"Harlem." Mush gulped, bracing himself. "Why did I take Harlem?"
"OI!" the voice of a man rung out.
Mush spun around to see a man with orange hair glaring down at him.
"What brings a non-Harlem newsie here?" The man glared.
"H- hey Ch- Choker." He smiled nervously.
"Oh! Mushy boy." He grinned his toothless grin.
"H- hi." Mush gulped.
"C'mere kid, how ya been?" He ruffled the younger boy's hair.
Choker and Mush knew each other back at the orphanage. Sure, Choker was the scary older boy and Mush was the scrawny child, but they had formed somewhat of a brotherhood.
"I'm okay Choker." He winced as he attempted to fix his hair.
"So, whatcha doing here Mush Mash?" Choker smiled warmly, which was a strange sight on top of his scarred face.
Mush's face turned serious.
"Choker, there ain't no way wese gonna survive this price raise." He awkwardly chuckled. "So erm- wese on strike!"
Choker blinked.
Once....
....then twice.
"I'm sorry, you did what now?"
"Strike!" Mush did awkward jazz hands before running away. "BYE!" [this is so me] (I thought of you when I wrote it)
"MEYERS!"
But Mush was already walking away. Before he was out of reach he heard one thing.
"LEMME TALK TO SPOTTY BOY, THEN I'LL GET BACK TO YA."
Mush smiled softly but not turning back.
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
Jo Jo had been walking to the Bronx when he ran into just the person he was looking for.
"Smallzie! How's me favorite girlsie doin'?" He flashed a bright smirk.
"Uh huh. Quit the flirting Jo Jo." Smalls crossed her arms, papes sticking out of her newsie bag.
"Who said I'm flirting?!" He fluttered his eyelashes.
"Every breathing thing," Smalls deadpanned before screaming, "EXTRA EXTRA! STUPID NEWSIE BE FLIRTING WITH POOR INNOCENT GIRL."
"Gee thanks."
"Now, why ya here?" She crossed her arms turning back to Jo Jo.
"Can't a newsie just check on his friend?" Jo Jo smiled innocently.
"Nah." Smalls slapped him with a newspaper.
"Manhattan's striking." Jo Jo frowned. "Smalls, we really need ya." His face turned to pleading. "...please."
"Jo, you know what a strike could do us." She crossed her arms. "Is it really worth it?"
"I don't know Smallzie, but it's a chance. And that's all we need."
"But is it a chance that we'll be willing to take?"
Jo Jo stayed silent, being not so sure himself.
"Exactly..." Smalls turned away. "But..." she twisted her head back. "if it really means this much to you and 'Hattan, I'll talk to Conlon about it." She shook her head. "He's not all just brawn ya know."
Jo Jo stifled a laugh.
"I know."
"See you around."
"See ya."
The strike's chances of winning was down by two.
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
"Never been to Brooklyn before. Have you?" Davey turned his head to Jack who was seemingly staring off to space.
"Used to."
"So is Spot Conlon really dangerous?" Les piped up.
Jack remained silent, continuing to walk to a dock.
"Going somewhere, Kelly?" Snarly sneered.
"Shut ya trap Snarls." Jack pushed passed the kids by the dock.
Davey and Les scanned the docks, nervous looks on their faces.
"I guess that answers your question." Jack turned back to Les, a smile cracking on his face.
Soon they approached a stack of boxes, on top was none other than Spot Conlon, King of Brooklyn himself.
"Well, if it ain't Jack be nimble, Jack be quick." Spot crossed his arms, smirking. "Haven't seen ya since Redwood."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Davey muttered to Jack, who ignored both Spot and Davey.
"I see you moved up in the world, Spot. Got a river view and everything." Jack smirked, spit shaking with Spot.
Davey tried not to gag. [spit shaking does not Vibe with davey] (def not)
"So, Jackie Boy. I've been hearing things from little birds. Things from Harlem, Queens, all over. They been chirpin' in my ear. Jackie Boy's newsies is playing like they're going on strike." Spot pulled out a slingshot and a marble.
Jack scoffed. "Surprised you and Redwood are on speaking terms, haven't strangled each other yet?"
"We're not playing." Davey stepped up. "We are going on strike."
"Oh yeah? Yeah? What is this, Jackie Boy? Some kind of walking mouth? Even Redwood wasn't that talkative. Blabber and blabber."
"Yeah, it's a mouth. A mouth with a brain, and if you got half a one, you'll listen to what he's got to say." Jack ignored Spot and the aching in his chest.
Spot settled down in his throne and made a 'go on' motion to Davey.
"Well, we started the strike, but we can't do it alone. So, we're talking to newsies all around the city," Davey exclaimed.
"Yeah, so they told me. But what'd they tell you?" Spot crossed his arms.
"They're waiting to see what Spot Conlon is doing, you're the key. That Spot Conlon is the most respected and famous newsie in all of New York, and probably everywhere else. And if Spot Conlon joins the strike, then they join and we'll be unstoppable. So you gotta join, I mean... well, you gotta!" Throughout his speech Davey made several wild hand gestures and movements. [he talks with his hands] [mE tOo] (s a m e)
"Ya's right Jackie Boy...brains." Spot tilted his head to Jack. "But I got brains too, and more than just half a one. How do I know you punks won't run the first time some goon comes at ya with a club? How do I know you got what it takes to win?"
