Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Newsies except for those who were not
in the movie. Disney owns the Newsies and as much as I wish I owned them, I
do not and I am not making any money off this.
Getting out
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Where on Earth have you been young lady? We were worried sick about you! You should have been back here nearly three hours ago! What could you possibly have been doing?" Jenna stared wide-eyed at her mother. She had never really raised her voice before, but then again Jenna had never been so overly late. "You missed dinner with Alexander, which I might add was TWO HOURS ago! I hope you're not hungry, if there was any dinner left, it would be cold by now, and you wouldn't have received any anyway. You may go to bed now."
"Yes, Jenna, please remove yourself from our sight and go to bed." Her father, who never raised his voice, did not yell as her mother did, merely ordered her out of his sight. Jenna glared at her despised parents and sister, and headed up stairs.
'I don't need you! I'm sick you all! It's apparent that you don't want me either. Goodbye my darling Mother, Father and Maria. Maybe I'll see you in the future.' Jenna didn't even bother stomping up the stairs; she just calmly walked to her room and sat down on the bed.
"If I were a boy running away, what would I take with me?" Jenna sat for near five minutes talking to her, "Clothes, of course, but I have no boys clothes, I'll buy some when I leave. Money. Humph, my family has lots of that; they wont notice a little missing. I suppose that's all..." Jenna walked to her desk and picked up some paper and a pencil.
*Dear Mother, Father, and Maria,
I do apologize for leaving you like this; it's just that I couldn't take the pompous ways of this life. By the time you read this, which will probably end up being tomorrow afternoon, I will be long gone. Please don't look for me; you've already ruined my life enough.
Your Daughter,
Jenna*
Jenna left the note under her pillow and put on her nightgown. She crawled into bed and awaited her father to come up and say good night. Just as she suspected, her father walked up only a moment later. He didn't knock. He just opened the door said goodnight and left. As soon as he was out of earshot, Jenna pulled out the note and set it in the middle of her bed. She put on one of her least fancy dresses grabbed a handful of money, crawled out the window and left the only life she had ever known behind.
The night was dark and she had trouble seeing. Jenna had been smart enough to pick a cloudy night to leave. The dark clouds that foretold rain hovered below the stars, blocking out most of the light that would have guided her way.
Lost in the dangerous streets of Brooklyn, Jenna wandered almost blindly until she found a bench where she lay down and fell asleep almost immediately.
She opened her eyes to a little girl's sweet face. The dawn was cold and dew had settled over her body. She looked around in a panic, not remembering where she was. The small girl ran when she saw her sit up. Jenna's body was sore in places she didn't know could be sore, and she had trouble moving her stiff neck. She had slept on a bench, with out a blanket, in the middle of the night, in Brooklyn. Jenna was surprised to find that she hadn't been robbed, raped, and murdered whilst she slept. She checked her pockets and found that she still had all her money, so she got up and walked to the nearest clothing store: Anita's Fashions.
"Well, good morning Jenna! My, you look terrible are you alright?" Jenna smiled up at the kindly old woman who ran the store.
"Yes, Anita, I'm fine. I was wondering if you could sell me a boy's outfit. My cousin is coming to town and his birthday is coming up. He's 12 years old and about the same size as me. Nothing too nice, now, he's going to get it dirty." She felt terrible lying to this sweet woman who had probably never harmed another soul in her life, but it was the only way to get her some boy's clothes with being suspicious.
"Yes I just got some new clothes in yesterday, if you want, you can try them on to make sure they fit." Anita walked out from behind the counter and went over to a rack filled with children's clothes. Her shaky old hands pulled out a less nice suit, and Jenna shook her head.
"It's too nice, I'm looking for something like..." she paused and thought of what Spot had been wearing the day before. Checkered button up shirt, "a button up shirt..." brown knickers, "maybe brown knickers..." red suspenders, "suspenders, preferably brown, or black..." a grey hat, "a hat that matches the shirt." And long johns beneath it all, "and a some underclothes as well."
Anita circled the rack pulling off the items one at a time. First the knickers, a dark brown that looked to be a little long, but good enough. Next a blue shirt about the color of the sky just after the sun has set. After that the long johns, they looked the right size. Then she walked to a different rack, grabbed a pair of brown suspenders, lighter than the pants and a blue hat that wasn't exactly the same, but was close enough to the shirt. Anita handed them all to Jenna and told her she could try them on in the back room. So she did.
