Disclaimer: Any recognisably 'Newsie' things are not mine… unfortunately. So please no one sue me. I have no money or anything worth wanting… unless of course you want one of my room mates – you could have the one who doesn't do her dishes, or maybe the one who buys massive bags of marshmallows… hmmm…
Anyways, moving on…… Read and enjoy!
Of Cowboys and Dreams
"Papa, I'm goin out now" Leigh Wentworth called as she entered her father's home office. They had just moved to Manhattan from just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico the previous week. Her father had opened a law firm with one of his university friends and it was already a surprising success.
"I would feel better if you took someone with you" he said looking up from unpacking yet another box of books.
"I'll be fine. It's not like it's nighttime or anything. Do you want anything while I'm out?" she asked sweetly. Her father wasn't like many of the other 'upper class' people. He had adamantly instilled in her the ability to do things for herself.
"A newspaper?" he smiled.
"Alright, I'll be back before dinner"
"Dinner? That's hours from now, sweetheart" he frowned slightly.
"But I said 'before' dinner though. So that could be an hour from now or in a few hours… You know how I lose track of time Papa" she rolled her emerald eyes.
"Well have fun then" he said handing her some money for a paper and her lunch. He walked over to her and kissed the top of her head. "And be careful" he added.
"I will, see you later" she said walking from his office.
Leigh walked around Manhattan for an hour before she decided to buy a paper. If she remembered correctly her father had said that there were newsboys that sold the newspapers in the streets. She continued walking until she heard a male voice shouting over the noise of everyday life.
"Extry, extry! Entire army exterminated" a teenage boy yelled with a thick New York accent. Leigh snorted to herself thinking the headline was completely ridiculous. She made her way through the people in the street to the young man who looked her age and was wearing a red bandana and had a cowboy hat resting on his back.
"An army exterminated?" she asked from behind the newsboy. He turned and grinned. She could see his hazel eyes lit with laughter.
"Why, yes Miss, hundreds killed" he stated. Leigh eyed him for a moment.
"Let me guess… an army of ants by any chance?" she asked. He laughed and winked at the inquisitive girl.
"Of coise, but don't tell them that" he said motioning to everyone in the street. "It's bad for business.
"Improving the truth?" Leigh smirked unknowingly using his phrase.
"You'se a smart goil Miss" he smiled appreciatively. Leigh returned the smile kindly.
"May I have a paper please?"
"Sure thing" he handed her one as she gave him the money for it.
"What's with the cowboy hat? Not too many people around here seem to wear them," she inquired. The newsboy gave her a puzzled look, wondering why someone of her class was making an effort to carry a conversation with someone like him.
"One day I hope to go to Santa Fe" he replied honestly.
"Oh! I just moved here from just outside of Santa Fe," she said becoming interested in his story.
Jack regarded the girl before him curiously. Not many people he sold to gave him the time of day outside of buying the paper.
"So why do you want to go there?" she asked him, truly interested.
"Just to get away from all dis," he answered making a sweeping motion with his arm to the street and people.
"You have lived here all of your life?" Jack nodded in response. He unintentionally gave her an odd look, which the girl noticed.
"What?"
"Nothin…" he began. "It's jus' that people of your… stature, don't usually give people like me the time o' day" he said somewhat uncomfortably, as he ran his hand through his hair.
"Why?" she seemed completely confused. Jack wasn't quite sir how to respond.
"'Cause from the looks o' it your rich and I'se aint" he watched as the girl frowned thoughtfully.
"That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard." Jack raised his eyebrows. "Are people actually like that?" she questioned him, brushing a couple loose strands of her blond hair from her eyes. Jack simply nodded dumbfounded by this girl. She muttered to herself for a moment shaking her head. Jack then watched as she remover her gloves and stuck out her hand.
"Leigh Wentworth" she introduced herself. Jack reached out hesitantly and shook her hand.
"Jack Kelly" The fact that she actually took off her gloves to touch him surprised him yet again. She was a contradiction to her class and Jack liked it.
"Well it was nice to meet you Mr Kelly, but I should let you get back to work." She said, green eyes sparkling in the sunlight.
"Uh, okay" he managed to get out. Had someone just called him Mister Kelly? She moved to walk away but stopped.
"I hope you get where you want to go someday," she said sincerely. Jack nodded. What a strange goil, he thought as he watched her disappear into the crowd. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he turned back to the street to finish selling his papers.
Jack entered Tibby's Restaurant at lunchtime to find most of the other newsies already there.
"Hey Jack, where ya been? We's was thinkin' bout gettin' worried" Racetrack smirked.
