Chapter 10
Everyone meets in Times Square to figure out what they are gonna do. Jack speaks up. "Well the first thing we have to do is show Pulitzer and the other big wigs that we mean business."
"We need to go over to the D.O and get the scabs to join." Jeffrey gets a confused look on his face. "Scab?" Morgan turns to Jeffrey. "It's when someone is working for the people who are striking." "Oh."
"Come on, let's go." Everyone heads into the D.O and take their places to block the scabs. The first couple of scabs drop their papes and on the floor and join the newsies. "Hey welcome." Jack pats one on the back.
A scab pushes Jack and Jack looks at the scab. Jeffrey notices it and tells Jack. "Easy Jack, we should remain calm." David looks at Jack. "He's right, don't do anything you are gonna regret." Jack smiles. "Like what?"
A scab pushes another scab right into Jack and that's when all hell breaks loose. Morgan ducks as a scab goes after her with his fist. She kicks a scab in the leg and punches him in the face when he's bends down.
Jeffrey blocks a few punches as he pulls Morgan out of the way. Morgan watches as the fight continues. Some of the newsies tip over the newspaper wagons and the newspapers fly everywhere. Crutchy sits on top of one of the piles stars shredding and tearing them up, laughing. Morgan warns Jack of a scab behind him. "Jack look out!" Jack turns and dodges the scab.
Soon the police come and everybody starts to scatter. Morgan tries to warn Crutchy. "Crutchy, get out of there, hurry!" Everybody manages to leave, except Crutchy who doesn't notice it. Race yells at Crutchy. "Crutchy, get out of there!" Finally Crutchy realizes what's happening and climbs off the stack of newspapers.
The Delancey Brothers corner him. "Hey there guys." The Delancey Brothers knock the crutch out from Crutchy's and drag him away. Morgan comes back and sees what is going on. She runs from the corner and tells Jack what is happening. "They kicked the crutch from him and then dragged him away."
"Ok, we have to get Crutchy out of the Refuge.""Refuge?" Jeffrey asks. Jack tells Jeffrey. "It's jail for kids." "Oh." David turns his attention to Jack and asks. "How?" Jack points to himself. "Just leave it to me and Morgan you should go back to the Jacob's apartment." Morgan rolls her eyes. "Why?"
Jack puts his hand on her shoulder. "It might be dangerous and we don't want you to get caught." Morgan is annoyed. "I don't get to have any fun." Jeffrey looks at Morgan. "Besides this is a guy thing."
Jack looks at Jeffrey with a"You shouldn't of said that" look. Morgan leaves grumbling under her breath. Morgan head towards the Jacobs apartment. When Morgan is out of sight Jack tells Jeffrey. "You shouldn't have said that." Jeffrey sighs. "I was only telling the truth."
"Yeah, but don't forget she handled herself when the fight broke out." Jeffrey didn't say anything as they head to the lodging house to get what they need to break Crutchy out of the Refuge.
Morgan arrives at the Jacobs and lies to them about David and Jeffrey are at the Boys Lodging House playing cards. Morgan gets up and walks into the bedroom and closes the door. Morgan lies on the bed and pulls out her half of the photo strip of Jeffrey and her together. Morgan sighs as she slips it backs into her pocket before anybody see it.
Les comes into the bedroom and sits next to her on the bed. "Morgan when will the strike be done with, cause I really want to sell papes again." Morgan sits up on the bed and shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know Les, but aren't you suppose to be in school?" Les shakes his head. "No, since papa hurt his hand and was fired, David and I have been selling to help." Morgan sighs. "I see, do you have any books to read?"
Morgan sits Indian style on the bed. "I have a few, will you read me a story?" Morgan smiles. "Sure, do you want me to read you a story after dinner too?" Les's face lights up. "Will you?" Morgan ruffles up his hair with her hand. "Sure kid." Morgan watch Les go and bring back a book, it was Huckleberry Finn, one of her favorite books.
Morgan looks at the cover and smiles. "Great book Les and this happens to be one of my favorite books." Les snuggles next to Morgan on the bed. "Sarah left off on chapter 3". Morgan opens the book and turns to chapter 3. Morgan clears her throat and starts to read out loud to Les.
It has been years since she has read to the younger ones in the orphanage and it brought back memories. Meanwhile David, Jeffrey, Jack head to the refuge. Jack carries a rope and they sneak on top of the roof. David and Jeffrey tie the rope around Jack and start to lower him. Once he gets to the window with the bars on them. Jack taps it softly. Jack sees Crutchy and waits for him.
Jack notices that Crutchy is limping badly while using his crutch. Two boys are helping him to the window. Once Crutchy gets to the window, the two boys go back to their beds. Crutchy opens the window all the way up. Jack could feel the anger rising in him. Jack let's his feet rest on the ledge of the window as he grips the bars. Jeffrey watches the scene below. Crutchy smiles at Jack. "Hiyah Jack, whatcha doing hanging around here?"
Jack smiles at Crutchy. "Guess who is up on the roof? Crutchy smiles. "Who?" Jack points up. "Jeffrey and David." Crutchy tries to look up to see them. "Hiyah you two!" David puts his finger to his lips. "Shh." Jeffrey looks down. "Yeah, you want us to get caught?" Jack looks at Crutchy and gets a serious look on his face. "Go get your stuff Crutchy, we're gonna get you out of here." Crutchy looks at Jack. "Well I ain't walking so good, Oscar and Morris, kind have worked me over."
