Elizabeth
"Jackie!!" I yell. "Jackie!!!" I yelled again. I just woke up from a terrible nightmare and he was the only one I wanted. "Hey, I'm here," he said sitting next to me. I hugged him, "Don't let 'im hoit me," I cried, "Please don't let 'im hoit me." Jack lifted me onto his lap. "It's aight Lizzie, ain't nobody gon hoit ya no more," he said. "How you know that?" I ask. "Cause I says so," he answered. "It's okay, you're okay now," Jack said letting me cry on his shoulders. "Mm sorry," I cry. "Awh don't be," he said. For the rest of the night I cried myself to sleep while Jack told stories about that Santa Fe place.
The next day
"Up!! Everyone get up!!" Kloppman yelled. I was in my bunk right under Jack's. Kloppman let me stay there because Jackie's my brother. Jack got out of his bunk and lifted me up. "Cmon kid ya gotta get dressed," he said. "I'm tired," I complain. "Ain't we all," Mush said from his bed. Jack ignored us and threw some clothes at me. A dress, stockings, and black boots. "Now yous' go get dressed and then we get outta here," he said. I got dressed quickly then called for Jack. "I can't ties them," I explained. He crouched down and put it on for me. "Sure ya can, do this," he tied one shoe then looked towards me. "Your turn princess," he said. I tie the other even though it took a while. Then he carried me out to the bathroom.
"Here's a brush," he said. I shook my head, "You do it," I say. He sighed brushing my hair and putting it in a half ponytail with the small red ribbon I founds in the street. "Now little princess is you ready to sell some papes?" Jack asked me. I smiled at him and jumped on his back. He ran us out the door where Kloppman was counting us off making sure none of us were there.
"Is the headline up yet?" I asked Jack. "Not yet Liz," he said handing me a piece of bread from the nuns. "Now!" I shout pointing at the boys writing it. "The headline sucks, now let's hit the square," he said. He opened the gates then we all ran in. "The Delancey's," I tell Jack. He pushed me to the back while he did whatever. While Jack was messing with the Delancey's two boys walk in. A boy Jack's age and one my age. Just in time to see Jack kick him. They look scared so I run over to them.
"Hi," I say. "Hey ma'am do you know where to get a paper?" He asked. Before I could answer Race came over. "Ellie!" He yelled, "Yous gotta stop runnin' off or ya brotha will soak me," he said. "Do you know where I could buy a paper?" The older boy asked again. "Yea right down there," Race said leading me to where Jack was. "Elizabeth what was you thinkin?" Jack asked lifting me up onto his lap. He already had our papes. That's when the boy from earlier came up.
His brother sat down on the bench next to me. "20 papes please," he said. I stared at him and his brother in confusion. "He only wants 20?" I ask Jack who shushed me. "Ya gotcha papes now beat it," Weasel said to the boy. "I asked for 20 you only gave me 19," the guy said. Jack stood up and snatched the papes from him counting them. "You callin me a liar," Weasel asked. "You is a liar!" I yell. "Shush Princess," Race said. "Nope, he's right Weasel you only gave 'im 19," Jack said making the boys laugh. "Hey look I'm sure it was an honest mistake and Morris can't count to 20 with his shoes on," Jack said.
The boy had his papes and was about to leave when Jack got him more. "I don't want another 50," the boy tried. "Sure ya do every newsie wants more papes," Jack said. I played around with my short, brown curls while the guy made excuses. "What are ya stupid?" I ask him get off the bench. "I don't want your papes, I don't take charity from nobody, and I don't even know you... I don't care to so here are your papes," he rants. "Cowboy... they call him cowboy," his brother said.
"They also call him Jack, his name," I tell him. "What do they call you kid?" He asked. "Les, and this is my brother David," Les said. "I'm Jack, and that's my sister Eliza," he said. "So how old are you Les?" I ask. "Near 10," he answered. "Well that ain't no good. If anyone asks, you should say you're 7, like me," I say. "You're seven?" He asked. I nodded proudly. "She's right," Jack said. "See, younger sells more papes Les. If we're gonna be partners, we wanna be the best," he explains. "Who said anything about partners?" David asked.
