DISCLAIMER: I do not own the newsies.
AN: Sorry this took me so long – I've been really busy and to write this part I had to sit in front of the DVD to make sure I got the lines and stuff right, and it took me forever to write it out by hand. Then I had to transfer it from my notebook to my computer. So it took me awhile! The next chapter shouldn't take me so long! Don't forget to review!
HAVE TIME MACHINE: WILL SELL PAPES
CHAPTER 5
Liz led the way up the ramp, Moni, Natalie and Eronn following closely behind her, still giggling over the idea of David having a crush on Liz.
They butted in front of the boys they liked to call the "featured" newsies (i.e. they ones in the movie that dance really well but have hardly any lines) and got right behind the main newsies.
Natalie quickly abandoned her friends for Crutchy (O.K., she didn't exactly abandon them because Crutchy was only standing about two feet away) while the others waited patiently in line. They were close enough to the front to see David glance back occasionally at Liz.
Race noticed the girls standing not too far behind him. "Hey boys, what is this? Ladies first!"
"Oh yeah" they all agreed, motioning for the girls to get in front of them. They moved up (David nodded at Liz as she passed him) and were now standing behind Jack.
"Mr. Weasel" Jack said, knocking on the wood behind the bars in the window. He glanced back at the girls, hoping to impress them with his smart-aleck attitude. He grinned and rang the bell, and the girls could hear Weasel grumbling inside the Distribution Office.
"All right, all right. Hold your horses, I'm comin'" Weasel told them as he lifted the window cover.
"So did ya miss me Weasel? Did ya miss me?"
Standing a little back with the rest of the newsies, the girls rolled their eyes. It was obvious this performance was for their benefit.
Eronn stepped up – she had a feeling that it would be helpful to be on Weasel's good side.
She heaved a big sigh and said "Jack, I'm sure he's told you a million times – the name is Weisel."
"Mr. Weisel to you" Weasel added, nodding at Eronn's remark.
Jack sent an annoyed look at Eronn. "How many?" Weasel asked.
"Don't rush me" Jack said peevishly. "I'm perusin' the merchandise Mr. Weasel" he said with extra emphasis.
The newsies snickered behind him. "What's so funny?" Moni asked, oblivious to what had occurred in front of her.
"Don't worry about it" Mush told her when no one else bothered to explain.
Jack plunked down his money and said "The usual."
"One hundred papes to the wise guy" Weasel told the Delancey brothers.
Jack grabbed his papes and moved on. Liz, Eronn and Moni came forward and bought one hundred papes to sell together. "Thanks" Liz told the Delancey brothers as they handed her the papes.
"Don't mention it" one of them told her, smiling flirtatiously.
Eronn rolled her eyes while Liz recoiled slightly. Moni, on the other hand, smiled and said "Now, which one of you is Morris and which one is Oscar?" She continued on, not giving them a chance to reply. "Normally, I'd think that Oscar would be the ugly one, but you're both so hideous, I have no idea which is which."
Moni smiled at them as the Delancey brother's mouth's hung open in shock. The newsies snickered at them as Moni moved away before the Delancey brothers came out of their frozen state.
Race quickly moved up and said "Morning your honor." He then lit his cigar as he asked him "Listen, do me a favor, will ya spot me fifty papes? I got a hot tip on the fourth, you won't waste your money."
On the side, Liz shushed her friends as Weasel replied. "This is one of my favorite lines!" she told them.
"It's a sure thing?" Weasel asked.
"Oh yeah" Race replied. "Not like last time."
Liz and Eronn burst into peals of laughter while Natalie commented "That was rather humorous."
Weasel shrugged and said "Fifty papes. Next!"
Race walked over to join Liz, Eronn, Moni and Jack where they were sitting while Crutchy and Natalie walked up to the window.
"Heya Mr. Weisel" they chirped together. "How about forty papes?" Crutchy asked, consulting Natalie.
Liz looked up at the little boy (who she recognized to be Les Jacobs) who was peering at Jack.
"Anything good this morning?" Race asked the girls, who were also thumbing through papes.
"You wanna sit down?" Liz asked Les in a matter-of-face voice.
Jack looked up and noticed Les. "Yeah?" he agreed.
