Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies or any of these characters, except for
Fantasy. I don't claim to. So don't sue. (
There were thirteen girls in the Girl's Lodging House at the time, and they didn't always get along. They tried, but they couldn't help but get in fights now and then. They were all about the same ages, the oldest being 19 and the youngest 14.
They were usually late, too, so it was strange for the boys to see them in the morning. Usually, they see them at lunch or getting the evening edition of the World.
But today was a strange day. the actual DAY wasn't, but the morning, and the night. The girls went back to the Boy's Lodging House for awhile that night. They walked in, expecting to see Kloppman standing behind the counter. But he wasn't.
"HEY, KLOPPY!!" Jack called out.
"In here, boys, there's someone here to see you." Kloppman answered from the bunkroom.
Jack glanced behind him and shrugged, leading the way up to the bunkroom. He opened the door and walked in to see the Mayor, standing in the middle of the room. Everyone stopped talking at the sight of him.
"Boys, the Mayor has something he would like to ask you." Kloppman said.
"Well, boys. The mayor of Chicago has recently contacted me." The mayor started. "He says that his newsboys aren't very enthusiastic about their job ever since you won the strike. He wants some of you to go and visit them, and see if you could help them."
All the newsies stared at him, and finally Jack spoke up. "When'd we go? And for how long?"
"You'd leave tomorrow evening, at 6:30. I have already rented a space for you. I thought that 26 of you could go, 13 girls, 13 boys. That way it'd be even." He pauses for a second, waiting for an answer. "What do you say, boys? And girls?" He added as an afterthought.
Jack, who was still standing in front of the rest, glanced back at them. They were all nodding their heads, telling him to say yes. "Well, I think that we'd love ta!"
The mayor beamed at them. "Alright. Then I want you to figure out who will be going and then I want them to pack. Be at Central Station at 5:30, sharp tomorrow evening. Feel free to all come and say good-bye."
"I'll be sure that they'll be ready, mayor. Thank you so much for giving them such a great opportunity." Kloppman said, walking with him down the stairs. When they were sure that the mayor and Kloppman couldn't hear them, Racetrack said, "So, who's goin'?"
Everyone started shouting, "I will!"
"Shuddup! Just shuddup for a second!" Jack screamed. Kloppman came back up the stairs to help them decide. Swifty ran off to ask Spot if he would go, because he did the run the strike, so he had a place on the list for sure. Jack and David were also a definite, so David went home to ask if he could. After awhile, they finally decided on who else would go and who wouldn't.
"Alright, so this is who's goin'." Jack said, and started to read off a sheet. "Me, Racetrack, Skittery, Mush, Spot, Tumbler, Swifty, Itey, Boots, Jake, Snoddy, David, and Specs. Then the goils are: Cocky, Rain, Dainti, Rave, Atlantic, Lavender, Snooza, Sneaks, Nugget, Sparrow, Illusion, Fantasy, and Eraser. Is dat right?"
Kloppman nodded. "You'll pack in the morning; you need to get a good night's sleep. This is the plan. Everyone who isn't going will sell the morning addition, and then those who are will pack. Girls, go on back to your own Lodging House, we'll come by at 4:30 to bring you to the train station. David, come here to the Lodging House once you finish packing, so we won't have to go get you. And we'll need someone to get Spot, too. Someone who isn't going."
"I'll get him." Bumlets volunteered.
"And I'll go with him." Dutchy said.
"Ok. But now, you need to sleep."
The girls and David left, waving good-bye to Kloppman.
"I can't believe it; I've always wanted to travel somewhere!" Fantasy exclaimed as they got ready for bed back in their own Lodging House.
"Chicago's a great place, too. You should see all da watah!" Rave said. She had lived there until she was 13, but ran away because her father would abuse her, and her brother wasn't any better.
"Dere's lots of watah here, too, ya know." Cocky said.
The people who heard her laughed.
"Let's jus' go ta sleep." Eraser said. She was already under her blankets in her bed. She was the youngest girl newsie at 13.
