Disclaimer: I STILL don't own Newsies. And I never will. *sighs* But I can
dream.
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Cricket groaned inwardly when he saw that the New York newsies were there- and then he saw Mr. Brooks.
"What is he doing here?" Cow asked Cricket.
"No clue. But I wish he wasn't." Cricket answered.
"He's almost as bad as the newsies." Cow grumbled.
"If you ask me, he's worse." Song said, joining their conversation.
"But we didn't ask you, so leave us alone, Song." Cow was in no mood for Song at the moment.
"You can't tell me what to do!" Song growled.
"Not now." Cricket said.
Cow glared at Song and pushed her out of his way.
"There you are." Mr. Brooks said, catching sight of them.
"Yeah, here we are." Cricket said, walking up to him and one of the newsies.
"This is Jack. He's the leader of the New York newsboys." Mr. Brooks said. "And this is Cricket. He's the leader of the Chicago newsboys."
"AND GOILS!" Illusion shouted.
"Yes, and girls." Mr. Brooks said, grimacing at her. "Now, the mayor told me that you were all to split up into pairs. Every Chicago newsboy- or girl- for a New York one. If there's any extras, you figure it out. I'm leaving the pairing to the leaders. Good luck."
"Thanks, dat's so kind of ya!" Racetrack called after his retreating form.
"Well, dis is easy enough. Everybody, jus' pick a partner." Jack said, taking charge.
"That's not going to work. Jack." Cow said. "You see, I was thinking we should just leave you here, and see how you get on by yourself- you seem to think you're good at that."
"Cow." Cricket warned.
Jack raised his eyebrows at the pair of them. "Wha's dis about?"
"We told ya, Jack. Dey don't like us." Specs said. "And dey don't want us heah."
"Looks like they aren't as dumb as they look." Song said.
"See, Jack," Race said, pretending he hadn't heard anything. "Dey know we'se bettah den them. Dey're too afraid dat we'll take ovah dere jobs."
"Like that would happen even if you tried." Cow said.
"Ah, but boyo, they're too lazy to try anythin'." Claddagh said, laughing.
"Oh, 'cause we were bein' lazy durin' the strike. I forgot." Skittery said, rolling his eyes.
"You were being lazy! All you did was sit on your butts and not sell!" Cow shouted.
"Jus' 'cause we didn't sell doesn't mean we sat on our butts, ya bum!" Specs shouted back.
"Oh, ye partied, too." Claddagh said, rolling her eyes.
"We didn't party." Rave said, getting mad.
"Sure you didn't." Rubber said, believing them.
"Shut up, Rubber!" Song shouted.
"Leave Rubber alone, Song, he hasn't done anything to you!" Cow yelled, turning on her.
"Looks like no one likes ya, Song. We didn't, dat's for sure." Race said, smirking.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Cow shouted, rounding back on the New York newsies.
"Whoa. Didn't know dat would upset ya." Race said.
"It's like havin' a brothah. Dey can yell at ya, but if anyone else does, dey soak 'em." Sneaks said to Snooza, who was standing next to her. She laughed at that.
Cow was about ready to kill all of them by this point, as where some of the others on the Chicago side. Spot saw this, and decided to take charge, since Jack wasn't doing anything.
"Look, jus' tell us why ya hate us, and we'll leave ya alone." Spot said.
"Who are you?" Cow asked.
"I'se da leadah of da Brooklyn newsies." Spot said proudly. Cow just stared at them, and Spot shook his head.
"It don't mattah who he is. Look, we gotta get sellin'." Jack said.
"So now you're worried about selling." Cow said.
"He's right." Cricket turned to Jack. "How're we going to split them into pairs?"
"By numbahs?" Jack asked.
Cricket nodded. "That would work. How many do you have?"
Jack turned around and counted how many newsies he had brought with him. "I got 26."
"I have 23." Cricket said after counting.
"Ok, den three of you will have two partners." Jack said. "Now we need ta write down some numbahs." Cricket got a pencil and a piece of paper from one of his newsies and he sat down and wrote the numbers. He ripped the paper up and put half of the torn pieces into his hat.