The pants were a little big, as she had suspected, but they were good enough and the shirt was baggy as well, but that was better, so her breasts wouldn't show as much. She pulled all her hair into the hat to make sure it would fit, and it did. The suspenders held up the pants, so she didn't have to worry about that and the long johns were just the right size. Jenna glanced down at her feet and realized she was wearing girl's shoes. So Jenna put her clothes back on and walked out to the front room.
"I'll take it all. Oh, I just thought, a pair of shoes and socks would be good as well. And some hair pins for myself." She walked over to the rack next to the one holding suspenders and hats and grabbed a pair of shoes that might fit and some black socks. She brought everything up to the counter and had Anita ring it all up.
"Well my dear, your total is $10.20." Jenna searched in her pockets and pulled out the money. She received her change, put the clothes in a canvas bag, and walked out the door.
Jenna was giddy with anticipation as she walked to an alley where there didn't seem to be too many people. It was dark in the alleyway, but she didn't care. As soon as she reached the darkest place in the alleyway, she stopped and began to take off her clothes. She was down to her pantaloons, chemise, and corset, when she realized that the stiff corset wasn't going to fit in her bag. She removed her chemise from under the corset and took off her pantaloons as well. As soon as she had this done, she put the long johns on as quickly as possible. Over the underclothes, she put on her pants then the shirt and tucked it in. the pants began to slip, so she fumbled with the suspenders until they were on right. She rolled up the sleeves to her elbows and unbuttoned the top of the shirt. Next she took off her shoes and put on the black socks and shoes. Jenna pulled her long hair to the top of her head and put the hat on. She shoved all her clothes into the bag and pulled it shut. Jenna took some dirt off the ground and spread it allover her arms and face. She was certain she looked the part of a street rat.
Jenna checked her pockets to see how much money she had. She had $1.80 left after her little shopping trip, enough for food, and she was starving.
Jenna walked back into the street with her bag in hand and went out in search for a place to eat.
Down the street was a small restaurant called Jake's Diner. She walked in and the place was filled with boys ranging from age 7 to maybe 16. In the middle of a big group of boys Jenna saw a familiar face. He was clearly telling an exciting story by the look on his face and all the boys surrounding him. 'Spot!' she started to walk towards him, but thought better of it, 'Oh god, he won't know who I am!' Jenna shook her head and went to buy food.
"Hey!" Jenna turned and saw that Spot was talking to her, "Yeah you, come 'ere." Hesitantly, she began to walk to him. "You'se aint from around 'ere, you one o' Jack's?" when Jenna shook her head, he got up and walked up to her, "You'se look familiar, have we'se met on some previous occasion?" Again Jenna shook her head, no. "You'se a newsy?" once more she said no and he began to get impatient with her, "So wudda you'se do?"
Jenna cleared her throat and tried to mimic his speech, "Well, I'se wants to be a newsy, if dat's alright wid you..." Spot smirked.
"Do you'se got wud it takes to be a Brooklyn newsie?" When she shrugged, he pushed her down into an empty chair and sat down in front of her, "Can you'se fight." No, "Do you'se know how to use a sling shot?" no, "Do you'se know any ting, any ting at all, 'bout sellin' papes?" again, no. "Are you'se even a boy?" Jenna's eyes widened and this time she nodded, "How's ya gonna be a newsie if you don't know nunna dat?"
"I could learn real quick." Spot nodded.
"You'se got a week to learn. Den you'se can show me what you'se made of and I'se ill tell you wedda or not you'se newsie material. Deal?" They spit-shook on it, "you'se start tomorrow. Where you stayin'?"
"Actually I don't have a place to stay" Spot sighed and shook his head.
"I can't believe I'm doin' dis." He mumbled, "you'se can stay at da lodgin' 'ouse for da week, den if I'se decides dat you'se a newsie, den you'se can stay. If not, den you'se out on ya own. Lets go." Spot stood and walked out the door. Jenna and about half of the boys in the restaurant followed him.
While they were making their way to the lodging house, Jenna was being introduced to the rest of the newsies.
"I'm Smalls." The little boy, whom she had given her toast to the day before, spit on his hand and stuck it out for her to shake. She spit in her own hand and took his.
"I'm um...." Jenna thought quickly but the only name she could think of was her little brother's "Jaron. Jaron Tavaleer." Jaron had caught scarlet fever when he was three and Jenna was five. She tried to forget about him, but it was so hard, he was so young.