Jack tries to control his anger. "Did they hurt ya?" Crutchy nods his head as he ignores the pain in his bad leg. Jack leans in and tells Crutchy. "Well then, we'll carry you out." Crutchy shakes his finger at Jack. "I don't want nobody carrying me, you hear?" Just as Jack is about to say something, Snyder is walking into the room. Jack swings himself over to the side and grabs onto something.
Crutchy grabs Snyder's arm and directs him back towards the door. "You know Snyder I was thinking while you were taking your nap…"Once the coast is clear Jack climbs back up the roof and they climb back down to the ground.
Jack runs his hands through his hair and tells them. "Crutchy won't last much longer in there." "It's that bad?" Jeffrey asks. "For Crutchy it's even worse." David finally speaks up. "So what are we gonna do?"
Jack starts to walk and the others follow him. "Nothing right now, but tomorrow we're gonna make sure the big wigs know that we mean business." Jack, Jeffrey and David arrive at the apartment.
Morgan is in the other room reading to Les and when she hears the door open, she stops reading, marks the page and closes it up. "We can finish this chapter after dinner ok?" Les rolls his eyes. "You just want to see if Jack's here." Morgan smiles shyly and gets up, she walks out and sees Jack and Jeffrey are with David. Morgan smiles at them and asks. "Did you have fun playing cards? Jeffrey sits on a chair. "It was ok." David looks at his parents and asks. "Is it ok if Jack and Jeffrey stay for dinner?"
Mayer looks at Esther and she nods her head. Sarah arrives home carrying her basket. "I'm finally home, today was so busy, I have so much work to do." Esther walks into the living room." Everyone wash up for dinner, Morgan will you help me set the table?" Morgan smiles. "Sure." Morgan grabs the plates and sets them down on the table. Sarah comes out to help.
The boys go to the fire escape to talk. "Think Pulitzer and the others will listen to us?" David leans against the railing. Jack shrugs. "I don't know, but it's worth a try." Jeffrey looks at Jack. "Think Spot and his newsies will show up? "I don't know, it depends on how well we do tomorrow."
"I just want this whole thing over with." David looks at Jack and Jeffrey. "We all want that, but nobody wants to pay 10 cents a hundred for papes."Jack looks at David. "Except the scabs. Jeffrey pipes in.
David nods his head. "Yeah, the scabs."During dinner Morgan finishes her meal and asks to be excused. "Sure Morgan." Morgan gets up and walks out onto the fire escape. Jack finishes his food and walks out to the fire escape to join Morgan. "Sorry you couldn't go with us to rescue Crutchy." Jack tells Morgan in a whisper. "So did you rescue him?" Morgan whispers back.
Jack shakes his head. "No, the Delancey Brothers messed up his leg pretty badly." Morgan squeezes the railing and tries to control her emotions. "Those jerks." Jack places his hand over Morgan's and she slowly let's her hand relax. "He doesn't want anybody carrying him out." Morgan smiles. "He's very stubborn." Jack smiles and takes his hand off Morgan's. "Yeah, but he's been that way for as long as I've known him."
Morgan smiles. "Jeffrey's the same way." Jack turns around so his back is leaning against the railing and he asks. "So what's your story with him?" Morgan turns to look at Jack. "It's a long one and you wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Jack leans in and looks down at Morgan and whispers. "I like you Morgan, you're different from the girls around here." Morgan looks up at Jack. "You're different from the boys where I come from Jack."
Jack leans in and kisses Morgan. The kiss is lasting a long time, until someone clears their throat and they break the kiss. Morgan and Jack look to see Jeffrey standing in the window leaning on the windowsill. "It's late we have to get back to the lodging house."
Jack smiles down at Morgan. "Good night Morgan, see you tomorrow? Morgan smiles up at Jack. "See you tomorrow Jack." Jack slips down from the fire escape. Jeffrey follows him, but not before he gives Morgan a disapproving look.
Morgan watches as they walk away and goes back inside. She gets ready for bed and takes the book to where Les is so she can read the rest of the chapter to him. David listens to Morgan as she reads softly.
Later Morgan is the only one awake yet. She touches her lips where Jack kissed her. Morgan is confused, because she had feelings for Jeffrey a certain way and she had feelings for Jack in a different way. Morgan turns to her stomach and has a lot of thoughts racing through her mind. A half-hour she finally fells asleep. Jack and Jeffrey walk in silence.
Jeffrey couldn't believe that Jack kissed Morgan. Jeffrey finally couldn't hold it in any longer. "So how do you feel about Morgan? "I like her a lot." Jeffrey tries to control his jealousy. "What's the big idea kissing her?" Jack smiles. "I don't know what came over me, it's like when I'm with her, I get these strange feeling and it never happened to me before." Jeffrey grabs Jack's arm and they stop walking.
"Well don't get involved with her, because you're only gonna get hurt and we're heading up to New Hampshire as soon as we can." Jeffrey lies. Jack frowns. "You two are not staying in New York very long?" Jeffrey starts to walk again. "No." "Oh I see." Jeffrey looks at Jack. "Look, I know you like Morgan, but it's just not a wise thing for you to get involved with her ok?"
"So what should I do, stay away from her?" Jeffrey nods his head. "You know Sarah likes you a lot, you should see her instead of Morgan. I mean Morgan and I will be leaving soon and Sarah will still be here." Jack doesn't know what to say. He just walks the rest of the way in silence. Jack is very confused. Jeffrey actually thought he was helping Jack in the long run. Later that night, Jeffrey rolls on his back and falls asleep.