A/N: NO HATE ON QUEENS THO! I LOVE QUEENS NY!!! I also don't own this song!
[JSBWOSBDJWBDJDDJSHSJ] [THAT CHAPTER NAME] (lololol)
"Who are you, and whats ya's doing heah." The man glared once he securely tied Anastasia to a chair.
"I told you, I'm passin' through!" Anastasia grumbled.
She should've known better.
It was because of Queens Chuckles died.
It was because of Queens she and Race were in the refuge.
It was because of Queens Crutchie's self conscious of his crutch.
"Why should we let you?" A smaller boy- someone around her age stepped up.
"Why shouldn't you?" Anastasia sassed back.
"Uh-" The man pulled out a pocket knife. "Youse in no space to be sassy kid."
"You don't scare me." Anastasia spat.
"That's the problem." The small boy through his hands up. "Queens isn't feared enough!"
"Why would you want to be feared?" Anastasia scrunched her eyebrows, seemingly forgetting she was tied to a chair.
"Because of people like you." The small boy poked her shoulder. "Who come in, make us think yer our friend. Then you kill one of us."
"You got no proof of dat." Anastasia blew a strand of hair out of her face.
"THEN WHY ISN'T MY BROTHER HERE WITH ME! WHERE'S SHARDS TOO?" The small boy screamed in her face.
"Books calm down." Freckles ordered.
"No!" Books yelled, throwing a glare. "My big brother's gone Freckles. He's been gone! Soon after Shards followed him!"
"I know kid."
Anastasia watched the exchange, eyes snapping back and forth.
"I'm sorry I didn't know." She hung her head.
If there was one thing she learned from her older brother, it was to always try to be respectful.
Or- from one of them. There was no helping Jack in that department.
"Where you from anyways kid?" Freckles looked the short kid over.
"Manhattan." Anastasia mumbled.
"Speak up." Freckles crossed his arms.
"MANHATTAN!" Anastasia yelled.
She watched the two boys' eyes widen.
"What?" She spat. "Are you gonna beat me up like you did ta Crutchie all those years ago? Or- or put me in the refuge again?! Cause I'm not the weak kid I was."
She watched as Freckles's eyes widened more (if possible).
"Yer dat little kid." Freckles muttered. "The short one who me and Shards put in the refuge with the blonde one."
"You've been to the refuge?" Books looked up.
"I'm surprised you remembered me." Anastasia rolled her eyes.
"Huh..." Freckles muttered to himself. "Ya know, old Temper nearly had a mental breakdown at the council. Must be real special..."
"Maybe I am." Anastasia shrugged. "But you'll nevah know if ya kill me."
Freckles's eyes widened. "You're changing the subject."
"Maybe..."
"Alright kid!" Freckles brought his knife closer to Anastasia's face. "Either you join us, or you leave and nevah come back."
Anastasia rolled her eyes.
"Are you really telling me to join you after you threaten to kill me?"
Freckles glared.
"Are you joining us or not!?"
"N-"
BANG!
Anastasia's eyes widened.
"I'll join!"
Books's face contorted to one of surprise. "What?"
BANG!
"Welcome to Queens kid." Freckles put away his pocket knife, smiling warmly.
The sight weirded Anastasia out, seeing as he previously was about to kill her.
"Cool. Can we just feet out of here." Anastasia' eyes scanned the alleyway she was trapped in.
"Whatever you say Shortstack." Freckles patted Anastasia's back.
"I'd rather take Slip." Anastasia grumbled.
"Slip it is." Freckles nodded. "C'mon, we'se gonna be late for the storytelling. You know, your favorite part Books."
"It's James." Books mumbled. "I don't like books, or stories anymore. I'm too old for that stuff." [MR ARPER YOU DID NOT JUST SAY THAT] [YOU HAVE BETRAYED US] (sHHHHHH)
"You never outlive a good book kid." Freckles ruffled Books's hair. "Even when you're dead."
"Tell that to Jessie." Books frowned.
Anastasia felt awkward, walking behind them during there argument.
"Here we are kid." Freckles opened the door to a lodging house of some sort.
The climbed up the stairs to a bunk room where a bunch of boys sat, huddled together.
"Boys, this is Slip." Freckles gestured to Anastasia.
Collective 'hello's' rung through the room.
"Freck! Can we start?" A hyper boy jumped up and down excitedly.
"You bet we can Hyper."
Anastasia nearly rolled her eyes at the newsie name. No kidding...
Another boy pulled out a guitar and softly spoke.
"Y- you guys remember the opening song r- right?"
Everyone nodded at different times.
"Take it away Poet." Freckles urged.
"What's happening?" Anastasia turned to the older boy, but got an answer from Books.
"The stupid song singing and stories." Books sighed.
"Oh, things couldn't be worse. When your parents run the universe." Poet sang softly, gently strumming the strings.
