A/N: How will Ollie get her way out of this one?
~ July 19, 1899 ~
Ollie's hands flew to her head. Where had her cap gone? She could feel that her braid had come partially undone, and there were strands of her brown hair in her face. She looked around on the ground, and saw her cap lying where she had run into Davey.
She quickly picked it up and shoved it on her head, her cheeks flushed.
"I, uh," She mumbled. "Yeah…" She snuck a glance at Jack, but he didn't seem to be deterred by it. He only seemed to be a little surprised.
Race and Davey just looked at her, eyes slightly widened, while Les was smiling.
They stood in the alley, Ollie worrying about what would happen now, as an awkward silence hovered over them, until Les broke the ice.
"Why did you hide that you were a girl?"
Ollie thought quickly. Luckily, she was good at thinking on the spot. "You know how newsies are all boys right?" He nodded, so she continued. "Well I thought that if I pretended I was a boy, then I would be able to be a newsie. It also helped me get out of some situations that I wouldn't have been able to get out of while I was a girl."
Not too far from the truth, she thought.
"Woah." Les whispered, before his eyes lit up once more. "You know, you could be friends with my older sister Sarah. She's always complaining about how she needs more fr-" He was cut off by Davey putting a hand over his mouth.
"That's not for you to share." He whispered sternly. Ollie smiled at the interaction, before turning back to Jack, trying to think of what to say and how to say it. She decided on trying to gain sympathy.
"You aren't going to kick me out, are you?" She asked, acting like she didn't want to leave. It was true. She didn't, but only because she still wasn't 100 percent sure if Manhattan was in it to win it with the strike. Though what they did at the distribution center today certainly helped their case. She'd have to give it some thought.
Jack and Race shared a look, and Ollie, despite her better judgment, felt a bit worried.
"Believe it or not," Jack said, a grin appearing on his face. "You ain't the only girl newsie."
Jack didn't explain as they walked back to the lodging house, he was too focused on getting back before they could get arrested.
Rumor had it that there was a newsie that was arrested at the strike earlier that day, but no one really knew who it was. If the Manhattan boys were willing to get arrested to make the strike work, then maybe they were in it to stay.
They reached the lodging house in decent time, only stopping once to get Les to retie his shoe. Jack headed inside first, then Race and Davey, followed by Les and Ollie.
Ollie hadn't put her hair back up yet, but she had wanted to. The only reason she left it hanging a braid down the back of her neck, was because Les had asked her to. He said it was pretty, and who was she to say no to such a cute boy like him?
Her mind wandered with what Jack had said before he lead them out of the alley. There were more girl newsies? Sure Ollie knew of other girl newsies; she had lied about that in her explanation to Les, but she only knew of two. She kept thinking about it as she walked up the stairs behind Davey, preparing herself at the same time for what questions were sure to come about her being a girl.
She could hear the voices of many boys in the bunk room above them, excited after the successful strike.
When Jack entered the room, the sound quieted a little bit, but it rose quickly once they realized who it was.
Jack was bombarded by a flurry of questions.
"Where were you?"
"That was awesome!"
Jack waved his hands to silence the crowd of shouting boys.
"I consider that a success!" He said, earning another round of cheers.
"Hey Jack," called Mush, from a bunk near the back of the room. "What now?"
"Now we," Jack paused and looked over at Davey. "Now what?"
Davey looked slightly uncomfortable to be put on the spot like that, but he spoke to the crowd anyway. "You all saw that there were kids who got away with their papers, er, papes," he blushed slightly as he corrected himself. "And they're out there right now, selling them."
"They're scabs!" Called someone from the back of the room.
"That's right." Davey nodded, looking back at Jack. The Manhattan leader nodded, seeing where Davey was going.
"And what do we do with scabs?" He called out.
"Soak 'em!" Was the reply, like it was at the distribution center that morning.
Jack smiled at the crowd. "That's right! Now go soak 'em!" The crowd of newsboys slowly began to spill from the room, only a few noticing Ollie's new look.
"Wait you're a girl?" Blink asked, as he walked by with Mush. Ollie blushed, and nodded, wishing slightly that she hadn't been seen by Blink and Mush in the first place. SHe had just wanted to pin up her hair, and hide it from the rest of the boys.