"Next!" Weasel called as Crutchy and Natalie moved to join their friends.
Eronn glanced up, anticipating what was going to happen.
"Twenty papes please" David Jacobs asked politely.
"I've always wondered how he knew to say 'papes' on his first day of selling" Eronn whispered to Liz.
Liz glanced up at David. "I don't want to talk about that person," she said while Eronn suppressed a smile.
Weasel reported the order and David said "Thanks" to one of the Delancey brothers.
"Look at this" Race commented to Jack and the girls. "Baby born with two heads. Must be from Brooklyn," he said matter-of-factly.
Eronn and Natalie giggled.
Up at the window, David was counting his papes while Weasel was trying to get him to leave.
Sitting down, the newsies and the girls heard him say "I paid for twenty and I only got nineteen."
"Are you accusing me of lying, kid?" Weasel asked fiercely as Les got up apprehensively.
"There he blows!" Moni whispered loudly, producing snickers among everyone except Jack, who make a point not to laugh at Moni's jokes.
Jack got up, too, as David told Weasel "No, I just want my paper."
"He said beat it" one of the Delancey brothers told him menacingly.
Jack quickly counted the papes. "No, it's nineteen Weasel. But don't worry about it" he said mockingly. "It's an honest mistake. Morris, he can't count to twenty with his shoes on."
"Oh, that one's Morris!" Moni exclaimed, pointed to the Delancey brother with the mustache who had just grabbed the window bars in anger.
"Mystery solved, Sherlock" Natalie told her.
"Why thank you my dear Watson" Moni replied.
"All right, get outta here!" Weasel exclaimed as Morris threw another pape at David.
"Hold it. Race, will ya spot me two bits?" Jack asked.
Race nodded and tossed Jack the money.
"I love that!" Liz whispered to Eronn. "He borrowed money for his papes from Weasel, when he had money all along!"
"We'll have to try that someday," Eronn agreed.
"Hey, another fifty for my friend here" Jack told Weasel.
The girls stood up to watch the show better.
"Oh, I don't want another fifty" David tried to tell Weasel.
"Sure you do" Eronn said, taking the words out of Jack's mouth.
"Every newsie wants more papes," Liz agreed.
David visibly faltered at Liz's words, but still managed to say "I don't."
But Jack handed them to him anyway, walking down the stairs with his own papes on his shoulder.
"I don't want your papes" David repeated. Moni started mimicking him silently as he said "I don't take charity from anybody. I don't even know you, I don't care to. So here are your papes" he said, handing Jack a pile that certainly did not equal fifty, as Natalie quickly pointed out to him.
He rolled his eyes and was about to recount the papes when Les broke in. "Cowboy" he said with obvious admiration. "They call him cowboy."
Jack scoffed and said "Yeah – that and a lot of other things including Jack Kelly, which is what me mother called me."
Eronn, Liz, Moni, Natalie and Crutchy were watching these events. Liz glanced over at Crutchy, who was smiling even though there was nothing to smile at.
"What's he smiling about?" she asked Moni, motioning to Crutchy.
Moni just shrugged.
"What do they call you, kid?" Jack asked.
"Les" he replied. "And this is my brother David. He's older."
"No shit Sherlock" Eronn muttered under her breath to Nancy, as Jack answered more moderately "Oh, no kidding" as he handed off his papes to the nearest person, who happened to be Moni.
"What is this?" she muttered, going on under her breath about how mistreated women were in 1899.
Jack ignored her, however, and continued. "So how old are you, Les?"
"Near ten" he told him.
"Near ten" Jack repeated. "That's no good. If anyone asks, say you're seven. See, younger sells more papes Les. If we're gonna be partners, we've got to be the best-"
"Wait, wait!" David exclaimed, cutting Jack off. "Who said anything about partners?"
"Jack just did" Natalie pointed out sensibly.
"Well, you owe me two bits, right?" Jack continued.
"So?" David asked, confused.
"Not the brightest of kids, is he?" Moni whispered, resulting in a smack from Eronn on the arm.
Jack looked momentarily stumped at David's failure to catch on. He recovered, however, saying "So I'll consider that an investment. We sell together we split… 70/30, plus you get the benefit of observing me, no charge."
