Chapter 4
The next three months went by very fast for the girls. And everyday since their first day, they just became more and more acclimated to their new lives. Their first day of selling had gotten off to a rocky start, Heather being too shy to talk to strangers and Delilah being too aggressive to sell. Daisy, however, seemed to slip into being a newsie very easily and was able to sell all her papes with little advice from Jack.
And speaking of her and Jack, they had become a couple almost right off the bat. The initial attraction between them was so obvious, the boys wouldn't stop pestering Jack about when he would tell her. And he finally did. It all started with a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven:
Daisy, Jack, Delilah, Blink, Heather and Mush had all decided to stay home one night instead of going to a party in the Bronx. And to keep themselves entertained, Blink suggested the game. All their names had been put into a hat, and Mush pulled out Jack and Daisy's names. The two went into the closet and, once Jack closed the door, they just stood around awkwardly.
"So..." Jack started, shifting his weight on his feet. Daisy just pressed her lips together and wrung her hands. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew what she had to say to him and this was the perfect time to.
"Jack I-"
"Listen Cherry-" Jack said at the same time. They called her Cherry because one time at Tibby's she ordered cherry pie and had gotten it all over her face.
"You-you first," Daisy offered.
"'Kay. Cherry, um, da thing is...I dunno da right way ta say dis."
Here it comes, she thought. He's gonna say he doesn't want to kiss me.
"I can't kiss ya. I mean, it ain't right ta kiss a goil dat ain't yours, ya know?"
Daisy felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them back.
"Yeah, yeah, I totally get that. It's fine."
"So?"
"So what?"
"Will ya?"
"Will I what?"
"Be my goil?"
She froze. Did he really just ask her that. No, she must've just imagined it.
"I-I'm sorry. What did you say?"
"I asked if you'd do me de honah of bein' my goil. So dat I can kiss ya whenevah I want." A smile stretched across Daisy's face and she lunged at him. She put a hand on the back of his neck and pulled him down into a searing kiss. When they pulled apart, Jack smirk and stated, "I take it dis means ya like me too huh?"
Daisy rolled her eyes and connected their mouths again.
Jack pulled her closer as his tongue brushed her bottom lip and she granted him entry. His tongue trailed the roof of her mouth as his fingers traced her spine, making her shiver.
After a little while, there was a bang on the door. "'Ey dere you two! Times up!" Blink called. The two paid no attention and kept going. Someone outside opened the door and the new couple finally broke apart when they heard hollers and cheers.
And ever since then, the two were inseparable. They sold together, they sat at Tibby's together, they were everywhere together. Sometimes they even shared the same bed. They just promised Kloppman that nothing would happen.
Delilah and Heather were having a great time in their new lives too. Well, most parts of it anyways. Whenever they went to Brooklyn, the newsies would try to keep Delilah and Spot separated, but they would always find ways to get to each other and, no doubt, a heated argument would start. The only thing that stopped a legit fight from breaking out was that Spot couldn't bring himself to hit a girl. But that wouldn't stop Delilah from trying to get a hit in every now and then. But the more they fought, the more Heather and Daisy were sure they were crazy about each other. They figured that no one could fight like that and not have feelings for the person. They went back to the elementary school theory of being mean to the one you like. Delilah denied it with all her might, but they never believed her.
Heather was also have some problems of her own. The words of her aunt still were burnt into her brain, and she 100% believed every harsh word her aunt had ever said to her. She would compare herself to Daisy and Delilah and the women on the street that they were selling to, and she felt like she wasn't good enough. She was trying to make herself look physically better by trying to get thinner. As a newsie, she already didn't eat very much. But whenever they were able to have a full meal, she would really just push the food around her plate, or put the food in napkins and hide them so it would look like she was eating it. She would actually eat it when she thought the girls or any of the newsies were getting suspicious. But then she would excuse herself to the bathroom and throw it up. She made sure to be sneaky about her eating habits so that none of the others would find out. And so far, she was successful. She would also use her food money on other things. The thing she was so keen on buying was clothes, specifically dresses. More specifically, lace dresses. So far, she had three, and was thus named Lace.
