"Hey!!" A few of the Manhattan newsies yelled as the Brooklyn and other Manhattan newsies entered the crowded restaurant.
"Hey guys how you'se been?" Itey said as he and Bumlets scoot over to make room for their friends.
"Sellin me papes." Shamrock said as he sat down by Bumlets.
Smoke and Jackal pulled chairs over to the table and sat on the chairs backwards, resting their heads and hands on the back of the chairs.
Doll came over carrying drinks and set them in the middle of the table before sitting down by Skittery. The drinks were only on the table for 2 seconds before they were all taken and almost half empty!
"Where's Spot? He decided not to come see my pretty face?" Jack said as he leaned forward so he could look in front of Skittery and see Doll.
Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly was the 17 year old Leader of the Manhattan newsies. He always had a red bandana around his neck and black hat hanging on his back. Jack's mother is deceased and his father is in the state penitentiary. His biggest dream was to get to Santa Fe and live life. Everyday he woke up, went to get his papes getting in a fight with the Delancy Brothers on the way, and leading his newsies, caring for each one in a different way.
"He didn't have a choice, I didn't ask him to come" She said as Jack and her smiled at her remark.
"Hey that's my spot." Crutchy said as he limped over to the table, Skittery putting his arm around Doll's shoulders to show she didn't have to get up.
"Dats ok though, I like sitting in a normal chair not a booth, its just too hard for a person with a crutch." He said pulling a chair over with a smile on his face.
"I'm sorry Crutchy I didn't know. Skittery didn't tell me you was sittin here." She said as she hit Skittery's chest.
Everybody laughed and joked around, the boys ate a lot of food like the pigs they are.
"Aye, what time is it?" Bumlets yelled over to the chef.
"11:30" He replied as he put some food on the stove.
"Damn, we missed the late editions of the paper." Smoke said as he hit his fist on the table.
"Oh well, we'se gotta go back to Brooklyn. Nobody is aloud into the Lodging Houses if its past midnight " Shamrock said as he stood up, the others soon joining him.
"Hey I'm gonna stay a bit longer." Jackal said as he sat down in a, new, free seat at the table across from Racetrack.
"You'se sure?" Smoke asked, Jackal just shaking his head.
"Of course he is! Why would he wanna leave me?" Racetrack said as he took his cigar out of his mouth.
Doll handed Bloo over to Race so he could give her and Doll a goodbye kiss and then they were off.
"Think Spot is gonna be mad Jackal stayed?" Smoke said as he lit a new cigarette.
"Jackal can handle himself, he'll probably just stay here tonight. Plus Spot ain't that caring towards you'se boys, so I doubt it." Doll said as she shifted Bloo on her waist.
"Hey." A voice said, making all 3 newsies turn to search for the voice in the dark. All they could see was a silhouette as it got closer and closer.
"Cheeks?" Smoke said as they all squinted to try to get a better image of the person.
"Yeah its me." He said as he finally got close enough for the others to see him almost clearly.
Cheeks was a boy who got his name because he had baby cheeks. He had curly reddish brown hair, and a few freckles. He wasn't skinny but he wasn't fat either, or even chubby he was just in the middle. He was only 13 and he had a very outgoing personality. Cheeks was from Staten Island.
"What are you'se doin here, it's a long walk from Staten Island." Shamrock said as he took his cigarette out of his mouth.
"Well you'se know that new newsie we got, ....uh ... Pirate?" Cheeks said as he shoved his hands in his pocket.
"Yeah what about him?" Shamrock said replying to the young boy again.
"Well, you see he's pretty young, and some of those paid newsboys, well they've been beatin him up lately. He's too scared to go to Nickolai though, cause he don't wanna to be babied." He continued as he looked around the streets to make sure nobody else was around.
"How bad has he been getting beat?" Smoke asked as he handed Cheeks his cigarette.