"Ah-ha!" David exclaimed.
"Ah-ha!" Eronn, Liz, Moni and Natalie exclaimed along with Jack.
"Hey, you're getting the chance of a lifetime here Davey" Crutchy broke in. Natalie nodded, agreeing fervently with whatever Crutchy had to say.
"You learn from Jack, you learn from the best!" Natalie finished for him.
"Good grief, they're turning into voice and echo!" Moni exclaimed.
"The best!" all the newsies agreed, as a newsie in a bowler cap passed through and winked broadly at Jack.
"What was that about?" Eronn wondered aloud.
"Well if he's the best then how come he needs me?" David countered.
"Ooh" the girls said in mock awe. (Can you tell they used to do this stuff when they'd watch the movie? Only it was much more fun in the movie!")
"Listen, I don't need you pal" jack said, pointing his finger at David.
"I will always wave my finger in your face!" Eronn whispered.
"Eronn, no one will get your Survivor references here" Natalie told her.
"You got it!"
"Only because you've said it so much" Liz broke in.
Jack ignored the girl's whispers. "But I ain't got a cute little brother to front for me" he told David.
"Y'know with this kid's puss and my God-given talent, we could move a thousand papes a week" Jack boasted.
"Like hell you could!" Moni muttered, but the newsies ignored her and nodded.
"So what do ya say, Les? You wanna sell papes for me?"
"Yeah!" Les said enthusiastically.
"So it's a deal?" Jack asked, putting out his hand to shake.
"Wait, hold it!" David broke in. "It's gotta be at least 50/50."
Jack thought about it ("That looks like hard work" Moni commented) and told him "60/40 or I forget the whole thing."
"That's fair" Blink told him.
"A golden opportunity" agreed one of the "featured" newsies.
All the newsies nodded and agreed. David looked at Les, and then at Liz, both of whom were nodding.
"What do ya say?" Jack pressed.
"It's very fair" another newsie in the background agreed.
"Overkill!" Natalie exclaimed, masking it with a cough.
Persuaded, David stuck out his hand.
Jack spit in his hand and reached to shake David's hand, only David pulled it away.
"What's the matter?" Jack asked.
"That's disgusting" David told him, with a look of sheer disgust on his face to match his words.
The girls joined the newsies in laughing, while secretly agreeing that it was a yucky practice.
Jack grabbed his papes from Moni and started walking out the gate, the newsies following his lead.
The girls began following him out, too. "Wait!" Eronn exclaimed to her friends. "Race is still back there. I've always wondered why he doesn't leave with the rest of the newsies."
"C'mon, we have to go" Liz told her. "Natalie already walked off with Crutchy. And the others."
"No" Eronn said, breaking away. "I'm going to find out why he doesn't leave."
She walked up to Race and asked him why he hadn't left yet. "'Cause the guy I hitch a ride to Sheepshead with doesn't come for another fifteen minutes" he told her matter of factly.
"Oh" Eronn said, then she whirled around and went back to Moni and Liz, just in time to hear Jack say "Headlines don't sell papes, newsies sell papes."
All the newsies behind him agreed. "We hold this town together" Jack continued. "Without newsies, nobody knows nothin'."
"That's right" the newsies chimed in.
"Hey fellas, look at that angel" one of the newsies piped up, as they all began drooling over the brunette that passed in front of them.
The girls rolled their eyes and tried to get their exclamations of "Grow up" and "Cut it out" heard over the newsies' exclamations of "Whoa" and "What a heaven." Since they were severely outnumbered by boys, however, no one heard them.
Specs started yelling "Baby born with three heads!" and the other newsies quickly began hawking the headlines as the boys scattered outside the gate.
"Where should we go?" Liz asked.
"We should probably follow someone so we can find our way to Tibby's and the Lodging House later" Eronn sensibly pointed out.
"Good idea" Moni agreed. "Let's tag Jack!"
"We can't mess with the movie's events that much!" Liz told her.
"Bummer."
"Let's just stay close to Natalie and Crutchy" Eronn suggested.
"OK, but we'd better go now" Liz said. "They're already halfway down the street."
They ran to catch up, anxious to begin the second day of selling.
