I Never Planned on You // Davey Jacobs

Two

Circulation bells woke me in the morning rather than Jack. I joined the boys in moaning and groaning about not wanting to get up yet. I pull my pillow over my face praying for a few more precious minutes. My prayers go unanswered when Snipes snatches the pillow from me.

"Aw come onnn. Just a few more minutes?" I pleaded.

"Yous hungry ain't ya?" Snipes asks.

"Yea..." I sit up on the bed scratching my head.

Ya know what buys food? Money. And ya know hows we make money?" Snipes continues expecting me to answer.

"By sellin tha papes..." I grumble yanking my pillow back from him.

Pullin me up, Snipes congratulates me, "That's right, Yous a smart goil. Now come on or yous be late".

I let him drag me to the bathrooms as I continue the same routine of getting ready - stall, wash face, tie hair back, put on cap. I listen to the boys chatter as I go about getting ready.

One boy was shaving as someone called out "Hey look! It's bath time at the zoo!". I smile and laughed along with everyone else.

Someone else exclaimed, "I thought that I'd surprise my modda." looking extremely proud.

"If you can find her!"

Everyone was silent for one glorious second before all shouting-- "Who ask you!"

They chased the poor boy out whacking rags at him. Shaking my head at them, I finish just as the rest of the boys do and we head out to the circulation building

As all the boys gallop out the building I lose count of how many newsies there are. Joining the group, I start running along with the rest of them.

Along the way we stop to meet a few news that were handing out breakfast. Now I may not be a godly woman but I do appreciate free food.

One of the sisters call out to me, "Now Octavia, when will we see ya at church?"

Internally scowling at hearing my real name, I smile sweetly to the nun, "I don't know sista, It's bound to rain sometime!"

The rest of the boys laugh and holler while I grab some food. I munch on it as we head on.

I spy Race and run to catch up to him. Playfully punching his arm to greet him, "Hiya. Didja get ya a stall today?"

"Yeah. Thankfully no one was hogging it today." He states pointedly.

Putting a hand over my chest, "Why I am insulted at what you're insinuating"

Races scrunches up is nose in confusion before asking, "Eh, what's inn-sin-atin?"

Laughing it off, I snatch his cap, "Eh don't ya worry about it".

Stealing it back, he pulls his cap back on," Ise swear, yous say funny words ya get from dem books. Sometimes Idda know what ya talkin 'bout."

"Maybe read a few and it 'on't be so bad" I tease back.

We make our way to Wiesel's just in time for Race to say "Nah, Ise got better things to do like flirtin with pretty goils".

He winks back at me just as I smack him on the shoulder, "Wouldja stop that?".

He yelps out "No!" and dashes inside. I run inside to catch him pushing past the boys only to run into something that moves to block my path- a boy.

"Hey watch it! That was my nose to just smushed!", Rubbing my nose I looked up to who  I ran into. It was a newsie I never met before and I know all the newsies. I've been a newsie longer than most of these kids have.