Disclaimer- We don't own newsies. Sue us.
Chapter 3:
"Wake up, boys…..and girl…time to carry the banner!" Kloppmen said to wake everyone up.
"How'd ya sleep, Kitty?" Jack asked getting up.
"Let's put it dis way, Ise not sleepin' hereah tonight!" Kittyexclaimed,jumping off the bed. At the same time Les, ran into the room.
"Hey, guys!" Les called.
"Hey, little buddy!" Jack said pushing his hat down. Les looked up at Kitty then down at the floor,
"Hi, Nancy," he said shyly.
"Hi, Les, you can call me Kitty now," she smiled at him.
"Oh, did da guys name youse?" he asked.
"Well, yes, but your brodda came up wit da name," Kitty said gesturing to David who was coming out of the wash room.
"Hiya, David," Les said happily.
"Hi, Les." David smiled at his younger brother.
"Everyone ready ta sell papes?" Jack said addressing the gang. Crutchy went over to wake up Blink.
"Five more minutes, mommy" he muttered, rolling over on his side.
"Blink! Get youse butt up!" Racetrack yelled in his ear.
"Ah, Ise up, Ise up! Geez…" Blink said getting up and changing his clothes.
"Kitty do youse mid leavin' while da guys change?" Jack asked his sis.
"Nah, Ise leavin'," she said and walked out. Mush walked over to Jack.
"How'd ya sleep, Jack?" Mush asked.
"On me back, Mush," Jack replied.
"Hahahaha! Didja hear dat fellahs! I ast Jack how he slept and he said 'on me back, Mush'!" Mush laughed.
"You asked me da same question every mornin', Mush!" Jack said and smacked Mush.
"Guys, can I come back in?" Kitty asked from outside.
"Yes," they all said.
"How do I look?" Racetrack asked as Kitty came in.
"Reer, hott!" Blink laughed.
"Ise was askin' da goil!" Racetrack said. Everyone broke laughing.
"Time to leave! Let's go!" Kloppmen said urging them to leave. The kids ran downstairs as Kloppmen counted them. There was one missing.
"Boots! C'mon, you're gonna be late!" Kloppmen yelled upstairs. Boots walked downstairs slowly and walk right up to Kloppmen.
"Hey, do you see any hairs on me chin?" he asked. Kloppmen looked closely.
"Yah, I see a little stub, no get outta here!" he said and with that he pushed the boy outside.
They got out to the square to wait for the bell.
"Hey, Mush!" a blonde haired female newsie said signaling Mush over to her. Mush walked over to his girlfriend like a love struck child.
"Hiya, Candy," He said.
"Ewwww," Les said looking away as the two kissed.
"You'll learn to appreciate it," Jack said to Les.
"Did you?" he asked.
"Of course, I did," Jack chuckled.
"What do youse dink he does wit youse sista!" Blink laughed nudging Jack. Seeing Les's dropped jaw, Jack smacked Blink.
"He's only kidding," Jack said.
"How many times have you kissed me sista?" Les asked wide eyed. Jack laughed nervously.
"What am Ise gonna tell dis kid, witout scarrin' him?" Jack thought.
"So go on and tell 'im," Kitty laughed from behind him.
"Aha, aha, go get Davey!" he said. Kitty laughed and went to find David. Mush and Candy came over.
"Does Davey know how much?" Les asked a little disgusted.
"Does Davey know what?" Mush asked.
"No….Ise gots to talks to him," Jack said hesitantly.
"Does Davey know what?" Mush asked louder.
"Les, are you bugging Jack?" David said walking over to them.
"No, Ise just askin' him some questions," Les said. "But he isn't answerin' me!"
"Well…" Jack's voice trailed off, "Forget it!"
"David, have you eveah kissed a goil?" he asked his older brother. David shifted his weight and mumbled something under his breath.
"What was that, Davey?" Racetrack asked.
"No, never," Davis said a little louder. All the guys erupted with laughter. Kitty put her hand on David's shoulder.
"Doan worry, Dave, Ise nevah kissed a goil eithah," she said and that set the boys on another fit of laughter. David smiled.