TBC…
PLEASE REVIEW! I WILL APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH IF YOU DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AN: Sorry this took me so long – I've been really busy and to write this part I had to sit in front of the DVD to make sure I got the lines and stuff right, and it took me forever to write it out by hand. Then I had to transfer it from my notebook to my computer. So it took me awhile! The next chapter shouldn't take me so long! Don't forget to review!
HAVE TIME MACHINE: WILL SELL PAPES
CHAPTER 5
Liz led the way up the ramp, Moni, Natalie and Eronn following closely behind her, still giggling over the idea of David having a crush on Liz.
They butted in front of the boys they liked to call the "featured" newsies (i.e. they ones in the movie that dance really well but have hardly any lines) and got right behind the main newsies.
Natalie quickly abandoned her friends for Crutchy (O.K., she didn't exactly abandon them because Crutchy was only standing about two feet away) while the others waited patiently in line. They were close enough to the front to see David glance back occasionally at Liz.
Race noticed the girls standing not too far behind him. "Hey boys, what is this? Ladies first!"
"Oh yeah" they all agreed, motioning for the girls to get in front of them. They moved up (David nodded at Liz as she passed him) and were now standing behind Jack.
"Mr. Weasel" Jack said, knocking on the wood behind the bars in the window. He glanced back at the girls, hoping to impress them with his smart-aleck attitude. He grinned and rang the bell, and the girls could hear Weasel grumbling inside the Distribution Office.
"All right, all right. Hold your horses, I'm comin'" Weasel told them as he lifted the window cover.
"So did ya miss me Weasel? Did ya miss me?"
Standing a little back with the rest of the newsies, the girls rolled their eyes. It was obvious this performance was for their benefit.
Eronn stepped up – she had a feeling that it would be helpful to be on Weasel's good side.
She heaved a big sigh and said "Jack, I'm sure he's told you a million times – the name is Weisel."
"Mr. Weisel to you" Weasel added, nodding at Eronn's remark.
Jack sent an annoyed look at Eronn. "How many?" Weasel asked.
"Don't rush me" Jack said peevishly. "I'm perusin' the merchandise Mr. Weasel" he said with extra emphasis.
The newsies snickered behind him. "What's so funny?" Moni asked, oblivious to what had occurred in front of her.
"Don't worry about it" Mush told her when no one else bothered to explain.
Jack plunked down his money and said "The usual."
"One hundred papes to the wise guy" Weasel told the Delancey brothers.
Jack grabbed his papes and moved on. Liz, Eronn and Moni came forward and bought one hundred papes to sell together. "Thanks" Liz told the Delancey brothers as they handed her the papes.
"Don't mention it" one of them told her, smiling flirtatiously.
Eronn rolled her eyes while Liz recoiled slightly. Moni, on the other hand, smiled and said "Now, which one of you is Morris and which one is Oscar?" She continued on, not giving them a chance to reply. "Normally, I'd think that Oscar would be the ugly one, but you're both so hideous, I have no idea which is which."
Moni smiled at them as the Delancey brother's mouth's hung open in shock. The newsies snickered at them as Moni moved away before the Delancey brothers came out of their frozen state.
Race quickly moved up and said "Morning your honor." He then lit his cigar as he asked him "Listen, do me a favor, will ya spot me fifty papes? I got a hot tip on the fourth, you won't waste your money."
On the side, Liz shushed her friends as Weasel replied. "This is one of my favorite lines!" she told them.
"It's a sure thing?" Weasel asked.
"Oh yeah" Race replied. "Not like last time."
Liz and Eronn burst into peals of laughter while Natalie commented "That was rather humorous."
Weasel shrugged and said "Fifty papes. Next!"
Race walked over to join Liz, Eronn, Moni and Jack where they were sitting while Crutchy and Natalie walked up to the window.
"Heya Mr. Weisel" they chirped together. "How about forty papes?" Crutchy asked, consulting Natalie.
Liz looked up at the little boy (who she recognized to be Les Jacobs) who was peering at Jack.
"Anything good this morning?" Race asked the girls, who were also thumbing through papes.
"You wanna sit down?" Liz asked Les in a matter-of-face voice.
Jack looked up and noticed Les. "Yeah?" he agreed.