"You owe us bits right?" I ask. He nodded. "We sell together and we split 70/30," Jack said, "Plus you get the benefit of observing me, no charge," Jack said. "Ya getting the chance of a lifetime here Davey, ya learn from Jack, ya learn from the best," Crutchy said. "Well if he's the best then how come he needs me?" David asked. "I don't need you pal, but it'd be nice to have a cute little brotha like Les here to front for me," he said. "Whats about me?" I ask. "Besides you," he said turning back to David. "With their puss and my God-given talent, we could move 1000 papes a week," He explains.
"Wait it's gotta be at least 50/50," David says. I choked on my laugh. "60/40 or I forget the whole thing," Jack said. Then they shook on it. "You only took 20 papes, why?" I asked David once we got out. "Bad headline," he said. "That's the foist thing you gotta learn," Jack said. "Headlines don't sell papes, newsies sell papes," I say. Everyone agreed. "Without newsies nobody knows nothing," He said. Then Mush called out the first headline and we all moved out on the streets. "Where do ya wanna go foist?" Jack asked me. "Wrestling," I say with a huge smile. "You sure?" He asked. "Please Jackie?" I asked with puppy dog eyes. "Save the cute face for the customers," Jack said, I pouted, "ugh fine," Jack said. "Now stay together, start in the back, here's 10 papes," Jack said handing them to me and Les.
I grab Les's hand and ran towards people with a cute smile. When we first started being newsies I was 2 years old then when I was four Jack told me all I had to do was be myself, but 10x more adorable. I had to be childish and lady like at the same time. I had to have an adorable smile or pout on my face. And I had to do whatever it takes to sell every pape. "Hello sir, would you like to buy a paper?" I asked sweetly with Les next to me. He gave me a dime. I went to my next victim, a woman with 2 kids. People with kids are suckers. "Hi, would you like to buy a pape?" I asked. "Aww you're so cute, of course I'll buy a paper," the woman said. "Thank you Miss," I say with a smile. "Here's a quarter," she said.
My eyes went wide and I ran to find Jack. "Jackie! Jackie look!" I say. "I thought I told ya to stay with Les," He said. "Look it, I got a quarter," I say jumping up and down. "Give it here," he said. I hand him the coin. "Good job kid," he said hugging me. "Where's Les?" Davey asked. "Liz go find Les," Jack said. "Okay," I say running to find Les and sell my last 2 papes. "Hello sir will you buy my last 2 papers?" I ask. He took them giving me a dime. That's when I saw Les at the bar taking a sip of beer.
"What are ya doing Les, are you crazy?!" I ask. Even Jack don't let me smoke and drink. He says I gotta be older to do it because it's bad. "I'm tryna make money, it's just one sip," the boy said. I turn to the man, "How much?" I ask. "I'll give ya two dollars if ya both take a sip right now," he said. I look at Les. "Please Lizzie," he said. I roll my eyes, "Fine I'll do it," I say. We each take a sip and took the money. "We gotta find Jack," I tell him. "You don't tell me what to do, I'm older," he said. "Well I knows more than you," I say. "No you don't, you don't even go to school," he said. "Schools for stuck up rich people who have folks to pay for it," I repeated what Jack tells me whenever I ask about it. Then I look and see the guy that owns the Refuge. "Let's go," I say.
He looked confused as I grab his arm and run. "Why are we running?" He asked. I don't answer I just ran until we were near the theater. "Why did we leave without Jack and David?" He asked. I clutch the money in my pocket looking back up at him. "Jack knows where we'll be," I say. "Oh yeah, and where is that?" He asked. "Snyder, he owns this prison for kids like us, like Jack and me," I explained. "Why's he after you?" He asked. "I never said he was," I looked at him. "You don't have to, it was obvious," he explains. "Look for every child he takes in he makes more money," I tell him. "He got you?" Les asked. "When I was little my mother killed my dad and left Jack and I to be newsies," I explained, "then Jack stole food when I was around 3 and Snyder made both of us come in."
Les was shocked. "Was it bad?" He asked. I didn't answer, and luckily I didn't have to because Jack and David came running towards us. "You had me worried Princess," he said. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "I'm not running any further," David said. "We don't have to, we's already here," I say opening the door to the theater. Let's just hope no one finds us today.