A/N: Hey, sorry if this is a little perfect goil kinda thing. 'Cause it's
not meant to be. I'm trying to develop the characters and this is how they
turned out in this chapter. Constructive criticism and, or course, nice
comments appreciated.
Disclaimer: I'm not part of Disney and I had no idea newsies existed before I watched the movie. Please don't sue me… this is a fanfic. Also, Lids belongs to Dezba, aka Mizz Destiny. I think she has a fic about her called What's Worse.
Third Chapter
Lids left early in the morning the next day. She had most of her belongings placed in a little pack over her shoulder, mainly 'cause what she owned was an extra shirt and some money and she'd need both for her travels. Later that day she crossed the threshold between the Brooklyn- Manhattan Bridge and actual Brooklyn.
"Hey Georgy!" she called over at a newsie standing on a corner near the bridge. "Where's the great and powerful leader hisself?"
"Beats me, Lids, kid rarely says where he's going. Least not ta me, he don't."
"Great help you are!" Lids said, turning to face the main avenue. The curly haired boy bowed.
"Glad to be off service, m'lady."
Lids smiled. "Lay off the Shakespeare, Georgy. I need to find Spot Conlon. You done selling your papes?"
"Almost. I can leave off my job now, I guess. Stewed papes sounds good for dinner tonight."
"I'll help ya sell 'em on the way. Though I'm not sure you wouldn't eat that junk if you were hungry enough."
Lids grabbed half of Georgy's papes and started walking. The slightly younger, slightly plumper boy struggled to keep up.
It was early afternoon when Lids finally arrived at the local Newsies' hangout, a little restaurant kind of like Tibby's. She walked into it and greeted the shopkeeper. "Hey Al, seen Spot around anywhere?"
"Lids Conlon? Is that you?" When Lids nodded, Al continued, "No, sorry kid, I haven't seen him anywhere today. But knowing business, your crowd'll be coming in anytime now. So how's it going, kid?"
"Not good. Epidemic and all, wiping out business in the city. Need me bro for some pointers and such. What's on the menu today?"
"Your old favorite, kid. Ham sandwich with the egg salad on the side. Or in it, if you prefer."
"Sounds great," Lids said. "How much?"
"Five cents is all. I got a special running today for old friends." Then Al turned in Georgy's direction. "What about you, Georgy? Anything special for youse?"
"Depends. Do I count as an old friend?" When the restaurant owner shook his head and laughed, Georgy sighed. "Worth a try, anyway. Gimme a lemonade, Al. Maybe I'll get something else later." He pulled out his sellings from the days papes and looked at them regretfully. "Much later," he added, paying Al a penny in exchange for the drink. Then he turned and went over to sit next to Lids, who was perched on a stool by the counter at the far end of the room.
"So Lids, what are youse planning to do? I mean, after you see Spot and all?" Georgy asked, taking a sip of his lemonade and looking wistfully at Lids sandwich.
"Dunno Georgy. But you know me and Spot. We get along excellent together."
Georgy snorted. "Like real neighbors. Butting heads all the time, yelling, screaming, kicking, biting…"
"I never bit nobody, and you know that."
"Pardon me, I forgot, real ladies don't bite."
"That's right," Lids said, turning her nose of jokingly, "We goils only hiss and scratch."
"Real hoity-toity like, eh?"
Lids punched Georgy on the arm, lightly. "I ain't hoity-toity and I never will be and you knows that." Georgy laughed. A bell jingled as the store door opened. The boy glanced nonchalantly in the direction to see who it was. Then he paled, and turned his back quickly on the newcomers, hunching his back nervously over the counter.
"Your bro," he hissed.
Bronx was walking home with Zelly from the presses. Both were exhausted, but they still chatted wearily as they traveled home.
"Tell the truth, Bronx, I don't think I can take it anymore. Everything's been changing lately."
"Everything changes all the time," Bronx said. "No way to avoid it. But I know what you mean. No more surprises for me. I'm going home, eating, and dropping into bed."
"After chores, of course."
Bronx groaned. "Maybe we should just lodge with the newsies. I don't think they got to do chores, do they?"
"No way am I lodging with boys!" Zelly exclaimed. "'Sides, we work at the presses. We're not newsies."