"Next!" Weasel called as Crutchy and Natalie moved to join their friends.
Eronn glanced up, anticipating what was going to happen.
"Twenty papes please" David Jacobs asked politely.
"I've always wondered how he knew to say 'papes' on his first day of selling" Eronn whispered to Liz.
Liz glanced up at David. "I don't want to talk about that person," she said while Eronn suppressed a smile.
Weasel reported the order and David said "Thanks" to one of the Delancey brothers.
"Look at this" Race commented to Jack and the girls. "Baby born with two heads. Must be from Brooklyn," he said matter-of-factly.
Eronn and Natalie giggled.
Up at the window, David was counting his papes while Weasel was trying to get him to leave.
Sitting down, the newsies and the girls heard him say "I paid for twenty and I only got nineteen."
"Are you accusing me of lying, kid?" Weasel asked fiercely as Les got up apprehensively.
"There he blows!" Moni whispered loudly, producing snickers among everyone except Jack, who make a point not to laugh at Moni's jokes.
Jack got up, too, as David told Weasel "No, I just want my paper."
"He said beat it" one of the Delancey brothers told him menacingly.
Jack quickly counted the papes. "No, it's nineteen Weasel. But don't worry about it" he said mockingly. "It's an honest mistake. Morris, he can't count to twenty with his shoes on."
"Oh, that one's Morris!" Moni exclaimed, pointed to the Delancey brother with the mustache who had just grabbed the window bars in anger.
"Mystery solved, Sherlock" Natalie told her.
"Why thank you my dear Watson" Moni replied.
"All right, get outta here!" Weasel exclaimed as Morris threw another pape at David.
"Hold it. Race, will ya spot me two bits?" Jack asked.
Race nodded and tossed Jack the money.
"I love that!" Liz whispered to Eronn. "He borrowed money for his papes from Weasel, when he had money all along!"
"We'll have to try that someday," Eronn agreed.
"Hey, another fifty for my friend here" Jack told Weasel.
The girls stood up to watch the show better.
"Oh, I don't want another fifty" David tried to tell Weasel.
"Sure you do" Eronn said, taking the words out of Jack's mouth.
"Every newsie wants more papes," Liz agreed.
David visibly faltered at Liz's words, but still managed to say "I don't."
But Jack handed them to him anyway, walking down the stairs with his own papes on his shoulder.
"I don't want your papes" David repeated. Moni started mimicking him silently as he said "I don't take charity from anybody. I don't even know you, I don't care to. So here are your papes" he said, handing Jack a pile that certainly did not equal fifty, as Natalie quickly pointed out to him.
He rolled his eyes and was about to recount the papes when Les broke in. "Cowboy" he said with obvious admiration. "They call him cowboy."
Jack scoffed and said "Yeah – that and a lot of other things including Jack Kelly, which is what me mother called me."
Eronn, Liz, Moni, Natalie and Crutchy were watching these events. Liz glanced over at Crutchy, who was smiling even though there was nothing to smile at.
"What's he smiling about?" she asked Moni, motioning to Crutchy.
Moni just shrugged.
"What do they call you, kid?" Jack asked.
"Les" he replied. "And this is my brother David. He's older."
"No shit Sherlock" Eronn muttered under her breath to Nancy, as Jack answered more moderately "Oh, no kidding" as he handed off his papes to the nearest person, who happened to be Moni.
"What is this?" she muttered, going on under her breath about how mistreated women were in 1899.
Jack ignored her, however, and continued. "So how old are you, Les?"
"Near ten" he told him.
"Near ten" Jack repeated. "That's no good. If anyone asks, say you're seven. See, younger sells more papes Les. If we're gonna be partners, we've got to be the best-"
"Wait, wait!" David exclaimed, cutting Jack off. "Who said anything about partners?"
"Jack just did" Natalie pointed out sensibly.
"Well, you owe me two bits, right?" Jack continued.
"So?" David asked, confused.
"Not the brightest of kids, is he?" Moni whispered, resulting in a smack from Eronn on the arm.
Jack looked momentarily stumped at David's failure to catch on. He recovered, however, saying "So I'll consider that an investment. We sell together we split… 70/30, plus you get the benefit of observing me, no charge."
"Ah-ha!" David exclaimed.