"I'se Socks," Said a very tall and muscular boy. He had short curly red hair and very dark brown eyes. He must have been about 6' 3" and looked like a giant compared to Jenna who was only 5' 4". Like Smalls, he spit on hi hand and they shook. Jenna wondered why he would be called Socks.
"I'm called Dog." This boy looked to be about 14 with longish brown hair, deep blue eyes, and was maybe 5' 5" tall. His voice was harsh and sounded strangely like a dog's bark. They also spit shook.
Within a few minutes, Jenna had met all the boys in the group and they were standing in front of the Brooklyn Newsboys Lodging House.
"Well uh...what's ya name?" Spot looked at Jenna for an answer.
"Jaron."
"Well Jaron, dis would be our home sweet Lodging House. Welcome to your home for da next week of ya life. It's ten cents for da foist night, den five cents for each night afta dat, got it?" Jenna nodded and they walked in.
After she had signed in with Terry, the man who ran their lodging house, they all walked up the stairs to the bunkroom. Spot stopped in the middle of the room and Jenna looked around, there didn't seem to be any empty bunks, but Jenna figured there was one somewhere.
"You'se see dat door over dere?" Spot pointed to a door at the end of the 'hallway' between the bunks and Jenna nodded. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Well, dat's where me bunk is. You'se are nevah, NEVAH, to go in dere widout me permission. Got it?" Again, she nodded. "Good. Now dat dat is all clear, den you'se gonna be sleeping..." He walked over towards the fire escape and the end of the row of bunks. "Aha! Here's one. You'se ill be sleeping above Socks 'ere. Dat's lucky for you cuz Socks is gonna be da one teachin' you'se ta fight." Socks stepped forward with a confused look on his face.
"Now wait a sec Spot. I'se aint no teacher!" Spot glared at him.
"Well you'se gonna become a teacher tomorrow." Socks sighed and stepped back.
"Dat's what I thought. Dog is gonna be teachin you to sell." Dog didn't object as Socks had. "And uh... let's see. Gawd, you'se all suck at usin' slingshots." He said with a smile "I guess dat leaves me teachin you to use dat. Ok, now we'se all set. You know how to play poker?" Jenna said no and Spot gave her blank look. "We'se gonna hafta teach you dat too. Bucket, go get ya cards."
And so began Jenna's new life.
do not and I am not making any money off this.
Getting out
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Where on Earth have you been young lady? We were worried sick about you! You should have been back here nearly three hours ago! What could you possibly have been doing?" Jenna stared wide-eyed at her mother. She had never really raised her voice before, but then again Jenna had never been so overly late. "You missed dinner with Alexander, which I might add was TWO HOURS ago! I hope you're not hungry, if there was any dinner left, it would be cold by now, and you wouldn't have received any anyway. You may go to bed now."
"Yes, Jenna, please remove yourself from our sight and go to bed." Her father, who never raised his voice, did not yell as her mother did, merely ordered her out of his sight. Jenna glared at her despised parents and sister, and headed up stairs.
'I don't need you! I'm sick you all! It's apparent that you don't want me either. Goodbye my darling Mother, Father and Maria. Maybe I'll see you in the future.' Jenna didn't even bother stomping up the stairs; she just calmly walked to her room and sat down on the bed.
"If I were a boy running away, what would I take with me?" Jenna sat for near five minutes talking to her, "Clothes, of course, but I have no boys clothes, I'll buy some when I leave. Money. Humph, my family has lots of that; they wont notice a little missing. I suppose that's all..." Jenna walked to her desk and picked up some paper and a pencil.
*Dear Mother, Father, and Maria,
I do apologize for leaving you like this; it's just that I couldn't take the pompous ways of this life. By the time you read this, which will probably end up being tomorrow afternoon, I will be long gone. Please don't look for me; you've already ruined my life enough.
Your Daughter,
Jenna*
Jenna left the note under her pillow and put on her nightgown. She crawled into bed and awaited her father to come up and say good night. Just as she suspected, her father walked up only a moment later. He didn't knock. He just opened the door said goodnight and left. As soon as he was out of earshot, Jenna pulled out the note and set it in the middle of her bed. She put on one of her least fancy dresses grabbed a handful of money, crawled out the window and left the only life she had ever known behind.
The night was dark and she had trouble seeing. Jenna had been smart enough to pick a cloudy night to leave. The dark clouds that foretold rain hovered below the stars, blocking out most of the light that would have guided her way.