"Got talkin'" Jack answered as he sat down.
"With a goil?" Mush asked leaning in a bit.
"Yeh" was the absent response. Jack was still thinking about his run in with 'Leigh Wentworth'. Her sincere kindness was not something he was used to. And the fact that she seemed to see no boundary between herself and people like him was, to say the least, refreshing. One in a million, Jack thought.
"So what's hoir name?"
"It aint like that Race" Jack scratched the back of his head; for once he wasn't liking all the attention he was getting. "We's just got talkin', den parted ways" he shrugged.
"Now I find dat hard to believe Jacky-boy" the voice of none other than Spot Conlon sounded as he sat down at the table. Since the strike he'd been visiting the Manhattan newsies more often.
"It was nottin' Spot" Jack sighed. "Just some goil dat bought a pape" He muttered a 'thanks' to the waiter who had just brought him his lunch. The conversation was dropped almost immediately, much to Jack's relief, as a few more newsies came in chattering away about some fight in Queens.
"Maria, ¿Donde es Papa?" Leigh asked their housekeeper as she entered the small laundry room. The older woman had worked for the family since before Leigh was born.
"He's at work for a few hours"
"Oh…" Leigh had been hoping to speak with him.
"Can I help you with that?" Leigh asked Maria who was washing bed linens. The older woman knew if she said no the girl would not listen, so she nodded. They worked together in a comfortable silence, but Maria could tell that there was something on the young woman's mind.
"How was your day?" She queried
"Interesting" Leigh began. "I walked around for a little while and then bought a paper from a newsboy"
"Was he nice to you?" Maria frowned, hoping no one had given any trouble while she was out on her own. Leigh thought for a moment trying to figure out what the older woman was getting at.
"Yes he was very sweet, although…"
"Yes?" Maria prodded, beginning to get worried. She had not like the idea of the girl going out alone in the unfamiliar city just as Mr Wentworth had.
"He asked why I was talking to him, something about somebody from my class talking to someone like him" she scrubbed the sheet harder as if all her confusion would wash away with the dirt.
"And what did you tell him?" Maria had a feeling she knew exactly what had been said.
"I said it was the dumbest thing I ever heard" Leigh confirmed and she went silent, lost in thought once more. "Why do people care about things as trivial as social standing?" she asked finally. Maria sighed; old brown eyes watching the soap bubbles pop in the washbasin. She loved the girl like a daughter and was always proud about how the girl could see past so many things and see each and every person as an equal, but she knew that it would set the girl up to be hurt time and time again.
"Many people always want to be better than the next… and one way to that is to make sure that people see how much more they have than the next, and to point out the flaws one has or how much more underprivileged a person is." Maria put down her washing a looked at Leigh before continuing. "The boy you spoke to today is most likely either a runaway or an orphan or a child earning money for his family. That is how he makes money to live."
"So he doesn't have a family or much money? And people judge him for that? That's horrible!" Leigh was disgusted. "He was so nice – so real. He… I don't know… he was definitely different then those awful boys Papas friends keep introducing me to." Leigh made a face as she wrung out a sheet. Maria leaned in a grinned.
"I don't think your father likes those boys much either" she winked. Leigh giggled beginning to scrub a pillowcase. "You seem very taken with this newsboy" Leigh didn't raise her gaze from the pillowcase, but anyone would have been able to see a faint blush spread across her cheeks. "I suspect you'll be buying newspapers often then?"
"He probably wouldn't sell in the same place again Maria. Besides he just made me think that's all"
"Mmm hmm" Leigh flicked water at the older woman, glad she could talk to her like a friend.
"Maria?" Leigh asked sometime later as they put the wet linens in the laundry basket, ready to hang outside.
"Yes child?"
"Do you think Papa would let me get a job?" Leigh asked quietly.
"Leigh, your father gives you everything you could ever want or need" Maria was unsure of where the conversation was going.
"I realize that, but I want to make my own money. I'm bored during the day anyway. Secondary school is finished and even if I could get into a college I can't go until I'm eighteen – I need something to do." Leigh slumped into a nearby chair.
"What sort of job?" a male voice asked from the doorway. Leigh looked up to see her father leaning on the doorframe. Maria nodded hello to him and slipped past him to finish her chores.
"I, um… I don't know. A waitress maybe… but somewhere safe though" She replied looking hopeful. Her dad raised his eyebrows, his blue eyes affectionately watching his daughter as she fidgeted with her skirt.
"Seems like you've got something in mind already" he commented. She looked at her lap before meeting his gaze.