"Ah-ha!" Eronn, Liz, Moni and Natalie exclaimed along with Jack.
"Hey, you're getting the chance of a lifetime here Davey" Crutchy broke in. Natalie nodded, agreeing fervently with whatever Crutchy had to say.
"You learn from Jack, you learn from the best!" Natalie finished for him.
"Good grief, they're turning into voice and echo!" Moni exclaimed.
"The best!" all the newsies agreed, as a newsie in a bowler cap passed through and winked broadly at Jack.
"What was that about?" Eronn wondered aloud.
"Well if he's the best then how come he needs me?" David countered.
"Ooh" the girls said in mock awe. (Can you tell they used to do this stuff when they'd watch the movie? Only it was much more fun in the movie!")
"Listen, I don't need you pal" jack said, pointing his finger at David.
"I will always wave my finger in your face!" Eronn whispered.
"Eronn, no one will get your Survivor references here" Natalie told her.
"You got it!"
"Only because you've said it so much" Liz broke in.
Jack ignored the girl's whispers. "But I ain't got a cute little brother to front for me" he told David.
"Y'know with this kid's puss and my God-given talent, we could move a thousand papes a week" Jack boasted.
"Like hell you could!" Moni muttered, but the newsies ignored her and nodded.
"So what do ya say, Les? You wanna sell papes for me?"
"Yeah!" Les said enthusiastically.
"So it's a deal?" Jack asked, putting out his hand to shake.
"Wait, hold it!" David broke in. "It's gotta be at least 50/50."
Jack thought about it ("That looks like hard work" Moni commented) and told him "60/40 or I forget the whole thing."
"That's fair" Blink told him.
"A golden opportunity" agreed one of the "featured" newsies.
All the newsies nodded and agreed. David looked at Les, and then at Liz, both of whom were nodding.
"What do ya say?" Jack pressed.
"It's very fair" another newsie in the background agreed.
"Overkill!" Natalie exclaimed, masking it with a cough.
Persuaded, David stuck out his hand.
Jack spit in his hand and reached to shake David's hand, only David pulled it away.
"What's the matter?" Jack asked.
"That's disgusting" David told him, with a look of sheer disgust on his face to match his words.
The girls joined the newsies in laughing, while secretly agreeing that it was a yucky practice.
Jack grabbed his papes from Moni and started walking out the gate, the newsies following his lead.
The girls began following him out, too. "Wait!" Eronn exclaimed to her friends. "Race is still back there. I've always wondered why he doesn't leave with the rest of the newsies."
"C'mon, we have to go" Liz told her. "Natalie already walked off with Crutchy. And the others."
"No" Eronn said, breaking away. "I'm going to find out why he doesn't leave."
She walked up to Race and asked him why he hadn't left yet. "'Cause the guy I hitch a ride to Sheepshead with doesn't come for another fifteen minutes" he told her matter of factly.
"Oh" Eronn said, then she whirled around and went back to Moni and Liz, just in time to hear Jack say "Headlines don't sell papes, newsies sell papes."
All the newsies behind him agreed. "We hold this town together" Jack continued. "Without newsies, nobody knows nothin'."
"That's right" the newsies chimed in.
"Hey fellas, look at that angel" one of the newsies piped up, as they all began drooling over the brunette that passed in front of them.
The girls rolled their eyes and tried to get their exclamations of "Grow up" and "Cut it out" heard over the newsies' exclamations of "Whoa" and "What a heaven." Since they were severely outnumbered by boys, however, no one heard them.
Specs started yelling "Baby born with three heads!" and the other newsies quickly began hawking the headlines as the boys scattered outside the gate.
"Where should we go?" Liz asked.
"We should probably follow someone so we can find our way to Tibby's and the Lodging House later" Eronn sensibly pointed out.
"Good idea" Moni agreed. "Let's tag Jack!"
"We can't mess with the movie's events that much!" Liz told her.
"Bummer."
"Let's just stay close to Natalie and Crutchy" Eronn suggested.
"OK, but we'd better go now" Liz said. "They're already halfway down the street."
They ran to catch up, anxious to begin the second day of selling.
TBC…
PLEASE REVIEW! I WILL APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH IF YOU DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!