"She's pretty AND funny," he thought. Just then the circulation bell rang.
"Alright time to get to work," Jack said relived.
"Hey, Kitty, who youse gonna sell papes wit?" Blink said grinning.
"Uuuh…I dink Ise gonna sell wit Jack today," Kitty answered slowly. They all started down to the circulation office to get their papes. Jack got his normal 100 papes. Racetrack had to bribe people for money, as usual.
"Remember headlines don't sell papes…" Jack started then passed if off to David.
"Newsies sell papes," David finished. They all went out into the square and went their ways.
Jack yelled to the walking away couple. "Meet us at the square latah!"
"Extre! Extre!" Read all about it..." Mush's voice faded into the distance.
"Dear me, every Thursday, 'Hey Mushy boi! Lets make out den go "sell" papes'!" Racetrack said frolicking around making fun of Mush and Candy.
"Hey, Race, your ride is leaving, your gonna miss the opening race," Dave laughed pointing to the driving away cart Race always used to get to Sheepshead Races.
"Oh, crap!" he said chasing after his ride. Race disappeared into city.
"Ise gonna go to the Catholic part of town and see if they will have pity on me," Crutchy said hobbling away. "Ise meet up with youse latah!" Soon Crutchy could not be seen over the rest of city life.
"Well, Ise off to meet up with some oda guys," Blink said just as a girl walked by. "Hey, dere…" he said as he followed after her into the city.
"Blink," Jack sighed as he watched his friend. "Now, dat boi is crazy," Jack whispered to David. David cracked up.
"Ok, let's go, guys," Jack said. He took at glance at the headlines. "Aww man, dis headline sucks! I doan even know if I can improve the truth witout changing it!" The four kids took off down the road to carry the banner the best they could.
Upper part of Manhattan a Couple Hours Later
A petite 16 year old girl was walking her angel lab puppy down the street. She was obviously upper class by the clothes she was wearing.
"Hi, Charlotte!" a girl said walking by Charlotte and her dog. She waved back at her. But when she did, she lost he grip on her dog's leash and he took off.
"Morris!" she yelled after her dog took off towards downtown Manhattan. She started off after him but when he ran down a dirty alley; she looked down at her white outing dress.
"I hope father doesn't hear about this," she said and walked down the alley.
Back in Newsie Territory
The gang sat in the square, today wasn't good headline and they were just getting back form their rounds.
"Hey, guys! Ise found me a new friend!" Race said holding a lab puppy.
"Aww, he's cute!" Mush said getting up to pet it.
"Race, does it belong to someone?" Jack asked.
"You're no fun, Jack," Racetrack said.
"Hand him ovah, you can't just steal peoples dogs," He said. Race handed the dog to him. The dog licked Jack's face.
"Dats disgusting!" Jack said wiping his mouth.
"Jack, youse da one who always spits in your hand before shaking, why is a little dog slobber so nasty?" Candy asked.
"Because I doan know where dis dogs moth has been!" Jack said. The guys laughed. "Kitty, come take dis mutt."
"I dunno Kitty might not get along wit da dog!" Blink laughed. Kitty shot a glare at him.
"Mush, take dis dog away from me," Jack said handing the dog to Mush.
"Yes, you're a good doggy, ain't ya?" Mush said talking to the dog as it licked his face and lips.
"Still gonna kiss him aftah dis, Candy?" Jack laughed.
"I'm debating," Candy replied.
"Jack, check his collar for a name tag," David said. Jack grabbed at the dog's collar.
"Be gentle," Mush said. Jack rolled his eyes and carefully checked his name tag.
"His name is…….Morris?" Jack said.
"What kind of name is Morris?" Racetrack laughed.
"The same kinda name as Racetrack," Kitty grinned. The dog jumped out of Mush's arms and landed near Les. All the boys began to play with him. Kitty looked down the street and saw the street and saw a wandering, confused rich girl.
"Hey, Dave," she said to the boy next to her. "Look what we have here," she said snickering at the lost girl.
"Wonder what she's doing here?" Dave wondered. Kitty looked closer at the girl's face and a memory came back to her.