It also didn't help that the one boy she was dying to meet hadn't shown up yet. And he wouldn't until the "movie" part started, and who knows when that would be. It had already been three months and nothing; and frankly, she was getting impatient.
So impatient, that this morning, she was refusing to get out of bed. Finally when Jack came in and pulled off her covers and the pillow from under her head, she realized that there was no other choice.
"Alright already! I'm up!" she yelled, throwing the pillow at him as he left the room. She turned to Daisy, "Why do you like him?"
"Well I mean, he's nice to me," she defended him, giggling.
Heather just rolled her eyes and made her way to the dresser to pick out her clothes. She didn't wear her lace dresses out selling. She didn't want them to get dirty or torn.
Suddenly, Delilah saw something on Heather's bed. "And what is this?" She picked up a small blue, spiral bound notebook. Heather stopped when she heard those words, afraid to turn around. "Could this be Heather's diary perhaps?" Heather's head whipped around while Daisy just ran next to Delilah. Delilah opened it to a random page and started reading. "Dear Diary," Heather lunged for it, but, Delilah being taller, just held it out of her reach. "I don't know whether it's I've been around him for too long or I'm going crazy," Heather almost got it on one of her jumps, so Delilah gave it to Daisy who was even taller, and she continued reading.
"But I think I'm starting to develop feelings for..." She saw the name and looked at heather who just had her face in her hands. "Racetrack Higgins?! Omigod! You have a thing for Race?!"
"SHHHHHHHH!" Heather quieted her, grabbing the notebook. "He is right in the next room!" she harshly whispered. She collected herself, then went on, "And it was like 2 months ago for a week, I am over it." It didn't help her case that the two had become very close over the last few months and had become selling partners.
"Nope, nope, I think you're in love with Race and you just have to admit it," Delilah mocked.
"You're in love with him and want to marry him and have his babies," Daisy added.
"That's so far from true I don't even know what it is!" Heather argued.
"Actually, I think it's the most truthful thing I've ever said. Omigod! Lace and Race!" They continued arguing until they heard a voice from the door.
"'Ey, 'ey, 'ey, what's wid all da noise?" The three paused, and looked over to the door. There stood Racetrack. Delilah and Daisy busted up laughing while Heather just turned three shades of red. Race just looked very confused.
"Um, it-it's nothing Race. Just a little debate," Heather covered, walking over to him. "We'll be down in a minute." She pushed him out and closed the door. With her back to the door, she just gave a murderous look to her "friends" who were still dying.
"Omigod," Daisy panted, trying to breathe and wiping tears out of her eyes, "we are gonna give you so much shit about this."
"Forever," Delilah finished in between laughs. Heather didn't break her glare as she grabbed clothes from the dresser, all the way until they were outside. The boys gave them odd looks, but none dared to pry.
The group made their way to the Distribution Center and stood outside the gates waiting for them to be opened. All the while, Daisy and Delilah were still mocking Heather mercilessly.
"You want me to soak ya? Cause I will," Heather threatened, raising a fist.
"Now what seems ta be da issue 'ere?" Jack asked, putting a defensive arm around Daisy. Daisy opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by Heather.
"Nothing. Nothing s going on. All is perfectly fine."
"Yeah Jack, don't race to an conclusions," Delilah joked and Daisy busted up laughing again while Heather just shoved the girl who spoke.
No more was able to be said on the matter because at that second th e boy that had no idea he was being talked about spoke up, "Dear me, what is dat unpleasant aroma? I fear da sewers may've backed up durin' da night." The girl looked where he was looking and saw what made him say that.
"Too rotten ta be da sewers," Boots added on.
"Must be da Delancey bruddahs," Crutchy followed, making them all laugh.
And sure enough, Oscar and Morris Delancey approached them.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't our favorite boys," Delilah said sarcastically.
"Morning ladies," Oscar said with a cocky grin. "Daisy, when you get tired of the bum, I'm always available."