"Its been pretty bad. I mean he's only like 7 he can't handle that kind of stuff yet." Cheeks said as his face had no emotion but his eyes were full of sorrow since he couldn't fight for his friend.
"Look we'll go by tomorrow, I know when those guys usually go out to sell papes. When we'se done we'll tell ya ok?" Doll said as she handed Smoke Bloo to hold.
"Yeah." Cheeks said as he and Doll spit into their hands then shook on it.
With that everyone went back to their lodging houses to sleep. The next morning at 5:00 Spot was waking everyone up again and everything was just like the previous day until it was about 6:00 PM.
Spot was at the end of the docks on top of a 'tower', Doll was sitting on a crate by the base of Spot's tower. She picked Bloo up and climbed up to where Spot was, where she set Bloo down and started to climb down.
"Where you'se goin?" Spot asked as he stood up.
"I'se got some business to take of, I'll tell you the rest when I get back." She said as she reached the docks again.
"Ok, and by the way, we needs to talk when you'se get back bout something important." He said as she nodded back to him.
"Jackal, Hudson, Sniper, Shamrock lets go!" She yelled as she walked down the docks, the boys slowly joining her as they grabbed their hats and Hudson had to get out of the water.
"Where we'se goin Doll?" Sniper asked as they started to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
"We'se goin to help a lil 7 year old newsie from Staten." Shamrock filled them in.
"So we'se goin to fight?" Hudson said as Doll turned her head to face him and the look in her eyes answered his question.
The walk their was silent as everyone was getting in the 'fight state'. They had to get themselves rallied up for what was coming up, these were the toughest guys and none of them liked when a newsie, especially young, got beat for no reason, which meant they were all really ticked off.
By the time they got to Staten Island all of them had a cigarette in their mouths, Hudson had brass knuckles on, and Sniper was playing around with the sharp metal objects in his had that he could use as slingshot ammo if needed. The five newsies walked past Cheeks who was accompanied by a bruised young boy, who they all assumed was Pirate. Cheeks saw them and the looks in their eyes and just stared at them as they walked by. When Pirate noticed the group of Brooklyn newsies he stared before turning to Cheeks.
"Those are the most famous and toughest newsies ever! Except Spot is missing, but I wish I could be just like them, do you think they even know I exist? I want to meet them one day, but I'm too scared to go to them when they have that look in their eyes." He said as he looked up at Cheeks.
"I'm sure they know who you are." Cheeks sighed as he put his hand on Pirate's shoulder before the two walked away.
Sniper, Hudson, Shamrock, Jackal, and Doll rounded and corner and were almost to where they figured the victims would be. It was getting dark and they had to pass the Staten Island Newsboys Lodging House. As they passed the house the newsies that were in front of it stopped what they were doing and watched as they walked by.
"Hey its Doll and Sniper and some of the others." Popoff said as he started walking towards them.
"Popoff, don't take anudder step. They'se goin to hurt someone, I just wanna know who." Nickolai said as he stared at the Brooklyn newsies passing by, them watching back until their backs were to him.
Popoff was a short boy about 15. He was known to always talk back, except to Nickolai. Popoff had layered brown hair, and freckles across his cheeks and nose. Originally from Pennsylvania, he moved to New York when he was 10 and was a newsie ever since. Nickolai was the Staten Island leader. A Russian born 17 year old. He had black hair and dark eyes, with a clear complexion. He always had a cigarette in his mouth and he was a guy you didn't want to mess with. He was more of the mysterious analyzing type then anything.
As the sun finally went down the newsies reached their destination. The 4 paid newsboys Cheeks told them about were walking straight at the Brooklynites without even knowing it. Once one of them noticed there were people standing in their way, they started to actually talk.
"Hey, I think you're in our way. So move." One said taking his cigarette out of his mouth. The shadows covered the newsies faces, only showing a silhouette of their bodies.
"He said beat it." One of the others said as he took a few steps closer.