"Here's you're numbers. Put them in a hat and have people pick." Cricket said.
"How do we know who has two partners?" Jack asked.
"The last three people will pick two numbers." Cricket said, then walked over to his newsies to have them pick their numbers. Jack did the same. No one, it seemed, wanted to have two partners, though, so Cricket, Cow, and Claddagh ended up having to pick two.
"Well, I've got three and ten." Cricket said.
Jack raised his eyebrows. "And I'se got ten." He looked over at Cricket. "Looks like we'se be sellin tagether. Now, who has three?"
"I'se got three." Sparrow shouted.
"You're selling with me, then, too." Cricket said.
"I'se got twenty and nineteen." Cow said.
Spot groaned. "Nineteen."
Cow groaned, too. "Looks like you're with me, then." Cow said.
"Who has twenty?" Spot asked, hoping that the next person would be someone he liked.
"I do." Sneaks said, walking over to them. She smiled at Spot, and he smiled back. If he was going to be stuck with Cow, at least someone else would be there, too.
"I have thirteen and one." Claddagh said, then looked up. "Who's with me?"
"That'd be me." Tumbler said. "I have one."
"This is Tumbler." Jack said.
"Hello, lad. I'm Claddagh." She said. Tumbler smiled at her.
"And I have thirteen." David said. "I'm David, by the way."
"And I'm Claddagh." She said.
"Why don't youse go sell? Me and Cricket'll wait til everyone's finished." Jack said to David and Spot.
"We'll see you later, then." David said, and the six of them went to buy their papers.
"Who's left?" Cricket asked.
Racetrack stepped forward. "I'se got five."
Song groaned. "I'm stuck with HIM?"
"Someone wanna change wit me?" Racetrack asked.
"No switchin' Race. Just go buy yer papes." Jack said.
Racetrack rolled his eyes and started following the others. Song went and joined him.
"Look, ya ain't wit me if anyone asks, got it?" Race said.
"I don't want to be with you, either." Song said.
"Great, den stay at least five feet away from me." Race said. They kept on walking towards the distribution center, arguing all the way.
"I'se got 12." Illusion said.
"So do I." one of the girls said. "I'm Gem, by the way."
"Illusion." She said. "Let's get dis ovah with."
The two of them followed the rest, not talking at all. The pairing went on, and the 'partners' walked away in various different ways- Skittery and his 'partner', Curly, were ignoring each other, Eraser and her 'partner', Tickles, a ten year old boy, were making fun of each other, and so on.
The last groups to leave were Cricket, Jack, and Sparrow's group, and then the last two groups that were paired: Brogue, and his 'partner', Fantasy, and Sky, with his 'partner', Rave. They walked to the distribution center and got in line.
"Jack, why do we gotta sell wit 'em?" Sparrow asked him.
Jack looked over at the younger girl who still had a hint of an Irish accent, though she tried to hide it. "Da mayor told us dey needed help."
"It doesn't look like it." Sparrow said.
"It doesn't." Jack agreed.
Behind them, Fantasy was talking to her 'partner'. She remembered him from the day before, and she really wanted to ask him why they hated them. But she didn't. Not yet.
"Did ya move heah from Ireland?" Fantasy asked.
Brogue was staring at the front of the line, but glanced over at her when she asked her question. He nodded. "Aye. Me sister and I."
"Oh, so dat goil's yer sistah?" Fantasy asked.
Brogue frowned. "Why do ye care?"
Fantasy shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?"
Brogue turned toward her. "Then yes, she is."
Fantasy smiled. "Dat's all I wanted ta know." She looked up towards the sky. "Wheah did ya live in Ireland?"
"In Westport." Brogue said. "I doubt ye've heard o' it."
"I have dough! Me dad lived on a farm by dere!" Fantasy said. She looked down from the sky, and saw that he now looked as interested as she felt.
"Did he? What's your last name?" Brogue asked.
"McGreevey." Fantasy said.
"Do ye still have family there?" Brogue asked.
Fantasy nodded. "Yeah. Me dad had three budders and four sistahs, and dey're all dere. I write to 'em sometimes."