"Thanks, but I'd rather my boyfriend be human for one thing." The newsies all called out at her response, and Oscar's grin dropped into a glare, and he turned it onto Snipeshooter.
"In the back ya lousy little shrimp!" and he pushed him down.
Jack just sighed and reached down to help the younger newsie up.
"It's not good to do that," heather told the Delancey. "It's not healthy."
"Ya shouldn't be callin' people lousy little shrimps Oscar. Unless you're refferin' ta da family resemblance in ya bruddah 'ere," Jack sassed them.
''Ey, 'ey! 5 to 1 Cowboy skunks 'em!" Race called out. "Huh, who's bettin'?"
"I'll take a piece of that," Heather spoke up.
"Dat's right, it's an insult," Jack continued. "And so's dis.' He stole Morris's hat and ran off, the Delancey's right behind him. He led them all around the square. The newsies weren't too far behind, the girls in the front. They saw Jack bump into someone, but they didn't see his face. They just ran after him. As heather was running, a hand grabbed out and stopped her.
"What's going on?" a boy about her age asked.
"Fight!" she answered, then pulled from his grasp and kept going. Then, it hit her who had just asked her that question. She stopped and turned to confirm it. It was indeed David Jacobs. But she couldn't stop and stare for long. The other newsies were on her trail and if she didn't hurry she would be trampled. So she ran on, trying to start breathing again.
Not after too long, Jack won and the gates to the DC were opened. The newises formed a line to get their papes, the girls right behind Jack who was first. Heather was biting her lip to keep the smile on her face from growing any wider.
"What's with you?" Daisy asked.
"Race talk to you?" Delilah teased.
"No," she said, pushing her shoulder. She gestured further down the line. The other two looked and they saw David as well. Their eyes went wide and they turned back to their friend. "Race didn't talk to me, David did." She was almost squealing.
"Keep your cool now Lace," Daisy reprimanded her. "You don't want to lose...actually, you can't lose what you never had."
"You wanna go Cherry? C'mon, let's do this, right here, right now!"
"Ooh, I'm so scared," Daisy said sarcastically. Heather threw a punch that daisy easily missed. Heather wasn't the best when it came to fighting. Jack was trying to teach her, but she wasn't catching on as fast as the other two. She was definitely the weaker link.
The two went on "fighting" for a while, with the newsies cheering them on until Jack came and picked up Daisy, putting her on the other side of him.
"Cut it out you two," he said in a tone of voice that sounded like he was so done, "and just get ya papes so we can start woik." Heather stuck her tongue at the newsie leader and walked past him, paying for her 50 papes.
Once she bought her papes, she sat down next to Race, who was next to Jack who was next to Daisy, and laid her legs across Race's.
"Lace and Racetrack sitting in a tree," Delilah whispered in Heather's ear after she bought her own papes. Heather just pushed her face away. But when Delilah got out of her way, Heather saw David buying his papes. Race saw her look off and followed her gaze. When he saw what she was looking at, he nudged her and waggled his eyebrows. Blushing, she just hit his cap in front of his eyes and went back to looking through her paper.
But her head snapped up again when she heard David say, "I paid for 20, and I only got 19." She and Jack were immediately up and by his side.
"You callin' me a liar kid?" Weasel, the man who sold the newspapers, accused him. Jack silently counted them.
"No, I just want my papers."
"It's 19," Jack confirmed. "It's 19, but it's an honest mistake. I mean, Morris can't count to 20 with his shoes on." Morris lunged at him, but was stopped by the bars in his way. "Hey Lace, will ya spot me two bits?"
"Are you kidding? I have my eye on another dress that I gotta save up for."
"You and your damn dresses," he mumbled. "Race, what 'bout you?" Without a word, the fellow newsie tossed him the money. "Anudda 50 for my friend," Jack told Weasel.
"I don't want another 50," David tried to refuse.
"What kind of newsie doesn't want more papes?" Heather questioned.
"Me. I don't." But Jack wouldn't hear of it. He shoved the other papes in David's arms and proceeded to walk down the stairs, but David wouldn't stop. "I don't want your papes. I don't take charity from anyone. I don't know you, I don't care to. Here are your papes." He tried to hand them to Jack.