Doll walked closer and pulled his cigarette out of his mouth throwing it to the side. He finally realized who it was and lost some of his confidence in his body language and facial expression.
"Who are these guys?" One of the weaker looking paid newsboys said.
"Their from Brooklyn." A boy answered him.
"That's right Clover." Shamrock said as he walked out of the shadows. Clover use to be a newsie, but then betrayed his friends and when they gave him a chance to redeem himself he decided to leave and become a paid newsboy. Shamrock and Smoke were best friends with him before he left East Side and newsies all together.
"Shamrock." Clover said with shock, immediately looking at the ground to avoid eye contact with his old friend.
"We'se heard you been beatin up our friend Pirate." Jackal said as he and Hudson stepped out from the shadows as well. Hudson showing off his brass knuckles, scaring the not just the new but old paid newsboys. Sniper stayed in the shadows not making a sound. He usually stayed back and would use the slingshot to attack, and since they could never find him he was always safe.
"Yeah, and that's between us and him." The oldest said trying to play it cool.
"We don't really like it when people beat up 7 year olds for no reason." Shamrock as he walked up to the newsboy and looked down on him.
"And what you'se gonna do bout it?" The new, foolish, newsboy asked.
"Why don't you ask Clover." Hudson said still playing around with his brass knuckles.
The new newsboy looked over at Clover along with the older paid newsboys, making Clover sigh.
"Brooklyn……Brooklyn has the toughest newsies around. Nobody battles them for a reason, they've never lost. They're feared by a lot of people. The bulls (police) in Brooklyn have stopped trying to stop them because they would just lose. They never give up or give in." He said still looking at the ground, rarely looking up at his colleagues, since he knew what was coming.
"Yep, and sadly you'se made us really mad." Sniper said, the paid newsboys not knowing where the voice came from.
"It don't matter, you don't scare me. Spot isn't here, its just a girl and a few guys." The confident newsboy said as he looked the newsies over.
Doll walked over to him and punched him straight in the face, then slammed her foot on his foot so he would down enough she could knee him in the chin. He fell to the ground and she moved onto the next one.
Hudson took on the oldest newsboy that was there hitting him in the gut repeatedly with the brass knuckles then in the face until his face was covered with his own blood. Sniper hid in the shadows hitting each newsboy with sharp pieces of metal everywhere, especially in the neck. Sometimes the pieces would hit the newsboys and would go into their neck a few centimeters making them stay put until punched one of the newsies. Shamrock went over to Clover and took all his anger out on him.
"We all trusted you." He grunted as he kicked him in the stomach.
"We all cared for you." He yelled as he pulled him up just so he could punch him in the face.
" I laughed with you and you just left." He said as he threw him on the ground.
"You said you'd be my friend forever!" He yelled as he picked the boy of the ground and just stared at him in the eyes.
"But you lied." He said as he punched him again, then just looking down at him.
"But I didn't, so you are my friend forever." He said as he wiped his mouth and started to walk away.
Doll had moved onto the new newsboy and just beat him to the ground before she left him alone. The newsies gathered together before walking away leaving 4 paid newsboys bleeding in the streets of Staten Island.
"And if you ever touch that boy again, you may not live to see what happens next." Sniper said as they walked towards the lodging house. Once they reached the lodging house they saw Cheddar and Bones on the porch.
Cheddar and Bones were a lot alike. Both were skinny, Bones just a bit skinnier, and both had the same light pink lips that were always in a smile. Cheddar looked kind of like a mouse and loved cheese so Cheddar was the only name he could possibly have. Bones was simply skinny and boney. Cheddar was 12 and Bones was 18 but they were still close.
"Hey guys what you'se doin here?" Cheddar asked as he stood up.
Bones walked over without talking, he saw Hudson's hand and saw the brass knuckles and knew what probably happened.
"They beat up a couple guys' Cheddar." Bones finally said as he looked at Cheddar.
"Really?" Cheddar said looking at them.
