A Twist Of Fate
That night Jack did something he had never done before, he spent a sleepless night over a girl. Ever since he saws Lizzie snatched by two goons and thrown into wagon, he worried about where she ended up. If she was all right or if she was still there. He was fairly certain the men he saw worked for Pulitzer. He would have gone after them if he had a chance but Kloppman caught him outside long after his curfew had ended. If he had the chance he would have recruited Mush and the others as back up for a grand rescue. As it got towards the morning, he doubted he would ever see her again. He finally fell asleep albeit it was two hours before he was supposed to get up and go to the paper.
Racetracks voice broke into his thoughts.
"How ya doin Jack?" He asked.
"So so." Jack said.
"I heard Kloppman busted you for being out after hours last night." He continued as he dressed.
"I was but I had a reason for being out." He said. "I swear."
"Lizzie, right?"
He looked up at his friend. "Right."
"I had a feeling. You didnt sleep at all last night." Racetrack said. "You roll over very loudly. I thought the house was gonna roll over to the side at one point."
Jack chuckled half heartedly.
"I gotta get changed." He said. "In a a day this strike will have gone a whole week."
"I'll see ya downstairs." Racetrack said. Mush walked in while Jack was pulling on some "fresh" clothes.
"Think we'll plan anything else for our girl 'friends'?" Mush asked.
"If the strike lasts any longer, we might have ta." Jack said.
"Too bad, that Rosie, shes awful cute. When shes not covered in borscht that is." Mush sighed.
"Don't get suck in by a girl." Jack said. "Thats the worst thing you can do."
"Speak for yourself Jack. you got Lizzie on the mind. I can see it from here." He smiled. "Is the pep rally tonight?"
"Yeah. Our man Benton will be there too, hopefully, taking pictures for the sun." Jack said. "I'm bringing a guest."
"Who?" Mush said. Jack didnt answer him but Mush already knew the answer. "Its Lizzie isnt it?"
Jack didnt look at him.
"Aw Jack, there aint nothing worse than bringing an enemy to this kinda thing." Mush said.
"I don't think we will win the strike the way we been going." Jack said. "So I'm trying plan b."
"Whats plan b?" Jack heard over his shoulder. David stood at the door.
"Lizzie seems to be the unofficial leader of the bunch. If I can convince her to stop working againsts us, but for us, then maybe we can win this." Jack said.
"Okay." David said. "I get to have a say in this because we're co leaders, remember?"
"I know." Jack said. "I want to give this a try."
"Okay, but if it bombs out, will you take responsibility?"
"Full and total." Jack promised.
"All right Jack." David said. "Bring the girl. All I can do is hope for the best."
"Me too." Jack said. "Hopefully we're on the same page we were last night." Jack thought.
The paper
Jack and the guys had a different strategy for today. Instead of trying to stop them, they would go "hit" on them. Flirt with them. Mush said once if you made a girl think about you all day, it was hard to think of anything else. Jack wanted to see if this new plan would work. Since tonight was the night of the rally, so they decided to do light duty today.
Jack saw Lizzie come out of the gate with her stack of papers. While the other guys worked on the other girls, Racetrack focused on Jeannie while Mush went to Rosie. Jack looked Lizzie over. She seemed to have a new outift on. She was as clean as a whistle too, Jack could smell a perfumed soap from where he stood.
"How was your night?" Jack asked.
"Fine." Lizzie said. Jack nodded. She wasnt going to talk about being Pulitzer-napped unless he asked her.
"I saw you go off with a couple of guys last night." Jack said.
"Really?"
"In a wagon."
"Oh them." She said. "Friends from work."
"I see, do friends from work have to haul you into a wagon?" Jack asked.
"It was a surprise..." She said clearly lying to Jack. "And I wasnt sure I wanted to go cause I wanted to have enough sleep for this. And for whereever you'rea taking me tonight." She said.
"You have ten papes." Jack said looking at her load.
"Bad headline." She shrugged.
"Headlines don't sell papes, newsies sell papes." Jack said unconsciously referring to himself.