"Because I'm telling you, Spot." Jack huffed crossing his arms.
Spot scoffed. "That's not good enough Jackie Boy, ya ain't Redwood. Neither are ya newsies."
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
"Why'd he keep bringing up someone named Redwood?" Davey turned to Jack. "Isn't he the leader of Queens or something?"
"Yeah." Jack stared off. "But he used to be a Manhattan newsie."
"You two were close?" Davey's eyes filled with sympathy.
"Like siblings." Jack stopped to look over the water, grasping his hands tightly onto the rails.
Les skipped around, unaware of the serious conversation happening outside of his hearing.
"Must've been hard when he left huh." Davey stood next to Jack, watching his new friend in concern.
"It was harder on Racer." Jack squeezed his eyes shut. "It was just hard for me to get him to leave. Painful even."
"That what happened at Jacobi's? Between, you and Race."
"Well aren't you nosey?" Jack chuckled before continuing. "Yeah. Two of them were best friends, siblings, probably could've turned to more. I was just the big brother. Always have been since the old leaders left."
Davey stayed silent.
"Y'know," Jack turned back to Davey. "Stai- Andrew- didn't have a choice... poor thing would've gotten thrown into the refuge if he didn't leave. No one saw it coming. One day was just as normal as any... until it wasn't." Jack gripped the rail harder, clamping his eyes shut again. "We were all lined up at the circulation gate, Delancey's were more smug den usual. Then cops come storming in and- and." He inhaled a shaky breath. "And I told him to run. Took a couple of try's to get the traumatized kid to move."
Davey put a hand on Jack's shoulder.
"I'm sorry that happened to you guys."
"Me too." Jack hung his head.
"Guys! Guys look!" Les screamed, pointing excitedly to a cart. "ICE CREAM!"
"Yeah bud." Jack put on a smile. "Ice cream."
"Ice cream cheers people up, right?" Davey grinned. "Let's get some ice cream."
"Wait Dave-" Jack tried to stop him. "I'm not really in the mood for ice cream-"
Davey grinned, and Jack could see an idea flashing in his head. "Huh," he said, in a voice a little lower than Davey's own, and it took Jack a second to realize Davey was imitating him. "What kinda person don't want no ice cream?"
Jack laughed a little, and Davey visibly brightened at his laugh.
The taller boy grabbed Jack's wrist, and Jack felt his face grow warm as the two of them headed to the cart. [developing some javid i see] (yOu kNoW iT)
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
"So you have talked to Redwood." Hot Shot crossed his arms.
"Not exactly." Spot shrugged.
"Then why'd ya-"
"News of the strike hasn't reached her yet."
"But-"
"Hot Shot, ya gotta know how to push people's buttons." Spot pointed to Queens in the far distance, circling his finger around. "That is a big button."
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
"We're all gonna die." Albert dramatically put the back of his hand to his forehead.
"Shut ya trap." Blink whacked the redhead with his newsie cap.
"Yeh, calm down." Jo Jo shrugged. "Race hasn't gotten back yet, that might be promising."
"Not to mention, Queens does have numbers." Mush grinned.
"How do you think Anastasia's doing?" Crutchie asked softly.
The room filled with a sad silence.
"She's gotta be fine!" Romeo piped up, a grin on the child's face. "She's the leader of Queens now! Like- like Queen of Queens!" He grinned proudly.
"Sure kid." Blink ruffled the younger boys hair.
"I'm eleven now!" Romeo whined, which brightened up the mood.
"Barely," Albert deadpanned.
Crutchie smiled a bit, but still had a worried demeanor.
"Hey Crutch," Finch elbowed the newsie. "If anyone can convince Drew to join the strike it's Race."
"They were best friends," Jo Jo agreed.
"Keyword, were," Albert said, rolling his eyes.
"Way to be an optimist, Al," Finch murmured.
"Let's just hope Race can convince her." Crutchie sighed, longingly looking out the window.
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
Race walked the overly long walk to Queens.
After asking around a bit he was able to find it....
The Queens Newsie Lodging House...
After knocking he waited there in silence, the sun setting behind him.
He looked down, nervously fiddling with his cigar.
"Yello?" A boy around his age (possibly younger) opened the door.
"I'm here to see Slip Redwood?" He smiled sheepishly. "Unless I got the location wrong."
He continued to nervously fiddle with his cigar as he heard shuffling and footsteps.
"Hello-"
Race looked up, and Anastasia sucked in her breath.
"Race..."
"Heya Stupid." His signature smirk settled onto his face.
Wellllll
That was something.
Anyway,
Before ya leave, don't forget too...
VOTE!
SELL YA PAPES!
COMMENT!
FIGHT MONSTERS!
SAVE THE WORLD!
AND TRY NOT TO DIE!
This is Izzy,
Over and out!