Fantasy hopped onto her top bunk, above Atlantic. "'Night, everyone!"
There were thirteen girls in the Girl's Lodging House at the time, and they didn't always get along. They tried, but they couldn't help but get in fights now and then. They were all about the same ages, the oldest being 19 and the youngest 14.
They were usually late, too, so it was strange for the boys to see them in the morning. Usually, they see them at lunch or getting the evening edition of the World.
But today was a strange day. the actual DAY wasn't, but the morning, and the night. The girls went back to the Boy's Lodging House for awhile that night. They walked in, expecting to see Kloppman standing behind the counter. But he wasn't.
"HEY, KLOPPY!!" Jack called out.
"In here, boys, there's someone here to see you." Kloppman answered from the bunkroom.
Jack glanced behind him and shrugged, leading the way up to the bunkroom. He opened the door and walked in to see the Mayor, standing in the middle of the room. Everyone stopped talking at the sight of him.
"Boys, the Mayor has something he would like to ask you." Kloppman said.
"Well, boys. The mayor of Chicago has recently contacted me." The mayor started. "He says that his newsboys aren't very enthusiastic about their job ever since you won the strike. He wants some of you to go and visit them, and see if you could help them."
All the newsies stared at him, and finally Jack spoke up. "When'd we go? And for how long?"
"You'd leave tomorrow evening, at 6:30. I have already rented a space for you. I thought that 26 of you could go, 13 girls, 13 boys. That way it'd be even." He pauses for a second, waiting for an answer. "What do you say, boys? And girls?" He added as an afterthought.
Jack, who was still standing in front of the rest, glanced back at them. They were all nodding their heads, telling him to say yes. "Well, I think that we'd love ta!"
The mayor beamed at them. "Alright. Then I want you to figure out who will be going and then I want them to pack. Be at Central Station at 5:30, sharp tomorrow evening. Feel free to all come and say good-bye."
"I'll be sure that they'll be ready, mayor. Thank you so much for giving them such a great opportunity." Kloppman said, walking with him down the stairs. When they were sure that the mayor and Kloppman couldn't hear them, Racetrack said, "So, who's goin'?"
Everyone started shouting, "I will!"
"Shuddup! Just shuddup for a second!" Jack screamed. Kloppman came back up the stairs to help them decide. Swifty ran off to ask Spot if he would go, because he did the run the strike, so he had a place on the list for sure. Jack and David were also a definite, so David went home to ask if he could. After awhile, they finally decided on who else would go and who wouldn't.
"Alright, so this is who's goin'." Jack said, and started to read off a sheet. "Me, Racetrack, Skittery, Mush, Spot, Tumbler, Swifty, Itey, Boots, Jake, Snoddy, David, and Specs. Then the goils are: Cocky, Rain, Dainti, Rave, Atlantic, Lavender, Snooza, Sneaks, Nugget, Sparrow, Illusion, Fantasy, and Eraser. Is dat right?"
Kloppman nodded. "You'll pack in the morning; you need to get a good night's sleep. This is the plan. Everyone who isn't going will sell the morning addition, and then those who are will pack. Girls, go on back to your own Lodging House, we'll come by at 4:30 to bring you to the train station. David, come here to the Lodging House once you finish packing, so we won't have to go get you. And we'll need someone to get Spot, too. Someone who isn't going."
"I'll get him." Bumlets volunteered.
"And I'll go with him." Dutchy said.
"Ok. But now, you need to sleep."
The girls and David left, waving good-bye to Kloppman.
"I can't believe it; I've always wanted to travel somewhere!" Fantasy exclaimed as they got ready for bed back in their own Lodging House.
"Chicago's a great place, too. You should see all da watah!" Rave said. She had lived there until she was 13, but ran away because her father would abuse her, and her brother wasn't any better.
"Dere's lots of watah here, too, ya know." Cocky said.
The people who heard her laughed.
"Let's jus' go ta sleep." Eraser said. She was already under her blankets in her bed. She was the youngest girl newsie at 13.
Fantasy hopped onto her top bunk, above Atlantic. "'Night, everyone!"