Lost in the dangerous streets of Brooklyn, Jenna wandered almost blindly until she found a bench where she lay down and fell asleep almost immediately.
She opened her eyes to a little girl's sweet face. The dawn was cold and dew had settled over her body. She looked around in a panic, not remembering where she was. The small girl ran when she saw her sit up. Jenna's body was sore in places she didn't know could be sore, and she had trouble moving her stiff neck. She had slept on a bench, with out a blanket, in the middle of the night, in Brooklyn. Jenna was surprised to find that she hadn't been robbed, raped, and murdered whilst she slept. She checked her pockets and found that she still had all her money, so she got up and walked to the nearest clothing store: Anita's Fashions.
"Well, good morning Jenna! My, you look terrible are you alright?" Jenna smiled up at the kindly old woman who ran the store.
"Yes, Anita, I'm fine. I was wondering if you could sell me a boy's outfit. My cousin is coming to town and his birthday is coming up. He's 12 years old and about the same size as me. Nothing too nice, now, he's going to get it dirty." She felt terrible lying to this sweet woman who had probably never harmed another soul in her life, but it was the only way to get her some boy's clothes with being suspicious.
"Yes I just got some new clothes in yesterday, if you want, you can try them on to make sure they fit." Anita walked out from behind the counter and went over to a rack filled with children's clothes. Her shaky old hands pulled out a less nice suit, and Jenna shook her head.
"It's too nice, I'm looking for something like..." she paused and thought of what Spot had been wearing the day before. Checkered button up shirt, "a button up shirt..." brown knickers, "maybe brown knickers..." red suspenders, "suspenders, preferably brown, or black..." a grey hat, "a hat that matches the shirt." And long johns beneath it all, "and a some underclothes as well."
Anita circled the rack pulling off the items one at a time. First the knickers, a dark brown that looked to be a little long, but good enough. Next a blue shirt about the color of the sky just after the sun has set. After that the long johns, they looked the right size. Then she walked to a different rack, grabbed a pair of brown suspenders, lighter than the pants and a blue hat that wasn't exactly the same, but was close enough to the shirt. Anita handed them all to Jenna and told her she could try them on in the back room. So she did.
The pants were a little big, as she had suspected, but they were good enough and the shirt was baggy as well, but that was better, so her breasts wouldn't show as much. She pulled all her hair into the hat to make sure it would fit, and it did. The suspenders held up the pants, so she didn't have to worry about that and the long johns were just the right size. Jenna glanced down at her feet and realized she was wearing girl's shoes. So Jenna put her clothes back on and walked out to the front room.
"I'll take it all. Oh, I just thought, a pair of shoes and socks would be good as well. And some hair pins for myself." She walked over to the rack next to the one holding suspenders and hats and grabbed a pair of shoes that might fit and some black socks. She brought everything up to the counter and had Anita ring it all up.
"Well my dear, your total is $10.20." Jenna searched in her pockets and pulled out the money. She received her change, put the clothes in a canvas bag, and walked out the door.
Jenna was giddy with anticipation as she walked to an alley where there didn't seem to be too many people. It was dark in the alleyway, but she didn't care. As soon as she reached the darkest place in the alleyway, she stopped and began to take off her clothes. She was down to her pantaloons, chemise, and corset, when she realized that the stiff corset wasn't going to fit in her bag. She removed her chemise from under the corset and took off her pantaloons as well. As soon as she had this done, she put the long johns on as quickly as possible. Over the underclothes, she put on her pants then the shirt and tucked it in. the pants began to slip, so she fumbled with the suspenders until they were on right. She rolled up the sleeves to her elbows and unbuttoned the top of the shirt. Next she took off her shoes and put on the black socks and shoes. Jenna pulled her long hair to the top of her head and put the hat on. She shoved all her clothes into the bag and pulled it shut. Jenna took some dirt off the ground and spread it allover her arms and face. She was certain she looked the part of a street rat.
Jenna checked her pockets to see how much money she had. She had $1.80 left after her little shopping trip, enough for food, and she was starving.
Jenna walked back into the street with her bag in hand and went out in search for a place to eat.
Down the street was a small restaurant called Jake's Diner. She walked in and the place was filled with boys ranging from age 7 to maybe 16. In the middle of a big group of boys Jenna saw a familiar face. He was clearly telling an exciting story by the look on his face and all the boys surrounding him. 'Spot!' she started to walk towards him, but thought better of it, 'Oh god, he won't know who I am!' Jenna shook her head and went to buy food.