"It's called Irving Hall, its on Broome Street, and it's owned and run by a woman named Medda. I saw a sign in the window advertising for a waitress job. The interviews are tomorrow."
"Alright"
"Alright what?" Leigh asked slowly.
"You can apply for the job. But I don't want you walking home in the dark if you get it, either find someone to walk home with or I can arrange for a carriage to pick you up-" he was cut off by Leigh throwing her arms around hid neck.
"Thank you Papa!" she exclaimed into his shoulder.
"You'll have to dress down a bit though," he said pulling out of the embrace. "Try just simple skirt and white blouse, you don't need any unwanted attention," he said before kissing her forehead and retreating to his office. Leigh smiled and ran up to her room to figure out what to wear the following day. The sign had said to apply between one and four in the afternoon, so she had plenty of time to figure out what to say to get the job.
"Heya Jack, aint you gonna sell the afternoon edition?" Mush asked the next day as Jack started for the opposite direction of the distribution centre after they'd had lunch.
"Nah I'se gonna go visit Medda for a bit. I hoid she's hiring new waitresses or something" he winked. Mush just laughed shaking his head as he jogged to catch up to the other newsies down the street.
When Jack arrived at Medda's he saw the older woman talking to a girl. Though the girls back was to him, he could tell she was a looker – golden blond hair reaching the middle of her back, her white blouse and dark grey skirt fitting her very nicely. Medda saw Jack wandering over and her face lit up.
"Kelly!" I knew you'd show up today of all days" she laughed poking him in the side. Jack came to stand beside her, pleasantly surprised to see the girl from the previous morning.
"Are you stalking me?" he teased.
"Of course, that must be it" Leigh said sarcastically. Medda watched the exchange with interest.
"Do you two know each other?" she inquired.
"Shoah we know each other Medda, and I give 'er my full recommendation for the job," He said as he put an arm around both ladies shoulders. Leigh smiled tightly, hoping he wasn't ruining her chance at getting the position.
"She doesn't need any help Jack, she's got the job" Medda said. Leigh beamed at her.
"I did?"
"Yes darlin' now I expect you to be here tomorrow morning by nine so I can get you trained and then you can work tomorrow night, okay?"
"Sure"
"Be good Kelly" Medda said pointedly before walking off to her dressing room. Ignoring Medda's comment he turned to Leigh.
"Congratulations" he acknowledged.
"Thank you" Leigh said happily.
"If ya don't mind me askin', why'd you get a job?" Jack stuck his hands in his pockets.
"Because I was tired of doing nothing all day, and I want my own money not have my father pay for everything all of the time". Leigh yet again baffled Jack; this time because she didn't want everything handed to her in life.
"You're not selling papers this afternoon?" she asked breaking his train of thought.
"Nah, I thought I'd swing by an' say hi to Medda."
"How do you know her?"
"She was a friend of my fadders," he answered as they walked towards the exit.
"She seems very nice"
"Medda's the best," Jack stated, "she even let all o' the newsies have a rally here when we's was on strike"
"You went on strike?" Leigh said as they stepped outside onto the sidewalk.
"Yeh, I'll have to tell ya bout it some time" Jack shrugged.
"Are you busy now?" she asked somewhat hopefully. Jack looked at her closely. Why did she still want to talk to him?
"Not particularly"
"Great then you could tell me about it now… that is if you want to" Leigh looked up at him from her five foot five height expectantly.
"Shoah thing" he grinned. Boy was he whipped for a pretty face. "I could even take ya on a lil' tour of the city – get you acquainted wit' it an' all" he offered, wondering if she'd actually agree to spend so much time with him.
"That would be great."
As they walked Jack told his tale of the strike. He pointed out various landmarks and stores as they walked. By the end of his story they'd reached Central Park. Deciding to rest for a bit they sat down on a bench overlooking a small pond. It was pretty much hidden from the street by trees and all they could see was people walking on the nearby path and ducks flocking to an old man throwing breadcrumbs about.
"I can't believe you took on an entire newspaper… and won too," she said, beginning to wonder if everybody had amazing stories like his. She certainly knew she had no stories like that or any accomplishments as big to be proud about.
"Yeh well, couldn't let me boys get cheated y'know?" he shrugged.
"You're a good friend Jack," she said seriously, before a big grin lit up her features and she laughed. Jack was utterly confused.
"What?"
"Why are those boys waving at you from behind the bushes over there?" she pointed discretely to the left of Jack. Seeing what she'd been looking at, he chuckled and shook his head.
