Queens of New York

Chapter 11

Everything happened so quickly.

Ringer was sitting next to Sarah, who had started a small conversation about theater. They talked about different performers and movies. Ringer said she never saw one and Sarah said she would have to take her. It made Ringer's face hot.

So did the way her hands brushed against her skin as she had bandaged Ringer earlier. She was so gentle. It was something she definitely wasn't used to and it made her feel...weird. Not a bad weird, but not weird either.

Sarah wordlessly sat next to Ringer and Jack shoved himself between Katherine and Genie. From down the row she could see a light smile tugging at the corners of Kitty's mouth, and a slouching Genie next to her. Did she have a thing for Katherine or something?

Medda's performance pushed all the confusion and stress to the back of her mind and she let loose and sung with the rest of the newsies. She was elated, leaning against banisters and waving her cap. Everything seemed like it would turn out alright.

And then the cops broke down the door.

At first, no one noticed because they were still yelling and cheering and hugging. But then someone—she didn't know who—yelled, "Beat it! It's the bulls!"

Panic spread and Ringer realized that Genie wasn't here. She dodged through the crowd, keeping an eye out for any cops. Her head was spinning; they didn't do anything illegal! Why were the police here? What about the security?

The crowd had started to move to the hall doors in an attempt to escape, and she found herself near the back of the cluster of newsies. It seemed as if the cops had barricaded anyone from moving out into the lobby. It grew quiet very suddenly, and before Ringer could wonder why, she heard the familiar voice of Genie, but she was yelling.

"I am Regina Hearst! William Hearst's daughter!"

Ringer felt the weight of the world tilt under her feet. Hearst? No, that couldn't be. Her head was spinning. That was impossible. That—

That explained so much. Why Genie always had an air of regality. Why she was wearing that elegant dress they say they met. Why she didn't know the first thing about surviving on her own. Because she has always had everything handed to her.

Ringer balled her hands into fists and gave Genie—no, Regina—a steely glare. She betrayed her. She betrayed all of them. She made them believe that she was one of them, broken and alone with no place to go. She lied to them.

Ringer rejected her offer for help; she didn't want to take help from someone like her. She turned away to help the others.

Ringer saw Jack streak by, his eyes wild. An officer was chasing him.

Son of a bitch.

Jack must have done something illegal. Well, he already did that, he just got caught. Putting them all on danger. Can't you trust anyone around here?

Snyder noticed Jack and he dashed for him, but Ringer was having none of it. If no one else was going to protect the newsies, then she would. She stuck her foot out and tripped Snyder, then decked him. Before he could snag her, she ducked out of his way and dashed back to the crowd. They were all shifting restlessly, hesitant and unsure of what to do. She wasn't going down without a fight, and neither were they.

"This is exactly what they's expectin' us to do! We ain't gonna go quietly! Are we on strike or not?" she yelled. It was quiet for a moment, then someone yelled, "Strike!"

That spurred the newsies. They began pushing against the cops, breaking past them and causing havoc. She could spot Regina in the corner, hunched over something, but she didn't care to go after her. Instead she grabbed Sunny and Rags by the shoulders. "Sunny, get the younger girls outta here. Rags, tell the older girls to help out the guys, but to do it fast and then beat it. We don't wanna end up in too much trouble." With that, she leaped away into the fray. She needed to help Kelly; if he got caught then she knew the strike would fall apart.