It was a warm summer day in Manhattan. All the newsies were out at their
regular sellin spots, making up headlines like they always would. The news
had been slow lately, and the newsies were starting to feel the effect.
Ebony hadn't sold more than 15 papes a day for the last week. That was really bad on account of she was almost as good as Cowboy, who hasn't sold more than 20. The beaming sun made it hard for her to concentrate on thinking up some headlines. She skimmed through the paper looking for something she could use. She finaly spotted a small article; it looked like it was only there to cover up a blank spot. The article was titled "Pulitzer Still Richest Man in New York". She sighed but it was the best she could do.
"Extra! Extra! Pulitzer gone broke! Read all about it!" she yelled as an old man in a suit walked up and gave her a nickel. "Many obligations to ya mistah."
She smiled at the new shinny nickel. She would be able to eat today. She put it in her pocket and turned around towards Central Park. She didn't see Race at his usual corner; he must have given up and gone to the tracks. She walked down the main path in the park using the same headline as before.she couldn't think of anything else! She sold a few more papers as a pair of hands was placed over her eyes.
"Guess who?" said a familiar voice.
She turned around to find a tall girl with long black hair with black and red hilights down to her elbows with brown eyes to match. She was wearing a white button down shirt with a dark green vest and dark brown capri pants with white tights. On her head was an olive green newsie cap.
Ebony smiled. "Ya got tired of annoyin everyone else today?"
The girl smiled. "The headlines were so bad I gave up. I'se got enough money fer today." She shrugged. "Maybe the afternoon or evening editions will be better."
Ebony threw the rest of her papes on the ground. "Come on Dragonfly, let's go see if anyone else had more luck then we did."
~*~*~*~ Aparently nobody else had much better luck. The headlines were so awful. The front-page story for the afternoon and evening papers was "Full Moon Predicted for Next Week". Mush and Swifty didn't even have enough change for food that night. They had to borrow money from their girls Hades and Aki. Everyone knew they would all be back on the streets if the headlines didn't improve, and fast.
~*~*~*~
The next morning Kloppman left to visit his brother in Queens leaving Jack and Race in charge. Nobody thought the morning's headlines would be any better, so nobody got up to sell.
"Everyone get up! Ya gotta get yer papes before they'se all gone!" Ebony burst into the room carrying 150 papers under her arm. Everyone groaned and rolled over. The way the headlines have been going, they thought she had gone mad.
She threw here pepes on her bunk and ran across the room to her sleeping friends, Cocky, and her bunkmate, Punky.
"Come on guys! The headlines have changed!" They payed her no mind so she slapped both of them and ran off to Race's bunk.
"Racetrack Higgins you get your lazy ass out of bed!"
He mumbled and rolled over. He started hitting the air with his fist.
"Lemmie alone, I needs my beauty sleep!"
Ebony rolled her eyes. "You'se already beautiful now get UP!"
She ran to the bathroom and grabbed a cup of water. She came back to find Race in his bed and she threw the water at him.
Race jumped and hit his head on the top bunk. "Damnit Ebony! Whadya do that foah?"
Ebony smiled. "If ya hurry up an get yer papes I'll take ya to the tracks later." When he heard the word "tracks" his eyes widened and he sat up. He quickly sighed and got up from his bed.
Ebony patted him on the back. " Good. Now I'll wake up everyone else and you get down to the distribution office. Today will be a no brainer.ya don't even gotta make up yer own headlines!"
Ebony hadn't sold more than 15 papes a day for the last week. That was really bad on account of she was almost as good as Cowboy, who hasn't sold more than 20. The beaming sun made it hard for her to concentrate on thinking up some headlines. She skimmed through the paper looking for something she could use. She finaly spotted a small article; it looked like it was only there to cover up a blank spot. The article was titled "Pulitzer Still Richest Man in New York". She sighed but it was the best she could do.
"Extra! Extra! Pulitzer gone broke! Read all about it!" she yelled as an old man in a suit walked up and gave her a nickel. "Many obligations to ya mistah."
She smiled at the new shinny nickel. She would be able to eat today. She put it in her pocket and turned around towards Central Park. She didn't see Race at his usual corner; he must have given up and gone to the tracks. She walked down the main path in the park using the same headline as before.she couldn't think of anything else! She sold a few more papers as a pair of hands was placed over her eyes.
"Guess who?" said a familiar voice.
She turned around to find a tall girl with long black hair with black and red hilights down to her elbows with brown eyes to match. She was wearing a white button down shirt with a dark green vest and dark brown capri pants with white tights. On her head was an olive green newsie cap.
Ebony smiled. "Ya got tired of annoyin everyone else today?"
The girl smiled. "The headlines were so bad I gave up. I'se got enough money fer today." She shrugged. "Maybe the afternoon or evening editions will be better."
Ebony threw the rest of her papes on the ground. "Come on Dragonfly, let's go see if anyone else had more luck then we did."
~*~*~*~ Aparently nobody else had much better luck. The headlines were so awful. The front-page story for the afternoon and evening papers was "Full Moon Predicted for Next Week". Mush and Swifty didn't even have enough change for food that night. They had to borrow money from their girls Hades and Aki. Everyone knew they would all be back on the streets if the headlines didn't improve, and fast.
~*~*~*~
The next morning Kloppman left to visit his brother in Queens leaving Jack and Race in charge. Nobody thought the morning's headlines would be any better, so nobody got up to sell.
"Everyone get up! Ya gotta get yer papes before they'se all gone!" Ebony burst into the room carrying 150 papers under her arm. Everyone groaned and rolled over. The way the headlines have been going, they thought she had gone mad.
She threw here pepes on her bunk and ran across the room to her sleeping friends, Cocky, and her bunkmate, Punky.
"Come on guys! The headlines have changed!" They payed her no mind so she slapped both of them and ran off to Race's bunk.
"Racetrack Higgins you get your lazy ass out of bed!"
He mumbled and rolled over. He started hitting the air with his fist.
"Lemmie alone, I needs my beauty sleep!"
Ebony rolled her eyes. "You'se already beautiful now get UP!"
She ran to the bathroom and grabbed a cup of water. She came back to find Race in his bed and she threw the water at him.
Race jumped and hit his head on the top bunk. "Damnit Ebony! Whadya do that foah?"
Ebony smiled. "If ya hurry up an get yer papes I'll take ya to the tracks later." When he heard the word "tracks" his eyes widened and he sat up. He quickly sighed and got up from his bed.
Ebony patted him on the back. " Good. Now I'll wake up everyone else and you get down to the distribution office. Today will be a no brainer.ya don't even gotta make up yer own headlines!"