"I know 'em!" Brogue said.
Fantasy smiled "Ya do? How?"
"One o' 'em live by a peat bog." Brogue said. "They'd sell it in town, and we always bought it from 'em. We're great friends."
"Dat's me Uncle Sean. He lives on da bog." She said.
"Aye! That's his name!" Brogue said. "I'll have to write me Ma tonight and tell 'er."
"Yer Ma?" Fantasy asked.
Brogue nodded. "Me whole family's over there, except for me sister. We're savin' up to get them over."
"I'm sorry. It must be hard ta live so far away." Fantasy said. Brogue nodded.
"Move up, Fantasy!" Rave shouted from behind them. Fantasy looked in front of her and saw that they were next.
"Whoops." Fantasy said. She looked back at Brogue, but he had already walked ahead. He had been so caught up in what they were talking about, he had forgotten he hated the New York newsies. Fantasy sighed and followed him, thinking the same thing.
"Brogue, wait for me! We'll sell together!" Sky called to him as he walked down the steps. Brogue nodded and stopped. Fantasy joined him after she bought her papers, and shortly after, Sky and Rave joined them, too.
"Shall we go, ladies?" Sky asked, feigning politeness.
Brogue rolled his eyes, but nodded and fell in next to him. Fantasy and Rave were walking behind them.
"Wait for me!" Hope called from behind them. "I was waiting for you, but I guess you didn't see me."
"Us." Atlantic corrected.
Hope nodded at her 'partner'. "Sure, us."
"Let's go. We already wasted time pickin' numbahs and all." Rave said.
"Come on, we'll go to where we normally sell." Sky said.
"Sure. Den you can see us beat ya." Rave said, smiling.
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Wow, that's one of the longest chapters I've ever written!! Though it does look a lot longer on Word than on ff.net.
Anyway, just to let you know, Westport is a real town in Ireland, and I've been there twice. I have family there, so I figured I'd use that.
Oh, and peat is this stuff that they used to dig up from the ground in Ireland, and they used it instead of wood to make their fires. NOW REVIEW!!!!!! lol.
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Cricket groaned inwardly when he saw that the New York newsies were there- and then he saw Mr. Brooks.
"What is he doing here?" Cow asked Cricket.
"No clue. But I wish he wasn't." Cricket answered.
"He's almost as bad as the newsies." Cow grumbled.
"If you ask me, he's worse." Song said, joining their conversation.
"But we didn't ask you, so leave us alone, Song." Cow was in no mood for Song at the moment.
"You can't tell me what to do!" Song growled.
"Not now." Cricket said.
Cow glared at Song and pushed her out of his way.
"There you are." Mr. Brooks said, catching sight of them.
"Yeah, here we are." Cricket said, walking up to him and one of the newsies.
"This is Jack. He's the leader of the New York newsboys." Mr. Brooks said. "And this is Cricket. He's the leader of the Chicago newsboys."
"AND GOILS!" Illusion shouted.
"Yes, and girls." Mr. Brooks said, grimacing at her. "Now, the mayor told me that you were all to split up into pairs. Every Chicago newsboy- or girl- for a New York one. If there's any extras, you figure it out. I'm leaving the pairing to the leaders. Good luck."
"Thanks, dat's so kind of ya!" Racetrack called after his retreating form.
"Well, dis is easy enough. Everybody, jus' pick a partner." Jack said, taking charge.
"That's not going to work. Jack." Cow said. "You see, I was thinking we should just leave you here, and see how you get on by yourself- you seem to think you're good at that."
"Cow." Cricket warned.
Jack raised his eyebrows at the pair of them. "Wha's dis about?"
"We told ya, Jack. Dey don't like us." Specs said. "And dey don't want us heah."
"Looks like they aren't as dumb as they look." Song said.
"See, Jack," Race said, pretending he hadn't heard anything. "Dey know we'se bettah den them. Dey're too afraid dat we'll take ovah dere jobs."
"Like that would happen even if you tried." Cow said.
"Ah, but boyo, they're too lazy to try anythin'." Claddagh said, laughing.