"Wrong, I sell papes." Lizzie said as she sold a paper. I gotta get on the ball, Jack thought.
"Not if I have them you don't." He said taking them from her.
"Hey!" She said as she lunged for them. She turned around. All the other boys had grabbed the papers from the rest of the girls.
"Parade!" Jack called as he threw the papers up in the air. All the papers flew apart as they hit the air. Pages went everywhere. Jack grabbed Lizzie as every girl tried to pick up their papers and put them back together. The boys didnt make it easier, they threw the papers back up in the air as the girls thought they had it under control. Jack brought her to the side.
"Do you still want to go where I'm going tonight?" Jack asked a clearly miffed Lizzie. She really wanted to take a swing at him.
"Maybe." She muttered.
"Then meet me at Meddas theater at six. In the back."Jack said. "Don't be late."
"All right." Lizzie said. "Go away now."
"My pleasure." He whispered in her ear.; She could feel his lips graze her cheek as he pulled away from her. He let out a wild indian cry and lead the boys down a back alley. Lizzie rubbed her cheek where she had felt Jacks lips. She went over to where Jeannie and Rosie still picked up the pages to their papers.
"This stinks!" Jeannie said. "Now I can't tell which page went with with pape!"
"Looks like another zero day." Rosie said.
"Yeah." Lizzie said.
Meddas theater
"Thanks for doing this for us Medda." Jack said to his good friend Medda.
"You're welcome Jack." She said. "Anything for the cause. Now what shall I sing?"
"You choose, your voice makes every song so pretty." Mush told her.
"All right!" Medda said. "Carte Blanche, I like that."
"Carte what?" Racetrack asked.
"Oh you." Medda said squeezing one of Racetrack's cheeks. "I'll see
you later boys."
"Bye Medda." Racetrack, Jack and Mush said. The door opened in the rear. Lizzie came through it wearing a pretty dress.
"I hope you guys don't have anything planned for me tonight." Lizzie said. "Truce?"
"Truce." Jack sais spitting in his palm. Lizzie grimaced but bravely put her hand in his. She shook it then wiped her hand on a kerchief she had.
"Why don't you go have a seat." Jack said. "Here Mush, you sit with her."
"All right." Mush said. "Don't worry. You're safe with me."
"Okay." Lizzie said.
Benton was setting up his camera when the duo passed him. He waved a hello to Mush.
"New girl Mush?" He asked.
"Nah, this is Jacks. Shes one of the..." Mush whispered the next word. "scabs."
"Why did he bring her here, the guys here would rather kick her out than speak to her."
"I think Jacks got an idea." Mush said.
"Good old Jack, always thinking." Benton said.
Mush found Lizzie a seat where she wouldn't be obvious. "You oughta be ok here..."
"Lizzie."
"Lizzie." Mush said. "Enjoy the show."
"Thanks. Lizzie said. She watched Mush walk away. She took a deep breath and sighed.
"What am I doing here?" She thought. "I don't feel good at all."
Jack was inspiring. He encouraged the Newsies to give the strike one more shot. There was no giving up now, he said.
"We can do a ton of things to turn things around. If anyone can help us out here then let me or David here know. We are so close to winning." Jack said. "And now, enough with business. Time for fun. Here is the woman we've been waiting for, Medda!"
The curtain rose and Medda stepped out, looking like a star. She smiled at the crowd. She began singing "High Times and Low Times." She stopped to make a joke.
"Hello newsies! Whats new?" That made everyone laugh, even Lizzie managed a little chuckle. Lizzie felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Jack.
"Let's go over here." Jack whispered in her ear. Lizzie nodded and got up.
Around the corner
Jack and Lizzie stood in a corner of the backstage. From their perspective they could see the mini celebration going on between Medda and the others were having.
"Ya see Lizzie, this strike is not just for one group of people." Jack said. "We're fighting for everyone whos ever had anything unfair done to them." He explained. "And thats a lot of people. So many people it would fill three theaters. This is what I wanted you to see. We're doing this for everybody."
Lizzie nodded tears brimming in her eyes. "I guess I never saw it that way."