"Probably wonderin' why I'se sittin' with such a pretty goil" he said making Leigh blush. But she didn't let herself be put off by his comment.
"Well aren't you going to call them over?" She smirked as one of the boys caught her watching him and quickly dropped back behind the bush.
"Do I have to?" Jack whined playfully. She did have a good point though. Introducing her to them would be better then leaving them guessing as to who she was.
"Awe, come on I promise I won't bite" she laughed, swatting at his arm gently.
"It's not you I'm worried about" he muttered waving his friends over. Sheepishly coming out from behind the bushes, the two newsies walked over to stand beside where Jack sat.
"Uh, hey Cowboy, how's it goin'?" the one with an eye patch greeted, hoping Jack wasn't mad at them.
"Nothin' much Blink, we's just watchin' the Dodo's in the bushes" Leigh laughed at Jacks answer.
"Guys dis is Leigh, Leigh dis here is Kid Blink and Mush" Jack pointed at each as he named them. She didn't have to ask if they were newsboys as Jack had mentioned them in his story earlier.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you" She offered her hand to them to shake. Sending questioning glances to Jack they each shook her proffered hand. She was obviously of a higher class than they, even in the clothes she wore to play it down. No one ever wanted to shake their hands except for their friends.
"Well I can guess where you got your name" Leigh started looking at Blink, "but how did you get yours?" she asked Mush.
"Um – people thought me skin was the colour o' oatmeal, so they called me Mush" he shrugged hooking his thumbs in his suspenders.
"Well we's gotta finish sellin' our papes, see ya around Jack" Blink spoke up. The two wandered off continually looking back at Jack and Leigh on the bench. Leigh watched Jack as he watched his friends. She'd never had friends like Jack did; no one was ever dependant on her like they were with him. She only had acquaintances, since no one thought it was proper for her to as independent and free willed as she was. They sat in the park making friendly conversation for a couple more hours before Leigh noticed that it was becoming dark outside.
"I should really be getting home" she spoke up. Jack agreed but insisted on walking her home despite her protests that she wasn't a helpless little girl.
"It'll get real dark fast, and you don't know the streets good enough yet" he pointed out. Leigh conceded knowing he was right. Jack led her out of the park and they began the quite lengthy walk back to the wealthier part of the city.
It became rather windy as they walked and Jack kept on noticing that Leigh would close her eyes every so often when the wind blew especially hard. He watched the fast air pull strands of hair from her hair clips, and made them dance around her face.
"Watcha doin?" he asked.
"I love the wind," she said breathing deeply.
"How come?" He glanced at her. She closed her eyes momentarily in thought before looking at him to answer.
"Because… because it can blow away things that are wrong in your life, you know? And then leaves you with a clean slate to start over with." A small sad smile graced her lips, but vanished almost immediately as if she wouldn't let herself feel what she was feeling. Jack took in what she'd said and they fell into a few moments of silence.
"I've got it," he stated. Leigh regarded him as if he had two heads.
"Got what? Your sanity?" she joked.
"Your nickname' he said.
"Oookay"
"Any friend of mine's got to have a newsie nickname-" he held up a finger as she opened her mouth to speak. "Even if they aint a newsie" Leigh wasn't sire she followed but was pleased she was being considered his friend.
"And what is my nickname may I ask?"
"Well since ya just got all philosophical about the wind…I'll call ya Breeze" he grinned like a kid at Christmas.
"I like it" she said coming to a stop at the front stoop of a large house.
"Well this is it," she said. "Thanks for walking me home… see you later?" she asked not even trying to hide the hope in her voice.
"You bet" Jack smiled. "Night Breeze" he tipped his hat to her.
"See ya Cowboy," she said in a terrible New York accent. Jack snorted.
"Ya need to woik on dat" he took a few steps back but didn't leave until she'd gone inside and he'd heard the doors lock click. Shaking his head, he wondered briefly how he of all people managed to make friends with a rich girl. Then he grimaced at the thought of facing all of the newsies who by then had undoubtedly heard about Leigh from Mush and Blink. Perhaps he'd take the long way back to the lodging house and pray that everyone would be fast asleep when he got back.
Well this is my first Newsies fanfic. I'm stepping out of my comfort zone (mainly sci-fi stuff) and giving it a go. Please tell me what you think. I've gotten many chapters written already (been at this story for quite a while now), it's just a matter of posting them. I do realize that there's already a story on here where the characters last name is 'Wentworth', but I like the name and am keeping it mine, so I'm not copying it from someone else, only after I'd written this story and realized that there was a Newsies section on did I see in another story… so no one be mad please. Anyways, more will be up soon : )