Double In Trouble

Chapter 1

Augusta Browning, or Double as the newsies called her, was not a morning person. Neither was Smalls, the leader of The Bronx whom Double was Second to. Double could have been spared from waking up three and a half hours before the morning bell, but Smalls said if she had to wake up early, then she was taking Double down with her.

Why were they getting up so early in the morning you ask? It was because the stuck-up leader of Brooklyn, who just so happened to be a morning person, said there was going to be a meeting for the newsie leaders that morning in Brooklyn, two hours before the morning bell. And since The Bronx was the farthest away from Brooklyn, that meant an hour and a half walk in the morning when it was still dark for the two Bronx leaders. How considerate of Spot.

So now Double was walking through the scary streets of Brooklyn, while it was still dark, with a grumbling Smalls at her side. She had woken up Shadow, the Bronx Third, before they left to let him know that they were leaving and he was in charge for the morning so Smalls wouldn't have to.

Luckily the Brooklyn Lodging House was coming into sight. "Hey, Smalls. We're here," Double said.

"Praise the Lord in Heaven!" exclaimed Smalls. "If that boy wasn't the almighty Spot Conlon, I'd give 'im a piece a my mind, and my fists."

"That makes two of us."

They came up on the Brooklyn Lodge, but went right around it and to the docks in back where everyone was supposed to meet. Double immediately caught sight of her friend Jitterbug, the Second of Queens, and ran over to her.

"Jitterbug!" she called.

Jitterbug turned around just in time to see her friend run at her with her arms outstretched, only to run right past her right shoulder.

Double was a bit confused as to why her friend had seemingly teleported to the side. "Why'd ya move?" she asked.

"I didn't move," Jitterbug said. "You were probably seein' double again an' didn't realize it."

"Ugh. Darn my crossed eyes," Double attempts to swear. Jitterbug giggles at the failed attempt.

If there was one thing Double could change about herself, it would be her cross eyes. She hated not being able to see right, and it annoyed the heck out of everyone when she got a head injury, because she always told the wrong number of fingers that they held up to her. But then again, she wouldn't be "Double" without her double vision, so there was that.

"Oh! Pokes wants to have an all-borough poker game, and she wants Race, Spot, and Brit to come. Can you tell everyone?"

"Sure!" Jitterbug says.

Double and Jitterbug's conversation is cut short by Spot's voice.

"Newsies! Now that we're all here, let's get down to business."

They all stand around a crate with a flat top. Double looks around and sees that Manhattan was the only one to not bring their Second. There was Spot and Hotshot from Brooklyn, Smalls and Double from The Bronx, Major and Jitterbug from Queens, and just Jack from Manhattan.

"Let's start with turf rules," the Brooklyn leader said. "I'll go first. No goin' on Brooklyn turf unless it's an emergency, you have permission, or you're Racetrack Higgins. Major. You'se go next."

"Only The Bronx and Queens on Queens turf. But no cross-sellin'," Major said.

"Smalls?"

"Anyone can come ta Da Bronx. We'd love ta see ya! But no sellin'." she added with a smirk.

"Jackie boy?"

"S'long as ya don't make trouble, you'se welcome in 'Hattan ta visit. No sellin' though, like everywhere else."

"Kay. Next order of business?"

Jitterbug looked over at Major, who nodded. "Can Jitt go for a run real quick?" he asked. "She's no good bouncin' 'round like this right now."

Spot rolled his eyes, but nodded. Jitterbug turned on her heel and ran off.

"Should we talk about Harlem?" asked Major.

With the mention of Harlem, Double tensed up. She hated fighting and conflict with all of her being.

Smalls touched her hand, making Double look at her. She tilted her head away from the crate, signaling that Double could leave and go back to The Bronx if she wasn't comfortable. Double nodded, and turned to go.

Spot groaned when he saw Double go, and said "Shot, why don't ya just leave too. None of the other seconds care enough to stay, or even come," he shot a look at Jack, who just shrugged, "so you can go too. Go on, shoo!"

"Jitt's comin' back," Major said.

"Well tell 'er ta leave when she gets here then."

At this point, Double could barely hear them, but she had tears in her eyes. People arguing made her shaky and uncomfortable, it always had. Putting her hands a bit in front of her so that she wouldn't run into anything she slowly made her way back to The Bronx.

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