"So do you think you can convince the other girls to help us?" Jack asked looking into her eyes.
"I can try." She said. "But theres something I have to tell you."
"What?" Jack asked. David ran up to him.
"Look!" David said.
"What? I'm busy!"
"Look in the audience!" David pointing. "Look!"
Jack looked to where his friend pointed. His eyes grew wide at what he saw.
"Snyder." Jack said.
"But how did he...?" David said trailing off. They both looked at Lizzie who was now weeping openly.
"I'm sorry Jack." She said. "I had to do it. For my family Jack, do you understand....for my family!!!"
Jack glared at her angrily. He was never so mad at someone in his entire life. "I never shoulda trusted you."
"I'm sorry Jack..."
"You are nothing, understand? Nothing!" Jack said to her, as she felt his eyes boring into her. She closed her eyes and ran away.
David pulled Jacks arm to get his attention. "We have to get out of here or the bulls will get us!"
"Right." Jack said. They went one way only to be cut off by two large men. They went into the direction that Lizzie took. They didnt see her but they went down some stairs to find the hall filled with newsies, fighting the bulls, also trying to escape. Jack climbed onto the rail of the stairs and leapt into a higher spot. Snyder, emerging from the theater spotted him. He pointed at them.
"There he is!" He called out loudly. Benton took his camera and stood in front of Snyder. He then set off the camera temporarily blinding the man. But it was a waste. As soon as Benton started to reload, three cops cornered Jack in a balcony. They grabbed him. He thrashed around but could not make the men lessen the grip on him. He continued to fight as the cops hauled him, and his friends out to the wagons. Lizzie hid underneath a table, watching it all. She almost swore she could see Jack looking at her.
"I'm sorry Jack." She sobbed. "I'm sorry!"
Lizzie remained until the wagon was gone. She then got up from under the table and went outside. Snyder was still out there talking to people. He turned to her with a smug look on his face.
"There, see? We both got what we wanted." He said. He nodded then walked away without waiting for her to answer.
"I'm not so sure." Lizzie said sadly. "I'm not so sure."
to be continued...
That night Jack did something he had never done before, he spent a sleepless night over a girl. Ever since he saws Lizzie snatched by two goons and thrown into wagon, he worried about where she ended up. If she was all right or if she was still there. He was fairly certain the men he saw worked for Pulitzer. He would have gone after them if he had a chance but Kloppman caught him outside long after his curfew had ended. If he had the chance he would have recruited Mush and the others as back up for a grand rescue. As it got towards the morning, he doubted he would ever see her again. He finally fell asleep albeit it was two hours before he was supposed to get up and go to the paper.
Racetracks voice broke into his thoughts.
"How ya doin Jack?" He asked.
"So so." Jack said.
"I heard Kloppman busted you for being out after hours last night." He continued as he dressed.
"I was but I had a reason for being out." He said. "I swear."
"Lizzie, right?"
He looked up at his friend. "Right."
"I had a feeling. You didnt sleep at all last night." Racetrack said. "You roll over very loudly. I thought the house was gonna roll over to the side at one point."
Jack chuckled half heartedly.
"I gotta get changed." He said. "In a a day this strike will have gone a whole week."
"I'll see ya downstairs." Racetrack said. Mush walked in while Jack was pulling on some "fresh" clothes.
"Think we'll plan anything else for our girl 'friends'?" Mush asked.
"If the strike lasts any longer, we might have ta." Jack said.
"Too bad, that Rosie, shes awful cute. When shes not covered in borscht that is." Mush sighed.
"Don't get suck in by a girl." Jack said. "Thats the worst thing you can do."
"Speak for yourself Jack. you got Lizzie on the mind. I can see it from here." He smiled. "Is the pep rally tonight?"
"Yeah. Our man Benton will be there too, hopefully, taking pictures for the sun." Jack said. "I'm bringing a guest."
"Who?" Mush said. Jack didnt answer him but Mush already knew the answer. "Its Lizzie isnt it?"
Jack didnt look at him.
"Aw Jack, there aint nothing worse than bringing an enemy to this kinda thing." Mush said.