"Oh, things couldn't be worse. When your folks run the universe." The newsies echoed back, swaying gently.
"My dad's annoying, he forgot me. I got dumped here left to hawk awkwardly. Oh no..." Poet flushed bright red as everyone cheered.
"Oh no..." Everyone echoed.
"My mom's a fake one, she never loved me. All she cared about was her stacks of money. Oh no..." Rowan shrugged.
"Oh no...." Books put a comforting hand on his best friend's shoulder. ["best friends" the post credits scene says otherwise] (sHHHHHHHH)
"Everybody!" Freckles cheered. "Oh, things couldn't be worse. When your parents run the universe!"
"Oh, things couldn't be worse. When your folks run the universe."
"Got the gist kid?" Freckles grinned at Anastasia.
"Just one question." Anastasia frowned. "Why do you guys say your parents run the universe."
The boy names Hyper shrugged. "I like to think my parents had a reason to abandon me... more than just because they never cared."
Murmurs of agreement rung through the room.
"Well, Slip it's yer turn!" Freckles pushed her to the center.
Anastasia chuckled awkwardly. "Eh- erm- uh-"
"Just give it a shot." Freckles nodded his head.
"I had a big brother who erm- protected me always. And erm-"
"He's doing it wrong." Books crossed his arms.
"Well you show me how it's done then!" Anastasia snapped.
"My dad was a joik. He hated me and Jessie. I couldn't make a dime, but J nevah blamed me oh no..." Books smirked and stuck his tongue out.
"Oh no...." Anastasia rolled her eyes.
"Oh, things couldn't be worse. When your parents run the universe!" Hyper cheered.
"Oh, things couldn't be worse!"
"But I don't care where our parents may be, as long as you are here with me!" Books joined in, a contagious smile on his face.
"We don't care where our parents may be as long as you are here with me!" Everyone swayed in their seats.
"As long as you are here with me!"
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
"So what's up with you?" Anastasia joined Books on the fire escape, sitting down.
"Nothing." Books grumbled. "Just leave me alone, okay?"
"Nah, not a chance." Anastasia laughed. "One second yer grumpy, next yer depressed (nOT DRESSED AUTOCORRECT), then youse- I don't even know... happy?"
"My brother died." Books shrugged, as if that would answer everything.
"I know but-"
"When you lose someone close to you... it's like losing a part of you."
Anastasia listened intently.
"I get the feeling..." Anastasia muttered softly.
"Every newsie does." Books gestured to the Queens newsies, pointing some out. "Archer's parents died in a train crash." He pointed to a short, strawberry blonde haired boy. "Hyper's left him here at the lodge." He pointed to the hyper boy. "He always covers his pain with humor though." He pointed to one final boy. "That's Rowan, no one knows his backstory."
"Rough life... living on the streets." Anastasia gripped the railings.
"The difference- the difference is that they lost someone who they never knew." Books pointed to himself. "I knew my big brother. He was- he was there for me all the time."
"I had a lot of big brothers back in Manhattan." Anastasia shrugged. "Jack, the leader, he found me when I was little. He's the type of guy who you'd ask to soak someone for you. Crutchie, he found me too but he's more of the lover type and you can tell him anything. Race-" Anastasia faltered, gripping the rail tightly. "Race was- well- he was something."
Books chuckled slightly.
"Race was my best friend- my- my other half. We were two halves of a whole idiot." Anastasia smiled slightly.
"What happened- if you don't mind me asking." Books scooted closer.
"Well..." Anastasia glanced at the top of her newsie cap where a small and messy Jack Kelly was written. "First you should know something."
She took off her cap, brown braids tumbling out.
"Holy-"
"Yeah..." Anastasia rubbed the back of her neck.
"That." Books finished.
"My father sent da bulls after me, tracked me all around New York." Anastasia looked down. "I had to leave Manhattan..."
"Must be hard, leaving home." Books looked at the still bustling streets of New York.
"The look on Race's face will haunt me forever." Anastasia admitted. "I think I kinda- you know..."
"Ya what?" Books turned to the girl, raising an eyebrow.
Anastasia flushed pink.
"Never mind."
"Well," Books scooted closer to the shorter girl, "if we both lost our siblings, we can be siblings." Books wrapped a comforting arm around Anastasia who smiled slightly.
"You'd make a good big brother." Anastasia looked up at Books.
"Well, you would make a very annoying little sister." Books laughed.
"I already am..."
And with that, the two 'siblings' watched as the city that never sleeps slowly wind down to a couple hundred people out in the streets.
TA DAAAAAAA!
I don't have announcements for this week.... BUT- TWO MORE DAYS TILL SUMMER BREAK! FINALS WEEK!!!
OKAY, SOOOOOOOOO-
yOu gUys kNoW tHe dRilL!
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