"Hey!" Jenna turned and saw that Spot was talking to her, "Yeah you, come 'ere." Hesitantly, she began to walk to him. "You'se aint from around 'ere, you one o' Jack's?" when Jenna shook her head, he got up and walked up to her, "You'se look familiar, have we'se met on some previous occasion?" Again Jenna shook her head, no. "You'se a newsy?" once more she said no and he began to get impatient with her, "So wudda you'se do?"
Jenna cleared her throat and tried to mimic his speech, "Well, I'se wants to be a newsy, if dat's alright wid you..." Spot smirked.
"Do you'se got wud it takes to be a Brooklyn newsie?" When she shrugged, he pushed her down into an empty chair and sat down in front of her, "Can you'se fight." No, "Do you'se know how to use a sling shot?" no, "Do you'se know any ting, any ting at all, 'bout sellin' papes?" again, no. "Are you'se even a boy?" Jenna's eyes widened and this time she nodded, "How's ya gonna be a newsie if you don't know nunna dat?"
"I could learn real quick." Spot nodded.
"You'se got a week to learn. Den you'se can show me what you'se made of and I'se ill tell you wedda or not you'se newsie material. Deal?" They spit-shook on it, "you'se start tomorrow. Where you stayin'?"
"Actually I don't have a place to stay" Spot sighed and shook his head.
"I can't believe I'm doin' dis." He mumbled, "you'se can stay at da lodgin' 'ouse for da week, den if I'se decides dat you'se a newsie, den you'se can stay. If not, den you'se out on ya own. Lets go." Spot stood and walked out the door. Jenna and about half of the boys in the restaurant followed him.
While they were making their way to the lodging house, Jenna was being introduced to the rest of the newsies.
"I'm Smalls." The little boy, whom she had given her toast to the day before, spit on his hand and stuck it out for her to shake. She spit in her own hand and took his.
"I'm um...." Jenna thought quickly but the only name she could think of was her little brother's "Jaron. Jaron Tavaleer." Jaron had caught scarlet fever when he was three and Jenna was five. She tried to forget about him, but it was so hard, he was so young.
"I'se Socks," Said a very tall and muscular boy. He had short curly red hair and very dark brown eyes. He must have been about 6' 3" and looked like a giant compared to Jenna who was only 5' 4". Like Smalls, he spit on hi hand and they shook. Jenna wondered why he would be called Socks.
"I'm called Dog." This boy looked to be about 14 with longish brown hair, deep blue eyes, and was maybe 5' 5" tall. His voice was harsh and sounded strangely like a dog's bark. They also spit shook.
Within a few minutes, Jenna had met all the boys in the group and they were standing in front of the Brooklyn Newsboys Lodging House.
"Well uh...what's ya name?" Spot looked at Jenna for an answer.
"Jaron."
"Well Jaron, dis would be our home sweet Lodging House. Welcome to your home for da next week of ya life. It's ten cents for da foist night, den five cents for each night afta dat, got it?" Jenna nodded and they walked in.
After she had signed in with Terry, the man who ran their lodging house, they all walked up the stairs to the bunkroom. Spot stopped in the middle of the room and Jenna looked around, there didn't seem to be any empty bunks, but Jenna figured there was one somewhere.
"You'se see dat door over dere?" Spot pointed to a door at the end of the 'hallway' between the bunks and Jenna nodded. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Well, dat's where me bunk is. You'se are nevah, NEVAH, to go in dere widout me permission. Got it?" Again, she nodded. "Good. Now dat dat is all clear, den you'se gonna be sleeping..." He walked over towards the fire escape and the end of the row of bunks. "Aha! Here's one. You'se ill be sleeping above Socks 'ere. Dat's lucky for you cuz Socks is gonna be da one teachin' you'se ta fight." Socks stepped forward with a confused look on his face.
"Now wait a sec Spot. I'se aint no teacher!" Spot glared at him.
"Well you'se gonna become a teacher tomorrow." Socks sighed and stepped back.
"Dat's what I thought. Dog is gonna be teachin you to sell." Dog didn't object as Socks had. "And uh... let's see. Gawd, you'se all suck at usin' slingshots." He said with a smile "I guess dat leaves me teachin you to use dat. Ok, now we'se all set. You know how to play poker?" Jenna said no and Spot gave her blank look. "We'se gonna hafta teach you dat too. Bucket, go get ya cards."
And so began Jenna's new life.