"I don't think we will win the strike the way we been going." Jack said. "So I'm trying plan b."
"Whats plan b?" Jack heard over his shoulder. David stood at the door.
"Lizzie seems to be the unofficial leader of the bunch. If I can convince her to stop working againsts us, but for us, then maybe we can win this." Jack said.
"Okay." David said. "I get to have a say in this because we're co leaders, remember?"
"I know." Jack said. "I want to give this a try."
"Okay, but if it bombs out, will you take responsibility?"
"Full and total." Jack promised.
"All right Jack." David said. "Bring the girl. All I can do is hope for the best."
"Me too." Jack said. "Hopefully we're on the same page we were last night." Jack thought.
The paper
Jack and the guys had a different strategy for today. Instead of trying to stop them, they would go "hit" on them. Flirt with them. Mush said once if you made a girl think about you all day, it was hard to think of anything else. Jack wanted to see if this new plan would work. Since tonight was the night of the rally, so they decided to do light duty today.
Jack saw Lizzie come out of the gate with her stack of papers. While the other guys worked on the other girls, Racetrack focused on Jeannie while Mush went to Rosie. Jack looked Lizzie over. She seemed to have a new outift on. She was as clean as a whistle too, Jack could smell a perfumed soap from where he stood.
"How was your night?" Jack asked.
"Fine." Lizzie said. Jack nodded. She wasnt going to talk about being Pulitzer-napped unless he asked her.
"I saw you go off with a couple of guys last night." Jack said.
"Really?"
"In a wagon."
"Oh them." She said. "Friends from work."
"I see, do friends from work have to haul you into a wagon?" Jack asked.
"It was a surprise..." She said clearly lying to Jack. "And I wasnt sure I wanted to go cause I wanted to have enough sleep for this. And for whereever you'rea taking me tonight." She said.
"You have ten papes." Jack said looking at her load.
"Bad headline." She shrugged.
"Headlines don't sell papes, newsies sell papes." Jack said unconsciously referring to himself.
"Wrong, I sell papes." Lizzie said as she sold a paper. I gotta get on the ball, Jack thought.
"Not if I have them you don't." He said taking them from her.
"Hey!" She said as she lunged for them. She turned around. All the other boys had grabbed the papers from the rest of the girls.
"Parade!" Jack called as he threw the papers up in the air. All the papers flew apart as they hit the air. Pages went everywhere. Jack grabbed Lizzie as every girl tried to pick up their papers and put them back together. The boys didnt make it easier, they threw the papers back up in the air as the girls thought they had it under control. Jack brought her to the side.
"Do you still want to go where I'm going tonight?" Jack asked a clearly miffed Lizzie. She really wanted to take a swing at him.
"Maybe." She muttered.
"Then meet me at Meddas theater at six. In the back."Jack said. "Don't be late."
"All right." Lizzie said. "Go away now."
"My pleasure." He whispered in her ear.; She could feel his lips graze her cheek as he pulled away from her. He let out a wild indian cry and lead the boys down a back alley. Lizzie rubbed her cheek where she had felt Jacks lips. She went over to where Jeannie and Rosie still picked up the pages to their papers.
"This stinks!" Jeannie said. "Now I can't tell which page went with with pape!"
"Looks like another zero day." Rosie said.
"Yeah." Lizzie said.
Meddas theater
"Thanks for doing this for us Medda." Jack said to his good friend Medda.
"You're welcome Jack." She said. "Anything for the cause. Now what shall I sing?"
"You choose, your voice makes every song so pretty." Mush told her.
"All right!" Medda said. "Carte Blanche, I like that."
"Carte what?" Racetrack asked.
"Oh you." Medda said squeezing one of Racetrack's cheeks. "I'll see
you later boys."
"Bye Medda." Racetrack, Jack and Mush said. The door opened in the rear. Lizzie came through it wearing a pretty dress.
"I hope you guys don't have anything planned for me tonight." Lizzie said. "Truce?"
"Truce." Jack sais spitting in his palm. Lizzie grimaced but bravely put her hand in his. She shook it then wiped her hand on a kerchief she had.