When Mush walked past, he stepped closer to her and winked, but Ollie grabbed his arm, and stopped him from continuing to walk, trying to prove that she wasn't naive or helpless.
"You try anything, and I'll make you wish you hadn't." She glared at him through her ice blue eyes. Mush's eyes widened and he stepped forward, rubbing his arm, while Blink was laughing his head off. Ollie looked back at the room, not many looking at her, and she saw a few slip into the room, which according to everyone in the lodge, had nothing behind it. Her gaze finally landed on Jack, his brow furrowed as he searched the crowd for someone.
"Hey, Blink!" Jack called out to the boy who was just about to go down the stairs. "Have you seen Crutchy?" Blink shook his head, and suddenly looked a little worried.
"I didn't see him come back." He shared a look with Jack. "You don't think he…?"
"It's possible." Jack ran his hand through his hair.
Race sat down on a bunk. "I called to him, but I guess he didn't hear me."
Ollie felt Les squeeze her hand, and she looked down at him, longing to ruffle his hair, but decided against it, seeing as they had only met each other a short while ago. In the end, she decided to squeeze his hand in return. He smiled up at her.
"If they got him, then he's there." Blink was saying.
"We gotta get him back." Jack said firmly, walking towards the stairs.
"From where?" Les' words stopped Jack in his tracks.
Jack turned back and looked down at the kid. "The refuge."
Ollie felt like she had the wind knocked out of her. The refuge. Though she had never been sent to the refuge, she knew of the horrors that lived inside.
She didn't know Crutchy very well, she couldn't help but feel sad for him. A boy like him wouldn't last long in a place like that.
She had seen first hand what it did to the toughest of the Brooklyn newsies.
Les froze at the mention of the horrid place. He looked towards Davey. "We have to do something! We can't let him stay there!"
Davey put his arm around Les' shoulder and pulled his brother close, Ollie's hand slipping from Les'.
"We'll get him back. Don't worry."
"Davey's right." Jack nodded. "We'll get him out."
Les looked up at the Manhattan leader. "Really?"
"Really."
A small smile spread across the small boy's face.
"But not now," Race said from his spot on the bed. Ollie jumped. She forgot he was still there. "It's still day. You ain't gonna get in there in broad daylight."
Jack nodded thoughtfully. "Davey, you an' I will do it."
Davey's eyes widened, but he didn't argue. Instead, he turned to Les and said he was going to take him home.
"But I wanna help get Crutchy back!"
"That's happening later." Davey said as he pulled his brother towards the stairs. "I'll see you in a bit Jack."
The brothers walked down the stairs, leaving Race, Jack, Blink, and Ollie alone. Ollie shifted back and forth on her feet. Jack turned back to her, looking slightly distraught.
Ollie tried to break the silence. "So…" She looked up at Jack. "You said I ain't the only girl newsie?"
He looked confused, but his face cleared when he figured out what she was talking about.
"Right." He said, smiling, but Ollie could see that sadness from losing Crutchy in his eyes.
He motioned to Ollie to follow him, and he started walking through the bunks. Ollie's eyes widened when she was where they were going. Jack was leading her towards the door that everyone claimed that there was nothing behind.
Jack knocked on the door.
"Anyone in there?" He called. A muffled 'yeah' was the reply. "Are you decent?"
"Not yet, give us a second." Ollie heard shuffling behind the door before a lock clicked and the door swung open.
"What do you need?"
Ollie's eyes widened when she saw who answered the door. It was a girl.
A/N: I know most fics have someone rescue Crutchy, but…*evil laugh* - Dont worry though, it's for character development :)
On another note, I'm taking a little break for the summer, and I will be returning to my posting schedule sometime in September.
Now, I still might post other things, but they probably won't be for Brooklyn's Bird, most likely for other fandoms (I have a few ideas floating around in my head)
Thanks for sticking with the story this far, and as always, reviews are welcomed and appreciated. I'd love to know what you're thinking so far!
Until next time! (Whenever that is :) )
~ Cori