"Hey, if you don't want them, I'll take them," Delilah said, taking them and adding them to her own pile.
"Cowboy, they call him Cowboy," the younger boy next to David told him.
"Yeah, I'm called that. And a lot of oudda things, includin' Jack Kelly which is what me mudda calls me. What do dey call you kid?" Jack asked.
"Les. And this is David. He's older."
"No kidding," Daisy, who had made her way next to Jack, nudged Heather teasingly. Heather just pushed her arm away. She looked towards David and saw him looking at her. She smiled shyly and looked down.
"So 'ow old are you Les?" Jack went on.
"Near ten," the little boy answered.
"Near ten, well dat's no good. If anyone asks, you should say you're 7. See, youngah sells more papes, and if you and I are gonna be partners-"
"Wait," David interrupted him, pulling his attention away from Heather, "who said anything about being partners?"
"Well you owe me two bits right? Well, I'll consider dat an investment. We sell togeddah and split 70-30. Plus, you get da benefit of obsoivin' me and me goil, no charge."
Daisy bit her lip, knowing what was coming next.
"A-ha," David said.
"A-ha," Jack mimicked. Daisy didn't know why, but she always found that extremely hot.
"You're getting' da chance of a lifetime 'ere Davey," Crutchy spoke up. "Ya loin from Jack and Cherry, ya loin from da best. Cherry sold all her papes on 'er foist day."
"Not to toot my own horn or anything but..." she stated, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
"Toot, toot," Delilah and Heather both added.
"Well, if they're the best, why do they need me?" David asked.
Jack's face hardened. "Listen, I don't needs ya pal. But I ain't got a cute little bruddah like Les 'ere ta front for me. All I gots is my goil Cherry 'ere, and she won't let me use 'er as a front."
"I won't be used as a sob story!" she argued.
"With this kid's puss and our God-given talent, we could move a thousand papes a week." He then turned his attention to Les. "So whadda ya say Les, you wanna sell papes for me?"
"Yeah!" Les agreed, his eyes sparkling.
"So we got a deal?"
"Wait," David interrupted again. "It's got to be at least 50-50."
Jack stopped to think. For a little to long for Heather's liking.
"Answer him," she scolded.
"60-40, I forget da whole thing," he finally offered. David looked hesitant, but with all the other newsies pushing him to do it, he put out his hand to shake. Jack spit in his and went to shake, but David pulled away. Jack looked insulted. "What's da mattah?"
"That's disgusting," David answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. The others around him started laughing and walking out the gates.
"The name of the game s volume Dave. Ya only took 20 papes. Why?"
"Bad headline."
"That's what we thought too when we first started," Heather told him. "But then we learned the motto that the newsies live by."
"Which is?"
"'Eadlines don't sell papes, newsies sell papes," Jack explained. "We're what 'olds dis town togeddah."
"And this town will fall apart if we don't start hawking," Delilah pointed out.
"So, ya ready ta loin da fine art of hawkin' 'eadlines?"
Before David could answer, Daisy spoke up," Jack, why don't we go on ahead and get into it a little, and then let Davey catch up with us."
"Den who's he gonna sell wid?"
"Heather. He's the second best."
All heads turned to the shorter girl. "I mean, I can, but I'm supposed to sell with..." She looked to Race, eyes pleading with him to let her do this.
"Nah, it's fine Lace. Go on and 'elp da new guy. Spunk and I can sell."
"Oh, I'm sure we will have plenty to talk about," Delilah said in a teasing tone, right at Heather.
Heather grabbed her arm and whispered harshly, but quietly so no one else would hear, "You say one word and I will see to it that you are locked in a room with Spot." Delilah just smirked and walked away with Race.
"Meet us at da boxin' ring in an hour," Jack instructed, and then walked off with Daisy, who winked at Heather, leaving her alone with David.
Wow, this is the longest chap I've written in a really long time. Maybe there will be more in the future. Keep reading o find out! And you know what will make updates happen? REVIEWS!