"Why don't you go have a seat." Jack said. "Here Mush, you sit with her."
"All right." Mush said. "Don't worry. You're safe with me."
"Okay." Lizzie said.
Benton was setting up his camera when the duo passed him. He waved a hello to Mush.
"New girl Mush?" He asked.
"Nah, this is Jacks. Shes one of the..." Mush whispered the next word. "scabs."
"Why did he bring her here, the guys here would rather kick her out than speak to her."
"I think Jacks got an idea." Mush said.
"Good old Jack, always thinking." Benton said.
Mush found Lizzie a seat where she wouldn't be obvious. "You oughta be ok here..."
"Lizzie."
"Lizzie." Mush said. "Enjoy the show."
"Thanks. Lizzie said. She watched Mush walk away. She took a deep breath and sighed.
"What am I doing here?" She thought. "I don't feel good at all."
Jack was inspiring. He encouraged the Newsies to give the strike one more shot. There was no giving up now, he said.
"We can do a ton of things to turn things around. If anyone can help us out here then let me or David here know. We are so close to winning." Jack said. "And now, enough with business. Time for fun. Here is the woman we've been waiting for, Medda!"
The curtain rose and Medda stepped out, looking like a star. She smiled at the crowd. She began singing "High Times and Low Times." She stopped to make a joke.
"Hello newsies! Whats new?" That made everyone laugh, even Lizzie managed a little chuckle. Lizzie felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Jack.
"Let's go over here." Jack whispered in her ear. Lizzie nodded and got up.
Around the corner
Jack and Lizzie stood in a corner of the backstage. From their perspective they could see the mini celebration going on between Medda and the others were having.
"Ya see Lizzie, this strike is not just for one group of people." Jack said. "We're fighting for everyone whos ever had anything unfair done to them." He explained. "And thats a lot of people. So many people it would fill three theaters. This is what I wanted you to see. We're doing this for everybody."
Lizzie nodded tears brimming in her eyes. "I guess I never saw it that way."
"So do you think you can convince the other girls to help us?" Jack asked looking into her eyes.
"I can try." She said. "But theres something I have to tell you."
"What?" Jack asked. David ran up to him.
"Look!" David said.
"What? I'm busy!"
"Look in the audience!" David pointing. "Look!"
Jack looked to where his friend pointed. His eyes grew wide at what he saw.
"Snyder." Jack said.
"But how did he...?" David said trailing off. They both looked at Lizzie who was now weeping openly.
"I'm sorry Jack." She said. "I had to do it. For my family Jack, do you understand....for my family!!!"
Jack glared at her angrily. He was never so mad at someone in his entire life. "I never shoulda trusted you."
"I'm sorry Jack..."
"You are nothing, understand? Nothing!" Jack said to her, as she felt his eyes boring into her. She closed her eyes and ran away.
David pulled Jacks arm to get his attention. "We have to get out of here or the bulls will get us!"
"Right." Jack said. They went one way only to be cut off by two large men. They went into the direction that Lizzie took. They didnt see her but they went down some stairs to find the hall filled with newsies, fighting the bulls, also trying to escape. Jack climbed onto the rail of the stairs and leapt into a higher spot. Snyder, emerging from the theater spotted him. He pointed at them.
"There he is!" He called out loudly. Benton took his camera and stood in front of Snyder. He then set off the camera temporarily blinding the man. But it was a waste. As soon as Benton started to reload, three cops cornered Jack in a balcony. They grabbed him. He thrashed around but could not make the men lessen the grip on him. He continued to fight as the cops hauled him, and his friends out to the wagons. Lizzie hid underneath a table, watching it all. She almost swore she could see Jack looking at her.
"I'm sorry Jack." She sobbed. "I'm sorry!"
Lizzie remained until the wagon was gone. She then got up from under the table and went outside. Snyder was still out there talking to people. He turned to her with a smug look on his face.
"There, see? We both got what we wanted." He said. He nodded then walked away without waiting for her to answer.
"I'm not so sure." Lizzie said sadly. "I'm not so sure."
to be continued...