I stood in the street trying to sell my papers; I hadn't sold that many today and I couldn't act younger anymore since I had just turned 14. Suddenly there was pressure on my back as I fell into the street. I looked up and saw a large wealthy man with his daughter glaring at me.
"You almost bumped into my daughter," he said sternly.
"Ise sorry, Mistah," I said getting up from the street. I noticed my papes were by his daughter's feet. So I reached down to grab them and accidentally touched her perfect dress.
"Father, she got my dress dirty!" the little blonde girl said. I felt a kind of fear I have never felt before when he raised his hand at me. Yah, I picked fights with people but they were kids like me never an adult. He grabbed onto my arm. I closed my eyes and just as I thought he was gonna hit me, I felt someone in front of me.
"Hey, Mistah, wanna buy a pape?" the person said. I smiled at the voice, it was Spot.
"Get out of my way, kid," he said.
"But…" Spot went on to talk about the headline and I broke free from his grip. I ran into a nearby alley. "Spot would always take care of me, just like Jack said," I thought. I looked back and Spot brought the paper up to the man's face and punched him. Spot took off towards the river.
"Kitty, Kitty," David said trying to get her attention.
"Yah," she said coming back to earth.
"She looks familiar, I've seen her picture somewhere, I just can't remember," David said. Kitty shrugged.
Charlotte looked ahead at the ruff gang of newsies. There were two girls but even they looked tuff. Charlotte spotted a little boy playing with a dog…..her dog! Charlotte's dad and grandfather had always warned her about kids that lived on the streets. She carefully walked towards them. One by one, the gang realized this upper class girl was walking towards them.
"Hiya, pretty goil," Blink said. Charlotte swallowed hard, she was obviously scared.
"Dear me, what is a goil like you doin' round dese parts?" Race said.
"That's…that's my my ddddogg," she stuttered. Les picked up the dog and handed it to her with a smile on his face.
"Thank you," she said to the kind boy. She turned around and started to walk away. Racetrack whistled at her. Charlotte was happy to get out of there.
"Hey, Kitty, I think she stole your wallet," Mush smiled. A smile spread across Kitty's face. David put his hand on her shoulder.
"Kitty, don't…" he said but she ignored him.
"Hey!" Kitty said walking up to Charlotte. "You stole me wallet!" Kitty exclaimed.
"I did nothing of the sort!" Charlotte said outraged. Kitty pulled her wallet out of Charlotte's belt. Charlotte didn't know what to say. The two girls just stared at each other. Kitty was a little bigger than Charlotte. Charlotte had an elegant dress where as Kitty had a tattered old one. Kitty had a pretty face yet and face that was forced to grow up so soon to survive, Charlotte had a pretty face also but one that was sweet and innocent, that had been sheltered all her life. These girls were from two really different worlds. Jack walked over and pulled his sister away.
"Now, you took me sista's wallet and that'll cost youse," Jack said as some boys gathered around her.
"But I didn't take it!" she said.
"That's not what it looked like," Blink said pushing her a little bit.
"Looks like we've got a rich thief," Race said pushing her harder.
"Guys…" David warned them. Charlotte started to get really scared. Morris jumped out of his owner's arms and began to bark at the boys. Mush pushed her so hard that she fell to the ground. Charlotte quietly cried out of fear.
"Dat was uncalled for, bois," Jack said reaching his hand down to her. She looked up at him and her fear turned to anger. She spit at him, and got up by herself. She grabbed her dog and ran back to the alley way from whence she came. "My grandfather was right about you, Jack Kelly," She softly said to herself and ran home. When she was out of sight, the boys erupted with laughter.
"Why did you do that?" David asked Kitty.
"They would have done the same to us if wese were on dere side," she answered. A boy walked up behind Jack.
"Jack Kelly," he said. Jack turned round and recognized him.
"Hiya, Dodgah," Jack smiled and spat in his hand. Dodger did the same then they shook. Dodger nudged his head in the other direction and began to walk over there, Jack followed him. They talked for a while then Dodger took off and Jack walked back to the others.
"Davey, Kitty, Mush, Candy, Blink, and Race, let's go, Spot wants to see us," Jack told them.
