"Morning Dad," I say as I stalk into the kitchen and make myself breakfast. He sips a bit of coffee as he reads a new book he says he got at the bookstore. I look at the cover and smile: The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson. I smirk at him until he notices.
"I can see why you like it so much," he beams. I make Elsie eat something as we get ready to head out. We don't have much, but at least we don't have to rely on the nuns. Save some food for our friends. I almost slip out the door before I hear a noise in the living room and go pale. Ghostly white, I turn around to see my smirking Dad and point to the living room. He laughs under his breath as a sudden reaction of realization spread across my face.
"I can explain…" I say hastily, moving towards the living room.
"No need, he's lucky to have someone like you," Dad smiles. "You should be proud." He raises his mug to show appreciation as I slowly walk up to snoring Jasper. I look at Elsie and with a smug smile I stroke his hair. I give her a silly look as she moves in closer to him. She leans close into his ear.
"Wake up," Elsie yells, with that, he jolts up rubbing his eyes.
"What the-"he starts; he looks close to having a spasm as he awakes.
"Morning sleepy head, ready to go?" I ask in my sweetest voice.
"Because every morning should start with a heart attack," he mumbles, I guess he comes into focus as he sees me and smiles. He changes back into his regular clothes as Dad eyes me the entire time. He finishes dressing in the bathroom and comes out to the living room. When he drops his hat on, I put my hand on his chest and look into his eyes as I go in for a kiss.
"Ella, Elsie, your late, leave," he points to the door.
"Oh right," I mutter as I take my hand off his chest. I grab the money to pay for the papes and watch my dad smirk as I lock the door. I look at Jasper as he picks me up bridal style and look at Elsie, she giggles with every ounce of energy she has and who can blame her? He spins me until I get dizzy, we love each other our bond is as strong as Elsie's. He spins me all the way down to the distribution center, even in line as we are careful not to make Knobs mad. Or Blink and that makes me a bit nervous because the Delanceys have threated us more than once for Jasper to put me down. We finally get to the front as we hear a familiar voice.
"Put the girl down." Weasel smirks, "How many street rats?"
"One hundred Mr. Weasel," I say sweetly, "Next time you get a woman, make sure you remember that she is a lady, not a lapdog." He leans back on his stool and smirks at me.
"Bye," Elsie pipes as we walk away. She sees Les come over and we give them fifty. It takes both of them to carry them, but Les insists on taking all of them. Elsie blushes as he kisses her cheek as they make their way toward Medda's theater. We make our way words the park as I sell a few to a few business men as I hear Jasper was to go drown in the harbor. After I finish, I stalk up to him as he tries to avoid a fight with a guy.
"He could, but he has so much to fight for," I smirk, looking at the guy. He rolls his eyes and walks off. "Words don't hurt us because we are just like you," I call out after him. I look at Jasper, his mouth wide open. He looks over at me as I smile.
"What?" I laugh.
"Nothing, why did you?" he starts.
"Because we are like them, they just refuse to recognize it," I kiss him. He sells about five to a bunch of women who look like they have a need to cake on makeup. They don't even look like people at all.
"This is why I am so glad we are poor," I whisper. He gushes as we walk around the park, finish selling out last paper underneath our tree. Not caring about my skirt wrapped around my legs, I climb up into the tree like a monkey. He laughs as I shake the branch, causing small forms of apples to fall. He rubs his back as he got hit with one.
"Quit shaking the branch, we'll have nothing to eat later." He calls up, hoisting himself onto the first branch. We hear a distant cat call.
"Hurry," I squeal as he scampers up the tree. We hear a pair of feet approach the tree. We see Race and his cigar as he begins his climb. Soon enough Race scampers up to the tree and sits next to us.
"I like this, the view is nice, just too many branches," he puffs as he takes his cigar out of his mouth.
"So what are you guys doing later?" he says happily. I sigh as I point him out of the tree, he refuses.
"Race, you're going to burn the tree down," I say as he lights his cigar and puffs again. He gives us a weird look and I see it, his bloodshot eyes and empty stomach. I don't know how old he is but he won't live beyond twenty three if the only thing he's eating is the nuns' bread and the food the landlady serves at the lodging house. Don't know her enough to form an opinion, but she cares about us newsies, a lot.
"Okay and" he taunts. He starts singing a song to us about a tree and we know he's making fun of us.
"So get out," Jasper finishes sternly. I push him out of the tree as he calls up to us again.
"Fine, not my fault if I bash your plans for tonight, I'm planning on bashing Hype later too," he snickers, "she is going to be so ticked at me."
"Good luck," I whisper. "Jasper, he said he was going to go taunt Hype."
"They will be fine, if she can handle a third child, she can defiantly handle Race." He smiles, showing his dimples I blush scarlet.
"Why does he have to be so loud? He's heard everywhere and we all know it, but why does he have to call out couples? It's stupid. I don't even want to know how much he's called out Sketch and Davey." I whisper. Jasper agrees as he kisses my forehead. I blush scarlet again as he takes a small section of my hair and loosely curls it.
"What would you do without me?" he smirks.
"Absolutely nothing," I smile in reply.