The Strike (A Newsies fanfiction)

Chapter 4: They Was Coronas!

A/N: Time skip to next morning in Newsies Square. Also, this is a long chapter, so have fun with that.

*Cue flashing lights to indicate a time skip*

I groaned, leaning against the wall. Jojo gave me a worried look.

"Ya doin' okay, Racer?" He asked. I yawned.

"Them fire sirens kept me awake all night," I complained, yawning again. Mush sits down next to me, looking bright and chipper.

"Sirens is like lullabys to me," he said. "The louder they wail, the better the headline. And the better the headline, the better I eat! And the better I eat-" I cut him off.

"The farther away from you I sleep!" The other boys laughed, and Mush stuck out his tongue at me. Suddenly the new kid- Davey- and his brother ran up to us, hand in hand.

"Mornin' everybody," He said between gasps of breath. "Sorry we're late. We had to help our mom with something,"

"Theys got a muddah? I was gonna get me one," I joked.

"What'd you do with the one you had?" Romeo asked. Buttons grinned.

"He sold 'er for a pack of cigars," He said.

"Theys was coronas!" I said defensively. This earns me another round of laughter. I grinned.

"Oooooh, okay," Mush said, like this was a completely reasonable thing to do.

"We have a father too!" Les said proudly, giving us a gap-toothed smile.

"A muddah and a faddah!" Buttons said. Les nods enthusiastically. Cute little kid.

"Ain't we the hoi-polloi?" I said sarcastically. I don't actually know what "hoi-polloi" means, but I heard this rich man who bought papes from me use it, so it must mean somethin' important.

"So, how's it going today?" Les asked.Tommy Boy shrugged.

"Ask me after they put up the headline," He said. Les looked up at the board to check if it was up.

"Here it comes now!" He exclaimed. I glanced up to see the man moving aside so we could see the headline.

"'New Newsies Price Sixty Cents Per Hundred.'" Albert read. I shook my head in disbelief. Sixty cents? I can barely afford to pay the fifty cents we used to have.

"Uh, I can't afford that," I said nervously. Albert and I exchanged worried looks.

"Awwww, c'mon!" Jojo groaned. Davey looks puzzled.

"Is that news?" He asked.

"It is to me!" Elmer said, his face falling.

"They jacked up the price of papes. Ten cents more a hundred!" Albert explained. Elmer sighed. Buttons set a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"I can eat two days on a dime," Elmer said sadly.

"I'll be sleepin' on the streets!" Crutchie exclaimed. Jojo gave him a doubtful look.

"You already sleep on the streets,"

"In a worse neighborhood!" Crutchie shuddered. Jojo rolled his eyes.

"Yeah right," He muttered as Jack strode into the square. He stopped when he saw the worried looks on our faces.

"What're you all standin' around for?" He asked, obviously confused.

"Get a load of this, Jack," Crutchie gestured to the headline. Jack's brow furrowed.

"Like Pulitzer don't make enough already!" Romeo complained. Behind us, the distribution window opened, revealing Weasel.