They sold many papers on the way. Jack, especially. He had at least sold ten papers on the way. Charlie smiled. How she wished she was as good as her brother on selling papes. The problem was that she lacked confidence and self esteem. She kept repeating that on her head each time she tried to sell a paper. Be confident. Be confident.
But that wasn't her forte.
They approached the boxing ring, but before they got there, Jack pointed at a couple, kissing. David shook his head. "They don't want a paper." Charlie grinned.
"Hey Les, tell'em this-" She whispered. Les nodded.
"Extry! Extry! Brooklyn Trolley crushes baby!" The man, who looked around his forties, look like he wanted to murder Les Jacobs, but the lady.. She fell for it. She stood up, and gave him a dime. Les happily returned.
"A dime!"Charlie chuckled. She grabbed the dime, and immediately Les' smile faded. She bit her lip, and gave back his dime.
"Keep it kid." Les looked up at her.
"You're at least six years older than me." Jack laughed, and Charlie looked down at the kid.
"I'm thirteen ." Les nodded.
"Exactly." David looked at Les.
"Les, he's three years older than you." Les shrugged.
"Still old." Jack struggled not to laugh very, very hard. He failed. Charlie smiled.
"Well, if you think that's old, he's seventeen." Charlie said, her thumb in her brother's direction. "He's six years older than you." Les shrugged, and moved on. Jack let out a laugh, cut short when his sister's elbow connected with his ribs.
"How do you make them up like that?" David shrugged, Jack grinned. She could tell he was preparing his short speech, since he wasn't one for speeches.
"Ink's the greatest writer you'll evah know. He literally didn't sleep the day before yesterday writing that story, which I know is good."
David looked at her. "You write stories?" Charlie shrugged.
"Little ones." Jack laughed.
"Modesty doesn't fit you, Puppies." Jack said, using her old and dreaded nickname. Charlie froze, and the two new newsies looked at them. Jack grinned.
"I, am going to kill you, Jack Kelly." The two Jacobs looked between both "brothers". Jack grinned, though his smile faded when he looked at the hour.
"Weren't you supposed to meet someone at 12:00?" He asked. Charlie looked at the clock hanging from a barber's shop.
"Shit. Gotta go." She started toward the theatre, but David stopped her.
"Is that the guy you're meeting?" Her eyes widened. She grabbed her brother's hand and took off. He grabbed the back of her neck, running along.
"Sullivan!"
"Charles Kelley! Francis Sullivan! Wait right there! You hear me?"
"Who's-"Mistaken identity, all micks look the same to this birds!" Charlie interrupted, realizing they were running with them. She suddenly felt her cap fall off. They ran to a rooftop, where Jack jumped off with a faint yell. She froze.
A sigh of relief escaped her lips when his head popped out. "C'mon!" She jumped next to him, and stayed low.
"Sullivan! Wait till I get you back to the refuge!"
Jack counted until ten once he thought he was gone, just to make sure. He grabbed his sister's hand and they crawled out of the building. They ran some more before they arrived where she should've been an hour ago:
The theatre.
She took her brother's hat off, placing it on her head. Maybe they hadn't noticed..? Jack looked at her.
"Told you it was too big." She said, referring to the frowned, wondering what she meant.
He took his hat off her head, and her hair fell off. He quickly placed it back. He failed trying to tuck the hair back in. She looked at herself in the mirror, missing her long, golden brown hair.
David and Les finally catched up with them. He pointed a finger to Charlie. "I thought you were a boy." She frowned, turning around.
"So?"
He glared at her. "You're a girl!"
Jack glared at him. "A girl that can kill you in a second if she wanted to." David looked at him.
"Who is he, why was he chasing you, and what is this Refuge?" David exclaimed, glaring back at Charlie.
"The Refuge is a jail for kids, the guy chasing me is Snyder, he's the Warden." Jack explained.
He didn't mention he was also the chasing her for "theft" and "assault".
He was chasing her because for a moment, she tried to protect her brother. And for a moment, she was successful. Then she wasn't. When he found out soon after Snyder caught her wrist, Jack had 'politely' explained that Charlie hadn't done anything, which she had, but he didn't need to know. Everything after that, as they say is history, except,
Snyder found out.
"Why was he chasing you?"
Jack returned the glare.
"'Cause I escaped, why else?" Charlie placed a hand on his. If this new kid kept prying into their lives like that, he would explode. That wouldn't be nice. At all.
"Oh boy! How?"
Jack looked at Les. "This big shot gave me a ride out in'is carriage." David chuckled.
"I bet it was the mayor."
"No, Teddy Roosevelt. You ever hoid of him?"
"He called you Sullivan."
By this point, they're faces were closer than Jack and Charlie, and that's saying something.
"Well, name's Kelley. Jack Kelley, you think I'm lyin'!?" Charlie pulled him backwards. She unclenched his fist, and looked toward the stage to the left. There was Medda, an OLD (not in age, mind you) friend of their father. And on the other side, through the door, was we're She was supposed to be. In rehearsal.
She elbowed her brother lightly. "C'mon, let's watch the show." Jack rolled his eyes.
"Shouldn't you be in rehearsal?"
She shrugged. "I know everything, and if they change something, I'll learn it." He nodded.
As a part time job, Charlie worked with Medda on the "musical theatre section", as she liked to call it. Right now, they were doing "Anything goes"... Not the easiest task.
She turned around just as Medda approached them. "Charlotte Kelley. Shouldn't you be in rehearsal?" She bit her lip.
"But-"No buts. In. Now." She reluctantly walked through the door. She hated being late to rehearsal. If she was late, she wouldn't want to go. Everyone's there, looking at you when you walk into the room, and she wasn't a big fan of that.
Jack hugged Medda. "Kelley… Where have you been kid? I miss seeing you on the balcony with your sister."
"Hanging on your every word." He replied. "So, Medda,"
"Yes?"
"This is David and Les."
"Hello."
"And this is the greatest star of the vaudeville stage today, Miss Medda Larkson, the Swedish Meadowlark."
"Vielkom (?), gentlemen." She bowed. Les looked at Medda, grinning.
"Buy me last pape, Lady?" He coughed, looking incredibly weak. Medda smiled,
"Oh, you are good! Oh yeah, this kid is really good! Speaking of one professional to another, I'd say you got a great future!"
Charlie chuckled to herself. "Trying to replace me already?" Medda laughed. Seeing they were just about to ask about rehearsal, she said, "It's finished already." Jack looked skeptical, but didn't say a word.
Jack rested his arm in Charlie's shoulder. "Mind if we stay here for a while, Medda? Just until the little problem outside goes away." She nodded,
"Sure, stay as long as you like."
A clown looking man rushed to them. "Medda, you're on!" She nodded.
"Alright. Toby, just give my guests whatever they want." She moved elegantly to the stage, and they watched her perform.
"My lovey dovey baby I boo-hoo-hoo for you
I used to be your tootsie-wootsie
Then you said 'tooldle-dedoo'
I miss the hanky-panky
Each nighty-night til three
Come back my lovey dovey baby
And coochie-coo with me!"