"Yeah, a couple of the paid newsboys." Sniper said.
Popoff, Cheeks, and Nickolai walked out of the lodging house and towards the group of newsies.
"So did you'se really beat up some guys here?" Popoff asked.
"Cheeks why don't you get Pirate and wait on the porch I wanna talk to him." Doll said so he would leave.
"Cheddar go inside." Bones said as he nudged the young boy who obeyed.
Once the younger boys were all inside they all started to talk.
"A couple of those paid newsboys were beatin up your newsie." Hudson finally said.
"Who?" Popoff said not believing it completely.
"Pirate." Sniper said as he looked over at the porch to see Cheeks and Pirate waiting.
"Hudson take the brass knuckles off, he doesn't need to see those." Shamrock said as Hudson took them off.
"He needs to get use to them Shamrock." Nickolai said. It sounded bad, but it was true and it was only for the good of his young newsies.
"Well he can get use to them when he ain't beat up like that." Hudson said as everyone turned to see the bruised boy.
"Why didn't he tell me?" Nickolai asked the female newsie.
"Cheeks said he was too scared, and didn't want to be babied so he kept quiet." Doll answered.
"Cheeks knew?!" Popoff said, making Cheeks look up.
"Yeah, but he said he couldn't fight them." Shamrock said as they all lowered their voices again.
"I'll be right back." Doll said as she walked towards the porch leaving the boys to talk.
"Am I in trouble?" Cheeks asked as she approached him.
"No, but go inside ok?" He nodded before leaving Doll and Pirate alone.
The boy kept fidgeting as he sat on the steps quietly.
"Hi Pirate I'm Doll." She greeted him.
"Hi." he replied quietly.
"I heard some boys were being mean to you."
"Yeah." He said as he finally looked at her.
"Did they hurt you?".
"Yeah they scared me. I can't even go down that street anymore without getting ….whats the word?" He asked with confusion written on his face.
"Paranoid?" Doll asked.
"Yeah! That's the word, paranoid." He answered as he took a deep breathe.
"Well I just want to tell you that me and my friends took care of them, and they won't hurt you again ok?" She said as he whipped his head around to look at her.
"Really?"
"Yep, and if they do I want you to tell Cheeks to tell me ok, or tell Nickolai or Popoff or even Bones." She said as she looked straight in his eyes.
"Thanks." He said as he leaned over and hugged her.
"Well how bout we go meet the people who helped me." She said as she stood up holding his hand and walking him over to the group. As they got to the group everyone stopped talking and turned to face Pirate.
"Pirate this is Shamrock, Hudson, Sniper, and Jackal." She said as she introduced each of them.
"We saw you early today with Cheeks." Sniper said as he bent over to be about the same height as Pirate.
"Really?? That was you, you look a lot nicer now!" Pirate said making everyone but Nickolai laugh, all he did was smirk.
"Hey Pirate, I want you to know if you ever need or want to you can come to me." Hudson said as he ruffled the boy's hair.
"Ok." The youngster laughed.
"Yeah, and know that you'se can go to Nickolai, he'll protect you." Shamrock said as he looked at the young boy and then Nickolai.
"Yeah! You could've told me, you'se my pirate buddy!" Popoff said pretending to be mad.
"I'm sorry Popoff! And I'm sorry Nickolai, I shoulda told you since you're my leader. I was just scared you'd think I wasn't strong enough to be a newsie anymore." The boy looked at the ground and put his arms behind his back.
"Hey, it takes a lot more strength to admit you'se wrong, so you're off the hook this time. But if you'se tell me next time and these guys come take care of it I'm gonna soak ya." Nickolai said as he uncrossed his arms to look at the boy.
"I promise." Pirate said as he suddenly hugged Nickolai, which shocked everyone. That's like someone hugging Spot, its just unheard of.
Pirate let go and then Popoff took him to the house.
"Thanks." Nickolai said, still showing no emotion, before following the others inside.
.love