A/N 1: If any of you remember, in Strings' story there was mention of a newsie called Smarts. I had this lined up but had no idea how to implement her difference without seeming offensive. If you don't know what I mean now, then read the story, and if you still don't know, there's another note at the end. Enjoy!
Different in a Good Way
Smarts was… unique to all the other newsies. Sure, they were all special in their own way, but she was different in more ways than one.
When Jack first brought her to the Lodge in 1894, she couldn't even speak, even though she appeared to be at least seven years old. It took probably three days for her to say her first word, which was 'book'. The others weren't very fazed by her slow development, thinking that maybe she was just a bit set back, had never been to school or her parents didn't teach her for whatever reason.
As she learned to speak more, they also realised that she only spoke to certain people that she trusted. She only spoke with the girls and a few boys (Jack, Henry, Davey, Finch and Race respectively), but the others didn't mind. She still did spend time with them, but just didn't speak with them.
Another thing that caught Jack's attention was how she didn't like loud noises. Whether it was the circulation bell, the whistle of a police officer or the other newsies arguing to the point of shouting, she would always put her hands over her ears and whine.
She also had odd habits. If she was ever alone or if she was selling without a partner, which was almost never, she would be seen rocking back and forth, on her heels if she was standing, or spinning around until she was dizzy. She also would sometimes repeat words or phrases she heard. No one knew why she did, but it wasn't really much to worry about. As long as she didn't try to hurt herself, they had all agreed.
She didn't like certain textures either. For example, she was the only newsie who didn't wear suspenders because the material irritated her. The texture of the towels also bothered her, so washing up was a bit of a challenge. She also didn't like the grain of wood, so Jack had her switch bunks with Dynamite so she wouldn't have to climb the ladder.
She also had a bit of a temper. Whenever the daily routine was changed or influenced in any way, she would stomp her feet, whine and try to hurt anyone who came close, making a big deal of noise. Only Dynamite could really calm her down from these outbursts, and it was because of them she earned her first nickname, Fits, about two years after joining.
She despised it, to put it bluntly. It seemed too negative, focusing on a bad attribute of herself. She wanted them to call her something else, even a temporary nickname until there was a more suitable one, but since no one, not even herself, knew her real name, she had to stick with Fits.
As soon as she was taught to read and write, she had a thirst for knowledge, but her learning was very limited, considering the only book in the Lodge was fictional. It became increasingly difficult to try and teach her to suit her needs, with the only person with a proper education past reading and basic mathematics being Davey, and he hadn't been to school for a while.
After a day of selling after the strike, she asked Davey to take her to the library, which he did. After seeing her eagerness to take a book out, he helped her get a library card. After that, she would borrow a book every week, making sure to return it.
Davey checked out books too, but he noticed how the level of books she borrowed were the same grade as his textbooks from school, even though she was five years younger than him. He quizzed her on some of the subjects in the books, and was appalled at her intellect. She could solve math problems at lightning speed, and could grasp complicated scientific concepts. Her spelling skills were astronomical as well, but it was in science and mathematics where she excelled the most.
News of this quickly spread to all the other newsies, and Jack deemed her new nickname to be Smarts. She liked it much more than Fits, and it became one of her new favourite words around the Lodge, alongside 'poker', 'rooftop' and 'papes'.
Despite her differences, Smarts enjoyed being a newsie. She didn't care if someone thought she was weird or different. To her, being different was a good thing, and she liked being different.
A/N 2: If you didn't catch on, Smarts is autistic. Her habits were her stimming, and not liking certain textures or loud noises was the sensory overload that autistic people have. If any of this is inaccurate or offensive, I apologise with all my heart. I do not know an autistic person myself. This is based off of what I know and have learned about ASD from research. I understand that not all autistic people are Savants. I understand that not all autistic people have the same stims as what I listed here. I know that not all autistic people have hindered speaking abilities. I KNOW THAT THIS DISORDER IS A SPECTRUM AND THAT IT VARIES. I'm also not entirely sure if ASD even had a name back in the 19th century. Again, if I'm wrong, forgive me.
I'm one of those writers that wants diversity somehow in their stories, but also tries not to offend anyone who may fall under the categories I use. If me having Smarts' first nickname as 'Fits' was offensive, I'm sorry.
Putting this here so that you don't come at me with hate.
