here?"
"Wait an ask me after they put up the headline," Mush said.
"Here it comes now," Les said excitedly. We all perked up and looked at the chalkboard that would read todays news.
"I swear if it's more 'bout the trolley strike," I muttered as Davey glanced at me.
"How long has the paper been printing the trolley strike," he asked.
"Lets see how long has it been goin' on," I asked him.
"Three weeks?"
"That long," I sighed.
"New Newsies price," Albert read. Davey and I's heads swung around to look at him. "Sixty cents per hundred! They jacked up the price of the papes ten cents!" The boys all began panicking as Jack approached us.
"Hey what's everyone standin' round for," he asked.
"Jack take a look at this," Crutchie said in a frenzy.
"As if Pulitzer doesn't make enough already," I said balling my fists. Mr. Weisel began calling for us from the distribution window.
"Hey calm down it's gotta be a gag," Jack laughed. I raised an eyebrow as he strode over to the distribution desk. "Good joke Weasel, you really got these guys goin'. I'll take a hundred papes and be on my way," he said throwing his money down.
"A hundred'll cost ya sixty," Weasel smirked.
Jack stared at him, stunned. "I-I ain't payin' no sixty."
"Then make way for someone who will," old Weasel growled.
"Fine, the fellas and I'll take our business to The Journal," Jack said angrily turning over his shoulder.
"They'se jacked up their prices too," Specs said quietly.
"T-Then we'll take our business to The Sun," Jack raged.
"All around town, new day, new price," Weasel gloated.
"Why the jack up," Jack asked. Weasel shrugged and Jack angrily slapped a hand on the desk.
"C'mere boys," he called gatherin us up around him.
"They can't just do that can they," Romeo asked nervously.
"Why not it's their papers," Race said lighting a cigar. The boys began to argue before Jack interrupted them.
"Now hold on," Jack said.
"What you got an idea," Mush sighed.
"Stop crowding him," Les said, pushing us all away. "Give the guy some room to think!" We waited in silence before Les leaned in, "Jack," he whispered. "You still thinking?"
"Sure he is can't you smell the smoke," Race snickered.
Jack glared at him and motioned for us to all gather round him. "If we don't sell papes, no one sells papes. No one sells papes, and they put the price back where it belongs!"
"You mean like a strike," Davey asked.
"Hey you heard Davey, we's on strike," Jack said triumphantly as all the boys began to cheer.
"Now hold on-" Davey protested. I smirked, the kid had no idea what he'd got himself into.
"It'll be just like when the trolley got shut down by the workers," Jack said grinning from ear to ear.
"Ya and then the cops'll bust our heads," Mush said nervously. "Half them workers are cooped up with broke bones!"
"What'll the cops care bout a bunch a kids," Jack asked.
"Alright just leave me out of this," Davey huffed, grabbing Les' arm. "I'm just here trying to feed my family."
"What and the rest of us is on playtime," Jack said angrily. "Just cause we only make pennies doesn't give them the right to rub our noses in it."
"I know," Davey sighed, "But you can't strike! You're not a union?"
Jack looked at me, "What if I says we is?"
"There's a lot of stuff you've got to have to be a union. Like, membership," Davey said.
"Hey what do you call us," I smirked motioning to the rest of the boys.
"And officers," Davey continued.
"I nominate Jack President," Crutchie said eagerly as the rest of us cheered our support.
"A-and a purpose," Davey said, running out of ideas. "A reason for the strike!"
"What reason did the trolley workers have," I asked leaning against Jack.
"I don't know? Work hours, wages, safety on the job?"
"Hey well we need that," Jack said. "Ya know I bet if your father had a union you wouldn't have to be out here sellin' papes," he said to Davey. "Our union is called to hereby watch each other's backs," he yelled to the boys. "Union we stand. Hey that's good somebody write that down," he said quickly.
"I gotta pencil," Les said.
"Meet our secretary of state," Jack laughed pattin the kids head.
"I nominate Davey vice president," I said quietly. Jack turned to look at me, an eyebrow raised. "The strike was his idea after all," I turned to see him staring hard at me. "Well sort of anyways."
"If you want to have a strike the memberships got to vote," Davey said.
"So we'll vote," Jack said hopping on top of one of the carts. "What do ya say fellas, the choice is yours. Do we roll over and let Pulitzer pick our pockets? Or do we strike?"
"STRIKE," We all yelled.
Jack looked at Davey, "You heard the boys of the membership. The news boys of lower Manhattan are officially on strike!"
"Shouldn't we tell someone who's in charge," Crutchie asked looking at Davey.
"It would be a pleasure to tell Weasel myself," Racetrack shouted at the distribution table.
"Alright well who tells Pulitzer," Jack asked. "Davey?"
"I don't know," he sighed. We all stared at him in silence and a small grin shone on his face. "I guess you do Mr. President."
"That's right," Jack smiled, motioning Davey and I over to him. "We do. Me, you, and my new assistant Sammy!" The boys cheered and I smiled brightly. "So what are we supposed to tell them?"
"The newspaper owners have got to respect your rights as employees," Davey explained.
"Pulitzer and Hearst gotta respect the rights of the workin kids of the city," Jack yelled to the boys who cheered.
"They can't just change the rules when they want to," Davey said louder, getting more excited.
"Yeah we're the ones selling 'em," I shouted, a grin spreading wider across my face.
Davey looked at me and smiled, "We got ourselves a union."
"Pulitzer and Hearst they think we're nothing," Jack shouted. "Are we nothing?!"
"No," we all shouted back.
"They gotta realize that we are free agents," Davey said.
"Pulitzer and Hearst they think they got us! Do they got us?"
"No!"
"We're a union now," Davey shouted. "The newsboy union and we mean business!"
"Hey what if some other kids come tryin to sell our papes," Albert asked.
"Just let 'em try," Race shouted, throwing some punches to the air.
"No, no, no," Davey shook his head. "We can't beat up on other kids! We're all in this together now!"
The boys all began cheering as Jack and I climbed the ladder to get up to where they wrote the days headline. Jack grabbed the chalk and scribbled in large letters over the headline "STRIKE". All of us angrily dashed to The World where Jack laid a hand on my shoulder.
"You guys ready for this," he asked. I looked at Davey and Les, who nodded. We were four David's facin' a real Goliath, did we really stand a chance?
A/N: I updated twice this weekend because I'm not sure if I'll be able to update any this weekend due to I leave for the state theatre competition on Thursday morning and I'll be there till late Saturday night. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter though!