"Oh, 'cause we were bein' lazy durin' the strike. I forgot." Skittery said, rolling his eyes.
"You were being lazy! All you did was sit on your butts and not sell!" Cow shouted.
"Jus' 'cause we didn't sell doesn't mean we sat on our butts, ya bum!" Specs shouted back.
"Oh, ye partied, too." Claddagh said, rolling her eyes.
"We didn't party." Rave said, getting mad.
"Sure you didn't." Rubber said, believing them.
"Shut up, Rubber!" Song shouted.
"Leave Rubber alone, Song, he hasn't done anything to you!" Cow yelled, turning on her.
"Looks like no one likes ya, Song. We didn't, dat's for sure." Race said, smirking.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Cow shouted, rounding back on the New York newsies.
"Whoa. Didn't know dat would upset ya." Race said.
"It's like havin' a brothah. Dey can yell at ya, but if anyone else does, dey soak 'em." Sneaks said to Snooza, who was standing next to her. She laughed at that.
Cow was about ready to kill all of them by this point, as where some of the others on the Chicago side. Spot saw this, and decided to take charge, since Jack wasn't doing anything.
"Look, jus' tell us why ya hate us, and we'll leave ya alone." Spot said.
"Who are you?" Cow asked.
"I'se da leadah of da Brooklyn newsies." Spot said proudly. Cow just stared at them, and Spot shook his head.
"It don't mattah who he is. Look, we gotta get sellin'." Jack said.
"So now you're worried about selling." Cow said.
"He's right." Cricket turned to Jack. "How're we going to split them into pairs?"
"By numbahs?" Jack asked.
Cricket nodded. "That would work. How many do you have?"
Jack turned around and counted how many newsies he had brought with him. "I got 26."
"I have 23." Cricket said after counting.
"Ok, den three of you will have two partners." Jack said. "Now we need ta write down some numbahs." Cricket got a pencil and a piece of paper from one of his newsies and he sat down and wrote the numbers. He ripped the paper up and put half of the torn pieces into his hat.
"Here's you're numbers. Put them in a hat and have people pick." Cricket said.
"How do we know who has two partners?" Jack asked.
"The last three people will pick two numbers." Cricket said, then walked over to his newsies to have them pick their numbers. Jack did the same. No one, it seemed, wanted to have two partners, though, so Cricket, Cow, and Claddagh ended up having to pick two.
"Well, I've got three and ten." Cricket said.
Jack raised his eyebrows. "And I'se got ten." He looked over at Cricket. "Looks like we'se be sellin tagether. Now, who has three?"
"I'se got three." Sparrow shouted.
"You're selling with me, then, too." Cricket said.
"I'se got twenty and nineteen." Cow said.
Spot groaned. "Nineteen."
Cow groaned, too. "Looks like you're with me, then." Cow said.
"Who has twenty?" Spot asked, hoping that the next person would be someone he liked.
"I do." Sneaks said, walking over to them. She smiled at Spot, and he smiled back. If he was going to be stuck with Cow, at least someone else would be there, too.
"I have thirteen and one." Claddagh said, then looked up. "Who's with me?"
"That'd be me." Tumbler said. "I have one."
"This is Tumbler." Jack said.
"Hello, lad. I'm Claddagh." She said. Tumbler smiled at her.
"And I have thirteen." David said. "I'm David, by the way."
"And I'm Claddagh." She said.
"Why don't youse go sell? Me and Cricket'll wait til everyone's finished." Jack said to David and Spot.
"We'll see you later, then." David said, and the six of them went to buy their papers.
"Who's left?" Cricket asked.
Racetrack stepped forward. "I'se got five."
Song groaned. "I'm stuck with HIM?"
"Someone wanna change wit me?" Racetrack asked.
"No switchin' Race. Just go buy yer papes." Jack said.
Racetrack rolled his eyes and started following the others. Song went and joined him.
"Look, ya ain't wit me if anyone asks, got it?" Race said.
"I don't want to be with you, either." Song said.
"Great, den stay at least five feet away from me." Race said. They kept on walking towards the distribution center, arguing all the way.
