The Delancey Brothers

Chapter 7: Newsies

Katherine's POV:

This morning Darcy and I were going to get coffee when we run into the Newsies. One of them, Romeo, starts to flirt with me, but then one of the other newsies pushes him aside and offers to give me a free newspaper once they're out. He's a flirt, and I have to admit, kind of cute. This is exactly how the conversation played out:

"Well, hello, hello, hello, beautiful," A newsie tries to flirt.

"Step back, Romeo. Nothin' what concerns you here. Morning Miss. Can I interest you in the latest news?"

"The paper isn't out yet," I reply and try to move past him, but he blocks me.

"I'd be delighted to bring it to you personally."

"Uh, no, I've got a headline for you: "Cheeky Boy Gets Nothing for His Troubles!"                                 

"Back to the bench slugger. You struck out." Romeo was kind of funny.

"I'm crushed!" Jack jokes. Love wasn't something to joke about. She doubted that the Newsies knew what true love was. She knew that they all probably had traumatizing pasts, similar to the Delancey's. Although, if any of her friends, or her father and any of his friends or coworkers knew that she was thinking about the Newsies, she'd be dead meat. It was supposedly 'None of her concern' she was supposed to just let the adults and Delancey handle it. Sometimes she didn't like being a girl. Guys underestimated her so much! At least her father was finally giving her the chance to be a professional writer and reporter. It was hard work, but she knew she could do it. She was going to prove to all the guys in the world just how wrong about women they were!

The Delancey's POV

"Make way. Step aside," Morris said rudely to the Newsies. Sometimes he wished he didn't have to be rude, but the moment you let someone in, they break your heart. He'd learned that the hard way. It didn't even have to be romantic love. He thought about how his father and friends had hurt him.

"Dear me, what is that unpleasant aroma? I fear the sewer may have backed up during the night."

"Or could it be..."

"the Delancey brothers."

"Hey, Oscar, word on the street says you and your brother took money to rough up striking trolley workers."

"So? It's honest work." Oscar replied defensively.

"But crackin' the heads of defenseless workers?"

"I take care of the guy who takes care of me," Oscar was referring to how I had taken care of him from day one.

"Ain't your father one of the strikers?"

"Guess he didn't take care of me!" After their father had gotten out of jail, their father had gotten a new job, one that he didn't get paid to do. His father had gone to work for the trolleys who had gone on strike. Their next job had been to 'soak' the trolley strikers much like they had been in their past. Oscar enjoyed every second of getting to soak his father in revenge and then get paid for it. This life was amazing!

"You want some of that too? Ya lousy crip!" I push Crutchie over and steal his Crutchie because those were his orders. He felt bad, though. Crutchie reminded Morris of when Oscar was younger and helpless. Jack helped Crutchie up.

"Now that's not nice, Morris."He knew it wasn't and felt bad for doing it.

"Five to one Jack skunks 'em!"

"One unfortunate day you might find you got a bum game of your own. How'd you like us pickin' on you? Maybe we should find out."  They already knew what it felt like. Jack knocked my brother and me to the ground using Crutchie's crutch. Getting bullied brought back PTSD and trauma for Oscar. When it came, he either wanted to go break down and cry or revenge. He'd be using revenge to keep the mental breakdowns from happening.