"Lids could be the diplomatin. You know, like, works it out for us?"
Zelly laughed. "For some reason, I don't think that's the right word."
"Oh well." The two girls turned the last corner to the boarding house. Bronx looked towards the three story brick building. "Oh no," she breathed.
Zelly looked up. "Wait, aren't those your brothers?" She asked. "Don't they live on the other side of town? What're they doing here?"
"I don't know, but they always want something from me." They approached the building. Standing in front were about six of Bronx's brothers. Five older, one younger. They greeted her.
"Hullo," one of them said, but she cut them off.
"What're you doing here, Malcolm? And why'd you bring Luke?" She glanced at the little 6-year-old boy.
"Look, kid, sorry we gotta do this to you…" the oldest began.
"Do what?"
"Let me finish! See, we have a problem. We're trying to get ma and da here from Scotland, you know that. And Luke, he just gets in the way. He eats up every sent we earn."
"He's a growing boy! How do you expect him to not be hungry? Beside, I'm helping to pay for our parents' passage here too!"
"We do more and you know it," Malcolm said.
"Well I could save more if I didn't have to support myself! But somebody kicked me out, didn't they?"
"Look, we didn't kick you out."
"Yes you did!" Bronx shouted.
"Just take the kid," Malcolm said, ignoring his little sister. "Please, Bronx?"
"Just for Luke and not you, you know that?"
"Fine, whatever. We'll come and visit you sometime. You know where we are if you run into hard times."
Bronx muttered under her breath. Her older brothers hurried off, leaving Luke behind with their little sister. He looked up at her with big bright eyes.
"Am I in the way, Annie?" Bronx looked down at him. She couldn't resist that puppy face; her hard expression melted.
"Not at all kid," she answered, ruffling his hair. "And it's Bronx around the girls, okay?"
"Sure Annie. Whatever you say." He reached up and took her hand in his small one. Bronx looked up miserably at Zelly. She mouthed one word "nuns." Zelly nodded.
"They'll be trouble," she whispered so that Luke didn't hear.
A/N: Ahh! This is almost pure dialogue! Oh well, I think I'm going through a dialogue phase. As evidenced by my next chapter. Hmmm…
Disclaimer: I'm not part of Disney and I had no idea newsies existed before I watched the movie. Please don't sue me… this is a fanfic. Also, Lids belongs to Dezba, aka Mizz Destiny. I think she has a fic about her called What's Worse.
Third Chapter
Lids left early in the morning the next day. She had most of her belongings placed in a little pack over her shoulder, mainly 'cause what she owned was an extra shirt and some money and she'd need both for her travels. Later that day she crossed the threshold between the Brooklyn- Manhattan Bridge and actual Brooklyn.
"Hey Georgy!" she called over at a newsie standing on a corner near the bridge. "Where's the great and powerful leader hisself?"
"Beats me, Lids, kid rarely says where he's going. Least not ta me, he don't."
"Great help you are!" Lids said, turning to face the main avenue. The curly haired boy bowed.
"Glad to be off service, m'lady."
Lids smiled. "Lay off the Shakespeare, Georgy. I need to find Spot Conlon. You done selling your papes?"
"Almost. I can leave off my job now, I guess. Stewed papes sounds good for dinner tonight."
"I'll help ya sell 'em on the way. Though I'm not sure you wouldn't eat that junk if you were hungry enough."
Lids grabbed half of Georgy's papes and started walking. The slightly younger, slightly plumper boy struggled to keep up.
It was early afternoon when Lids finally arrived at the local Newsies' hangout, a little restaurant kind of like Tibby's. She walked into it and greeted the shopkeeper. "Hey Al, seen Spot around anywhere?"
"Lids Conlon? Is that you?" When Lids nodded, Al continued, "No, sorry kid, I haven't seen him anywhere today. But knowing business, your crowd'll be coming in anytime now. So how's it going, kid?"
"Not good. Epidemic and all, wiping out business in the city. Need me bro for some pointers and such. What's on the menu today?"
"Your old favorite, kid. Ham sandwich with the egg salad on the side. Or in it, if you prefer."
"Sounds great," Lids said. "How much?"
