DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the newsies.

A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 13

Lizzy sighed. "I don't have enough money to buy 200 papes today" Lizzy told Jack. "I can bring enough tomorrow though."

"Fair enough" Jack agreed. "In the meantime, you and Spot can continue selling together." He grinned and walked away.

Lizzy quickly bought her papes and turned towards Spot. "Ready?" she asked.

Spot nodded and they headed off down the street. They concentrated most of the day on selling, not talking to each other a lot, still feeling awkward. They headed to Tibby's at lunchtime, but were surprised to find that they were the only newsies there. They sat down together at one of the empty booths and ordered. Lizzy was the first to break the ice. "Do you really think I'm ready to become a full-fledged newsie, so to speak?" she asked him.

"You've been ready to sell by yourself for ages" Spot answered. "But you won't be selling by yourself for a while anyways."

"Why is that?" Lizzy asked.

"'Cause you sure as heck can't sell 200 papes by yourself. Not tomorrow, not in a month, not in a year. You just can't. So Jack won't let me leave yet."

"You think it's impossible for me to sell 200 papes?" Lizzy asked slowly.

"Oh, it's not just you" Spot said half-heartedly. "Nobody can, so you might as well not even try."

"Your optimism is overwhelming Spot Conlon" Lizzy told him sarcastically. "I happen to think that there's a chance that I can sell 200 papes. And since you obviously want to get away from me so much, I'm guaranteeing you that I *will* sell 200 papes tomorrow."

With that, Lizzy got up and left, leaving Spot to wonder how he had made such a huge mess of everything.

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The next morning, Lizzy had a plan and was ready to put it in action. "Are you up to this?" Jack asked her.

She didn't answer, but instead put down her money for two hundred papes. "I'll see you boys later" she told them, walking away and leaving the rest of the newsies to buy their papes.

She headed straight to a place where she knew she'd be able to appeal to people if she played her cards right – Lilian Ward's South Street Settlement House. Although it was technically a place for immigrants to become acquainted with American customs and language, everyone knew that it was also the center of women's suffrage and social reform advocates in New York City.

She soon arrived and began peddling her headlines – only she gave them a different spin than those that the boys gave them. She related them to suffrage, reforms, the political situation of the city, the plight of the workers and unions. Almost everyone who walked into the Settlement House bought a pape, as well as many of the people on the street. She also shouted about how necessary it was for immigrants to read the papers – to gain English skills and become acquainted with city life and politics. Then she moved on to talk about how women needed to keep up with the political happenings of the city if they ever hoped to convince the state that they deserve the vote.

It was a novel approach, and it worked like a charm. By 11:00, Lizzy had already sold half of her papes. She didn't stop for lunch, but plowed through the day. Occasionally she would catch sight of another newsie watching her, but generally she ignored them and concentrated on selling.

By four, she was done. She had done the impossible, what no one else had done before. But she felt strangely empty. She sighed and headed towards Tibby's, hoping to find some of the other newsies in the area. Jack was right near the Horace Greely statue, waiting for her, along with a large group of newsies.

"Given up, have you?" Jack asked.

"Not too bright, are you Jack?" Lizzy said jokingly, opening her arms to show her empty hands. "I sold them all."

"No way!" Jack said, as a murmer passed through the crowd of boys.

"Here's the money I made. You can count it and see. And I'm pretty sure you had spies enough around me to know that I didn't ditch any of my papes."

Jack counted the money, stunned. He had never in a million years thought that she could actually do it. "Shall we celebrate?" Lizzy asked, smiling at the disbelief still written across his face.

The whole crowd followed her into Tibby's, as they surrounded her at a table, asking her questions about how she had done it. She didn't answer a single one, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

A few minutes later, Spot walked in with Race. He headed over to the table and addressed Jack. "So, have you relented?" he asked.

"There's no need to" Jack replied. "She did it."

"Way to go Lizzy!" Race said, the first one to actually congratulate her.

"Thanks Race."

Jack was still trying to milk the situation for all it was worth. "Aren't you disappointed Spot?" he asked. "'Cause you're still welcome to stay."

Spot glared at him, knowing full well what he was up to. "I'm heading back to Brooklyn tomorrow, end of story."

Race and Jack looked at Lizzy, who was looking down at the table, avoiding all eye contact. Jack didn't push the issue further, and the conversation moved on. About a half hour later, the whole crowd of newsies headed out of Tibby's.

They were walking towards the Lodging House for a game of poker when they say Lizzy's sister Kathy running towards them. "Lizzy!" she shouted.

"What's wrong?" Lizzy asked, her mind immediately worrying about her father.

"Grandmother wants us to come over for dinner! Now! You'd better get home and change in a hurry!"

"I'll probably come over to the Lodging House for that poker game after dinner" Lizzy told the boys quickly. "I have to go right now."

Lizzy and Kathy hurried away. "Is their grandmother that much of an ogre?" Race asked jokingly.

"No" Spot said. "I think she just likes her own way, and their whole family complies with whatever she wants because she supports them."

The rest of the newsies stared at him in amusement. "Know all about her family, do you?" Jack asked, half seriously, half jokingly.

Spot merely glared and stalked off down the street by himself. "Will you be playing poker with us later?" Jack called after him.

"I haven't decided yet" Spot yelled back.

"I hope he's there" Jack told Race. "That's our last chance, before he leaves for Brooklyn at any rate."

TBC…

Next chapter, Lizzy's dinner w/ her grandmother, and the poker game and stuff. Please review!