The Strike (A Newsies fanfiction)

Wow That Entrance

We began to collect strike signs and hats, pulling on shoes and heading down the street towards Medda's theater. When we arrived, I was greeted with several familiar faces. There was Smalls with her Bronx newsies. The Winston twins from Queens. A large group of kids from Harlem. Key and her newsies from Midtown. Everyone was here. Well, almost everyone.

I drifted around the room, watching the other newsies greet one another. I smiled as I watched Sniper run up to Smalls, enveloping her in a hug. She laughed, hugging him back. I wandered over to the midtown newsies. Key sat with Ace, her second in command, as well as a few other newsgirls that looked vaguely familiar. Key waved to me as I approached her.

"Hey, Racer!" she smiled at me. I sat down across from her. "You remember Ace, right?" I nodded. Ace and I played cards together sometimes. She was a petite girl with messy brown hair that she always seemed to be brushing out of her face. A pair of round glasses sat at the end of her nose.

"Race," Ace greeted me. Key gestured to the other girls sitting around her.

"This is Pinstripe and Dynamite," Dynamite, a short blonde girl with piercing blue eyes smiled flirtatiously and waved. Pinstripe, a tall young lady with curly dark brown hair, a freckled face, and a pinstripe shirt (hence the name), winked at me. I rolled my eyes. All the ladies loved me, but I didn't love the ladies. I swing more the other way, if ya know what I mean.

"Nice ta meet ya," I glanced over my shoulder to see Davey waving frantically at me. I sighed. "I'll be right back," I made my way back towards the Manhattan newsies, coming up next to Davey,

"Have you seen Jack?" he asked nervously. I shook my head.

"I thought you talked to 'im?" Davey sighed.

"I did,"

"Then where is he?" I said. Davey pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I don't know! He went to talk to Pulitzer, said he'd be here soon. But that was over an hour ago," I opened my mouth to say something, but stopped. A chant could be heard outside, slowly growing louder as the people chanting came closer. I strained to hear what the chant was saying.

"Newsies need our help today!" a voice called.

"NEWSIES NEED OUR HELP TODAY!" a chorus of voices echoed back.

"Tell 'em Brooklyn's on the way!"

"TELL 'EM BROOKLYN'S ON DA WAY!"

"WE'RE FROM BROOKLYN, WE ARE NEWSIES, WE ARE BROOKLYN NEWSIES!" they chanted in unison. The door slammed open and a large group of newsies dressed in red came running in, whooping and cheering. I watched in awe from my spot up on the main balcony as they flocked into the theater. A voice behind me shook me from shock.

"Never fear. Brooklyn's here," I whirled around to see Spot Conlon standing behind me. He grinned at me, then walked over to the edge of the balcony. He crossed his muscular arms, surveying the scene below him. I felt my face flush. Davey pulled me with him as he went to stand at the front with Spot and Katherine.

I stood next to Davey, with Spot on my right. Spot was saying something to Katherine, but I wasn't really paying attention. Instead I just stared at him. He said he wasn't coming. So why was he here? Was it because of me? I quickly shook that thought out of my head. No. No, there had to be some other reason. He let me walk away. He didn't care. But then he glanced over his shoulder at me, gave me a smile. I felt my cheeks turn red as I smiled back. At least he was here now. 

Medda gestured for Davey and Katherine to come over to her. Davey pulled me along with them. I made my way over to Medda, whacking Spot in the back of the head with my cap as I passed. He shot me an annoyed look. I grinned at him and winked, then turned to follow Davey over to Medda.

"Still no sign of Jack?" She asked. Davey shook his head.

"We'll have to start without him," Katherine said. Davey sighed. Spot, who was now standing at the edge of the stage with his second in command, Sugar, was watching us. He seemed to understand that we needed to stall a bit longer and turned to face the crowd.

"Sound off, loud and clear!" Spot yelled to the crowd.

"Manhattans here!" My boys called out loudly. I stood on stage left with Katherine and Medda, watching as the other boroughs began to sound off.

"Flushing's here!"

"Richmond's here!"

"Woodside's here!" Smalls climbed up on to the edge of the balcony.

"So's da Bronx!" She yelled.

Spot grinned as his newsies let out a chorus of "Brooklyn's here!", led by Sugar herself. The theater filled with loud whooping and cheering. I yelled and shook my fist in the air. Spot and Davey meet center stage, shaking hands. Medda made her way to the front of the stage and spread her arms dramatically.

"Welcome, newsies of New York City. Welcome to my theater and your revolution!" She gave us a dazzling smile. More cheering. Davey stepped up next to Medda.

"Let's hear it for Spot Conlon and Brooklyn!" Davey called. I rolled my eyes, but clapped anyway. Spot spread his arms, savoring the moment as everyone clapped and cheered. He made a silencing gesture, like he was directing an orchestra, and the whole room went quiet. I rolled my eyes again. Dramatic, much? He grinned.

"Let's see what Pulitzer has to say ta ya now." Spot stepped back a bit, standing next to Katherine and I.

"Hey Davey, where's Jack?" Finch called out. The other newsies muttered in agreement.

"Yeah, we want Jack!"

"Where is he?" Davey looked to Medda for help. She shook her head sadly.

"Sorry, kid. No sign of him yet. Looks like you're going solo," she said. Davey chewed his lip nervously. Katherine gave him an encouraging look, and I patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't mess up," I told him. Katherine shot me a "Shut up." look.

"JACK! JACK! JACK!" the crowd chanted. Davey took a deep breath, then stepped forward.

"Newsies of New York... look what we've done! We've got newsies from every pape and every neighborhood here tonight. Tonight you're making history!" Another chorus of cheers filled the theater.

"Tonight we declare that we're just as much a part of this newspaper as any reporter or editor," more cheering. Davey seemed to be growing more confident. "We're done being treated like kids! From now on, they will treat us as equals!"

"You wanna be talked to like an adult? Then start actin' like one. Don't just run your mouth. Make some sense," a voice called from the back of the auditorium. Making his way down the center aisle was the one and only Jack Kelly.

Heyo! I'm currently sitting in the third row of the car with my dog, somewhere outside of Dallas, using my iPhone hot spot to connect my laptop so I can write this. 

I hope I did Brooklyn' Here satisfactory in this chapter. This is honestly one of the most dramatic scenes in the musical (I'm looking at you Spot Conlon). 

Anyway, that's all I've got for today. I might post another chapter later.

Love ya!

- Peaches