"Five cents is all. I got a special running today for old friends." Then Al turned in Georgy's direction. "What about you, Georgy? Anything special for youse?"
"Depends. Do I count as an old friend?" When the restaurant owner shook his head and laughed, Georgy sighed. "Worth a try, anyway. Gimme a lemonade, Al. Maybe I'll get something else later." He pulled out his sellings from the days papes and looked at them regretfully. "Much later," he added, paying Al a penny in exchange for the drink. Then he turned and went over to sit next to Lids, who was perched on a stool by the counter at the far end of the room.
"So Lids, what are youse planning to do? I mean, after you see Spot and all?" Georgy asked, taking a sip of his lemonade and looking wistfully at Lids sandwich.
"Dunno Georgy. But you know me and Spot. We get along excellent together."
Georgy snorted. "Like real neighbors. Butting heads all the time, yelling, screaming, kicking, biting…"
"I never bit nobody, and you know that."
"Pardon me, I forgot, real ladies don't bite."
"That's right," Lids said, turning her nose of jokingly, "We goils only hiss and scratch."
"Real hoity-toity like, eh?"
Lids punched Georgy on the arm, lightly. "I ain't hoity-toity and I never will be and you knows that." Georgy laughed. A bell jingled as the store door opened. The boy glanced nonchalantly in the direction to see who it was. Then he paled, and turned his back quickly on the newcomers, hunching his back nervously over the counter.
"Your bro," he hissed.
Bronx was walking home with Zelly from the presses. Both were exhausted, but they still chatted wearily as they traveled home.
"Tell the truth, Bronx, I don't think I can take it anymore. Everything's been changing lately."
"Everything changes all the time," Bronx said. "No way to avoid it. But I know what you mean. No more surprises for me. I'm going home, eating, and dropping into bed."
"After chores, of course."
Bronx groaned. "Maybe we should just lodge with the newsies. I don't think they got to do chores, do they?"
"No way am I lodging with boys!" Zelly exclaimed. "'Sides, we work at the presses. We're not newsies."
"Lids could be the diplomatin. You know, like, works it out for us?"
Zelly laughed. "For some reason, I don't think that's the right word."
"Oh well." The two girls turned the last corner to the boarding house. Bronx looked towards the three story brick building. "Oh no," she breathed.
Zelly looked up. "Wait, aren't those your brothers?" She asked. "Don't they live on the other side of town? What're they doing here?"
"I don't know, but they always want something from me." They approached the building. Standing in front were about six of Bronx's brothers. Five older, one younger. They greeted her.
"Hullo," one of them said, but she cut them off.
"What're you doing here, Malcolm? And why'd you bring Luke?" She glanced at the little 6-year-old boy.
"Look, kid, sorry we gotta do this to you…" the oldest began.
"Do what?"
"Let me finish! See, we have a problem. We're trying to get ma and da here from Scotland, you know that. And Luke, he just gets in the way. He eats up every sent we earn."
"He's a growing boy! How do you expect him to not be hungry? Beside, I'm helping to pay for our parents' passage here too!"
"We do more and you know it," Malcolm said.
"Well I could save more if I didn't have to support myself! But somebody kicked me out, didn't they?"
"Look, we didn't kick you out."
"Yes you did!" Bronx shouted.
"Just take the kid," Malcolm said, ignoring his little sister. "Please, Bronx?"
"Just for Luke and not you, you know that?"
"Fine, whatever. We'll come and visit you sometime. You know where we are if you run into hard times."
Bronx muttered under her breath. Her older brothers hurried off, leaving Luke behind with their little sister. He looked up at her with big bright eyes.
"Am I in the way, Annie?" Bronx looked down at him. She couldn't resist that puppy face; her hard expression melted.
"Not at all kid," she answered, ruffling his hair. "And it's Bronx around the girls, okay?"
"Sure Annie. Whatever you say." He reached up and took her hand in his small one. Bronx looked up miserably at Zelly. She mouthed one word "nuns." Zelly nodded.
"They'll be trouble," she whispered so that Luke didn't hear.
A/N: Ahh! This is almost pure dialogue! Oh well, I think I'm going through a dialogue phase. As evidenced by my next chapter. Hmmm…