New York Royalty

By: PrinceOfNewYork

Chapter Twelve: Changed an Awful Lot

Summary: In the world people are viewed in several different ways. Some are leaders, some are followers, some are somewhere in the middle, and some just get power through possessions. The concept of royalty can take on more than just one form.

Disclaimer: Most of these guys are mine, except for the few that ain't. And, if ya don't know which ones those are then you better go watch Newsies again.

A/N: Alright, this is my first shot at a Newsie fic, but I've been messin' with this character for over a year now, and it's about time she had her story put down (before I completely forget it all!) Thanks a bunch to all of ya who read this!

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As the winter months continued Avalanche taught Prince how to walk and act like a boy, and she could do both of those easily. It was the talking she was having troubles with.

"Hi, my name is-"

"Lower."

"What?" she asked.

"You're gonna hafta talk with a deeper voice if anyone's gonna think dat you're a boy."

Prince cleared her throat and tried again. "Hi, my name-"

"Not that low!"

"Wull ya said-"

"You ain't a freakin' 40 year old Prince! And… nice accent," he added.

"Thanks, I've been working on it, and I really think I'm-"

"Just go back ta tryin' ta get the tone right," he said shaking his head. Prince cleared her throat and kept trying.

She kept selling papers every day as well. She'd done well enough with buying thirty papes that she then decided to buy forty, and they sold fairly easily too. She also found it was easier to sell when it wasn't cold. Because before she knew it winter was long gone, and they'd moved on to spring. In fact, May had come and still her father hadn't found her. Not that she figured he would, especially since he could get easily caught up in his work. She figured she was pretty much on her own forever! And she wasn't too awful disappointed about that. She had bought her own clothes and food; she could take care of herself, and had her own bunk in the bunk room and everything. But Avalanche still kept a close watch on her. Why else was he hanging around her all the time?

"Alright," she said, "I think I've finally got it." She cleared her throat and tried speaking to Avalanche like a boy. "Hi, my name is Prince," she said simply.

He nodded his head in approval. "Sounds great. Keep it up, and keep practicin'… and woik on dat accent when ya gotta chance."

From the day she arrived Prince hadn't said much. She had never really been one for talking unless someone spoke to her first. The only people she'd speak to would be Avalanche and Will. Beyond them, if you wanted her to talk, you had to start. So listening a lot for five months can give a girl a pretty good idea how an accent sounds, especially when you hear it nonstop every day. It's hard not to pick it up.

"Heya Avalanche," she said to him one day walking to him with a stack of forty papes under her arm. She'd perfected the accent, and didn't even realize it. And most of the time, she talked in a deeper voice, but didn't do it on purpose, she simply got used to being a boy. And it seemed that as every day went by she thought less and less about being a girl. "I gotta ask ya somethin'."

"Shoot."

"Alright, so I've been heah for… what… almost five months…an' all I've done is seen Queens."

"Well ya done more den dat! Ya… changed an awful lot. Ya nevah wear a dress anymore…."

"Their uncomfortable!"

"…ya nevah sit up straight…"

"I dun need ta impress nobody."

"…ya can hardly speak like ya used ta…"

"I'm blamin' youse for dat one."

"…and you're da most dedicated tomboy I evah seen in my life."

"Thanks!" she said with a smile. Avalanche rolled his eyes. "But you're missin' da point heah," she explained. "I wanna see outside a Queens. Ya know… maybe go back ta Brooklyn so dose boys can know what became of dat weird goil dat came by a few months ago. Or da Bronx! I've nevah even seen dat parta town."

"How about Manhattan?"

She looked at him for a moment then looked around. "Avalanche… I cain't go back dere."

"Why not? It's a nice place! Ya faddah won't see ya, he won't even be home."

"I dunno…"

"Oh come on Prince! Nothin's gonna happen!"

She sighed heavily. "Alright… but if we so much as see or heah da name Snyder, I'm comin' back."

"Hey come on… what's dat you're always tellin' da kids?"

She sighed again. "An té nach nbíonn láidir ní folláir dó bheith glic."

"And… uhhh... what's that mean?"

"He who is not strong must be cunning."

"And you are defiantly cunning. We shoulda called ya Fox."

"But ya didn't. Ya called me Prince, an' I'm happy stickin' ta dat name thank youse very much."

"We'll go tanight."

"Tanight?"

"Yeah. Dere's a poker game."

"I dunno how ta play poker."

"Dat's jus fine… Race is da best teachah in da city."

"Who's Race?"

"Racetrack Higgins. Nice guy. Smart mouth. Quick hands. Trust me, you'll loin ta play poker."

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And I'm gonna end it there I think. Though, because of this being such a short chapter I'm considering adding another chapter maybe tomorrow, or yet tonight. I haven't decided yet. But if I don't do it tonight, then it may not happen tomorrow. So, if you read this chapter tell me if ya want me to add the next one while I'm still here. Thanks! And if I don't see ya soon, see ya monday!