"I'se got 12." Illusion said.
"So do I." one of the girls said. "I'm Gem, by the way."
"Illusion." She said. "Let's get dis ovah with."
The two of them followed the rest, not talking at all. The pairing went on, and the 'partners' walked away in various different ways- Skittery and his 'partner', Curly, were ignoring each other, Eraser and her 'partner', Tickles, a ten year old boy, were making fun of each other, and so on.
The last groups to leave were Cricket, Jack, and Sparrow's group, and then the last two groups that were paired: Brogue, and his 'partner', Fantasy, and Sky, with his 'partner', Rave. They walked to the distribution center and got in line.
"Jack, why do we gotta sell wit 'em?" Sparrow asked him.
Jack looked over at the younger girl who still had a hint of an Irish accent, though she tried to hide it. "Da mayor told us dey needed help."
"It doesn't look like it." Sparrow said.
"It doesn't." Jack agreed.
Behind them, Fantasy was talking to her 'partner'. She remembered him from the day before, and she really wanted to ask him why they hated them. But she didn't. Not yet.
"Did ya move heah from Ireland?" Fantasy asked.
Brogue was staring at the front of the line, but glanced over at her when she asked her question. He nodded. "Aye. Me sister and I."
"Oh, so dat goil's yer sistah?" Fantasy asked.
Brogue frowned. "Why do ye care?"
Fantasy shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?"
Brogue turned toward her. "Then yes, she is."
Fantasy smiled. "Dat's all I wanted ta know." She looked up towards the sky. "Wheah did ya live in Ireland?"
"In Westport." Brogue said. "I doubt ye've heard o' it."
"I have dough! Me dad lived on a farm by dere!" Fantasy said. She looked down from the sky, and saw that he now looked as interested as she felt.
"Did he? What's your last name?" Brogue asked.
"McGreevey." Fantasy said.
"Do ye still have family there?" Brogue asked.
Fantasy nodded. "Yeah. Me dad had three budders and four sistahs, and dey're all dere. I write to 'em sometimes."
"I know 'em!" Brogue said.
Fantasy smiled "Ya do? How?"
"One o' 'em live by a peat bog." Brogue said. "They'd sell it in town, and we always bought it from 'em. We're great friends."
"Dat's me Uncle Sean. He lives on da bog." She said.
"Aye! That's his name!" Brogue said. "I'll have to write me Ma tonight and tell 'er."
"Yer Ma?" Fantasy asked.
Brogue nodded. "Me whole family's over there, except for me sister. We're savin' up to get them over."
"I'm sorry. It must be hard ta live so far away." Fantasy said. Brogue nodded.
"Move up, Fantasy!" Rave shouted from behind them. Fantasy looked in front of her and saw that they were next.
"Whoops." Fantasy said. She looked back at Brogue, but he had already walked ahead. He had been so caught up in what they were talking about, he had forgotten he hated the New York newsies. Fantasy sighed and followed him, thinking the same thing.
"Brogue, wait for me! We'll sell together!" Sky called to him as he walked down the steps. Brogue nodded and stopped. Fantasy joined him after she bought her papers, and shortly after, Sky and Rave joined them, too.
"Shall we go, ladies?" Sky asked, feigning politeness.
Brogue rolled his eyes, but nodded and fell in next to him. Fantasy and Rave were walking behind them.
"Wait for me!" Hope called from behind them. "I was waiting for you, but I guess you didn't see me."
"Us." Atlantic corrected.
Hope nodded at her 'partner'. "Sure, us."
"Let's go. We already wasted time pickin' numbahs and all." Rave said.
"Come on, we'll go to where we normally sell." Sky said.
"Sure. Den you can see us beat ya." Rave said, smiling.
_______________________________________
Wow, that's one of the longest chapters I've ever written!! Though it does look a lot longer on Word than on ff.net.
Anyway, just to let you know, Westport is a real town in Ireland, and I've been there twice. I have family there, so I figured I'd use that.
Oh, and peat is this stuff that they used to dig up from the ground in Ireland, and they used it instead of wood to make their fires. NOW REVIEW!!!!!! lol.